Category: Music Reviews
Chvrches: Every Open Eye
With the release of their second album, Every Open Eye, it is evident that Chvrches’ career is only just beginning. The Scottish trio quickly rose to success following the release of their debut album, Bones Of What You Believe, hurling them out of obscurity and into headlining slots at music festivals. Chvrches is known for their 80’s synth-pop sound and their latest album does not stray from this trend. With tracks featuring layered rhythms and heavy electronic textures, Every Open Eye showcases the unique vocals of lead singer Lauren Mayberry and talented instrumentalists Iain Cook and Martin Doherty.
The album picks up with the solid first track, “Never Ending Circles.” The energetic electronic beats flow smoothly into the popular hit “Leave A Trace.” The earlier released single quickly gained popularity on Spotify and YouTube, giving fans an accurate preview of the excellence of the album. The lyrics “You think I’ll apologize for things I left behind/But you got it wrong” set the mood for the overall album—one that tells the tale of betrayal and survival.
Mayberry’s vocals soar into the brisk pace of the next track, “Keep You On My Side,” a catchy beat that paves the way into the inspiration-laden lyrics of “Make Them Gold.” Mayberry takes the role of motivational speaker as she sings “We are made of our longest days/We are falling but not alone” and “we will take the best parts of ourselves and make them gold.”
From this point, the album downshifts a bit with “Clearest Blue” and “High Enough To Carry You Over,” the latter sung by Doherty. His smooth vocals offer a dynamic contrast to the heavy electronic textures of the rest of the album and set the stage for the danceable track, “Empty Threat.” The song screams empowerment as Mayberry sings to “take it back with no regrets” and leaves the listener with a sense of triumph.
The somber, mellow sound of “Down Side of Me” gives way to the defiant “Playing Dead”—a personal favorite on the album. The listener can easily relate and be inspired as Mayberry sings of self-sufficiency and ambition: “I am chasing the skyline much more than you ever will.” As the album flows into the heady beat of “Bury It,” the theme to forgive and forget shines brightly. The layered rhythms and electronic textures featured in this track perfectly sum up Chrvches’ style. The trio’s album comes to a close with the somber “Afterglow,” a cleansing track with little instrumentation that highlights the purity of Mayberry’s voice and wraps up the album with a sense of accomplishment.
Every Open Eye reaches energetic highs and mellow lows while telling the tale of betrayal, survival and ambition. With immense drums, layered beats and a singer that’s not afraid to put emotion and vulnerability into every syllable, Chvrches creates a sound that is overwhelmingly endearing.
Tracks to check out: “Leave A Trace,” “Empty Threat,” “Make Them Gold” and “Playing Dead”
Early Review: Sweet Spirit’s Cokomo
If you haven’t already heard, disco/rock nonet, Sweet Spirit, are about to release a gigantic party-bomb of an album. The Austin-based group fronted by writing partners Sabrina Ellis (Bobby Jealousy, A Giant Dog) and Andrew Cashen (Tear Dungeon, A Giant Dog) are set to release their first full-length LP in mid-October on Nine Mile Records. Earlier this year, Sweet Spirit released an EP as well as a 7” with Spoon frontman Britt Daniels, quickly establishing the band as a force to be reckoned with in the Austin Music Scene. After seeing the band twice in one week at Waterloo Records and Hotel Vegas, and finally getting to listen to their album, Cokomo, I decided it was time get the word out.
Cokomo blasts off with “Take Me to a Party.” An extremely full track that boasts pitchy synths and wailing guitar riffs alongside belting vocals and beckoning horns. Whether crammed into a dirty bar or in front of a diverse crowd, Sabrina manages to turn the performance into a full-on dancing affair.
The subsequent track, “Baby When I Close My Eyes,” feels like a future-tropical space ride in and of itself. Released as the first single for their up-and-coming album, the song dives right in with an intergalactic groove that is quickly accompanied by a catchy little riff. Then suddenly, Ellis slips into the verse with, “L, is for the way / We look when we’re together / U, because we’re unashamed.” Finishing off the spelling of “LUST,” the ballad-esque space-pop describes the more fearsome side of love.
“Poor,” the fifth track, was one that particularly stood out to me. This old-school pop/rock track resonates in its description of the pleasures of the little things in life. You can’t help but feel the passion behind the bellowing of Ellis’ voice proclaiming, “Someday I’ll have a house that I can call my own / For now I call the mattress on the floor my home.” This song could very well be the embodiment of the life of a struggling artist, with high aspirations and an attitude that cannot be swayed.
Two tracks later, Andrew Cashen takes the driver’s seat on lead vocals for “Someone Like You.” This doo-wop insta-classic, reminiscent of 50’s greats such as The Platters or The Penguins, arrives sonically in full force. Coming in from every direction, hard-rocking harmonies paired with some skillful dramatic rests, it’s sure to make you dance with moves you never knew existed.
With one of the most memorable albums as well as performance of this year, this whole album is Christmas come early. Their album is only topped by the sheer attitude and aggression that this band puts into making a truly captivating live performance. Never letting instruments drown each other out, while also displaying each in its own prowess throughout the set, these guys know what they are doing.
Big shout outs to new Sweet Spirit members Leslie Matthews, Samuel Rives, & Cara Tillman, rightfully in charge of the horns & harmonies. Cokomo comes out on October 15th, but you can listen to the album’s single, “Baby When I Close My Eyes,” and a track from their 7” with Spoon’s, Britt Daniel below.
Superbody: Hades Land
Superbody was born in the mountains of Chattanooga, Tennessee, the brainchild of Robert McCurry and Caleb Dills. The duo has only just begun; after 5 months, the band has produced their first full length album, Hades Land.
Vocalist, McCurry, brings the deep, pop vocals of the 80’s, while Dills softens the sonorous voice with dreamy indie sounds. The album opens with “Call Me That.” McCurry’s baritone voice flows over a harmonizing layer of twinkling melodies. The video was directed by Athens’ own, Vann Johnson. The video really embodies the band’s ethereal persona, as McCurry wakes up in a world of surrealism, surrounded by montages of plastic toy animals and magazine clippings. McCurry walks through this world with a feminine poise, which lightens the low tone of his voice and adds a bit of humor to the colorful dream.
“Hands Up” employs a more industrial, noise style with a haunting melody, but the chorus comes through with airy “ooh’s” and an uplifting riff. “Wings 4 Two” follows with sweeter sounds and lyrics. This track definitely exhibits an 80’s pop sound, with samples from a female voice, “I don’t really care where we go, baby. It could be Paris, London or Little Rock for all I care…” The synth utilization is similar to that of Desire and Chromatics. Superbody exhibits the same ambiance, but continues to include a subtle and deep, indie sound that makes it all their own.
“5678” takes on a more upbeat sound with a funky riff and more synthesizer beats. Finally, “Fools Gold” completes the debut album with a rough, rock sound combined with a dreamy synthesizer melody.
Superbody has been born, and they’re definitely a band that we’re definitely interested in watching grow. It’s rare that a band comes along and creates something new. No doubt Superbody will continue to change their sound as they evolve, but we hope they remain constant in their originality and creativity. Imagine their live shows! Check them out at the Flicker Theater on October 7th and/or the 40 Watt on November 6th.
4/5
The World Is a Beautiful Place & I Am No Longer Afraid to Die: ‘Harmlessness’
Noted as one of the frontrunners for the emo revival of the 2010s, The World Is a Beautiful Place & I Am No Longer Afraid to Die is a nine piece indie punk band from Connecticut. Their music can be described by their use of confessional lyrics and a large range of instruments that make a “full” band sound. Although their discography includes a lot of EPs with great content on each, the full length albums tell entire stories through the progression of tracks and are highly regarded as an accumulation of the best of TWIABP. Harmlessness is the second studio album to be released by The World Is a Beautiful Place & I Am No Longer Afraid to Die and will be available on Sept. 25, 2015 for purchase. A streaming version of the album is currently available for free on Bandcamp, or you can purchase it digitally for $7.
Harmlessness brings a new chapter for the band by creating a flow of motion from start to finish. The tracks blend into each other so well that the album doesn’t feel like it’s made up of individual songs, it’s more of an elongated soundtrack. The switching of male and female vocals brings depth to the album, and layers of harmonies make the feeling more visceral. An ode to realizing, forgiving and carrying on, Harmlessness is warm-sounding with heavy impact.
Because the themes mentioned in Harmlessness are similar to “Whenever, If Ever”, it’s easy to draw comparisons between the two full-lengths. However, Harmlessness exceeds all expectations. The album draws on floaty riffs that fade into the background and pull forward at just the right times, allowing space for the sweet twangs of the synthesizer to shine through. Every different instrument is used at full potential, with the right sounds pronouncing at the right times to give an unparalleled listening experience.
The album starts with “You Can’t Live There Forever,” a kick-off to ignorance of people in the world around us. With lyrics littered with rhetorical questions, the track ends with the important phrase “we think that the world is alright, and that’s a lie.” It’s interesting to note that the name of the band, The World Is a Beautiful Place, is taken very seriously throughout the lyrics of “Whenever, If Ever” but is torn apart on the first track of Harmlessness. This could be a progression of TWIABP as a band, or possibly a further stab at self-realization through breaking ignorance. Either way, it is a powerful start.
The third track “January 10th, 2014” was released early as a single and is easily one of my favorites from the album. The song draws from the story of Diana the Hunter of Bus Drivers, a woman that killed at least two bus drivers in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico during 2013. The news of the killer spread rapidly through the city, plaguing its citizens with fear of the unknown for months. The track encourages everyone to draw on bravery and hope for something better despite atrocious things that have happened in the past, citing the killer as an example of past horrors. “We are brave and strong, but don’t you quiver.”
Another special mention should be made for the final two tracks on Harmlessness. “I Can Be Afraid of Anything” and “Mount Hum” are the finale of a brilliant climb. They summarize the full album through a post-rock build up to the chanted phrases of high impact. “I Can Be Afraid of Anything” revels in the phrase “I really did dig my own hole, but I’m climbing out,” with the entire band breaking into whimsical harmonies at the height of the song. “Mount Hum” does the same, but in the classic TWIABP style of layered lyrics. Much like the infamous “Getting Sodas” from “Whenever, If Ever,” “Mount Hum” finished off an impressive album with a message that remains even after the track ends:
“Come off and fall, so that I can pick you up. Our homes are not the kind of places you own. We were ghosts even then, errant sunlight on our skin. Sunlight, sunlight. And we drove out to the bluffs, raced each other through the dust. We’re all going to die.”
Each song on Harmlessness manages to carry some sort of weight, and it is impossible to list all of the reasons and meanings. Some important positive mentions are on “Mental Health” and “Rage Against the Dying of the Light,” where the lead singer chants “you are normal and healthy to forgive yourself” and “I am alive, I deserve to be.” Overall, the album exposes the dark points we all experience throughout our lifetimes with questions that we have all thought about at one point or another (like the emotional line “Whose side am I on?” from track four’s “The Word Lisa”). Despite the hardships we all have to pick ourselves up and keep moving until we reach a beautiful place.
Easily one of the best new albums to come from 2015, Harmlessness should be at the top of everyone’s “need to listen to” list.
Tracks to listen to: “January 10th, 2014,” “Rage Against the Dying of the Light,” “I Can Be Afraid of Anything,” “Mount Hum.”
The Front Bottoms: ‘Back on Top’
The third album release from indie punk band The Front Bottoms brings in new instruments to accompany the quirky and angsty goodness that is Brian Sella.
Back on Top brings a mature sound to a band that was made famous for being quirky. The album uses a different production and sound value, which can be seen in the clearness of each instrument and the synthesized twang placed on every lyric. Elements from the past two albums are still present in Back on Top such as the style of anecdotes as lyrics and if you listen closely, you can hear backup female vocals that were introduced on a few songs such as the self-titled album’s “Flashlight.” For dedicated fans, it’s little connections like that between albums that make listening to the discography more of story-telling experience. If the first two albums were sarcastic introductions to the hardships of being an adult, Back on Top is the perfect addition to a trilogy making light of all the crap we go through.
The album kicks off with “Motorcycle” and “Summer Shandy,” both lighthearted tunes that bump along without any snags. Although they’re catchy songs, nothing about them stood out too terribly much.
“Cough It Out” and “HELP,” tracks three and four off of the album, were released earlier as singles and already gained prominence through streaming services like Spotify and Youtube. The songs were originally met with criticism for such a different sound with the main complaint being that it was more electronic than the indie acoustic sound that made The Front Bottoms famous. The straight-forward confessional lyrics that made the band popular can still be found in places like when Sella repeats, “I am delusional with love,” or “I don’t know what I’m going to do about anything.”
“Laugh Till I Cry” shows off Sella’s impressive vocal range, putting lots of emphasis on his accent that set The Front Bottoms apart from others. The use of sound effects like a motorcycle when the lyrics scream “motorcycle” makes this track one of my favorites off of the album.
“Historic Cemetary” for someone that sings about “getting high” so much, Sella has openly admitted to not being a fan of smoking. The irony of that only adds to the humor found in dark places of the album. Sella touches on difficult topics, particularly on how to deal with emotional hardships through relationships, personal importance, and our place in the universe. This track brings in a singer other than Sella that spits dark spoken word about drug abuse over a bright and poppy synthesizer. Nothing could epitomize The Front Bottoms better than that.
“The Plan (Fuck Jobs)” is another personal favorite, because it starts off with a quieter acoustic guitar that lets Sella show off his lyrics and voice. Kicking off with personal faults like hypocrisy through lyrics like “when my mind is uncertain, my body decides,” “The Plan (Fuck Jobs)” accomplishes what the rest of the album is hinting at. It balances the Front Bottoms sound that everyone is used to with its new elements in a way that welcomes the listener to something new.
“Ginger” and “West Virginia” are more of those catchy filler album songs that give the listener something to jam with their friends on a road trip or something to blast at a party. “West Virginia” manages to show the goofy side of Sella that has been missing a little on this album. He even slips in “ride or die” to describe some friends in West Virginia, whom he also gives a personal shout out.
The ninth track, “2YL,” is another favorite. It’s a shout-out to the tingly feelings you get from romance with cute little stories that could rival the perfect dates we’ve dreamt about. A instrumental break with a large trumpet section is refreshing and a great addition to the lightness of this song after which Sella professes his affection, saying “I can be the rainbow in your sky” and his willingness to be there for someone else.
The hardest part of closing an album is picking the perfect track to finish the list. “Plastic Flowers” is a great end to a blossoming album. The highlight is the mid-song monologue that Sella speaks, encouraging everyone to chant along to the chorus of “I believe that someone’s got a plan for me even if I don’t know it yet.” “Plastic Flowers” tags a bigger sound with more background vocals, leading up to a the conclusion of their discography so far: even though things are hard now, it will work out in the end. Another added bonus is that if you’re listening to the album on repeat, the end of “Plastic Flowers” flows perfectly into the beginning of “Motorcycle,” bringing everything full circle for round two, three, and four.
Overall, Back on Top brings a new sound that evenly splits the album into songs that sound vaguely like “old Front Bottoms” and songs that scream “new Front Bottoms.” Characterized with chanted choruses and those certain lyrics that stay hooked in your mind long after the song is finished, Back on Top is a light-sounding but hard-hitting addition to the musical arsenal of The Front Bottoms.
Tracks to check out: “Cough It Out,” “2YL,” “Plastic Flowers,” “Laugh Till I Cry.”
Beirut: No No No
Beirut began their journey in 2006 with Gulag Orkestar. Influenced by front man, Zach Condon’s, visit to Europe, the first album combines Balkan folk and Gypsy music, which continues throughout their most recent albums. Since then, Beirut has evolved into a folk pop sound, but still incorporates the common European instruments and melodies using brass and string instruments such as trumpets and violins. Their newest album, No No No, gives the classic sound a modern twist by utilizing pop synthetic sounds and upbeat piano melodies. No No No introduces a focus on the folk pop sound that seems less prevalent in previous albums. Multiple instruments and the contrast of Condon’s deep, smooth vocals with sharp synthetic sounds give the tracks a layered and complex sound.
“Gibraltar” opens with a tribal beat and transitions to an upbeat piano sound that becomes prevalent in multiple tracks and gives the album that folk-pop sound. The piano, prevalent in multiple tracks, exudes a vintage, 70’s pop sound that listener will find comforting and catchy. “August Holland” also exhibits the same style with a rhythmic piano melody. “No No No” follows with Beirut’s signature electronic sound, overlaid with fluid vocals that soften the synthetic sound. “At Once” transitions to a somber mood with blooming trumpets. “As Needed” follows suit and acts as an intermission for the energetic album with a soft, instrumental melody. The track successfully combines subtle haunting melodies with the softness of a lullaby. Finally, “So Allowed” completes the album with Beirut’s familiar sound and Condon’s deep, lofty vocals.
Perhaps this album is an indicator of Beirut’s evolution in a musical world where one listeners can be attracted to vastly different genres. No No No debuts Beirut’s ability to keep with their old, familiar sound, while pushing the limitations of multiple genres in order to appeal to more listeners as well as keep up with their loyal listeners’ continuously changing tastes.
3.5/5
Saturn Valley: “Alive In The Georgia Theatre”
Athens, GA is steadily gaining more attention for their live music scene, as bands from their local music repertoire crank out some killer musicians that tend to gain traction outside of the music city. Saturn Valley, known for their cosmic jams and tendency towards prog-rock, is no exception. With the upcoming release of their second studio album in Fall 2015, the band decided a live compilation was in order to showcase their jam sequences and set formations.
“Alive in the Georgia Theater” does that and more, with its seven track set list featuring their Georgia Theater set list from February. It is clear in this live album that the band shines live, as with most improvisation bands. They bring the energy that engages the audience, with their unique rock sound and their spacey jams. Perhaps the best part of this album is the controlled spontaneity; one minute you will be listening to a jazzy instrumental collaboration, the next a synth-pop explosion.
Saturn Valley’s signature track from their first album, “Odysseus,” was even voted into Athens’ annual local music festival compilation album by thousands of UGA students, “Athfest 2015”. However, the live album also features some promising new tracks from their upcoming second studio album, “Cartographer.” If “Luna Latina,” “Bruise,” and “Captain Fiki” are any indication of the album to come, I’d say these guys are going to be pretty set.
“Alive at the Georgia Theater” is available on iTunes and Spotify, so give the band a listen! They won’t disappoint.
FIDLAR: Too
FIDLAR is known for their edgy sound and high-energy performances. It was unfortunate that they played at the same time The Black Lips performed at Shaky Knees this summer. Both bands have very similar sounds, and it was hard for my friend and I to choose between the two. However, Vinyl Mag had previously interviewed The Black Lips at SXSW in 2014, and I wanted to see what their performance was really like. I think the heat was too heavy for anyone to do any proper moshing; nevertheless, The Black Lips came through with their typical punk sound. I imagine FIDLAR would’ve played out similarly. In fact, their video for “West Coast,” from their most recent album, Too, shows some behind the scenes footage of the band, complete with bathroom tattoos, kicks to the face and partial nudity.
In 2013, FIDLAR released their debut, self-titled album with Mom & Pop. The band members have history with the punk scene; members, Elvis and Greg Kuehn’s father was a guitarist for the punk band T. S. O. L. FIDLAR released their newest album, Too, this month. Edgy vocals and raw lyrics give the album that signature punk sound. However, this album seems to experiment with genres like indie and garage rock, instead of the inherent screaming commonly associated with the punk genre. The album opens with “40oz On Repeat,” in which there is a stark verse change from FIDLAR’s typical sound to a simple, softer melody. The video gives the melody context. Elvis dresses up as multiple pop icons to parody musicians’ tendency to express their seemingly trivial problems. Elvis is quite the actor and his performance (especially his rendition of Britney Spears) is hilarious. The video appears homemade, as does “Leave Me Alone,” in which an entire roll of toilet paper is used to display the song’s lyrics.
The punk genre is one that has evolved since its genesis, constantly incorporating similar genres such as classic rock and metal. What remains constant is the genre’s effect on its audience members. The band and their audiences are tight-knit groups. It is not uncommon for punk bands to play in small venues without a stage or for band members to get involved in the mosh pit along with their fans. The genre is highly sensational. Just as Father John Misty can drive us to tears, punk bands like FIDLAR and The Black Lips can drive us to anarchy, yet audience members still leave the venue as friends and wake up in the morning laughing at the night’s escapades.
4/5
Panda Bear: Crosswords EP
Seven months after Panda Bear’s latest album, Panda Bear Meets the Grim Reaper, Noah Lennox, former member of Animal Collective, has released his EP for “Crosswords.” Grim Reaper takes on the standard electronic-pop style constant through all of Panda Bear’s albums, but with an eerie twist. Lennox combines the style with a combination of distorted sounds. “Mr. Noah” opens with an unsettling clip of what sounds like whining dogs. However, Crossover EP takes a more upbeat approach.
“Crosswords” opens the EP, a familiar track from Grim Reaper, with extracts of the 90’s electronic genre. The echo riff in the background sounds similar to the style of Savage Garden. “No Mans Land” follows with a cosmic theme and metallic beats. Panda Bear is mainly composed of heavy synth sounds, but Lennox softens the sharp sound with his fluid vocals. “Jabberwocky,” although relatively upbeat like the rest of the EP, reflects the haunting melodies found in Grim Reaper. “Cosplay” ends the five-track EP with a sound similar to the Beach Boys’ Pet Sounds, with simple and repetitive lyrics, an ode to the greener things in life. “Marijuana makes my day.”
4/5
Beach House: Depression Cherry
Beach House is best described as a dream. Hailing from Baltimore, Maryland, Alex Scally and Victoria Legrand form this indie duo. Since their first self-titled album in 2006, Beach House has become an obscure gem among the indie-rock scene, often likened to the sounds of My Bloody Valentine and Grizzly Bear, among others.
Beach House’s newest release, Depression Cherry, stays true to their ethereal style. You begin the album, and the notion of time seems to fade; before you know it, you’re sitting in a dark room, and the afternoon has turned into night. How appropriate that the album should embody the nighttime, but not at all depressing like the title implies. The tracks are dreamy and sensual. 80’s synthetic overlays give the album a dark-techno sound, but the album is not eerie. In fact, it is very sublime and relaxing with its languid melodies.
The album opens with “Levitation,” a dramatic first track with 80’s synthesizer tones and Legrand’s lofty vocals. A soft tambourine transitions to a rhythmic beat and subtle rock guitar riffs. “Sparks” follows with a raw guitar opening accompanied with a techno backdrop, giving the track an industrial style, softened by airy vocals. “Space Song” takes on a different sound with a surfer vibe, while “PPP,” one of the more popular tracks, takes on the style of a love song, reflecting a 50’s melody.
The album seems to be a combination of love songs and lullabies, all of which are enrapturing and comforting in their gentle vocals. Although the band name might imply a sound best suited for the west coast, Beach House captivates their listeners by taking the indie genre, which is normally associated to sounds similar to punk and rock, and combines it with a sound less harsh than the industrial genre and an 80’s techno style to create complex and beautiful melodies.
4/5