Carrying on February's Music Writer's Exercise (#MWE), each day I listen to a new album and tweet a brief review of it. Then every two weeks compile those tweets here with some extra thoughts.
3/15: Sparks In Outer Space: I was ready call this an
okay-possible-grower with cool synths and humor, then "Dance
Godammit" confirmed it as more.
Why? Still plowing through
Sparks in preparation for FFS.
Anything else? Maybe a
better way to put it would have been that “Dance Godammit” made me rethink the
album. Much of the album feels “typical 80s,” but the final song seems to imply
that may have been intentional. Nowadays an artist attributing the vapid nature
of a work to irony happens a lot (see Ke$ha and Marina & the Diamonds’ Electra Heart), so if that’s indeed what
Sparks were doing here it would be very easy to just shrug and say, “So what?”;
the unfair consequence of any technique becoming so damn pervasive.
3/16: Bruno Mars' Doo-Wops & Hooligans: Portrays Mars
as a solid musical chameleon, but is that all he is? Highlight: "The Other
Side"
Why? I only know Bruno’s
singles, so I wanted to give his albums a spin.
Anything else? For the
longest time I put Bruno Mars in the same category as the Black Keys; acts who
don’t do anything outwardly wrong, in fact they do a lot right and ostensibly should
appeal to me, but something just doesn’t jive. Generally I like genre-hopping
and love soul, but Bruno’s debut doesn’t really feel like it possesses a strong
personality behind it to tie it all together. Even the most genre-defying
artists have something that strikes as quintessentially them. Bruno certainly
knows tons about music and how to write good tunes, but I don’t think the album
says anything about him. Some of the
tone shifts don’t help in that. The album goes from the sweet and romantic
“Just The Way You Are” and “Our First Time” to asshole mode in “Runaway Baby”
(and, if we’re being totally honest, “The Lazy Song.”) Not that artists should
never contradict themselves, just that when it’s that stark of a contrast (on a
debut, especially), I can’t help but think, “Who the hell are you?” And that’s
the problem. I could deal with genre-bending and contradicting lyrics, except
he does both and tries to be too many things at once without establishing his
own clear identity. I see why the album got big, but ultimately it doesn’t
really work for me.
3/17: Marina & the
Diamonds' Froot: Two big stand-outs
from this album are "Weeds" and "Savages," which exhibit
stunning brutal honesty.
Why? New release and I’ve
been meaning to check her out for a while.
Anything else? It took a while
for this album to grab me, but once it did it blew me away with Marina’s
honesty. Admitting one’s flaws and mistakes can be difficult and she does it so
well, as evidenced by tracks like “Blue” and “I’m a Ruin.” The latter of which
contains the great line, “It's difficult to move on when nothing was right and
nothing's wrong.”
3/18: Bruno Mars' Unorthodox Jukebox: He still works in
pastiche, but this feels more confident. "Treasure" and
"Moonshine" are undeniable.
Why? Finishing up Mr. Mars’
discography so far.
Anything else? Now this
album I dig. It suffers some of the same pitfalls of Bruno’s debut, but feels
more cohesive. I still don’t know if I know much about him, but this time he’s
much better at making me forget that fact. I prefer his performances on this
album, because it feels like he’s really throwing himself in it. One review
calls the album “oddly lyrically aggressive,” which I think contrasts the debut’s occasional lovey-dovey moments. Even though
those sweets moments where the best parts of Doo-Wops, they rang false set against songs like “Runaway Baby.” Basically,
if you’re going to be an asshole at least commit to it and go whole hog. Put it
this way: I’d much rather listen to “Gorilla” than “Grenade.” Both are
ridiculous and over dramatic, but I’d rather hear Bruno brag about his sexual
prowess than brag about guilt tripping someone with his suicidal ideation.
3/19: Sparks' Pulling Rabbits Out of a Hat: Charming
overall. I have a bit of a weakness for seductive synthpop like "Kiss Me
Quick.”
Why? Still plowing through
Sparks in preparation for FFS.
Anything else? According to
the album’s AllMusic review,
“Few sparks are struck here.” I disagree. As I said in the tweet, I think it’s
charming, especially in comparison to In
Outer Space. The title track is fun and sounds like what would happen if
Oingo Boingo wrote “Applause” by Lady Gaga. “Love Scenes,” “With All My Might,”
and the aforementioned “Kiss Me Quick” are quite lovely. I can see how one
would view it as generic for Sparks and I certainly wouldn’t choose this album
to die on a hill defending, but it’s charming enough for me, for whatever that’s
worth.
3/20: Ariana Grande's Yours Truly: Much has been made of the
albums 90s feel, but a big highlight is 50s/60s throwback "Tattooed
Heart."
Why? Wanted to finish off
Ariana’s discography so far.
Anything else? I enjoyed
this more than My Everything. I think
maybe that album tried too hard to be overtly sexual and this one just concerned
itself with showing off Ariana’s great voice. I love “Tattooed Heart” in
premise and execution. The vocal melody and strings have that classic sound
that makes me melt in happiness.
3/21: Marina & the
Diamonds' The Family Jewels: If the
idea of a musical baby between Fiona Apple and Sparks appeals to you, this is
for you.
Why? After enjoying Froot I’ve decided to go back and look
at Marina’s other records.
Anything else? Unlike Froot album grabbed me almost instantly.
The performances on Froot are definitely
more reserved, especially in comparison to this album. Sparks came to mind
immediately when listening to this and I thought that might have been due to
how much of them I’ve been listening to until I found multiple critics making
the same comparison. I love the bouncy, theatrical moments (like “Mowgli’s Road”)
almost as much as the more open moments (like “Obsessions” and “The Outsider.”)
The album shows someone who, despite maybe some insecurities, is absolutely
fearless musically and willing to try anything, which is greatly appealing.
3/22: Tokyo Police Club's Forcefield: Solid and enjoyable indie
pop/rock and sometimes that enough. Highlight: "Argentina Parts I, II,
III"
Why? A recommendation from
LoadingReadyRun’s Best of 2014 podcast(s).
Anything else? Again
restrictions making me sound more backhanded than I’d like. Granted I don’t
sound as harsh as some critics and fans that roasted this album for leaving the
band’s “original” sound in favor of something more radio friendly. Granted,
this was my first exposure to the band, so maybe they’re right about it being a
step back. Still, I found the album enjoyable and it makes me curious enough to
look into their previous work.
3/23: Sparks' Music That You Can Dance To: "The
Scene" & spoken word infused tracks "Shopping Mall Of Love"
& "Change" make up for a slow start.
Why? Still plowing through
Sparks in preparation for FFS.
Anything else? This can be
found on Spotify under the title Best of Sparks. Prior to listening to it I’d
read the AllMusic review, so I wasn’t too keen going in. It does have a slow
start and I wasn’t thrilled with their cover of Fingertips (I mean nothing can
beat Stevie Wonder),
but within seconds “The Scene” made up for it. The track reminds me a lot of
“The Reflex” by Duran Duran, so I can always get into that. Despite their
titles “Music That You Can Dance To” and “Let’s Get Funky” are decidedly not
dancey or funky and they’re kind of… plain. For Sparks, anyway. The quirks of
“Shopping Mall of Love” and “Change” make up for that, though. “Change” in
particular is simply magnificent musically, just heart-clenchingly wonderful. Overall,
the album has some fairly forgettable stuff, but the good stuff is really
great. I can’t see the whole album ever
being counted among my Sparks favorites, but some tracks definitely could.
(Missed March 24th, so I did two albums on the 25th)
3/25: Mini Mansions' The Great Pretenders: Majestic
psychedelia anchored by beautiful vocal melodies. Among the many highlights:
"Any Emotions"
Why? New release. Their bio
on Spotify describes them as “dark psych-pop” and I can’t deny Brian Wilson.
Anything else? I think I
might expand on this record in a full post. It’s really good. I wouldn’t be surprised if it ends up one of my favorites
of the year. Don’t be deceived by the title - they aren’t simply good mimics.
3/25: Marina & the
Diamonds' Electra Heart: A record
steeped in artifice and irony that's strongest when its vulnerability can shine
through.
Why? To round out her
discography.
Anything else? As I’ve said,
her brutal honesty that draws me to Marina, so I’m not all that keen on her
going the ironic route here. That said, I enjoy seeing her growth and how this
led to the more “human” sounding Froot.
Also, “Sex Yeah” is great.
3/26: Sparks' Interior Design: Aside from "Lots
of Reasons" not much sticks out. I don't know if it needs to grow on me or
is just forgettable
Why? Still plowing through
Sparks in preparation for FFS.
Anything else? I’m
conflicted about this record for reasons stated above. On the upside, “Lots of
Reasons” made me laugh; “You’re intelligent, but that’s no threat. I’ve been
reading every chance I get.” “Let’s Make Love” also sounds a lot like run-of-the-mill
synth-based love song, but it also has a sense of humor; “I’ve been waiting all
my life for someone I could stand.”
3/27: Orange Juice's Rip It Up: Feels a bit padded, but its
wit and grooves make up for it. Highlights: "A Million Pleading
Faces" and "Rip It Up"
Why? Earlier on in the day I’d
listened to Late Night Tales: Franz Ferdinand,
which probably influenced the decision to pick this over other albums saved in
my Spotify.
Anything else? According to
what I read this album came after the departure of key members and some record
company pressure, so that likely explains that sometimes padded vibe. It feels like
they were stretching for time. Despite all that, when it’s good, it’s great, so
any weakness is forgivable.
3/28: Sparks' Gratuitous Sax & Senseless Violins:
The kind of techno I really love, where sweetness and haunting beauty just wash
over you.
Why? Still plowing through
Sparks in preparation for FFS.
Anything else? I loved this record. So much so, that I
don’t know if I can coherently discuss it. It reminds me a great deal of their No. 1 In Heaven; lush and breathtaking
with a perfection that almost defies any discussion. It was worth going through
stuff like Interior Design to get to pieces as magnificent as “When Do I Get To Sing ‘My Way’” and “Frankly,
Scarlett, I Don’t Give A Damn.”
All albums available to stream on Spotify.
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