Forth (2008, RED) The Verve's fourth studio album. ***
When the single "Bittersweet Symphony" was released, the Verve were launched to superstardom. It came with a price, as they would have to release 100% of the royalties of their hit single because of unwarranted sampling. The band became involved heavily with drugs. Finally, the tension between Ashcroft and McCabe broke, and the Verve dissolved before they could release a follow up to Urban Hymns.
Forth then (almost) answers one of the long-debated questions in recent music history; what would have happened to the Verve had they stayed together? They would have been unquestionably the biggest band in the world, and even back home they were considered the leaders of the British alternative scene. The answer is that it's monotonous, but that's not because they have run out of good ideas. It's been nearly ten years since they were writing music together, and Ashcroft used a lot of material - albeit mostly bland - for his solo work, so we find them struggling to come up with anything fresh. Forth is not hard to listen to, but it's not engaging, either. Only two songs, "Love is Noise" and "Valium Skies" are standouts, but more so for wrong reasons. "Love is Noise" features a strange, well, noise that sounds like barking throughout its duration, and "Valium Skies" is the poorer cousin of "Bittersweet Symphony."
It's not that the Verve aren't good songwriters or performers, but the album is ten years too late. It is true that Forth is not as heavily steeped in shoegaze as other releases, but without the biting lyrics, without Ashcroft's emotional vocals (he sounds weathered now), and without impact of their earlier work, the Verve's "comeback" is more saddening than anything else. They are a band who should have come back in flying colors, but it seems like they're the only ones marching in the parade with no one to watch. Pleasant material, none of it memorable. And thus is the tragedy of the Verve in the US. (Love is Noise, Rather Be, Valium Skies)
Oceans Will Rise (2008, Arts & Crafts) The Stills' third studio album. ****
The best part of Oceans Will Rise is its culmination of three great bands; Radiohead, Coldplay, and Muse. The Stills borrow from each appropriately while keeping good aesthetic distance, and the end result is an accessible album with a darker picture painted in the lyrics. They manage to do several important things the right way. First, they're able to keep the material radio-friendly and memorable. "Being Here" is the obvious highlight with Fletcher's soaring vocals and Hamelin's Edge-like guitar riff. Second, they know how to work dynamics; there's never a point where the album gets too loud for too long, nor does it start off rocking and then slip into snoozing acoustic tranquility. Third, they get their message across without ramming it down everyone's throat, and they recognize that being louder doesn't make the message more so. With that, they succeeded where Black Holes and Revelations failed, which started with three masterful songs but then didn't know when to tune it down a bit.
Whether it's the percussion rally on "Snakecharming the Masses," the soft electronic whirl of "Snow in California," the melancholy "Everything I Build," or the indie-inspired "Panic," the Stills demonstrate that they've learned a lot from their last record. For this "post-rock" group (an idiotic label in itself), Oceans Will Rise is a triumph. (Snow In California, Being Here, Eastern Europe)
Dark Shades of Blue (2008, Anti) Xavier Rudd's fifth studio album. ***1/2
Xavier Rudd has more of a sound than a specific genre that he fits into. It's not necessarily complex, as it allows him to transcend from musical realm to musical realm. Take the first ten seconds, even; the fade-in of the guitar distortion is nearly identical to "Foxey Lady" before it dives into an instrumental in the vein of something from Jeff. He relies on several unorthodox instruments to complete his sound; harshly distorted and reverbed guitar accompanied by didgeridoos? Impressive. The underlying Hammond organ plays an integral role in the gloomy reggae-inspired "Secrets." He doesn't just rely on blues and prog rock, he also pulls influences from Middle Eastern and African music as well (particularly with the percussion). Dark Shades of Blue is a record that is more easily experienced than described, as its fairly low-volume instrumentation makes a stronger statement with its subtleties than it would full-speed. And since I'm not a real music critic and am honestly having trouble to describe the album, this review is not very good. (Dark Shades of Blue, Guku, This World as We Know It)
Firecracker People (2008, Bar/None) Hotel Lights' second studio album. ****
Few fans of Ben Folds have ever really wondered what happened to Goodman and Jessee after Ben Folds Five split, and even fewer probably cared. And why should they? The frontman had already proved he was a great songwriter, and his emerging solo career was further proof of his skills. But if a Ben Folds fan ever does happen to cross Hotel Lights, they may go back and listen to Whatever and Ever Amen more closely. Sure, Folds dominated the trio throughout their tenure, but Jessee was involved in writing some of the group's better material, including songs like "Kate" and "Brick" (the latter of which Goodman shares credit as well).
Finally, Jessee has broken out and released Firecracker People, an eclectic mix of wonderfully gripping songs that are very memorable. The formula is great; Jessee takes songwriting duties and sings as well - and he's remarkably good. His voice is soft most of the time and doesn't venture to suggest that he has any sort of range. It's all above-baritone delivery, yet it's not high tenor. But it works, as Hotel Lights isn't as explosive as Ben Folds Five was, rather, it's more subdued like Broken Social Scene. And although many of the tunes do have that Folds-tinged sound, it still writhes with originality, especially the album's finest cuts like the rolling title track or the elevating "Chemical Clouds," which pulls the trick of never seemingly reaching the peak you expect it to. The opening isn't electric, but it's engaging, as "Blue Always Finds Me" and "Dream State Flying" are melodic enough to bring anyone in.
The album's finest moment, though, is the neo-psychedelic "Norina." Jessee sings, "Norina, your man is a ghost," and in the chorus simply sings a beautifully reverbed "Ahhh" that is a better statement than most everything else on the album. Jessee has a knack for writing unpredictably catchy songs, and Weatherhead's production is astounding. This is another alternative rock singer-songwriter who everyone should keep their eyes on. Not many drummers write music as gorgeous as this. (Firecracker People, Norina, Chemical Clouds)
Nothing is Precious Enough For Us (2008, Sub Pop) Death Vessel's second studio album. ***1/2
Probably the most shocking thing I discovered about Death Vessel was that the singer, Joel Thibodeau, is, well... a guy. Upon my first listen to Nothing is Precious Enough For Us, I didn't for any moment doubt that the singer was a woman with a decent voice. It wasn't until I did a little research that I found that Thibodeau had quite a... unique falsetto.
The style is a very laid-back folk approach, as refreshing as Iron & Wine was when he first came about. But unlike Iron & Wine or Bon Iver, Death Vessel has a much more uppity feel to it. While there are slow moments, Nothing is Precious Enough For Us can be bouncy on numbers like the bluegrass "Obadiah in Oblivion." And Thibodeau proves to be a great composer on some of the album's earlier moments, most notably the dreamy "Block My Eye," or the innocent child-like tune "Jitterakadie." It's all relatively simple stuff, never diving into the strange studio sounds that The Shepherd's Dog has. It's about as raw as raw can get, and that's a mixed blessing, because while Death Vessel has the sincerity of his folk peers, the production values aren't as clear as an album like Fleet Foxes, which manages to both be organic and ear-friendly. Sadly, a collection of exceptional tunes is brought down a tad by hiss-tape-like production.
Bits (2008, Sub Pop) Oxford Collapse's fourth studio album. ***
While portraying themselves as an indie rock band, Oxford Collapse seems to be far more rooted in post-punk. Yes, all the late-nineties influences are plentiful in Bits, but it's impossible to deny that there are also hints of Against Me! hidden sporadically. Bits isn't a brilliant album and through its course it accomplishes very little, and while there are not many moments that are as brilliant as "The Birthday Wars," there are even fewer that are as painstakingly awful as "Young Love Delivers," riddled with obnoxious and bratty "Whoa"s that are intentionally delivered that way (a subconscious attempt to drive people away). Oxford Collapse have done much better, but they need to mature a little bit, as their shtick is getting tired fast. A little bit of a new direction may be in order.
Into the Galaxy (2008, Siberia) Midnight Juggernauts' third studio EP. **1/2
Last year we were lucky enough to experience Dystopia, the debut album of this very talented Australian trio. Of all of their material, "Into the Galaxy" was one of the top songs, featuring a dreamy, almost video-game-like synth lead-in, and wonderfully strange falsetto during the chorus. The EP of the same name features the radio cut of the title track as well as three remixes. It's not fair to blame Midnight Juggernauts for some rather low-quality material resulting from their work. And it's even strange, as Grandmaster Flash doesn't create an adequate remix. Perhaps the band should take the crummy remakes as a compliment; "Into the Galaxy" is a great song, and nothing here really can hold a candle to the original.
Midnight Man (2008, Mute) Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds' seventh studio EP. ***
Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!! has been one of the most critically acclaimed albums of the year. And All Music Guide has been kind to nearly their entire catalogue, which is racked with four-to-five star albums. Midnight Man is interesting only, not actually something completely worthwhile. Bascially, the early versions of "More News From Nowhere" and "Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!!" are the most engaging to listen to, but purely for the fact of wondering how they took form to their completed counterparts on the main album. In the end, though, it's only truly notable for die-hard fans.
Here are a handful of albums that hardly deserve a full-length review. Duds consist of albums that have received a rating of two stars or less.
12 Steps (2008, Defend) Tittsworth's first studio album. **
Tired beats interspersed with bits of untalented rappers being unbelievably cliche and stereotypical. Dance/rap that only nerds will identify with once the cool kids get tired of it.
Waiting for the Sun (2008, Secretly Canadian) David Vendervelde's second studio album. **
Unfortunately for Vandervelde, he can't sing worth shit. Some will find his voice intriguiging, but it's almost as annoying as Geddy Lee's. His songwriting isn't bad, but there's certainly nothing memorable about it, either.
The Old Days Feeling (2008, Modern Radio) Mirah's ninth studio album. **
Mirah's brand of anti-folk isn't nearly as clever or interesting as Regina Spektor's, and her unorthodox song structure and length aren't original in the way she thinks they are; she's different for the sake of it, not because she actually is.
Look at Life Again Soon (2008, Take Root) The Ettes' third studio album. ***
The Ettes instantly conjure up images of their obvious influences - the White Stripes, the Black Keys, the Kills, and early the Go (from their first LP, Whatcha' Doin'). They're far more than knee-deep in the garage and punk rock sound, though they've almost completely abandoned the blues. And that's okay, they don't want to be a cheap imitation. At the same time, though, the Ettes aren't nearly as explosive as any of their predecessors, and it's not like the lost energy is made up in sex appeal, as Lindsay Hames' voice is high pitched and tinny, only appearing less so because of the thin layer of distortion that haunts her performance throughout the album. Look at Life Again Soon is truly hit-and-miss, as tunes like "Crown of Age" don't hold a candle to undeniably catchy ones like "I Heard Tell."
After a long period of people completely disowning disco - not just the music, but everything that it touched - it seems as if it has finally managed to creep back into modern music. Disco isn't necessarily something that will see a revival; perhaps Saturday Night Fever will get more playtime on cable TV, but things like males wearing platform shoes are most definitely gone. Although disco may not have the power that it had in the late 70's, modern spins on it now offer people an alternative to cruddy rap that you can hear at any nightclub. So how did this even happen? How can something that has been readily mocked for twenty years suddenly be cool again? The evolution isn't all that surprising.
When disco seemingly died in the 80's, it actually just split itself into two factions; house and hip-hop. The hip-hop side of it was still danceable, and its own evolution into various incarnations of rap music is another story in itself. Although a branch of rap itself, hip-hop has always been more music-oriented than rap-oriented, and its danceability eventually turned a certain genre of rap to appeal to clubs the way house did; deep, heavy beats, loud bass, and a catchy - albeit in most cases mindless - chorus. House was far less popular in the mainstream than hip-hop, as it was purely made for dancing, not the radio. It was characterized by its constant beat and random placement of other instruments, sometimes accompanied by vocals (which, in most cases, was not only rare, but when it did happen, was completely repetitive). It, too, branched off into various genres, and it was artists in the late 90's who varied its sound that made it popular to wider audiences.
Among those artists were the French duo Daft Punk, whose revelatory 1997 album Homework redefined techno. By breaking into the mainstream, their influence was direct on countless artists and spun incalculable experimental techno and electronica artists, and in many cases even rock artists who were interested in incorporating electronic elements in their music. And then, in the early 2000's, plenty of artists began to pay attention to what was driving the electronica movement, and blending of moods came together. For instance, Daft Punk and Moby were moreso on the techno side, known for thick beats and, in the case of DP, harsh, robotic vocals. On the other side of the coin was ambient electronica, and arguably the most influential among modern artists is Boards of Canada. The only thing that their music held to electronica was that it was made with computers, as it was completely and utterly removed from dance elements. Their classic 1998 album Music Has the Right to Children helped to seal what would come.
A great (unknown) example of mixing ambience and harsh techno was Royksopp's 2001 debut Melody A.M., categorized as downbeat electronica. No, it wasn't the first of its kind, but it was an exceptional album that, while not energetic enough to be dance music, kept the warm nature of ambience while adding toe-tapping beats. Soon after, James Murphy created the identity of LCD Soundsystem, a force that would majorly influential in the return of disco. He - unknowingly or not - upped what bands like Royksopp were doing; he made the beats a little louder, the music more intense and intricate, yet shyed away from the easy and overused tempoes that characterized house. His 2007 masterpiece Sound of Silver introduced songs like "Get Innocuous!" that were heavily influenced by disco. And even before then, random bits were found sporadically. Even Feist covered a Bee Gees' song on her 2004 debut Let It Die.
2008, however, has proven a powerhouse for true disco to stage a comeback. While some artists only dabble in it (MGMT's "Electric Feel," for example), other artists are engulfing themselves. Hot Chip's release earlier this year, Made in the Dark, is characterized by its lead single "Ready for the Floor," a heavily disco-inspired groove. And while other artists last year like Midnight Juggernauts flaunted with it on tracks like "Into the Galaxy," bands like Hercules and Love Affair are blatantly calling their music disco. And it's not like this stuff is being disowned, critics are eating it up. Why? It may have been labeled as stupid shortly after it went out of style, but the truth of the matter is that while its lyrics may be coded to mean dirty things, it is in no way as outwardly trashy as club rap today. Disco is good dance music, infectious and entertaining, and it will up the experimentation for electronica in the twenty-first century.
SIDE ARTICLE:Blondie's "Heart of Glass" Vs. Feist's "Inside and Out"
Although it's possible that it is completely unintentional, Feist's video of the disco song "Inside and Out" by the Bee Gees contains many similarities to the video for Blondie's 1979 hit "Heart of Glass." Yes, they may seem arbitrary, but it is noteworthy.
Blondie - Heart of Glass
Feist - Inside and Out
Blondie's video is characterized by simplicity; it's almost completely focused on her, and she keeps her attention solely focused on the camera. Also, her movement is slight but important; although I wouldn't call it dancing, you can see that she is moving to the music, bouncing up and down. Feist's video isn't all that different. No, she's not with her band performing the song, but she is the target of the video. Most of the shots are of Feist up close, and she, too, is only looking at the camera. This is interesting because unlike in the late 70's, many videos today feature idiotic side stories and/or intersperse shots with the artist. Feist's video, whenever focused on her, always shows her lip syncing, just like Blondie does in her video. And Feist's movement, simple walking, gives her the same slight bounce that Blondie has.
Feist's other music videos also tend to focus on her, but if you look at her two most popular, "1234" and "Mushaboom," they contain hordes of extras, but "Inside and Out" does not. However, it should be noted that "Inside and Out" was not directed by Patrick Daughters, the director who Feist usually works with and who directed "1234" and "Mushaboom" among others.
Human Destination (2008, Beat the World Records) The Upsidedown's second studio album. **1/2
The Upsidedown should be commended for writing decent songs, and some might even think to congradulate them on their 'sound.' Thing is, the Upsidedown don't really have one. They dabble in Velvet Underground neo-psychedelia, Stooges garage rock, and early 2000's post-punk. And from song to song they're wildly unpredictable, completely morphing their assumed persona from the preceding track. Human Destination can only truly be described as mind-boggling, as even the band doesn't seem completely sure in what they're doing to the point that they recycle different formats throughout the album; psychedlia, garage, post-punk, in that order, again and again. It's not that the material is bad, it's just that Jsun Atoms' Lou Reed impression works only sometimes, and Human Destination is so disjointed that it functions more as a collection of songs by a band struggling with direction rather than a comprehensive album. If at any point they figure out how to focus, they could be formidable.
Forth (2008, RED) The Verve's fourth studio album. ***
Waiting for the Sun (2008, Secretly Canadian) David Vendervelde's second studio album. **
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