Tag: album
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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.”
Laura Marling: ‘Short Movie’
After many grueling hours in the studio, up-and-coming artist Laura Marling may deliver the best folk Americana album this month. With every song drenched in depth, this singer-songwriter branches from her usual acoustic to much grungier electric guitar.
The album’s concept primarily lies within Marling’s exploration of herself. As a child growing up in London, she started strong in the business, even racking up a famous relationship with a Mumford brother. Marling moved to LA during her time off from the scene and searched for her soul, taking a full break from music. However, after two years, she found her way back. Short Movie, recorded in London’s Urchin Studios, marks her return.
The album features musicians Matt Ingram on drums, Ruth De Tuberville on Cello, Nick Pini on bass, Tom Fiddle, and of course Marling on guitar. All songs were written and produced by Laura herself.
The album starts off with song “Warrior,” a Bonnie Tyler/American lyric-inspired synthy western love story. She presents herself in this moody, ambient mix, reminding listeners of exactly who she is as an independent singer/songwriter.
The album only gets better with “False Hope.” Marling fans have probably played this song a thousand times from her “Short Movie Sessions” available both on her website and YouTube. The song shows off not only Laura’s lyrical abilities but also the band that helps bring her magic to life. As she sings about her life in New York, her band – even live – hits every note perfectly and provides the ideal balance with every riff and drum beat to this upbeat yet melancholy piece of genius.
The next song, which is just as brilliant, has a similar sound to the “Warrior.” Unlike “Warrior,” however, “I Feel Your Love” includes the beautiful sounds of the violin instead of synth. Touching on relationships in life, this song provides you with a continual chill as she creates an image of a caged bird yearning for freedom, regardless of the love she feels.
The album takes a turn with the song “Strange.” Instead of showing off her singing, Marling speaks straight poetry as bongos and maracas play, giving a different twist to this folk game she plays.
Tracks “Easy” and “Gurdijeff’s Daughter” have a similar taste but differ in the lyrical scenarios Marling presents. And trust me – the album only gets better – “Worship Me” is not one to be overlooked – and worship you, we do, Marling.
Although Marling has been placed in the folk-Americana-indie singer/songwriter genre, which has become overrun with many musicians these days, Marling strives for innovation through self-reflection in this album. Every song brings a different thought to the table.
5/5
Marina and the Diamonds: ‘Froot’
It’s been close to three years since the release of Marina and the Diamonds’ sophomore record Electra Heart, a polarizing concept album about female archetypes. With Diamandis’ third album, FROOT, she forgoes listening to the input from others to deliver a tight 12 song set that she co-produced with Bat For Lashes producer David Kosten. The resulting product is her most sonically cohesive effort to date and depicts the maturing songwriter’s state of mind throughout her hiatus.
Album opener “Happy” begins with a dry vocal that’s accompanied by a piano as the lyrics play off the forlorn atmosphere (Couldn’t relax, couldn’t sit back / and let the sunlight in my lap.) While the first verse doesn’t sound like the title would suggest; the stacked harmonies that come in towards the end of the second verse establish a more optimistic tone. It’s an interesting choice to start the album with since the campaign has been full of bright, neon colors; however it works as a good lead-in to the disco title track “Froot.”
Although “Happy” appears to be the most introspective track on the record based on a topical listen, “Gold” is truly the show runner from a thematic point of view. In a recent interview, she mentioned this song was written during her opening run for Coldplay. Perhaps she didn’t intend for the track to be interpreted as her internal conflict regarding how Electra Heart was initially perceived, but it certainly comes across as such with the lyrics “I’ve been waiting for the penny to drop / I’ve been working to get back what I lost / But whatever happens I’ll be okay.”
Farther along in the album is “Solitaire,” and it’s easily one of the best tracks on the album. Dissonant sonar blips set the stage for the deeper end of her range; this time slightly reverberated and filtered to appear like it’s coming from an old fashioned radio. The title itself is a play on the definition of the word “solitaire” as Diamandis juxtaposes the feeling of singularity in first verse (Don’t wanna talk anymore / I’m obsessed with silence / I go home and I lock my door / I can hear the sirens) against the uniqueness of a diamond in the chorus. The minimalist approach to the song builds to its bridge as the blips combine into cascading synth sparkles.
The second to last track “Savages” is a cliché – by her standards — musical approach to showing her disdain for how human treat one another, but she considers it to be the most important song on the album. It contains the same snarky mentality as other songs in her back catalog like “Girls” and “Hermit the Frog” with far less metaphorical imagery. The song’s saving grace is the fourth verse which concludes with “I’m not afraid of God / I’m afraid of man” after listing off the animalistic ways in which humans interact with one another.
With this record, Marina has nothing to prove to her fans and critics because they already know what she’s capable of producing. Instead, FROOT is an inside look into the alternative pop artist’s mind as she confronts her dislike for her last record and wants to strip everything back down to the essentials. As Diamandis sings in the title track “Good things come to those who wait / but I ain’t in a patient phase,” the finished product truly shows what happens when an artist is left to their own devices and achieves a true moment of self-realization.
3.75/5
Madonna: ‘Rebel Heart’
Back in December 2014, the Internet was still repairing itself from the assault of Kim Kardashian’s nude photo shoot when 13 demos in various stages of completion from Madonna’s upcoming thirteenth LP Rebel Heart surfaced. This was met with severe backlash from Madonna herself, who broke an iPod and posted the picture on Instagram likening to situation to terrorism.
Despite the leaks, she insisted some of the tracks would not be used and the ones on the final album would be tweaked. Less than a week later, the floodgates opened, and by January 2015, not only had nearly every single demo from the recording sessions leaked, but so did an unmastered copy of the super deluxe edition.
While she remained quiet about the final batch of leaks, more and more information surfaced about how the record was supposed to be a double disc with one being Rebel and the other Heart. Though the product was not a double disc, the thematic duality of the record coupled with some of Madonna’s most genuine lyrics makes Rebel Heart her most sonically interesting release in the last decade of her 30+ year career.
Instead of focusing on working with a single producer much like her first few albums, the album includes production from Avicii, Diplo, Kanye West, and Ryan Tedder. The album opener “Living For Love” is a deep house cut that features a piano part played by Alicia Keys, background vocals by MNEK and a grandiose bridge. The album juxtaposes the concept of empowerment between a menacing bassline and an unrelenting beat, a common theme repeated throughout the duration of the record.
“Joan of Arc” showcases the vulnerable side of Madonna is a poignantly reflective first verse “Every time they write a hateful word / dragging my soul into the dirt / I wanna die / never admit it but it hurts.” It’s interesting to hear her deconstruct the image that media has constructed for her. My only complaint with the finished track is the seemingly out of place drums that weren’t present in the leaked demo.
“Iconic” and “Veni Vidi Vici (feat. Nas)” are two of the album’s most self-referential songs, the first being a trap track – yes, you read that correctly – with a spoken intro by none other than Mike Tyson and a rap verse by Chance the Rapper. The latter song sees Madonna’s voice somewhere between spoken word and singing as she describes her career by interpolating the titles of her previous singles (I opened up my heart / I learned the power of goodbye / I saw a ray of light / music saved my life) within the verses. If you listen closely you can hear a small “Ray of Light” sample and the horn section from “Holiday” during Nas’ fiery guest verse.
“S.E.X” is an interesting turn in the momentum of the album as it recalls the Erotica era with more spoken word, this time in a laundry list of objects needed for S&M: twisted rope, a leather mask, fish nets and raw meat. It’s a jarring transition before the orchestral “Messiah” but it stands as a testament to how Madonna strives to rebel ageism in the industry.
At 19 songs, the deluxe edition is one of Madonna’s longest albums clocking in at 74 minutes and is certainly one of her most diverse. Grab a listen when the album officially drops tomorrow.
4.25/5
Saturn Valley: ‘On The Rings’
Without a doubt, the streets of Athens consistently churn out exceptional musical talent. One particular band to take note of is the up and coming Saturn Valley. Consisting of five players Chris Freiberg on Keys, Christian McDaniel on percussion, Nick Jones on guitar, Zach Webster on drums, and Scott Andrews on bass (previous bassist/bassist on On The Rings Charlie Ferrell), this band channels the funk of Santana, the skills of Jimmy Page, and the overall essence of Widespread Panic. Each and every song consists of creatively different jazz tones, especially in their recent album, On the Rings.
The song “Odysseus” begins with one of the tastier riffs on the album. However, once the drums ensue, this tune starts to take on many different routes. The drums lead listeners into a metal-based synth spell and then bring listeners back to that original riff. Quite a fitting song title for such a journey.
“Rusty Bane” brings out the more sensual side of SV. The song begins with a horn section, opening the door to the keys and guitar’s simple, soul-filled notes. Then, all hell breaks loose when nothing but funk enters the mix, a surprising segue from the prior melancholy tone. Each note then ventures into classic funk, leaving you bouncing as there music fills your speakers. Billy Cobham fans, this one is for you.
“Tollbooth” is another great catch on this album, focusing primarily on the skills of Frieberg as he takes the lead in his own style. This song shows truly the skill and effort these lads have dedicated to this band, as well as their love for music. Miles Davis circa Bitches Brew would be so proud.
What’s truly beautiful about this album is the apparent and absolute hard work these guys have put into its creation. Each song was well mixed – including their live show, which you can find on ReverbNation.
Saturn Valley has created music that can relate to any music lover out there (unless you are truly against instrumentals). With their hard work and experience, Saturn Valley can really rise. Athenians, you can currently snatch this catch at Wuxtry.
3.8/5
Bright Light Social Hour: ‘Space Is Still The Place’
Touring legends Bright Light Social Hour are at it again with their kick-ass new album Space Is Still The Place. Courtesy of band mates Jack O’Brien, Curtis Roush, Edward Braillif, and Joseph Mirasole, this compilation will be just another step of progress in the name of Rock. Woven with funk, soul, psychedelic tones, and straight good ole fashion rock n’ roll, this album brings a unique sense to the scene moving this band up in the ranks alongside artist like Moon Taxi, The Tontons, and Quiet Company.
The premise behind the album comes straight from Bright Light’s insane touring schedule throughout the south. After their southern binge, they created the concept of “Future South” and collaborated to bring this idea to life.
The album starts off with a bang with the song “Sweet Mandele,” a western trip backed by a Beatles mentality. The drums provide an almost tribal element as the guitar rings out bluesy chords with the occasional post punk twist. However, you will receive inexplicable chills once the breakdown occurs. Slowing tempos and spacy vibes turn suddenly into the perfect indie dance tune.
The next song to turn to on this album is “Dreamlove.” Bringing out that synth that fans adore these days, this song brings you back to 80’s culture, releasing memories for those who remember when the Jam and Bauhaus reigned supreme. Diving deeper underneath the musical fills, the bass line is quite amazing. A total jam song you should play at your next party – trust me, the entire song seems to be about getting high.
The bass lines only get better with “Ghost Dance.” Starting off with killer bass runs accompanied by those Jimi-inspired guitar riffs, “Ghost Dance” is just another hit on this album. By this song, fans will get a sense of Jack White-esque writing.
Their slower tune, “Sea of the Edge,” is also noteable. The guitar gets more simplified, and a jazzy tone shines through. This song is one of the more generic sounding listens on this album, reminding us more of their genre counterparts, really.
Such basicness becomes completely overruled once “Outerboros” hits your speakers. With repetition, this band brings the blues back with yet another Jack Whitey sounding song, yet still possessing that badass southern feel.
The next song shows BLSH’s diversity by bringing forth a pop sounding beat. The drums are tight as the guitarist strums those chill chords. The song holds true to the BLSH sound, but adds more of a radio-sounding side to their portfolio.
The album overall is worth a listen. There truly is a song for anyone. Good job, boys.
Be sure to catch BLSH on tour (dates below), and pre-order Space Is Still The Place here and here for vinyl.
5/5
BLSH Spring Tour Dates:
3/5 New York, NY @ Mercury Lounge (Early Show)
3/6 New York, NY @ Mercury Lounge (Late Show)
3/7 Philadelphia, PA @ Boot & Saddle
3/27 Austin, TX @ Stubb’s **Official Album Release Show**
3/31 New Orleans, LA @ Gasa Gasa
4/1 Pensacola, FL @ Vinyl Music Hall
4/2 Jacksonville, FL @ Jack Rabbits
4/3 Orlando, FL @ The Social
4/4 St. Petersburg, FL @ The State Theatre
4/6 Macon, GA @ Cox Capitol Theatre
4/7 Atlanta, GA @ The Earl
4/8 Carrboro, NC @ Cat’s Cradle – Back Room
4/9 Washington DC @ DC9
4/10 Brooklyn, NY @ Baby’s All Right
4/11 Cambridge, MA @ Middle East (Upstairs)
4/12 Burlington, VT @ Higher Ground Showcase Lounge
4/14 Montreal, QC @ Quai Des Brumes
4/15 Toronto, ON @ Horseshoe Tavern
4/16 Grand Rapids, MI @ Founders Brewing Co
4/17 Chicago, IL @ Empty Bottle
4/18 Cincinnati, OH @ The Woodward Theatre
4/19 St. Louis, MO @ Off Broadway Nightclub
4/21 Nashville, TN @ The Stone Fox
4/22 Little Rock, AK @ Revolution Music Room
4/23 Tulsa, OK @ Vanguard
4/28 El Paso, TX @ Lowbrow Palace
4/29 Phoenix, AZ @ Valley Bar
4/30 San Diego, CA @ The Hideout
5/1 Los Angeles, CA @ Bootleg HIFI
5/2 Costa Mesa, CA @ The Wayfarer
5/3 San Francisco, CA @ The Chapel
5/5 Portland, OR @ Mississippi Studios
5/6 Vancouver, BC @ Media Club
5/8 Seattle, WA @ Tractor Tavern
5/9 Spokane, WA @ The Bartlett
5/10 Boise, ID @ Neurolux
5/12 Salt Lake City, UT @ Kilby Court
5/13 Denver, CO @ Bluebird
5/15 Dallas, TX @ The Kessler Theater
5/16 San Antonio, TX @ Jack’s Patio Bar
6/6-7 Houston, TX @ Free Press Summer Festival
of Montreal: ‘Aureate Gloom’
Nearly half a year has passed since of Montreal published a brief Facebook post announcing its 13th studio album Aureate Gloom (streaming now on NPR), and now the time has come for it to be released. Accompanying the release on March 3 is an unrelenting tour schedule that even the most seasoned bands would be fearful of tackling.
This same determination is what inspired Aureate Gloom and has driven the band’s sonic developments with each release. A need for change followed front man Kevin Barnes’ late 2013 divorce which resulted in a creative explosion that led to the completion of the record in less than a month.
The sonically chaotic album succeeds in constructing a dense lyrical narrative around a noticeably more uptempo instrumental track. In “Aluminum Crown,” Barnes sings “You can’t let them hear what you’re thinking / or they will throw you back in jail” amidst jangling guitars until the track completely deconstructs itself in the bridge into a gauzy dreamlike trance.
“Virgilian Lots” is an emotionally heavy track that catches Barnes reminiscing about his failed marriage, comparing it to the twin volcanoes of Cuauhnahuac and the destruction of a village. The optimistic tone in Barnes’ voice totally contradicts the subject matter, but the instrumental segues between the verses are complexly dissonant to reflect his confusion.
The album’s opener “Bassam Sabry” is the least personal track on the album, but the mostly likely to be heard on the airwaves of the remaining alternative rock radio stations. In fact, it contains the perfect amount of Talking Heads-esque funk and Led Zeppelin lyrical anarchy tied together loosely by the sound of violins.
A single guitar strum leads into the deep-cut “Estocadas” and is the closest the band gets to recreating the psychedelic sounds of its previous albums. There’s a dizzying keyboard arrangement that’s later accompanied by a sweeping orchestral section before everything drops out in an over-minute-long somber outro. The track honestly doesn’t work too well with the flow of the album – the lyrics suggest bitterness (“Such a stupid offering / what’s it meant to symbolize? / Hostile immobility / is it something to prize?”) while it sounds boringly downtrodden and plaintive.
Not every track on the album is memorable, but there are certainly enough memorable tracks on the album to make it safe to claim that Aureate Gloom is quite possibly the best – and most personal – the forward thinking of Montreal has sounded since the release of Skeletal Lamping back in 2008.
4/5
Tour Dates
1/13/15 Tallahassee, FL – The Moon ^
1/14/15 Pensacola, FL – Vinyl Music Hall ^
1/15/15 Gainesville, FL – High Dive ^
1/16/15 Orlando, FL – The Social ^
1/17/15 Tampa, FL – Crowbar ^
1/18/15 Miami, FL – Grand Central ^
1/19/15 Jacksonville, FL – Freebird Live ^
1/20/15 Macon, GA – Cox Capitol Theatre ^
1/21/15 Charleston, SC – The Pour House ^
1/22/15 Greensboro, NC – The Blind Tiger ^
1/23/15 Nashville, TN – Mercy Lounge ^
1/24/15 Chattanooga, TN – Rhythm and Brews ^
3/5/15 Athens, GA – 40 Watt #
3/6/15 Carrboro, NC – Cat’s Cradle #
3/7/15 Washington, DC – 930 Club #
3/8/15 Philadelphia, PA – Union Transfer #
3/9/15 New Haven, CT – Toad’s #
3/10/15 Boston, MA – Paradise #
3/11/15 New York, NY – Webster Hall #
3/12/15 Cleveland, OH – Beachland Ballroom *
3/13/15 Chicago, IL – The Metro *
3/14/15 Milwaukee, WI – Turner Hall *
3/15/15 Minneapolis, MN – First Ave *
3/16/15 Omaha, NE – Waiting Room *
3/17/15 Oklahoma City, OK – ACM @ UCO Performance Lab *
3/18/15 Houston, TX – Walter’s Downtown *
3/19/15 Austin, TX – SXSW
3/20/15 El Paso, TX – Tricky Falls !
3/21/15 Tucson, AZ – The Rialto !
3/22/15 Los Angeles, CA – The Regent !
3/23/15 Los Angeles, CA – Largo at the Coronet
3/24/15 San Francisco, CA – Great American Music Hall !
3/25/15 San Francisco, CA – Slim’s !
3/26/15 Portland, OR – Wonder Ballroom !
3/27/15 Seattle, WA – Neumo’s !
3/28/15 Boise, ID – Treefort Festival
3/29/15 Salt Lake City, UT – Urban Lounge !
3/30/15 Aspen, CO – Belly Up Aspen !
3/31/15 Denver, CO – Bluebird !
4/1/15 Lawrence, KS – The Granada !
4/2/15 Dallas, TX – Trees !
4/3/15 Austin, TX – The Mohawk !
4/4/15 New Orleans, LA – Howlin’ Wolf !
^ = w/ Nedelle Torrisi
# = w/ Yonatan Gat
* = w/ Deerhoof
! = w/ Yip Deceiver
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
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.
AC/DC: ‘Rock or Bust’
After what proved a difficult year for the band, AC/DC released has their first album since 2008 and sixteenth studio album of their career today.
During September of this year, founding member Malcolm Young departed from the band. Just less than a month ago, drummer Phil Rudd was faced with multiple charges including attempt to procure a murder, which was withdrawn the next day. While the other charges remained, the Australian band confirmed nothing would interfere with their world tour to promote the new album. AC/DC has never been one to go down without a fight. The death of their lead vocalist in 1980 is even further proof that they can’t be held down. If a band can persevere through that, it’s clear passion for the music is their first priority. They formed in 1973 and are still reluctant to retire, despite the ever-changing members. Earlier this year, Rudd said the band would have to be dead before they stop making music.
Rock or Bust is the first album without Young, who left due to health concerns. It was later announced his leave was due to a diagnosis of dementia. Replacing him is his nephew, Stevie Young. It will be interesting to see how the band incorporates him in live settings and how he contributes to the future of the band.
Overall, the album has been generally well-received. While it’s not the next Back in Black (sadly), it establishes a solid return for the band. Rock or Bust doesn’t delve much outside the realm of the traditional AC/DC we’ve been hearing since they formed, which is good or bad depending on what kind of fan you are. Monumental guitar riffs filter through the album in true AC/DC fashion. The band’s career was made by these creative instrumental takes, so why wouldn’t they include them?
The album contains 11 songs, but is the band’s shortest album of their career, clocking in at just less than 35 minutes. The album flies by in a blur of timeless rock fury. Even though the lead vocalist is pushing 70 years old, Brian Johnson’s voice is persistent and pushes the limits created by his age. The album dives straight into the title song, drawing in the listener with Johnson’s wail of “In rock n’ roll we trust, it’s rock or bust.” Two more notable tracks are “Hard Times,” not to be mistaken for a sad song about the band’s difficult situations, and “Emission Control.” Rock or Bust is not a depressing album filled with the woes that come with being a band that has been around for the last 40 years. They brought none of that to the studio, just passion for music and the need to express it.
While four of the 11 songs have “rock” in the title, each is distinctive and reestablishes the band’s prominence in the genre. By listening to the album, it’s apparent that age plays no part in the band’s enthusiasm. Throughout all the hardship, the album emanates a band reluctant to give up having a good time making their music. Because they’re still making music in 2014, this album has the ability to capture a younger generation of fans. While sticking to their traditional hard rock style, Rock or Bust rejuvenates an older generation’s need for the classics while introducing a new generation to truly good rock music, as opposed to whatever garbage the kids are listening to these days.
4/5