May 21, 2013

Album Review: Migrant by The Dear Hunter

Dear Hunter's complex new album is one of the most anticipated records of 2013

Dear Hunter’s complex new album is one of the most anticipated records of 2013

By Clarisse Hansard

Migrant
Dear Hunter
Cave & Canary Goods
Release Date: April 2, 2013

There has never been any denial that Dear Hunter lead vocalist and songwriter Casey Crescenzo is a masterful musician. For years now, The Dear Hunter has released quality albums that transcend the music world and become true works of art instead. It’s hard to imagine how they could possibly follow a release like The Color Spectrum: a collection of EPs that each reflect a different color in the rainbow. Admittedly, the same question was posed about how they could possibly top a masterpiece so grandiose as their three-part album series Acts. It’s become a pattern, evidently, to wonder “how could they possibly out do this last album?” Yet again, The Dear Hunter has proven with their latest release, Migrant, that there is absolutely no ceiling to the quality of their work.

Migrant is by no means the same as any previous LP. Previously marked by boisterous orchestral sounds and layered instrumentation, The Dear Hunter has take a different direction with this latest LP. Migrant is characterized by a softness that comes with having mastered an art form. There are few tracks reminiscent of the various ways in which Acts unceasingly challenged its own intensity. In fact, Migrant displays a new delicateness that suggests a significant progression in what were previously huge trademarks of The Dear Hunter’s sound.

Don’t get me wrong, Migrant is not simple by any standard. Actually, when the album opens with “Bring You Down” there is a precisely opposite interpretation: immediately you’re aware of all the various players that were necessary in order to make a release like this possible.  The beauty of this record, and what this band never lets their listener forget, is that music is only possible if there is an emphasis and awareness of even the smallest instrumental details in a song. From the soft strumming in the background of “Shame” to the delicacy of chimes in “This Vicious Place,” there is an ever-present realization that each track would not be the same were it not for the collective effort of every detail.

Be aware that Migrant is very much the kind of album you would expect The Dear Hunter to release. It’s intricate in all the right places and has immense standout tracks such as “The Kiss of Life” and “Sweet Naiveté” that are bound to be replayed countless times. These two tracks in particular are full of the signature orchestration that listeners have come to love this band for. They are all-encompassing and strong. Simultaneously, tracks like “Sweet Naiveté” and the closing piece, “Don’t Look Back” have jazz influences that suggest a progression in The Dear Hunter’s musical character. These songs, particularly in the latter half of the album, are striking and make bold statements about the kind of musicians Casey and his bandmates are. “Don’t Look Back” eases the listener out of the album with Casey’s cooing and beautifully gentle instrumentation. There is nothing left to be desired of the album when it ends because it has already given you everything.

There is a freshness to Migrant that serves to refine the edges of The Dear Hunter’s already tremendous sound. As shown by this album, there’s no longer a need to make songs that fill your senses to the brim like with Acts and the Red EP off of The Color Spectrum. These sensory details come far more naturally with Migrant. The overall flow and direction this album takes are a product of The Dear Hunter having been seasoned in the art of musical creation. Sit back and take Migrant as an art piece. Allow this record to consume you, your senses, and your surroundings for its duration. Like all good art, it will move you to no end.

Album Review: “Get Busy Living” by Goldfish

Goldfish's album has been taking the U.S. by storm

By Tom Roth

Goldfish
Get Busy Living
Goldfish Music
2010

Search “Die Antwoord” on Google’s trend-tracking portal, Trends, and you’ll quickly find that the South African dance duo – with invites to Letterman and billboards around New York – are a hot topic in the United States.

Run a similar search for Die Antwoord’s South African compatriots, Goldfish, and you’ll be left floundering. Goldfish, it seems, has been passed over by the virility which has been so providentially bestowed upon Die Antwoord and while the humble pixels of this publication are no venue for theorizing on the origins of said virility, it is a pretty good place to communicate one nugget of truth: Goldfish makes people want to dance.

The group’s latest full length release, 2010’s Get Busy Living, is a foot-tapping catalyst riding on the strengths of Goldfish’s members, David Poole and Dominic Peters. Their ingenuity in blending electronica and live instrumentation to create an amalgam of dance, jazz, and African influences comes through on highlight tracks “Crunchy Joe” and “We Come Together”. On the latter, swaying verses are punctuated by a can’t-get-it-out-of-your-head refrain accented with a clever piano sample that would be right at home in some smoky speakeasy. The track’s music video is not to missed. Anything that incorporates Keyboard Cat, an exploding Kenny G, and Meowth deserves a proper viewing.

Emily Bruce’s guest appearance on the single, “Get Busy Living” provides a Motown-by-way-of-Cape Town hook that has spawned a spate of remixes, four of which are featured on the single release. However, the track needs no adaptation to be considered “dancey”. In its original form, “Get Busy Living” could fit into the repertoire of dance club DJ’s worldwide.

For more on Goldfish and to purchase “Get Busy Living”, visit www.goldfishlive.com.

Album Review: The Moth and the Flame

The Moth and the Flame's self-titled debut album

 

The Moth and the Flame
The Moth and the Flame
Unsigned
November 11, 2011

If such a thing still exists, The Moth and the Flame (TMATF) is art rock. From the carefully crafted tracks on their six-track, self-titled, debut album to the 20-foot-tall anthropomorphic giants used in promoting their symbolic 11/11/11 album release, the Provo, Utah rockers demonstrate a keen eye and ear for aesthetics.

The album’s Radiohead-meets shoegazer sound comes courtesy of Brandon Robbins and Mark Garbett. “How We Woke Up” serves as a proper introduction to TMATF’s flavor. Breathy vocals periodically click and snap into life as Garbett’s keys crescendo before sliding back into oblivion. This recipe keeps the album’s continuity, each track blending effortlessly into the next.

A track not to be missed, “Dreamer” reaches higher than all the rest, boldly using reverb to emphasize its message. Pensive keys reminiscent of M83 develop the album’s atmospheric sound in a new way, meshing perfectly with “Dreamer”’s fellow tracks.

Consistent with TMATF’s artsy character, the high-production value of the “Lullaby II” video commits TMFTF to good art. Filmed on the frozen and precarious-looking surface of Utah Lake, Robbins and Garbett send a melancholy message into a all-too-fitting wilderness. Additionally, the group expresses a commitment to the album’s art on the frontpage of their website, claiming it is “not an afterthought but rather an integral part of the process”. It is for this reason, they say, that the album is only available in physical form.

In a word, TMATF is about feeling. From the emotions in their lyrics to the simple pleasure of receiving an album in the mail, Robbins and Garbett’s album offers a 45-minute reminder of how to appreciate life’s joys.

WEBSITE: http://howwewokeup.com/

TWITTER: https://twitter.com/themoththeflame

FACEBOOK: http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Moth-the-Flame/192359697452716

Album Review: Senioritis by Dylan Owen

Dylan Owen's album, "Senioritis"

By Tom Roth

Senioritis
Dylan Owen
Independent/unsigned
2010

In the entertainment business, the only thing more valuable than cold, hard cash are LKP’s. Not everyone earns them and LKP’s typically expire sometime between 13 and 19 but sometimes last longer for athletes. Some entertainers are adept at making the most of their LKP’s (Shaun White) while others (McCauley Culkin) squander theirs, relieving themselves of one of the industry’s few career boosters. With LKP’s, average work is made above average and above average work is made exceptional.

If you’re still unclear what LKP’s are, they are Little Kid Points. Unique to young entertainers, LKP’s are nicely summed up by the phrase “that’s pretty good… for a kid.” Thus, surprise is a legitimate reaction to 19 year old New York rapper Dylan Owen’s debut album, Senioritis.

Having just graduated from high school at the time of Senioritis’ release, it’s easy to think that Owen would be hard-pressed to find enough relevant topics to address but he makes up for his lack of life experience with mature lyrics. “Old Armor” takes a couple of listens to fully appreciate but Owen’s words of back-home nostalgia come through, relating his familiarity with the place he grew up. Claiming “I wear my past on my sleeve and my heart like a crown” and that “I don’t need a map to know my way around”, Owen makes good use of something common to all listeners.

Arguably the most important track on the album, Owen’s opening joint “The Book Report” sets the tone for Senioritis. According to Owen, the track is “inspired by countless nights on Suicide Hill with my friends, and by the endless feeling of longing for childhood that comes with age” and Owen’s imaginative lyrics of “September, the summer-killing month” and “cigarette kisses” belie his age.

Collaborator, Nico Marchese produces the lion’s-share of Senioritis’ better tracks including “The Book Report”, “Postcards”, “Old Armor”, “Garden of the Gods”, and “Spirit Week”. On the latter, Marchese’s enticing beats redeem otherwise pedantic lyrics about Bud Lime, taking shots, flip cup, and sluts. Strangely though, “Spirit Week” fits nicely into Senioritis’ larger theme. As a school term, the album’s September track, “The Book Report” leads to mid-year’s “Spirit Week”, coming full circle with June’s “I’m Still Spinning”, which Owen claims to have first titled “The Graduation Song”. The continuity makes Senioritis digestible.

Album Review: El Camino by The Black Keys

The Black Keys' new album, El Camino. Released December 6, 2011

By Sarah Jorgensen

El Camino
The Black Keys
Nonesuch Records
Released December 6, 2011

 

In recent years, The Black Keys have soared to near-mainstream popularity after their last album Brothers – they even played the main stage at Coachella this past April and at Outside Lands in August. Now, the Akron, OH band has returned with their seventh album, El Camino, an album more resonant of their earlier work than of the album that put them on the mainstream success map.

Though the album does maintain some of the synth-driven goodness that made Brothers appealing to so many people, the album also brings back the heavy guitars that were used so well in Magic Potion and Attack and Release. This will be a welcome change for longtime fans of the band, including those who were dissuaded by the altered tone on Brothers. Songs like “Gold on the Ceiling” and “Run Right Back” sound like they are straight off of Magic Potion with their strong drums (courtesy of Patrick Carney) and low-fi guitars combined with Dan Auerbach’s fantastic vocals, which, overall, sound more grungy than angelic on this album. “Hell of a Season” sounds exactly like the title –harsh guitars, energetic drums.

The album definitely does have influence from Brothers. For instance, “Nova Baby” keeps the cleaner melodies and guitars characteristic of the previous album, with a little synth thrown in during the chorus. “Mind Eraser” is reminiscent of “Just a Little Heat” off Magic Potion, though more up-tempo and with a lighter hand on the drums and guitars in the mixing process.

El Camino is just fantastic on the whole. Perhaps I’m a biased listener because of how much I loved Attack and Release and Magic Potion, but I’m glad to see the return of heavier rocking from The Black Keys. Though Brothers made them a household name, it’s great to see the band returning to their earlier style while still keeping elements of their more recent work.  El Camino will quickly become a favorite album among longtime fans of The Black Keys, but I have a feeling it will keep the more recent fans hooked as well.

Favorite Tracks:

“Gold on the Ceiling”
“Hell of a Season”
“Run Right Back”

Album Review: Day Escape EP by Air Dubai

Air Dubai's new EP, Day Escape

 

By Tom “Wonder Boy” Roth

Day Escape
Air Dubai
Label: unsigned
Released October 25, 2011

The last time Air Dubai checked in, it was March 28. The release of Remixtape was a reminder to those familiar (and an introduction for those who weren’t) that Denver-based rap-rockers Air Dubai were still on the scene, pumping out material. Remixtape took tracks from their full-length album, October 2010’s Wonder Age, and gave them a fresh spin.

Now, just seven months later, the band is out and about with a new six track EP, Day Escape. Starting with promotional track “Soul & Body”, Day Escape sets itself up for a jazzy groove-session, as the bumping clap-track backs Julian Thomas’ vocals. As Thomas belts the “soul, soul, and body” chorus, Air Dubai’s six other members clock in with a guitar/up-down drum/synth combo.

On the whole, the EP is a strong showing, more listenable than the outsourced feeling of the group’s last release, Remixtape. Bluesy guitar bits on “Summer Solstice” and “Still Searching” are plenty of fun as is the horn track on “Magazines”. The sinister, creeping progression on that track keeps things interesting.

With Day Escape, Air Dubai adds to their resume a respectable collection of tracks. However, their accomplishments in terms of quality are mitigated by the lack of exploration. Overly similar sounds on Day Escape and Wonder Age could be problematic for the band. On the other hand, this could be the release that gets them noticed. With a substantiated repertoire, Air Dubai could be on the verge of something big. National tour? Signing with a label? Keep an eye open. Air Dubai is poised to take off.

Album Review: “Mylo Xyloto” by Coldplay

Coldplay's new album, Mylo Xyloto

By Haley Earl-Lynn

Mylo Xyloto
Coldplay
Capitol Recorcs
Released October 25, 2011 

For fifteen years Coldplay has continued to thrill the adult alternative audience with a transforming sound. With constant comparisons to U2 and Radiohead, Coldplay fights to maintain uniqueness. The driving force behind the band’s epic success is the enduring fight to produce the “perfect song.” Striving to achieve perfection has structured the band’s creative process.

Back in 2009, after the release of the album Viva La Vida, Chris Martin, lead singer and lyricist, allowed 60 Minutes’ Steve Kroft to follow the band on the last leg of their tour. Kroft got a chance to stop by the band’s recording studio where Martin explained the writing process, which is really more like a grueling musical marathon.

Like many musical geniuses, Martin is a bit neurotic and always on the move. He grapples with a million ideas a minute. A set of rules keeps the band in line and ensures audience approval, at least that is the goal. Albums are not to go over 42 minutes in length and computers are never to be used as instruments but rather tools. With rules like these, the band hopes to find a balance between allowing the creative juices run wild and producing music the adult alternative audience can jive with.

The biggest mystery surrounding the band was addressed by Steven Colbert last week on the Colbert Report. “How do you sell that many albums and win seven Grammys and still be considered alternative?” Colbert asked, “That’s a neat trick!”

Colbert had a good point and Martin, the clear spokesperson of the band, had no precise explanation. Most critics would argue that the band’s success is rooted in abundant enthusiasm and attention to detail.

Coldplay’s newest album, Mylo Xyloto, drops this Tuesday, October 25. It is just as highly anticipated as albums past. There is much to live up to after Viva La Vida, the last album released in 2008, gained massive support and redefined the band’s strengths. With a gradual move from an acoustic rock band with charming melodies to a rock band with a pop twang, critics are eagerly awaiting Mylo Xyloto.

The newest album features Brian Eno as co-producer. Eno is commonly referred to as the daddy of ambient music. He worked on Viva La Vida and is credited for helping Coldplay step outside of the boxed in category of “acoustic rock band.” It can be expected that Mylo Xyloto has a similar ambient vibe, given Eno’s helping hand. What was not expected was some movement toward the early Coldplay sounds. A fusion of new and old, Mylo Xyloto has high and low points. Coldplay proves they are still worth all that hype though because the highs outweigh even the lowest lows (enter Rhianna).

 

Highs

Hurts Like Heaven – Catchy lyrics and booming sound, “Hurts like Heaven” is the perfect example of the old and new fusion. Crafty lines like “you used your heart like a weapon and it hurts like heaven” prove Martin still has the charisma seen in golden tracks like “Green Eyes” and “Yellow”. There is something about this song that draws comparisons to the organization of a Passion Pit song. Think classic Coldplay meets new, pop influenced Coldplay.

Paradise – If you can resist singing along or at least swaying to this song, you are a cold lifeless being. This song is one of the top tracks on the album, and certainly the catchiest. Try turning it up in the car, rolling the windows down, and drifting away to “Paradise”; but please, keep your eyes on the road.

Charlie Brown – This track is arguably the best track on the album. With ample radio play, tracks such as “Paradise” and “Every Tear Drop Is a Waterfall” take a back seat to the new sound of “Charlie Brown”. This is the type of song that sounds nice on the stereo but will surely be an epic live performance. This track could have fit in nicely on the Viva La Vida album.

 

Low 

Princess of China – This track features Rhianna and is not worth spending much time discussing. The opening sounds like it came right out of Tron. The only fans that will appreciate this track are Rhianna fans, who already subscribe to crappy music and the act of selling out.

Album Review: “Castor, the Twin” by Dessa

Dessa's new album, Castor, the Twin

 

By Tom “Wonder Boy” Roth

Castor, the Twin
Dessa
Doometree Records
Released October 4, 2011

Margaret Wander is smart.

She graduated from the University of Minnesota at age 20, earning a bachelor’s degree in philosophy. For a while, she worked as a medical writer. Now, she teaches at the McNally Smith College of Music.

And somewhere along the line, she became a rapper.

The majority of people who’ve heard of Wander know her as Dessa. As a member of the famed Minnesota rap collective, Doomtree, Dessa cut her teeth as a hip-hop artist. Now, with the release of Castor, The Twin, she proves her versatility as a solo artist beyond the rap genre.

Castor is a collection of ten previously released, and one forthcoming Dessa track. Including recordings from her 2010 debut album, A Badly Broken Code, Castor represents a modification to Dessa’s pre-existing solo work. However, this is no simple compilation album. Maintaining the lyrics of each song, Dessa completely replaces the hip-hop instrumentals with clip-clopping marimbas, growling cellos, and sweeping cymbals. The result is a completely new perspective on previously familiar tracks. The simplification on Castor, it can be guessed, comes from her work with The Boy Sopranos, a mostly female a capella group she helped establish.

Dessa’s lyrical talents remain undisputed but with the instrumental revisions on Castor, her creative ways of supporting her words shines through. The gritty, accusatory message on “Alibi” is somehow softened when it’s only standing in front of a piano and a violin. Concluding the album, “The Beekeeper”, is a preview of Dessa’s as-yet-unnamed 2012 release. A complicated blend of keys and strings crescendos upon reaching every refrain as Dessa showcases her verbal mastery. With lyrical nods to Greek mythology, beekeeping, and biblical creation stories, it’s not hard to tell that Margaret Wonder is indeed, smart.

Album Review: “Neighborhoods” by Blink-182

Blink-182's newest album, Neighborhoods

 

By Kevin Terrell

Neighborhoods
Blink-182
Interscope
Released September 27, 2011

Blink-182? The guys that ran naked through L.A. for fun and closed out the 1999 MTV VMAs in a blaze of sparklers and dancing migets? Yeah, they’re back to together and touring in support of their new album Neighborhoods, released on September 27. So how’s the new sound? In a word: confusion.

Some quick background is necessary. In 2005, armed with a bottle of painkillers and a book of “The 100 Most Obvious Metaphors in Music,” singer/guitarist Tom DeLonge grabbed Blink manager Rick DeVoe and left in a huff to try and change the world with lasers and synthesizers as Angels and Airwaves. Missing their angstiest muse, signer/bassist Mark Hoppus and drummer Travis Barker were left to rely on their earnest but erstwhile punk roots, slogging through European pubs and basement venues as +44. Then in 2008, Barker narrowly survived a Learjet plane crash that claimed the lives of four people. With a renewed sense of purpose, the band reconciled and the result is here, a 36 minute, 34 second “lets try to make this work.”

The album opens with a fade up on Barker mid-session, like we walked in on him practicing in a garage.  Cue the synthesizers, which mercifully fade back behind DeLonge’s plucky guitar before the beat kicks up. The rest of “Ghost on the Dancefloor” actually works, and the chorus might be the best hook on the album. The follow-up “Natives” is even better, for pace if not for lyrics. Barker lays down the most intricate rhythm of the album, as if proving just how many beats he could’ve gone with. The heavy first single, “Up All Night,” is the closest thing to reconciliation between Hoppus and DeLonge, who trade off lines of dark lyrics before meeting at the lamenting, down-stroked chorus.

The album is forgettable for most of the remainder thanks to DeLonge’s breathy crooning and blah imagery, bad habits he picked up with Angels and Airwaves (stuff like “the waves on the shore,” “I see a city with lights,” and, did he just say “I’ll catch a shooting star”?) The +44-eqsue “Heart’s All Gone” is the blaring exception – a post-punk romp that allows Hoppus shake the dust off his aggressive take to vocals. Barker’s drumming is its own food group. His playing is the most technical and assertive of his rock career, and the producers wisely turned up the volume.

The trio has emerged from their split as three “individuals,” so afraid to step on each other’s creative toes they occasionally sound like they’re playing three different songs (“Kaleidoscope”). But at times they forget to still be mad at each other with positive results (“Even If She Falls”). The fact that three aging skaters from Southern California can still sell out areas is a testament to just how popular they were in their prime. But then the unlikely happened – Blink-182 outgrew Blink-182 before we did.

Key tracks: Ghost on the Dancefloor, Natives, Up All Night, Snake Charmer, Fighting The Gravity

Album Review: “Cole World: The Sideline Story” by J. Cole

J. Cole's debut album, "Cole World: The Sideline Story"

By Michael Lu

Cole World: The Sideline Story
J. Cole
Sony Music Entertainment
Release Date: September 27, 2011

After a four-year string of mixtapes and notable guest appearances with Reflection Eternal and Wale, J. Cole’s highly anticipated debut, Cole World: The Sideline Story, has finally arrived. Ever since becoming the first artist signed to Jay Z’s Roc Nation label back in 2009, the buzz surrounding J. Cole was filled with absolute excitement as his grit and dedication reveled critics and listeners with the standards he established as a talented emcee and budding producer. As J. Cole spent the last few years as an outsider looking from within witnessing peers, including B.o.B., Drake, and Kid Cudi carving niches and creating headlines in the industry, could he raise the bar even higher from all of the accolades he has garnered thus far? Not quite. Nevertheless, the  high school basketball player from North Carolina laces up his J’s and showcases why he believes he is deserving of a starting position.

A true testament of an artist is how one’s work truly embodies the inner-workings of their life. With the case of J. Cole, he finds his rhythm so seamlessly regarding his personal experiences or depicting realistic scenarios. “Sideline Story” and “Dollar and a Dream III” poetically describe his desire for musical success amidst constant struggle and  frustration. In “Breakdown”, an emotional deconstruction occurs as he lashes against his father for abandoning him while simultaneously yearning for his presence, and recounting his mother’s addictions all in one fell swoop. “Never Told” reminisces on the causes and effects of infidelity while “Lost Ones” discovers a young man and a mother-to-be vigorously arguing over the prospect of an abortion. J. Cole’s remarkable storytelling through stirring imagery, a passionate delivery, and daringness to expose himself serves as a reminder that hip-hop has not completely fallen off the wayside and into the depths of Hades.

Notwithstanding, the commercial success necessary for any artist to expand his or her platform and attract a larger demographic in the grand scheme of things has provided J. Cole the opportunity to diversify himself through a solid collection of radio worthy jams. “Can’t Wait” utilizes a staccato flow and a Trey Songz chorus for J.Cole to address his fixation for women while “In The Morning” depicts him and Drake cooing to women for early action. “Cole World” features an energetic yet formulaic soundbed for his bravado and a Missy Elliott hook enlivens “Nobody’s Perfect.” Even though these tracks are not as galvanizing as his soul-bearing offerings, their additions provide a sufficient balance for the album.

However, the primary critique of Cole World is perhaps the overall quality in the beat production. As accomplished and heralded as Cole is in terms of beatmaking, evident with “HiiPoWer” from Kendrick Lamar’s highly acclaimed Section 80, nonetheless, he produced 15 of the disc’s 18 tracks and played or co-produced another. Aside from the dubstep inspired “Mr. Nice Watch” featuring Jay-Z, most of the tracks sound eerily similar to each other and do not match the conviction of his rhymes. It would have been more beneficial for him as an artist if he could have used his Roc Nation connections and contacted other production heavyweights, such as 9th Wonder, Just Blaze, and Kanye West.

Even so, Cole World: The Sideline Story displays glimpses of flash and promise that undoubtedly lands him a spot on the team. The mechanics of his game need a little reworking but he will be dominating on the court faster than you can say “yahtzee.”