05th Apr2011

Album Reviews: The Mountain Goats – All Eternals Deck

by Adam Finley

When you put on a Bob Dylan record, whether it’s Blood On The Tracks or Under The Red Sky, you know it’s a Dylan record though the two albums have little in sonic relation. It’s rare to find an artist with such a strongly developed core sound that isn’t afraid to switch the formula up on a regular basis. The transition for John Darnielle has been a slow one– for a decade and a half he essentially was The Mountain Goats, only making the unit an official trio in 2008, but since 2005′s The Sunset Tree every Mountain Goats release has broken new ground in terms of subject, sound, and atmosphere. And from the opening plunking guitar, meandering piano chords, and calls to the “brave young cowboys of the near north side”, All Eternals Deck feels like a Mountain Goats record. And a bit more as well.

Watch “Birth Of Serpents” Live On Letterman

The Pros

All Eternals Deck has everything you would expect from a Darnielle release: simple (though not simplistic) arrangements and image-laden lyrics sung with great conviction. But he steps his game up a notch: “Estate Sale Sign” is perhaps the single most aggressive track in the entire Mountain Goats catalog, like “Dilaudid” if you replaced the cello with snake venom. On “High Hawk Season” we have a near-full barbershop quartet. And on “Outer Scorpion Squadron” and the excellent “Never Quite Free” Darnielle actually sings.

Listen To “Estate Sale Sign”

The Cons

Everyone knows that Darnielle’s lyrics can occasionally cross a line into the land of trying-so-hard-to-be-deep-its-shallow– at this point that’s like complaining about the quaver in Conor Oberst’s voice on any Bright Eyes album. Much like that quaver’s slow retreat from recent Oberst recordings, Darnielle’s lyrics have become more focused and precise. Almost (gulp!) understated. Some of the most effective lines on All Eternals Deck don’t immediately jump out at you– they settle in devastatingly slow.

A more pressing complaint is that the album starts like many other Mountain Goats albums, and there is a real danger that those ambivalent towards previous Mountain Goats releases will quit before things get really interesting. If you previewed this on Amazon or itunes but was turned away after “Damn These Vampires” and “Birth of Serpents”, give it another shot– this time starting from somewhere in the middle.

The Verdict

The world of music criticism is famously fickle, especially in an age where the combination of two or three web sites can cause a tsunami of hype from which no band could escape. But John Darnielle has maintained a longevity as a critical (bordering on commercial) darling basically ever since he picked up a guitar and began recording songs about Quetzalcoatl on a shitty boombox. Since those days each new project has felt similar yet tangibly different. It’s a testament to Darnielle’s talent and, like Dylan’s ability to be any one else in music and Dylan at the same time, it’s really special. I’m not willing to nominate this for album of the year just yet, but it was a slow first quarter so when we do our mid-year round-up, don’t be surprised if this is listed.

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04th Apr2011

Album Reviews: Gil Scott-Heron & Jamie xx – We’re New Here

by Adam Finley

Gil Scott-Heron is a dust-old African-American poet who is enjoying a late-career resurgence. Jamie xx is a British producer and electronic guru (he played an MPC live before Kanye made it trendy). It would seem that these two have little in common, but there are parallels between them: Scott-Heron has always dabbled in music– from the early ’70s he utilized congas and woodwinds, and on rare occasion he actually sang. Much like Jamie xx’s predilection toward minimalist techno, Scott-Heron’s poetry is infused with enough inherent musicality to not require a heavy hand at the production board. In fact, Richard Russell admitted that his production on Scott-Heron’s I’m New Here (the sessions from which We’re New Here was mainly culled) was heavily influenced by the Jamie xx’s production style.

Listen To “Running” While You Read

The Pros

There is a synergy at work here– otherwise less-than-stellar arrangements are enhanced by Scott-Heron’s gruff baritone and world-weary words, and Heron’s most tender moments, as on “My Cloud”, feel more vulnerable with the subdued backing keyboard and hissing electro-thump. The final tracks of the album shine especially bright with lonesome guitar lines, plaintive piano, and a driving clap creating an airy cloak that fits Scott-Heron’s poetry perfectly. It’s amazing what kind of intimacy Jamie xx developed between the music and lyrics considering that they were composed separately and recorded months apart and consist partially of Scott-Heron’s studio banter and experimenting.

The Cons

Not all of Jamie xx’s arrangements are spot on. The remix of (former) title track “I’m New Here” is a little over-the-top with a shrill female voice singing some kind of counterpoint, and follow-up “Home” feels much longer than three minutes. There are moments when this just sounds like ambient music tossed behind a poet, but thankfully those moments are minimal.

The Verdict

It’s really good, bordering on great, and sounds more like an actual collaboration than I would have imagined. We’re New Here combines the burgeoning musical world of UK club kids with the long-gone days of the post-Harlem Renaissance search for identity in a broke and broken America. Scott-Heron may know little about the former, and Jamie xx may know little about the latter, but their artistic styles mesh exceedingly well.

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17th Mar2011

Album Reviews: The Bony King Of Nowhere – Eleonore

by Adam Finley


The Bony King of Nowhere is the work of Bram Vanparys, a shockingly young (he still qualifies for a youth Eurail pass) Belgian composer and songwriter. Vanparys and his songs sound simultaneously old and new, building on a strong Western European folk tradition and propelling it to new heights with hints of modern folk acts. His newest album, Eleonore, came out last month and I must say that the indie music press has slept on this one. It’s fantastic, and not enough people are talking about it.

Listen To “The Garden” While You Read

The Pros

Eleonore is a near-perfect combination of classic British folk ala Nick Drake and modern European singer-songwriters ala Teitur Lassen, with hints of nu-folk ala The Dodos. Eleonore hangs together incredibly well and while the songs flow together into a well-written, well-mixed, well-ordered whole, the songs also stand on their own individually. They’re sweet without being cloying, fragile without being whiney, and the arrangements are simple yet brutally effective– I’ve had one or more track stuck in my head each day for the past two weeks.

The Cons

Some might say that Eleonore is a little staid– that it isn’t new-sounding or edgy enough. But that’s like complaining that penguins would be better if they flew. And shot lightning from their eyes. And shit diamonds. Why mess with something that is totally awesome on its own?

The Verdict

This is rich music with a rich tradition executed perfectly. You can breeze through Eleonore early in the morning to get into your day, after work with a scotch, or just before bed. It’s relaxing and uplifting at once, and honestly one of the best things I’ve heard all year. The fact that Bram Vanparys isn’t world famous blows my mind, but I have a feeling that will change soon– he’s already working on his next album, and he’s soundtracking a new Bouli Lanners film. If either of these projects gives The Bony King Of Nowhere a wider public platorm you can expect a huge reaction to follow.

 

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09th Feb2011

Album Reviews: Cage The Elephant – Thank You Happy Birthday

by Adam Finley

If you paid attention to the general musical landscape between 1995 and 2008 then you know exactly what Cage The Elephant sounds like already. It’s like Beck fronting the Yah Mos Def, or the guy from Deer Tick recording with White Stripes and Citizen Kane. It has a 2000′s indie feel with hints of late 90′s DIY alt-punk and a dash of ‘don’t give a fuck’. Thank You Happy Birthday, the band’s second proper album on Relentless Records, is a Frankenstein of sounds that came before it. They are used to decent effect most of the time, but they are still a mish-mash of new and old styles purporting to be the next big thing.

Check Out “Shake Me Down” (one of the better cuts):

The Pros

These songs have a way of worming their way into your head and sticking around for a little while. ‘Always Something’ is immediately catchy, and ‘Aberdeen’ has a soaring chorus that MGMT would be proud of. ‘Indy Kidz’ is a cautionary tale (sort of) about not trying to be like everyone else… which might actually makes you like someone else. It’s so fucking hipster ironic that I should hate it, but something about the way it slides off the rails just as you’re getting sick of it makes me appreciate it. The rest of the album is similar– sloppy, driving, and modestly enjoyable.

The Cons

Albums typically have a peaking effect where it takes a couple of listens to get into it, and then you have a bunch enjoyable listens before it starts to feel old. The peak for this album happened sooner and was over much faster. The majority of this is generic indie-pop from the past 15 years slammed together in what appears to be a synergistic attempt to sound “indie” and sell records. Cage The Elephant’s web site is a graphic-laden wonderland that at one point featured the word ‘re-tweet’ and entreated the buyer to purchase  the 120-gram, single gatefold vinyl and “add a hoodie” to the order, which makes me want to shit hot fire. More importantly, it makes me wish the guys put as much effort into making this album as they are into selling it.

The Verdict

Thank You Happy Birthday has the feel of a $100 hair cut designed to make you look like you just rolled out of bed. There’s something carefully controlling its chaotic moments, and it has a distinctly commerce-driven flavor to me. Not that this means the music is necessarily bad but if this was Pacman the body would be standard, derivative indie-pop and the mouth would be innovation. It’s not a huge amount of innovation but still a reason to give this album a listen. Maybe two. Probably not more.

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04th Feb2011

Album Reviews: Amanda Palmer – Amanda Palmer Goes Down Under

by Adam Finley

Indie-rap auteurs Atmosphere, who made Minnesota the tiny blip it is on the hip-hop radar, are going on a homecoming tour and have released a posse cut called “Minnesota Nice” and a line of apparel trading on that theme. From a cynical standpoint this could be seen as a cash grab but seriously, tours are fucking expensive and Slug and Ant gotta eat. So if an indie-rap duo touring their home state needs a little merch money to keep the wheels rolling, imagine what a tour of Australia must cost. Major and minor bands alike tend to bypass Oz on the world tour route. Case in point: while living in Adelaide in 2007, I saw Steely Dan perform on their first ever tour of Australia.

All of this leads to Amanda Palmer, whose career I have followed since the first Dresden Dolls LP in 2003 (what can I say? I love the dark, artsy, piano-playing type). More importantly, she’s a hell of a songwriter and performer who put the dark cabaret scene on the map. Amanda recently toured Australia and released her own version of a posse album. From looking at the cover and track list (“Australia”, “New Zealand”, “Doctor Oz”, “Map of Tasmania”, etc.), and on the heels of an all-ukulele cover album of Radiohead songs, this looked awful to me. I wanted to hate this, but I couldn’t. It’s really not bad. Some of it is actually very good.

The Pros

It’s everything you would expect from an Amanda album: cheeky, melodramatic, offbeat, and fun. Whereas many bands try hard to fit within a certain niche of modern indie music, Amanda manages to constantly grow while always sounding like herself.

The first track is a ukulele cover of “Makin’ Whoopie”, performed at the Sydney Opera House, and Amanda has the audience laughing from beginning to end. The second track is a gorgeous piano ballad about the decision to stay with a lover or run off to Australia. Next is the hilarious “Vegemite (The Black Death)” followed by “Map of Tasmania”, Amanda’s ode to female pubic hair featuring the Young Punx and a distinctly Aussie throwback vibe.

Check It Out

This is an obviously offhand collection of songs designed for a specific time, place, and audience, but it holds together pretty well as an album and showcases Amanda’s strength as a performer. Her songwriting has developed even from her earlier solo work and she manipulates meter and rhyme expertly. The guest appearances are not wasted, and every song on this album is funny in one way or another. If Amanda ever decides to step down as Queen of the Dark Cabaret she definitely has a future in musical comedy.

The Cons

It’s a little too close to an hour for what it is, and the second half is less entertaining than the first. There’s a second vegemite-related track but this time around it’s just her cracking wise at the audience, and “New Zealand” lacks all the heft and subtlety of “Australia” (indeed, she only wrote it because some kiwi asked “where’s our song?”)

The Verdict

Amanda Palmer Goes Down Under is not her finest work, but it’s also not packaged or released as such. Amanda knew what this was from the start– an international posse cut for kangaroos and bowie knives made for shits and giggles and maybe a few bucks. It’s a trifle of an album, but it’s a neat little trifle. I would take her semi-pandering, goof-off songs over a shitty cookie-cutter Best Coast or Wavves track any day.

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17th Jan2011

Album Reviews: Pendulum – Immersion

by Adam Finley

I was the kid who mixed a little bit of every drink from the soda fountain together into one brownish carbonated concoction. Okay, so adding Ginger Ale and Root Beer to the mix wasn’t a great idea, but I never knew how well Sunkist complemented Pepsi until I drank them together. Add some Dr. Pepper in there? Genius! Point is: mixing a bunch of semi-related shit together has its benefits.

Pendelum is a little like this– a band whose albums have always been a mish-mash of differing styles. Their first was a drum and bass electro-romp; their second had heavy rock influences. My first thought upon seeing the tracklist to Pendulum’s new album Immersion was that they’d gone down the road of ornery metal bands that try to underscore how deep they are by naming all their tracks over-the-top violent things, like “Piles of Broken Bodies” or “Nails On A Chalkboard… of Death.”

Listen While You Read


The tracklist for Immersion features “Salt In The Wounds” (above), “Set Me On Fire”, and “The Vulture”, all of which sound like a crappy metal band’s crappiest songs. Luckily, this is not the case. Pendulum knows what it is, plays to its strength (mostly), and has turned in a solid album.

The Pros

I have to give it up to Pendulum if only because most electronic-based artists are so busy trying to stay at the perfect BPM to keep people dancing that they forget how effective a simple change in tempo can be in adding depth to a song. Pendulum alternately sounds like an electro-thrash tribute to 80s pop, a trance DJ remixing Linkin Park, a screamo band trying to be heard in a European disco, and a reggae-influence punk-rock-rave group. Some of the tracks are hit and miss, but most are right on the money.

The singles (“Watercolour” and “Witchcraft”) are clearly the most radio-friendly here, but that doesn’t make them the standouts. I would pit the no-apologies techno blast of “Salt In The Wounds” and the well-mixed slowdown track “Set Me On Fire” with its dubstep influences and varied instrumentation against those two any day.

The Cons

The end falls apart a little, with a couple of tracks that abandon the most interesting elements of the album and sound basically like a third-rate metal band playing over a breakbeat. It’s the downside of bands with a penchant for experimentation– no matter how good they are, they aren’t spot-on 100% of the time.

The Verdict

A lot to love here from a band with a history of putting both hands in the musical pot and flailing wildly. Not every track is an unqualified success, but the majority are. It’s just a reminder that no matter how much people argue over whether Coke or Pepsi is better, the invisible third option is to just mix them together in a bucket with a little Strawberry Fanta and drink it. Shit’s delicious.

GOOD

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