Note: This review will be appearing in the February edition of the Bulldog Bulletin
As the new decade began there was one album that seemed to be on everyone’s watch list for 2010. Beach House’s Teen Dream has defied the odds by fulfilling every bit of the hype it received – and then some. This album is a masterpiece of subtlety filled with dreamy hooks and intoxicating melodies, all while still retaining a very minimalist feel to it. In the same vein as Grizzly Bear’s Veckatimest, a band with which Beach House is close buddies with not so coincidentally, Teen Dream becomes more intricate and intriguing upon each listen as its psychedelic waves of sound engulf you completely for a full forty-nine minutes.
For their third album, Beach House – a highly respected but relatively little-known band prior to now – opened up their sound completely in contrast to their second album Devotion. When comparing the two albums it almost sounds like the sound mixer turned the volume up about 5 notches for Teen Dream. Part of this must certainly be due to the new locale for Dream’s recording – band members Victoria Legrand and Alex Scally rented out a cathedral in Upstate New York and it adds a lot of atmosphere to their sound. The instruments themselves are hardly grandiose however; as Scally employs a cheap drum machine and old synthesizer throughout much of the album. Legrand’s voice (compared often to Nico of Velvet Underground fame) positively soars above each track so that the contrast between her vocals on Dream and her extreme nonchalance from the band’s first two albums is remarkable. Legrand and Scally step out of the shadows on this album to provide a much more appealing pop-friendly sound that still is firmly rooted in the band’s signature dreamy ambience and desolate nature.
The first three tracks of Teen Dream run a clinic on how to introduce an album. “Zebra” starts with a deliberate repeating guitar intro, joined with driving cymbals and kick drum. Wispy “aaaahs” follow until it is all finally joined by Legrand’s robust vocals. Its chorus proudly proclaims, “Any way you run, you run before us/Black and white horse arching among us!” as the hooks welcome you into the experience. The next track, “Silver Soul”, is a psychedelic fuzz suite that just emanates the word “cool”. It’s molasses thick with a masterful fuzz guitar, holy organ chords, and smooth half-time drums. Legrand repeatedly cries out, “It is happening again!” adding a frantic undertone to such a hypnotic and laid-back song. “Silver Soul” fades out into lingering chords from the organ that ring throughout the cathedral until finally resolving into the album’s showcase track “Norway”. This track is most likely unlike any song you’ve ever heard, and in turn the sense of discovery and wonder that it gives to the listener for the first time is invariably what gives it such a strong appeal. The synth slides in and out of tune unpredictably throughout the song – almost sounding like the thing is broken – until you realize that Legrand’s vocals are matching the synth’s warbles and slides and it instantly becomes unbelievably cool. “Norway” is out to a quick start for my top song of 2010 (and we’re only through February), and it’s going to take something really special to knock it off its perch.
Thankfully, the rest of Teen Dream never sags after those first three songs as every track is instantly re-listenable at any time. It’s hard to imagine another album matching Teen Dream’s strength from the first song to the last and although it’s a bit early to make proclamations I wouldn’t be surprised to find this album still sitting at the top of my list at the end of the year. Expect big things from Beach House in the future…really big things.
Monday, February 8, 2010
Music Review: Contra by Vampire Weekend
Note: This review will be appearing in the February edition of the Bulldog Bulletin
On January 12, the vaunted prep rock band Vampire Weekend released their second full-length album, Contra, after months of anticipation. Its chart success exceeded nearly everyone’s already sky high expectations as it became just the 12th indie album to reach number one on the Billboard Hot 200, joining the exclusive company of bands like Radiohead and Pearl Jam. Now that Vampire Weekend is firmly entrenched in the national consciousness it is imperative that they stay fresh and innovative going forward to avoid becoming just a fad and judging from Contra it appears that they are trying to do just that.
Vampire Weekend burst onto the scene in 2008 with their exciting self-titled debut and quickly set fire to the indie world. Critics praised the band for their remarkably clean instrumentation and clever high-brow campus lyrics. My impressions from their first album was that the band was undeniably catchy and sounded like the most professional and intelligent garage band that one could imagine. If Vampire Weekend did have a flaw – and it was a rather minor flaw, mind you – it was that when you thought about the album in retrospect many of its songs appeared to have very similar structures and sounded very much the same. I think the band was very aware of this because there is a clear effort on Contra to branch out and experiment a bit to keep their creative juices flowing and keep from going stale. There are many more violin interludes paired with African rhythms on songs like “Run” and “Horchata”, they sample M.I.A. on “Diplomat’s Son”, and even experiment with auto tune (very risky when dealing with a purist indie following) on “California English, Pt. 1”. These experiments all succeed and add another dimension to Vampire’s catalogue. However, other experiments miss the mark – “Giving Up the Gun” leans way too far towards pop and sounds unnatural when placed with the other songs on the album and the finale “I Think Ur a Contra” plods on for too long without building to any memorable climax.
While looking to the future Vampire Weekend has certainly not forgotten what gimmicks brought them fame in the first place. Their clever lyrics are once again shown off in “Horchata” as singer Ezra Koenig begins the album by rhyming “horchata” with “balaclava”. They also prove that they can still rock faster than almost anyone out there with the frenetic lead single “Cousins”. They still keep the tone relatively light and simple and still make playing complex music sound effortless.
Ultimately, Contra falls short of Vampire Weekend’s debut for me in large part because it feels a little less complete than its predecessor. Still, this album was crucial for the band in order to keep their options open and keep the public guessing as to what they’ll come up with next. We will probably look back at Contra as the point where they went national and where they started growing creatively.
On January 12, the vaunted prep rock band Vampire Weekend released their second full-length album, Contra, after months of anticipation. Its chart success exceeded nearly everyone’s already sky high expectations as it became just the 12th indie album to reach number one on the Billboard Hot 200, joining the exclusive company of bands like Radiohead and Pearl Jam. Now that Vampire Weekend is firmly entrenched in the national consciousness it is imperative that they stay fresh and innovative going forward to avoid becoming just a fad and judging from Contra it appears that they are trying to do just that.
Vampire Weekend burst onto the scene in 2008 with their exciting self-titled debut and quickly set fire to the indie world. Critics praised the band for their remarkably clean instrumentation and clever high-brow campus lyrics. My impressions from their first album was that the band was undeniably catchy and sounded like the most professional and intelligent garage band that one could imagine. If Vampire Weekend did have a flaw – and it was a rather minor flaw, mind you – it was that when you thought about the album in retrospect many of its songs appeared to have very similar structures and sounded very much the same. I think the band was very aware of this because there is a clear effort on Contra to branch out and experiment a bit to keep their creative juices flowing and keep from going stale. There are many more violin interludes paired with African rhythms on songs like “Run” and “Horchata”, they sample M.I.A. on “Diplomat’s Son”, and even experiment with auto tune (very risky when dealing with a purist indie following) on “California English, Pt. 1”. These experiments all succeed and add another dimension to Vampire’s catalogue. However, other experiments miss the mark – “Giving Up the Gun” leans way too far towards pop and sounds unnatural when placed with the other songs on the album and the finale “I Think Ur a Contra” plods on for too long without building to any memorable climax.
While looking to the future Vampire Weekend has certainly not forgotten what gimmicks brought them fame in the first place. Their clever lyrics are once again shown off in “Horchata” as singer Ezra Koenig begins the album by rhyming “horchata” with “balaclava”. They also prove that they can still rock faster than almost anyone out there with the frenetic lead single “Cousins”. They still keep the tone relatively light and simple and still make playing complex music sound effortless.
Ultimately, Contra falls short of Vampire Weekend’s debut for me in large part because it feels a little less complete than its predecessor. Still, this album was crucial for the band in order to keep their options open and keep the public guessing as to what they’ll come up with next. We will probably look back at Contra as the point where they went national and where they started growing creatively.
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Music Review: The BQE - Sufjan Stevens
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.
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.
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
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