Category: Music Reviews
Twin Limb: “Long Shadow”
Twin Limb sets the bar high with their new single, “Long Shadow.” The primarily female group consists of Lacy Guthrie, Maryliz Bender, Kevin Ratterman, and Sara Pitt hailing from Louisville, KY (according to their Facebook page).
Opening with a simple drumbeat and an accordion, we know instantly that Twin Limb has their own sound, which they appropriately describe as “dream pop.” The airy vocals and echo effects create layers to combine ominous melodies and ethereal energy. Similarly, the video shows the group swaying and singing in a haze of warm hues with overlapping frames to create a sleepy, nostalgic mood. Although the track is slow and relaxed, there’s a part of it that reminds me of a late summer afternoon…or maybe this cold weather is wearing on me. The subtle synth sound brings a flame of optimism to balance the dark melody. Finally, repetitive lyrics make it an uplifting piece. Guthrie and Bender meld vocals to sing, “This too shall pass over you” in repeat making the piece beautiful and flowing.
“Long Shadow” starts what Vinyl Mag hopes will be a new full length album in the near future. We’ll settle for the live version too, though. Check out Twin Limb’s tour dates here.
4/5
CHVRCHES cover Justin Timberlake’s “Cry Me A River”
CHVRCHES’ 2013 debut The Bones of What You Believe was jam-packed with pop hooks, so it was only a matter of time until they covered a JT song. While the original is a groovy R&B number that foreshadowed Timberlake’s later back-to-basics work like The 20/20 Experience, it still had one leg in the sampled production of the 90s. CHVRCHES took the next logical step by infusing some slinky, space-y synths.
The result is a highly danceable piece of electropop that could easily be featured in Zenon: Girl of the 21st Century. Even if the melody is a little more robotic, singer Lauren Mayberry uses her plaintive high end to keep the vibe perfectly human. Yet the sparse arrangement is significantly more hair-raising, and makes CHVRCHES sound a bit more thirsty for revenge. Given that Timberlake first wrote “Cry Me A River” as a diss track to former flame Britney Spears — and we all saw how her life turned out — potential CHVRCHES belles and beaus should watch their backs.
3/5
Passion Pit: “Lifted Up (1985)” and “Where the Sky Hangs”
Following yesterday’s announcement of Passion Pit’s forthcoming third LP Kindred due out on April 21 via Columbia, “Lifted Up (1985)” was immediately released as the lead single.
Nearly three years have passed since the release of the gauzy Gossamer, but the band has certainly wasted no time in readying its reintroduction to the world with “Lifted Up (1985),” a chugging synth anthem that’s irresistibly joyous.
As lead singer Michael Angelakos sings the chorus, “1985 was a good year / The sky broke apart and you appeared / Dropped from the heavens, they call me a dreamer / I won’t lie, I knew you belong here,” this song is by far the closest the band has ever come to sounding like it belonged in the 80s. If it doesn’t end up becoming a spring hit, someone has done something wrong.
Listen to “Lifted Up (1985)” here:
Also available with the album pre-order is the mid-tempo “Where the Sky Hangs.” This track places more of a focus on the lyrical delivery never once reaching the choral explosion of “Lifted Up.” Angelakos’ falsetto voice is cushioned in sparkling mallets and violins instead of sky-high synths and bass, a much needed contrast as to not feel overdone. In some ways, this song recalls the work of MIKA, but far less melancholy.
By the sounds of it, Kindred is shaping up to be one of the first major Spring releases that must not go unheard.
Listen to “Where the Sky Hangs” here:
The tracklist is:
- Lifted Up (1985)
- Whole Life Story
- Where the Sky Hangs
- All I Want
- Five Foot Ten (I)
- Dancing On the Grave
- Until We Can’t (Let’s Go)
- Looks Like Rain
- My Brother Taught Me How to Swim
- 10. Ten Feet Tall (II)
Florence + the Machine: “What Kind of a Man” and album announcement
After the presence of Florence + the Machine on several major music festival lineups, social media was abuzz about the follow up to 2011’s glorious Ceremonials. Following iTunes’ accidental leak of a promotional banner about pre-ordering her new record earlier this week, one thing was clear; the release of the album was imminent.
Well, three very important things happened today for fans of the band and casual listeners alike: the lead single “What Kind of a Man” premiered hours ago on BBC, followed by its music video, and the album How Big How Blue How Beautiful was formally announced for release on June 2 via Republic.
As is the case with any new single, the main question is always how has the artist developed in their time away from the public spotlight? Fear not, for “What Kind of a Man” displays a remarkably jagged edge compared to the high gloss of previous singles “Spectrum” and “Shake It Out.”
The lush orchestral sounds of Ceremonials are teased for the first minute of the track before being stripped away by a menacing guitar riff and anthemic chant. Once the vocal track comes back in, the softness in Welch’s vocals is also gone in favor of a gruffer, angrier sound (To let me dangle / at a cruel angle / where my feet don’t touch the floor / sometimes you’re half in and then you’re half out / but you never close the door) that crescendos into a grandiose trumpet flare.
Perhaps this wasn’t the direction fans were expecting after the visual teaser released earlier this week that was symbolic of the old Florence letting herself go, but the turn into more rock based instrumentation is a welcome change. Florence has successfully piqued everyone’s interest to see where she’s going to go next.
4.5/5
Music video for “What Kind of a Man:”
Teaser:
Tracklist for How Big How Blue How Beautiful:
01 Ship to Wreck
02 What Kind of Man
03 How Big How Blue How Beautiful
04 Queen of Peace
05 Various Storms & Saints
06 Delilah
07 Long & Lost
08 Caught
09 Third Eye
10 St Jude
11 Mother
Kirk Knight: “Brokeland”
Infamous rap crew Pro-Era’s very own Kirk Knight hits us with a fist-full of Brooklyn in his new single, “Brokeland.”
Filled with head-bobbing beats, this new crew has always been known for dropping tapes featuring self-produced music, and Kirk Knight is no exception. With rebellious tones, Knight sticks to hip hop norms by rapping about – you guessed it – guns and drugs. Life on the streets of Brooklyn is quite the ghetto adventure.
The music behind the track brings listeners back to the 90’s with its up-tempo bounce. The song starts with simple keyboard-separated chords that slowly but surely turn into a complex, Biggie-sounding beat.Throughout the intro, the rappers hype fans up with sounds of gunshots accompanied by shoutouts to their crew.
Once Kirk Knight starts to spit his game, you feel as though you want to get up and dance even though his lyrics are anything but light. He raps, “To try and flash clothes and fair guns / Because where I’m from for amusement shoot the fair one.” Heavy.
4.9/5
Kendrick Lamar: “The Blacker the Berry”
After an interesting night at the Grammy’s, rap icon Kendrick Lamar shocked fans with the release of his new single, “The Blacker the Berry.”
With help from producer Boi-1da, Kendrick Lamar uses his lyrical gifts to shine light once again upon social issues pertaining to our generation’s form of evolved racism. Not to mention Lamar’s genius timing, as February is also Black History Month.
The music behind the lyrics presents a of haunting tone. Full of dubs and loops, the tune will get stuck in your head and bring a little badassery to your day.
The lyrics, on the other hand, are evocative of the hate and rage that any ostracized person feels. He raps, “You hate me don’t you / I know you hate me just as much as you hate yourself / jealous of my wisdom and cards I dealt / Watchin me as I pull up, fill up my tank, then peel out” – perfect for the theme he presents.
As a whole, the song is a bit of off tempo. The lyrics really do not match up with music behind it, and the lyrics are very oddly placed. Regardless of the failure to follow formula, the song is genius and an oddity that will continue to gain Lamar the respect he rightly deserves.
4/5
Title Fight: ‘Hyperview’
Title Fight took their music to a new level this Tuesday after the release of their new album Hyperview. Since releasing their first album with SideOne Dummy Records in 2011, this band has always helped fans relinquish their inner angst with those up-in-your-face metal vocals, fast drums, and goosebump-forming guitar and bass solos similar to bands like Touche Amore, Pianos Become Teeth, and Tigers Jaw (but just a wee bit more hardcore).
However with this new album, Title Fight dropped their emo-punk-metal act to give their fans a mix of the past and present. Within 10 songs, TF brings forth 90’s grunge-inspired music with an insanely large helping of vocal reverb to stir an indie-influenced texture into their new and improved sound.
The album starts off with the song “Chlorine,” a more modern rock ballad. Immediately within the first few seconds, Modest Mouse came to mind, as the guitar sent the song off into happening. As a whole, there was not one instrument that truly stood out. Except of course for Jamie Rhoden’s super reverb-y vocals.
After listening to a few more songs, “Mrahc” really caught my attention. An upbeat tempo with a few major key changes shows Title Fights new style starting to seep into play. Ben Russin’s drum skills, accompanied by Shane Moran’s guitar ingenuity, helped me realize just how grungy the music had become. With this song, you truly get to hear an artist’s maturation.
Immediately after “Mhrac” plays “Your Pain is Mine Now.” Here Title Fight really encompasses their emo side, but with a more universal touch. With consistent flange-sounding material, the acoustic guitar is played so eloquently that it could almost be mistaken for a piano.
However, it isn’t until I heard “Trace Me onto you” that I became impressed. As the two-step drum tempo sets off, the music becomes progressively faster as the lyrics become more clear through the music. Title Fight has never lacked poetic value, but they have truly done a number on this one.
Regardless of such change, Title Fight unfortunately could lose some fans with this album. Every song was conceptually the same, with minor tempo changes as well as melodies. The drums and guitar were grungy while the vocals were indie… in every song. However, Ned Russian should win some sort of bass award. Whenever his bass parts were highlighted, the song was immediately redeemed from any lackluster.
Title Fight is still Title Fight, but I think they should stick to the previous metal rage they were known for.
3/5
Murder By Death: ‘Big Dark Love’
Vinyl Mag sort of has a soft spot for Murder By Death. MBD combines haunting melodies with a classical element in most, if not all, of their albums. The same goes for their newest album, Big Dark Love. Their timeless style and deep, smooth vocals are the signature of MBD, and combining upbeat melodies with haunting instruments and interesting perspectives on love make this album unique. In Vinyl Mag’s interview with MBD in October 2014, Adam Turla (vocals, guitar) explained, “There are a lot of songs that are darker love songs or non-traditional love songs…there are songs about the love and the fear that comes with a parent’s love; there’s a song that’s about a totally unacceptable, obsessive love. It explores the idea of love in different layouts.” Just in time for Valentine’s Day!
Despite the macabre band and album name, the opening tracks start Big Dark Love on an upbeat note. “Shot an Arrow” opens with a catchy beat and features that classical piano and old-time style that is typical of MBD. “Strange Eyes” follows with the same upbeat rhythm, along with a subtle harmonization to soften the energetic guitar riffs and the simple cello sounds. “Big Dark Love” returns to a slower melody, with echo effects and an ominous cello. Screaming vocals give this song, and a few others on the album such as “Shot an Arrow,” a raw and passionate sound. Still, the vocals are deep and flowing, staying consistent with MBD’s folk-influenced style.
This folk sound becomes more prevalent in “Dream in Red,” which also has haunting lyrics and melodies. The faraway radio effect on the vocals makes the track sound vintage, while the elegant violins bring in a classical element. Similarly, “Last Thing” features some skillful banjo picking combined with a violin that gives the track a warm (again) folk sound with classical incorporation. “Natural Pearl” follows beautifully with simple, clear, and catchy lyrics combined with quick cello and guitar riffs mimic an old country love song. The album ends with “Hunted,” which has an ambient style with western style guitar riffs.
You might say Big Dark Love is different from MBD’s other albums in its portrayal of love and also its seamless transition and combination of genres. MBD’s subtle utilization of various instruments make their style somewhat contemporary classic. Big Dark Love comes out today. Buy it for your friend, lover, or mom. After visiting Stanley Hotel (the hotel where The Shining was filmed), and traveling from the west side and down the east coast, Murder By Death will finally make their way to ATL on March 12th. See you there!
4/5
Amason: ‘Sky City’
Amason’s new album, Sky City, takes listeners on a journey through cosmic chaos, only to bring you back to earth a little bit changed.
To start off, this Swedish band is absolutely filled the some of Stockholm’s finest. Amanda Bergman from Idiot Wind seduces listeners with her oh-so-raspy voice, leaving you with nothing but goose bumps. The rest of the band consists of Gustav Ejstes from Dungen, Nils Tornqvist and Peter Winnberg from Little Majorette, and Pontus Winnberg from Miiike Snow; all great bands that may soon follow this wave of Swedish wonder.
Together under Amason, these musicians use strictly fast drum beats, ambient guitars, and melodic synth as their main ingredients to concoct this truly unique album. The album begins with strong tracks like “Duvan,” “Kelly,” and “Elefanten.” “Duvan” is the perfect track to get ready to in the morning. With an 80s vibe, you can’t help but smile and feel as though you can take on the day listening to that jazzy piano and synth beats.
“Kelly” is for any of those Abba lovers out there. The Strokes-like drums and wet vocals bring back the class to disco. As for “Elefanten,” psychedelic spacey sounds consume this track, linking those who love Avey Tare and My Morning Jacket under one song.
The album takes an entirely unexpected turn with the song “Velodrome.” At first, the sound is similar to tracks prior, but after some intense piano riffs, Amason inserts recordings of nature accompanied by Spanish-inspired acoustic guitar. Such spacey sounds are then left behind as these musicians take on psychedelic tones like that of Tame Impala, all while Amanda croons about the earth with her magical voice.
After being hit with a twist, tracks like “Yellow Moon,” “Black Fish,” and “The Moon as A Kite” bring about an entirely different vibe (yet again). Amason channels that old school European rock while speakikng to listeners in Swedish and taking you on a roller coaster of tempo in “Black Fish.”
As for “Yellow Moon,” the upbeat synth brings listeners back to Amason’s natural style with an earthy twist. This song could set up a perfect relaxed hang out with a significant other.
A waltz ensues as “The Moon as A Kite” plays through your speakers. Although the music seems cheery, Amanda sings lyrics such as, “ Love is the frozenist part of a lake… Time is a cruelty” to bring an edge of melancholy.
Overall, this album is a perfect gift for valentines. Such songs are perfect background music for any mellow gathering, regardless of the somber lyrics. If you are looking to chill, study, or be at peace with some unique sounds, Sky City is the answer.
On the other hand, if you are looking for a party song to get you hyped up, then steer clear. This is definitely an album for introverted moments.
4/5
The Decemberists: ‘What A Terrible World, What A Beautiful World
With What A Terrible World, What A Beautiful World, The Decemberists open with an ode to the listeners in “The Singer Addresses His Audience.” Although slow to start, the track is uplifting and nice, singing “We did it all for you” and transitioning into powerful, repetitive lyrics.
By now, of course, The Decemberists have gained quite a following, and this album has convinced me (if I wasn’t already) that The Decemberists are the true pioneers of contemporary folk.
As a country gal myself, I truly appreciate the band’s traditional style and mix of contemporary melodies and instruments. Simple guitar riffs and untainted vocals make the album refreshing, and fun lyrics make it one to sing with your friends. Keeping with traditional folk instruments such as harmonicas and string instruments, The Decemberists also combine brass instruments in this album, as is the case with “Calvary Captain.”
Still expanding their sound, “Philomena” takes on a 50’s doo-wop sound with catchy piano rhythms and the essential “ooh’s” and “ahh’s” of back up singers. “Philomena” is definitely one to make your ears burn. To keep with the sensual lyrics, “Make You Better” starts slow and sweet, opening with “I want you thin fingers…”
The Decemberists are masters at making melodies equally haunting and beautiful in one song. “Till the Water’s All Long Gone” is slower and darker, with country folk guitar riffs. The solemn mood quickly turns upbeat with “The Wrong Year,” embodying a summer sound.
“Carolina Low” follows with a slower melody, but it is definitely a personal favorite. With an old country guitar sound, the track is simple and melancholy. The track reminds me of a backcountry setting…or a funeral.
“Better Not Wake the Baby” also stays with the old country sound but is more upbeat; this one is perfect for a hoedown around the campfire. “Easy Come, Easy Go” transforms the old country sound to a western style, with echo effects on the guitar. “12/17/12” follows with a classic harmonica opening and melodious, elegant flowing lyrics. The album finishes with “A Beginning Song” and ends on an upbeat note.
This album is definitely one I will be listening to until the next one comes out. Whether you are a die-hard fan who loves every album, or if you’re a novice to the charms of this dark folk quartet, What A Terrible World, What A Beautiful World is sure to move you and keep you coming back.
5/5
Oh, and if you need more convincing, there’s always this Nick Offerman video.