Album Review: Delta Spirit’s History from Below
While listening to Delta Spirit’s new album, History From Below, my first impressions where these verbatim, “Well this is no Ode to Sunshine.” But you know what, I really like this album. I was in love with their debut album. Seriously, I listened to it for about a month straight. Just like their previous effort, Delta Spirit opens the album with two very strong track, the latter of which is just plain danceable. “Salt in the Wound” is a slower song with a nice acoustic and vocal lead throughout. But “White Table” is just perfect; the way the guitar and vocals harmonize really makes the track standout. The persistent drum beat induces toe tapping until the song turns heavier around the halfway point. Everything then goes quiet save the drums but all kicks back in for a final crescendo.
The album tends to quiet down a bit after that; the next two songs are slower songs that are still worth the listen. When I first heard “Vivian,” I thought I was listening to a previous release. The use of harmonica gives the track a nice bluesy feel that I’m glad they decided to keep on this record. The eight-minute outro, “Ballad of Vitality,” is a terrific closer. The last two minutes are just ambient, but good, noise. Everyone seems to try to end albums dramatically and sometimes it works, but sometimes it doesn’t. In this case, the former is true. The band is currently touring the U.S. I was lucky enough to catch the July 2 show in Philly.
Album Review: Crystal Castles (II)
For those expecting the new Crystal Castles record to approach or surpass their debut effort, you can stop reading this now. LCD Soundsystem’s astonishing This Is Happening improved upon Sound of Silver, which appeared on every credible “best of the decade” list. However, that polarizing Crystal Castles’ debut was more complete than the top-heavy Sound of Silver. Those few who called it inconsistent are the same hipsters clamoring over the one trick pony that is Sleigh Bells. The hope was that Ethan Kath and Alice Glass may be capable of delivering another neurosis-inducing tour de force. What we get with the sophomore release is a more than capable follow-up; it just doesn’t approach the summit that the band previously inhabited.
Although there are plenty of stand-outs, I don’t get the point of all the synthetic distortion. It almost sounds like Steve Albini (Nirvana’s In Utero and Failure’s Magnified) produced these fuzzy lo-fi sounding tracks. What happen to the pristine production of “Air Wars” and “Crimewave”? Luckily, that static is limited to just a few songs, including album opener “Fainting Spells” and the almost inaudible minute and a half long first single “Doe Deer.” The effect is used transitionally in the Sigur Ros-sampling “Year of Silence.” The foundation of the track has loads of promise but falls a bit short of previous sample-heavy tracks (probably an unfair comparison to the HEALTH remix “Crimewave”).
Although Crystal Castles may have set the bar too high on their previous release, the album is certainly one of the best of 2010. One area in which the band has grown is with the vocal manipulation of Glass’ voice. She actually sings on this record, which makes some of the tracks more accessible than previous releases (see album standout “Pap Smear”). Kath puts Glass’ vocals through various filters on most of the record. The most extreme vocal manipulation is on “Vietnam,” another standout that would have fit seamlessly on the first album. The comparisons to Karin Dreijer Andersson are completely ridiculous, although Glass’ voice transcends gender on “Empathy,” my favorite song on the record. Kath selfishly turns down Glass way down in the mix much too often.
Although Crystal Castles seem content using old formulas, they do explore new ground on tracks like “Birds.” I wonder if Kath broke out his guitar for the first time since his days in a GG Allin cover band. At least he’s not the former guitarist from Poison The Well. The new sound is welcomed, and I hope he continues to experiment with it. The album was previously scheduled for a June 8th North American release. That date was pushed up to April 23 when the album was leaked.
http://www.myspace.com/crystalcastles
Album Review: Shame, Shame
I didn’t think it was possible for the new Dr. Dog album, Shame, Shame, to even compare to their previous release, Fate; I could not have been more wrong. Shame, Shame is every bit as impressive as Fate but advances the band to that short list of artists who improve with each subsequent record. Every song that Dr. Dog produces belongs in different genre of music, making it nearly impossible to categorize most of their catalog. The first track on Shame, Shame is “Stranger,” a perfect opener on an album that contains virtually no filler. The record is a near perfect listen to from start to finish. “Unbearable Why” is a standout that raises the intensity to one of the album’s several peaks. The soundscapes heard throughout Shame, Shame, including loads of noise and sound effects, give it a unique vibe. “Where’d All The Time Go,” for example, ends rather abruptly but lingers with a couple seconds of chill-inducing white noise; it reminded me of the Beatles’ “I Want You (She’s So Heavy).”
The vocal and guitar harmonies are the most impressive aspect about the album and are well crafted throughout each song, especially with “I Only Wear Blue.” Although it’s difficult to pick a favorite track off this, or any, Dr. Dog album, “Mirror, Mirror” has an outro that surprises by ending at the climax of the song. It just works. And the pacing of the album is impressive. The mood settles back down with “Jackie Wants A Black Eye,” which features infectious clapping throughout. The last song on each Dr. Dog release is usually a standout track that leads fans to repeat listens. The closing and title track, “Shame, Shame,” follows suit on the new release. The album is no doubt one of my early favorites so far in 2010. I couldn’t anticipate a live performance more than the Dr. Dog show in Philly on May 13th.
EP Review: Monster
Inu is an intriguing new collaboration between a few established musicians. The group consists of producer Count, guitarist Tim Hingston, and cellist Zoe Keating. Count has produced, mixed, remixed, and engineered with some of the greatest; everything from Radiohead to Frank Sinatra to DJ Shadow. Tim Hingston is the guitarist from the Nyles Lannon band. He performed with them at SXSW in 2008. Zoe Keating has played with the Dresden Dolls, toured with Imogen Heap on five tours, worked on solo albums, and was in the band Rasputina (a personal favorite). She creates a unique sound as a cellist by mixing spacey electronics through the use of a laptop controlled with her foot.
Inu’s Monster EP is going to be one of the best 2010 has to offer. Every song on the album is an intriguing mix of electronica and rock. The record starts with “The Bailing,” a track that seems to be inspired by Radiohead’s Amnesiac. The mix of electronic soundscapes, guitar, and percussion is near perfect and highlights the unique talents of each member of the band. The most straightforward “rock” track on Monster is “Stephen Colbert.” The synthesized vocals, distorted guitars, and consistent down beat of the snare drum are elements of an elaborate and beautiful composition. All five tracks on the EP are standouts, but the most impressive track is “Captured,” with its soaring vocals and Keating’s haunting cello. Monster is an impressive EP; I can’t wait for the full length album!
You can stream Inu’s entire Monster EP on their MySpace page:
http://www.myspace.com/inuband
Album Review: Heligoland
With their fifth studio album release, has Massive Attack yet again made an ‘awe-worthy’ record with Heligoland? This album starts out with a nice chilled out track featuring Tunde Adebimpe from TV on the Radio, and “Paradise Circus,” which features that porn-laden music video, may deserve repeat listens. Heligoland has many featured artists on it; one being the always-chosen vocalist, Horace Andy (he was also featured on the track “Angel” off Massive Attack’s third studio album Mezzanine). The album also includes drum tracks contributed by the recently deceased Jerry Fuchs from !!!. However, the duo seems to have lost their gothic sound from past albums, which makes Heligoland just “another Massive Attack album.”
There isn’t one track on the album that I can honestly say, “I really want to listen to that song again.” Heligoland has a deluxe version available on iTunes with six remixed versions of songs off the album. Is it sad to say that the remixed songs are the best part of the album? Besides that, there will also be a vinyl release of the album available shortly. And the next thing to look for from Massive Attack is an upcoming EP that will be released May 2010. It will feature tracks from previous tours that are not included on this album. Though most of the Massive Attack albums are great to listen to, this one is surely one to fall asleep to.
Album Review: Tarot Sport
Fuck Button’s Tarot Sport is a mesmerizing exercise in electronic musical composition. The album displays an uncanny ability of the noisy electronic duo to do the impossible: transform indecipherable bleeps and glitches into highly accessible (even your Grandma might dig this shit), 10-minute instrumentals. Each track is repetitive but highly melodic and catchy. Andrew Hung and Benjamin Power build up each song slowly and reward patience with hypnotizing crescendos that induce goosebumps on repeated listens. Imagine Sigur Ros and Aphex Twin collaborating on a album.
There are only seven tracks on Tarot Sport, but that doesn’t equate to a lack of material. Five of these songs approach or surpass the 10-minute mark effortlessly. Highlights include the epic “Olympians,” which features an addicting percussion loop that swells into inspirational synths. If the band removed the “Fuck” from their name, I’d vote for a radio-friendly version to be the theme song to the 2010 Winter Olympics. “Rough Steez” is a shorter track that takes several obnoxious noise samples and stitches them together into digestible form. The song represents why Hung and Power are untouchable in the electronic music scene at the moment. Tarot Sport is one of the most epic and addicting albums to be released in the last few years. It’s an absolute masterpiece!
Album Review: Atlas Sound’s Logos
Fuck this shit. I can just make another album. [Logos is] not finished and now it never will be. It was also going to have a rad cover. I would describe it to you but that would be stupid. P.S. there are no vocals on “Quick Canal.” I never got the chance to record them. This record was not free to record, so if you’d like to pay for hearing it send a paypal donation to lastdeerhunteronearth@yahoo.com. I am not a fucking opportunist so don’t think I expect it.
And so goes the complicated and extroverted personality of Bradford Cox. Lucky for us, the Deerhunter frontman had second thoughts after fans begged and pleaded. He posted a follow-up with new intentions:
I have no idea what people want me to do. I’m not trying to be a cunt to anyone. I will finish the fucking album and stop bitching. I honestly really truly do not want attention from this. Sincerely. I wish none of this shit would have happened. I was just trying to give away another virtual 7″. Now everyone that reads this thing is going to think i’m a fucking lunatic. I just have nothing to do. I guess I’ll go clean my room.
But enough drama queen gossip. Is the album any good or what? No, it’s not. It’s incredible and well worth the wait (if you consider 20 months between albums a long wait). Our first taste of finished tracks beyond the original leak was the Noah Lennox supported “Walkabout,” which immediately raised the legitimacy of our BBQ playlists exponentially. Apparently, Panda Bear provided Cox with sampling lessons during their European tour together. The result was nothing short of a perfect, blissed-out homage to nostalgic summer jams. Surprisingly, “Walkabout” is not the best track on the album. It barely squeezes into the top 5.
Other standouts include the album’s centerpiece, “Attic Lights.” Here Bradford Cox is at his best with just an acoustic guitar and some minimalist percussion. The addictive chorus slowly builds into a payoff featuring a string section. Although Logos is much more accessible than 2008’s Let The Blind Lead Those Who Can See But Cannot Hear, “Sheila” is a radio-friendly 60’s-style pop song featuring the juxtaposing lyrics, “Cause no one wants to die alone,” and “We’ll die alone together.” In the middle of this “pop” album is the eight and half minute ambient gem “Quick Canal.” When the unfinished version of the album leaked months ago, “Quick Canal” didn’t have lyrics. Here the song is polished with accompanying vocals by Stereolab’s Laetitia Sadier. The song is an atmospheric and moody intermission that explores new ground for Atlas Sound. It certainly leads one to question where Bradford Cox will lead his Deerhunter alter ego next time around. Until then, Logos has provided us with one of the best albums of 2009.
Album Review: Embryonic
The Flaming Lips never cease to amaze me. Every album is a completely different take on the musical genius of the entire band. Though many songs from the Lips discography seem to lead the band in an unpopular direction, commercially speaking, they have definitely done things right with their latest release, Embryonic. Wayne Coyne has taken a step back from center stage and joined the rest of the band. Though they have lost most of the ‘sing-song’ qualities in these songs, Embryonic succeeds on many levels. The record seems to have fallen into darker, more psychedelic territory. Other Lips albums explored psychedelics, but it was always hidden behind the leading narrative of each story in those songs.
There are several highlights on the new album. “Worm Mountain” is an amazing mix of everything The Flaming Lips have done to this point. The song features MGMT, which was a very good call on their end; these two bands were meant to work together. The end of the song conjures a The Soft Bulletin vibe with its string section. The album ends with a dramatic finale, “Watching the Planets,” featuring Karen O from the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. Embryonic seems to focus more on the actual music rather than what will ‘sound good’. It’s not easy to put out a double album that engages the listener from beginning to end; and for me, the Flaming Lips accomplish this. Every song on Embryonic will have you moving with the music, and that contagious Flaming Lips enthusiasm comes across in every note. The one downside of the album may be that you can’t really tell many of the songs apart, as they all seem to blend into one extremely long composition. The album does work on extended listens. You’re just not going to find many singles that stand out. What’s next for the band? How about their interpretation of Dark Side of the Moon featuring Henry Rollins and Peaches?
PS. If you miss the good ol’ At War With The Mystics Flaming Lips, then just get the deluxe version of the album, which includes four bonus tracks.
Album Review: Get Color
Calling HEALTH’s debut album a love/hate record is a ridiculous statement. It is what it is: a collection of experimental and unfocused noiserock tracks that seems to beckon for additional production or vocals by Mike Patton. If you’ve never heard of HEALTH, chances are they are not your cup of tea. Think 30-second Fantomas chapters brought to full song realization. The band seems to “get it” a bit more the second time around with Get Color. Again, too many of the tracks offer no reason get excited. Mundane and repetitive noise doesn’t seem to reveal anything new. There are some highlights though. “We Are Water” offers a rave-worthy anthem that will offend most of your senses. HEALTH reach their pinnacle with “Die Slow.” The track actually takes the form of traditional song structure and shows that these guys do have some talent. Followed by a beautifully disturbing video, “Die Slow” just might be one of the best tracks of 2009. Unfortunately, the song is positioned as the first track on the album, and the rest never lives up to what is promised. One fact that cannot be neglected is that HEALTH is one of the best live bands out there. The music is better packaged and experienced in performance.
Album Review: Moderat
Moderat is not the first collaboration by electronic gurus Modeselektor and Apparat. They released the disappointing Auf Kosten der Gesundheit EP in 2002 under the same moniker. The second collaborative effort from the group has much to offer fans of each but does not quite live up to each individual band’s previous works, especially that of Modeselektor. Happy Birthday! and Hello Mom! are landmark electronic dance records that few in the genre have approached in production and sonic mindfucking.
Recording on vintage analog gear, Moderat offers up one of the best tracks of 2009 in “New Error,” a slow building tour de force with an affecting drum beat and synths that seem to purposely fall off the rhythm track every once in a while. Other album highlights include “Rusty Nails,” a somber but catchy drum and bass track featuring vocals by Sascha Ring (Apparat) and “Sea Monkey,” a track that slowly builds from a repetitive and eclectic dance floor beat and pays off in the second half with a batch of swirling synths. The album does lose some of it’s addictive nature after the first three tracks and contains some filler between additional standouts “Sick With It” and “Porc#2.”
Moderat is currently supporting Radiohead on their European tour.