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.
Saturday, April 23, 2011
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.
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