3.5 out of 5 Highlights: Mouthful of Diamonds, When I'm Small, As Far As I Can See, You Are The Ocean
In keeping consistent with my recent string of electronic rock albums, I decided to keep the trend going with Phantogram's LP entitled Eyelid Movies. This newest offering in the indie/electronic pop universe comes from a duo from Saratoga Springs: Josh Carter on guitar, Sarah Barthel on keyboards, and vocal duties split between the both of them. With their mix of dance-inspired beats and melancholy lyrics, there are obvious comparisons to the usual suspects of this constantly developing genre including MGMT, Yeasayer and The xx. That being said, I think this group has enough going for it to distance itself from the competition.
Opening with Mouthful of Diamonds, you are immediately met with a kaleidoscope of spacey noises. Structure is gained with the beginning of the verse and the vocals of Barthel, who brings a sense of sad comfort to the track. During the chorus she lets out "You've got a mouth full of diamonds/And a pocket full of secrets/I know you're never telling anyone/Because the patterns they control your mind/Those patterns take away my time". When I'm Small follows as an anti-love song, a sort of microcosm of the LP. Barthel continues on the mic as she slams her would be lover, saying "I'd rather die/Than to be with you". These inverted love songs are equally dismal and extremely pop-catchy. Carter takes over vocal duties on You Are The Ocean, the longest track at 5:49. In a lovingly morbid metaphor he makes the comparison "You are the ocean/And I'm good at drowning".
In all fairness, there are a few tracks that feel like filler, but this duo is relatively new and have a few strong highlights definitely worth listening to. The songs generally feel stronger with Barthel on vocals, but splitting the responsibilities seems to be working out well enough for them. Phantogram has the talent and "it" factor to ride the electro-pop wave long into the future.
b.r.a.d.
HEADLIGHTS - Wildlife (Polyvinyl Record Company)
(Release Date: October 20, 2009)
4 out of 5
Highlights: Telephones, Love Song For Buddy, Slow Down Town
Headlights' latest release, Wildlife, is a tour de force of breezy pop melody. From the opening bars of accordion and hand claps in the album opener Telephones, you know that your ears have been caught. The combination of accordion with keyboards, guitar and percussion creates a comfortable, homely sound that brings to mind some one like the Rural Alberta Advantage. This comfort level is reinforced with the introduction of Erin Fein on vocals, who at times seems to channel the emotional power of Emily Haines (Metric, Broken Social Scene).
The album gains depth with Love Song For Bobby, a keyboard-driven song about how people would react if the world was ending tomorrow. Haines softly describes the scene "People running around in circles/Telephones ring and they'll sing of no tomorrow/They'll be saying what they meant to/They'll be trying to forget what they didn't do/Don't you wanna say you tried/To the ones you love" We're All Animals respectfullyrejects the current state of society and proposes to return to a simpler time. "Summer sun is over your head/Shines down on all living things/Let's go back and try this again" This peaceful chanting plays out somewhat like a sermon in the quality of The Polyphonic Spree. The closing track, Slow Down Town, is composed in the essence of The xx, simply layered and drearily brooding, however Haines vocals bring a certain level of optimism. About how reality fails to live up to dreams, she sings "I'm worried when you wake up in the morning/And everything is the same/And you'll want to go back to sleep for the day" It's songs like this, Love Song For Buddy and Dead Ends that help to elevate Wildlife from cookie-cutter to substantive pop - catchy, yet meaningful. This is what adds to music's replay value, which this album most definitely has.
b.r.a.d.
As Tall as Lions - You Can't Take It with You (Triple Crown)
(Release Date: August 18, 2009)
4.5 out of 5 S*Alt Shakers Highlights: You Can't Take It With You, Is This Tomorrow, Duerwete
There is nothing like listening to an album and being able to tell immediately that a band is filled with nothing but talented musicians....This is the case with As Tall As Lions' album You Can't Take It With You. As you listen from song to song you can't help but think that these guys were destined to play with each other. The harmonies on this album are amazing and the arrangements of the songs are intricate but spot on. It's funny because as I listened to the first track "Circles" I wanted to convince myself that the whole song was off but they made it sound amazing. Three tracks right in the middle of the CD..."You Can't Take It With You", "Go Easy", and "Duerwete" take you on a chill trippy journey that you never want to end. These songs also made me think how unfair it is for one band to have multiple lead singers that sound so damn good...it seriously should be crime. One of the best upbeat tracks on the album was "Is This Tomorrow?"...starting off with just piano and drums it grabs you immediately and doesn't let go till the end. The filtered lead vocals sit in the music perfectly and adds to the feel of the song. If your looking for a solid overall album that takes you seamlessly through peaks and valleys, then pick up this album.
Mario
POLYSICS - Absolute POLYSICS (MySpace Records)
(Release Date: September 16, 2009)
1.5 out of 5 Highlights: Cleaning, E.L.T.C.C.T.
I can tell you right now that I will absolutely fail in accurately describing this record, but I will give it my best shot. "Technicolor pogo punk" is how the members of Polysics, a four-piece from Tokyo, describe themselves. It is hard to argue with this description, however at the same time it doesn't come close to actually pinning down exactly what they sound like. Here are a few descriptors to help get things started: New wave, quirky, chaotic, science-fiction, Devo and Nintendo. Take all of this and add a synthesizer and vocoder, making most of the songs seem extra-terrestrial.
I might have to plead cultural ignorance on this one, because I had a very hard time getting through this record. In fact, I needed to listen to it in scheduled intervals just so I could finish it at all. Remember when a lot of people had to leave the movie Speed Racer early because they couldn't handle all of the fast moving, quick cutting, bold colored action? This is the musical equivalent.
The essence of punk-rock is there, but it's distorted with infinite layers of kamikaze electronica. Lyrics are sometimes sung in English, sometimes in Japanese and are always completely incomprehensible, often due to the overused vocoder. The result is an uninterrupted assortment of high-frequency noise. Their attire of orange jumpsuits on the back album cover further contributes to their space-age image, but it comes off as little more than a gimmick.
All this being said, they did manage to bring a few listen-able tracks to the table. Cleaning ditches the programmed keyboards and synthesizers for guitar and ends up as a catchy new wave/power pop track. E.L.T.C.C.T. keeps in their tradition of A.D.D.-electronics, but somehow comes together for a Cyndi Lauper-esque chorus (in fast-forward).
However, despite these few moments of clarity, Absolute POLYSICS will be more remembered for its' heavy collection of head-scratching moments. There are dozens of unused adjectives that could just as effectively describe this band, and each one would be right... but for practicalities sake, let's end with this one: OuterspacePunkRockNonsensicalBedlam.
b.r.a.d.
Yeasayer - Odd Blood
YEASAYER - Odd Blood (Secretly Canadian)
(Release Date: February 9, 2010)
2.5 of 5 Highlights: Ambling Alp, Madder Red, I Remember
In the aftermath of the breakout success of MGMT, it was only a matter of time before other acts tried to duplicate the sounds of the latest synth-pop wave. Case in point: Yeasayer. Call it what you want: electro-rock, psychedelic-pop, indie-dance... the name is not as relevant as the music being produced, which emphasizes synthetic, industrial-sounding instrumentation with warmer, high-pitched vocals. These are the ingredients used in their latest album, Odd Blood, which soundsequally cutting-edge and 80's-nostalgic. One could easily imagine this record being spun at a chic rave... or used as the soundtrack to a John Hughes movie.
When they get it right, Yeahsayer produces some memorable jams. Their first single, Ambling Alp, uses a variety of sound effects to complement the electronic percussion and bass, creating an uplifting song about sticking up for yourself.
Madder Red continues with this approach, and is probably the most straight-forward song on the album. Still heavy on the synth, it has that gigantic 80's aura about it. This is helped by the prominence of the deep-sounding drums. The tom fills are simple, but sound epic, in a Phil Collins way.
However, as the album gets deeper, Odd Blood begins to lose me. Over-production, abrupt time shifts and inaudible lyrics sometimes makes it sound as if Mindless Self Indulgence set out to make a pop record (which could sound amazing or terrible to you depending on your tastes). Either way, their experimentation seems to get in the way of their skillful song-writing that they displayed during the first half of the record.
In all, Yeasayer has a few good hits here, but a few more that are forgettable. They show promise if they can put together a better collection of polished material. If you're riding high on the synth-pop wave, this is right up your alley. But be warned: don't be surprised if in a few months, you look back and realize you were listening to a trend.
b.r.a.d.
Eels - End Times
EELS - End Times (Vagrant)
(Release Date: January 19, 2010)
3.5 out of 5
Highlights: In My Younger Days, Nowadays, Unhinged
Mark Everett, better known as simply "E", is back again with a collection of tragic tales of heartbreak. Chord-driven with an emphasis on despair, End TImes picks up right where Hombre Lobo left off. Recorded mostly on a four-track recorder, the songs are as raw and intimate as ever. This latest installment reflects on the most recent event to shake E's life: the divorce of his wife.
Opening with the aptly titled The Beginning, E looks back on the early days of his relationship, when "everything was beautiful and free/In the beginning". Despite the happy lyrics, this is a sad song, having the perspective of knowing the relationship is over. The gently strummed guitar and desolation in E's voice further drives this feeling home.
In In My Younger Days, E laments about how things get harder to brush off as you grow older. When you're young, hardships are supposed to be lessons, but at what point is enough enough? E bemoans, "I've had enough/Been through some stuff/And I don't need any more misery/To teach me how I should be/I just need you back".
The Eels might now be known for stripped down singer/songwriter style albums, but End Times features a few layered tracks as well. A Line in the Dirt is a piano-driven song that builds up with percussion. Unhinged is a Strokes-sounding piece, kept in rhythm by an excited tambourine throughout. And Paradise Blues has the fullest band-sound, with a blues-style guitar line advancing the collective.
However, the attraction to the Eels remains in their simplistically heartfelt creations. Nowadays epitomizes this with the harmonica introduction and E's longing of the past when he rants "Slowly and methodically I'll lock the world away/Haunted by better days". On My Feet finalizes this latest chapter in E's life, with skeptical hope that "One sweet day I'll be back on my feet/And I'll be alright/I just gotta get back on my feet
End Times isn't groundbreaking, but its deeply personal nature forces you to understand E's struggles, and to examine your own struggles in the process. In doing so, one cannot help but feel at least a small connection with this band.
b.r.a.d.
Real Estate - Real Estate
REAL ESTATE - Real Estate (Woodsist)
(Release Date: November 17, 2009)
3 out of 5
HIGHLIGHTS: Fake Blues, Snow Days
A four-piece from New Jersey, Real Estate recently released their first self-titled album featuring ten throwback surf-pop gems. The boys from the Garden State effectively channel the '60s stylings of the Beach Boys with the modern reverb-heavy textures of Atlas Sound. Although there is not much new ground broken here, it is certainly a good collection of pop tunes, with just a tinge of psychedelic undertones.
The album opens with the nostalgic Beach Comber, a simple song about finding treasures within the vast sands of the shore. Skip to Suburban Dogs, and Real Estate pays homage to their roots singing "Suburban dogs are in love with their chains/Carry me back to sweet Jersey/Back where I long to be". They again reference their home state with the track Atlantic City, a short instrumental piece that layers strings and percussion and also serves as an introduction into the next song Fake Blues, perhaps their most "single-worthy" on the album. The catchy guitar and almost inaudible lyrics progress into a rhythmic atmosphere of awesomeness.
Real Estate wraps up with Snow Days, the song that defines what this band is all about. Not so much the Beach Boys as the Beach Boys in the dead of winter. This track combines Real Estate's knack for writing great pop and their ability to turn it into a state of hazy confusion. "Bright gray sky, make your eyes feel sore/As you walk into the breeze/All you had to know, you knew when you were three" Even a three-year-old can understand that the shore is a beautiful place - even in February.
Real Estate captures the essence of a shore town in winter, when all the tourists have left and the cool ocean breeze gives way to the cold frigid wind. But without the harsh winter, the summer wouldn't be as magical so Real Estate embraces this freezing landscape, turns it into a pop song and adds reverb.
b.r.a.d.
MUTEMATH - Armistice (Warner Bros.)
(Release Date: August 18, 2009)
3.5 OUT OF 5 SONG HIGHLIGHTS: THE NERVE, ARMISTICE, BURDEN
ALRIGHT SO BEFORE I START THIS ALBUM REVIEW I WANTED TO GIVE A LITTLE PERSONAL BACKGROUND...I LOVE MUSIC...ALL KINDS...HOWEVER THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS I'VE FOUND IT INCREASINGLY DIFFICULT TO FIND REALLY GOOD MUSIC...GOOD THING FOR THIS SHORE ALTERNATIVE.COM THING HUH?? (YUP THATS A SHAMELESS PLUG...LOL)....I ONCE AGAIN HAVE ACCESS TO SOME REALLY REALLY GOOD MUSIC THAT IS SADLY BEING OVERLOOKED BY THE MAINSTREAM....WITH THAT BEING SAID PLEASE DONT READ THIS REVIEW AND THINK IM SOME MUSIC KNOW IT ALL THAT THINKS MY MUSIC TASTE SHOULD BE THE TASTE OF EVERYONE...IM SIMPLY LISTENING TO THE ALBUM AND TELLING YOU "YEAH THAT SOUNDS GOOD" OR "NOT REALLY FEELING IT".....BASICALLY IM POINTING YOU IN A DIRECTION AND IF YOU WANT TO TAKE IT THATS COOL IF NOT THATS COOL TOO...SO HERE WE GO:
MUTEMATH'S SECOND FULL LENGTH ALBUM "ARMISTICE" IS PRETTY SOLID FROM START TO FINISH....THE ALBUM COMES SCREAMING OUT OF THE GATE WITH "THE NERVE" WHICH I COULDN'T HELP THINK HOW GREAT IT MUST SOUND LIVE...THE ALBUM KEEPS MOVING ALONG WITH "BACKFIRE" WHICH JUST LIKE THE PREVIOUS TRACK TALKS ABOUT THE STATE OF OUR WORLD IN THE PRESENT DAY...."CLIPPING" HAS GOT A HEAVY ELECTRONIC SOUND WITH A VERY COOL VIBE-Y GROOVE...."SPOTLIGHT" KEEPS THE ALBUM ON A UP TEMPO SWING RIGHT BEFORE THE ALBUM SLOWS DOWN IN THE MIDDLE....THE SONGS "NO RESPONSE', "PINS AND NEEDLES", AND "ODDS" TAKES THINGS DOWN A FEW NOTCHES WHICH IS FINE BUT THEY WERE THE LEAST FAVORITE OF MINE....THE SONGS "GOODBYE" AND "ELECTRIFY" START THE RAMP UP OF ENERGY AGAIN THAT PRETTY MUCH TAKES YOUR THROUGH THE REST OF THE ALBUM...THE TITLE TRACK "ARMISTICE" IS DEFINITELY MY FAVORITE AND STANDS OUT FROM THE REST OF THE SONGS...MAINLY BECAUSE ITS GOT A VERY FUNKY GROOVE THAT SOUNDS LIKE A CROSS BETWEEN EARLY STEVIE WONDER AND EARTH, WIND AND FIRE...MIXED OF COURSE WITH MUTEMATH'S GREAT SOUND...THE ALBUM FINISHES STRONG WITH "LOST YEAR" AND THE 9 MINUTE "BURDEN" WHICH SOUNDS LIKE THEY TOOK THE FEEL OF THE PREVIOUS 11 SONGS AND MIXED THEM INTO ONE SONG THAT SOUNDS AWESOME....SO IN CLOSING A VERY STRONG SECOND FULL LENGTH FROM MUTEMATH...ALTHOUGH THE MIDDLE GOT A LITTLE LOST IN MY OPINION, ITS AND A GOOD SIGN OF THINGS TO COME IN THE FUTURE....ITS DEFINITELY A BUY AND HAS A HIGH REPLAY VALUE....SO THATS MY FIRST REVIEW...IF ITS SUCKED IM SORRY.... IF YOU LIKED IT....THANX!
- Mario
I And Love And You
THE AVETT BROTHERS - I And Love And You (American)
(Release date: June 24, 2009)
3.5 out of 5 Highlights: Head Full of Doubt/Road Full of Promise, And It Spread, I and Love and You
As the influences of country and folk have slowly permeated into the indie scene, I have stubbornly resisted. It was for a different audience, a different demographic, a different lifestyle than the one I was brought up in at the Jersey shore, so I thought. Then, not so long ago, I picked up the Avett Brothers' record Emotionalism. I'd be lying if I said that it was an instant attraction, because it wasn't. There were a couple tracks that I got immediate satisfaction from - Die Die Die and Will You Return will repeat in your brain for days- but most of the album took legitamate effort to get enjoyment from. However, as my listens increased, so did my favorable opinion of it.
Now, just when I can finally get through Emotionalism without pushing skip, The Avett Brothers release their major label debut I and Love and You (produced by Rick Rubin), a heartbreak album in the same indie-folk-country style that makes them such a challenging, yet rewarding listen. Again, there were a few tracks that I was bobbing my head to right off the bat - And It Spread and Slight Figure of Speech, which bring to mind O.A.R. on the surface, but dig deeper and there is substance waiting.
The meat and potatoes of this album lies within the somber storytelling tracks such as The Perfect Space - "I wanna fit in to the perfect space/Feel natural and safe in a volatile place/And I wanna grow old without the pain/Give my body back to the earth and not complain" If you can relate to the lyrics of a band like Bright Eyes, there's no reason you can't go one step further and relate to these.
Head Full of Doubt/Road Full of Promise is as paradoxical as the title suggests, describing the battle between hope and desperation - "There's a darkness upon me that's flooded in light/In the fine print they tell me what's wrong and what's right". Ill With Want plays on this theme in the direction of greed - "I am sick with wanting and it's evil how it's got me/And every day is worse than the one before/The more I have, the more I think I'm almost where I need to be"
Incomplete and Insecure closes the album and is the perfect description of heartbreak. In it, desperation finally overtakes hope with the final line "I haven't finished a thing since I started my life/I don't feel much like starting now" And with this, I and Love and You ends on this melancholy note. However, like most art the beauty of this album was in the struggle.
If you've been a fan of this genre for years, or you're a relative newcomer like myself, The Avett Brothers provide a great starting point for the country side of indie. The presentation might be different, but who can't relate to love, heartbreak, hope and desperation?
b.r.a.d.
WE WERE PROMISED JETPACKS - These Four Walls (Fat Cat Records)
Release Date: June 15, 2009
4 out of 5 Highlights: It's Thunder and It's Lightning, Ships With Holes Will Sink, Conductor
This debut album comes from We Were Promised Jetpacks, a four-piece from Glasgow, Scotland. After touring with Frightened Rabbit, they were able to join them on Fat Cat Records where they recorded this collection of morosely-poppy songs.
I stumbled upon this album a few months ago and enjoyed it, but found it to be the perfect soundtrack for this recent cold and rain-filled weekend. These Four Walls begins with the captivating track It's Thunder and It's Lightning, a catchy tune that begins with a dismal, but attention-grabbing guitar riff. The song gradually picks up momentum with a faster tempo and the addition of lyrics and percussion until it reaches a boiling point with an explosive breakdown. Most of the album is similar in this song structure of slowly building melodies. Each section seems to bring a new element, creating a different perspective with every verse. This format is reminiscent of a Brand New album, but with a sound more similar to The Cure than The Smiths. Instead of relationships, many of vocalist/guitarist Adam Thompson's lyrics are based around death and paranoia, as heard when he belts out "ships with holes will sink and I will swim"(Ships With Holes Will Sink) or "quiet little voices creep into my head/I'm young again"(Quiet Little Voices).
While most of this album is perfect for a cold, lonely night, there is a moment of positive clarity within the 8-minute epic Keeping Warm, which discusses the beauty of being young and optimistic. Thompson declares "chances of being born so slim/So keep warm and take heart in being born at quite so young/You can learn to talk and learn in your own time/So take heart in being born/Making plans that you can't keep" This ode to youthful innocence reminds us all that we are not yet dead and to always live in the moment.
However, if Keeping Warm makes you smile about being young, An Almighty Thud brings you right back down to the innevitable disappointments and insecurities that come with growth. Thompson begins this acoustic album closer "I lost my crown, when it hit the ground with an almighty thud/I went to pick it up and reveal my weaknesses to the crowd" This melancholy finale is the last piece of the solemn puzzle.
With the fall and winter seasons approaching, this album will surely be on repeat. Be sure to pick up this soundtrack for bad weather and somber nights.
b.r.a.d.
THE XX - XX (XL Recordings)
(Release Date: August 18, 2009)
4 out of 5
Highlights: Crystalised, Islands, Heart Skipped A Beat
Most bands would not put The Cure, Aaliyah, Pixies and Justin Timberlake within the same category of influences. However, The xx is not like most bands. Their stunning debut xx is a remarkable journey of love between co-vocalists Romy Madley Croft and Oliver Sim. Croft and Sim also play bass and guitar respectively, and are completed by Baria Qureshi on keyboards and Jamie Smith on beats. The London quartet examines the trials and tribulations of love from unusually mature viewpoints, considering they are all only 20 years old. Beginning with the instrumental track Intro, the mood is immediately set for a ride into an unexplored and unexpected atmosphere of complex subtleties, reminiscent of Mogwai.
Crystalized is their first single and shows exactly how well Croft and Sim can bounce off of one another. As they take turns on the verses and chorus, it sounds less like a duel and more of a conversation between the male and female perspectives, which have much more in common than one might imagine. As the themes of love, maintaining relationships and heartbreak reoccur, Croft and Sim each speak of their desires to stay in love, and the pains of letting go.
The consistently mellow synthesizer and simplistically captivating beats move the album along in a dark and smooth manner, allowing the album to feel more like a single narrative rather than a collection of songs. The timely guitar riffs and hypnotic bass lines never overpower the lyrics, but instead feel like an essential part of the overall landscape. This is heard best in the transition from the trance-like Fantasy into the more structured Shelter, in which Croft takes control of the vocals as she describes her attempts to fix a broken relationship. She pleads to her lover "Maybe I had said, something that was wrong/Can I make it better, with the lights turned on?"
In Night Time, Croft speaks of a person who is keeping information unspoken for the good of the relationship. Sim joins her in the chorus as they decide to talk about it: "White lies, night time/I've been working on white lies/So I'll tell the truth, I'll give it up to you/And when the days come, it will have all been fun/We'll talk about it soon"
While many of the themes deal with relationships that are in progress or have ended, xx ends with Stars, about a relationship in its most beginning state: the first date. Sim begins "I can give it all on the first date/I don't have to live outside this place". During this short, magical time, the future is endlessly idealistic. The chorus kicks in "But if stars, shouldn't shine by the very first time/Then dear it's fine, so fine by me/Cause we can give it time, so much time, with me" There seems to be all the time in the world after a first date, and although most don't end in love, it is always that seemingly unreachable goal. Even when that love is attained, to maintain it is a difficult and often heartbreaking struggle. However as The xx demonstrate, although there might not be an absolute answer waiting for you, there is an undeniable beauty in the journey. xx maps out this journey with an intelligence and passion that will be sure to keep this album on repeat for some time.
b.r.a.d.
BLITZEN TRAPPER - Black River Killer (Sub Pop)
(Release Date: August 25, 2009)
Black River Killer is Blitzen Trapper’s first release since their critically acclaimed 2008 success Furr. The sextet has continued their growth with this 7 song EP which continues to showcase their unique blend of rock, folk and pop.
The title track first sets the scene with the morose ballad that sounds like a Johnny Cash song with Tom Petty doing vocals. The lyrics speak of a murderous man, struggling to live between the forces of good and evil. However, evil always seems to have the upper hand as Eric Earley describes in the final verse “And I washed myself clean as a newborn babe/And then I picked up a rock to sharpen my blade”. Although a somber opening, the music and themes of the remaining tracks would build upon this to evoke a strange sense of positivity.
The largely indie-folk influence of the EP is consistently transformed with the addition of keyboards. This synthetic offering gives otherwise melancholy folk songs a poppy and positive vibe (listen to Preacher’s Sister’s Boy and try not to bob your head). This fusion of acoustic guitar and electric keyboards helps to give these songs legs and repeatability.
Big Black Bird closes the EP in the completely opposite way that Black River Killer opens it. Far from the gloomy track that serves as its introduction, Big Black Bird is a vibrant and lively jam band experience. Sounding more like The Grateful Dead than Johnny Cash, the band ends on a fun sing-along type of note, showing that they know how to have a good time too. This unexpected closer should have been expected all along, as Blitzen Trapper has made a living out of change-ups. Black River Killer’s short track list is catchy, never dull and leaves the listener wanting more. If this EP is any indication of their next full-length, Blitzen Trapper is set to unleash a folk-fusion extravaganza.
b.r.a.d.
BAND OF SKULLS - Baby Darling Doll Face Honey (Shangri-La)
(Release Date: April 7, 2009)
Listening to the first track, Light of the Morning, one might get the impression that Band of Skulls is the next band in the wave of the Jack White garage rock movement, but keep listening and you’ll find that they have taken a slightly different approach to the scene. The three-piece from London consists of Russel Marsden and Emma Richardson sharing vocal duties, while playing guitar and bass respectively. They are completed with drummer Matt Hayward. They are an in-your-face rock and roll band, combining driving guitar riffs (think Arctic Monkeys) with steady bass lines and pounding drum beats. They are both fun and serious at the same time; a classic bar band on one end of the spectrum and a darker blend of melodic emotion on the other.
At their best, the trio is well-balanced by the dueling vocals of Marsden and Richardson, who complement each other perfectly on tracks like Patterns and I Know What I Am, in which the two spar back and forth; going line for line throughout the verses, and coming together in a unified chorus.
Fires is perhaps their catchiest song, and Marsden’s best effort. A dark love song about the same “baby darling doll face honey” of the album title, Marsden proclaims “Did you know I’ve been wanting you?/So leave the locks on the latches/If you bring the water, I’ll bring the matches/’Cause we are fires in the night/Let us bathe you in our light”.
The gem of the album is without a doubt Honest, a stripped down acoustic offering in which all three members unplug and pick up acoustic guitars (Marsden uses a Spanish guitar). The trio of overlapped strings is enhanced by Richardson’s beautifully brooding vocals, in which she admits “Right on the inside, that is the hardest/the hardest game to play”. As suggested, it really feels like the most honest track of the album and is unabashedly raw with emotion.
Unfortunately, this album will ultimately be defined by the more predominant anthems that Marsden brings, but the band truly shines brightest when they break out of this mold and allow Richardson to showcase her talents. If they can somehow find a balance between these two personalities, Band of Skulls can become a force to be reckoned with. Until then, baby darling doll face honey is an average album with a few standout tracks that are worth a listen.
b.r.a.d.
OTHER GIRLS - Perfect Cities (Audio Eagle)
(Release Date: June 9, 2009)
Get your airdrums ready. The Other Girls, a new band out of Cleveland, has hit the pop rock spot just right. Starting off as basically a couple of young bums, vagrant and not sure what to do with their lives, they knew there was something there, but parted for five years to pursue responsible and adulthood. As we all know, this tends not to be a lot of fun, and the band has released their first album in Perfect Cities in their “last chance not to grow up” effort.
And it starts off telling you just that, “…cause I don’t wanna live on my parent’s couch”, in “The Moth”, showing off their driving, catchy hooks on guitar. That along with “The Facility” are my favorites off the album. They both host strong, driving rhythms more often seen in harder music add to this eclectic mix of influences that melt together into one damn catchy album.
From “Hey Fella! You Fell,” a lonesome surfer vibes song, to “Twin Birds,” reminiscent of The Stroke’s ”You Only Live Once,” Perfect Cities is a refreshing mix of music, with strong, recognizable vocals from singer J
onah Oryszak.
Easy to jive to, and more importantly fun to listen to, this band has a lot of potential to be a favorite if they drift more towards the way of Modest Mouse. The entire album is just a prime listen, and if you’re in a goodtimes mood, Other Girls are definitely worth popping into the tape deck.
