Note: This review will be appearing in the December edition of the Bulldog Bulletin
Have you ever taken the time to wonder what makes geniuses the way they are? The DNA of every human being is nearly the exact same as every other human, so what sets them apart? Which chromosome did Einstein have that helped him discover relativity first, and what made Picasso see things the way that he did? How was Billy Shakespeare able to put into words basically every story that we could ever experience and why was Isaac Newton the first one to discover why apples were always falling on people’s noggins? What makes these extraordinary people tick?
While we may never be able to fully answer that question, The BQE by singer/songwriter/composer/geographer/cinematographer extraordinaire Sufjan Stevens may have given us our best clue to date. This is because listening to The BQE is probably the closest thing we will ever get to hearing what goes on inside of a genius’ head.
Those who have listened to the music of Sufjan Stevens can instantly recognize his work because it carries melodies of epic proportions, yet they are delivered in the most subtle and beautiful of ways. After four tantalizingly long years since the release of Illinois, the second installment of his more than ambitious fifty states project, Sufjan finally released his new project called The BQE which is a classical soundtrack to footage of the dubious Brooklyn-Queens Expressway that he shot himself with a 16mm camera. The suite is comprised of seven movements, complete with preludes and postludes. He presented the footage with a live orchestra for three sold out nights at the Brooklyn Academy of Music. Yes, to summarize this is a banjo-wielding folk singer composing a forty-minute classical suite set to home video footage of an infamously monotonous expressway – and this is only a microcosm of Stevens’ ambition. Just for kicks, the LP comes with a forty page color comic book written by (guess who) Sufjan Stevens.
Despite the depressing subject matter the soundtrack itself is pretty much the complete opposite. “It’s an ugly, monolithic source of traffic and pollution and the object of scorn. So I decided to go the other way and recreate the BQE as I would have imagined it, which is as an object of beauty and perpetual motion and reflections and lights and colors. But it’s a complete fabrication; the beautification of a monumental beast,” says Stevens. The music is constantly in motion, swirling and racing around the outer highways and overpasses of your mind. Starting with “Prelude On The Esplanade”, you’re transported to the guardrails of the asphalt splendor and let into Stevens’ idea of the perfect highway. You don’t need to even see the film to imagine Sufjan’s vision because it so easily replicates the hustle and bustle of New York. Yet, as a whole, The BQE could easily serve as the soundtrack of the classic movies of Jimmy Stewart or Cary Grant, or even to the silent films that were never given the luxury of sound and music. Its themes are truly universal.
After discovering the magnificence of Sufjan Stevens with the help of my good friend (and my Monthly Music Review predecessor) Chris Hooker and then in turn digesting every note of Seven Swans, Michigan, and Illinoise, I was still left wondering why I was so attracted to the music and why it was so addictive. What was it about these songs that made me keep coming back to them whenever I had the opportunity? What made them work so well? I found my answer in The BQE – and whether this is what Sufjan intended for I’m not quite sure. The fluttering woodwinds and repeating horn riffs from Illinois are found here, and so are the mournful melodies from Michigan and Seven Swans. All of the aspects of his prior works come together in this masterpiece, forming a musical story of epic proportions. I’m not afraid to proclaim The BQE on the same levels as the works of Gershwin; it leaves me speechless at its conclusion the same way as “Rhapsody in Blue”. All this from a first-time composer who just months ago was questioning why he still made music? Simply incredible.
The BQE solidifies in my mind why right now Sufjan Stevens is head and shoulders above everyone else in the music industry as far as creativity and musical prowess are concerned. He is constantly challenging himself to do entirely new projects – rumor has it that he wants to an instrumental album that “evokes insomnia” – and reaches parts of the human soul with his music that no one else even knew existed. I will cherish The BQE in my album collection for a long time simply because it gave me a glimpse, if only a partial one perhaps, at what kind of music flows within the mind of a genius.
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Saturday, November 7, 2009
Music Review: Veckatimest - Grizzly Bear
Note: This review will be appearing in the November edition of the Bulldog Bulletin
Okay…maybe I did discover Grizzly Bear a few months ago and have subsequently already listened to their latest release, Veckatimest, so many times that it already has its sights set on assaulting my iPod’s “Top Played” playlist. But this album is so good that I felt that I absolutely had to write a review and give Veckatimest its props. Released last May, Veckatimest has vaulted Grizzly Bear to one the darlings of indie rock and to the forefront of the so-called “folk revival”. This album is a big step up from their last album, Yellow House – which was formidable in its own right, and has to be considered one of the top releases of 2009.
Upon first listen of Veckatimest, you’re hit with the album’s two standout tracks “Two Weeks” and “While You Wait for the Others”. “Two Weeks”, quite simply, is a pop music masterpiece. It starts with a bouncy, power-lollipop keyboard intro for the sweetest of the musical sweet-tooth and then is joined by Edward Droste’s soaring falsetto and incredible four part harmony hooks from the rest of the band. “Two Weeks” should be considered a landmark in indie music for many years to come. Meanwhile, “While You Wait for the Others” is in my opinion for singer Daniel Rossen what “Something” was for George Harrison, a signature song for Rossen to establish himself as the co-leader of the band and prove his incredible talent as a singer/songwriter. A biting narrative that doesn’t look back on what might’ve been, “While You Wait” features perhaps the best harmonies of this decade – and that’s not an exaggeration. The voices of Droste and Rossen, along with bassist Chris Taylor and drummer Christopher Bear, fit together in a perfect mosaic, blending into one powerful voice that dips and soars with ease. The teasing suspension by Droste before each time the harmony resolves will leave the tune stuck in your head for hours, but you’ll enjoy every minute that it’s up there.
Despite possessing these two standouts, Veckatimest should be listened to from start to finish in order to appreciate the full mastery put on display. For most of the album, Grizzly Bear put down the acoustic guitars and banjos from Yellow House and picked up strings, xylophones, bells, and even vocal choirs to give Veckatimest a much fuller sound. The instruments and vocals are beautifully layered and balanced, and it is obvious that there were many hours spent in the studio to perfect the album to its final product.
I thought that Veckatimest’s major appeal is the amount of experimentation that it has and how nearly every one of its experiments turned out successfully. “Southern Point” is an acoustic flight that never really takes its foot off the gas, and works as a great opener for the album “All We Ask” is a great call-and-answer that features the disparaged musings of Droste followed by the ghostly reassurance of Rossen which almost seems to smile. “Cheerleader” features a great bass line, while “Ready, Able” could carry one of the next Twilight films (and be much more intriguing than the actual plot of the movie).
This is to not to say that Veckatimest does not have a few misfires – in other words, no it is not perfect. “Dory” is a bit aimless and too abstract, while “About Face” and “Hold Still” tend to drag, especially when compared – perhaps unfairly – to “While You Wait” which immediately follows. Still, you have to respect Grizzly Bear’s effort on these tracks to break away from the cookie-cutter mold of tension and release.
The ending of Veckatimest is what will really stick with you. Starting with “While You Wait” the final three songs of the album has the immense power that reminds me at least somewhat of the feeling you get after finishing
An unfortunate result of creating this masterpiece is that Grizzly Bear might never be able to match this level again – and this is only their third studio LP. Veckatimest will most likely be the record that defines the band, similar to IV for Led Zeppelin and Joshua Tree for U2. It’s going to be fun to see Grizzly Bear try to perfect the wheel though, and secretly I’m rooting for them to succeed.
Friday, September 25, 2009
Music Review: Unmap - Volcano Choir
Note: This will end up being an article for the first issue of my school newspaper, the Bulldog Bulletin, but it also serves as a new album review for "Unmap" by Volcano Choir.
In the winter of 2007, Justin Vernon retreated to an abandoned cabin in the middle of the Wisconsin woods to escape from the pile of stress that had engulfed his existence. The following spring, he emerged with what would become the band Bon Iver and one of the most critically acclaimed albums of 2008. For Emma, Forever Ago was an explosion in the indie music scene because of its soul-bearing acoustic melodies and its ground-breaking multi-layered falsetto vocals. Within months of For Emma's release, Vernon became the new darling of indie music. Bon Iver followed up with another successful release, an extended play entitled Blood Bank. Now Vernon has released a new album with his old side project called Volcano Choir (in collaboration with Collections of Colonies of Bees) entitled Unmap as he tries to build on his current momentum.
In my opinion, Unmap picks up the seeds that were dropped by the Blood Bank EP and begins to plant a forest with them. In particular, Blood Bank's last track, "Woods", was a precursor to what Unmap represents, which is Vernon stepping in to the recording studio and going to town on every knob, lever, and button on the soundboard. He is truly revolutionizing the way artists can look at recording music, proving that production can be just as cool as performance.
The album starts at a slow pace with "Husks and Shells", however this album is certainly not a race, the listener who slows down and takes in every second and every note definitely comes out the winner. It's a great album for just slapping on the headphones, lying in bed, and digesting with the ears. Furthermore, this is an album that personifies the concept of whole-is-greater-than-sum-of-its-parts (a big plus in my eyes); it's difficult to cherry-pick because the tracks melt together well and no track noticeably outshines the others.
Many of the appeals of For Emma can be found on Unmap, including Vernon's soulful falsetto cries and his sporadic acoustic finger picking. But this album is definitely more about the harmonies and the instrumentation rather than deep lyrics and hooks. In fact, excluding "Island, IS', most of the sparse words that appear on the album are nearly indecipherable because they're buried under so many layers of sound or because they're shouted out at such a high-pitch. Instead, there is much more power in Vernon's multi-tracked hums or "ahh's". After a few listens, my favorite track so far would have to be "Still" because I thought the addition of instruments to the previously a-Capella "Woods" was really cool and brilliantly spooky.
To be clear: if you're into simple cookie-cutter modern rock songs or rap/R&B, then this album is most likely not for you. However, if you enjoy going a little unconventional with you're music and also like to give your ears an auditory work-out every once in a while, then I would definitely recommend checking it out, along with the Bon Iver catalogue. Unmap was not created to become a landmark album that will be a touchstone for indie music in the years to come, to put it simply it's really more of a musical experiment. But what ever it may be, I give a thumbs up to Justin Vernon. You can check out Bon Iver at www.myspace.com/boniver. Enjoy.
In the winter of 2007, Justin Vernon retreated to an abandoned cabin in the middle of the Wisconsin woods to escape from the pile of stress that had engulfed his existence. The following spring, he emerged with what would become the band Bon Iver and one of the most critically acclaimed albums of 2008. For Emma, Forever Ago was an explosion in the indie music scene because of its soul-bearing acoustic melodies and its ground-breaking multi-layered falsetto vocals. Within months of For Emma's release, Vernon became the new darling of indie music. Bon Iver followed up with another successful release, an extended play entitled Blood Bank. Now Vernon has released a new album with his old side project called Volcano Choir (in collaboration with Collections of Colonies of Bees) entitled Unmap as he tries to build on his current momentum.
In my opinion, Unmap picks up the seeds that were dropped by the Blood Bank EP and begins to plant a forest with them. In particular, Blood Bank's last track, "Woods", was a precursor to what Unmap represents, which is Vernon stepping in to the recording studio and going to town on every knob, lever, and button on the soundboard. He is truly revolutionizing the way artists can look at recording music, proving that production can be just as cool as performance.
The album starts at a slow pace with "Husks and Shells", however this album is certainly not a race, the listener who slows down and takes in every second and every note definitely comes out the winner. It's a great album for just slapping on the headphones, lying in bed, and digesting with the ears. Furthermore, this is an album that personifies the concept of whole-is-greater-than-sum-of-its-parts (a big plus in my eyes); it's difficult to cherry-pick because the tracks melt together well and no track noticeably outshines the others.
Many of the appeals of For Emma can be found on Unmap, including Vernon's soulful falsetto cries and his sporadic acoustic finger picking. But this album is definitely more about the harmonies and the instrumentation rather than deep lyrics and hooks. In fact, excluding "Island, IS', most of the sparse words that appear on the album are nearly indecipherable because they're buried under so many layers of sound or because they're shouted out at such a high-pitch. Instead, there is much more power in Vernon's multi-tracked hums or "ahh's". After a few listens, my favorite track so far would have to be "Still" because I thought the addition of instruments to the previously a-Capella "Woods" was really cool and brilliantly spooky.
To be clear: if you're into simple cookie-cutter modern rock songs or rap/R&B, then this album is most likely not for you. However, if you enjoy going a little unconventional with you're music and also like to give your ears an auditory work-out every once in a while, then I would definitely recommend checking it out, along with the Bon Iver catalogue. Unmap was not created to become a landmark album that will be a touchstone for indie music in the years to come, to put it simply it's really more of a musical experiment. But what ever it may be, I give a thumbs up to Justin Vernon. You can check out Bon Iver at www.myspace.com/boniver. Enjoy.
Monday, August 31, 2009
Music Review: fun. - Aim and Ignite
After the break-up of fan favorites The Format last year, vocal extraordinaire Nate Reuss formed a new band called fun. with Andrew Dost (formerly of Anathallo) and Jack Antonoff (Steel Train). Their debut album, Aim and Ignite is an instant classic. To give it the cliche "emotional roller coaster" would be to undersell the album because it will rock you to the core from start to finish and may even you a little drained after it's over. Aim and Ingite is what a great pop album should be - infectious melodies, great melodies, and several tracks that will force you to get up and dance or at least make you nod your head.
Reuss picks up where he left off with The Format and takes it another country mile. With his extra-dramatic vocals pumping up every song, he might be the closest thing we have right now to the late Freddie Mercury. I have to put him in the same class with Robert Schneider of The Apples In Stereo with his innate ability to come up with the perfect melody to a pop song so that the listener feels like they have already been whistling the tune for years.
The opening track, "Be Calm", might be the most contradictory title to a song ever because the song is actually a heart-pumping track that is constantly building and never really stops to take a breather. It perfectly captures the accelerated thoughts and fears that a person goes through when they're panicked. "Be Calm" transitions right into a mock-gospel ensemble in "Benson Hedges", then continues into the spectacularly generic "All the Pretty Girls" which perhaps channels Journey at their absolute (non-"Don't Stop Believing") peak. The absolute standout among the standouts is the fourth track, "At Least I'm Not Sad (As I Used to Be)". It beautifully rips off the "na-na-na-boo-boo" tease and forms it into a foot stomping pop-symphony that I can easily picture being sung in a speakeasy. This song will be stuck in your head for days. Other highlights include the endearing "Light Another Candle With Me" and "Take Your Time (Comig Home)", but really folks every song on this album is a highlight.
I'm going to see fun. on September 13th and I am super pumped. Look for more great things from this band, or really any band that Nate Reuss is in, in the future.
Score: 4.3/5
Reuss picks up where he left off with The Format and takes it another country mile. With his extra-dramatic vocals pumping up every song, he might be the closest thing we have right now to the late Freddie Mercury. I have to put him in the same class with Robert Schneider of The Apples In Stereo with his innate ability to come up with the perfect melody to a pop song so that the listener feels like they have already been whistling the tune for years.
The opening track, "Be Calm", might be the most contradictory title to a song ever because the song is actually a heart-pumping track that is constantly building and never really stops to take a breather. It perfectly captures the accelerated thoughts and fears that a person goes through when they're panicked. "Be Calm" transitions right into a mock-gospel ensemble in "Benson Hedges", then continues into the spectacularly generic "All the Pretty Girls" which perhaps channels Journey at their absolute (non-"Don't Stop Believing") peak. The absolute standout among the standouts is the fourth track, "At Least I'm Not Sad (As I Used to Be)". It beautifully rips off the "na-na-na-boo-boo" tease and forms it into a foot stomping pop-symphony that I can easily picture being sung in a speakeasy. This song will be stuck in your head for days. Other highlights include the endearing "Light Another Candle With Me" and "Take Your Time (Comig Home)", but really folks every song on this album is a highlight.
I'm going to see fun. on September 13th and I am super pumped. Look for more great things from this band, or really any band that Nate Reuss is in, in the future.
Score: 4.3/5
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Music Review: Yellow House - Grizzly Bear
Hearing a band take a giant leap musically from one album to the next is one of the coolest things in music, in my opinion. Listening to Grizzly Bear's Yellow House just days after reviewing Horn of Plenty was a shocking experience because the albums are so incredibly different. After completing my first listen of Yellow House, I finally realized what all the Grizzly Bear hype was about.
After I told him to get this album "immediately" a few days ago, my friend Chris asked me to describe the feeling of the album. I told him that it's like going into an abandoned house and exploring the attic. Yellow House's biggest attraction for me was the haunting tone of the entire album - it almost captures the feelings one has when they are afraid of the dark, except the phantoms they think that they're seeing ultimately end up being just part of their imagination. Yellow House is an invitation to journey a little outside your comfort zone, perhaps to see just what exactly your limitations are.
I was a little disappointed with Horn of Plenty because it was so disconnected and too nonchalant. In contrast, Yellow House finds Grizzly Bear a much more mature and savvy band with all of the songs now making sense. They put out all the stops in this album as far as instruments go, from timpanis to banjos to xylophones and even a glockenspiel. Two songs feature a saxophone section straight from the Addams Family or a Scooby Doo episode that turn the spooky factor up to a whole new level. After Horn of Plenty was a bit too muted and subdued, Grizzly turned up the volume on this album and threw in fermatas and grand pauses just for kicks.
The best song on the album has to be "Knife" (recently named #109 in Pitchfork's top 500 songs of the decade), which is a swirling symphony that finds the perfect balance between purposeful sonic rock and subtle harmony that in my opinion The Flaming Lips still haven't reached. Other highlights include "Little Brother", a nice little singalong for the spookiest of campfires, and "On a Neck, On a Spit", a song which I can't help but think that Robin Pecknold of Fleet Foxes listened to at least once for inspiration. It ends on a great note with "Colorado", a vast and expansive track that brings to mind the fast moving clouds that end up colliding with the Rockies.
The album's only stumble in my opinion is "Marla", but apparently it is an adaptation of a 1940's song written by guitarist Ed Droste's great aunt so it's hard to really slam on that. Overall, this is a great album which has officially introduced Grizzly Bear into my musical consciousness. I just don't suggest ever listening to it if you're walking alone in the dark.
Score: 4.1/5
After I told him to get this album "immediately" a few days ago, my friend Chris asked me to describe the feeling of the album. I told him that it's like going into an abandoned house and exploring the attic. Yellow House's biggest attraction for me was the haunting tone of the entire album - it almost captures the feelings one has when they are afraid of the dark, except the phantoms they think that they're seeing ultimately end up being just part of their imagination. Yellow House is an invitation to journey a little outside your comfort zone, perhaps to see just what exactly your limitations are.
I was a little disappointed with Horn of Plenty because it was so disconnected and too nonchalant. In contrast, Yellow House finds Grizzly Bear a much more mature and savvy band with all of the songs now making sense. They put out all the stops in this album as far as instruments go, from timpanis to banjos to xylophones and even a glockenspiel. Two songs feature a saxophone section straight from the Addams Family or a Scooby Doo episode that turn the spooky factor up to a whole new level. After Horn of Plenty was a bit too muted and subdued, Grizzly turned up the volume on this album and threw in fermatas and grand pauses just for kicks.
The best song on the album has to be "Knife" (recently named #109 in Pitchfork's top 500 songs of the decade), which is a swirling symphony that finds the perfect balance between purposeful sonic rock and subtle harmony that in my opinion The Flaming Lips still haven't reached. Other highlights include "Little Brother", a nice little singalong for the spookiest of campfires, and "On a Neck, On a Spit", a song which I can't help but think that Robin Pecknold of Fleet Foxes listened to at least once for inspiration. It ends on a great note with "Colorado", a vast and expansive track that brings to mind the fast moving clouds that end up colliding with the Rockies.
The album's only stumble in my opinion is "Marla", but apparently it is an adaptation of a 1940's song written by guitarist Ed Droste's great aunt so it's hard to really slam on that. Overall, this is a great album which has officially introduced Grizzly Bear into my musical consciousness. I just don't suggest ever listening to it if you're walking alone in the dark.
Score: 4.1/5
Friday, August 21, 2009
Music Review: Horn of Plenty - Grizzly Bear
In the past few months as I've been reading news on my favorite indie bands, the name Grizzly Bear kept popping up - almost always with favorable comparisons. So finally I've gotten around to checking them out. With the name Grizzly Bear I was expecting the band to be another piece of the motor that is the folk revival in indie music right now with other bands like Fleet Foxes, Blitzen Trapper, and Bon Iver. However, I heard quite the opposite on my first listen of Grizzly's debut album, Horn of Plenty.
The album starts off well with "Deep Sea Diver", as the listener starts off at the bottom of the ocean floor until finally rising back up for air at the song's conclusion. However, after the first track the album kind of loses its footing. There were no banjos, harmoniums, or tom-toms to be found here; instead the songs become mangled, morbid, and quite frankly a bit half-baked. Melodies are introduced but never quite progress in "Alligator", "Campfire", and "Shift", and this makes it seem like lead singer Daniel Rossen is rambling. The songs are perhaps too lo-fi and nonchalant to keep the listener engaged.
Horn of Plenty's strength lies in its second half, beginning with "Fix It", which features a great driving rhythm and a cool vocal arpeggio for a bridge. From here the melodies open up and the lyrics become more whimsical. The highlight of Horn of Plenty for me is "Showcase", the tenth track, which has an interesting percussion/acoustic guitar arrangement and vocals from Rossen that seem like they could be blown in any direction that the wind decides to take it.
Overall, Horn of Plenty, is a typical debut album in that it's a bit jagged and unrefined. My best comparison, would be to Coldplay's debut Parachutes (and yes, I know that this is like comparing a giraffe to a muskrat) in that both albums showed a band with potential, yet struggling to figure out who they were still. This is not to say that Grizzly Bear is going to start making ambient music and shifting to arena rock, because obviously they're not. Horn of Plenty is a somewhat respectable album that at times points to great things in the future, but it is not a record that I'm going to put on repeat on my iPod. I will definitely check out the next album in Grizzly Bear's catalogue, Yellow Houses, as I hear that it's a mini-masterpiece.
Score: 2.8/5.0
The album starts off well with "Deep Sea Diver", as the listener starts off at the bottom of the ocean floor until finally rising back up for air at the song's conclusion. However, after the first track the album kind of loses its footing. There were no banjos, harmoniums, or tom-toms to be found here; instead the songs become mangled, morbid, and quite frankly a bit half-baked. Melodies are introduced but never quite progress in "Alligator", "Campfire", and "Shift", and this makes it seem like lead singer Daniel Rossen is rambling. The songs are perhaps too lo-fi and nonchalant to keep the listener engaged.
Horn of Plenty's strength lies in its second half, beginning with "Fix It", which features a great driving rhythm and a cool vocal arpeggio for a bridge. From here the melodies open up and the lyrics become more whimsical. The highlight of Horn of Plenty for me is "Showcase", the tenth track, which has an interesting percussion/acoustic guitar arrangement and vocals from Rossen that seem like they could be blown in any direction that the wind decides to take it.
Overall, Horn of Plenty, is a typical debut album in that it's a bit jagged and unrefined. My best comparison, would be to Coldplay's debut Parachutes (and yes, I know that this is like comparing a giraffe to a muskrat) in that both albums showed a band with potential, yet struggling to figure out who they were still. This is not to say that Grizzly Bear is going to start making ambient music and shifting to arena rock, because obviously they're not. Horn of Plenty is a somewhat respectable album that at times points to great things in the future, but it is not a record that I'm going to put on repeat on my iPod. I will definitely check out the next album in Grizzly Bear's catalogue, Yellow Houses, as I hear that it's a mini-masterpiece.
Score: 2.8/5.0
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Review of Michigan by Sufjan Stevens
Let me start out by saying that there is perhaps no way that this review for Greetings From Michigan: The Great Lakes State can be completely fair. A few weeks ago, I introduced myself to Sufjan Stevens' best work, Come on Feel the Illinoise, a few weeks ago and fell completely in love with it. That eventually led me to check out its predecessor (Michigan) next and, consequentially, out of order. Michigan was the first step in Stevens' ambitious quest to create an album for all 50 states, and Illinoise was its follow-up released two years later. Ideally, one would like to follow a musician's works as they progress and improve over the course of his/her career, but since I had the unfortunate disadvantage of not discovering Stevens' brilliance until now, there is probably no way I can review Michigan without subconsciously comparing it to Illinoise.
The most immediate thing that I noticed was the much more melancholy tone of this album. The themes center around the declining economy of Stevens' home state which has become even worse since the album's release in 2003. Clear shades of despair, frustration, and hopelessness are prevalent in songs such as "Flint (For the Unemployed and Underpaid)", "For the Widows in Paradise, For the Fatherless in Ypsilanti", "The Upper Peninsula", and "Holland". Compared to the grandiose of Illinoise, this album feels much more minimal and reserved, however, this is not necessarily a detraction.
There are also cheerful spots among the despair in Michigan, including "Say Yes! to M!ch!gan!", the instrumental "Tahquamenon Falls", and "Oh Detroit, Lift Up Your Weary Head!" - almost as if Stevens is trying to become the flag bearer for the state and lead her out of her lethargy. He has a great way of making every track intimate and deeply personal, regardless of whether it actually is or not. One thing that was a pleasant surprise to me was that there are even more tracks here that feature Stevens' magnificent banjo picking skills than on Illinoise. For those of you who don't know, pretty much any song that features a banjo will at least win my attention if not eventually my affection as well. Stevens also has a great sense for when to add a few horns to set the mood for a song, something that Neutral Milk Hotel perhaps started and now from whom Sufjan has gracefully grabbed the torch. He uses them to make a track either melancholy and reflective or upbeat and driving, and he does it beautifully either way.
Having already been acquainted with Illinoise, there are many songs on that album that I think can trace their roots back to Michigan. For instance, the repetitive instrumental introduction to "Detroit" reminds me of "Come On Feel the Illinoise", while "All Good Naysayers" lays the cobblestones "The Tallest Man, The Broadest Shoulders." I also think that "For the Widows in Paradise" and "Romulus" are both very reminiscent of my favorite Illinoise track, "Casimir Pulaski Day".
If there's one complaint I have for Michigan, it's that some of the songs are a bit on the long side. Songs like "Detroit" and "Oh God Where Are You Now" tend to drag on once they cross the five minute mark since the same riffs and phrases keep repeating, and therefore prevent the album from having a natural flow to it. This is a mistake that Stevens seems to have corrected on the next album, meaning that if he was going to make the song long, then he was sure to at least break it into two or three parts so that the listener doesn't become bored. This is only a minor complaint, however, as I would still consider those songs good despite their length.
At first listen, I would have to say that "Sleeping Bear, Sault Saint Marie" is my favorite track on the album. It blends all the things I love about Sufjan Stevens into one great song: expansive horn parts, twanging banjo, rustic and simple lyrics, and absolutely beautiful harmonies with help from the Danielson Famile (who provide great backup vocals throughout the album).
Overall, this album is a proper first step for Sufjan's musical journey across America: a great start, and still with room to grow as well. I'm guessing that by album #50 - if he ever gets there - Sufjan will have had plenty of time to craft his talent to something so phenomenal that I probably can't even fathom it. I'm definitely looking forward to the rest of the ride.
Score: 4.0/5
The most immediate thing that I noticed was the much more melancholy tone of this album. The themes center around the declining economy of Stevens' home state which has become even worse since the album's release in 2003. Clear shades of despair, frustration, and hopelessness are prevalent in songs such as "Flint (For the Unemployed and Underpaid)", "For the Widows in Paradise, For the Fatherless in Ypsilanti", "The Upper Peninsula", and "Holland". Compared to the grandiose of Illinoise, this album feels much more minimal and reserved, however, this is not necessarily a detraction.
There are also cheerful spots among the despair in Michigan, including "Say Yes! to M!ch!gan!", the instrumental "Tahquamenon Falls", and "Oh Detroit, Lift Up Your Weary Head!" - almost as if Stevens is trying to become the flag bearer for the state and lead her out of her lethargy. He has a great way of making every track intimate and deeply personal, regardless of whether it actually is or not. One thing that was a pleasant surprise to me was that there are even more tracks here that feature Stevens' magnificent banjo picking skills than on Illinoise. For those of you who don't know, pretty much any song that features a banjo will at least win my attention if not eventually my affection as well. Stevens also has a great sense for when to add a few horns to set the mood for a song, something that Neutral Milk Hotel perhaps started and now from whom Sufjan has gracefully grabbed the torch. He uses them to make a track either melancholy and reflective or upbeat and driving, and he does it beautifully either way.
Having already been acquainted with Illinoise, there are many songs on that album that I think can trace their roots back to Michigan. For instance, the repetitive instrumental introduction to "Detroit" reminds me of "Come On Feel the Illinoise", while "All Good Naysayers" lays the cobblestones "The Tallest Man, The Broadest Shoulders." I also think that "For the Widows in Paradise" and "Romulus" are both very reminiscent of my favorite Illinoise track, "Casimir Pulaski Day".
If there's one complaint I have for Michigan, it's that some of the songs are a bit on the long side. Songs like "Detroit" and "Oh God Where Are You Now" tend to drag on once they cross the five minute mark since the same riffs and phrases keep repeating, and therefore prevent the album from having a natural flow to it. This is a mistake that Stevens seems to have corrected on the next album, meaning that if he was going to make the song long, then he was sure to at least break it into two or three parts so that the listener doesn't become bored. This is only a minor complaint, however, as I would still consider those songs good despite their length.
At first listen, I would have to say that "Sleeping Bear, Sault Saint Marie" is my favorite track on the album. It blends all the things I love about Sufjan Stevens into one great song: expansive horn parts, twanging banjo, rustic and simple lyrics, and absolutely beautiful harmonies with help from the Danielson Famile (who provide great backup vocals throughout the album).
Overall, this album is a proper first step for Sufjan's musical journey across America: a great start, and still with room to grow as well. I'm guessing that by album #50 - if he ever gets there - Sufjan will have had plenty of time to craft his talent to something so phenomenal that I probably can't even fathom it. I'm definitely looking forward to the rest of the ride.
Score: 4.0/5
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Vernon Experimenting in the Studio
I just heard a new song from Bon Iver frontman Justin Vernon's latest project, Volcano Choir (entitled "Island, IS") and it was excellent. Vernon is a rising talent in my eyes (only 28 years) not only vocally, but in the studio as well. The multi-layered vocals introduced on Iver's debut album For Emma, Forever Ago blew me away as something I had never heard before, and he stepped it up to the next level on the track "Woods" from the proceeding Blood Bank EP. Woods starts with a singular voice reciting the song's only verse and then adds a new voice on a different pitch each time the verse is repeated. By the end of the song, the listener cannot help but to become embedded within the "forest" of swirling melodies and intonations. The best part is that the entire song is a capella. Based on the newest track, "Island, IS", Vernon is exploring even more in the studio and I hope that his next album will build upon the experimentation that he started in the first two Bon Iver releases.
I'm thinking about checking out the band Grizzly Bear next - does anyone listen to them/know any of their songs?
New track from Volcano Choir, "Island, IS" - http://downloads.pitchforkmedia.com/Volcano%20Choir%20-%20Island,%20IS.mp3
I'm thinking about checking out the band Grizzly Bear next - does anyone listen to them/know any of their songs?
New track from Volcano Choir, "Island, IS" - http://downloads.pitchforkmedia.com/Volcano%20Choir%20-%20Island,%20IS.mp3
Introduction
Hey there folks, my name is Matt Kelly and I'm a senior at Livonia High School in the doldrums of western New York. Though life moves slowly and the brutal winter weather can make a beating on one's soul out here in cow country, you can't deny that there aren't any better football fans out there - Go Bills! From the very first time I discovered my parents' Beach Boys Greatest Hits Vol. 1 album at age five, I have held a relentless passion for music and the power that it holds. I play in the jazz band and also participate in a preforming group called Livonia Live! at school and sing in the church choir on Sundays. My music collection ranges from B.B. King to the Beatles to James Brown to Coldplay to Simon and Garfunkel to Rush to Fleet Foxes to...well, you get the idea. Over the years my musical cognizance has spread out to many new genres and ideas and so I thought it might interesting to record my experiences and revelations as time goes by. Hopefully I can get feedback from readers that will lead me to even more new discoveries.Special thanks goes to Kevin Hooker - reading his Toronto Raptors blog switched on the light bulb that told me that if wanted to be an aspiring journalist then I should probably start dipping my toes in the water now. Also a thanks to his older brother Chris, who shares my passion for finding the great albums - not compilations or singles - that still exist out there. Thanks to our music discussions we've been able to introduce each other to artists that were previously undiscovered.
Please feel free to post comments and enjoy the blog!
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