10 posts tagged “album of the week”
Junior Boys
Dead Horse EP (Domino)
www.juniorboys.net
www.dominorecordco.com/site
Battles
Mirrored (Warp)
Mirrored isn't Battles' 1st release but it definitely has garnered a lot more attention than anything from their brief resume. The album itself is deeply impressive. They have paved new ground and done it with exceptional talent as the record proves song after song, each convincing of master musicianship. However, one complaint Mirrored has encountered is it's likability. Similar to TV on the Radio's Return to Cookie Mountain, there is plenty to ooh and ahh over, but the question is whether it is an easy record to return to again and again. For me, it is. It gets better with every listen. But I don't think Mirrored is for the masses, and given the amount of hype around this album, I wonder if some of it isn't a bit pretentious. Even so, this is one of the best albums so far this year and I give it my full endorsement. Oh snap!
www.bttls.com
Dan Deacon
Spiderman of the Rings (Carpark)
Do you hear that?! That's the hype train, loud and clear! Originality alone isn't an excuse for any grand prize. But Dan Deacon combines his singular sounds with catchy hooks and moments of electo-pop ecstasy to give us one of the best electronic albums so far this year. Having said that, we've had little in that department to celebrate. Deacon adds to the palette a sense of humor, which is sure to catalyze the hype train even more. Spiderman of the Rings flirts with greatness but never grasps enough overwhelming consistency to justify all the hype. Nevertheless, there are a few real good tunes on here and it proves to be a rather fun record.
www.dandeacon.com
The Twilight Sad
Fourteen Autumns & Fifteen Winters (Fat Cat)
That reoccurring sound you kept hearing a couple months back was all your friends click, click, clicking to tell everyone about this great new Scottish band. The Twilight Sad don't shade their nationality, but embrace it, as you hear probably the thickest Scottish vocals on indie radio and vocals that share sonic similarities to fellow countrymen, Mogwai and The Arab Strap. But these comparisons don't exhaust these lads whatsoever. The overall, heavy indie, quasi-emoish rock sound resembles The Appleseed Cast or Sunny Day Real Estate. The additional orchestration, along with that thick Scottish accent sometimes reminds of their neighbors, The Pogues. Maybe everyone overshot it a little with all the hype as Fourteen Autumns and Fifteen Winters reflects their potential more than anything. But these guys do provide some sonic gems, awashed in heavy emotion.
The Veils
Nux Vomica (Rough Trade)
Finn Andrews is a puppet master of the heart -his
heart. He has total control over what kind of emotion he wants to put
into each song, resulting in a wide variety of songs that don't ever
stray too far from his signature musical craft. Nux Vomica seems to have something for the whole family: the rockabilly of "Advice For Young Mothers to Be"; the classic rock, zeppelin-ish
"Jesus for the Jugular"; the heart-wrenching ballad , "Under the
Folding Branches", and the modern, new wavy, catchy sounds of "Night
Thoughts of a Tired Surgeon" -a bonus track on U.S. editions.
Whatever the influences, Andrews has his feet firmly planted on his own ground. And this time around -as opposed to The Runaway Found- his jangled rock has turned more independent and slightly darker(see "Pan", "Jesus for the Jugular", the title track). Everybody now: "ma-tur-i-ty" ...except for the fact that the lad is still quite young -23. He's still a prodigy. To blame it solely on maturity would be to diminish his talents. I'll settle with deliberation- along with a wider lens of life . An artist as brilliant as Andrews isn't going to make the same record twice.
Nux Vomica continues to show off his knack for producing rustic, catchy melodies(i.e. "Not Yet", "Calliope!", "Advice...", "Under...") as well as his ability to offer lyrics seemimgly from one well past his age. When it comes together, he becomes that puppet master, pulling the strings tight from his heart into his lungs, resulting in a croon: "You're nothing but a child!"("Pan"). Or on "Under the Folding Branches" when he withdraws and wraps the strings firmly around his heart: "I loved you once, didn't I?"
hear: Calliope!, Advice for Young Mothers to Be, Jesus for the Jugular, Under the Folding Branches, Night Thoughts of a Tired Surgeon
www.theveils.com
www.roughtraderecords.com
QUICK LICKS:
Jimmy Tamborello has many projects, but in a sense Dntel is the home base for the "electronic half" of The Postal Service. After all, we wouldn't have "We Will Become Silhouettes" without Dntel and it's collaboration on it's first record. Thinking of perhaps spawning 5 new side projects, Jimmy taps a host of extras, including Ed Droste of Grizzly Bear, Mia Doi Todd, and Jenny Lewis to bend the 'angular' electronic stereotype and create soft, comforting electronic music that is Dumb Luck.
hear: I'd like to Know, The Distance, Rock my Boat, Breakfast in Bed
www.dntelmusic.com/index
Blonde Redhead, 23 (4AD)
What it lacks in experimentation and progressiveness, they make up in clever melodies and a stripped-down, arcane sincerity. The vocals, perfect for a lucid dream, are as luscious as ever. You can't miss with almost any track.
hear: pick one. My favorites are SW and Spring and by Summer Fall
www.blonde-redhead.com
The National
Boxer (Beggars Banquet)
"We expected something, something better than before. We
expected something more." So begins the ripping track, "Start a War."
This resonates what may be the attitude of many of The National
faithful as they, understandably, compare the new Boxer to the extremely likable album they so loved but never made it out of the gates in the mainstream, Alligator. But such comparisons are ineffectual, because as vocalist Berringer has emphasized, his band is not out to make the same record twice. So it would be wise to toss Alligator aside when assessing which album is superior. Does it really matter? Boxer doesn't stray too far from the Alligator
formula but it's an entirely different record. First, it starts off
with possibly the album's strongest track, "Fake Empire" and
consequently the first single, "Mistaken For Strangers" -instead
of holding off till late in the record as they would do with
their
strongest tracks on past records. Boxer is also more intense and heavy
in sound,
requiring you to give it extra-curricular
attention to truly appreciate it. And an element to be appreciated is
the greater
addition of orchestration: the heart-breaking violin parts on
"Squalor Victoria" and the excellent "Slow Show," the poignant horns on
"Guest Room," the piano emphasis in "Racing like a Pro," and most
notably on the impressive "Ada," which is awashed in orchestration.
Despite the weight applied to the music, the lyrics by contrast are more light and positive than Boxer's predecessors. Berringer humors life and muses about acquaintances - perhaps a result of a successful 3 yr. relationship - - a contrast to of the self-indulging, antagonistic lyrics of Sad Songs for Dirty Lovers and Alligator. The feral that highlighted many of the tracks from those records is simmered down. "You Know I dreamt about you.. for 29 years before I saw you" is the chorus of the 2ND half of "Slow Show" which was pulled from "29 Years" from their debut album. However, his signature crooning, rustic voice still fulfills its comforting duties. The National have the aura of lads who weren't unaware of their potential for success outside music but opted for the more personal, artsy route. This is echoed in "Mistaken for Strangers: "showered and blue-blazered, fill yourself with quarters... You get mistaken for strangers by your own friends, when you pass them at night under the silvery, silvery citibank lights." And then on "Squalor Victoria": "Underline everything, I'm a professional in my beloved white shirt... Raise our heavenly glasses to the heavens! Squalor Victoria! Squalor Victoria!" In this sense they seem to have a singular understanding in the development of their
hear: Fake Empire, Mistaken for Strangers, Green Gloves, Slow Show, Start a War, Ada
QUICK LICK: The Ponys, Turn the Lights Out (Matador)
Turn the Lights Out agrees with the other 80's-infused rock that has invaded our ear waves for the past few years -a contrast to The Pony's last effort, Celebration Castle, which successfully hinged on a grungier wave length. Some call them the next big thing. I simply call them talented, with a knack for producing infectious rock songs.
hear: Double Vision, Small Talk, Turn the Lights Out, Shine, Exile on My Street
www.theponys.com
The Sea and Cake
Everybody (Thrill Jockey)
The Sea and Cake could make elevator music for fashion, art and music companies alike. This may seem an unappealing tag for The Sea and Cake, but if you heard their music you would spend a lot more time in the elevator. It's the perfect music to be heard accompanying a modern art museum -and their album covers could very well be on display in MOA musuems. Everybody even includes 3 artsy B&W stills. Simply, it's effortlessly, serene music that for me, is perfect for a day on the coast. Sam Prekop and co. haven't changed their sound much since they released the excellent The Fawn back in 1997. But Everybody does sound a bit more aggressive and urgent than their past few releases with the edgier "Crossing Line" and quasi-rockish "Middlenight," which are some of their best songs to date. They even opt for the bossa nova style on the excellent, "Exact To me." But this territory is abandoned for their signature sound as the album progresses, which is by no means a bad thing.
The
Sea and Cake have never made an effort to delve into the mainstream and
you get the sense that they know their music doesn't belong there and
it's all the better for it. It's as if they are untouchable to personal
criticism. They construct
beautiful songs so casually that they most likely don't care what
others think -they are aware that they "get it." Then
again, they are pioneers to the modern indie scene. Highly respected
and often named-dropped as influences to other bands, The Sea and Cake seem to be comfortable with their pace, even if this is their first release in over 4 years. Lush vocalist, Sam Prekop, and renowned guitarist, Archer Prewitt have the equation down -an equation exclusive to The Sea and Cake. And Everybody only amplifies that equation.
hear: Too Strong, Crossing Line, Middlenight, Exact to Me
www.thrilljockey.com
The Clientele
God Save the Clientele (Merge)
The Clientele have been one of
the most consistent rock bands over the past 10 years. An indie band in
every sense of the word -originally releasing only EPs on vinyl until they combined the greatest from the bunch and formed their first proper release, the heaven-sent Suburban Lights- The Clientele defend their consistency with their latest offering, God Save the Clientele. Their music
is similar to what The Beatles would have sounded like if Edgar Allen Poe
had been the producer. It's haunting dream-pop. On the track, "Bookshop
Casanova",
they even offer lyrics that reference the Beatles. But comparisons
between the two would prove futile. The Clientele filling rock stadiums
seem antithetical to their music, which wraps around memory and
nost
algia to such an extent that they seem to be wrestling with the
concepts personally("Isn't life Strange?"). No one produces moody pop music quite like The
Clientele. But the distinguishing factor on God Save is that the moody has embraced the light.
If I'm driving through the fog, especially at night in California or London -or if it's simply Autumn, then I want The Clientele close by. But God Save the Clientele should serve as an appropriate Summer companion, as they alter things by flipping the pop onto its optimistic, sunny side. The loyal shouldn't worry though, this still very much sounds like The Clientele: there's haunting, idiosyncratic analogies a plenty, and the nostalgia switch is in place: "I realize now that his delicate frame could only have been nourished by medieval foods: turnips, blood sausage, perhaps songbirds roasted in a thin, toxic sauce of mercury" whispers Alaisdair MacLean on "The Dance of the Hours". The Clientele's songs are often webbed in dreams, evoking feelings that seem familiar. On the gorgeous opener, "Here Comes the Phantom", Alaisdair yearns "My heart is playing like a violin/ Sunday and she called again/ All of the dreams that you dream/ I hope that they are all of me". There's not a bad track on this record, thus highlighting their consistency even more. And it's nice to know in a time when music is at battle with itself as bands from every angle try to awe us with some new sound, that there are bands like The Clientele who remain constant - constantly good.
hear: Here Comes the Phantom, Isn't Life Strange?, The Queen of Seville, No Dreams Last Night, Bookshop Casanova, Dreams of Leaving
www.theclientele.co.uk
www.mergerecords.com
Panda Bear
Person Pitch (Paw Tracks)
I Don't know about you but I feel exhausted by the endless monotonous music that seems to be pouring out of the music world, especially during the past year or so. It's not that I haven't heard some rad records during this time, but with a few exceptions nothing has really delivered as promised, and the invariable bands with assorted aliases are running me over. Enter Panda Bear, the solo project by Noah Lennox of Animal Collective. With vocals reminiscent of 60's pop groups and a seemingly endless arsenal of instruments at hand, he has given us -or just me- a revelation. But it's not just that it's a new sound -it's also an inspirational and rewarding record in its entirety.
Lennox doesn't settle with a moniker to Animal Collective on Person Pitch. The album kicks off effortlessly with the gorgeous track, "Comfy in Nautica," which comes off as a call to arms, with it's march-like beat set in reverb, accompanied by earnest vocals echoing courage. It's unclear whether any other humans occupied the studio space with Lennox
during the making of this album. There is such a diverse collection of
sound that it's plausible he transfused it all manually. Each track
alone is quite diverse in itself, like the amazing "Bros" and upbeat "Good Girl/Carrots," which is framed mostly by African-influenced
sound until he lets his vocals loose in the 2nd half. Many songs are
lengthy, navigating for a while and then at times falling sparse,
giving small hints of innocuousness. But Lennox
doesn't dwell in the same territory for too long, experimenting with
the music and letting his heavenly vocals take center stage.
hear: Comfy in Nautica, Bros, Good Girl/Carrots
www.myspace.com/rippityrippity
www.paw-tracks.com
QUICK LICK: Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Baby 81 (RCA)
Looks like someone put Psychocandy back
into the CD player. After successfully trying their hand at the
americana genre, San Francisco's BRMC return with their signature, raw,
distorted rock that put them on the map in the first place. Baby 81 is 13 tracks of the best pure rock and roll to come out in a while.
The Innocence Mission
We Walked in Song (Badman)
There are some artists who you never want to change...you don't want their music to "evolve" or to become "more mature." The Innocence Mission have been putting out some of the best tranquil rock music in the past 15 years. Their music never has been immature, it came evolved, and although their sound hasn't changed much for the past 5 releases, each record stands on its own and needs to remain as its own chapter. Their recent release, We Walked in Song, is a solid new chapter in The Innocence Mission's catalogue, offering those meek, lush, sincere vocals from Karen Peris along with the modern folk-rock, singular, comforting sounds that have always defined them.
This isn't to say The Innocence Mission's sound hasn't changed over the past 2 decades. Umbrella and Glow contained a more punchy, early 90's-type vibe and are still their finest releases to date -along with 2003's Befriended, which is much more stripped down like Song. But as I said before, this record is solid and it won't disappoint
long-time or rookie listeners. The strongest sequence of tracks is 3-5,
including the most memorable songs, "Into Brooklyn, Early in the
Morning" and "Lake Shore Drive." Just as with their
previous records, the lyrics are centered around the basic nature of
mankind as it relates to their own experience("Brotherhood of Man")
-wrapped around in hope and nostalgia("Song for Tom", "A Wave is
Rolling"). As Karen once said, the "innocence
mission" is more about a place than a journey. And every time you
listen to their records you can go to that place, where worries disappear and hope carries its flame.
hear: Brotherhood of Man, Love That Boy, Into Brooklyn,Early in the Morning, Lake Shore Drive, Since I Tell You My Every Day
www.theinnocencemission.com
www.badmanrecordingco.com
Check out:
Explosions in the Sky
All of a Sudden I Miss Everyone (Temp. Residence Ltd.)
If Explosions in the Sky were an illness, they would probably fit best with Bipolar Disorder. Explosions exemplify duality. Their sound, while haunting and macabre, also brings feelings of hope and comfort. The music itself has always been defined by crescendos, spending half the time in the quiet zone and the other soaring in stormy skies. Their latest offering, All of a Sudden I Miss Everyone, doesn't betray its predecessors. It begins with the stellar track- also showing their duality with it's title- "The Birth and Death of the Day," which starts things off with a lift, tears that lift apart, and then explodes- highlighted by the riff at the climax.
One difference with this album from their others is the pace at which they navigate their crescendos. These songs show a stronger diagnosis of this bipolarism than their last record, which can be heard on the tracks, "It's Natural to be Afraid" and "What do You go Home to?," the former the most obvious as it lingers and spurts for a while before picking it up toward the middle where it starts to use emphatic crescendos to make it one of the better tracks on the album. This album is also more optimistic than their last 2 albums. They use the piano at times to exude this on "What do You go Home to?" and most notably, on the finale, "So Long Lonesome," which is much different that anything Explosions has done(it's heavily-driven by the piano and, gasp- clocks-in under 4 minutes) but still has their signature sound there to claim it. The overall finest track on the record is probably "Welcome, Ghosts" as it highlights Explosions strengths and has the strongest melody.
hear: The Birth and Death of the Day, Welcome, Ghosts, It's Natural to be Afraid
www.explosionsinthesky.com
www.temporaryresidence.com
Drums and Guns (Sub Pop)
After an album like The Great Destroyer, you
would expect that given Low's recent history, they would have followed it up with a
record having the same dynamic, filtering their signature "slowcore"
sound within. Well, at least I would have. In fact, Drums and Guns isn't such a radical departure from their pre-Destroyer days, with it's haunting, echoing vocals layered over a minimalist type sound. The difference is the surprise: not only is Drums and Guns nothing like Destroyer,
it's even more minimal than anything they've released. But the
minimalism doesn't drown out and leave you unfulfilled. It's
accompanied by electronic back beats and loops which give the record a more experimental feel.
Alan Sparhawk has called [this element] hip-hop. And while it's far
from the standard hip-hop style, the experimentation is similar to how
hip-hop records are made, especially with- surprise- the drums. That's
why it's experimentation: Low aren't rappers.
The
result is one of restraint. You get the feeling Low could have busted
loose and really created some memorable songs for the kids if
they had wanted. But Low is satisfied with not letting loose and
comfortable with their pace. They know the songs are fine as
stripped-down as they are and don't force the issue. As with any Low
record, the lyrics are dark- but this time around- without much
gentleness. Alan Sparhawk has said that as far as he can tell, the
album is about killing. Really? "It looks like you could use a murderer" Sparhawk addresses his maker in the appropriately titled and stand-out track, "Murderer." Other titles like "Your Poison" and "Violent Past" state the case as well. Given the lyrical content, the title, Drums and Guns, seems less like a mantra to arms and rather an introspection of personal struggle.
The
irony is that Sparhawk and co. are self-proclaimed optimists and after
spending time with yours truly, I can attest to that. They're simply
masters of a craft. Like Flannery O'conner, who was able to access
and produce dark yet inspiring rhetoric, Low is able to tap into a
similar albeit musical vein, which slightly echoes a sense of
spirituality just as O'conner did. Low's previous album, while
definitely not music for Stuart Smiley, unveiled Low's rock-pop side and had
a sense of that optimism. But for all it's differences to The Great Destroyer, Drums and Guns
is a solid record that returns to Low's roots. It's nice to have the
old Low back, where instead of just telling us about darkness, they
calmly whisper the haunting into our ears.
www.chairkickers.com
www.subpop.com
