The debut, self titled EP from California quintet Grouplove was one of the pleasant surprises of the latter half of 2010. The carefree sense of fun, combined with the impression that every note of the music was drenched in the California sun, made the small collection of songs a perfect soundtrack to the summer. As a result I've been looking forward to the release of their debut long player for much of 2011.
There's a youthful exuberance to Grouplove's music, and somehow that mood translates. It's hard to not find your troubles melting away as you listen to the album. Like that first summer after the end of school when the whole world seems full of possibility. It's a sound that's perfect for summer barbecues and road trips to music festivals.
For all their youth and freshness Grouplove also sound a little familiar. The counterplay of vocals between Christian Zucconi and Hannah Hooper brings to mind the pop end of the Pixies songbook. The keyboards add such a britpop flavour to the music I'd almost expect to find some of the songs in an episode of Skins. Opening track Itchin' On A Photograph was so reminiscent of erstwhile Irish rock band JJ72 that I listened to one of their albums for the first time in around five years.
For all of their familiarity Grouplove are their own creation though. Effortlessly turning out 12 pop gems in a little over three quarters of an hour. Never feeling too rushed, never outstaying their welcome. Even when they drop the tempo down a notch on Slow and Betty's A Bombshell nothing drags.
At least for our hemisphere, the timing of this album release is perfect. The days are starting to get warmer and longer, and I can foresee another long hot summer soundtracked by Grouplove. Although I imagine that the warmth inherent in the music could make even the short dark days of winter glow.
Sunday, September 18, 2011
Sunday, September 11, 2011
Kimbra - Vows
It's only been a couple of weeks since I mentioned Melbourne based, New Zealand born Kimbra Johnson. She was a guest on a track on Gotye's fabulous album that I reviewed not too long ago. Her work there, although brief, was perfect for the song, and an integral part of Gotye's musical vision. It left me curious as to how well she'd do out of the shadow of Australia's greatest musical visionary.
Not that the Gotye track was my first exposure to Kimbra. I actually saw her live last year. She was the opening support act at a concert I went to at the ANU bar, and at the time I was far from impressed. It's a tough life being a support act, and in my opinion she failed to rise to the occasion. However since that gig I've heard a few of her songs on Triple J and been more than a little impressed.
The album opens with Settle Down, Kimbra's biggest hit to date, which features a lot of layered and looped vocals. It's almost more sonic experiment than song at first, but eventually it settles down into a groove. This is followed by another radio favourite Cameo Lover, a smooth electro glide with a soaring chorus.
Kimbra has an incredible voice. Possibly the best jazz voice I've heard in recent years, and on top of that she's not afraid to do interesting things. Not everything she tries works for me (the couple of seconds of strings that fade up when she mentions 'history' in Two Way Street seemed to be trying a little bit too hard) but on the whole the reward to risk ratio is very low.
Which isn't to say that the whole album is a series of musical and vocal circus tricks. Sometimes the simple things work the best, and around half of the album is fairly straightforward earnest pop, albeit with an absolutely massive voice at its core. In fact in places it even reminds me a little of Tears For Fears.
In the end Kimbra has accomplished an astounding debut. It can be all too tempting for people that can really sing to make their albums a vocal showcase, and rather than doing that Kimbra has actually written a collection of interesting songs. I can't wait to see what she does next.
Not that the Gotye track was my first exposure to Kimbra. I actually saw her live last year. She was the opening support act at a concert I went to at the ANU bar, and at the time I was far from impressed. It's a tough life being a support act, and in my opinion she failed to rise to the occasion. However since that gig I've heard a few of her songs on Triple J and been more than a little impressed.
The album opens with Settle Down, Kimbra's biggest hit to date, which features a lot of layered and looped vocals. It's almost more sonic experiment than song at first, but eventually it settles down into a groove. This is followed by another radio favourite Cameo Lover, a smooth electro glide with a soaring chorus.
Kimbra has an incredible voice. Possibly the best jazz voice I've heard in recent years, and on top of that she's not afraid to do interesting things. Not everything she tries works for me (the couple of seconds of strings that fade up when she mentions 'history' in Two Way Street seemed to be trying a little bit too hard) but on the whole the reward to risk ratio is very low.
Which isn't to say that the whole album is a series of musical and vocal circus tricks. Sometimes the simple things work the best, and around half of the album is fairly straightforward earnest pop, albeit with an absolutely massive voice at its core. In fact in places it even reminds me a little of Tears For Fears.
In the end Kimbra has accomplished an astounding debut. It can be all too tempting for people that can really sing to make their albums a vocal showcase, and rather than doing that Kimbra has actually written a collection of interesting songs. I can't wait to see what she does next.
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
The Horrible Crowes - Elsie
It's a rare pleasure in this day and age for me to listen to a brand new album for the first time on vinyl. That's not to say that new albums aren't being pressed anymore, far from it. In fact the record part of the record industry seems to be thriving despite (or perhaps as a reaction to) the trend towards digital. The thing is that I'm not the most patient of men, and more often than not I've obtained a new album digitally (either as a download or a CD) long before the black circle can make its way to my local record shop.
I was pleasantly surprised then, when I came home from work the other day to find a suspiciously record shaped package had been left by our ninja postman (he's very good at leaving packages without leaving a trace). It turns out that the good people at Side One Dummy had shipped the international orders of Elsie early so that the record would be there for release. So I grabbed my favourite headphones, and fired up the turntable to listen.
The Horrible Crowes are kind of a side project for Brian Fallon, frontman with one of my favourite bands of recent years The Gaslight Anthem. To form The Horrible Crowes he has teamed up with Ian Perkins, who doubles as Brian's guitar tech when Gaslight tour. In theory The Horrible Crowes will be a home for all the songs Brian writes that aren't right for The Gaslight Anthem, freeing him up to write more of the kind of punk-soul that has made them famous.
The problem ends up being that Brian Fallon can't not sound like Brian Fallon, and he can't write songs any differently to the way that he writes them. Therefore vocally, and musically this is not a big conceptual step from his day job. He sings the songs a little softer, and plays them a little slower, but the heart is the same.
The difference comes down to the production. There's instruments here that would never show their face on a Gaslight Anthem album, things like Hammond style organs, and horn sections. But more importantly there's more space. The songs don't fill in all the way to the edge, which gives the listener more room to inhabit the song with Brian and Ian.
I think it's going to be tough going for this album. Outside of Gaslight Anthem fans it's going to have to work hard to find an audience, and within those same fans it's going to struggle to live up to the alchemy that happens when those four guys write music together. I like the album, and I like the songs, but it's not the revelation I was hoping it to be.
On a side note, the bonus track that arrived with the download (I love vinyl, but I love it more when they give me a copy I can listen to on my iPod as well) is brilliant. An earnest, broken, cover of Concrete Blonde's 1990 classic Joey. I was always a big fan of the original, and this cover is interesting enough to make me love it all over again. I'd say it was worth getting the album just for this track, but that's not really fair to the rest of the album, which is perfectly adequate, but it pales when compared to what I know Brian is capable of.
I was pleasantly surprised then, when I came home from work the other day to find a suspiciously record shaped package had been left by our ninja postman (he's very good at leaving packages without leaving a trace). It turns out that the good people at Side One Dummy had shipped the international orders of Elsie early so that the record would be there for release. So I grabbed my favourite headphones, and fired up the turntable to listen.
The Horrible Crowes are kind of a side project for Brian Fallon, frontman with one of my favourite bands of recent years The Gaslight Anthem. To form The Horrible Crowes he has teamed up with Ian Perkins, who doubles as Brian's guitar tech when Gaslight tour. In theory The Horrible Crowes will be a home for all the songs Brian writes that aren't right for The Gaslight Anthem, freeing him up to write more of the kind of punk-soul that has made them famous.
The problem ends up being that Brian Fallon can't not sound like Brian Fallon, and he can't write songs any differently to the way that he writes them. Therefore vocally, and musically this is not a big conceptual step from his day job. He sings the songs a little softer, and plays them a little slower, but the heart is the same.
The difference comes down to the production. There's instruments here that would never show their face on a Gaslight Anthem album, things like Hammond style organs, and horn sections. But more importantly there's more space. The songs don't fill in all the way to the edge, which gives the listener more room to inhabit the song with Brian and Ian.
I think it's going to be tough going for this album. Outside of Gaslight Anthem fans it's going to have to work hard to find an audience, and within those same fans it's going to struggle to live up to the alchemy that happens when those four guys write music together. I like the album, and I like the songs, but it's not the revelation I was hoping it to be.
On a side note, the bonus track that arrived with the download (I love vinyl, but I love it more when they give me a copy I can listen to on my iPod as well) is brilliant. An earnest, broken, cover of Concrete Blonde's 1990 classic Joey. I was always a big fan of the original, and this cover is interesting enough to make me love it all over again. I'd say it was worth getting the album just for this track, but that's not really fair to the rest of the album, which is perfectly adequate, but it pales when compared to what I know Brian is capable of.
Sunday, August 28, 2011
Seeker Lover Keeper- Seeker Lover Keeper
Super groups are a strange idea at the best of times. Often disparate giants of the music industry, each accomplished in their own rights, come together to create something new. Sometimes the whole is greater than the sum of its parts, but more often than not despite being able to see what they were going for you end up wishing that everyone had just stayed at their day job. Having said that, I can understand how it happens. People hear somebody or something that inspires them, and they end up working together.
The baffling thing about Seeker Lover Keeper, a super group of Australian female singer songwriters, is that the three individuals involved (Sarah Blasko, Holly Throsby, and Sally Seltmann) all sound so fundamentally similar that for most of the album it's difficult to tell which of them is singing. Fortunately though there's still somehow some magic at play. Perhaps because they all do essentially the same thing they each wanted to really prove to the others that they could do it well.
Seeker Lover Keeper (which sounds just close enough to 'seek her love her keep her' that it's unlikely to be by accident) is not going to surprise any fans of the three talented artists involved. It's a sweet gentle folksy pop record, with some lovely harmonies. Blasko's otherworldliness, Throsby's sweetness, and Seltmann's yearning (which as previously mentioned do all sound extremely similar) create some truly wonderful songs.
Perhaps the oddest thing about this supergroup is that despite the collaboration each song is only written by one member of the trio. They sing each other's songs, and their own, but they didn't write any of the songs together. Some of these songs may not even have been written for the project and may have just been sitting on the respective shelves, waiting for the right opportunity.
I think this is a really good album, it's funny, it's smart, and it's sweet, but in my mind it's no different to just having a new Sarah Blasko album in my collection (or for that matter a new album by either of the other two ladies).
The baffling thing about Seeker Lover Keeper, a super group of Australian female singer songwriters, is that the three individuals involved (Sarah Blasko, Holly Throsby, and Sally Seltmann) all sound so fundamentally similar that for most of the album it's difficult to tell which of them is singing. Fortunately though there's still somehow some magic at play. Perhaps because they all do essentially the same thing they each wanted to really prove to the others that they could do it well.
Seeker Lover Keeper (which sounds just close enough to 'seek her love her keep her' that it's unlikely to be by accident) is not going to surprise any fans of the three talented artists involved. It's a sweet gentle folksy pop record, with some lovely harmonies. Blasko's otherworldliness, Throsby's sweetness, and Seltmann's yearning (which as previously mentioned do all sound extremely similar) create some truly wonderful songs.
Perhaps the oddest thing about this supergroup is that despite the collaboration each song is only written by one member of the trio. They sing each other's songs, and their own, but they didn't write any of the songs together. Some of these songs may not even have been written for the project and may have just been sitting on the respective shelves, waiting for the right opportunity.
I think this is a really good album, it's funny, it's smart, and it's sweet, but in my mind it's no different to just having a new Sarah Blasko album in my collection (or for that matter a new album by either of the other two ladies).
Friday, August 19, 2011
Gotye - Making Mirrors
Judging by its recent appearance at number 11 on Triple J's chart of the one hundred greatest Australian albums of all time I'm not the only one with an enduring love for Gotye's 2006 album Like Drawing Blood. It's taken five years for Gotye (Belgian born, Melbourne based Wally De Backer) to release this follow up and it feels like a long time between drinks.
The album opens with the title track, a brief atmospheric musing on revelation and reflection that quickly gives way to Easy Way Out, a stomping, buzzy, up tempo number that conceals a world weary cynicism. Next up is the big single. Somebody That I Used to Know has been absolutely massive for Gotye, and has actually been classified Platinum by ARIA which is a rarity in this day and age. The song itself is a fiendishly clever two sided look back on the end of a relationship featuring a magnificent guest vocal from emerging artist Kimbra. After the big single is another familiar musical face, Eyes Wide Open was released as an EP last year, and got a lot of well deserved airplay, coming in at 25 in last year's Hottest 100. It's a song that sounds as wide open as the title implies with a chiming pedal steel guitar and echoing vocal. After the pair of songs that radio listeners will be familiar with there is another track from the Eyes Wide Open EP. Smoke and Mirrors, which is a dark haunting song that's lyrically vicious, although the intended target (possibly Wally himself) is not made clear.
After some dark music and dark thoughts I Feel Better is like the sun coming out from the clouds. Musically it's reminiscent of Motown era Marvin Gaye, with bright brassy stabs and a smoky soulful vocal. The good mood continues with In Your Light, a jangly, hand clapping pop song about the positive influence of love. The album then takes a very strange left turn into State of the Art, which is essentially a five minute long infomercial for a home organ, featuring a vocal so treated it's barely human.
After the commercial break we're treated to Don't Worry, We'll Be Watching You. A musically dark and lyrically sinister sinuous track that is as menacing as the title suggests. Giving Me a Chance is a heartbreaking song of hope for undeserved redemption. Save Me returns to the themes of In Your Light, with a wordless choral backing vocal that fills the sound all the way to the edges. The album closes with Bronte, a touching eulogy to the family dog.
I've liked both of Gotye's previous albums a lot. His cut and paste sample rich song writing method has always been rich and textured. What I wasn't prepared for was just how much he's grown. The song writing on this album is streets ahead of his previous two albums. Every genre he tries his hand at seems to bend willingly, and nothing seems out of place. Even things that on paper sound like bizarre ideas (most notably State of the Art) are so artfully carried out that you can't help but admire them.
Wally's also becoming more at ease with his voice. Where on previous albums the vocal has been treated, layered, and multi tracked, here it is more frequently left flying loud and proud at the centre of the mix. A smooth, slightly smoky, soulful voice that is better than he thinks it is.
The choice of instruments, and the sheer amount of time that must have been spent getting the sounds exactly right does a lot to explain the five years between albums (although with drumming duties in Melbourne's '60s revivalists The Basics it's not like Wally has been entirely absent from the music scene during that time). Everything from samples of old records, to recordings of a musical fence (no, really) has gone into the mix to create the intricate tracks on offer.
There is an episode of Doctor Who in which the Doctor visits Vincent Can Gogh. Towards the end of the episode they are laying on the grass looking up into the sky on a starry night, and Vincent explains how he sees the world. The camera then slowly converts the night sky to look like one of Van Gogh's paintings. The implication being that Van Gogh was painting the world he saw. I wish there was a way I could hear the world the way that Wally De Backer hears the world. He finds music in everything, and what's more he's able to pull it out and put it on tape for everyone else to hear it too.
This album is a work of such extreme mastery I expect I'll still be spotting things (both musically and lyrically) for years to come. I would be highly surprised if I heard a better album this year, I would be even more surprised if Making Mirrors failed to win the J Award for Australian album of the year (look out for Somebody That I Used To Know to win best video, and perhaps take out the top spot in the Hottest 100 too).
This is why I listen to music. This is genius. This is love.
The album opens with the title track, a brief atmospheric musing on revelation and reflection that quickly gives way to Easy Way Out, a stomping, buzzy, up tempo number that conceals a world weary cynicism. Next up is the big single. Somebody That I Used to Know has been absolutely massive for Gotye, and has actually been classified Platinum by ARIA which is a rarity in this day and age. The song itself is a fiendishly clever two sided look back on the end of a relationship featuring a magnificent guest vocal from emerging artist Kimbra. After the big single is another familiar musical face, Eyes Wide Open was released as an EP last year, and got a lot of well deserved airplay, coming in at 25 in last year's Hottest 100. It's a song that sounds as wide open as the title implies with a chiming pedal steel guitar and echoing vocal. After the pair of songs that radio listeners will be familiar with there is another track from the Eyes Wide Open EP. Smoke and Mirrors, which is a dark haunting song that's lyrically vicious, although the intended target (possibly Wally himself) is not made clear.
After some dark music and dark thoughts I Feel Better is like the sun coming out from the clouds. Musically it's reminiscent of Motown era Marvin Gaye, with bright brassy stabs and a smoky soulful vocal. The good mood continues with In Your Light, a jangly, hand clapping pop song about the positive influence of love. The album then takes a very strange left turn into State of the Art, which is essentially a five minute long infomercial for a home organ, featuring a vocal so treated it's barely human.
After the commercial break we're treated to Don't Worry, We'll Be Watching You. A musically dark and lyrically sinister sinuous track that is as menacing as the title suggests. Giving Me a Chance is a heartbreaking song of hope for undeserved redemption. Save Me returns to the themes of In Your Light, with a wordless choral backing vocal that fills the sound all the way to the edges. The album closes with Bronte, a touching eulogy to the family dog.
I've liked both of Gotye's previous albums a lot. His cut and paste sample rich song writing method has always been rich and textured. What I wasn't prepared for was just how much he's grown. The song writing on this album is streets ahead of his previous two albums. Every genre he tries his hand at seems to bend willingly, and nothing seems out of place. Even things that on paper sound like bizarre ideas (most notably State of the Art) are so artfully carried out that you can't help but admire them.
Wally's also becoming more at ease with his voice. Where on previous albums the vocal has been treated, layered, and multi tracked, here it is more frequently left flying loud and proud at the centre of the mix. A smooth, slightly smoky, soulful voice that is better than he thinks it is.
The choice of instruments, and the sheer amount of time that must have been spent getting the sounds exactly right does a lot to explain the five years between albums (although with drumming duties in Melbourne's '60s revivalists The Basics it's not like Wally has been entirely absent from the music scene during that time). Everything from samples of old records, to recordings of a musical fence (no, really) has gone into the mix to create the intricate tracks on offer.
There is an episode of Doctor Who in which the Doctor visits Vincent Can Gogh. Towards the end of the episode they are laying on the grass looking up into the sky on a starry night, and Vincent explains how he sees the world. The camera then slowly converts the night sky to look like one of Van Gogh's paintings. The implication being that Van Gogh was painting the world he saw. I wish there was a way I could hear the world the way that Wally De Backer hears the world. He finds music in everything, and what's more he's able to pull it out and put it on tape for everyone else to hear it too.
This album is a work of such extreme mastery I expect I'll still be spotting things (both musically and lyrically) for years to come. I would be highly surprised if I heard a better album this year, I would be even more surprised if Making Mirrors failed to win the J Award for Australian album of the year (look out for Somebody That I Used To Know to win best video, and perhaps take out the top spot in the Hottest 100 too).
This is why I listen to music. This is genius. This is love.
Saturday, August 13, 2011
Death Cab For Cutie - Codes And Keys
For a band named after a Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band song Death Cab For Cutie have been around for a surprising fourteen years. Codes And Keys is their seventh full length studio album, and their third since signing to Atlantic in 2004.
I never liked Death Cab when it was cool. I wasn't plugged in enough to the underground/independent music scene to be aware of them. Hence when they broke I reacted to not knowing about them for their first few albums by assuming they were no good (surely if they were good I would know about them, right?).
It took me a little while to properly rectify this, and as a result I'm not the fan I could be. I like what they do, but I'm far from fanatical about it. Which is probably a good place to be when reviewing an album. Too often I try to review an album by a band that I love and I find myself apologising for the things that didn't quite work for me.
Codes And Keys is a dense album. Not in that lyrical way that it's full of references and symbols. It's musically dense. The songs seem to slowly build and to wrap themselves in layers, like peeling an onion in reverse. The result is occasionally dark, but always interesting. Every song takes a musical journey.
The result of this musical density is that you manage to hear a slightly different album every time. Each listen something else will jump out at you, a guitar line here, a piano riff there. It's an album that rewards repetition, but never feels repetitive.
Of course maybe I just want to like it to make up for all that lost time when they were good and I wasn't paying attention.
I never liked Death Cab when it was cool. I wasn't plugged in enough to the underground/independent music scene to be aware of them. Hence when they broke I reacted to not knowing about them for their first few albums by assuming they were no good (surely if they were good I would know about them, right?).
It took me a little while to properly rectify this, and as a result I'm not the fan I could be. I like what they do, but I'm far from fanatical about it. Which is probably a good place to be when reviewing an album. Too often I try to review an album by a band that I love and I find myself apologising for the things that didn't quite work for me.
Codes And Keys is a dense album. Not in that lyrical way that it's full of references and symbols. It's musically dense. The songs seem to slowly build and to wrap themselves in layers, like peeling an onion in reverse. The result is occasionally dark, but always interesting. Every song takes a musical journey.
The result of this musical density is that you manage to hear a slightly different album every time. Each listen something else will jump out at you, a guitar line here, a piano riff there. It's an album that rewards repetition, but never feels repetitive.
Of course maybe I just want to like it to make up for all that lost time when they were good and I wasn't paying attention.
Saturday, August 6, 2011
Kaiser Chiefs - The Future Is Medieval
Since Radiohead released their In Rainbows album with little preamble, and a 'pay what you like' model in 2007 everyone has been trying to leverage the technology of the modern age to create a unique (and perhaps more importantly pressworthy) experience for the listener. Well, I say listener, but these moves are aimed more at the purchaser. If you just want to listen there are many many ways to find and own music without having to fork out a cent.
Kaiser Chiefs have entered the fray with a move that is actually quite interesting. Rather than taking the finished product and trying to find a new way to deliver it they've gone a couple of steps further back in the creative chain, so that you have a hand in creating the finished product, and assumedly a greater connection to your final purchase.
Don't worry, you're not going to have to lay down a guitar solo or overdub some back up vocals. The songs are all done. What they haven't done is cut down the selection to the final tracklist or sequence the album. They also haven't decided on the artwork, although they do have some concepts and a general theme to work with.
So when you go to their 'create my album' website you are faced with 20 tracks, which you can hear snippets of. You can choose 10 of these tracks, in whichever sequence you like (through a very charming interface). At which point you are whisked away to create your album art work. There is a selection of nine different objects that can be dragged (in whatever quantity you like) to your album cover, and then resized and rotated to your taste. You can even select the background colour.
Once this is all complete and you have done your work as a producer to finish the album you then get to pay £7.50 to download it. Possibly the smartest part of this, is that other people can then buy your version of the album for the same price, but you get £1.00 for each copy sold.
Unfortunately I managed to avoid this whole process (despite being peripherally aware of it) and purchase the CD with the official tracklisting and artwork approved by the band. This is especially unfortunate because judging by the snippets a couple of the songs from the website that didn't make the album sounded pretty good.
Now I know I've gone on for quite a while about the interesting release of this album, and there is a reason that I haven't really said anything about the music. Sadly this album is almost completely forgettable. The lyrics seem forced, the music overblown and longwinded. Now I'll freely admit I've never been a banner waving, card carrying Kaiser Chiefs fan but I've enjoyed quite a few of their songs over the years. I even saw them in concert this week and it was an excellent gig. It's just that this album lacks any of that flavour and spark.
Perhaps the most mystifying thing of all is that the CD has two 'bonus tracks' that were not available on the website. The stomping 'Kinda Girl You Are' and the Metronomy-esque instrumental 'Howlaround'. These two tracks seemingly shoehorned onto the album as an afterthought are the best things on it. Clearly Kaiser Chiefs still have greatness in them, I just hope they find a way to get more of it onto their next record.
Kaiser Chiefs have entered the fray with a move that is actually quite interesting. Rather than taking the finished product and trying to find a new way to deliver it they've gone a couple of steps further back in the creative chain, so that you have a hand in creating the finished product, and assumedly a greater connection to your final purchase.
Don't worry, you're not going to have to lay down a guitar solo or overdub some back up vocals. The songs are all done. What they haven't done is cut down the selection to the final tracklist or sequence the album. They also haven't decided on the artwork, although they do have some concepts and a general theme to work with.
So when you go to their 'create my album' website you are faced with 20 tracks, which you can hear snippets of. You can choose 10 of these tracks, in whichever sequence you like (through a very charming interface). At which point you are whisked away to create your album art work. There is a selection of nine different objects that can be dragged (in whatever quantity you like) to your album cover, and then resized and rotated to your taste. You can even select the background colour.
Once this is all complete and you have done your work as a producer to finish the album you then get to pay £7.50 to download it. Possibly the smartest part of this, is that other people can then buy your version of the album for the same price, but you get £1.00 for each copy sold.
Unfortunately I managed to avoid this whole process (despite being peripherally aware of it) and purchase the CD with the official tracklisting and artwork approved by the band. This is especially unfortunate because judging by the snippets a couple of the songs from the website that didn't make the album sounded pretty good.
Now I know I've gone on for quite a while about the interesting release of this album, and there is a reason that I haven't really said anything about the music. Sadly this album is almost completely forgettable. The lyrics seem forced, the music overblown and longwinded. Now I'll freely admit I've never been a banner waving, card carrying Kaiser Chiefs fan but I've enjoyed quite a few of their songs over the years. I even saw them in concert this week and it was an excellent gig. It's just that this album lacks any of that flavour and spark.
Perhaps the most mystifying thing of all is that the CD has two 'bonus tracks' that were not available on the website. The stomping 'Kinda Girl You Are' and the Metronomy-esque instrumental 'Howlaround'. These two tracks seemingly shoehorned onto the album as an afterthought are the best things on it. Clearly Kaiser Chiefs still have greatness in them, I just hope they find a way to get more of it onto their next record.
Monday, August 1, 2011
The Horrors - Skying
The Horrors were one of the great surprises of 2009. Their sophomore album Primary Colours was a massive leap forward from their debut. A display of maturity in song writing, and the magic touch of Portishead's Geoff Barrow in the studio. I sang its praises to anyone who would listen, and named it in my top five albums of the year. It's a lot to live up to. and for what it's worth they almost get there. No matter how you slice it though, this album isn't as good as Primary Colours.
The thing is I can't really tell you where it falls down. The music is still a guitar driven heavy pop reminiscent of the English scene of the '80s. The songs are still long (by pop standards) and unafraid to spend a few minutes fully exploring a sonic idea. The production (this time by The Horror's themselves, at Barrow's suggestion) is still thick and textured and deep enough to sink into. Perhaps it's just because I know they can do it now, that lack of surprise keeping them from absolute mastery.
Having said all that the album is definitely growing on me. The more I listen to it, the more I like it. I keep finding little sonic surprises buried in the production (for example the jangling repetitive guitar riff in the verses of Dive In reminds me of Garbage's Fix Me Now). Maybe when I've spent as much time with this album as I have with Primary Colours I'll find it harder to pick a favourite.
The other thing I really need to add is that this is a headphone album. Some albums put everything they have over the speaker, some albums save a little something special for the car, but there are a whole bunch of albums that really only relinquish their finest moments when you use headphones. I'm not talking about those little white buds you got with your iPod either. Proper, full ear covering, headphones (Sennheiser if you can get them). I'd listened to this album over speakers, and through the dreaded white buds on my way to work, but it was only when I sat down to write this blog and put the headphones on that I really heard it.
The thing is I can't really tell you where it falls down. The music is still a guitar driven heavy pop reminiscent of the English scene of the '80s. The songs are still long (by pop standards) and unafraid to spend a few minutes fully exploring a sonic idea. The production (this time by The Horror's themselves, at Barrow's suggestion) is still thick and textured and deep enough to sink into. Perhaps it's just because I know they can do it now, that lack of surprise keeping them from absolute mastery.
Having said all that the album is definitely growing on me. The more I listen to it, the more I like it. I keep finding little sonic surprises buried in the production (for example the jangling repetitive guitar riff in the verses of Dive In reminds me of Garbage's Fix Me Now). Maybe when I've spent as much time with this album as I have with Primary Colours I'll find it harder to pick a favourite.
The other thing I really need to add is that this is a headphone album. Some albums put everything they have over the speaker, some albums save a little something special for the car, but there are a whole bunch of albums that really only relinquish their finest moments when you use headphones. I'm not talking about those little white buds you got with your iPod either. Proper, full ear covering, headphones (Sennheiser if you can get them). I'd listened to this album over speakers, and through the dreaded white buds on my way to work, but it was only when I sat down to write this blog and put the headphones on that I really heard it.
Sunday, July 24, 2011
SPIN Presents Newermind: A Tribute Album
As much as I love compilations (especially soundtracks and tributes) I wasn't planning to review one for the blog. I was hoping to keep the blog purely a place for albums. However during the week SPIN magazine issued this tribute to Nirvana's Nevermind and the opportunity seemed too good to pass up.
Nevermind is probably the signature album of my generation. The iconic cover image of a naked infant swimming for a dollar could be the most recognised album art since Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. It's an album I know and love, and a collection of songs so familiar they feel like part of me.
With that in mind I decided that I'd try a different approach when it came to reviewing this tribute. Rather than taking the time to familiarise myself with the songs I'd record my first impressions of these covers. I reserve the right to change my opinions over time, but this will stand as a record of what I thought the first time I heard these songs.
1) Smells Like Teen Spirit - Meat Puppets
Meat Puppets are no strangers to Nirvana, quite literally. The brothers Kirkwood performed with Nirvana at their iconic Unplugged session, during which three Meat Puppets songs were covered by Nirvana. I don't know if they were too afraid to do anything with Teen Spirit, but their cover is pretty flavourless. Essentially what they've done is trace an exact replica of the original. However in doing so they've reduced it from three dimensions to two. An inauspicious start to the album. (those of you interested in how this song should be covered please ask Tori Amos)
2) In Bloom - Butch Walker & the Black Widows
To be honest I have no idea who Butch Walker is. He has been completely absent from my radar prior to this point. He is very much on my radar now. This is precisely what a good cover should be. Walker takes the song and turns it on its head. Nirvana's fairly straightforward rock has been re imagined as a strange hybrid of Queen and the Scissor Sisters. The result is so full of camp '70s energy that it's impossible not to love.
3) Come As You Are - Midnight Juggernauts
I've been a fan of Midnight Juggernauts' Bowie-esque space age electro for a few years now. Come As You Are seems like the perfect Nevermind track for them to have chosen. It falls happily within their wheelhouse, and as a result sounds like it was always theirs. I will note that at this point I'm starting to miss Cobain's vocals. Kurt may not have been the most gifted of singers, but there's an emotion in his delivery that has thus far been lacking in these covers.
4) Breed - Titus Andronicus
Another act I'd not heard of prior to this album. Which shouldn't bve seen as a complaint, I'm never opposed to being introduced to new things. Whilst they haven't taken the song apart and rebuilt it from scratch like the last two covers there's an energy here that is all their own. The paranoia of the original has been replaced with a desert rock vibe. All without any reduction in pace or screaming.
5) Lithium - The Vaselines
The Vaselines, like Meat Puppets, had their songs covered by Nirvana. So once again it seems to be a case of repaying the favour. Unlike Meat Puppets however this favour has been repayed in full. This stripped down quiet contemplation is a departure from the aggression of the original, and what's more it takes a left turn through creepy territory when they turn Cobain's despondent rage into an echoing round.
6) Polly - Amanda Palmer
Frequent readers of this little blog will know Amanda Palmer is an artist I have a lot of time and respect for. In fact she's responsible for me discovering this album in the first place. It should also be made clear that I think Nirvana's Polly is an absolutely incredible piece of songwriting. So an artist I like covering a song I like should be a mortal lock right? The problem is that it leaves a lot of room for disappointment. Luckily Amanda doesn't disappoint. She manages to immerse herself in the unsettling creepiness of the original, and is the first artist here to try and give the song an emotional reading. Nicely done.
7) Territorial Pissings - Surfer Blood
Surfer Blood's Astro Coast was one of my favourite albums of last year. As a result theirs was one of the names I was excited to find on this tracklist. Unfortunately I can only really rate their cover as competent. It's a fairly faithful rendition, but not imaginative. They clearly enjoy playing it, but don't bother to play with it. Even the screaming sounds more like emulation than emotion.
8) Drain You - Foxy Shazam
I actually saw Foxy Shazam earlier this year supporting The Gaslight Anthem in Sydney. If you get the chance to see these guys live do not pass it up. Their cover (which may have been recorded live, and may just have had crowd noise added) defies description. All I can tell you is that it's really good.
9) Lounge Act - Jessica Lea Mayfield
The 'gender swap' is one of my favourite tricks when it comes to covers. I also like the 'genre switch' and the 'tempo change'. This one ticks all of those boxes, and as a result it's interesting. I don't really think it goes far enough though. Having said that the outro solo is marvelous.
10) Stay Away - Charles Bradley & The Menahan Street Band
From the very first second when that funky bassline kicks in, you know this is going to be something else. Then that voice... It took us ten tracks, but finally we have a cover so inventive that I could hear it half a dozen times before I realise it's a cover. Absolute genius!
11) On A Plain - Telekinesis
This is a very straight reading, which doesn't add anything to the original. Once again it's flat and flavourless, although after the delights of the last track it may just be losing by comparison.
12) Something In The Way - JEFF The Brotherhood
Despite almost completely ignoring the fragility of the original there's something about this cover that makes it not a complete loss. They don't really change much, but there's something about the way it slowly builds towards the end. I don't hate it, but I'm not really sure beyond that.
13) Endless Nameless - EMA
This was the hidden track on Nevermind. Unavailable on the Australian release of the album, although it was released on the b-side of the Come As You Are single. A difficult thing to cover as it was essentially just a noisy jam that spun out of an aborted take on Lithium. It's the one track on Nevermind that I'm not really familiar with at all. As a result it's hard for me to judge this cover. To its credit though, it does sound like a noisy jam.
As with all tribute albums this one is a bit of a mixed bag. There's certainly enough good though, and when you consider that the whole thing is free to download from SPIN's facebook page, you'd be crazy not to.
Nevermind is probably the signature album of my generation. The iconic cover image of a naked infant swimming for a dollar could be the most recognised album art since Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. It's an album I know and love, and a collection of songs so familiar they feel like part of me.
With that in mind I decided that I'd try a different approach when it came to reviewing this tribute. Rather than taking the time to familiarise myself with the songs I'd record my first impressions of these covers. I reserve the right to change my opinions over time, but this will stand as a record of what I thought the first time I heard these songs.
1) Smells Like Teen Spirit - Meat Puppets
Meat Puppets are no strangers to Nirvana, quite literally. The brothers Kirkwood performed with Nirvana at their iconic Unplugged session, during which three Meat Puppets songs were covered by Nirvana. I don't know if they were too afraid to do anything with Teen Spirit, but their cover is pretty flavourless. Essentially what they've done is trace an exact replica of the original. However in doing so they've reduced it from three dimensions to two. An inauspicious start to the album. (those of you interested in how this song should be covered please ask Tori Amos)
2) In Bloom - Butch Walker & the Black Widows
To be honest I have no idea who Butch Walker is. He has been completely absent from my radar prior to this point. He is very much on my radar now. This is precisely what a good cover should be. Walker takes the song and turns it on its head. Nirvana's fairly straightforward rock has been re imagined as a strange hybrid of Queen and the Scissor Sisters. The result is so full of camp '70s energy that it's impossible not to love.
3) Come As You Are - Midnight Juggernauts
I've been a fan of Midnight Juggernauts' Bowie-esque space age electro for a few years now. Come As You Are seems like the perfect Nevermind track for them to have chosen. It falls happily within their wheelhouse, and as a result sounds like it was always theirs. I will note that at this point I'm starting to miss Cobain's vocals. Kurt may not have been the most gifted of singers, but there's an emotion in his delivery that has thus far been lacking in these covers.
4) Breed - Titus Andronicus
Another act I'd not heard of prior to this album. Which shouldn't bve seen as a complaint, I'm never opposed to being introduced to new things. Whilst they haven't taken the song apart and rebuilt it from scratch like the last two covers there's an energy here that is all their own. The paranoia of the original has been replaced with a desert rock vibe. All without any reduction in pace or screaming.
5) Lithium - The Vaselines
The Vaselines, like Meat Puppets, had their songs covered by Nirvana. So once again it seems to be a case of repaying the favour. Unlike Meat Puppets however this favour has been repayed in full. This stripped down quiet contemplation is a departure from the aggression of the original, and what's more it takes a left turn through creepy territory when they turn Cobain's despondent rage into an echoing round.
6) Polly - Amanda Palmer
Frequent readers of this little blog will know Amanda Palmer is an artist I have a lot of time and respect for. In fact she's responsible for me discovering this album in the first place. It should also be made clear that I think Nirvana's Polly is an absolutely incredible piece of songwriting. So an artist I like covering a song I like should be a mortal lock right? The problem is that it leaves a lot of room for disappointment. Luckily Amanda doesn't disappoint. She manages to immerse herself in the unsettling creepiness of the original, and is the first artist here to try and give the song an emotional reading. Nicely done.
7) Territorial Pissings - Surfer Blood
Surfer Blood's Astro Coast was one of my favourite albums of last year. As a result theirs was one of the names I was excited to find on this tracklist. Unfortunately I can only really rate their cover as competent. It's a fairly faithful rendition, but not imaginative. They clearly enjoy playing it, but don't bother to play with it. Even the screaming sounds more like emulation than emotion.
8) Drain You - Foxy Shazam
I actually saw Foxy Shazam earlier this year supporting The Gaslight Anthem in Sydney. If you get the chance to see these guys live do not pass it up. Their cover (which may have been recorded live, and may just have had crowd noise added) defies description. All I can tell you is that it's really good.
9) Lounge Act - Jessica Lea Mayfield
The 'gender swap' is one of my favourite tricks when it comes to covers. I also like the 'genre switch' and the 'tempo change'. This one ticks all of those boxes, and as a result it's interesting. I don't really think it goes far enough though. Having said that the outro solo is marvelous.
10) Stay Away - Charles Bradley & The Menahan Street Band
From the very first second when that funky bassline kicks in, you know this is going to be something else. Then that voice... It took us ten tracks, but finally we have a cover so inventive that I could hear it half a dozen times before I realise it's a cover. Absolute genius!
11) On A Plain - Telekinesis
This is a very straight reading, which doesn't add anything to the original. Once again it's flat and flavourless, although after the delights of the last track it may just be losing by comparison.
12) Something In The Way - JEFF The Brotherhood
Despite almost completely ignoring the fragility of the original there's something about this cover that makes it not a complete loss. They don't really change much, but there's something about the way it slowly builds towards the end. I don't hate it, but I'm not really sure beyond that.
13) Endless Nameless - EMA
This was the hidden track on Nevermind. Unavailable on the Australian release of the album, although it was released on the b-side of the Come As You Are single. A difficult thing to cover as it was essentially just a noisy jam that spun out of an aborted take on Lithium. It's the one track on Nevermind that I'm not really familiar with at all. As a result it's hard for me to judge this cover. To its credit though, it does sound like a noisy jam.
As with all tribute albums this one is a bit of a mixed bag. There's certainly enough good though, and when you consider that the whole thing is free to download from SPIN's facebook page, you'd be crazy not to.
Sunday, July 17, 2011
Kitty, Daisy & Lewis - Smoking In Heaven
Family bands are nothing new; The Carter Family, The Allman Bros., Kings Of Leon. The idea of making music with your family has many precedents in modern music. So on that score Kitty, Daisy & Lewis (Durham) from London bring nothing new to the table.
Recording on vintage equipment using antique microphones and even pressing your own vinyl has also become an established throwback i8n our modern digital times. Just ask Jack White and his decidedly retro Third Man empire. So on that score Kitty, Daisy & Lewis bring nothing new to the table.
Given that on two of their most marketable quirks K, D & L are treading such well worn territory it should also come as no surprise that their music brings nothing new to the table. The thirteen tracks presented on Smoking In Heaven are full of such familiar R&B, blues, swing, and jazz that they could easily have been recorded when Lewis' collection of studio equipment was all fresh.
The thing is that despite nothing new being brought to the table, the Durham siblings haven't come to the dinner party empty handed. The familiarity of the music, the predictability of the lyrics, and even the old fashioned recording techniques have given the album a comfortable warmth.
They're not afraid to settle into a good old fashioned blues jam either. A couple of the tracks here top out the seven minute mark, and despite the fact that they don't really go anywhere with them you can't help but feel the album would be diminished were they edited down or faded out.
In the end I liked Smoking In Heaven. It brought a little warmth into a cold winter week. I just don't feel like I've been listening to a new album, despite it being a 2011 release. It's an album I'm glad to have, and I will listen to again, but I'm looking forward to getting back to new music.
Recording on vintage equipment using antique microphones and even pressing your own vinyl has also become an established throwback i8n our modern digital times. Just ask Jack White and his decidedly retro Third Man empire. So on that score Kitty, Daisy & Lewis bring nothing new to the table.
Given that on two of their most marketable quirks K, D & L are treading such well worn territory it should also come as no surprise that their music brings nothing new to the table. The thirteen tracks presented on Smoking In Heaven are full of such familiar R&B, blues, swing, and jazz that they could easily have been recorded when Lewis' collection of studio equipment was all fresh.
The thing is that despite nothing new being brought to the table, the Durham siblings haven't come to the dinner party empty handed. The familiarity of the music, the predictability of the lyrics, and even the old fashioned recording techniques have given the album a comfortable warmth.
They're not afraid to settle into a good old fashioned blues jam either. A couple of the tracks here top out the seven minute mark, and despite the fact that they don't really go anywhere with them you can't help but feel the album would be diminished were they edited down or faded out.
In the end I liked Smoking In Heaven. It brought a little warmth into a cold winter week. I just don't feel like I've been listening to a new album, despite it being a 2011 release. It's an album I'm glad to have, and I will listen to again, but I'm looking forward to getting back to new music.
Saturday, July 9, 2011
The Grates - Secret Rituals
The Grates are one of Australia's best alternative pop acts. Their take on the power trio has been successfully grinding out pop gems since the early 2000s. Secret Rituals is their third album, and the first since founding member Alana Skyring departed.
The departure of a founding member can easily shake a band up, especially when it means that a third of your members have gone. I also think that the contribution of drummers to music is frequently underappreciated. Perhaps I took That Thing You Do too seriously (if you haven't seen it, it's well worth a watch) but I think a good drummer can elevate an otherwise average group. I suspect that we won't see the full impact of Alana's departure until The Grates follow this album up, as I suspect most of it was written (and maybe even recorded) prior to the parting of ways.
Secret Rituals is not a major departure by any stretch of the imagination. These 11 songs sound like The Grates in almost every way, and that's no bad thing. What The Grates have always had going for them was the sense that making music was a huge pile of fun. Patience never seems to have lost that youthful enthusiasm for singing that gave their early work so much energy.
The other thing these songs have going for them is that they all sound like classic girl group music of the '60s. There's an abundance of 'ooh aah's and the like. Not that the music sounds dated, just familiar. Like buying a brand new pair of shoes and having them fit like a favourite worn in pair. The major departure from the retro feel of the songwriting is Like You Could Have It All. A song that sounds a lot like '90s Britpop group Elastica. Again, this isn't a bad thing. I really liked Elastica.
The Grates two previous albums have both been nominated for Triple J's J Award for the best Australian album of the year. Neither album won. I don't think Secret Rituals is the album that's going to get them over the line. It's fun, and familiar, but it doesn't really connect emotionally enough to really lodge in the mind.
The departure of a founding member can easily shake a band up, especially when it means that a third of your members have gone. I also think that the contribution of drummers to music is frequently underappreciated. Perhaps I took That Thing You Do too seriously (if you haven't seen it, it's well worth a watch) but I think a good drummer can elevate an otherwise average group. I suspect that we won't see the full impact of Alana's departure until The Grates follow this album up, as I suspect most of it was written (and maybe even recorded) prior to the parting of ways.
Secret Rituals is not a major departure by any stretch of the imagination. These 11 songs sound like The Grates in almost every way, and that's no bad thing. What The Grates have always had going for them was the sense that making music was a huge pile of fun. Patience never seems to have lost that youthful enthusiasm for singing that gave their early work so much energy.
The other thing these songs have going for them is that they all sound like classic girl group music of the '60s. There's an abundance of 'ooh aah's and the like. Not that the music sounds dated, just familiar. Like buying a brand new pair of shoes and having them fit like a favourite worn in pair. The major departure from the retro feel of the songwriting is Like You Could Have It All. A song that sounds a lot like '90s Britpop group Elastica. Again, this isn't a bad thing. I really liked Elastica.
The Grates two previous albums have both been nominated for Triple J's J Award for the best Australian album of the year. Neither album won. I don't think Secret Rituals is the album that's going to get them over the line. It's fun, and familiar, but it doesn't really connect emotionally enough to really lodge in the mind.
Sunday, June 26, 2011
Bon Iver - Bon Iver
Bon Iver's 2007 debut For Emma, Forever Ago is an absolutely amazing piece of work. It is a work of deeply personal pain and isolation that songwriter Justin Vernon created in a shack in Wisconsin. The follow up EP Blood Bank seemed to harness that same atmosphere, cementing Vernon as a songwriter of note, and Bon Iver as an act beloved by critics and listeners.
The two and a half years since the release of Blood Bank have seen some changes at camp Bon Iver. The cabin in the woods has been replaced with a studio hand built by Vernon and his brother, the solo singer songwriter has expanded to become a band (plus guests), and Justin himself has cheered the hell up.
That's not to say that what we have here is a collection of upbeat Partridge Family style songs about how great everything is. That wouldn't sit right at all. This is still obviously the same guy who made the stark and raw work of For Emma... but rather than isolating himself he's making music with friends.
Musically this makes the album more layered and interesting, but emotionally it's less open. A lot of the album manages to balance the two quite well. Michicant, Calgary, and Minnesota, WI are all great, rich, and interesting tracks. But every experiment misfires occasionally, and album closer Beth/Rest ends up sounding like a Phil Collins song.
I normally try to steer clear of other people's reviews before I write mine as I don't want to let other opinions influence my own. I was however made aware by twitter that Pitchfork have given the album 9.5/10 which is a pretty remarkable rank from a notoriously critical review source. I also read more than a few rave reactions from other people. Which has all baffled me a little. Not to say that the album isn't good. I just don't think it's 'album of the year' good.
In the end, when the dust has settled, I can't see myself coming back to this album over and over. If I have a craving for Bon Iver I'll be much more likely to put on For Emma... I don't resent Justin for evolving as an artist, or even for getting happy, I just think I wasn't ready to take the journey with him. Maybe I'll catch up if he waits for me.
The two and a half years since the release of Blood Bank have seen some changes at camp Bon Iver. The cabin in the woods has been replaced with a studio hand built by Vernon and his brother, the solo singer songwriter has expanded to become a band (plus guests), and Justin himself has cheered the hell up.
That's not to say that what we have here is a collection of upbeat Partridge Family style songs about how great everything is. That wouldn't sit right at all. This is still obviously the same guy who made the stark and raw work of For Emma... but rather than isolating himself he's making music with friends.
Musically this makes the album more layered and interesting, but emotionally it's less open. A lot of the album manages to balance the two quite well. Michicant, Calgary, and Minnesota, WI are all great, rich, and interesting tracks. But every experiment misfires occasionally, and album closer Beth/Rest ends up sounding like a Phil Collins song.
I normally try to steer clear of other people's reviews before I write mine as I don't want to let other opinions influence my own. I was however made aware by twitter that Pitchfork have given the album 9.5/10 which is a pretty remarkable rank from a notoriously critical review source. I also read more than a few rave reactions from other people. Which has all baffled me a little. Not to say that the album isn't good. I just don't think it's 'album of the year' good.
In the end, when the dust has settled, I can't see myself coming back to this album over and over. If I have a craving for Bon Iver I'll be much more likely to put on For Emma... I don't resent Justin for evolving as an artist, or even for getting happy, I just think I wasn't ready to take the journey with him. Maybe I'll catch up if he waits for me.
Sunday, June 19, 2011
City and Colour - Little Hell
City and Colour is the solo side project for Dallas Green (whose name is indeed a city and a colour) of Canadian post-hardcore outfit Alexisonfire (which I'm reliably informed is alexis-on-fire not alex-is-on-fire). Something that surprises me, not just because they sound radically different, but because I've never really cared for Alexisonfire and I really love this album.
City and Colour is one of those acts that kind of crept up on me. I've occasionally seen the second album whilst browsing in record stores (something I can never seem to get my fill of), but never been aware of the music. Earlier this year however Triple J started spinning Fragile Bird, the lead single from this album (which is the third under the City and Colour moniker). Something about the song grabbed me, and managed to keep my attention. It's easily my most listened to song of 2011. With that in mind I had a high level of anticipation for the album.
Anticipation is a tricky thing. Expecting the world from an album can often leave you disappointed. It doesn't matter if the glass is half empty or half full, if you were expecting a full glass you're going to be disappointed. Which often leaves me walking a balancing act between hopeful expectation and guarded skepticism.
Little Hell as an album has completely blown me away. Maybe once a year an album will come along that captures me completely and I don't know what I did without it. I will listen on endless repeat, never getting sick of it. Every song will be my favourite on the album, until the next song starts. Little Hell is one of those albums.
There is a simple everyday beauty to the songs Green has written here. His love songs are touchingly personal, without making you feel like you're intruding. His musings on life are poignant without being heavy handed. It's more like a conversation with a friend than a glance at a stolen diary.
It's difficult for me to define why it is I love this album so much. On the surface there's nothing new or revolutionary at play. The singer/songwriter with the guitar is a model as old as the guitar itself. But something in this album touches me deeply. I want to dive into these songs and immerse myself. When I'm listening to this album I don't care if I never hear anything else for the rest of my life.
I'm too close to this album to be able to tell you if it's qualifiably good. Although in my opinion that emotional reaction is worth more than anything else when it comes to making those decisions. I love this album. Unless something truly amazing comes along this will be my album of 2011.
City and Colour is one of those acts that kind of crept up on me. I've occasionally seen the second album whilst browsing in record stores (something I can never seem to get my fill of), but never been aware of the music. Earlier this year however Triple J started spinning Fragile Bird, the lead single from this album (which is the third under the City and Colour moniker). Something about the song grabbed me, and managed to keep my attention. It's easily my most listened to song of 2011. With that in mind I had a high level of anticipation for the album.
Anticipation is a tricky thing. Expecting the world from an album can often leave you disappointed. It doesn't matter if the glass is half empty or half full, if you were expecting a full glass you're going to be disappointed. Which often leaves me walking a balancing act between hopeful expectation and guarded skepticism.
Little Hell as an album has completely blown me away. Maybe once a year an album will come along that captures me completely and I don't know what I did without it. I will listen on endless repeat, never getting sick of it. Every song will be my favourite on the album, until the next song starts. Little Hell is one of those albums.
There is a simple everyday beauty to the songs Green has written here. His love songs are touchingly personal, without making you feel like you're intruding. His musings on life are poignant without being heavy handed. It's more like a conversation with a friend than a glance at a stolen diary.
It's difficult for me to define why it is I love this album so much. On the surface there's nothing new or revolutionary at play. The singer/songwriter with the guitar is a model as old as the guitar itself. But something in this album touches me deeply. I want to dive into these songs and immerse myself. When I'm listening to this album I don't care if I never hear anything else for the rest of my life.
I'm too close to this album to be able to tell you if it's qualifiably good. Although in my opinion that emotional reaction is worth more than anything else when it comes to making those decisions. I love this album. Unless something truly amazing comes along this will be my album of 2011.
Sunday, June 12, 2011
Metronomy - The English Riviera
Joseph Mount's Metronomy started life over a decade ago as a bedroom electronic outfit. The first album is largely full of sound experiments, chip tune sounds, and failed to gain my interest. By the second album there was a clear move towards vocal electronic pop, and A Thing For Me (with its excellent accompanying music video) brought them to my attention. But I was still far from blown away.
Between that second album and now there have been a couple of changes. Bass player Gabriel Stebbing has left to pursue his own musical goals replaced by Gbenga Adelekan, and The group has added a drummer in the form of Lightspeed Champion's Anna Prior. I don't know if it's the new lineup, or if Mount has learned lessons from the many songs and artists he's remixed, but the new Metronomy is fantastic.
The English Riviera doesn't sound like somebody spending hours in his bedroom tweaking sounds and playing with computers and equipment. What we have now is the sound of a band making delicious pop music together. It's an evolution, and one I'm wholeheartedly in favour of. I love the alchemy of music. Sometimes the smallest of changes can turn even the densest lead into pure shining gold.
Mount seems to have taken some time to work on his vocals, and the work has paid dividends. He's managed to find a smooth soul falsetto that matches the new musical direction perfectly. Although with the addition of Prior on drums he no longer takes the lead vocal on all the songs.
That's not to say that this is a completely different musical beast. This is very much a Metronomy album. There are still sweeping electronic vistas, reminiscent of serious 1980s cartoons like Mysterious Cities Of Gold. Mount is still obviously very keen on playing around until he can find new and interesting sounds, but now he's using them as an ingredient in a bigger recipe rather than as the recipe entire.
So in one album, with a few slight changes Metronomy have gone from being an act I was peripherally aware of who occasionally remixed things that I listened to, to being an act I would definitely want to see if they toured. Well played indeed.
Between that second album and now there have been a couple of changes. Bass player Gabriel Stebbing has left to pursue his own musical goals replaced by Gbenga Adelekan, and The group has added a drummer in the form of Lightspeed Champion's Anna Prior. I don't know if it's the new lineup, or if Mount has learned lessons from the many songs and artists he's remixed, but the new Metronomy is fantastic.
The English Riviera doesn't sound like somebody spending hours in his bedroom tweaking sounds and playing with computers and equipment. What we have now is the sound of a band making delicious pop music together. It's an evolution, and one I'm wholeheartedly in favour of. I love the alchemy of music. Sometimes the smallest of changes can turn even the densest lead into pure shining gold.
Mount seems to have taken some time to work on his vocals, and the work has paid dividends. He's managed to find a smooth soul falsetto that matches the new musical direction perfectly. Although with the addition of Prior on drums he no longer takes the lead vocal on all the songs.
That's not to say that this is a completely different musical beast. This is very much a Metronomy album. There are still sweeping electronic vistas, reminiscent of serious 1980s cartoons like Mysterious Cities Of Gold. Mount is still obviously very keen on playing around until he can find new and interesting sounds, but now he's using them as an ingredient in a bigger recipe rather than as the recipe entire.
So in one album, with a few slight changes Metronomy have gone from being an act I was peripherally aware of who occasionally remixed things that I listened to, to being an act I would definitely want to see if they toured. Well played indeed.
Sunday, June 5, 2011
Bat For Lashes - Sydney Opera House, June 4th 2011
I know this is a place for album reviews, but perhaps unsurprisingly I also see a fair amount of live music so I thought I'd try my hand at reviewing a concert. Rest assured you will be returned to your regularly scheduled programming after this brief diversion.
Despite having lived most of my life in Canberra, which in a global sense is just down the road from the Sydney Opera House, this is only the third time I've been to a show on Bennelong Point. All three have been in the last nine months too. As one of the world's great iconic buildings the opera house has always looked great, but because this gig is part of the Vivid festival the sails are lit up with animations by French multimedia artists Superbien, and the result is even more impressive.
Bat For Lashes (AKA Natasha Khan) has never performed in Australia prior to her shows at this years Vivid festival, and the sens of anticipation in the opera house's Concert Hall is palpable. With no support act to settle the crowd, or warm them up, there is a lot of expectation to live up to. Although with a secret warm up gig on Thursday, and a sold out show already under her belt from Friday night it's likely that Natasha has already shaken out the cobwebs.
The show opens in the only way it ever could, with Glass, the first track on 2009's sophomore effort Two Suns. Followed, as it is on the album, by Sleep Alone. Natasha's vocal range has always been something that impressed me, but to see her hit those notes live is spellbinding. Add to that the fact that she doesn't just sing the songs, she performs them, and by the time these two songs have settled the audience in, they've been completely won over, any lingering doubts have been forgotten. The applause is enthusiastic, but so rapt is the attention during any given song that were it not for the band, you could doubtless hear a pin drop.
After the two songs from Two Suns, Natasha breaks it up with four songs from 2006's Fur and Gold; Horse and I, Bat's Mouth, The Wizard, and Trophy. I was always a bigger fan of her first album, so the smile on my face when she played these songs (especially the coda she added to Bat's Mouth that segued neatly into The Wizard) is a mile wide. At this point she could probably have thrown in a cover of Rebecca Black's Friday, and nobody in the room would have said a word against her.
I should probably mention the other players on stage too. Natasha hasn't just grabbed some capable session musicians for this gig, she's formed an English supergroup of sorts. From left to right across the stage: on drums we have Sarah Jones, from London's New Young Pony Club, multi instrumentalist and long time Bat For Lashes collaborator (and accomplished solo artist) Wolverhampton's Ben Christophers, on guitar and bass (depending on the song) Charlotte Hatherly from West London, who was in Northern Ireland's Ash for a number of years, and has since gone solo (she also tours in KT Tunstall's band). There is also an English string quartet (apologies, but the only name I caught was that of cellist Danny). Despite being brought together for these performances, the band play very well together. Surely a mark of their combined experience.
As well as the performers, the back of the stage features projections of clips from black and white movies. I think despite the fact that her performance is entirely captivating, Natasha didn't want to leave the audience with nothing to look at. From what little I saw of them the clips seemed to match the music well, and must have been painstakingly chosen, but it was near impossible to tear my eyes away from Natasha.
Apparently these are the only Bat For Lashes shows that will be performed in 2011, because Natasha is hard at work on album number three. Luckily she treats us to a sneak preview with a performance of new song Oh Yeah. Soundwise it's a continuation of the electronic feel of Two Suns, but in no way does it disappoint.
The mythology around second album Two Suns is that there are two sides to Natasha Khan, there is the spiritual, mystical Bat For Lashes and there is the destructive, blonde femme fatale Pearl. Although having finally seen her perform live I would suggest that they are both quite different to Natasha herself. Between songs she is quite sweet, and seems a little baffled (but pleasantly so) at all the love for her in the room. There is little in the way of banter, a brief birthday shout out for Charlotte's sister, and the occasional song announcement. She does ask everyone to stand up and dance for the end of Pearl's Dream, and for all of Daniel. She laughs or giggles at things the audience yell at her, but you can see her compose herself and embody one of her characters to perform the songs themselves.
Near the end of the set a TV is wheeled onto the stage next to Natasha, and Pearl appears on the screen to duet The Big Sleep (a performance provided by Scott Walker on the album). I don't know how many artists perform duets with themselves, but it's not something I've seen before, and the effect is impressive.
The set ends with Wilderness, a bonus track from the deluxe edition of Two Suns, and the band leave the stage. Casting my mind back over the set I can't think of any key songs that were missed to be saved for a triumphant encore, but convention dictates there will be an encore, so we clap until the band come back on stage.
Except the band don't all come back out. Sarah, Charlotte, and Ben cool their heels backstage while Natasha and the string quartet emerge from the wings. Natasha explains that because she's playing in the concert hall at the opera house she wanted do something acoustic, that and she's going to be playing covers (and a reinterpretation of one of her own songs).
I love covers, there's something about hearing a song you know performed differently. It can cast new light on the song, reveal hidden beauty, and even surpass the original. Covers at concerts are a special treat, and this encore is no exception. The first cover is Radiohead's All I Need, which was one of my favourite tracks from In Rainbows and doesn't disappoint here. This is followed by The Cure's Lullaby (The Cure having trod the same stage earlier in the week). Natasha revels in the storytelling aspect of the song and her performance is streets ahead of the original. This is followed by a new interpretation of early b-side Howl, and then a handful more covers including an original arrangement of Johnny Mathis' Wild Is The Wind (which is closer to Nina Simone's and Cat Power's versions than it is to David Bowie's).
After the end of the show, and the inevitable well earned standing ovation, the audience files out. There was something magical about being in that room for those two hours. Expectations were exceeded, hopes fulfilled, and fans secured for life. This easily cements itself in my all time top five gigs, and it's going to take something absolutely astounding to ever knock it out.
Setlist:
Glass
Sleep Alone
Horse and I
Bat's Mouth
The Wizard
Trophy
Siren Song
Moon and Moon
What's A Girl To Do?
Oh Yeah
Pearl's Dream
Prescilla
Daniel
The Big Sleep
Wilderness
-----------------------------
Encore:
All I Need (Radiohead cover)
Lullaby (The Cure cover)
Howl
Wild Is The Wind (Johnny Mathis cover)
Strangelove (Depeche Mode cover)
Solsbury Hill (Peter Gabriel cover)
Despite having lived most of my life in Canberra, which in a global sense is just down the road from the Sydney Opera House, this is only the third time I've been to a show on Bennelong Point. All three have been in the last nine months too. As one of the world's great iconic buildings the opera house has always looked great, but because this gig is part of the Vivid festival the sails are lit up with animations by French multimedia artists Superbien, and the result is even more impressive.
Bat For Lashes (AKA Natasha Khan) has never performed in Australia prior to her shows at this years Vivid festival, and the sens of anticipation in the opera house's Concert Hall is palpable. With no support act to settle the crowd, or warm them up, there is a lot of expectation to live up to. Although with a secret warm up gig on Thursday, and a sold out show already under her belt from Friday night it's likely that Natasha has already shaken out the cobwebs.
The show opens in the only way it ever could, with Glass, the first track on 2009's sophomore effort Two Suns. Followed, as it is on the album, by Sleep Alone. Natasha's vocal range has always been something that impressed me, but to see her hit those notes live is spellbinding. Add to that the fact that she doesn't just sing the songs, she performs them, and by the time these two songs have settled the audience in, they've been completely won over, any lingering doubts have been forgotten. The applause is enthusiastic, but so rapt is the attention during any given song that were it not for the band, you could doubtless hear a pin drop.
After the two songs from Two Suns, Natasha breaks it up with four songs from 2006's Fur and Gold; Horse and I, Bat's Mouth, The Wizard, and Trophy. I was always a bigger fan of her first album, so the smile on my face when she played these songs (especially the coda she added to Bat's Mouth that segued neatly into The Wizard) is a mile wide. At this point she could probably have thrown in a cover of Rebecca Black's Friday, and nobody in the room would have said a word against her.
I should probably mention the other players on stage too. Natasha hasn't just grabbed some capable session musicians for this gig, she's formed an English supergroup of sorts. From left to right across the stage: on drums we have Sarah Jones, from London's New Young Pony Club, multi instrumentalist and long time Bat For Lashes collaborator (and accomplished solo artist) Wolverhampton's Ben Christophers, on guitar and bass (depending on the song) Charlotte Hatherly from West London, who was in Northern Ireland's Ash for a number of years, and has since gone solo (she also tours in KT Tunstall's band). There is also an English string quartet (apologies, but the only name I caught was that of cellist Danny). Despite being brought together for these performances, the band play very well together. Surely a mark of their combined experience.
As well as the performers, the back of the stage features projections of clips from black and white movies. I think despite the fact that her performance is entirely captivating, Natasha didn't want to leave the audience with nothing to look at. From what little I saw of them the clips seemed to match the music well, and must have been painstakingly chosen, but it was near impossible to tear my eyes away from Natasha.
Apparently these are the only Bat For Lashes shows that will be performed in 2011, because Natasha is hard at work on album number three. Luckily she treats us to a sneak preview with a performance of new song Oh Yeah. Soundwise it's a continuation of the electronic feel of Two Suns, but in no way does it disappoint.
The mythology around second album Two Suns is that there are two sides to Natasha Khan, there is the spiritual, mystical Bat For Lashes and there is the destructive, blonde femme fatale Pearl. Although having finally seen her perform live I would suggest that they are both quite different to Natasha herself. Between songs she is quite sweet, and seems a little baffled (but pleasantly so) at all the love for her in the room. There is little in the way of banter, a brief birthday shout out for Charlotte's sister, and the occasional song announcement. She does ask everyone to stand up and dance for the end of Pearl's Dream, and for all of Daniel. She laughs or giggles at things the audience yell at her, but you can see her compose herself and embody one of her characters to perform the songs themselves.
Near the end of the set a TV is wheeled onto the stage next to Natasha, and Pearl appears on the screen to duet The Big Sleep (a performance provided by Scott Walker on the album). I don't know how many artists perform duets with themselves, but it's not something I've seen before, and the effect is impressive.
The set ends with Wilderness, a bonus track from the deluxe edition of Two Suns, and the band leave the stage. Casting my mind back over the set I can't think of any key songs that were missed to be saved for a triumphant encore, but convention dictates there will be an encore, so we clap until the band come back on stage.
Except the band don't all come back out. Sarah, Charlotte, and Ben cool their heels backstage while Natasha and the string quartet emerge from the wings. Natasha explains that because she's playing in the concert hall at the opera house she wanted do something acoustic, that and she's going to be playing covers (and a reinterpretation of one of her own songs).
I love covers, there's something about hearing a song you know performed differently. It can cast new light on the song, reveal hidden beauty, and even surpass the original. Covers at concerts are a special treat, and this encore is no exception. The first cover is Radiohead's All I Need, which was one of my favourite tracks from In Rainbows and doesn't disappoint here. This is followed by The Cure's Lullaby (The Cure having trod the same stage earlier in the week). Natasha revels in the storytelling aspect of the song and her performance is streets ahead of the original. This is followed by a new interpretation of early b-side Howl, and then a handful more covers including an original arrangement of Johnny Mathis' Wild Is The Wind (which is closer to Nina Simone's and Cat Power's versions than it is to David Bowie's).
After the end of the show, and the inevitable well earned standing ovation, the audience files out. There was something magical about being in that room for those two hours. Expectations were exceeded, hopes fulfilled, and fans secured for life. This easily cements itself in my all time top five gigs, and it's going to take something absolutely astounding to ever knock it out.
Setlist:
Glass
Sleep Alone
Horse and I
Bat's Mouth
The Wizard
Trophy
Siren Song
Moon and Moon
What's A Girl To Do?
Oh Yeah
Pearl's Dream
Prescilla
Daniel
The Big Sleep
Wilderness
-----------------------------
Encore:
All I Need (Radiohead cover)
Lullaby (The Cure cover)
Howl
Wild Is The Wind (Johnny Mathis cover)
Strangelove (Depeche Mode cover)
Solsbury Hill (Peter Gabriel cover)
Saturday, May 28, 2011
Foster The People - Torches
There was a time when every band around was The something. It became something of a joke, so much so that English musician Matt Johnson called his group The The (which still confounds some search engines to this day). As a result there was a backlash against 'the' and for a while no self respecting band would have it in their title. Then there was the renaissance, and bands that wanted to sound retro had names starting with 'the'. The thing I'm starting to notice is that it's back again, but as a middle name. I've already reviewed Young The Giant, and read a lot about Tyler, The Creator. Now we have Foster The People. The legend has it that Mark Foster had been calling his band Foster and the People, but it was misheard and he liked the nurturing image the name presented without the 'and'.
But enough about the name. I'm here for the music, and the music is great. Pure unaffected electro pop. Musically the album is as shiny and upbeat as that first warm day of spring. Somehow it carries that warmth with it, like an aural hug. It's a 100% effective mood enhancer. Chock full of danceable beats, toe tapping rhythms and catchy melodies. There's even tracks with whistling, didn't anybody tell mark Foster that nobody whistles anymore?
Lyrically we're not looking at threatening any of the giants like Cohen, Cave, or Waits. These are pop songs, and aren't trying to punch above their weight. Most of the album seems concerned with the interpersonal connections so frequently referred to as 'love', but not in any painful longing sense. It feels very young and innocent in that way. Like the album hasn't had its heart broken yet.
The only downfall of an album of such simple innocent joyous pop, is that there's not much to be gained by deconstructing or overanalysing it. Get yourself a copy of the album, turn it up, and infuse your winter with a little aural warmth. I guarantee you'll enjoy it*.
*not a guarantee
But enough about the name. I'm here for the music, and the music is great. Pure unaffected electro pop. Musically the album is as shiny and upbeat as that first warm day of spring. Somehow it carries that warmth with it, like an aural hug. It's a 100% effective mood enhancer. Chock full of danceable beats, toe tapping rhythms and catchy melodies. There's even tracks with whistling, didn't anybody tell mark Foster that nobody whistles anymore?
Lyrically we're not looking at threatening any of the giants like Cohen, Cave, or Waits. These are pop songs, and aren't trying to punch above their weight. Most of the album seems concerned with the interpersonal connections so frequently referred to as 'love', but not in any painful longing sense. It feels very young and innocent in that way. Like the album hasn't had its heart broken yet.
The only downfall of an album of such simple innocent joyous pop, is that there's not much to be gained by deconstructing or overanalysing it. Get yourself a copy of the album, turn it up, and infuse your winter with a little aural warmth. I guarantee you'll enjoy it*.
*not a guarantee
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Joan As Policewoman - The Deep Field
Joan Wasser is one of those artists that I think should be much more popular than they are. As a violinist and pianist she's played with Rufus Wainwright, Antony & The Johnsons, Sparklehorse, Scissor Sisters, and even luminaries like Lou Reed and Elton John. She's not just a musician though, she also sings and writes, and in my opinion she does it all quite well.
I've liked Joan's two previous albums (2006's Real Life, and 2008's To Survive), but not with the all consuming passion of obsession. Tracks like Eternal Flame, and Furious have turned up in occasional playlists though. Although I'm freely willing to admit that I just didn't spend enough time with those albums.
The Deep Field has changed that trend. I know I listened to the album a lot so I could review it, but I was grabbed on my first run through. So I think I would have probably spent the time on this album anyway. This theory is backed up by the fact that this is her highest charting album to date (although the high water mark of #40 on the UK chart really doesn't do her justice).
There's a vibe to this album, almost a through line. It feels like a cohesive body of work. Not that it's a concept album, just that it all feels like it was played together. Like the band sat down and banged out the whole album in a single session. No retakes, no overdubs. Just musicians in a room. It's like you've walked into your favourite small jazz club (think Sydney's Basement) and they're the band for the evening.
Not that this is a jazz album, although Joan does have a great jazz voice. It's kind of hard to place in terms of genre. There's a little bit of funk and swagger to some tracks, and a quiet understated beauty to others. In contrast to much modern music the songs aren't brief either. Nothing clocks in at under four minutes, which takes us well outside the realms of pop, but nothing feels like it outstays its welcome. Even the friendly jams are completely free of self indulgence.
The real standout track is Forever And A Year, which grabbed me by the ears on my first listen. I think I must have hit repeat half a dozen times before I even heard the following track. It's deep and quiet and beautiful, and easily one of my favourite songs of 2011.
I'm seeing Joan next week when she's in town on her Australian tour, and I can't wait. It's going to be incredible to be in the same room as these songs.
I've liked Joan's two previous albums (2006's Real Life, and 2008's To Survive), but not with the all consuming passion of obsession. Tracks like Eternal Flame, and Furious have turned up in occasional playlists though. Although I'm freely willing to admit that I just didn't spend enough time with those albums.
The Deep Field has changed that trend. I know I listened to the album a lot so I could review it, but I was grabbed on my first run through. So I think I would have probably spent the time on this album anyway. This theory is backed up by the fact that this is her highest charting album to date (although the high water mark of #40 on the UK chart really doesn't do her justice).
There's a vibe to this album, almost a through line. It feels like a cohesive body of work. Not that it's a concept album, just that it all feels like it was played together. Like the band sat down and banged out the whole album in a single session. No retakes, no overdubs. Just musicians in a room. It's like you've walked into your favourite small jazz club (think Sydney's Basement) and they're the band for the evening.
Not that this is a jazz album, although Joan does have a great jazz voice. It's kind of hard to place in terms of genre. There's a little bit of funk and swagger to some tracks, and a quiet understated beauty to others. In contrast to much modern music the songs aren't brief either. Nothing clocks in at under four minutes, which takes us well outside the realms of pop, but nothing feels like it outstays its welcome. Even the friendly jams are completely free of self indulgence.
The real standout track is Forever And A Year, which grabbed me by the ears on my first listen. I think I must have hit repeat half a dozen times before I even heard the following track. It's deep and quiet and beautiful, and easily one of my favourite songs of 2011.
I'm seeing Joan next week when she's in town on her Australian tour, and I can't wait. It's going to be incredible to be in the same room as these songs.
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Young The Giant - Young The Giant
Sameer Gadhia, vocalist for California's Young The Giant, sounds a lot like Chris Martin. Not that it's a bad thing. I thought those first two Coldplay albums were brilliant, and there's even moments on their later albums that aren't too bad. Where Coldplay went wrong was in believing their own hype. So many sold out stadiums told them they were the next U2 so Chris Martin decided he needed to be the next Bono. Personally I think one was more than enough.
Some things in music baffle me. I don't know why it's okay to like Ida Maria's I Like You So Much Better When You're Naked, but not to love Katy Perry's Hot n Cold (I vastly prefer the latter, for the record). I don't know why Gwen Stefani is a massive star, and Shirley Manson can't get the record label to put out her solo album. I expect to be baffled by the obscurity of Young The Giant.
I hope I'm wrong. I hope rather than their best hopes being getting a song into the bottom half of Triple J's Hottest 100 that they fill stadiums. Maybe playing Splendour In The Grass will be enough to get people switched on to their music. I hope this because this album is full of stadium sized songs.
Many bands write songs that can fill stadium songs, and then once they do they start writing songs for the stadiums, and not for the music. Kings Of Leon are guilty of this, but they're not the only transgressors. Young The Giant aren't writing for anything but the music, but these songs would sound so at home in those massive arenas.
There's a number of artists in the MOR adult contemporary bucket. Artists like Coldplay, Snow Patrol, Elbow. They write songs with great hooks, inoffensive lyrics, and powerful emotion. Young The Giant are as good as many and better than most. Even their quieter songs seem big.
I haven't really talked much about the songs, but they're good. Apartment is what drew me here in the first place, My Body is catchy as hell, God Made Man slow builds to a massive euphoric release, Cough Syrup is pretty but still maintains a driving rhythm, Garands can only be described as bombastic.
I really hope I'm wrong, and that these guys get the exposure and following they deserve, and if they ever do I can say I told you so. But if they never break and just continue working along at their current level I'll keep buying their albums, as long as they keep making them this good.
Some things in music baffle me. I don't know why it's okay to like Ida Maria's I Like You So Much Better When You're Naked, but not to love Katy Perry's Hot n Cold (I vastly prefer the latter, for the record). I don't know why Gwen Stefani is a massive star, and Shirley Manson can't get the record label to put out her solo album. I expect to be baffled by the obscurity of Young The Giant.
I hope I'm wrong. I hope rather than their best hopes being getting a song into the bottom half of Triple J's Hottest 100 that they fill stadiums. Maybe playing Splendour In The Grass will be enough to get people switched on to their music. I hope this because this album is full of stadium sized songs.
Many bands write songs that can fill stadium songs, and then once they do they start writing songs for the stadiums, and not for the music. Kings Of Leon are guilty of this, but they're not the only transgressors. Young The Giant aren't writing for anything but the music, but these songs would sound so at home in those massive arenas.
There's a number of artists in the MOR adult contemporary bucket. Artists like Coldplay, Snow Patrol, Elbow. They write songs with great hooks, inoffensive lyrics, and powerful emotion. Young The Giant are as good as many and better than most. Even their quieter songs seem big.
I haven't really talked much about the songs, but they're good. Apartment is what drew me here in the first place, My Body is catchy as hell, God Made Man slow builds to a massive euphoric release, Cough Syrup is pretty but still maintains a driving rhythm, Garands can only be described as bombastic.
I really hope I'm wrong, and that these guys get the exposure and following they deserve, and if they ever do I can say I told you so. But if they never break and just continue working along at their current level I'll keep buying their albums, as long as they keep making them this good.
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Fleet Foxes - Helplessness Blues
There’s a scene in Cameron Crowe’s 2000 film Almost Famous that illustrates the unquestionable power of music. If you’ve seen the film you’ll know the scene I’m referring to. The fictional band Stillwater
Sunday, May 1, 2011
The Wombats - This Modern Glitch
There's been quite a long lead time on promotion of this album. The first single Tokyo (Vampires & Wolves) dropped in the second half of last year, and the song actually made it into last years Hottest 100 at number eight. It indicated a different, darker direction for the lads from Liverpool whose first album had been so much quirky fun.
Follow up single Jump Into The Fog (which was released much closer to the actual album release) cemented this new direction, and both songs really gave me hope for an album that had developed musically, and matured lyrically from a debut album which I had thoroughly enjoyed.
That those songs are placed at tracks two and three of the album (following the decent opener Our Perfect Disease) had me settled in and ready for another excellent musical journey. However the whole album came apart at the seams for me with track four.
Anti-D is a track so painfully earnest and simply worded that it's embarrassing to listen to. Pair that with a drop in tempo and the needless addition of a string arrangement and the whole album grinds to a creaking halt. It's possible that outside of the context of the album, and separated from that dreadful song, the latter half of the album could have songs I'd quite enjoy, but it's like my suspension of disbelief was broken, and I couldn't see the great and powerful Oz, just a little man pulling musical levers behind a curtain.
I've tried to listen to the album a number of times, and I've made it all the way through on more than one occasion, and I still quite like those first three songs, but everything that comes after is hard for me to listen to. 1996 is a mawkishly sentimental look back on the innocence of youth. Techno Fan (which is bafflingly getting some airplay) is curiously lacking in energy.
The closest the album comes to redeeming itself is Girls/Fast Cars. The closest they get to the winking self aware fun of their debut.
Sorry Wombats, I really tried to like this album, but I just couldn't get there. I guess this can go on the 'disappointing sophomore effort' pile. I eagerly await your 'return to form'.
Follow up single Jump Into The Fog (which was released much closer to the actual album release) cemented this new direction, and both songs really gave me hope for an album that had developed musically, and matured lyrically from a debut album which I had thoroughly enjoyed.
That those songs are placed at tracks two and three of the album (following the decent opener Our Perfect Disease) had me settled in and ready for another excellent musical journey. However the whole album came apart at the seams for me with track four.
Anti-D is a track so painfully earnest and simply worded that it's embarrassing to listen to. Pair that with a drop in tempo and the needless addition of a string arrangement and the whole album grinds to a creaking halt. It's possible that outside of the context of the album, and separated from that dreadful song, the latter half of the album could have songs I'd quite enjoy, but it's like my suspension of disbelief was broken, and I couldn't see the great and powerful Oz, just a little man pulling musical levers behind a curtain.
I've tried to listen to the album a number of times, and I've made it all the way through on more than one occasion, and I still quite like those first three songs, but everything that comes after is hard for me to listen to. 1996 is a mawkishly sentimental look back on the innocence of youth. Techno Fan (which is bafflingly getting some airplay) is curiously lacking in energy.
The closest the album comes to redeeming itself is Girls/Fast Cars. The closest they get to the winking self aware fun of their debut.
Sorry Wombats, I really tried to like this album, but I just couldn't get there. I guess this can go on the 'disappointing sophomore effort' pile. I eagerly await your 'return to form'.
Saturday, April 23, 2011
TV On The Radio - Nine Types Of Light
It was with no small amount of sadness that I heard the news that TV on the Radio bass player Gerard Smith passed away this week. He died on Wednesday morning following a courageous fight against lung cancer. The band have had to cancel five gigs, and I imagine when they do get back on the road those are going to be some pretty tough gigs to play.
This review isn't a reaction to Smith's death. I'd already bought the album on release, and was looking forward to spending the week with it. So out of respect I'll try to review it the same way I would if Smith were still with us.
It took me a while to warm to TV on the Radio. I'm not sure exactly what it was, but I certainly kept them at a distance for a number of years. Sure I liked Wolf Like Me (hell, who doesn't) but they always seemed to have a slight whiff of art and pretension. Two things I'm not always at ease with in a musical context. It wasn't until Kingsmill made their previous album Dear Science his album of the year for 2008, and spoke about it so enthusiastically that I gave them a proper chance.
What TV on the Radio do is very hard to define or pigeonhole, there's so many elements at play. There's a little funk, a little soul, a little rock, a hint of dance/electro. They're unlike any other group I've heard. You do get the impression that there is nothing accidental at play here. Not a bit of what has been committed to record here escaped the scrutiny of the band. For most bands that level of exacting detail would manage to squeeze any life out of the songs. Somehow here, like that crazy machine the kids in The Goonies use to open their gate, it works.
Somewhat anachronistically in our digital age the album seems to have been sequenced with the vinyl record in mind. There are clearly two distinct sides, the first closing so absolutely with Killer Crane that I feel like I should have to get up and turn the record over. They even launch side two with lead single Will Do, a wonderful trick from the days of vinyl to settle the listener in to making it past side one.
There are concessions to the digital age. 'Bonus' tracks (one new song, and two remixes of Will Do) tacked on to the end of the album. They don't really add anything to the album, but they don't exactly over egg the pudding either.
I think I'll try and pick this one up on vinyl. I like it, but I think I could really love it, I just need the context to fit the feel.
This review isn't a reaction to Smith's death. I'd already bought the album on release, and was looking forward to spending the week with it. So out of respect I'll try to review it the same way I would if Smith were still with us.
It took me a while to warm to TV on the Radio. I'm not sure exactly what it was, but I certainly kept them at a distance for a number of years. Sure I liked Wolf Like Me (hell, who doesn't) but they always seemed to have a slight whiff of art and pretension. Two things I'm not always at ease with in a musical context. It wasn't until Kingsmill made their previous album Dear Science his album of the year for 2008, and spoke about it so enthusiastically that I gave them a proper chance.
What TV on the Radio do is very hard to define or pigeonhole, there's so many elements at play. There's a little funk, a little soul, a little rock, a hint of dance/electro. They're unlike any other group I've heard. You do get the impression that there is nothing accidental at play here. Not a bit of what has been committed to record here escaped the scrutiny of the band. For most bands that level of exacting detail would manage to squeeze any life out of the songs. Somehow here, like that crazy machine the kids in The Goonies use to open their gate, it works.
Somewhat anachronistically in our digital age the album seems to have been sequenced with the vinyl record in mind. There are clearly two distinct sides, the first closing so absolutely with Killer Crane that I feel like I should have to get up and turn the record over. They even launch side two with lead single Will Do, a wonderful trick from the days of vinyl to settle the listener in to making it past side one.
There are concessions to the digital age. 'Bonus' tracks (one new song, and two remixes of Will Do) tacked on to the end of the album. They don't really add anything to the album, but they don't exactly over egg the pudding either.
I think I'll try and pick this one up on vinyl. I like it, but I think I could really love it, I just need the context to fit the feel.
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Foo Fighters - Wasting Light
I spend an inordinate amount of time conjuring up musical 'what if's in my head. What if The Beatles hadn't broken up, what if Marc Bolan hadn't died, what if The Flaming Lips recorded Nilsson's The Point in its entirety (admit it, it would be completely awesome). I could go on...
Sometimes life throws you a bone, and you get to find out exactly what would happen 'if'. What if Pat Smear hadn't left Foo Fighters after The Color and The Shape?
I've enjoyed most of what Dave Grohl has managed to do with Foo Fighters. They're one of the most consistent rock bands currently operating, and can always be relied upon for a decent tune, entertaining clip, and sold out tour (at least in Australia). The thing is that, with the occasional exception, they tended to rock a little more mildly after Smear left. Still great songs, just a little light on intensity.
Smear is back for Wasting Light, and so is the intensity. Grohl screams his way through much of the album like a man possessed. There's still a few milder tracks, but even they have the volume turned up to 11. To be fair, Smear's return isn't the only change. Grohl has had a busman's holiday drumming with Them Crooked Vultures, and he may have had his heavier urgings revitalised by playing with two giants of the genre.
The other factor which I can't ignore is the production. Grohl has enlisted Nevermind producer (and personal hero of mine) Butch Vig. He's also decided to record the whole thing in his garage, and on to tape. No digital trickery (well, not until the mastering stage obviously). An attempt to reconnect with making a rock record the way they used to be made.
The end result of all this revitalisation is a record that sounds absolutely amazing. I don't think there's anybody out there who can get a drum sound quite as crisp as Vig, and it anchors the whole album. The guitars are loud and shredding, the vocals resting neatly on a wall of rock sound (when they're not adding to it).
Grohl hasn't really matured as a songwriter, and these certainly aren't the best work of his career (that credit still going to Everlong) but they are a great set of rock songs, and hopefully they've put a few more years of life into this aging, but entertaining rock horse.
Sometimes life throws you a bone, and you get to find out exactly what would happen 'if'. What if Pat Smear hadn't left Foo Fighters after The Color and The Shape?
I've enjoyed most of what Dave Grohl has managed to do with Foo Fighters. They're one of the most consistent rock bands currently operating, and can always be relied upon for a decent tune, entertaining clip, and sold out tour (at least in Australia). The thing is that, with the occasional exception, they tended to rock a little more mildly after Smear left. Still great songs, just a little light on intensity.
Smear is back for Wasting Light, and so is the intensity. Grohl screams his way through much of the album like a man possessed. There's still a few milder tracks, but even they have the volume turned up to 11. To be fair, Smear's return isn't the only change. Grohl has had a busman's holiday drumming with Them Crooked Vultures, and he may have had his heavier urgings revitalised by playing with two giants of the genre.
The other factor which I can't ignore is the production. Grohl has enlisted Nevermind producer (and personal hero of mine) Butch Vig. He's also decided to record the whole thing in his garage, and on to tape. No digital trickery (well, not until the mastering stage obviously). An attempt to reconnect with making a rock record the way they used to be made.
The end result of all this revitalisation is a record that sounds absolutely amazing. I don't think there's anybody out there who can get a drum sound quite as crisp as Vig, and it anchors the whole album. The guitars are loud and shredding, the vocals resting neatly on a wall of rock sound (when they're not adding to it).
Grohl hasn't really matured as a songwriter, and these certainly aren't the best work of his career (that credit still going to Everlong) but they are a great set of rock songs, and hopefully they've put a few more years of life into this aging, but entertaining rock horse.
Saturday, April 9, 2011
Noah & The Whale - Last Night On Earth
It's not been a long time between albums for Noah & The Whale. It was only the second half of 2009 when they released their fantastic album First Days Of Spring. It was one of my favourite albums of 2009, managing to document in sometimes excruciating detail the breakup of frontman Charlie Fink from folk songstress Laura Marling. It was intimate, and personal, and brilliant. Which makes it a hard act to follow.
Last Night On Earth is a very different album. For starters it's much less personal, rather than baring his own soul again these songs are stories about other people. But apart from jumping the fence from autobiography to fiction the album is also coming from a different place emotionally. This is an album almost overflowing with hope.
Fink has mentioned that he wanted to write different kinds of songs, and he name checked some pretty big names in terms of influences; Bruce Springsteen, Lou Reed, Tom Petty. It's a pretty high bar to set yourself as a songwriter, but impressively you can see not only the influence, but Fink manages to still make these songs sound uniquely his.
Lead single L.I.F.E.G.O.E.S.O.N. is an upbeat, positive take on Walk On The Wild Side, with a similarly lovable collection of misfits. Waiting For My Chance To Come is so close to Tom Petty you keep expecting to see Tom Cruise singing along to it in the car. There's an easy cruising on the highway feel to the whole album.
Fink hasn't completely abandoned his musical autobiography though. Just Me Before We Met is a heart warming look at the hope that comes from a new relationship, and Give It All Back is a look back on the energy and excitement of being young, and in a rock band.
The greatest strength of these songs is their ability to put you in the moment. Whether it's fact or fiction you feel like you're right there in the story. It's a rare gift for any writer, and somewhat rarer in a songwriter. It worked to make the break up album one of the best of the form, and it works to make the hope that infuses this new album quite contagious.
Musically the band are trying new things too. With each album they move further from their folk roots. There's a lot of electronic instrumentation on Last Night On Earth, but despite that the album still manages to sound warm and natural. They even manage to make a marimba sound like a common rock instrument.
I would imagine Noah & The Whale will be out in Australia around Splendour time. Another band I'd love to see, given the opportunity. If I manage to see them I'll enjoy the songs from this album. I think they're good songs. But I'll still be hoping to hear the songs from First Days Of Spring more. I guess I'm not quite ready to move on.
Last Night On Earth is a very different album. For starters it's much less personal, rather than baring his own soul again these songs are stories about other people. But apart from jumping the fence from autobiography to fiction the album is also coming from a different place emotionally. This is an album almost overflowing with hope.
Fink has mentioned that he wanted to write different kinds of songs, and he name checked some pretty big names in terms of influences; Bruce Springsteen, Lou Reed, Tom Petty. It's a pretty high bar to set yourself as a songwriter, but impressively you can see not only the influence, but Fink manages to still make these songs sound uniquely his.
Lead single L.I.F.E.G.O.E.S.O.N. is an upbeat, positive take on Walk On The Wild Side, with a similarly lovable collection of misfits. Waiting For My Chance To Come is so close to Tom Petty you keep expecting to see Tom Cruise singing along to it in the car. There's an easy cruising on the highway feel to the whole album.
Fink hasn't completely abandoned his musical autobiography though. Just Me Before We Met is a heart warming look at the hope that comes from a new relationship, and Give It All Back is a look back on the energy and excitement of being young, and in a rock band.
The greatest strength of these songs is their ability to put you in the moment. Whether it's fact or fiction you feel like you're right there in the story. It's a rare gift for any writer, and somewhat rarer in a songwriter. It worked to make the break up album one of the best of the form, and it works to make the hope that infuses this new album quite contagious.
Musically the band are trying new things too. With each album they move further from their folk roots. There's a lot of electronic instrumentation on Last Night On Earth, but despite that the album still manages to sound warm and natural. They even manage to make a marimba sound like a common rock instrument.
I would imagine Noah & The Whale will be out in Australia around Splendour time. Another band I'd love to see, given the opportunity. If I manage to see them I'll enjoy the songs from this album. I think they're good songs. But I'll still be hoping to hear the songs from First Days Of Spring more. I guess I'm not quite ready to move on.
Sunday, April 3, 2011
The Vaccines - What Did You Expect From The Vaccines?
I tend to react in hype in one of two ways:
A) I get completely swept up in it. When Arctic Monkeys released their debut early in 2006 I made some pretty bold statements about how they were going to revolutionise the music industry. I may be somewhat embarrassed by the ferocity of my devotion, but I think that album still stands tall.
B) I get so sick of everyone going on about how great an artist is that I go out of my way not to listen to them. It took a long time for me to listen to Missy Higgins. I t actually took a long time for me to be able to hear her name without shaking my fist and saying 'Bloody Higgins!'. It was my loss though, her debut album is great.
The Vaccines are a band with a lot of hype and buzz behind them. They have that heady mix of celebrity fans, festival bookings, and placings on important industry polls. I imagine in the UK it's difficult to not be painfully aware of the band. I expect their media saturation to be less complete in Australia, but with the announcement that they'll be playing this years Splendour In The Grass festival I would expect to be hearing a lot more local buzz around the middle of the year.
So what's all the hype about? "What Did You Expect..." is a short sharp burst of very British sounding rock, with a clear influence from '50s rock and roll. Of the 11 songs on offer (12 with a hidden track) most are under three minutes, with two of the tracks clocking in at around the minute and a half mark. It's a punk rock pace, but the music is a little too clean to comfortably wear the punk mantle.
Opening song, and lead single, Wreckin' Bar (Ra Ra Ra) is 82 seconds of high energy bliss, but they still manage to squeeze in two and a half verses and a guitar solo. The blistering pace really sets the tone for the album. Even the slower tracks are pretty quick, and the whole thing is over in little more than half an hour.
Lyrically the album is a little shallow. Even the break up songs (and a lot of the album seem to concern that lyrical goldmine) are a little reserved. Thee are no hearts on sleeves, no examinations of the human spirit. There's even a very silly love song to a seventeen year old danish model.
It's a fun album. Catchy sing along songs, overflowing with youthful energy. A great album for the carefree summer days of sunshine, barbecues, and cool drinks. But with the southern hemisphere moving into the introspection of winter I honestly can't see that I'll be listening to the album too much. I'll certainly be bringing it out next summer though.
A) I get completely swept up in it. When Arctic Monkeys released their debut early in 2006 I made some pretty bold statements about how they were going to revolutionise the music industry. I may be somewhat embarrassed by the ferocity of my devotion, but I think that album still stands tall.
B) I get so sick of everyone going on about how great an artist is that I go out of my way not to listen to them. It took a long time for me to listen to Missy Higgins. I t actually took a long time for me to be able to hear her name without shaking my fist and saying 'Bloody Higgins!'. It was my loss though, her debut album is great.
The Vaccines are a band with a lot of hype and buzz behind them. They have that heady mix of celebrity fans, festival bookings, and placings on important industry polls. I imagine in the UK it's difficult to not be painfully aware of the band. I expect their media saturation to be less complete in Australia, but with the announcement that they'll be playing this years Splendour In The Grass festival I would expect to be hearing a lot more local buzz around the middle of the year.
So what's all the hype about? "What Did You Expect..." is a short sharp burst of very British sounding rock, with a clear influence from '50s rock and roll. Of the 11 songs on offer (12 with a hidden track) most are under three minutes, with two of the tracks clocking in at around the minute and a half mark. It's a punk rock pace, but the music is a little too clean to comfortably wear the punk mantle.
Opening song, and lead single, Wreckin' Bar (Ra Ra Ra) is 82 seconds of high energy bliss, but they still manage to squeeze in two and a half verses and a guitar solo. The blistering pace really sets the tone for the album. Even the slower tracks are pretty quick, and the whole thing is over in little more than half an hour.
Lyrically the album is a little shallow. Even the break up songs (and a lot of the album seem to concern that lyrical goldmine) are a little reserved. Thee are no hearts on sleeves, no examinations of the human spirit. There's even a very silly love song to a seventeen year old danish model.
It's a fun album. Catchy sing along songs, overflowing with youthful energy. A great album for the carefree summer days of sunshine, barbecues, and cool drinks. But with the southern hemisphere moving into the introspection of winter I honestly can't see that I'll be listening to the album too much. I'll certainly be bringing it out next summer though.
Saturday, March 26, 2011
The Strokes - Angles
I still remember when The Strokes burst onto the music scene in 2000. Five young guys from New York who looked and sounded impossibly cool and, if you believed the hype, were single handedly resurrecting guitar rock. I don't know that I ever bought into the hype, but I certainly bought the album.
Eleven years later the band are delivering their fourth album. The five years since 2006's First Impressions Of Earth have seen solo releases from a number of the members, and when initial recording sessions for their return were abandoned it didn't look good. However they managed to regroup, and we finally have new material from the band to enjoy.
I don't know if it's a result of the time, or if it was just the only way they could be creative, but Angles is a departure. It seems they've reached the point in their relationship as a band where they have to try a few new tricks in the studio to keep things interesting. Games seems to be mining the same new wave gold that Cut Copy put to such good effect on their album. Call Me Back is an almost bossanova snapshot of a breakup. Gratisfaction has all the swagger of The Stranger era Billy Joel.But not all the new directions are this retro. Metabolism could be a Muse song, although the guitar solo is such a strong imitation of Queens Of The Stone Age I wouldn't be surprised to find out it was actually played by Josh Homme.
It's not all new tricks though. Even when The Strokes sound like somebody else, nobody else sounds like The Strokes. Musically they're tighter than ever, and the counterplay of the two guitars is frequently the work of sublime genius. The major drawcard though is Casablancas' vocals. He manages to compensate for his somewhat restricted melodic range with an impressive dynamic range and inflection. At one moment he sounds so laconic he could be heavily sedated, the next he's screaming.
Occasionally with an album I will reach a point that I refer to as 'synergy'. As soon as I get to the end of the album I need to start at the beginning. Every song (while I'm listening to it) is the best song on the album. I reached Synergy with Angles on Friday, and ran it on repeat all day. I'm not sure if this is praise for the album, or merely a trick of timing. I do know that when Casablancas screams for the first time 3:01 into Machu Picchu there's no chance of me listening to anything else for the next 31.3 minutes.
Eleven years later the band are delivering their fourth album. The five years since 2006's First Impressions Of Earth have seen solo releases from a number of the members, and when initial recording sessions for their return were abandoned it didn't look good. However they managed to regroup, and we finally have new material from the band to enjoy.
I don't know if it's a result of the time, or if it was just the only way they could be creative, but Angles is a departure. It seems they've reached the point in their relationship as a band where they have to try a few new tricks in the studio to keep things interesting. Games seems to be mining the same new wave gold that Cut Copy put to such good effect on their album. Call Me Back is an almost bossanova snapshot of a breakup. Gratisfaction has all the swagger of The Stranger era Billy Joel.But not all the new directions are this retro. Metabolism could be a Muse song, although the guitar solo is such a strong imitation of Queens Of The Stone Age I wouldn't be surprised to find out it was actually played by Josh Homme.
It's not all new tricks though. Even when The Strokes sound like somebody else, nobody else sounds like The Strokes. Musically they're tighter than ever, and the counterplay of the two guitars is frequently the work of sublime genius. The major drawcard though is Casablancas' vocals. He manages to compensate for his somewhat restricted melodic range with an impressive dynamic range and inflection. At one moment he sounds so laconic he could be heavily sedated, the next he's screaming.
Occasionally with an album I will reach a point that I refer to as 'synergy'. As soon as I get to the end of the album I need to start at the beginning. Every song (while I'm listening to it) is the best song on the album. I reached Synergy with Angles on Friday, and ran it on repeat all day. I'm not sure if this is praise for the album, or merely a trick of timing. I do know that when Casablancas screams for the first time 3:01 into Machu Picchu there's no chance of me listening to anything else for the next 31.3 minutes.
Saturday, March 19, 2011
Cut Copy - Zonoscope
Ah Cut Copy, we meet again. Last time I attempted this whole 'review an album a week' thing in 2008 I ended up reviewing their In Ghost Colours album. Having reread my embarrassingly badly written review I quite liked the album. I wasn't the only one as well. For an Australian electro pop outfit they certainly managed a bunch of international attention, and the album turned up on more than a few Best of 2008 lists.
Three years later they're back, and sounding more new wave than ever. Cut Copy seem to have an endless mine of '80s cliches. Not that it's a bad thing, it gives the music a familiar and timeless feel. Giving you a fondness for the tracks before you're even halfway through. Take Me Over steals the bassline from Men At Work's Down Under (although fortunately the contentious flute riff was left behind). Blink And You'll Miss A Revolution felels a lot like The Human League's Don't You Want Me, and Sun God sounds like a 12" remix of early U2.
The lead track and album opener Need You Now has been getting plenty of rotation on Triple J, and was the main motivation for buying the album. Despite the upbeat tempo and glistening keyboards there's a tired, rundown feel to the vocals. The juxtaposition makes the song feel like a puzzle. Is he tired because of need, or does he need because he's tired. It's also pretty great pop song, although outside of the context of the album I'd trim off the minute long intro.
Cut Copy seem to have not made their mind up about whether they want to make music for the dance floor, or the lounge room. Some of the tracks sound like club anthems that have been quieted down a little for home listening, and some of the tracks sound like experimental electronic soundscapes, or Giorgio Moroder film scores. There are hybrid efforts too. Much of 15 minute long album closer Sun God sounds like an electronic film score with a beat.
I think Cut Copy need an outlet. Somebody needs to ask them to write the score to a Blade Runner style sci-fi film (I wonder if Duncan Jones has a composer for Mute yet). That way they can get the soundscapes out of their system and can really get to concentrating on making some classic tight electro pop. Not that there aren't some great songs on this album. It just feels a little undecided in places.
Three years later they're back, and sounding more new wave than ever. Cut Copy seem to have an endless mine of '80s cliches. Not that it's a bad thing, it gives the music a familiar and timeless feel. Giving you a fondness for the tracks before you're even halfway through. Take Me Over steals the bassline from Men At Work's Down Under (although fortunately the contentious flute riff was left behind). Blink And You'll Miss A Revolution felels a lot like The Human League's Don't You Want Me, and Sun God sounds like a 12" remix of early U2.
The lead track and album opener Need You Now has been getting plenty of rotation on Triple J, and was the main motivation for buying the album. Despite the upbeat tempo and glistening keyboards there's a tired, rundown feel to the vocals. The juxtaposition makes the song feel like a puzzle. Is he tired because of need, or does he need because he's tired. It's also pretty great pop song, although outside of the context of the album I'd trim off the minute long intro.
Cut Copy seem to have not made their mind up about whether they want to make music for the dance floor, or the lounge room. Some of the tracks sound like club anthems that have been quieted down a little for home listening, and some of the tracks sound like experimental electronic soundscapes, or Giorgio Moroder film scores. There are hybrid efforts too. Much of 15 minute long album closer Sun God sounds like an electronic film score with a beat.
I think Cut Copy need an outlet. Somebody needs to ask them to write the score to a Blade Runner style sci-fi film (I wonder if Duncan Jones has a composer for Mute yet). That way they can get the soundscapes out of their system and can really get to concentrating on making some classic tight electro pop. Not that there aren't some great songs on this album. It just feels a little undecided in places.
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Adalita - Adalita
As front woman for Geelong's Magic Dirt Adalita Srsen has been rocking for more than twenty years. She has left her contemporaries (Baby Animals' Suze Demarchi, and Superjesus' Sarah McLeod to name just two) lying in her dust. Despite the fact that Magic Dirt have been releasing music since 1993 this is Adalita's first solo release (other than a couple of tracks on the Suburban Mayhem soundtrack).
When members of prominent bands go solo they have a different road to travel. On the one hand they're going to want to tap into the fan base that they've spent years developing, but at the same time they will want to use the opportunity to do things they could never do as part of their band. This is especially tough for the singer, so much of a band's identity can hang on the vocal performance, which can make it hard to take a recognisable voice and try to say something different.
Adalita (the album rather than the woman) sounds little like Magic Dirt. In fact I probably wouldn't have picked this as the same vocalist if given a direct comparison. Adalita's vocals with Magic Dirt seem to have a rock swagger to them, she seems to almost spit them out with occasionally undisguised contempt (which one assumes is for life, not the lyrics or the fans). The vocals here are more personal and inviting. She's taken a leaf out of the book of some of the great female singer/songwriters and it's paid off brilliantly.
All the credit has to go to Adalita too. Other than occasional help on a couple of tracks, including one co-written with Magic Dirt lead guitarist Raul Sanchez, , she does the lot; vocals, guitar, piano, percussion, drums, she even produces (although co credit for production is given to late Magic Dirt bass player Dean Turner, who the album is also dedicated to).
The songs are simple and stripped back, often just a voice and a guitar. The result of which is that when you throw on your headphones and listen to the album it's like being in the room with Adalita. Which makes the album almost confrontingly personal. Most of the songs are concerned with obsession and lust, but there are a couple of notable exceptions. The Repairer sees Adalita embody a euthanising angel of death, and Invite Me seems to have her dreaming of the departed.
Adalita is an accomplished debut, although after this long in the business anything else would have been a shock. What is surprising is just how intimate the album manages to be. Cat Power and PJ Harvey should be put on notice that Australia has its own tortured chanteuse, and she's every bit as good.
When members of prominent bands go solo they have a different road to travel. On the one hand they're going to want to tap into the fan base that they've spent years developing, but at the same time they will want to use the opportunity to do things they could never do as part of their band. This is especially tough for the singer, so much of a band's identity can hang on the vocal performance, which can make it hard to take a recognisable voice and try to say something different.
Adalita (the album rather than the woman) sounds little like Magic Dirt. In fact I probably wouldn't have picked this as the same vocalist if given a direct comparison. Adalita's vocals with Magic Dirt seem to have a rock swagger to them, she seems to almost spit them out with occasionally undisguised contempt (which one assumes is for life, not the lyrics or the fans). The vocals here are more personal and inviting. She's taken a leaf out of the book of some of the great female singer/songwriters and it's paid off brilliantly.
All the credit has to go to Adalita too. Other than occasional help on a couple of tracks, including one co-written with Magic Dirt lead guitarist Raul Sanchez, , she does the lot; vocals, guitar, piano, percussion, drums, she even produces (although co credit for production is given to late Magic Dirt bass player Dean Turner, who the album is also dedicated to).
The songs are simple and stripped back, often just a voice and a guitar. The result of which is that when you throw on your headphones and listen to the album it's like being in the room with Adalita. Which makes the album almost confrontingly personal. Most of the songs are concerned with obsession and lust, but there are a couple of notable exceptions. The Repairer sees Adalita embody a euthanising angel of death, and Invite Me seems to have her dreaming of the departed.
Adalita is an accomplished debut, although after this long in the business anything else would have been a shock. What is surprising is just how intimate the album manages to be. Cat Power and PJ Harvey should be put on notice that Australia has its own tortured chanteuse, and she's every bit as good.
Saturday, March 12, 2011
Plan B - The Defamation Of Strickland Banks
As Ben Drew awoke one morning from uneasy dreams he found himself transformed in his bed into a soul singer.
At least, that's how the review would start if it was written by Franz Kafka. Ben, also known as Plan B burst onto the British rap scene in 2005. He was young, angry, and most importantly eloquent. The final verse of his early single Sick 2 Def is some of the best written rap I've ever heard. So it was with some surprise that I greeted the news that the follow up to his acclaimed 2006 debut (Who Needs Actions When You Got Words?) was a concept album about a soul singer.
Concept albums are very murky water indeed. Often they're bloated, nonsensical rubbish. Most of them don't make any sense until you have the concept explained to you. Sometimes the bands themselves seem to abandon the concept halfway, realising that it's just too much effort.
What this means for me is that there are two things to review. The story and the music. Sure, they should work together to support each other and one should be inseparable from the other, but do you really need to sit through all 72 minutes of Tommy to know that the 3:02 of Pinball Wizard is sheer brilliance? I don't think you do.
So the story. I have to admit, I looked this up. Once I knew it all fell nicely into place, but I'm not sure I would have managed all the intricacies without being pointed in the right direction. We start with titular soul singer Strickland Banks, and the first two tracks (Love Goes Down, Writing's On The Wall) are supposedly fine examples of his smooth northern soul oeuvre. Then Strickland goes out, gets drunk, and cheats on his girlfriend with an obsessive fan (Stay Too Long, She Said). When he jilts the fan in the morning she cries rape (She Said), and Strickland gets sent to jail (Welcome To Hell, Hard Times). In jail he tries to lay low (The Recluse), but ends up losing his innocence (Traded In My Cigareetes, Prayin'), his faith (Darkest Place), his girlfriend (I Know A Song), and eventually his hope (What You Gonna Do). The story ends on an ambiguous open note. Strickland is retried due to new evidence coming to light, and we don't find out if he is released or re incarcerated. As stories go it's not exactly new, but for a concept album it's a pretty clean through line, and I must admit I was somewhat relieved to not find a bizarre twist at the end of the tale.
Musically the album sits well in the revival that soul music is currently enjoying. Drew tries to channel Marvin Gaye with his vocals, and while he doesn't quite reach the lofty heights he strives for, the slight edge in his voice lends weight and authenticity to the dark subject matter on offer. Occasionally he can't help himself and he'll break into a rap, but it works as Strickland's darkest inner monologue. The band bring to mind Motown's glorious Funk Brothers, with a tight rhythm section, bright horns, and just enough groove to keep the song moving forward.
I was only really peripherally aware of Plan B before I listened to this album. He certainly has my attention now. I wonder what metamorphosis he'll attempt next.
At least, that's how the review would start if it was written by Franz Kafka. Ben, also known as Plan B burst onto the British rap scene in 2005. He was young, angry, and most importantly eloquent. The final verse of his early single Sick 2 Def is some of the best written rap I've ever heard. So it was with some surprise that I greeted the news that the follow up to his acclaimed 2006 debut (Who Needs Actions When You Got Words?) was a concept album about a soul singer.
Concept albums are very murky water indeed. Often they're bloated, nonsensical rubbish. Most of them don't make any sense until you have the concept explained to you. Sometimes the bands themselves seem to abandon the concept halfway, realising that it's just too much effort.
What this means for me is that there are two things to review. The story and the music. Sure, they should work together to support each other and one should be inseparable from the other, but do you really need to sit through all 72 minutes of Tommy to know that the 3:02 of Pinball Wizard is sheer brilliance? I don't think you do.
So the story. I have to admit, I looked this up. Once I knew it all fell nicely into place, but I'm not sure I would have managed all the intricacies without being pointed in the right direction. We start with titular soul singer Strickland Banks, and the first two tracks (Love Goes Down, Writing's On The Wall) are supposedly fine examples of his smooth northern soul oeuvre. Then Strickland goes out, gets drunk, and cheats on his girlfriend with an obsessive fan (Stay Too Long, She Said). When he jilts the fan in the morning she cries rape (She Said), and Strickland gets sent to jail (Welcome To Hell, Hard Times). In jail he tries to lay low (The Recluse), but ends up losing his innocence (Traded In My Cigareetes, Prayin'), his faith (Darkest Place), his girlfriend (I Know A Song), and eventually his hope (What You Gonna Do). The story ends on an ambiguous open note. Strickland is retried due to new evidence coming to light, and we don't find out if he is released or re incarcerated. As stories go it's not exactly new, but for a concept album it's a pretty clean through line, and I must admit I was somewhat relieved to not find a bizarre twist at the end of the tale.
Musically the album sits well in the revival that soul music is currently enjoying. Drew tries to channel Marvin Gaye with his vocals, and while he doesn't quite reach the lofty heights he strives for, the slight edge in his voice lends weight and authenticity to the dark subject matter on offer. Occasionally he can't help himself and he'll break into a rap, but it works as Strickland's darkest inner monologue. The band bring to mind Motown's glorious Funk Brothers, with a tight rhythm section, bright horns, and just enough groove to keep the song moving forward.
I was only really peripherally aware of Plan B before I listened to this album. He certainly has my attention now. I wonder what metamorphosis he'll attempt next.
Radiohead - The King Of Limbs
I know on some level I was aware that Radiohead were expected to release a new album this year, but I was still surprised that they chose to bypass the whole media circus of promoting the album before its relsase. They announced it on a Monday, and the album was released on the same Friday. Nothing was given in advance to any media outlet. Everyone downloading the album at the same time, and forming their own opinions without being told what to think by magazine reviewers and radio presenters.
Radiohead are on tested ground here. The release of their 2007 album In Rainbows followed a similar plan, although there is one notable difference. In 2007 Radiohead allowed fans to pay whatever they wanted to pay for a download of the album. Unfortunately because the band are free of any record company scrutiny it's impossible to know how successful this policy was. For the release of The King Of Limbs the band has (perhaps tellingly) set the price for the download. Of course in our modern communication age anyone who wants to get the album for free will easily find ways to do so.
This kind of release is great. It's exciting to know you're among the first to listen to something (even if 'the first' number in their millions), and the miniscule amount of time between announcement and release means that you barely have time to digest the information that there will be new Radiohead before it's bubbling its way out of the headphones of your mp3 player. The one caveat of this kind of release is you need to be one of the biggest bands in the world for it to work. The only people picking up your new album are your die hard fans. Nobody can walk past a display in a record shop and pick your album up on speculation. Nobody sees a commercial on television and puts your CD on their birthday list, nobody hears your song over the emotive closing scene of a televised drama and is so affected by it they just have to find the album. There's probably fewer than a dozen bands who could do this with any kind of success. Fortunately for them Radiohead number among those lucky few.
So enough about the sneak attack release strategy. How's the album? Allow me to answer with a question: Do you like Radiohead? If the answer is yes, then you'll like The King Of Limbs. Radiohead have been releasing music for nearly 20 years now, and as a result they're very accomplished musicians. The eight tracks on offer here are all richly layered, with wide brushstrokes of electronica. Some reflect a manic twitchiness (Bloom, Feral), some are quietly beautiful (Codex, Give Up The Ghost), and some are dark and captivating (Lotus Flower, Morning Mr. Magpie). If however you don't like Radiohead this album won't change your mind.
If you're not sure whether or not you like Radiohead I wouldn't start here. In Rainbows is a much more accessible album. But what The King Of Limbs lacks in approachability it more than makes up for in depth. I've listened to the album a number of times since I downloaded it, and the songs reveal themselves a little at a time, with the result that the album sounds a little different every time you listen to it.
I have a couple of interesting side notes to add. Firstly you should check out the video for Lotus Flower. It's a great metaphor for the album, what at first seems like manic twitching reveals itself to be closely choreographed and captivating.
The other thing is that synth pop band Robotanists have covered the whole album, and what's more they covered it within 24 hours of the album's release. It's interesting to hear the same songs with different instrumentation and somebody other than Thom Yorke singing. Due to their self imposed time constraints they haven't radically altered or interpreted the songs. Some of it is a little rough, but they're not charging you anything to download it, so it's worth having as a curio if nothing else (and who doesn't like a cover?).
Radiohead are on tested ground here. The release of their 2007 album In Rainbows followed a similar plan, although there is one notable difference. In 2007 Radiohead allowed fans to pay whatever they wanted to pay for a download of the album. Unfortunately because the band are free of any record company scrutiny it's impossible to know how successful this policy was. For the release of The King Of Limbs the band has (perhaps tellingly) set the price for the download. Of course in our modern communication age anyone who wants to get the album for free will easily find ways to do so.
This kind of release is great. It's exciting to know you're among the first to listen to something (even if 'the first' number in their millions), and the miniscule amount of time between announcement and release means that you barely have time to digest the information that there will be new Radiohead before it's bubbling its way out of the headphones of your mp3 player. The one caveat of this kind of release is you need to be one of the biggest bands in the world for it to work. The only people picking up your new album are your die hard fans. Nobody can walk past a display in a record shop and pick your album up on speculation. Nobody sees a commercial on television and puts your CD on their birthday list, nobody hears your song over the emotive closing scene of a televised drama and is so affected by it they just have to find the album. There's probably fewer than a dozen bands who could do this with any kind of success. Fortunately for them Radiohead number among those lucky few.
So enough about the sneak attack release strategy. How's the album? Allow me to answer with a question: Do you like Radiohead? If the answer is yes, then you'll like The King Of Limbs. Radiohead have been releasing music for nearly 20 years now, and as a result they're very accomplished musicians. The eight tracks on offer here are all richly layered, with wide brushstrokes of electronica. Some reflect a manic twitchiness (Bloom, Feral), some are quietly beautiful (Codex, Give Up The Ghost), and some are dark and captivating (Lotus Flower, Morning Mr. Magpie). If however you don't like Radiohead this album won't change your mind.
If you're not sure whether or not you like Radiohead I wouldn't start here. In Rainbows is a much more accessible album. But what The King Of Limbs lacks in approachability it more than makes up for in depth. I've listened to the album a number of times since I downloaded it, and the songs reveal themselves a little at a time, with the result that the album sounds a little different every time you listen to it.
I have a couple of interesting side notes to add. Firstly you should check out the video for Lotus Flower. It's a great metaphor for the album, what at first seems like manic twitching reveals itself to be closely choreographed and captivating.
The other thing is that synth pop band Robotanists have covered the whole album, and what's more they covered it within 24 hours of the album's release. It's interesting to hear the same songs with different instrumentation and somebody other than Thom Yorke singing. Due to their self imposed time constraints they haven't radically altered or interpreted the songs. Some of it is a little rough, but they're not charging you anything to download it, so it's worth having as a curio if nothing else (and who doesn't like a cover?).
Thursday, March 10, 2011
The Decemberists - The King Is Dead
Portland, Oregon's The Decemberists have been delivering their narrative folk music since 2001, and for much of that time and across their five previous albums they've delivered a contemporary take on classic British and Irish folk. The King Is Dead sees them back at it, but with one notable difference.
Somebody has almost completely cured them of their anglophilia. It's like they've suddenly looked around and realised that they live in a country with its own rich folk music heritage. They say a change is as good as a holiday, and the slight change of tack has infused these songs with a breezy freshness, and an undeniable charm. The result is a modern American folk rock record.
All the culprits of folk instrumentation rear their heads; acoustic guitars, accordion, harmonica, slide guitar, but never in an overbearingly rustic way. Admittedly the line between folk and country is a murky one, but country shouldn't be a dirty word. Johnny Cash was a country star, and there's nobody more rock and roll than that guy.
Musically there's plenty on offer here. Rox in the Box comes across like early R.E.M., Down By The Water calls to mind angry young Springsteen, and All Arise! is the country cousin of the Rolling Stones classic Tumbling Dice.
It's a good effort from The Decemberists, but I don't really feel like I'm doing it justice. After Iron & Wine and Bright Eyes I think I might be suffering folk fatigue. There's some lovely tracks on here. The pair of hymns (January Hymn, and June Hymn) are wonderful odes to summer and winter. I just feel like I could have been more receptive to the album if I wasn't folked out. Maybe I'll come back to it in six months or so and give it another try.
Somebody has almost completely cured them of their anglophilia. It's like they've suddenly looked around and realised that they live in a country with its own rich folk music heritage. They say a change is as good as a holiday, and the slight change of tack has infused these songs with a breezy freshness, and an undeniable charm. The result is a modern American folk rock record.
All the culprits of folk instrumentation rear their heads; acoustic guitars, accordion, harmonica, slide guitar, but never in an overbearingly rustic way. Admittedly the line between folk and country is a murky one, but country shouldn't be a dirty word. Johnny Cash was a country star, and there's nobody more rock and roll than that guy.
Musically there's plenty on offer here. Rox in the Box comes across like early R.E.M., Down By The Water calls to mind angry young Springsteen, and All Arise! is the country cousin of the Rolling Stones classic Tumbling Dice.
It's a good effort from The Decemberists, but I don't really feel like I'm doing it justice. After Iron & Wine and Bright Eyes I think I might be suffering folk fatigue. There's some lovely tracks on here. The pair of hymns (January Hymn, and June Hymn) are wonderful odes to summer and winter. I just feel like I could have been more receptive to the album if I wasn't folked out. Maybe I'll come back to it in six months or so and give it another try.
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Bright Eyes - The People's Key
Bright Eyes are one of my favourite groups. Their 2000 album Fevers and Mirrors is among my all time favourites. So it is with great interest and some minor trepidation that I approach any new release from them.
An album that you love is like a fly trapped in amber. It's beautiful, and perfectly preserved, but it only represents a single moment in time. A classic album is great for an artist to have in their catalogue, but it can also weigh them down. Many artists will wear themselves out repeating and emulating their success hoping that people want more of the same. Some will run as far in the other direction creatively as they can, trying to outrun the shadow of their success, fearing that they will be viewed as sellouts because people like their music.
Not that Bright Eyes are threatening the U2s of the world in terms of audience and sales, but they've had some success, and more importantly some critical acclaim. Somehow they've managed through it all to maintain their credibility, and most of their fan base.
So anyone expecting Bright Eyes circa 2011 to sound like Bright Eyes circa 2000 should just put on Fevers and Mirrors again. Songwriter Conor Oberst has made the journey from 20 to 31 in the intervening years, and he's matured both as a person and a songwriter. He's lost none of his poetry in the meantime, but his songs sound more like poetry and less like teenage whining (teenage whining that I love that is).
Bright Eyes have a habit of opening their albums with an odd spoken piece, and the tradition continues here with a quasi religious rant about reptilian aliens interbreeding with the ancient Samarians and eventually creating Hitler... it's possibly even weirder than it sounds. The rant is revisited a couple of times on the album, and every time I listen I feel like I'm closer to grasping what it's all about, but then the music distracts me and I lose my enlightenment. I'm pretty sure it's about love in the end though.
So how's the album? It's great. The band are really having fun for once, Conor's lyrics are as sharp as ever, but these songs sound less like they ewre written alone in a bedroom, and more like they were written on and for a stage. There's still quieter, more introspective moments like Approximate Sunlight and Ladder Song, and I expect they'll reveal their secrets over many many listens, but the immediate joys here are the rock songs. Jejune Stars wouldn't be out of place on a Strokes album, Shell Games is lightly basted in warm synthesisers, and Triple Spiral (complete with do do/whoah oh backing vocals) is the best song Weezer never wrote.
As usual there are some lyrical through lines. Hitler comes up in the songs as well as in the weird opening, and there's more than a few references to rastafarianism scattered throughout. What does it all mean? I've honestly no idea, but it's refreshing to have lyrics that leave a little room for interpretation.
So as a Bright Eyes fan, and lover of music, I really enjoyed the album. It's easy to pick up and listen to, but promises revelations on further and deeper listening. A fine addition to a stellar catalogue.
An album that you love is like a fly trapped in amber. It's beautiful, and perfectly preserved, but it only represents a single moment in time. A classic album is great for an artist to have in their catalogue, but it can also weigh them down. Many artists will wear themselves out repeating and emulating their success hoping that people want more of the same. Some will run as far in the other direction creatively as they can, trying to outrun the shadow of their success, fearing that they will be viewed as sellouts because people like their music.
Not that Bright Eyes are threatening the U2s of the world in terms of audience and sales, but they've had some success, and more importantly some critical acclaim. Somehow they've managed through it all to maintain their credibility, and most of their fan base.
So anyone expecting Bright Eyes circa 2011 to sound like Bright Eyes circa 2000 should just put on Fevers and Mirrors again. Songwriter Conor Oberst has made the journey from 20 to 31 in the intervening years, and he's matured both as a person and a songwriter. He's lost none of his poetry in the meantime, but his songs sound more like poetry and less like teenage whining (teenage whining that I love that is).
Bright Eyes have a habit of opening their albums with an odd spoken piece, and the tradition continues here with a quasi religious rant about reptilian aliens interbreeding with the ancient Samarians and eventually creating Hitler... it's possibly even weirder than it sounds. The rant is revisited a couple of times on the album, and every time I listen I feel like I'm closer to grasping what it's all about, but then the music distracts me and I lose my enlightenment. I'm pretty sure it's about love in the end though.
So how's the album? It's great. The band are really having fun for once, Conor's lyrics are as sharp as ever, but these songs sound less like they ewre written alone in a bedroom, and more like they were written on and for a stage. There's still quieter, more introspective moments like Approximate Sunlight and Ladder Song, and I expect they'll reveal their secrets over many many listens, but the immediate joys here are the rock songs. Jejune Stars wouldn't be out of place on a Strokes album, Shell Games is lightly basted in warm synthesisers, and Triple Spiral (complete with do do/whoah oh backing vocals) is the best song Weezer never wrote.
As usual there are some lyrical through lines. Hitler comes up in the songs as well as in the weird opening, and there's more than a few references to rastafarianism scattered throughout. What does it all mean? I've honestly no idea, but it's refreshing to have lyrics that leave a little room for interpretation.
So as a Bright Eyes fan, and lover of music, I really enjoyed the album. It's easy to pick up and listen to, but promises revelations on further and deeper listening. A fine addition to a stellar catalogue.
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Iron & Wine - Kiss Each Other Clean
Sam Beam has been recording as Iron & Wine since 2002, and despite being active the whole time Kiss Each Other Clean is only his fourth full length release, and his first since 2007's The Shepherd's Dog. The main thing that seems to have happened in the intervening years is that Beam got funky.
I'm used to a kind of understated folksy americana from Iron & Wine, and opening track Walking Far From Home seems to indicate more of this direction, albeit with a little more production than usual. The bass intro to Me And Lazarus establishes a clear funk leaning, and the saxophone certainly seals it. Once the funk is let out of the bag it infuses the rest of the album. There's a marimba on Monkeys Uptown, south american sounding drums and a jazz flute on Rabbit Will Run, more funk bass and saxophone on Big Burned Hand, and an entire horn section sounding like Mingus on album closer Your Fake Name Is Good Enough For Me.
He hasn't sacrificed any of his trademark prettiness for the funk either. Beautiful harmonies and lilting melodies weave their way through the whole album. There's also no dip in lyrical quality. Beam has always had a way with words, and he certainly hasn't slacked off in this regard.
All of this combined leaves the whole album sounding more like an undiscovered gem from a classic era than a contemporary release. That's not to say it doesn't stand up next to todays artists. If anything it overshadows many of them. Just that it sounds instantly classic, which is among the highest praise I can give an album. I'm actually sorry to leave it to review another album, but I'll certainly be back to listen to this one.
I'm used to a kind of understated folksy americana from Iron & Wine, and opening track Walking Far From Home seems to indicate more of this direction, albeit with a little more production than usual. The bass intro to Me And Lazarus establishes a clear funk leaning, and the saxophone certainly seals it. Once the funk is let out of the bag it infuses the rest of the album. There's a marimba on Monkeys Uptown, south american sounding drums and a jazz flute on Rabbit Will Run, more funk bass and saxophone on Big Burned Hand, and an entire horn section sounding like Mingus on album closer Your Fake Name Is Good Enough For Me.
He hasn't sacrificed any of his trademark prettiness for the funk either. Beautiful harmonies and lilting melodies weave their way through the whole album. There's also no dip in lyrical quality. Beam has always had a way with words, and he certainly hasn't slacked off in this regard.
All of this combined leaves the whole album sounding more like an undiscovered gem from a classic era than a contemporary release. That's not to say it doesn't stand up next to todays artists. If anything it overshadows many of them. Just that it sounds instantly classic, which is among the highest praise I can give an album. I'm actually sorry to leave it to review another album, but I'll certainly be back to listen to this one.
Monday, March 7, 2011
Smith Westerns - Dye It Blonde
The second album by Chicago's Smith Westerns opens with an odd low chiming noise that can't help but bring to mind a distant ice cream van. Odd as it may sound it's a perfect introduction to an album that may as well be condensed summer. The distorted, reverb drenched guitars bring to mind a lazy sunset on a California beach, the vocals the cool refreshing beer in your hand.
I often find it hard to explain what I mean when I say I love pop music. People assume I mean whatever dross has managed to top the charts, and while there is some crossover 'pop' to me no longer means popular. It's about melody, harmony, song structure, catchy hooks and danceable beats. In many ways this album is a perfect example of what I'm talking about.
Smith Westerns happily wear their influences on their sleeve for all to see (or hear), and there are many. They've cherry picked from the best of the British guitar bands of the '80s (The Smiths, Psychedelic Furs, Stone Roses, etc), built their songs on Beatle framework, and washed it all in the sunbleached AOR of the west coast (The Eagles, Fleetwood Mac, America...). The resulting concoction is as unique as it is familiar.
The album has a youthful exuberance, but balanced with the classic feel and sound it falls short of the precocious arrogance of so many young artists. It's short too, clocking in at barely 35 minutes for the ten tracks on offer. Which works in its favour. Far from outliving their welcome the joys of the album are over all too briefly, making it all too easy to press play again to hear them all afresh.
There's little I love more than discovering excellent new music, and Dye It Blonde is no exception. A time capsule from the greatest summer you never had, which you can crack open any time and bask in its warmth.
I often find it hard to explain what I mean when I say I love pop music. People assume I mean whatever dross has managed to top the charts, and while there is some crossover 'pop' to me no longer means popular. It's about melody, harmony, song structure, catchy hooks and danceable beats. In many ways this album is a perfect example of what I'm talking about.
Smith Westerns happily wear their influences on their sleeve for all to see (or hear), and there are many. They've cherry picked from the best of the British guitar bands of the '80s (The Smiths, Psychedelic Furs, Stone Roses, etc), built their songs on Beatle framework, and washed it all in the sunbleached AOR of the west coast (The Eagles, Fleetwood Mac, America...). The resulting concoction is as unique as it is familiar.
The album has a youthful exuberance, but balanced with the classic feel and sound it falls short of the precocious arrogance of so many young artists. It's short too, clocking in at barely 35 minutes for the ten tracks on offer. Which works in its favour. Far from outliving their welcome the joys of the album are over all too briefly, making it all too easy to press play again to hear them all afresh.
There's little I love more than discovering excellent new music, and Dye It Blonde is no exception. A time capsule from the greatest summer you never had, which you can crack open any time and bask in its warmth.
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Amanda Palmer - Amanda Palmer Goes Down Under
Being a fan of former Dresden Doll Amanda Palmer is an almost entirely unique experience. If all you're doing is listening to her music you're really only experiencing a fraction of what she offers as an artist. That's not to say that the music isn't worth it all by itself (although we'll get to that a little later on). It's just that Amanda feels like one of the first true artists of the internet age. She blogs frequently and openly, tweets constantly, and will happily engage with her fans. She encourages creativity, revels in non-conformity, and champions art in all forms. When she tours she stages what she refers to as "Ninja Gigs", free concerts for her fans publicised via twitter, blog, and word of mouth. Being an Amanda Palmer fan is like having a conversation.
As a part of that conversation "...Goes Down Under" is a strange little document. It's a collection of live tracks (most of which were recorded at a triumphant Sydney Opera House gig), covers, and collaborations. From any other artist this would feel like a half baked odds and sods collection, but from Amanda Palmer it feels completely appropriate.
We'll start with the covers. Three covers come from that opera house gig. The album (and concert) opener being a ukulele strummed cover of 1920's classic Makin' Whoopee, there's a delightful impromptu cover of the famous (in Australia at least) Vegemite jingle We're Happy Little Vegemites, and the album (and concert) closing cover of Nick Cave's The Ship Song. The other cover is one of the three studio tracks on the album (which fitting with the theme were all recorded in an Adelaide studio) and is a cover of cult New Zealand songwriter Peter Jefferies' On An Unknown Beach. The covers all serve as great examples of the different faces of Amanda Palmer as an artist. Makin' Whoopee shows her playful side, We're Happy Little Vegemites illustrates Palmer's relationship with her fans, The Ship Song shows her ability to play it straight and deep, and On An Unknown Beach is a great example of her tireless championing of obscure artists who should have more exposure.
Next the collaborations. Not counting Brian Viglione (the 'other' Dresden Doll) turning up for percussion duties on In My Mind, there are three collaborations on the album. Two of them live collaborations in which Amanda sings a song by one of her musician friends with said friend. One of these is a 2001 song by Mikelangelo and the Black Sea Gentlemen the delicious dark gypsy stomp of A Formidable Marinade which Amanda sang with Mikelangelo at the opera house. The other is a song by Melbourne cabaret darlings The Jane Austen Argument called Bad Wine and Lemon Cake which Amanda sang with the duo at the Adelaide fringe festival. Both of these are great songs, and both of these artists will benefit from the exposure. In fact I think Bad Wine and Lemon Cake could be the best song on the album. The other collaboration is the odd, but catchy lead single from the album Map Of Tasmania, a song about personal feminine grooming decisions. It's Amanda's song, but it's been worked over by English dance act The Young Punx.
So with half of the album given over to other people's songs only half of Amanda Palmer Goes Down Under is made up from Amanda Palmer songs. Once again the songs on display show the variety of Amanda's music, and once again almost all of them are live tracks. There's a song about ignoring the washing up to go to Australia, a song about how much Amanda hates Vegemite (spoiler alert: it's a lot), the aforementioned personal grooming manual, a song about realising that it's okay to be who you are, a song ostensibly about New Zealand, and a song about the host of a medical TV talk show.
One can't help but wonder if Palmer is a narcissist. All of her releases since disbanding The Dresden Dolls have had her name in the title. Although maybe she's just trying to get that name to more and more people. I'm a fan of what she does, and as a result I like this album. That said I look forward to a 'proper' album of all new, all original, all studio tracks.
So you're wondering if you should get Amanda Palmer Goes Down Under. It's a simple and emphatic yes. Even if you're not going to listen to and enjoy the music (which you should), if you download it from Amanda's website all the proceeds go directly to the artists. No record company skimming off the top. And what's more you can have the album for as little as $US 0.69. It's really hard to say you're not getting value for money on that deal.
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