I'm starting a new segment where I'll give my thoughts on a handful of releases from each new music Friday. I'll provide a short description of the album/artist, and include my own thoughts as I mention them. There's a lot of music I'd like to recommend from this past week, so let's get to it! Photay - OnismGenre: Electronic I was a little hesitant to give this project a chance, considering Photay is not a huge name in the electronic music scene, but I'm soooo glad I did. Fusing elements of glitch electronics, chill-wave, and jazz, Photay's Onism manages to consistently deliver a very upbeat, cheerful vibe. On "Off-Piste," Photay layers grand synths with flute passages which remind me of the artist Baths. "Inharmonious Slob" happily trots along, repeatedly returning to a bouncy instrumental refrain. "The Everyday Push," builds layers upon layers of various clicking and beeping electronics, creating tension that leads to a very crushing finish. Although the album is primarily instrumental, vocal appearances on cuts like "Aura" provide quite the treat. I'm loving the hell out of this, it's probably gonna be my electronic aoty. Everything Everything - A Fever DreamGenre: Synth-pop If you're familiar with Alt-J, all you have to do is blend Joe Newman's falsetto vocal style with colorful, bombastic synth-pop, and you have U.K.'s very own Everything Everything. I personally enjoyed their last album, although it was clearly front-heavy and a little long-winded. I'm enamored with the first half of A Fever Dream, but I'm not really feeling the longer, moodier tracks in the second half of the track-listing (although I do love the band's statement on the very brief "New Deep"). The first three tracks really display the band's songwriting talent. You've got these strong hooks over these very loud (but not overbearing) electronic beats. The vocal performance on "Night Of The Long Knives" is actually quite awe-inspiring, and once the beat drops, that shit BANGS. "Can't Do" and "Desire" are both feature these very sticky refrains that I love. I actually think Everything Everything open this album up better than their last album. As I mentioned, the latter half of the record didn't leave the greatest impression on me. There are a few highlights ("Ivory Tower," "New Deep") but it's just really disappointing to me. I'm just waiting for this band to put out a 10 because they have the potential to do so in my eyes. King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard & Mild High Club - Sketches of Brunswick EastGenre: Jazz-Psych King Gizzard is one of the greats out there right now. They're always reinventing their direction as a band through each album, whether it be through a new concept or musical style. Their third album this year alone, Sketches of Brunswick East is a soothing jazz-psych collaboration with Mild High Club. It reminds me of their acoustic album Paper Mache because of its relaxed tone, but it's rather an album that drifts easily into the background. The gratifying bass lines and woodwind passages left the greatest impressions on me. Seriously, the bass on "The Spider And Me," "Rolling Stoned," and "Dusk To Dawn On Lygon Street" give me the goosers, they're so attention grabbing while being nice on the ears. Each of the three interludes are soothing in the same sense, but don't really have the memorability to keep me returning. What this album lacks is good songwriting, which only really comes through on the song "The Book." Sonically, however, this album is certainly something to behold. Elevator music, yay! Grizzly Bear - Painted RuinsGenre - Indie Rock
Grizzly Bear are a unique indie band in my opinion. Their talent shines through their beautiful vocal harmonies, and intricately performed, lavish instrumentals. They've been on a studio album silence for five years now, so of course I was hyped for this project. The biggest change on Painted Ruins is clearly the production style. Is definitely on a larger-than-life scale compared to their previous efforts. Considering the slightly lo-fi acoustic side of Grizzly Bear, this album is certainly quite an endeavor. "Wasted Acres" sets a great tone for the album, as it opens with woodwinds, strings, and Daniel Rossen's hauntingly beautiful voice. This track is noticeably juxtaposed to the most upbeat, almost bombastic song, "Mourning Sound," the lead single. I'm not sure what to make of this song. Part of me likes the tune itself, but it feels kind of lifeless as it's sung without much passion. "Four Cypresses" features heavily reverb-soaked guitars, building in instrumental intensity until it slowly fades out. Ed Droste's vocal performance on "Three Rings" is paired nicely with the soft synth keyboards and electric guitar passages. The album, however, really hit me at "Losing All Sense" and "Aquarian." These two tracks are more traditional in song structure that make more enjoyable, memorable moments in the context of the whole album. I'm impressed by the sonic landscapes on "Cut-out" and "Glass Hillside" as well. "Neighbors" is a much needed break in the track-listing. It's the most intimate song whilst being instantaneous and memorable - the haunting vocal melody, lyrics, and finger-picked guitars are really to behold. "Systole" is really one of the few lulls in the track-listing, and "Sky Took Hold" makes up lost ground to close an altogether enjoyable album. Check this album out if you're looking for an indie album with really grand, pristine production qualities. It's an impressive addition to the Grizzly Bear catalog.
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This review is a little late, but better late than never, right? So a little while ago, I went to see Elvis Depressedly at the Chameleon Club, and he was on tour with several other artists which I did not realize. The night opened up with an up and coming female rock group, which set the stage for the personal show. The club has various floors, and we were downstairs where there is less space, making the shows more personal. Next came Spencer Radcliff, who I have always enjoyed listening to, but was never a huge fan. Next was Horse Jumper of Love, a band I had started listening to maybe a day or two prior to the show.
They started off the set, and it was so good. They are such a talented band. In between songs, the lead singer would talk to the crowd, but he literally sounded like a mouse, which is sort of reflected in their debut album. After the show I went to the merch table to buy their album on vinyl, and the drummer, Jamie, asked me what color, I chose white, but he ended up giving me red. Not mad; the record is great no matter the aesthetic color of the vinyl. Anyways, enough backstory, here’s my review: HJoL’s self titled album is a hit or miss for a lot of people. Some people mistake it’s syrupy rock sound for emo whining, but do not confuse the slow pace of the record for sluggishness; the songs are paced and have greater meaning when they are not criticized upon the first listen. This album is cautious and haunting. The opening track, “Ugly Brunette,” is maybe one of my favorites on the album. The lyrics are simple, but have a deeper meaning; the lead said it was about losing a shirt on a family vacation, hence the lyrics about the shirt and getting bleach on it. The song is simple lyrically, but packs a nice punch rhythmically. The guitars pushes the song along, and embraces the grungy side of the band. The following track, "July 5th," is hardly a minute. It does not really do much for me; the guitar is softer than “Ugly Brunette,”and it is a little too short to really get me interested. It moves the album along, but it really does not do anything else. The third track, “Bagel Breath,” is very slow. After three minutes, it feels like the whole album has passed by, however, I still enjoy this track. The story it captures is timeless; someone crawling into another’s bed, spilling sour patch kids everywhere, but the other person does not care. It is a love story in three minutes. A simplistic one, yet I still enjoy it. The next track is “Spaceman,” and it is another good one. This track is actually semi-fast moving. The guitar and the drums work together to up the pace on the track. This is probably the track with the most lyrics too. Even though the track after “Spaceman,” “I Want To Paint horses...And to Have a Horse” is another short one, I love it. It isn’t sludgy like the other tracks. They played it live, and it was just cool to see it and hear it live, and be able to compare it to a studio recording. The track following it is not as sludgy as the other songs either, it still has that quiet, offbeat sound, but it isn’t as heavy. The drums are more in the forefront with the cymbals accompanying it. “DIRT” is a solid track all around, and it think it makes sense that it is placed after “IWTPH...ATHAH.” The rest of the tracks are just as good, some sludgier than others. As a whole, the album is a cohesive work of slow moving soft rock with a twinge of that indie emo we all love. “Orange Peeler” is a great closer; it really encompasses the whole album; it has a perfect mix of sludge and quietness. The only huge downside of the album is that the track “Poison” is not on it. They have an Audiotree Live album, and it is on it, but I would have loved to hear a studio recording of it after hearing it live in Lancaster. It is my favorite track by them by far. So, check them out, give it a listen. Let me know what you think: good or bad? Rating: 7/10 |
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