I have been listening to, beginning to listen to and trying to listen to a fair amount of new/semi-new music lately, but I have been a bit lazy/busy as of late, so I'm going to give a series of updates and mini-reviews to clear up my backlog for an essay on indie music I've been meaning to write.
Listening to:
"Ellipse," by Imogen Heap
The electronically enhanced melodies of Heap's voice are often quite lovely, and the easy-listening feel is often punctuated by a surprising urgency and infectiousness. Most of the music might not be "real," but that doesn't detract from its beauty. This album will probably be on my albums of the year list, and "Swoon" might be the year's best song.
"Far," by Regina Spektor
While her intentional oddity might turn some people off, there is an overwhelming sense of buoyancy about this album that makes it both catchy and charming. I also find "Laughing With" to be quite thought provoking.
"Wild Young Hearts," by The Noisettes
I first heard about this band after hearing the absolutely fantastic "Never Forget You" on the radio, and I hoped for an equally fantastic album (their debut is of a completely different -- and not very good -- style). It's not a superb release, but it's growing on me. One of the things I appreciate the most about it is its intentional desire to feel like a throwback to some of of the 60's greatest female African-American artists, most notably Diana Ross. There's plenty of fun stuff here, too.
"Church Music," by David Crowder Band
Though it's not nearly as cohesive, lyrically inspired or original as the band's benchmark "A Collision," it's just as musically inventive and even more technically executed. It is very long and cut to seem like a continuous take, which can make it seem rambling at times, but the band's deft ability to change genres mid-album keeps things interesting. The two prog-rock songs at the end are must-listens.
Beginning to listen to:
"The Incident," by Porcupine Tree
This is a long album, and I've lacked time to listen to the whole thing, but I really like what I've heard. The lyrics are their usual blend of clever and thought provoking, and the music -- most of which consists of different segments of a long song -- is varied and ripe for immersion. While I prefer the pre-metal days of the band to the "In Absentia" and beyond releases, Steven Wilson & Co. still manage to consistently create admirable albums.
Wanting to listen to:
"I and Love and You," by The Avett Brothers
I've only heard two songs by this band, but both are fantastic examples of jangly folk-rock, and I'm a big fan of the vocals. Check them out.
"My Old, Familiar Friend," by Brendan Benson
Again, I've only heard the opening single "A Whole Lot Better," but I'm excited to hear more.
And lastly, after hearing John Lennon's "Mind Games" on the radio today, I wish to renew my quest to find out which of The Beatles would have made it as solo acts if not for the success of their original band. Paul would have succeeded without question, I'm thinking no with Ringo, and I'm not sure about George and John (although I'm leaning "no" with Mr. Lennon). We'll see what happens.
Showing posts with label music review. Show all posts
Showing posts with label music review. Show all posts
Friday, October 9, 2009
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Relient k does the breakup album
I've been awaiting Relient k's new album, "Forget and Not Slow Down," with cautious optimism. As I explained in a recent post, I hoped to see a move away from the poppier sounds of their last EP and album and a move back to frontman Matt Thiessen's consistently creative lyrics. In a nutshell, I wrote, "[the new album] needs to showcase how talented the band is rather than how talented it could be." Well, Oct. 6 has come and gone. How does the new album hold up? Quite well, actually.
The first and most obvious feature is yet another genre switch. The powerpop of their last two albums is all but gone, replaced by some throwback punk-lite (most reminiscent of the band's third album "Two Lefts Don't Make a Right ... But Three Do"), some full-blown rock and even a sizable helping of folk-rock.
The first and title track kicks things off with some classic-if-forgettable Relient k sounds, but it sets the tone for the remainder of the album: this is a melancholy, yet hopeful, reflection on Thiessen's breakup with his girlfriend. While this is borne out in the lyrics (more on those later), the band crafts the musical framework to reflect the subject matter, and many songs have a rather wistful feel to them. The title track is followed by "I Don't Need a Soul," "Candlelight," "Therapy" and "Part of It." The placement of all of the songs seems good, a tribute to the band's ability to seamlessly transition between songs of drastically different genres. Much of the transition is aided by a musical device new to Relient k: song outros, specifically "Flare" (after "Candlelight") and "Outro" (after "Part of It").
"Forget..." as an album is an exercise in buildup, and the second half ups the ante, starting with the melodic "Over It." Then comes the fantastic combination of the rocking "Sahara" and the mellow "Savannah," bridged by the interlude "Oasis" and closed by the odd "Baby." It's rare to hear musical interludes used as well as they are here, and it ends up being one of the album's strongest points. After the "Saharah"/"Savannah" combo comes the power ballad "If You Believe Me" and the climactic closer "This is the End," followed by the piano-laden "(If You Want It)" another outro (but only kind of. It's actually about as long as the song it closes).
Musically, it's the most cohesive the band has ever been. There may not be as many "moments" as there are on their fourth (and best) album, "Mmhmm," but "Forget..." is consistently enjoyable throughout, and the genre-switching combined with the continuous flow makes for a lasting musical impression. It's also nice to see a departure from the electronic sounds that marked parts of their last two releases. While they were often used to good effect, the more natural sound of this record (which, the band reports, only used "real instruments") is a refreshing change.
"Forget..." doesn't disappoint lyrically, either. It's hands down the best written thing the band has released since "Mmhmm," and while it may not as often reach the heights of tracks like "When I Go Down" or "Life After Death and Taxes," some of Thiessen's best writing is here, from the melancholy "I Don't Need a Soul" to the playful "Candlelight" to the poignant "(If You Want It)."
Thematically, the lyrics are diametrically opposed to "Five Score and Seven Years Ago," the band's last album proper. While the former album is fully of bouncy love songs to Thiessen's then-girlfriend, "Forget..." speaks almost exclusively of dealing with that relationship's aftermath. However, Thiessen manages to walk this oft-tread upon ground without relying on cliches, refusing to fall completely into the "so over it" or the "woe is me" categories. Rather, the wistful music complements the wistful lyrics, surveying a relationship with an end that was painful (and not entirely forgotten) but also probably for the best.
This lyrical maturity is still complemented by Thiessen's trademark clever rhyming, and no song ever dips even close to the repetitiveness and poor quality that plagued recent songs like "Give Until There's Nothing Left" or "I Just Want You To Know." Thiessen seems to be saying that he wants to keep growing lyrically while retaining the aspects of his songwriting that have always worked.
In fact, that seems to be one of the messages of the album as a whole. While some classic Relient k sounds are certainly retained, the band seems to be putting their greater independence (they are now signed with and partially manage Gotee's indie music imprint, Mono vs. Stereo) to good use.
In short: Relient k has definitely exceeded my expectations. While "Forget and Not Slow Down" might not be quite as good as "Mmhmm," it sure comes close.
The first and most obvious feature is yet another genre switch. The powerpop of their last two albums is all but gone, replaced by some throwback punk-lite (most reminiscent of the band's third album "Two Lefts Don't Make a Right ... But Three Do"), some full-blown rock and even a sizable helping of folk-rock.
The first and title track kicks things off with some classic-if-forgettable Relient k sounds, but it sets the tone for the remainder of the album: this is a melancholy, yet hopeful, reflection on Thiessen's breakup with his girlfriend. While this is borne out in the lyrics (more on those later), the band crafts the musical framework to reflect the subject matter, and many songs have a rather wistful feel to them. The title track is followed by "I Don't Need a Soul," "Candlelight," "Therapy" and "Part of It." The placement of all of the songs seems good, a tribute to the band's ability to seamlessly transition between songs of drastically different genres. Much of the transition is aided by a musical device new to Relient k: song outros, specifically "Flare" (after "Candlelight") and "Outro" (after "Part of It").
"Forget..." as an album is an exercise in buildup, and the second half ups the ante, starting with the melodic "Over It." Then comes the fantastic combination of the rocking "Sahara" and the mellow "Savannah," bridged by the interlude "Oasis" and closed by the odd "Baby." It's rare to hear musical interludes used as well as they are here, and it ends up being one of the album's strongest points. After the "Saharah"/"Savannah" combo comes the power ballad "If You Believe Me" and the climactic closer "This is the End," followed by the piano-laden "(If You Want It)" another outro (but only kind of. It's actually about as long as the song it closes).
Musically, it's the most cohesive the band has ever been. There may not be as many "moments" as there are on their fourth (and best) album, "Mmhmm," but "Forget..." is consistently enjoyable throughout, and the genre-switching combined with the continuous flow makes for a lasting musical impression. It's also nice to see a departure from the electronic sounds that marked parts of their last two releases. While they were often used to good effect, the more natural sound of this record (which, the band reports, only used "real instruments") is a refreshing change.
"Forget..." doesn't disappoint lyrically, either. It's hands down the best written thing the band has released since "Mmhmm," and while it may not as often reach the heights of tracks like "When I Go Down" or "Life After Death and Taxes," some of Thiessen's best writing is here, from the melancholy "I Don't Need a Soul" to the playful "Candlelight" to the poignant "(If You Want It)."
Thematically, the lyrics are diametrically opposed to "Five Score and Seven Years Ago," the band's last album proper. While the former album is fully of bouncy love songs to Thiessen's then-girlfriend, "Forget..." speaks almost exclusively of dealing with that relationship's aftermath. However, Thiessen manages to walk this oft-tread upon ground without relying on cliches, refusing to fall completely into the "so over it" or the "woe is me" categories. Rather, the wistful music complements the wistful lyrics, surveying a relationship with an end that was painful (and not entirely forgotten) but also probably for the best.
This lyrical maturity is still complemented by Thiessen's trademark clever rhyming, and no song ever dips even close to the repetitiveness and poor quality that plagued recent songs like "Give Until There's Nothing Left" or "I Just Want You To Know." Thiessen seems to be saying that he wants to keep growing lyrically while retaining the aspects of his songwriting that have always worked.
In fact, that seems to be one of the messages of the album as a whole. While some classic Relient k sounds are certainly retained, the band seems to be putting their greater independence (they are now signed with and partially manage Gotee's indie music imprint, Mono vs. Stereo) to good use.
In short: Relient k has definitely exceeded my expectations. While "Forget and Not Slow Down" might not be quite as good as "Mmhmm," it sure comes close.
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