The Mercury-nominated Brit indie rock band release their fourth studio album and first since 2009.
This album actually came out a few weeks ago in the UK and should be coming out soon in the U.S. although Amazon and iTunes haven't listed a U.S. release date yet. It took me a few weeks to get my import copy of the album so let's not waste anymore time waiting for its review.
The album opens with an interesting but unusually somber (for the band) piano-driven and cello-including intro track, "When I Was Wild," which un-ironically begins lyrically, "Do I really need/to give an introduction?" That track immediately segues to the eponymous "National Health" which is a more typical Maximo Park song with quick tempo beats, a melody heavy on both piano and electric guitar riffs, and frontman Paul Smith rapid sing-song style of vocals.
For better and for worse, this disc is a more mature version of the band than we've seen before. "The Undercurrents" exhibits a previously unheard of restraint to their music with a simple 80-esque New Wave sensibility to it in an easily palatable ditty.
Whether or not their more adult sound appeals to you, there's enough that sounds like the band we've come to expect with the guitar and feedback heavy toe-tapper "Write This Down" where Smith's vim and vigorous singing style makes a loud and triumphant return.
Overall, The National Health is very good album and arguably the band's best since their debut album, A Certain Trigger. Although its only noticeable in a handful of songs, the slight update in their music's maturity won't appeal to all of their old fans but it does lead to a more diverse album in total with better paced peaks and valleys. The true fun of the album, however, still comes from the frenetic song style the band has exhibited since its inception.
Score: 7.5/10
Song(s) to Sample: "The Undercurrents", "Until the Earth Would Open" and "Wolf Among Men"
The Canadian folk-pop singer/songwriter releases his debut full-length studio album.
Okay, I won't lie--I was planning on reviewing the new Chris Brown CD this week but I wasn't able to get a copy of it in time (he was probably too busy getting into bar fights to get me a copy) so instead we're going with this first release from one of our neighbors from up North.
The easiest comparison I can make with Hyslop's music is that it is a less pop-y version of James Blunt's work or a more folk-y version of Andy Stochansky's. What makes Hyslop's songs standout is the pained timber he can add to vocals that add an extra level emotion to certain tracks.
For example, "The Mountain" features a pretty simple and stripped down piano and guitar melody but it's the affectation he is able to conjure through his vocals that give the track its oomph. In fact, the arrangements overall are very basic and teaming up with a top-notch producer would help add some needed life to future albums.
Overall, Where The Mountain Meets The Valley is a subdued release where Hyslop's pained vocals are the real highlight. Unfortunately the songs themselves don't show a lot of life or personality with dull songwriting and dumbed down arrangements. If you're in the mood for sad folk music, you might want to give the disc a spin. Otherwise, you won't miss out on anything if you skip this release.
Score: 4/10
Song(s) to Sample: "What Have I Done" and "The Mountain"
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