Echo & The Bunnymen, Built to Spill, The Mountain Goats
Hey people!!!
Tuesday, well, technically Wednesday, brings you reviews from bands I've have loved and respected for some time. A few quite recently while others remind me of my youth. As always, if there's a band or artist's new material that you would like to review, by all means do so.
This band holds a special place in my heart. It was when I was 13 or so when I got really into that post-punk sound, goth rock from the 80s with such bands as The Cure, The Church and The Cult. They appealed to my inner "dark goddess" and still do. While they have made a living of transcending the usual mockery of this brand of rock, they have revisited the sound that made them famous instead of continuing on the same vein as their most recent release, Siberia, which was also acclaimed of being one of their most prolific.
I like all their transitions, from their early work that seemed still raw through their newest work, being more daring with their approach. But I have high hopes with the forthcoming, The Fountain. The A-side track, Think I Need It Too is extremely catchy, humming the chorus by its end while the B-side track, November is just as good, if not better for returning to the moody sound that drew me in nearly ten years ago. It's a great single and I'm looking forward to the remaining songs.
From a band that made ambition into an art form with their releases of indie rock, one of my unlikely favorite songs being their Sick & Wrong from their The Normal Years with it's underproduced and yet charming lyrics, this album reminds me of that, but not exactly the same way. I discovered this band while I went through my lo-fi phase a few years ago with the like of Elliot Smith and Pavement. But unlike them, they seemed to be still humbled by their appeal. I think they still hold their own in today's more synth-pop genres, but unlike them, bands cloning each other, Built to Spill has a message they want to share, without being vague.
The song that seems to define the album from my perspective is Things Fall Apart, more or less because it's so honest. I've said so many times how I appreciate sincerity in lyrics, not exactly lack of metaphors but the simplicity in finding words that can illustrate to the masses. The disarmingly quiet ballad takes the album into the direction that leaves you breathless with the final song, Tomorrow. The entire album is quite good, one of their best in a long time and I hope that whatever tangent the band's on, they continue.
Choice Tracks: Things Fall Apart, Done, and Hindsight
I'm sad to say that I have only actively listened to this band for a few months, hearing about them from an LJ friend and hearing nothing but good reviews from their releases and figuring I'd give them a try. And I found one of the best lo-fi releases I've come across with solid songwriting and musicianship. I have listened to most of the albums, and this one is just as rhythmic as its predecessors.
This album isn't a religious album if not an album about religion or the effort in believing. All the tracks are named after scriptures of the Bible but you won't find any revival spirituals amongst these songs. Instead, you have yet another concept album of sorts, a collection of songs set at cusp of life and death. Albeit at a deathbed or a long road trip, the album represents an impending change, one that is just as looming as it is alluring. With it mostly piano ballads, it's seems even more personal than his past work, giving light to the darkened tone of his voice while remaining as truthful as ever. The standout song for me, Matthew 25:21, isn't the actual song, but the passage, enter into the joy of your master. The transition is prominent here, and we the listeners are willing to follow after them.
Choice Tracks: Matthew 25:21, Genesis 3:23, and Psalms 40:2
Have a great day!
Tuesday, well, technically Wednesday, brings you reviews from bands I've have loved and respected for some time. A few quite recently while others remind me of my youth. As always, if there's a band or artist's new material that you would like to review, by all means do so.
This band holds a special place in my heart. It was when I was 13 or so when I got really into that post-punk sound, goth rock from the 80s with such bands as The Cure, The Church and The Cult. They appealed to my inner "dark goddess" and still do. While they have made a living of transcending the usual mockery of this brand of rock, they have revisited the sound that made them famous instead of continuing on the same vein as their most recent release, Siberia, which was also acclaimed of being one of their most prolific.
I like all their transitions, from their early work that seemed still raw through their newest work, being more daring with their approach. But I have high hopes with the forthcoming, The Fountain. The A-side track, Think I Need It Too is extremely catchy, humming the chorus by its end while the B-side track, November is just as good, if not better for returning to the moody sound that drew me in nearly ten years ago. It's a great single and I'm looking forward to the remaining songs.
From a band that made ambition into an art form with their releases of indie rock, one of my unlikely favorite songs being their Sick & Wrong from their The Normal Years with it's underproduced and yet charming lyrics, this album reminds me of that, but not exactly the same way. I discovered this band while I went through my lo-fi phase a few years ago with the like of Elliot Smith and Pavement. But unlike them, they seemed to be still humbled by their appeal. I think they still hold their own in today's more synth-pop genres, but unlike them, bands cloning each other, Built to Spill has a message they want to share, without being vague.
The song that seems to define the album from my perspective is Things Fall Apart, more or less because it's so honest. I've said so many times how I appreciate sincerity in lyrics, not exactly lack of metaphors but the simplicity in finding words that can illustrate to the masses. The disarmingly quiet ballad takes the album into the direction that leaves you breathless with the final song, Tomorrow. The entire album is quite good, one of their best in a long time and I hope that whatever tangent the band's on, they continue.
Choice Tracks: Things Fall Apart, Done, and Hindsight
I'm sad to say that I have only actively listened to this band for a few months, hearing about them from an LJ friend and hearing nothing but good reviews from their releases and figuring I'd give them a try. And I found one of the best lo-fi releases I've come across with solid songwriting and musicianship. I have listened to most of the albums, and this one is just as rhythmic as its predecessors.
This album isn't a religious album if not an album about religion or the effort in believing. All the tracks are named after scriptures of the Bible but you won't find any revival spirituals amongst these songs. Instead, you have yet another concept album of sorts, a collection of songs set at cusp of life and death. Albeit at a deathbed or a long road trip, the album represents an impending change, one that is just as looming as it is alluring. With it mostly piano ballads, it's seems even more personal than his past work, giving light to the darkened tone of his voice while remaining as truthful as ever. The standout song for me, Matthew 25:21, isn't the actual song, but the passage, enter into the joy of your master. The transition is prominent here, and we the listeners are willing to follow after them.
Choice Tracks: Matthew 25:21, Genesis 3:23, and Psalms 40:2
Have a great day!