Album Review: Future Islands "Singles"
>> Wednesday, 26 March 2014
Rating: **** out of 5
-Mykael Sopher
Showing posts with label Album Reviews. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Album Reviews. Show all posts
-Mykael Sopher
Album/DVD Review: Sigur Rós - Inni
>> Tuesday, 29 November 2011
Rating 4/5
Those lucky enough to have seen Sigur Rós live are known to bandy about some high-priced adjectives while extolling the life-altering virtues of the Sigur Rós concert experience. Words such as surreal, transcendent, and otherworldly tend to populate most live reviews and while the band’s latest release, the DVD/2xCD Inni, doesn’t quite match the visceral intensity of its show, it serves as a fitting substitute. Chronicling the band's 2008 concert in London prior to its three-year hiatus, Inni is beautifully shot in grainy black-and-white by director Vincent Morisset and judiciously edited, with archival band footage spliced in between songs. Inni ends with the previously unreleased Lúppulagi›, an arresting piano number that serves as a sort of teaser trailer. After all, is it a coincidence that in the same month Inni dropped, the band announced its return to the studio?
Republished with permission from Uptown. Read more...
Album Review: The Weather Station - All of It Was Mine
>> Saturday, 24 September 2011
Rating 4/5
All of It Was Mine — the second outing from The Weather Station (aka Tamara Lindeman) — is a succinct, 28-minute-long set of 10 unpretentious and wonderfully realized folk songs. Working alongside producer Daniel Romano, Lindeman works on a sparse canvas that she unaffectedly fills in with earnest finger-picking (banjo and guitar) and her understated, oft-whispered vocals. Stellar album opener Everything I Saw is lively and immediately engaging; Traveller is quietly devastating in its treatment of loss. While tempos slow down considerably after the initial few tracks, the rest of this strong release is equally thoughtful and engrossing, and it's safe to say Lindeman is no longer one to watch. She is one to hear.
-Mykael Sopher
Republished with permission from Uptown Magazine Read more...
Album Review - The Pack A.D. Unpersons
Rating: 3.5/5
Consisting of guitarist/vocalist Becky Black and drummer Maya Miller, The Pack A.D. further venture into incendiary, menacing, and memorable garage rock territory on its latest release, Unpersons. Thematically a break-up album, the performances here are raw, angry, and honest with the female twosome wisely injecting elements of blues and punk into their fiery sound. Album opener Sirens is an undeniable fist pumper while gritty album standout Take is all about Black's wounded vocal performance. While some of the fuzzed-out, unadorned numbers on Unpersons certainly sound done before, The Pack A.D. has never been so focused, so assured of its abilities, that it’s hard to resist the irrepressible spirit haunting this record.
-Mykael Sopher
Republished with permission from Uptown Magazine Read more...
Album Review: Washed Out - Within and Without
>> Saturday, 20 August 2011
Rating: *** out of five.
Of the myriad sub-genre permutations bandying about the contemporary indie music landscape, it can be argued that the most aptly named just might be chillwave. On Within and Without, one-man-band Washed Out (Ernest Greene) unabashedly wears the aesthetics of this aural movement on his sleeve and fully embraces its key signifiers: airy vocals, casually danceable rhythms and pretty, synth-led melodies. While several key tracks such as the warm Soft and the late-night vibes of Before are carefully arranged and demand relistens to unearth their shimmering brilliance, many others easily slip into the background. Chillwave can do that sometimes.
-Mykael Sopher
Republished with permission from Uptown Magazine. Read more...
Album Review: Gillian Welch - The Harrow & The Harvest
****1/2 out of Five
Eight criminally long years have passed since treasured country-folk songstress Gillian Welch brought her last record, Soul Journey, into being. Whatever the reasons for this near-decade gap between albums — writer’s block, end-product unhappiness — the songs populating The Harrow & The Harvest instantly alleviate any concerns about Welch’s inability to produce quality material. Throughout this fifth proper release, Welch’s subtle, melancholy alto and alluring, honest narratives work symbiotically within songwriting partner David Rawling’s inspired and intricate acoustic guitar framework. The expansive arrangements of Soul Journey are stripped away in favour of skeletal instrumentation, and only banjos, acoustic guitars, harmonicas and percussion courtesy of hands and feet are called to action. This is a tuneful, beautiful and soulful collection from one of America’s finest purveyors of folk.
-Mykael Sopher
Republished with permission from Uptown Magazine Read more...
In Review...Kathryn Calder, "Are You My Mother?"
>> Thursday, 15 July 2010
Kathryn Calder
Are You My Mother?
There’s no doubt about it: Ex-Immaculate-Machinre-turned-New-Pornographer Kathryn Calder possesses a lovely, expressive voice. But, you know, so do a lot of aspiring singer-songwriters out there (see: reality television).
What separates Calder from the pack is a thoroughly ingrained proficiency with the songwriting process. Are You My Mother?, a incredibly personal album penned over the two-year span Calder tended to her terminally sick mom, is a promising, highly varied affair that hints at a viable solo career. It houses clamorous pop jingles “Castor and Pollocks”, simple (but certainly not simplistic) heartstring-tuggers “So Easily”, and contagious, near-triumphant sing-a-longs “If You Only Knew” and “Follow".
So, really, there’s a big choice looming in front of Calder: go at it alone, keep the enviable day job with the New Pornographers, or, like Neko, miraculously make time for both. Must be nice to have such options.
-Mykael Sopher
Rating: 3.5/4.0
Web: www.kathryncalder.ca
Choice Cuts: “Castor and Pollux”, “So Easily”
R.I.Y.D. The New Pornographers, Sarah Harmer, Beth Orton
Label: File Under Music
In Review...The National, Avi Buffalo
>> Saturday, 29 May 2010
The National
High Violet
Brooklyn-via-Ohio’s the National sure have the scene-setting, album-opening track down pat. The urgency of “Secret Making” (Alligator) and the stately elegance of “Fake Empire” (Boxer) prepped eager ears for the brooding sounds to come.
High Violet’s lead track “Terrible Love” earns a place next to its regal predecessors. As always, frontman Matt Berninger singular baritone is at the foreground, but it’s the calm-before-the-storm, distorted guitars, courtesy of brothers Aaron and Bryce Dessner, that escalate the tension to an almost unbearable degree. And it’s a testament to this band’s remarkable talent that the better tracks always, always keep coming. “Sorrow” is jittery mid-tempo fare; “Lemonworld” is moody post-punk; while the epic and upbeat fist-pumper “Bloodbuzz Ohio”is this album’s “Apartment Story”.
Five albums in and the National have unquestionably perfected their sinister, late-night, moody aesthetic.
Where will they go from here?
-Mykael Sopher
Rating: 3.75/4.0
Web: www.americanmary.com
Choice Cuts: “Runaway”, “Terrible Love”, “Lemonworld.”
R.I.Y.D. Wilco, Joy Division, baritone-voiced frontmen
Label: 4AD
Avi Buffalo
S/T
Avi Buffalo are a very young quartet from Long Beach, Cali whose way with the song easily belies their age. Their eponymous debut, released on venerated label Sub Pop Records, is just bristling with bright and quirky, thoughtful and well-executed, indie-pop.
The brain behind the op is Avigdor Zahner-Isenberg, a recent high school grad well on his way to turning 19. Rounded out by keyboardist/vocalist Rebecca Coleman and drummer Sheridan Riley (both under 20), plus old man bassist Arin Fazio (21), these fresh-faced kids, much like their contemporaries the xx, shirk the songwriting expectations and preconceptions yoked to their tender years.
Whereas the xx excel in whispered and carefully checked pillow-talk, Avi Buffalo act their age, sounding uncertain of their future, yet content enough with their fun, sexed-up present, as on the delightfully barmy confessional “Summer Cum”.
If, by chance, you’re heading to Toronto for NXNE next month, make a point of checking these precocious younglings out. I know I will.
-Mykael Sopher
Rating: 3.25/4.0
Web: www.avibuffalomusic.com
Choice Cuts: “What’s In It For?”, “One Last”
R.I.Y.D. The Shins, The Morning Benders, The xx…if they were summery and lively
Label: Sub Pop Read more...
In Review...Broken Social Scene's "Forgiveness Rock Record"
>> Friday, 21 May 2010
Broken Social Scene
Forgiveness Rock Record
Forgiveness Rock Record is just destined to spark heated debates over its standout track. And likely already has. Throughout it, the massive, outrageously talented Toronto-based collective set the indie-rock bar high – the songs are diverse, cleverly constructed, and flat-out exciting, rivaling anything Broken Social Scene have served up in the past.
Coming in at just under seven minutes, nebulous and epic album starter “World Sick” will surely garner some favourite track votes, while the Yankee Hotel Foxtrot-worthy “Texico Bitches” might score a few noms. Expect mischievous, horn-driven “Art House Director” to be fiercely defended and to go up against “Meet Me in the Basement”, an urgent, explosive instrumental that might get the nod for outstanding indie-instrumental of 2010.
With stellar releases already this month from indie heavyweights The New Pornographers, The National, LCD Soundsystem, and now Broken Social Scene, May 2010 is surely spoiling us.
No complaints here.
-Mykael Sopher
Rating: 4.0/4.0
Web: http://www.brokensocialscene.ca/
Choice Cuts: Too many to name.
R.I.Y.D. Stars, Metric, Indie Supergroups
Label: Arts & Crafts
In Review...Mathemagic; Library Voices
>> Monday, 3 May 2010
Mathemagic
Mathemagic EP
On the surface, the dreamy electronics inhabiting Mathemagic’s self-titled EP are peaceful and sleep-inducing, ideal music for the background. Plunge deeper and the warmly cool subtleties emerge.
The sonic architects behind Mathemagic are brothers Evan and Dylan Euteneier. The products of Guelph, Ontario, the Euteneiers are not the sort of electro-wizards interested in crate-digging and splicing. What drives Mathemagic’s airy electronics are hazy guitars, aqueous synths, and beautifully lulling vocals that often register just a notch above a whisper.
Clocking in at just over 18 minutes, Mathematics’ eponymous debut EP is but a mere appetizer with the main course arriving later this year. If it is anything like this promising digital release, it should put these boys on the map.
-Mykael Sopher
Rating: 3.0/4.0
Web: http://www.myspace.com/mathemagic
Choice Cuts: “Breaststroke”, “Beach Days”
R.I.Y.D. Beach House, Toro Y Moi, Yo La Tengo’s And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside Out
Label: Paperbag Records
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Library Voices
Denim on Denim
There wasn't a record that I was more looking forward to in 2010, based on the promise of their previous EP, Hunting Ghosts (2008), and especially after seeing them live a couple of times. Unfortunately, Library Voices' Denim on Denim is not the outstanding debut that it could have been.
Recorded in Regina "in the back of a local dance studio", Denim on Denim fails to live up to its potential by not capturing any of the spontaneous energy that makes this eight-member band so special.
Every song on Denim on Denim sounds too polished, cleaned-up and over-produced...the melodies and such are strong enough, but any hint of the controlled chaos that makes a Library Voices show such an exhilarating experience is missing. The band and co-producer Orion Paradis unfortunately decided to play it very safe, which is really too bad.
I still think Library Voices is the best, most exciting emerging indie band in Canada, period. You just can't hear that band on Denim on Denim.
-Nigel Moore
Rating: 2.0/4.0
Web: http://thelibraryvoices.blogspot.com/
Choice Cuts: "Drinking Games", "Insider Trading (On Outsider Art)", "Bookish"
R.I.Y.D. The New Pornographers
Label: Young Soul Records/EMI
In Review...Courtney Wing, MGMT
>> Thursday, 15 April 2010
Courtney Wing
Bouquet of Might and Fury
When you need assistance, it helps to have lots of friends to count on. Just ask Montreal singer-songwriter Courtney Wing. During the recording of his third release, Bouquet of Might and Fury, Wing assembled a talented, diverse crew of over 30 musicians – including members of Godspeed! You Black Emperor, Bell Orchestre, and the opera collective Liederwolfe – to help him reach his grandiose vision.
Bouquet of Might and Fury, then, is an expansive, ambitious affair with lavish textures and orchestral arrangements held in check, for the most part, by well-attuned production.
Album opener “The Cruel of Fair” is staggeringly beautiful: its lush, symphonic-folk sensibilities are joyous, melodic and complex enough that the song merits replays to excavate it fully. Unfortunately, no other track matches the songwriting gale of the lead-off track, but a few, the choral-driven “Jolie in July” and the stripped-down-but-still-potent “Holler”, come close.
While there a few hiccups – “Chloe’s” buildup is painfully slow and some melodies are lost in arrangement – Bouquet of Might and Fury is an impressive release that officially puts Courtney Wing on the map, and I’m curious what Wing’ll do next.
Might I suggest a Ten Provinces (and Three Territories) project?
-Mykael Sopher
Rating: 3.25/4.0
Web: www.courtneywing.com
Choice Cuts: “The Cruel of Fair”, “Jolie in July”, “Holler”
R.I.Y.D. Great Lake Swimmers, A Northern Chorus, Sufjan Stevens if he were Canadian
Label: Proxenett Records
MGMT
Congratulations
Nothing on Congratulations, MGMT’s second trick after the dazzling-but-uneven Oracular Spectacular, is as accessible and catchy as “Kids”, “Time to Pretend,” or “Electric Feel.”
(That’s bad!)
Instead, Congratulations is more cohesive, playing like a proper album as opposed to a collection of some-great, some-okay, and some-bad tracks.
(That’s good!)
But the psychedelic-loving rockers go mad scientist all over Congratulations, grabbing bits of pop, prog, art-rock, new wave, and glam (to name a few), tossing them into their massive sonic cauldron, and standing back to observe the results. Surfeit with colours, flavours and textures, the record contains some unpalatable songs, like the bloated “Siberian Breaks” and the meandering, uneasy “Lady Dada.”
(That’s bad!)
Yet in the end, there’s no question the talented songwriting duo of MGMT are just being their truly eccentric selves on Congratulations.
(That’s good!)
Which means it probably won’t move 500,000 units like Oracular Spectacular did.
(uhhh….)
-Mykael Sopher
Rating: 3.5/4.0
Web: www.whoismgmt.com
Choice Cuts: "Flash Delirium," “Congratulations,” and “Brian Eno.”
R.I.Y.D. Yeasayer, Of Montreal, Mind-altering substances ‘n’ music
Label: Columbia Read more...
In Review...Jonsi And Pavement, Plus Quick Reviews Of Gorillaz And The Besnard Lakes
>> Tuesday, 30 March 2010
Jonsi
Go
If there’s one thing we can all agree about Sigur Rós’s devastatingly gorgeous breakthrough, Ágætis Byrjun, it’s that you have to be in the right mood for it. It’s epic and completely absorbing stuff, the sort of music not likely to grace workout, party, or car playlists. Ágætis Byrjun offers sprawling alien soundscapes that play best late at night, really, when the world has quieted down, attention is less divided, and thoughts can actually be heard.
Case in point: the breathless opener “Go Do” where drums gallop at full speed, flutes and piccolos flitter around the peripherals, and Jonsi’s giddy delivery provides a boyish narrative of the exciting adventure. While all songs don’t burst forth with such immediate alacrity – Jonsi still inserts some low-to-mid tempo breathers – the overall feel of Go is sunny and positive.
In fact, the majority of Go is ideal for a quick music pick-me-up, running playlist, or for when cruising around...hoping the intersection lights flash nothing but welcoming green.
-Mykael Sopher
Rating: 3.5/4
Web: http://jonsi.com/
Choice Cuts: “Go Do”, “Around Us”, “Boy Lilikoi”
R.I.Y.D. The first half of Sigur Rós’s last album, Passion Pit, Electric President
Label: XL Recordings
Pavement
Quarantine the Past
The majority of Painting Over Silence readers are likely familiar with Pavement, even if only by name, as stalwarts/progenitors of the 1990s indie rock scene. This Stockton fivesome put together five studio albums before disbanding in 1999, leaving a nearly impeccable legacy. Now reunited for some live shows, Quarantine the Past offers an engaging trip through Pavement's most engaging songs.
This 23-song collection spans all five albums, as well as a couple of EPs and one compilation track. While superfans will likely debate the sequencing and selection of tracks included on QTP – there’s not a single unreleased song included – I suspect most fans will forgive this due to the fabulous work done by both the band and Matador records on the reissues of the studio albums. They're packed full of live material, b-sides, and so forth.
My ONLY beef on QTP is the relative lack of love given to 1999's Terror Twilight, the band's gorgeous, Nigel Godrich-produced swan song. Only "Spit on a Stranger" is included, and while it's a great choice, I'd have liked to have seen "The Hexx" on here too. It's a personal favourite, but I digress.
Like their studio albums, the recording quality is somewhat all over the place, although the care taken to re-master these tracks is apparent, especially on the songs from 1994's Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain.
I've been talking around the songs themselves in part because I fear doing them great injustice. The biggies are all here as are deeper cuts "Stereo" and "Cut Your Hair", tracks that give listeners a glimpse beyond what might have been heard on college radio/MTV/The Wedge in the mid-90s.
Rather than try to sum up the sound of Pavement for the few that might not be familiar, you can preview 30-second snippets of each of the songs for yourself at Matador Records site. I'll do a better job of reporting on the reunited Pavement's live show when I go see them this summer. I promise to be direct.
-Ben MacPhee-Sigurdson
Rating: 3.75/4.0
Web: www.crookedrain.com
Choice Cuts: “Grounded", "In the Mouth A Desert", "Gold Soundz" - take your pick, really
R.I.Y.D. The Fall, Sonic Youth, any indie rock of the past 15 years or so
Label: Matador
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Quick Reviews
Gorillaz
Plastic Beach
With a heaping helping of guest appearances (The Fall's Mark E. Smith, Mos Def, Lou Reed, Snoop Dogg, etc.) ex-Blur frontman Damon Albarn and the rest of this "virtual band" have put together a solid collection of eclectic, electronic-driven tracks that work really well as a whole. Doubters should check out the video for "Stylo" that features a killer Bruce Willis cameo. Best effort yet.
Rating: 3.5/4.0
-BMS
The Besnard Lakes
The Besnard Lakes Are The Roaring Night
Throughout The Besnard Lakes are the Roaring Night, the Montreal-based space-rockers skillfully combine stunning harmonies and breathtaking melodies with fuzzy, crepuscular shoegaze, in the process making an arresting record that needs, no, demands, many listens to unlock its spooky, otherworldly secrets. See them at the Albert in April.
Rating: 4.0/4.0
-MS
-MS
Infinite Playlist: The Besnard Lakes - The Besnard Lakes are the Roaring Night
Read more...
In Review...The Album Leaf, Yeasayer
>> Friday, 5 March 2010
The Album Leaf
A Chorus of Storytellers
Elegantly stylish one-man band Jimmy LaValle – aka The Album Leaf – has made a career out of successfully marrying electronic textures to acoustic ones. Past outings such as the excellent Seal Beach EP have been deeply gorgeous, spacious compositions with little-to-no vocals and little-to-no contributions from other musicians.
With A Chorus of Storytellers, LaValle has let a full band into his carefully orchestrated world of pop-leaning electronics, opting to work alongside his touring band while laying down tracks in the studio. Not surprisingly, it’s his most organic-sounding LP to date.
Chorus is still saturated in late-night, spooky and often melodic ambience, the stuff The Album Leaf’s career was made of. The remote children’s voices on airy opener “Perro” are arrestingly beautiful and, well, signature LaValle; contrast this with the front-and-centre live-sounding drums on “Stand Still” and its clear LaValle’s new vision is working. He just needs to explore it a little further. And add a few more vocals.
-Mykael Sopher
Web: www.thealbumleaf.com
Choice Cuts: “Until the Last”, “Stand Still”, “There is a Wind”
R.I.Y.D. Sigur Rós, Explosions in the Sky, Stars of the Lid
Label: Sub Pop
Yeasayer
Odd Blood
It can be difficult to categorize new music into genres these days, and Brooklyn-based Yeasayer are no exception.
After appearing on the summer, indie roll-call compilation, Dark Was the Night, Yeasayer follow up their 2007 debut, All Hour Cymbals, with their brand of experimental rock. Odd Blood feels brighter than its moody predecessor and lead single, “Ambling Alp”, reflects this change. The lyrics (“stick up for yourself son/never mind what anybody else done”) are heartening, yet feel lost against an intricate backdrop of drums and horns.
Yeasayer’s music can be described as dense, with transitions often quick and seamless. But, on “Madder Red” the band strips down to allow Chris Keating’s darker lyrics (“It's getting hard to keep pretending/I'm worth your time”) to surface before the band turns up the tempo on “Mondegreen,” “O.N.E.,” and “Rome” to mixed results.
Odd Blood finds Yeasayer adding more elements to an already complicated formula. Let’s hope it doesn’t take three years to hear what’s next.
-Daniel Camaclang
Web: www.yeasayer.net
Choice Cuts: “Madder Red”, “Mondegreen”, “Ambling Alp”
R.I.Y.D.: TV on the Radio, Animal Collective, Depeche Mode
Label: Secretly Canadian Read more...
In Review...Four Tet, fanshaw
>> Wednesday, 17 February 2010
Four Tet
There is Love in You
It's been a fairly long road to Kieran Hebden's newest minimalist electronic record, but it's certainly been worth the wait. Hebden, aka Four Tet, has spent the last decade honing his chops (both in Four Tet and in post-rock outfit Fridge) and evolving his sound to this newest release, There is Love in You .
Hebden opens with "Angel Echoes," looping a fractured female vocal line over a sparse electronic drum beat. "Love Cry", the second track on There is Love in You, clocks in at just over nine minutes, most of those spent on a simple (and far more organic) drum beat with sparse instrumentation. Like the rest of the tracks here, it doesn't feel either boring or too long, but rather establishes a groove and lets it play itself out.
Simply calling this electronic music, minimal techno or any other moniker is to do it an injustice; "Circling" builds without any beats whatsoever - only modular keyboard lines, while closer "She Just Likes to Fight" is driven by a decidedly clean guitar line and checked timekeeping.
There is Love in You as a whole may not jump out and grab you immediately. However, I found the nine songs (one is a twelve-second sample of the in utero heartbeat of Hebdan's godson) flew by rather quickly, and before I knew it I was starting from the top and letting the record play out again from the beginning.
-Ben MacPhee-Sigurdson
Choice Cuts: "Angel Echoes", "Love Cry", "Sing"
R.I.Y.D.: Boards of Canada, The Field, Caribou
Label: Domino
fanshaw
Dark Eyes
In 2007, massive Vancouver-based music conglomerate The Choir Practice released their eponymous debut on cherished indie-label Mint Records. It was, and still is, an impossibly gorgeous disc brimming with nude, echoing waves of choral harmonies.
As a contributing member of The Choir Practice, it’s really no surprise that Olivia Fetherstonaugh (who records under fanshaw) has an alluring, highly elastic set of vocal chords. And on Dark Eyes – her half-a-decade-in-the-making debut also launched on Mint - Fetherstonaugh knows this and plays to her strength, showing off her pipes all over this stirring, moody batch of veiled pop tunes.
Album opener “Diana” is built around – surprise, surprise - a looped, kinda spooky vocal riff. “Vegas” is a smoky, past-closing-time cabaret number; while the initially low-key and introspective “Rebecca” – an allusion to Daphne du Maurier's 1938 novel named, well, Rebecca – gets lit up along the way by warm and subtle tones.
Fetherstonaugh is known for taking up to a year to finish a song, working through the process assiduously, not letting an iota of sonic detail escape her (surely) confident vision. Dark Eyes is the prevailing result.
- Mykael Sopher
Web: http://www.myspace.com/fanshawmusic
Choice Cuts: “O Sailor”, “Diana”, “Rebecca”
R.I.Y.D.: The Choir Practice, St. Vincent, Kate Bush
Label: Mint Records
Infinite Playlist: The Album Leaf - A Chorus of Storytellers Read more...
In Review...Owen Pallett, Hawksley Workman
>> Monday, 1 February 2010
Owen Pallett
Heartland
After garnering so much attention by taking Canada's inaugural Polaris Music Prize in 2006 with the album He Poos Clouds, Canadian chanteur/violinist Owen Pallett has stepped out from behind the Final Fantasy moniker to release Heartland under his birth name.
Heartland is a concept-ish album about a farmer named Lewis confronting his demons - not exactly the best-sounding place to enter Pallett's body of work - but in fact Heartland is a singularly striking work, one that grabs the listener from the opening organ and haunting voice of "Midnight Directives" to the piano and layered vocals of closer "What Do You Think Will Happen?".
Throughout, Pallett and guest musicians (including the St. Kitts' Winds and the Czech Symphony Strings, and members of The Arcade Fire) bring both majesty and modesty to tracks, with arrangements ranging from piano and voice to strings, loops, orchestration, percussion, and singing. Time signatures, arrangements and Pallett's often soft delivery of absolutely incredible lyrics means Heartland ain't exactly a sing-along album; instead, it promises to be one of the most thoughtful, profound releases of 2010.
-Ben MacPhee-Sigurdson
Choice Cuts: “The Great Elsewhere”, “Midnight Directives”, “Lewis Takes Action”
R.I.Y.D.: Destroyer, Joanna Newsom, The Decemberists,
Label: Domino Records
Hawksley Workman
Meat
Meat can be tasty. But somewhat overcooked in parts.
The inexhaustible and versatile Hawksley Workman’s eleventh(!) record is bold and bombastic, an 11 tracker that sees Workman delve into many different styles. Kicking off with the elegant and vulnerable piano ballad “Song for Sarah Jane”, this painfully touching sensibility quickly transforms into self-assured swagger during fuzzy glam-rocker “French Girl in LA.” Right after, the surefooted Workman stumbles. Sleepy “Baby Mosquito” sounds effortless and uninspired, 8+ minute-long epic “You Don’t Just Want To Break Me (You Want To Tear Me Apart)” needs a few minutes lopped off, and the cocky strut of “Depress My Hangover” is a little too flamboyant and daffy.
Fortunately, Workman regains his songwriting foothold toward the end with splendid pop jingle “The Happiest Day I know is a Tokyo bicycle” and desperately breathless album sealer “We’ll Make Time.” On Meat, there’s no doubt Workman can handle a variety of styles and is consistently able to perform some awe-inspiring vocal gymnastics. He just needs some editing.
-Mykael Sopher
Rating: 2.5/4.0
Web: www.hawksleyworkman.com
Choice Cuts: “Song for Sarah Jane”, “French Girl in LA”, “(The Happiest Day I Know is a) Tokyo Bicycle).”
R.I.Y.D.: U2, Tegan and Sara, Sam Roberts
Label: Isadora Records Read more...
In Review...Vampire Weekend, Leif Vollebekk
>> Wednesday, 20 January 2010
Vampire Weekend
Contra
Sorry, naysayers. With Contra, the kids from Vampire Weekend stand a chance. For further prominence. Partially christened after the popular 80s Nintendo game, Contra immediately distinguishes itself from its titular predecessor. The instant accessibility and familiarity of their stunning afro-pop debut has been replaced with smarter, more mature and muscular songs. This time around the preppy lads from the Big Apple dabble in airy calypso “Horchata”, glittery synth-pop “White Sky”, turgid punk “Cousins,” and tender ballads “Taxi Cab”. Frontman Ezra Koening’s pliable pipes are stretched even further while the deft arrangements of Rostma Batmanglij see the band scale back the strings in favour of Marimbas, a VSS-30, shakers, hand drums, an M.I.A. sample, and, good golly!, an acoustic guitar. Load it. Play it. Enjoy it. The first great album of this fresh year.
-Mykael Sopher
Web: www.vampireweekend.com
Choice Cuts: “White Sky,” “Cousins”, “I Think UR A Contra”
R.I.Y.D.: The Very Best, Paul Simon’s Graceland, Phoenix
Label: XL Recordings
Leif Vollebekk
Inlands
There is a certain something about Canada that helps bring into being the most thoughtful of singer-songwriters. Maybe it’s the long and harsh, isolating winters. Perhaps it’s the enchanting wilderness (have you ever you seen Hoarfrost?) Or it could even be the endlessly fascinating cultural diversity. Whatever his muse was, Montreal-based musician Leif Vollebekk now ranks amongst the country’s talented introspective folk artists. His independently-launched debut, Inlands, released this month via upstart label Nevado Records, is a winning collection of achingly gorgeous ballads set to skeletal arrangements. Vollebekk’s gentle acoustic strum and stately piano invite listeners to lean in and fully absorb his polite tales about the consequences of unrequited love. On “Quebec” he laments: “when a woman leaves, it’s best to just move away.” Wherever Leif lands, audiences will follow.
-Mykael Sopher
Web: www.myspace.com/leifvollebekk
Choice Cuts: “In the Morning”, “Quebec”, “In the Midst of Blue and Green”
R.I.Y.D.: Timber Timbre, Bahamas, Jeff Buckley
Label: Nevado Records
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