Each week I will listen to and review/preview a handful of the more interesting music albums released that week. The genres I will mainly focus on are Rock, Pop, Indie, Hip-Hop, Rap, and Electronic.
Portugal. The ManIn the Mountain in the Cloud - The indie and psych rock band based out of Portland, Oregon haven't slowed down at all releasing their sixth studio album over the past six years. The band has jumped ship from indie label Equal Vision and is charting a new course with mega-label Atlantic Records. In conjunction with the album, the band released a short film via IFC entitled "Sleep Forever." That short film basically acts as an extended music video for two songs from this album, "Sleep Forever" and "Got It All (This Can't Be Living Now)."
This 11-track disc opens with the catchy and inviting "So American" that slowly builds from its subtle acoustic guitar work as it talks about "...the madness in us all." The first single from the album, "Got It All (This Can't Be Living Now)," has rhythmic, pulsing electric guitars and glam rock style vocals to create an interesting song that manages to transcend the band's usual sound with a Beatles-esque vocal harmonies during the chorus. "Everything You See (Kids Count Hallelujahs)" is a sweeping track that wisely integrates a blaring trumpet over the clever keyboard refrain that I found instantly enchanting. "All Your Light (Times Like These)" has a darker melody and tone which helps provide some balance to the album and features some of the best vocal work on the album with the song starting on a more somber tone before adding tension to the song by slightly changing his timber.
Overall, In the Mountain is Potugal. The Man's most consistent release from beginning to end. While they've had great individual tracks scattered on their past discs, this is the band's first complete album and it acts as a nice respite from some of the bubblegum-heavy releases this summer with its extremely well balanced sound. The change over to Atlantic Records seems to have been a good choice with the more seasoned production team helping the band release its most polished album to date. Not every track is a hit but the highs greatly outweigh the lows.
Score:8.5/10 Song(s) to Sample: "Got It All (This Can't Be Living Now)" [sample it below], "All Your Light (Times Like These)" and "Everything You See (Kids Count Hallelujahs)"
They Might Be GiantsJoin Us - They're baaaaaack and they brought their accordion with them as usual. The Johns (both Linnell and Flansburgh) come together to release a brand spankin' new album and unlike three of their past four albums, this one is not targeted towards preschool age children. Instead, it is the return to the all-ages alternative pop & rock music they produced in the 80's and 90's. One of my favorite bands in high school, I've seen them live over a dozen times and they'll be back on tour again this fall. I'm sure my friend Jeanne is already waiting in line for tickets. =)
The album begins with the fantastic "Can't Keep Johnny Down" which features beguiling keyboard work initially before they layer on the electric guitar and the vocals but its the super catchy hook that will draw you in initially. "Let Your Hair Hang Down" is a throwback song with Linnell's vocals doing the heavy lifting but Flansburgh's vocals adding a high-tenor compliment during the chorus and during harmonies. "When Will You Die" is a quirky Flansburgh sung ditty with a soaring horn section about finding that "one last piece of the puzzle." "You Don't Like Me" has a more standard melody but the lyrics is pure TMBG with its random listing of things the antagonist does like (e.g. shadow puppets, Woody Harrelson, and cigarettes) to counterpoint the title of the song.
Join Us is TMBG's best album in years ranking only behind their greatest albums from the 90's. Their alternative pop sound is still on the out-there, whimsical side meaning its not going to appeal to a mainstream audience but this album is probably more accessible than their albums from the 2000's. TMBG is one of those bands where either you get it or you don't. For those people that "never got it," this album isn't going to change your opinion of the band any. For people that "get it" and were already fans of the band, go out and purchase this album as you will not be disappointed. It's not as consistent as Flood or Apollo 18, but it more than satisfies that TMBG craving that their kiddie albums from the past few years were not able to.
Score: 8/10 Song(s) to Sample: "Can't Keep Johnny Down" [sample it below] and "When Will You Die"
Theophilus LondonTimez Are Weird These Days - Theophilus London is a hip-hop/rap artist that became popular after releasing a series of independent mixtapes. This is London's debut studio album. The strength of this album is the fast tempo, get-stuck-in-your-head melodies on the best songs and strong vocalist work by London and by two guest artists on two separate tracks. "Love Is Real" featuring Holly Miranda is the first standout track from the disc with her backup vocals acting as a potent counterpoint to London's rap over the catchy melody. London also infuses other genres into his rap songs often skewing his tracks towards funk or electro-pop styles. For a debut album, there are some very creatively written tunes but there are a number of missteps as well that hurt the overall enjoyment of the release.
Score: 6.5/10 Song(s) to Sample:"Love Is Real" [sample it below] and "Lighthouse"
311Universal Pulse - This is the tenth studio album from the prolific alternative rock band from Omaha, Nebraska. Most of the songs are hard rocking, electric guitar driven tracks like the first single from the album, "Sunset In July," although there are a couple of more mellow, ballad-esque songs like "Trouble." It's an average album that will probably appeal to fans of the band although I did find the songs becoming monotonous towards the end of the disc ("Weightless" comes to mind). Also, the album's overall score is hurt by the brevity of the release with it only lasting 8-tracks long with only one of the tracks lasting longer than four minutes.
Score:5.5/10 Song(s) to Sample: "Sunset In July" [sample it below]
BLOG NOTE:I'm going on vacation for a week so my reviews for next week might be delayed a few days. Thanks for stopping by!
YesFly From Here - The influential prog and psych rock band from the 70's and 80's reunite a decade after their most recent disc to release their twenty-first studio album overall. Loooong time lead vocalist Jon Anderson recently left the band for health reasons and he is replaced on this disc by Benoit David who was the one-time frontman of a Yes cover band named Close to the Edge. Bassist Chris Squire (the only member on the band to perform on all of Yes' twenty-one albums) actually discovered David through YouTube. Well, let's hope he at least lasts longer than that singer INXS found to replace Michael Hutchence did.
This album starts with an overture for and with parts one through five of the eponymous "Fly From Here." On the version I listened to, the overture and the individual parts were divided into separate tracks but when I looked at the listing for the deluxe version of the album, those five parts plus the overture were combined into one track lasting over 22-minutes in length. The normal version of the album, however, lists out the parts individually so I'm going to assume that's how the band wants it interpreted. The deluxe version also comes with a second disc that includes a "making of" documentary plus some live footage of the band in action.
The short overture opens with a simple keyboard melody before layering on drums, electric guitars and more complex piano work that creates an engaging intro song whose style is reminiscent of the band's at it's peak. "Fly From Here Pt. 1 - We Can Fly" gives us our first sample of David's vocals and, although his timber is slightly gruffer at times than Anderson's, I wouldn't even had noticed it was a different singer if I wasn't already informed of the change and would have probably attributed to the slight difference in vocals due to the years that have passed. Pts. 2 ("Sad Night at the Airfield") & 3 (Madman at the Screens") take a more serious take on the overall story with Pt. 4 ("Bumpy Ride") having a more chaotic and whimsical melody before turning serious 2/3 of the way through. Taken as a whole, all parts of "Fly From Here" make for very interesting tracks that sucks you in with their soothing melodies and that goes out of its way to piece together a story that is entertaining to follow along.
"The Man You Always Wanted Me To Be" has some Steely Dan-esque blues-y guitar riffs that add some very welcome funkiness to the album. "Hour of Need" features a guest female vocalist whose voice combines to create some soaring vocal harmonies that is backed by blue grass style acoustic guitar work for a gentle and sweet song.
Longtime fans will be absolutely thrilled with Fly From Here as the style harkens back to their glory days without recycling any of their past successes although there is little in terms of style or technique that would tell you this album was made in modern times. David does a more than passable job providing vocals and keeping the sound consistent with what we expect from the band with the music having the ability to stand side-by-side to most of their quality releases from past decades. Younger listeners can use this album as a good introduction to the band although they'd be better off going back to classic albums like Fragile or Close to the Edge for a more complete exposure.
Score: 7.5/10 Song(s) to Sample: "Hour of Need" [sample it below] and "Fly From Here Pt. 4 - Bumpy Ride"
Washed OutWithin and Without - Washed Out is the stage name of Atlanta DJ Ernest Greene. This nine track release comes out from Sub Pop Records, the label that has also released albums from The Postal Service, Wolf Parade, and The Shins. This is his debut album after releasing three EPs since 2009. Greene's style falls between chillwave and downtempo electronica with some lo-fi touches here and there. Very subdued vocals are present on the majority of the tracks although it seems they are there as much to provide atmosphere than they are to tell a story or convey a message. The music does produce a very relaxed ambiance over the duration of the disc although the music isn't engaging enough to sweep you off your feet or to transport you to another place. It makes for quality background music but I wouldn't play it during an after party for fear of putting people to sleep.
Score: 6.5/10 Song(s) to Sample:"Amor Fati" [sample it below] and "Before"
R.E.M.Lifes Rich Pageant (25th Anniversary Edition) - It's hard to believe it's been 25 years since Stipe, Buck, Mills and Berry released their first album to go Gold in the U.S. moving them beyond being a college radio staple and bringing them mainstream attention with tracks like "Begin the Begin" and "Superman." This collector edition includes postcards of the band from that time period, a new poster, and two CDs. The first CD is a remastered version of the classic album although other than improved clarity and levels, I didn't hear anything that was different from the original disc we all loved so much in our youths. The second CD has 19 previously unreleased tracks recorded by the band before the final studio sessions. The demos include early versions of songs that would later end up on this album like "Fall On Me" and "These Days." The demos tracks all have a rawness to them or are just sub par pop songs which means they will only appeal to the most ardent fans of the band.
Score: The remastered first disc gets a 8.5/10 while the second demos disc gets a 6.5/10 Song(s) to Sample: "These Days (Demo)" and "Flowers of Guatemala (Demo)"
Brian McKnightJust Me - The R&B singer/songwriter from Buffalo, NY releases his fourteenth studio album. This is another dual disc release with the first CD having 10 new tracks while the second CD is a recording of a live show McKnight did at the Avalon here in L.A. earlier this year. I wasn't able to preview a copy of the second disc so this review is based solely on the new tracks from the album. The disc starts well with the warm and sultry "Temptation" followed the reflective, R&B-heavy first single, "Fall 5.0." The quicker tempo "Husband 2.1" with its hard rocking electric guitar work is a real standout track that helps transition to the more melodic songs that populate the second half of the CD. McKnight's vocals are still silky and consistent over the entire disc and he still uses his melismatic style (ya' know, when he moves between multiple notes while singing just one word of the lyrics kinda like what Stevie Wonder is known for) very effectively to draw emotion to the otherwise somewhat bland lyrics. Just Me is an enjoyable listen that does lose some steam during the slower ballads but it's definitely worth checking out if you're a fan of the genre.
Score:8/10 Song(s) to Sample:"Husband 2.1" and "Without You"
YACHTShangri-La - YACHT is an electropop band with Jona Bechtolt and Claire L. Evans as the main members although they are joined by other musicians when playing on tour. Evans provides vocals on the majority of the tracks with Bechtolt, who began the band as a solo project, doing everything else on the album including the drums, guitars, bass, keyboards, and alternate vocals. This is YACHT's second studio album since Evans joined full-time and since changing labels to DFA Records.
The loose concept for this album, as you can first garner from the songs' titles and later as you listen to the lyrics of the individual tunes, is about finding some type of eternal bliss. Along this theme, "Utopia" opens the album with a funky bass line that plays well with their electropop style although the song never seems to go anywhere. Up next is the first single from the album, "Dystopia (The Earth Is on Fire)," which will further feed the comparisons the band gets to the Talking Heads with its synthesizer-heavy melody although the song is a much a homage to the Bloodhound Gang's classic "The Roof Is on Fire."
"I Walked Alone" features Bechtolt doing vocals in a manner that convincingly parrot's David Byrne's singing style on another Talking Heads-sounding track. The eponymous "Shangri-La" closes the album and it is a throwback jangle pop song that fully incorporates all the La's you see on the cover above into its cleverly arranged song with a sweeping hook that does its best to redeem any missteps that occurred on the album previously. The simple keyboard, lullaby-esque, melody that later layers in electric guitars and classical string instruments is absolutely enchanting although as a SoCal resident I'm not sure if I can completely agree with their "if I can't go to heaven/let me go to L.A." lyric.
Shangri-La is a fun album that will only increase YACHT's comparisons to the Talking Heads. In fact, on several of the songs where Bechtolt provides vocals, his tenor and pitch is nearly identical to David Byrne's although the similarities reach far beyond just their vocal styles and can be found in many different aspects from this release including on many of the tracks where Evans provides vocals. That is not to say that you need to be a fan of Talking Heads to like this album (although it certainly won't hurt) nor am I saying that all Talking Heads fans should rush out to get this album. But the similarities are even greater on this album than on their last release which first garnered the comparison.
This 10-track disk starts and ends very well although it does seem to lose its way during the middle of the album. Tracks like "One Step" and "Holy Roller" become monotonous early on although their lack of luster doesn't take away from the good songs that proceed or follow them. The loose concept of utopia is also explored pretty well throughout the album with the closing track doing its absolute best to put you in a state on unending bliss.
Score: 7.5/10 Song(s) to Sample:"Shangri-La" [sample it below] and "I Walked Alone"
Kaiser ChiefsFuture Is Medieval - The lads from Leeds named after a South African football/soccer club release their fourth studio album. This review is based on the 13-track (plus one instrumental hidden track) CD release although if you went to the band's website last month you had the option of purchasing a copy of the album early. Not only could you get a version of the album earlier than everyone else but you could have created your own version of the album with the site allowing you pick out ten of the twenty tracks they created for this release. Now let's find out how the version the band created scores.
The album opens with "Little Shocks" which feels like an Oingo Boingo song with its funky, new wave keyboard work driving the song over rambling electric guitar riffs and quick paced lyrics. "Long Way From Celebrating" has the feel of a hard jamming rock anthem with a big hook although I did find the lyrics somewhat confusing ("You're like a human TV/Spending time with you is some challenge/With a reaction guaranteed"--huh??). "Out of Focus" is a more subdued song with an enchanting keyboard melody during the refrain that, coupled with the more orchestral sound, I found to be a very sweeping track about trying to fit in even when you're not mentally ready to do so.
If I didn't know better, I'd think this is 80's new wave throwback week first with an album that draws comparisons to Talking Heads and now with an album that does its best at times to channel Danny Elfman's pre-movie scoring rock days mixed with a touch of Madness. There are a lot more piano driven songs on this album which helps to add to the throwback feel. However, overall, there's less catchy tunes and less of an overall album feel on Future Is Medieval than on any of their previous three releases. While not horrible album by any means, this is the band's most flawed and inconsistent release to date.
Score: 6.5/10 Song(s) to Sample: "Out of Focus"[sample it below] and "Heard It Break"
TeddybearsDevil's Music - The former grindcore band from Sweden that more recently reinvented themselves as an electronic rock and pop act releases its first studio album in five years. This review is based on the U.S. release of the album out today which is slightly different from the UK/European version of the disc. The same dozen tracks are given on both versions with the biggest differences between the two being the order of the tracks are changed and the vocal track of Mapei is replaced by one with Robyn on the song "Cardiac Arrest." What stays consistent is the impressive list of guest artists mainly providing vocals like Eve, B.o.B., The Flaming Lips, Cee Lo Green, and even The B-52s.
The difference between the UK and U.S. versions is noticeable immediately with the short instrumental track "Bukowksi" that closed the UK version opening the U.S. version of the album. From there "Rocket Scientist (featuring Eve)" really begins the album with heavy electric guitar work before the song is buoyed by nifty keyboard playing and Eve's digitally altered, quick tempo lyrics that fuses elctronica, pop and hip-hop into one fun song. "Crystal Meth Christian" featuring The Flaming Lips has a indie rock beat and tempo behind the electronic wizardry and synthesizers normally found on a Teddybears song to give us something that sounds unique from the other tracks on the album plus Wayne Coyne's silky vocal style is always a welcome addition to any release. "Cho Cha" features both Cee Lo and The B-52's, has a bass heavy rhythm, and seems to be a an ode to friendship between a man and his--uhm--cat.
Devil's Music is another fun and entertaining release that continues the electronica-heavy sound they began on their last album, Soft Machine. It doesn't display the same whimsy and cleverness as Soft Machine but it does manage to evoke the same level of fun especially when digested as a whole. The band's use of guest artists is also top notch creating songs that the guests can comfortably wrap themselves in without venturing too far from the overall electro style of album. The purely instrumental tracks are also blast taking you on an aural journey that you won't want to return from ("Glow In The Dark" and "Cisum Slived").
Score: 8/10 Song(s) to Sample:"Rocket Scientist (featuring Eve)," "Crystal Method Christian (featuring The Flaming Lips)" [sample it below] and "Glow In The Dark"
