Carrying on the Music Writer's Exercise (#MWE) from February 2015 and 2016, each day I listen to a new album and tweet a brief review of it. Then I compile those tweets in a post with some extra or expanded thoughts.
3/2: Honeyblood – Honeyblood: Closer “Braid Burn Valley” best exemplifies their blend of noise pop and evocative lyrics.
Why? Spotify included “Killer Bangs” on my Discover Weekly playlist and I decided to check out the rest of their stuff.
Additional Thoughts: I enjoy this album. I love the drive and bounce of “Killer Bangs” and how “Joey” and “Bud” show flares of 50s/60s girl groups. However, I feel like it leans too heavily on reverb and Smith-esque haze, especially in the beginning. And of course I’ve enjoyed dream pop type stuff in the past, but getting heavy with reverb can lead to problems. Not only can it cause multiple songs to run together and become less distinct (which can work, but doesn’t always), but it can also hurt individual songs and hamper reaching their full potential. Take “Fortune Cookie,” which has a great melody but buries the vocals under so much fuzz and haze. That said, Honeyblood has potential, so I look forward to keeping up with them.
3/3: Otis Redding & Carla Thomas – King & Queen: “Are You Lonely For Me, Baby?” allows them to both blend and hold their own.
Why? I’ve been working through Redding’s discography since he’s been on my list for a while.
Additional Thoughts: It’s… okay. Unfortunately, I don’t know if this is due to how it was recorded or how it was mixed, but Otis sounds far away. Not metaphorically either. He sounds backed up away from the microphone and/or Carla. Once I noticed it, I couldn’t ignore it and it really hurts the album. It’s a duet record, after all, part of the appeal is the interplay and chemistry between the performers and it’s hard to pick up on that when one of them sounds like he’s five feet away most of the time. That said, Carla does have a lovely voice, Otis is great, of course, and “Lovey Dovey” is an awesome track with some great interaction.
3/8: Otis Redding – The Dock of the Bay: Bittersweet that this posthumous release contains some of his happiest tracks.
Why? Finishing up his discography.
Additional Thoughts: I can’t go too deep into this compilation here, because it’s part of the RS500. However, I will say that this is where I’m going to stop with his work, at least as far as the daily album tweets are concerned. A couple of his other posthumous releases and concert recordings are on the RS500 and I’ll probably get to them eventually. I have very conflicted feelings when it comes to any artist’s posthumous work, but I made an exception for this one since it was released quite close to his death. Also, it’s apparently mostly B-sides and older album tracks, which isn’t the same as releasing unfinished demos or stuff that had been shelved.
3/8: Lily & Madeleine – Keep It Together: Sometimes jangley, sometimes trippy, always held together by ethereal vocals.
Why? 2016 release.
Additional Thoughts: It’s alright. I like the music itself and the mood I think the album might be going for, but I still wish there was more variety in the vocals. The album already has a 60s/70s soft rock sorta vibe, which can make distinguishing the individual song difficult and the vocals staying at mostly the same intensity and emotion throughout adds to that difficulty. But I dig the beat of “Hotel Pool” and “Hourglass,” which is one of the more upbeat tracks, relatively speaking. The lyrics didn’t jump out at me much, except for one very relatable line from “Westfield,” which goes “Talk about the next five years, it makes me feel weird.”
3/10: Whitney Houston – Just Whitney: A sonic back to basics with great vocals, but the spotlight has taken its toll.
Why? I’ve been working through her studio discography as well.
Additional Thoughts: I mean, it definitely has its strengths and good songs, but damn a lot of it is uncomfortable to listen to and I doubt my discomfort is just a result of everything that occurred in Whitney’s life afterward. There’s no way this content wasn’t uncomfortable for some to listen to in the wake of the “crack is whack” debacle, especially songs like “Unashamed,” “Whatchulookinat,” “Try It On My Own,” and “Tell Me No” (“Tell me no and I’ll dig my feet right in.”) I feel like there’s a fine line between defiant and defensive and “Tell Me No” “Whatchulookinat” in particular fit into the latter for me. There’s also the awkward juxtaposition of “My Love,” a duet with Bobby Brown, and sort of pre-break up song “Dear John Letter,” the one track Whitney receives a writing credit on. I mean, given their subsequent divorce lyrics like “I tried to stay, but it never got better” ring far more true than they’re attempt to prove the strength of their love. I wish I could listen to this record literally any other way, but that seems impossible.
3/11: Cardiknox – Portrait: Their anthemic synthpop falls flat for me, but “Supermodel” and “Bloodlust” show potential.
Why? New release and I saw they’re on tour with Carly Rae Jepsen, which piqued my interest.
Additional Thoughts: Let me be honest, it’s not a terrible album, really. However, as someone who listens to a lot of synthpop this was sort of run of the mill. That said, it could be a decent intro into genre and style and given CRJ’s recent work I can see why they were chosen for the tour. Still. In addition to all the synthpop I listen to, another problem with this record that I just can’t ignore is vocalist Lonnie Angle’s pronunciation and inflection. I don’t know why, it just causes a visceral reaction in me and breaks any immersion I could’ve had. It’s not any one word and it happens throughout the record, so I can’t pin it down or really avoid it. So, yeah, not a record for me.
3/15: Esperanza Spalding – Emily’s D+Evolution: Exceptional and lovely with a seamless combination of jazz and prog rock.
Why? 2016 release.
Additional Thoughts: While I do think great works can and do need as much (if not more) examination and analysis as bad ones, sometimes I find actually doing so to be very difficult. Emily’s D+Evolution is one such example, an album that just oozes greatness and by a brilliant artist who can more than certainly speak and show for herself. I think my original tweet stands as a good summation with tracks like “Earth to Heaven” being exemplary of my description. That track also might work as a good gauge for whether or not one might like the album as a whole, as would “Ebony and Ivy” which has a fantastic acapella opening. The album also contains a cover of “I Want It Now” from Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory, which totally works in context and on its own. Another quick note, Esperanza plays both double bass and bass guitar and it definitely shows in her work, such as “Judas” and the general funkiness throughout the record.
3/17: Whitney Houston – One Wish: The Holiday Album: The funk-infused “Deck the Halls/Silent Night” is a major highlight.
Why? Working through her non-soundtrack work.
Additional Thoughts: I very nearly repeated the tweet I wrote about Hanson’s Christmas album, Snowed In, because this is the Christmas album I’d expect from Whitney. I find in a lot of music writing when an artist is described as doing what is expected of them it’s meant as a negative, but that’s not my intent. I mean, sure, sometimes it is a bad thing and with good reason; what’s the point in going on as an artist if you’re out of ideas and just covering yourself? But, meeting expectations or “being predictable” isn’t always bad in and of itself. Consider Christmas music as an example, very few modern songs have been added to the Christmas song canon, because no matter what, people like some familiarity and there’s comfort in knowing what you’ll get from something. Anyway, Whitney! Her Christmas record is a lot of classy soul/R&B and gospel, which again, seems very appropriate coming from her. Some good examples of this would be the cover of “I’ll Be Home For Christmas” and “O Come O Come Emmanuel,” which focus a lot on the vocals, appropriately. I already mentioned it in the tweet, but I think the reason I love “Deck the Halls/Silent Night” so much is that so many renditions of “Silent Night” are, understandably, quite somber, so it’s nice to hear one that’s so joyous. Another highlight is the adorable though very bittersweet “Little Drummer Boy” with Bobbi Kristina Brown. I don’t even know what else to say about that song, except it makes me wish so badly that so many things had turned out different. But, yes, this is a great record and likely one of her best.
3/29: She Is We – War: The soul of “Fight for Me” stands out among the electro-pop tracks that tend to blend together.
Why? 2016 release.
Additional Thoughts: Another big problem I had with this album is Rachel Taylor’s (She Is We) tendency to do the singing-through-Novocain indie girl voice. It’s a big pet peeve of mine, which I am very aware, not everyone shares, as evidenced by the success of Lorde and others. The lyrics were also a big problem for me and I’m not entirely sure why. Often it seems like Rachel is going for open and blunt, but something about it doesn’t work (such as the line, “Hanging by my heartstrings”) and she ends up sounding like she wanted to be overwrought and melodramatic but fell short. But this album appears to be Rachel's first time writing about her own experiences and point of view, so perhaps that explains it and she will improve with time.
3/30: The Coathangers – Suck My Shirt: Punk that knows when to bounce, growl, and swing, but not when to stop a track.
Why? Amazon recommended it to me because of my search for Honeyblood.
Additional Thoughts: Okay, let’s start with some positives: “Drive” is bouncy fun with a 50s/60s flare, “Smother” has great energy, and “Merry Go Round” feels like a dark Franz Ferdinand track. Now. Maybe one issue is that I’m just not connecting to this album, but I do stand by my original tweet. They certainly have good ideas, energy, and hooks and they know how to start a good song, but when it comes to developing them or knowing a good time to end them, not so much. I mean, the opener “Follow Me” goes on maybe two minutes longer than it needs to, which is not a could indication for the rest of the record. Even a short track like “I Wait,” it clock in at only about two minutes and still could’ve used a trim. “Zombie” has something of a coda, but for the most part they seem to have one idea and that’s it, the songs don’t build or change much once they start and if they do go longer than two minutes it feels like they’re just filling the time for the sake of it.
3/31: Whitney Houston – I Look To You: Sadly, “I Didn’t Know My Own Strength” is painful now instead of inspirational.
Why? Finishing up her non-soundtrack discography.
Additional Thoughts: I don’t really have much to say about this album. I think the disco-y “Million Dollar Bill” and “Call You Tonight” are some of the best tracks, but even they don’t reach anything beyond “pretty nice.” Again, “I Didn’t Know My Own Strength” is quite hard to listen to in retrospect and the same goes for “A Song For You,” which is a decent tune, but takes on a bittersweet feeling with lyrics like “And when my life is over remember when we were together.” Granted, it’s better than Just Whitney, but it still sucks that what turned out to be her last record ended up so lackluster.
All albums available to stream on Spotify.
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Carrying on the Music Writer's Exercise (#MWE) from February 2015 and 2016, each day I listen to a new album and tweet a brief review of it. Then I compile those tweets in a post with some extra or expanded thoughts.
2/1: Otis Redding – Pain In My Heart: Even on his debut Redding sings from his very guts and can move any listener.
Why? I have a ludicrous list of discographies to get through and picked Otis to focus on.
Additional Thoughts: I feel like maybe this record dimmed as I went through the rest of his work, because it’s not as moving as it was then. But I’m not alone there as some critics have called it restrained in comparison to his work that followed. And that makes sense, right? An artist should grow and evolve. Any artist worth their salt isn’t going to reach their peak on their debut, or at least they shouldn’t. However, I do think you get a glimpse of what Otis would eventually become. He’s already quite emotive, which is remarkable considering he was only about 21-22 when he recorded much of it. Just the opening seconds of the cover “You Send Me” pack more beauty and feeling than some entire albums, hell, discographies. “Security” might be the best of the original tracks and shows off the skills of the Stax musicians very well.
2/2: Savages – Adore Life: Intense post-punk driven by primal urgency and very human vulnerability. Highlight: “Evil”
Why? 2016 release.
Additional Thoughts: I remember this album feeling intense the first time around. The second, not so much. And after that? Back to the intensity, so I don’t know what was up with me during that listen. It’s just goes to show how much your mood affects how you react to a work. It’s great record and definitely interesting. Given their name and their sound one would expect to describe Adore Life as angry, which seems wrong to me. They’re aggressive and fierce, certainly, but they do it in service of love, life, and vulnerability. It’s like… I remember Alanis Morissette discussing the acoustic version of “You Oughta Know” and she mentioned how the type of anger in the original always stems from a deep hurt that the acoustic version highlighted. And Savages have managed to sort of bridge those two seemingly opposing but linked emotions, in that the music is ferocious while much of the singing and the lyrics openly show a real vulnerability. I don’t know if I’m articulating this as well as I’d like, but yeah, I do find the record really fascinating in that way.
2/3: Sleater-Kinney – No Cities to Love: A sharp, self-aware work from a seminal act I regret passing on until now.
Why? Mentioned in LoadingReadyRun's Best of 2015 Part 1 podcast.
Additional Thoughts: I’m not sure what to say about this album. I don’t yet know how it measures up to their pre-hiatus work and I feel like that knowledge may make expanding on it somewhat easier. As of now all I can say is that, simply put, it’s rad. With songs like “Fangless” and “Bury Our Friends,” that label applies easily to the music itself, but also to the fact that it doesn’t seem that a decade apart had any ill effect on their cohesion as a band or calmed down the punk in them. It should also be noted that punk fire and anger seems very natural. They don’t come off like an act trying to prove they still have it, no, they simply have it. And for that to be the case after a twenty-odd year legacy (including a decade apart) is quite remarkable.
2/4: Otis Redding – The Great Otis Redding Sings Soul Ballads: Remarkable for his ability to flip and own a nickname like “Mr Pitiful.”
Why? Working through his discography.
Additional Thoughts: I’m not super into this record. It’s pretty slow in parts, which I suppose makes sense given that the title suggests it will be a group of ballads. As mentioned in the tweet, I do like “Mr. Pitiful,” if for no other reason than taking back what, I presume, was meant to be an insult, since it apparently comes from some DJ who called Otis that due to how he sounds on ballads. I also like “I Want To Thank You” as well as “Home in Your Heart,” which is one of the up-tempo numbers on the record.
2/5: Lion Babe – Begin: Enjoyable soul debut shows the duo's desire to experiment as they mold their identity.
Why? New release.
Additional Thoughts: Wikipedia describes Lion Babe as “electro soul,” which seems like a succinct description for the duo’s brand of experimental R&B/soul. They’re comprised of producer Lucas Goodman and vocalist Jillian Hervey, who incidentally is the daughter of Vanessa Williams. You wouldn’t know that by listening to her since her voice has more in common with Erykah Badu than her mom. Not that she’s required to sound like her mom or anything, but I’m getting off track. Apparently Timbaland influenced Goodman a great deal and it really shows in the beat work, such as on “Impossible” which has a sick rhythm and beat. But the duo shows a range of influences beyond Badu and Timbaland, like in the disco flavor of “Where Do We Go” and the sweet closing ballad of “Little Dreamer.” Plus, they have a song called “Wonder Woman,” how could I not dig them?
2/6: The Suffers – The Suffers: Deserves glowing praise to match the extraordinary light each note radiates.
Why? NPR featured it in their “First Listen” section.
Additional Thoughts: If you’ve followed me for probably any amount of time, you likely know that two of my big musical weaknesses are soul and a good horn section. But with wonderful songs, like the moving “Better,” it’s not simply my inclinations that make me love the Suffers’ debut. Honestly, if this album is any indication, they must be amazing to experience in concert. The album sounds not just recorded live, but as if they’re right in the room in front of you, the music’s immense light and positivity surrounding you. Music like this, joy and love like this, is the reason I love music so much.
2/8: Twinsmith – Twinsmith: Proves the line between laid back music and background music is dangerously thin.
Why? 2016 release that I think Spotify recommended to me.
Additional Thoughts: I don’t know if it’s a flaw in the album itself or if I just happen to listen to it at inopportune moments, but much of this hits me like the Vampire Weekend output that I dislike, though not nearly as blasé as that material can come off. The album can’t seem to decide if it wants to be background music or to grab my attention and it’s really frustrating. One of the more sedate moments (until four minutes in) is called “The Thrill,” which is a stunning bit of (perhaps unintentional) irony. As for positives, I will say that “Easy Thoughts” and “Only” are pretty good. The latter of which reminds me somewhat of the Monkees’ psychedelic stuff, like “Auntie’s Municipal Court.” And to be fair, it is just their debut, so I’m willing to cut them slack on maybe not having their sound and/or their on record persona really figured out yet. That could account for some of it seeming almost shy.
2/10: Econoline Crush – The Devil You Know: Late 90s Canadian industrial rock. Great in parts, but as a whole? Meh.
Why? Dan Olson included it in his video of music recommendations.
Additional Thoughts: I’m sure this probably seems a bit cliché, but given that this 1997 release consists of industrial rock, it’s hard to not compare it to Nine Inch Nails. “Hollowman” feels especially like NIN, hell, even the title sounds like one you’d expect Trent Reznor to’ve used back then. Around the halfway mark it moves from industrial to a more broad alternative sound. For instance, “All That You Are (x3)” gives me Stone Temple Pilots vibes and “Haven’t Gone Away” appears to have a psychedelic influence. That said, with the exceptions of “Home” and “Elegant” which are pretty good, I have difficulty finding anything else that made me say this was “great in parts” or perhaps those tracks were all that led me to that conclusion in the first place. I don’t know. Judging by the album, it doesn’t seem like Econoline Crush really had much new or different to offer.
2/11: Whitney Houston – Whitney Houston: Her voice and presence are undeniable, so I find the number of duets here curious.
Why? February 11th is the anniversary of Whitney’s passing, so I figured it was only right.
Additional Thoughts: Whitney is a tough case. I’m sure I’ve mentioned this before, but as a kid most of music listening was confined to the radio (usually what my mom or aunt played in the car) and watching MTV. I didn’t start to own physical music until I was 10 or 11 years old and even after that there were limits (financial and technological) on what I could own. So there are a lot of artists who I’ve loved for years through their singles, but never had a chance to hear a full record. Whitney Houston is one such artist. A major one, in fact. I’ve loved her since I was a toddler and along with Lucille Ball she is someone I’ve loved since before I could remember. It’s saddens me that it’s taken so long for me to get to her work, but I’m glad to finally be doing it. So what of her debut album then? It’s fine and kind of what I expected, in both good and bad ways. However, I can’t get too deep into what those ways include, because Rolling Stone included the album on their 500 Greatest Albums of All Time list, the basis of an ongoing series of essays here. I will say that, as I said on Twitter, I was tempted to make the review tweet, "My mind says 'Greatest Love of All,' but my heart says 'How Will I Know.'" I feel like Whitney is most well-known for her ballads, understandably so, but she was (fuck, it still hurts to write about her in the past tense) capable of much more and “How Will I Know” will always be one of, if not the signature Whitney song to me.
2/12: Basia Bulat – Good Advice: An enjoyable combination of 60s pop vibes and singer/songwriter intimacy.
Why? New release.
Additional Thoughts: I’m not even sure what else to add. The 60s influence and sound feels like it’s in every part of the record, from the melodies to the instrumentation. A good example of this would be a track like “Fool,” which sounds like it could’ve been released in like 1966 or “Infamous” which is catchy as hell. The singer/songwriter aspects show in the songwriting itself, like with the title track, “Good Advice,” and its great lines, such as “I didn’t ask and I didn’t want it.” Basia apparently started her career off as a folk singer and I think that shows in the thoughtful lyrics and the ballads that close the album. It’s a great record that I really dig. I think if nothing else a good track to give a listen and gauge if you might dig it as well is the bouncy “Long Goodbye.”
2/13: Otis Redding – Otis Blue: Recorded over 24 hours, it really captures the emotion and punch of a live show.
Why? Working through his discography.
Additional Thoughts: I can’t say much about this record here since it’s part of the RS500, but I will say this is where his potential really starts to blossom and come to fruition. Songs like “Change Gonna Come” and “Down in the Valley” basically embody the phrase “take ‘em to church.” I don’t even know how else to describe it. You don’t listen to it, you feel it. It’s really remarkable and I think a lot of the punch comes from the fact that Otis and Booker T. & the MG’s recorded it so quickly. It gave it the pressure and spontaneity of a live show where there are no do-overs and you tinkering with anything, so you just go.
2/14: Wilson Pickett – Hey Jude: That wail, man, no wonder he was called Wicked. Highlight: “Born to be Wild”
Why? Spotify recommended it because of Otis Redding.
Additional Thoughts: I swear, the dude could sell the shit out of anything. Not even just songs, give him a list of ingredients from the back of a potato chip bag and he could make it sound like an intense spiritual awakening. Dude’s amazing! And yeah, I had concerns going in, since I am quite tough on Beatle covers and “Hey Jude” in particular, holds a very special place in my heart, but man, did Wilson do it justice. In fact, I’d even say that his version of the coda beats the original. You all know I love my Macca, but Wilson took it places Paul could only attempt to reach.
2/15: Whitney Houston – Whitney: Some great pop nuggets, but probably could’ve used some edits.
Why? Working through her discography.
Additional Thoughts: The most apparent pop nuggets I referred to are probably “So Emotional” and “I Wanna Dance With Somebody.” They’re both just so good. As for the ballads, I love “Where Do Broken Hearts Go” and “Didn’t We Almost Have It All” sends my brain into a frenzy of GIRL YOU HAVE NO RIGHT, because the power of her voice is unbelievable. Unfortunately, the good moments are dragged down by a whole bunch of fat. The most prominent example being “Love Will Save The Day,” which is a big pile of no for me. I don’t know who arranged the vocals, but they should’ve been fired. (ETA: Heh, apparently Whitney did all the vocal arrangements. Whoops.) Most of the fat comes in the form of songs like “Just the Lonely Talking,” which have some good moments (vocal or otherwise) but go on much longer than necessary. That is to say, the last minute or two of some tracks could’ve been cut without losing much of anything and it probably would’ve been a good idea.
2/16: The Frights – You Are Going To Hate This: Balances abrasive and accessible with its mix of 50s rock, punk, and noise.
Why? 2016 release.
Additional Thoughts: Maybe “balance” and “mix” were the wrong words to use to describe this album, because it doesn’t mix all its various, clashing influences so much as it jams them together and on top of each other. It’s like… the musical version of the bizarre toy experiments Sid from Toy Story made. (How’s that for an analogy?) Anyway. I feel like on some level this maybe shouldn’t work, but luckily the band possesses a knack for melody that helps hold it together. The fact that they’re clearly enjoying themselves goes a long way in making it a fun listen as well.
2/17: Grimes – Art Angels: Her marriage of cute vocals and screams might be too much for some, but I kinda love it.
Why? Mentioned in LoadingReadyRun's Best of 2015 Part 1 podcast.
Additional Thoughts: A prime example of my tweet is “Kill V. Maim,” which I also put on my favorite singles list from 2016. I seem to recall Grimes saying she was tired of how male music writers harped on her “cute” voice. I suppose I can understand that, but this album was my first real taste of her work, so it stood out to me. Also, as a woman, I love that she not only embraces a voice so unapologetically girly, but also swings between it and scary aggression, like if Carly Rae Jepsen had a vicious streak. As for other songs, “Venus Fly” with Janelle Monáe is weird and rad. “Flesh Without Blood,” given its name, it’s surprisingly sweet and heartfelt, take the line “It's nice that you say you like me / But only conditionally.” Ouch. She has many sharp, insightful lines like that, such as “Cause I get carried away / Commodifying all the pain” (“California”) and “Thought I had all I thought I wanted” (“Pin.”)
2/19: Ra Ra Riot – Need Your Light: The title track’s rolling drums are a high point of this bright, soaring album.
Why? New release I chose to listen to due to the mention of “chamber pop” in their Spotify bio.
Additional Thoughts: Synthpop indie acts are a dime a dozen, I know, but the positivity and (no pun intended) light that exudes from this record is undeniable. Plus, it has a song called “Bouncy Castle” that sounds like it could soundtrack an arcade, I mean, come on!
2/20: Otis Redding – The Soul Album: Redding again shows off his emotional versatility and remarkable consistency.
Why? Working through his discography.
Additional Thoughts: I think this falls somewhere in between Otis Blue and its predecessors. It’s more polished than Blue, but it’s probably more intense than the others. Blue proves that it’s possible to capture his intensity and great performances on record and this album continues in that direction with, again, a bit more polish and some of the restraint of his earlier work.
2/21: Seth Boyer – Get Rekt: Despite the internet slang in the title, it feels nostalgic for 90s adult alternative.
Why? Mentioned in LoadingReadyRun's Best of 2015 Part 1 podcast.
Additional Thoughts: I’d say the gruff vocals on “Stars” in particular scream 90s, though the start of the chorus makes me think of “Yellow” by Coldplay. “We All Out Here” reminds me of Dropkick Murphys and it is sorta 90s in that it’s uplifting yet depressing with lines like, “We all out here in this mess together and we’re all gonna die, so huddle closer with friends and family let’s scream our last goodbye.” Though I dig the music, I think I like the lyrics much more, because they’re all so relatable, such as in “Totino’s Party Pizza (For One)” “But let’s be realistic pour another ketel one and drink til you forget how good you are at re-living your regrets”; “Tag Along” which has the lines “sometimes i feel like an old dog that you’re happy to see but worried to love too much cause you know it’s just a matter of time” and “I can’t take it much longer, it’s a good thing that we’re so close when we’re apart”; as well as pretty much the entireties of “Dagger” and “Gold Gardens (Only Chain Smoke at the Beach in January).” The album is loaded with lines that just punch you right in the chest, which means that’s while good, it’s not an easy listen and does get quite heavy toward the end, especially “((Always)).”
2/22: Whitney Houston – I’m Your Baby Tonight: A chance for her to loosen up and get funky. Highlight: “I’m Knockin’”
Why? Working through her non-soundtrack discography.
Additional Thoughts: In addition to the Whitney co-produced “I’m Knockin,’” another good example of the funk and attitude exhibited by this album is “Anymore.” I feel like the funk and edge in the music is thanks in part to the involvement of L.A. Reid, Babyface, and Luther Vandross. This album also has some great breezy and groovy tracks, like “I Belong To You” and “Lover For Life,” though the premise of the latter is… odd. I think Baby is more consistent than her previous two albums, but I continue to have the same complaint, which is why are all her songs so damn long? I’m not utterly opposed to long songs or albums, but there doesn’t seem to be much reason for it here beyond letting Whitney riff a bit, I suppose.
2/23: Aoife O’Donovan – In The Magic Hour: A warm tribute and memories wrapped in Celtic-infused folk.
Why? 2016 release. I was struck by all the projects she’s involved in.
Additional Thoughts: As alluded to in my tweet, much of this album was written after the death of Aoife’s grandfather. It’s very much present in songs like “Magpie” with its lyrics like, “When a magpie lands on me humming a lonely / I feel your breath on my cheek though I'm alone” and in the track “Donal Óg” which ends with a recording of him. There is a sadness and melancholy to the record, but I wouldn’t call it dark or depressing. It contains enough beauty and joy to keep it balanced. One such example would be “Magic Hour,” which the start of reminds a great deal of “God Only Knows.” Another great track is “Hornets,” which is filled with gorgeous vocals and fiddle and for some reason reminds me of Fleetwood Mac. The album contains a lot great lyrics that are evocative and insightful. For example, the chorus of “The King of All Birds” Whoa “Anyone that I might want in this world / They're asleep in the arms of another girl / Who will they be when the light come up? / Everyone that I ever loved in my life / Now calls somebody else their wife / Who am I to you?” It’s really a wonderful album and I’d like to eventually check out Aoife’s debut and maybe some of the other projects she’s involved with.
2/24: Animal Collective – Painting With: Strange yet familiar, like a Beach Boys remix with bonus “Golden Girls.”
Why? Spotify recommended it.
Additional Thoughts: Animal Collective is an act I’ve avoided listening to for a long time; one, because I didn’t know where to start and two, because I’ve been burned by many a hype train. But I’m happy to say that I really like Painting With and felt that way even before I heard the song “Golden Gal” with clips from The Golden Girls, though of course that helped. The album is delightfully weird (“FloriDada,” for example), like the electronics and quirkiness of Sparks mixed with Beach Boys vocals. Speaking of the Beach Boys, according to AllMusic the album was recorded in the same studio as Pet Sounds, so that’s fun.
2/25: George Harrison – Electronic Sound: Sadly, Harrison’s Moog experiments end up interesting in premise only.
Why? Because it’s George’s birthday. Or one of them, anyway.
Additional Thoughts: Should be no surprise to hear that I felt bad about having to be negative about this record, given that I listened on George’s birthday and all, but I gotta keep myself honest. Obviously, I appreciate that he tried something like this, I just don’t know that it warranted release. The first half of the record is a piece called “Under the Mersey Wall,” it’s not terrible, just not terribly exciting or interesting. It’s my old strawman of electronic music made real: emotionless, aimless, and not compelling. According to AllMusic, the second half “No Time or Space” included help from electronic artist Bernie Krause and it does show. The track feels more cohesive and like it has more direction than the first which does just sound like George noodling around with no concrete idea of what he wanted to do. Fittingly, “No Time or Space” also makes me think of Star Trek or other space movies, not so much in that it would be a good score, but background noise for the Enterprise or something.
2/26: School of Seven Bells – SVIIB: Its very existence is incredible, the dreamy, heartfelt content even more so.
Why? New release.
Additional Thoughts: So. SVIIB was completed and released after Benjamin Curtis, one half of School of Seven Bells, died due to lymphoma. However, according to Alejandra Deheza, not only was the bulk of the album done before his passing, but many of the tracks she’d written ended up being about him. She told DIY, “I had a sense of urgency to tell our story... But now I understand it. Before, I didn’t understand and it was really hard, y’know. I was writing about this person and he’s standing right next to me, and I have to run these songs by him. At the time I couldn’t talk to him about any of it.” That urgency clearly comes through in album and raw, vulnerable tracks like “Signals,” “Open Your Eyes,” and “Elias.” The emotion is so palpable it leaves a lump in my throat. Just… whoa, I don’t even know what else I could possibly say beyond a lot of choked up, incoherent praise.
2/27: Otis Redding – Complete & Unbelievable: The Otis Redding Dictionary of Soul: Singers take notes, these are the performances of a master.
Why? Working through his discography.
Additional Thoughts: This is yet another album included on the RS500, so I can’t say too much. Suffice to say, it’s quite good and I highly recommend “Tennessee Waltz” in particular.
2/28: Whitney Houston – My Love is Your Love: Emotional weight to finally match her vocal power makes this her best.
Why? Working through her non-soundtrack discography.
Additional Thoughts: Some of the aforementioned emotional weight comes from the lyrical content, which often takes on heartbreak and real relationship problems, in comparison to her earlier works that took on unrequited love or first love. That’s not to say this album has no joy (it does, just look at the title track) or that it’s super heavy, but it’s meatier than her previous studio albums. The emotional weight also comes from Whitney’s more mature voice and performances. Songs like “It’s Not Right But It’s Okay” or “Heartbreak Hotel” are tracks she may not have been able to pull off earlier in her career, but here I believe her, man. She sounds like a woman who’s been through some shit, as opposed to singing words on a page. Of course, I don’t know how much she related to the lyrics, if at all, but again, I still believe her and that’s what counts. Except for “In My Business,” that feels too close and too real given the relationship between the press and her marriage, so I feel confident in saying she likely related that one at least. For me, I think the best song on the album is “I Learned from the Best.” I love the drama of the instrumentation and how mixes with her voice, it’s fantastic. Another contender for that title might be “Until You Come Back.” It’s another of those WHO GAVE YOU THE RIGHT TO BE SO GOOD *keyboard smash* moments of Whitney’s.
2/28: The Kickback – Sorry All Over the Place: Bright, fun moments like “Headhunter” recall the Beatles circa ‘65-66.
Why? Spotify recommended it and some of the titles seemed funny, like “Scorched Earth Brouhaha.”
Additional Thoughts: Like with Need Your Light earlier, I’m not sure I have anything to add to my original tweet. I mean, I could make some more comparisons, but too much of that is too reductive in my eyes and doesn’t always tell you if a record or artist is for you. Then again, in a case such as this when it’s an artist’s first album comparisons are much of what you have to go on. With that in mind, in addition to the album’s Beatle vibes, “Fanger” is quite Britpop and “Nately” reminds me of Jack’s Mannequin and Chicago, so I’m certainly keen to check out what they do next.
2/28: Rachel Platten – Wildfire: I hoped “Fight Song” would be a hiccup on an otherwise okay album. I was VERY wrong.
Why? Because while “Fight Song” is abysmal, I thought the B-side “Lone Ranger” was okay enough to give her a chance.
Additional Thoughts: But, yeah, it… it wasn’t enough. I try to be constructive, but it took everything in me to not tweet, “Fuck this whole fucking album. FUCK!” This album contains the line “Jeff Buckley, Hallelujah.” I damn near tapped out at that, because not only is it an example of lame hashtag rap and wrong, the song it happens in the middle of (“Hey Hey Hallelujah”) is just terrible, desperately wishes it was Christina Aguilera, and totally misuses the word Hallelujah. It doesn’t even understand the point of the Cohen track Buckley covered. It’s likely the album’s lowest point, but it doesn’t go up much higher afterward. The rest isn’t as atrocious, it’s just ridiculously boring (which is almost a worse crime) made even worse by the fact that someone decided it’d be a good idea to constantly use beats that feel like being punched in the ears as if that would somehow liven things up. And then there’s “Angels in Chelsea” with its lyric, “And maybe things are finally getting better, better. Maybe everyone is finally fed up enough. Maybe all the clouds are gonna let up, let up.” And I’m all for optimism and being uplifting, but given how things have been in the world in the time since, this was some wishful thinking at best and straight delusional at worst.
2/29: The Monkees – The Birds, the Bees & the Monkees: Showtunes, psychedelia, and “Daydream Believer,” hell yeah!
Why? In remembrance, on the anniversary of Davy Jones’ death.
Additional Thoughts: This is a weird one, because I already knew more than half going in, largely due the Listen to the Band boxset and of course, the show. It’s quite schizophonic , as Geri Halliwell would say. You have the Davy songs which lean toward pop and showtunes, given his musical theatre history. You have the Mike songs which are experimental and weird. And then there’s Micky bouncing in between. Of course, I’ve already talked about “Tapioca Tundra” and “Daydream Believer” is a stone cold classic that doesn’t need me to talk it up. The album has some of my favorite Monkees tracks, but I think one of the biggest stand-outs is the closer and anti-war song “Zor & Zam.” It’s barely two minutes yet it packs such a punch and is easily one of Micky’s best moments with the group.
2/29: Porches – Pool: Laid back grooves and great atmosphere marred by flat, listless vocals.
Why? 2016 release.
Additional Thoughts: A major turn-off for me is when a singer sounds bored or asleep, the latter being the case with Porches. I seriously considered tweeting something like, “He sounds like Christopher Cross mid-yawn.” It’s such a shame, because the music is pretty great – all smooth grooves, synths, and atmosphere. But those vocals? They’re like a turd on top of a cheesecake. And Porches isn’t doing anything so noteworthy that I can’t find it better (and sans turd) elsewhere. Hell, when I first listened to this album it instantly reminded me of Al Church’s Next Summer, which had a similar 80’s-synth inspired vibe without putting me to sleep.
All albums available to stream on Spotify.
If you'd like to suggest an album, comment on this entry, tweet me, or ask on Tumblr.
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 I compile those tweets in a post with some extra or expanded thoughts.
1/4: Hanson's Shout It Out: Maybe it's my weakness for horns and harmonies talking, but... how was this not bigger?!
Why? I have a list of discographies I want to get through and recently chose Hanson as one of them.
Additional Thoughts: As I said about Underneath, Hanson have a wonderful gift for making songs that can plaster a smile on your face and parts of this album seem laser targeted on me. One thing about me you gooootta know is that some of the music that makes me absolutely, instantly, viscerally happy is Motown soul and early Chicago, so tracks like “Make It Out Alive” definitely hit those buttons for me. Just, ugh, I love it so much.
1/15: Panic! At the Disco's Death of a Bachelor: “Impossible Year” makes me wish Urie would channel Sinatra more often.
Why? New release.
Additional Thoughts: You may remember that when I finally got around to finishing my 2015 Favorites list, P!ATD took the top two spots for singles, so I had some big hopes for this record. Luckily, it mostly lived up to them. I’d even go so far as to say it’s the most consistent Panic record since Pretty. Odd.. It does have some weak points, of course; the second half is not as strong as the start, “LA Devotee” is mostly just okay, and “Golden Days,” while beautiful, goes on a tad too long. As for the positives, well, I’ve already professed my love for “Hallelujah” and “Emperor’s New Clothes” as well as “Impossible Year,” so I won’t go into them again. “Crazy=Genius” gives me major A Fever You Can’t Sweat Out Vibes, specifically “There’s a Good Reason These Tables Are Numbered, Honey, You Just Haven’t Found It Yet,” which is most definitely a good thing. Also, who would want to be like Mike Love? Brian Wilson all the way. “Don’t Threaten Me With A Good Time” seems like what Fall Out Boy has tried to do recently (like with “Centuries” and “Uma Thurman”), except for the part where it actually works and all the disparate elements come together. The album definitely shows Brendon Urie getting comfortable and more confident, both as a singer and as the creative force behind Panic.
1/20: Girlpool's Before The World Was Big: Simplicity in construction allows the intimate and affecting songs to shine.
Why? Spotify recommended it.
Additional Thoughts: The aforementioned intimacy comes not just from the lyrics but how the minimal accompaniment makes Girlpool seem right there. The title track in particular feels almost like a campfire or car singalong with happily clashing voices and closeness. That said, “Crowded Stranger” adds fuzz to the album’s mostly unadorned guitar and bass work. “Emily” also seems to have something else going on in the accompaniment to make it feel bigger, but I can’t put my finger on what. “Emily” is also quite affecting and the album is full of lyrics that, at least for me, hit close to home. “Chinatown” contains one such line, when they sing, “I’m still looking for sureness in the way I say my name.” Another would be in “Pretty” (a track that’s almost acapella but for some water sounds); “I could only stare at my feet when you said you felt close to me.”
1/21: Hanson's Snowed In: Pretty much the Christmas album I'd expect them to make, which is definitely not a bad thing.
Why? …I’d meant to listen to it on Christmas, but that didn’t work out well.
Additional Thoughts: It’s what I expect from them in that it favors covers of soul and rock ‘n roll Christmas songs, rather than more traditional fare. Oh, a couple traditional songs appear, of course, but mostly in the form of one medley. Like Middle of Nowhere, this invites Jackson 5 comparisons, especially on the cover of “What Christmas Means To Me” (which makes sense given that one of the writers is both the sister of Motown’s Barry Gordy and Marvin Gaye’s first wife.) It’s pretty clear also that Taylor was in a more awkward phase vocally than their debut and it can be hard to listen to sometimes. Plus, their original tracks lay on the sentiment a bit too much (except for “Everybody Knows the Claus”) and run too long. Either way, this album is a ton of fun, particularly “Run Rudolph Run.”
1/25: Hanson's Anthem: Lives up to its name by remembering the sincerity and emotion that anchor any true anthem.
Why? Currently finishing up their discography.
Additional Thoughts: I stand by my tweet regarding this record, but I also think the title represents more of Hanson’s ambitions present on it and expanding the scope of their sound, not so much that it’s filled with anthems. Perhaps I’m splitting hairs here, but while tracks like “Already Home” and “Tonight” feel quite anthemic (and “Scream & Be Free” seems to be trying for that but doesn’t quite get there), stuff like “Lost Without You,” “Fired Up,” and other early tracks feel more like arena rock. Plus, other tracks stick to their typical power pop/soul thing. That’s not a bad thing, by the way, just mostly an observation. I’ll be honest, though, I’m not super into this record. I think part of that is due to how much I love Shout It Out, but there’s also the simple fact that no one will ever be head over heels for every album an artist puts out. It’s not realistic and anyone who claims otherwise is probably lying. Even so, I do really like “Juliet” despite the fact that reminds me of something that I can’t place and it drives me nuts.
1/26: Hinds' Leave Me Alone: A debut that, while rough, is sunny and inviting, despite its aloof title.
Why? 2016 release.
Additional Thoughts: Maybe that tweet could’ve been phrased better, because holy commas, Batman! Jeez. Anyway! Given the title and cover, I expected an album harder and more, well, as mentioned, aloof. I was pleasantly surprised, though. The album also gave me a Libertines sort of vibe. Though Hinds sounds more laid back, tuneful and not as outwardly debauched or messy as the Libertines, both bands have a pair of discordant and clashing lead singers. And wouldn’t you know it, Hinds actually opened for the Libertines back in 2014, sooo that tracks, haha.
1/27: Julia Kent's Asperities: Conveys the same dark, brooding beauty of a thunderstorm as it rumbles and rolls in.
Why? Mentioned in the LoadingReadyRun Best of 2015 Part 1 podcast.
Additional Thoughts: Julia Kent is a cellist and composer who uses the instrument, loops, and electronic elements to make instrumentals. Regarding Asperities, she said, “I was thinking about the concept of difficulty. Whether in life or in nature - of conflict, of being troubled. The idea of friction. Also in geology, an asperity is some part of a faultline that doesn’t move which can create an earthquake, which is quite an evocative concept.” The album does a wonderful job of conveying her concept. It contains a lot of darkness, tension, and, such as in “Terrain,” a sense of foreboding that is borderline frightening. It’s a beautiful work, but maybe not necessarily one to listen to when already in a dark place. Or maybe that’s just me.
1/29: Joey McIntyre's Talk To Me: I appreciate pop standards being a classy affair, I just wish it had more zing.
Why? I wanted to catch up on Joe’s work, but this is the only album of his available on Spotify that I don’t already own. It’s all very disappointing and another discussion for a different time. So.
Additional Thoughts: I think the lyric “bewitched, bothered, and bewildered” is a good summation of my feelings for Talk To Me. As mentioned in the tweet, I do think it lacks zing and more upbeat stuff with the closest the album comes to that is “Come Dance With Me.” That said, if you think the ballads and sweet singing didn’t melt me into a squeeing puddle, you’d be very, very wrong. I’M WEAK, MAN! Now, I gotta be honest and say that this will more than likely be the only time I go into any kind of depth about Joey’s solo work. Not for lack of anything to say about it or inability to see its faults, but because, well, frankly, it’s precious to me and I want to keep it just for me. I don’t have many boundaries in terms of what music I’ll write about, but I do think it’s necessary for some things to be off-limits.
1/29: Wet's Don't You: Even my affinity for 90's R&B buckles under this album's need to slam the same buttons constantly
Why? New release.
Additional Thoughts: Oy. Alright, I’m not entirely sure what Past Me meant by the “90’s R&B” reference in that tweet. My best guess would be the breathy, Aaliyah/Janet style vocals, but yeah, not sure what that referenced. Even so, the part about the “need to slam the same buttons constantly” does ring true still. The album is very comfortable in this low-mid tempo spot and hardly ever leaves. It lacks dynamics, both within individual songs and the album as a whole to the point that sometimes I didn’t even know a new song had started. The biggest exceptions to this would be “All the Ways” and “You’re the Best,” which add some much needed vigor to it.
All albums available to stream on Spotify.
If you'd like to suggest an album, comment on this entry, tweet me, or ask on Tumblr.
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 I compile those tweets in a post with some extra or expanded thoughts.
12/1: Eternal Summers' Gold & Stone: Like a blissful dream punctuated with a sudden lurch of one's leg.
Why? I believe Spotify recommended it.
Additional Thoughts: According to vocalist Nicole Yun, Eternal Summers “wanted to target more lush and radiant textures, some classic rock riffs, some jazzier elements and some full-on punk snarl” on Gold & Stone and I think by and large they succeeded. The musical mix of dreamy brightness (as on the title track) and harsh reality (“Play Dead”) is practically seamless. That harshness also comes across in the lyrics, such as in “Black Diamond”; “Shame can’t be the home where you live. The beams of support will eventually give […] a bruise without pain.” It’s a great record and I need to look into more of their work.
12/2: Britney Spears' Blackout: With “Heaven on Earth” this album isn't great “despite” 07's drama - it's simply great.
Why? In celebration of Britney’s birthday I decided to start playing catch up with her catalog.
Additional Thoughts: It’s quite remarkable that despite references to paparazzi and a couple tracks that could be construed as being about Kevin Federline (“Toy Soldier” and “Why Should I Be Sad”), Blackout doesn’t really sound like it was made during a tumultuous time in Britney’s life. She’s very much present and emotive, despite some reviews that compare her presence to a ghost or chalk up any and all good aspects of the record to her producers. I don’t mean to take anything away from the people she worked with here, but I refuse to give them all the credit. Songs live and die on arrangement and performance and Britney absolutely delivers here. As for some specific songs, “Heaven on Earth,” like I said in the tweet is great and very Depeche Mode. The metaphor of “Hot As Ice” is kinda muddled, but it’s still a bitchin’ track. As is “Break the Ice,” which is so awesome I can’t even coherently describe it. “Ooh Ooh Baby” reminds me of something but I can’t place it and the track doesn’t appear to have a sample, so I’m stumped. I have to agree with the idea that this stands as her most consistent record, though I haven’t listened to In the Zone in a while so who knows. Granted, Britney’s always been more of a single artist and that’s totally fine, but it’s good to see her come so close to a fully great album.
12/3: Hanson's Underneath: Proof they have a remarkable gift for making pop that can plaster a smile on any face.
Why? I have a list of discographies I want to get through and recently chose Hanson as one of them.
Additional Thoughts: The album, of course, has its mellow and somber moments, like the Zac-led “Broken Angel” and “Believe.” But as the tweet suggests, the songs that made the biggest impact on me were the more upbeat ones, like “Crazy Beautiful,” “Lost Without Each Other,” and “Get Up & Go.” The biggest impact, though, was made by the practically perfect “Penny & Me.” It’s so good that even the rest of Underneath – hell, the rest of Hanson’s output ever – ended up terrible, it would all be worth it because “Penny & Me” exists. And while I have no problem with “MMMBop,” if there were any justice in this world “Penny & Me” would be Hanson’s biggest song instead, but here we are.
12/4: Brothertiger's Out of Touch: Warm, enveloping synthpop, though it seems fixated on trying to be “In Your Eyes.”
Why? New release.
Additional Thoughts: I think the “In Your Eyes” comparison especially fits for “Beyond the Infinite,” “Engulfed,” and “Jungle Floor.” Granted, neither “In Your Eyes” nor Out of Touch are bad in any way, really, but once I noticed the similarities, they were difficult to ignore. But, despite that, it is a lovely album and I think I could learn to see beyond them in time.
12/6: Al Church's Next Summer: An album about summer nostalgia that made me unexpectedly nostalgic for smooth jazz radio.
Why? Spotify recommended it.
Additional Thoughts: I suppose I should get an explanation for the smooth jazz nostalgia out of the way first. I didn’t listen to much of it, honestly, most of my exposure came from whenever either my mom or aunt would ignore their radio alarm clocks. So imagine my surprise when the 80s-ish cover of Next Summer and use of sax in songs like “You & I” and “Next To You” triggered those memories. The album conveys a distinctly summer feel, yet it defies easy categorization. There’s the aforementioned sax and jazz element, but there’s also his Brandon Flowers-esque voice that gives things an indie feel, rockier songs like “S.a.T.J.,” and the piano ballad closer of “Next Summer.” Meanwhile on his Bandcamp it’s tagged simply as pop, which I think says a great deal about both the album and pop overall.
12/7: Britney Spears' Circus: Disappointingly safe. Even the album's attempts to shock do so rather obviously.
Why? Currently working through Britney’s discography.
Additional Thoughts: Ehhh… I didn’t want to be too harsh. In all honesty the album doesn’t really deserve such harshness (despite my own issues with regard to being objective with Britney), because much of it is sort of par for the course with her. As previously mentioned, she’s a singles artist, by and large, and Circus fits that bill. But Blackout was so well done that a “return to form” in this instance feels very much like regression. The album starts out alright enough, but then “Unusual You” stops it all dead. Either way, some positives: ballads “Out From Under” and “My Baby” are quite beautiful and heartfelt; “Mannequin” is so weird and trippy, it feels like a holdover from Blackout; “Lace & Leather,” meanwhile, sounds like it could be a Duran Duran track, buuut… it was co-written/co-produced by Dr. Luke, so I can’t help feel icky about kinda digging it; and while the attempt to shock is silly and obvious, I absolutely love “If U Seek Amy.”
12/9: Infinity Girl's Harm: Some great melodies and infectious drums amid the hazy vocals and piercing distortion.
Why? Spotify recommended it.
Additional Thoughts: Infinity Girl’s Twitter account actually favorited my tweet about the album, which surprised me in large part because while they are mostly objective descriptions, I didn’t mean my comments about the vocals and distortion in a positive way. Now again, the album does have some great melodies (“Not Man,” “Liner”) and drums (“Heavy”) that feel sort of post-punk, but the album starts to lose me when it leans more into grunge/noise rock with the heavy distortion, like on “Around Me.” Distortion and noise can certainly work, however when coupled with the vocals that are at times buried in mix and at others nearly mumbled, it does not, at least for me.
12/13: INXS' Kick: The band wanted to make an album where each song could be a single. They certainly succeeded.
Why? Spotify recommended it to me because of Tear For Fears, buuuut I was also raised by an INXS fan, so I’ve been meaning to dig more into them for a while now.
Additional Thoughts: Part of me feels like maybe that tweet was a cop out, but let’s be real: sometimes a song or album is so well-constructed, so perfectly fitted together that there’s really nothing you can say. And thing is, as great as the music is with its influences and mixture of soul, funk, rock, etc. and just plain beauty, I think it would be hard to overstate the important part Michael Hutchence and his immense charisma play in making the songs as good as they are. I mean, I’ve heard multiple covers of “Need You Tonight” by otherwise engaging performers that stay true to the sound of the original and they just can’t hold a candle to his presence.
12/14: Britney Spears' Femme Fatale: While its faults can be glaring, its wonderful moments are also difficult to ignore.
Why? Currently working through Britney’s discography.
Additional Thoughts: Okay, I’ll be straight here, I don’t know what I was thinking when I wrote that tweet. Listening back to the album, “Trip To Your Heart” stands as the only truly, unqualified wonderful moment on Femme Fatale. Everything else is 1) just middling and forgettable, 2) REALLY annoying, or 3) comes with a bunch of qualifiers to justify it. Case in point on that third category, “How I Roll” has some fun moments and a cute chorus (both in terms of melody and singing), but then come annoying sound effects and Brit saying “thug” and I just can’t do it. I’d probably throw “Till The World Ends” in category three as well, because while I like it, I can see its faults, like the fact that Dr. Luke was involved. As for category two examples, fuck “Big Fat Bass.” There’s absolutely nothing appealing about a sonic migraine. That goes for “Trouble for Me,” too. Yeah, I always try to not be super harsh in general and, as mentioned, really don’t like to be harsh on Britney in particular, but Femme Fatale is not good and I can’t sugarcoat that no matter how my heart may want to.
12/16: Cam's Untamed: Sweet, infectious country pop with a lot of zest and heart. Highlight: “Runaway Train”
Why? 2015 release. I normally don’t listen to country music, but the title “Hungover on Heartache” intrigued me.
Additional Thoughts: Funnily enough, I chose “Runaway Train” as a highlight in part because it wasn’t sweet or heartfelt like much of the record. It’s basically a “woman scorned” sort of tune, in the same vein as “Before He Cheats,” except the narrator wants to tie the cheater to train tracks. The rhythm and guitar work just sounds so cool and reminds me of Sons & Daughters, which is a big compliment. Another great track is “Half Broke Heart,” a song about how the end of relationships that may not have been deep or meaningful can still suck. As she says, “I wasn’t looking for a ring, doesn’t mean it doesn’t sting.” For all the love songs in music, that subject doesn’t seem to come up often, relationships seem all or nothing, but that’s not always the case, in fact it’s mostly not the case. Anyhow, the album does have some overblown or overdone metaphors, like comparing failing relationships to burning houses and sinking ships, but she has enough personality, potential, and sincerity that I can forgive it.
12/17: Britney Spears' Britney Jean: She sounds so damn happy on “Passenger” and honestly? That's all that matters to me.
Why? Currently working through Britney’s discography.
Additional Thoughts: I mean, yeah, Britney Jean certainly has flaws (will.i.am’s typical repetition and irritating noises) and things that aren’t to my taste (not big on the EDM stuff), but… I don’t think I’ve heard Britney sound so happy, so genuinely happy on record since “That’s Where You Take Me” from Britney. That, that overshadows everything. Plus, I can’t help but be proud to see her name in the writing credits for every track. She doesn’t owe the world super personal music, by any stretch, and I understand why for a long time she didn’t dig into her own thoughts very often on record, but I’ve always appreciated when she did and I don’t know, I’m glad that she changed her mind for this record. All that said, yeah, the album has some problems. For instance, “Tik Tik Boom” is one of the biggest offenders in terms of repetition, though that one isn’t will.i.am’s fault, to be fair. “Body Ache” and “Til It’s Gone” have aspects that I like, but the EDM drops and such aren’t really my thing. But still, I do think it’s an improvement over Femme Fatale, so that’s something. It certainly feels more cohesive, probably due to Britney’s (and will.i.am’s) involvement in (almost) every track.
12/22: mewithoutYou's Pale Horses: Its intriguingly dense lyrics are a lot to digest and dissect, but steal the show.
Why? 2015 release that I think Spotify recommended to me recently, but I’ve been curious about them since Hayley Williams has talked about them a lot.
Additional Thoughts: This album appeals to my English major mind so much. I feel compelled to write an essay on the whole thing. I don’t know what doing this would yield, but this album is so rich with Biblical and literary references that I want to pick it all apart and give it the close read treatment. Although, I don’t even really need to do that myself, because someone already went and wrote a pdf book called The Annotated Pale Horses. I have yet to read the entire thing, but suffice to say, there is a lot going here. The music takes somewhat of a backseat for me, though, I have to say, because I get so wrapped up in the poetry of it all. That’s not to say the music is unimportant or anything of the sort, it definitely helps convey the emotion, particularly the anger and frustration and hurt within the songs. It’s also quite beautiful at times, like “Magic Lantern Days.” However, I much as I like and respect it, I realize that a rock/hardcore album with nontraditional song structures (as in its lack of choruses) and dense with literary and religious references might be something of a hard sell. I don’t know that it’s completely inaccessible or impenetrable, but (as pretentious as I find the phrase) it is a rewarding listen.
12/23: Kim Boekbinder's The Sky is Calling: Electronic-pop about the universe and science that's also personal and heartfelt.
Why? Astronomer Phil Plait mentioned it when he called in during Desert Bus for Hope 9. He also acted as an advisor for the record.
Additional Thoughts: So, as you can probably gather, this record is a bit of an odd duck, but not an inaccessible one. The music itself can be quite experimental and weird while also being quite pop and appealing. Incidentally, Kim’s voice reminds me somewhat Eleanor Friedberger (another artist who can be very weird at times but also pop at others), partically on tracks like “Hand to Mouth” and “Stellar Alchemist.” But what I think is most interesting about the album is the lyrics and how they deal with some universe size questions (such as, “How will we get there? Will we even go? Is it enough just to know?” from “The Drake Equation”) as well as some very intimate, personal thoughts (like in “Hand to Mouth” when she says. “Always finding a reason to not be here, if I'm never around I can't disappear.”) It’s just amazing that she somehow manages to talk about these things side by side without the personal in particular being (pardon the pun) dwarfed by talk of the universe and stars. She gives both proper weight and gravitas. And I think part of why that works is due to the fact that both the size and scope of the universe and the depth and intricacies of our minds can be equally daunting and honestly, make us feel small and insignificant in the grand scheme. Yet even among all that, she finds strength, “You will be fierce, you will be fragile, you will be free.” (“Planet 216”)
12/27: Women's Women: “Group Transport Hall” is a great piece of psychedelia. It's a shame the track is so short.
Why? Spotify recommended it to me based on No Joy.
Additional Thoughts: I’m not sure how to sum up this album. Women’s Bandcamp describes the album as “a lo-fi masterpiece cloaked in layers of vibrato and guitar wash. Noisy and claustrophobic songs smash through junkyard trash brawls while others lift and soar across the landscape of 50’s-informed pop; a contradiction and an enigma.” It’s an accurate description, but just barely touches on why the album gave me problems. The record’s certainly an enigma in that it baffled me, because many of the tracks and the album overall lack cohesion and direction. There’s nothing holding it together, whether individually or as a whole. As pointed out in Pitchfork’s review, “Women do spend a tad too much time flexing their way through their instrumentals-- a shame since, when they bother with songcraft, they rarely miss: concise, nuanced statements with idiosyncratic arrangements.” And it really is a shame, because as mentioned in my original tweet, there are moments of greatness, they’re just buried among a lot of aimlessness.
12/28: Hanson's The Walk: From another act “Been There Before” might be laughable, but the trio's so sincere it works.
Why? Currently working through their discography.
Additional Thoughts: So, yeah, “Been There Before” is one of those “isn’t old rock’n’roll great?” type song, like well, “Old Time Rock & Old” by Bob Seger or “It’s Only Rock’n’Roll (But I Like It)” by the Stones. I tend to dislike songs on the topic, because they come off, frankly, masturbatory given who tends to sing them. However, Hanson grew up loving the music they’re singing about and a love evident in the work they’ve done and, as I mentioned in the tweet, they have the right sincerity to make it work because of that. As for the rest of the record, it’s pretty solid overall. And while Taylor’s voice is what I think of when I think of Hanson, between “Tearing It Down” and the blue-eyed soul of “Running Man,” this album makes me think Zac might be my favorite vocalist of the three. Isaac doesn’t get lead duty very often this time around (no pun intended), but he makes the best of the tracks he gets, such as the heartfelt “Watch Over Me” and the fun “Something Going Around” wherein he shares lead with Taylor. None of that’s to rip on Taylor, by the way, he does a good job, I just wanted to give the others a little shine this time.
12/29: Laura Stevenson's Cocksure: As someone who has difficulty being assertive, “Jellyfish” might be my new anthem.
Why? 2015 release.
Additional Thoughts: Laura’s site and her label's Bandcamp both cite Liz Phair as an influence on this album and while I hear that, the 90s alternative singer it reminds me of most is Lisa Loeb. Although she is more indirect with her lyrics than Loeb generally is, to my knowledge anyway. Either way, the album has a definite 90s sound and that seems intentional. Also noteworthy is that fact that much of the album was recorded live after a sort of stream of conscious way of writing the music in order to maintain spontaneity. And the final product manages to retain that flow and certain looseness while also maintaining a core identity and purpose that anchor it all such that it doesn’t wander off or fall apart. Incidentally, a lack of core identity probably explains why previously mentioned Women record doesn’t really work. Although, in fairness, Cocksure is Steveson’s fourth record, so she had much more time to develop in that area than Women did on their faulty debut.
12/30: The Superweaks' Bad Year: A fun rock record with many layers and shades of Offspring and Weezer.
Why? It was likely a Spotify recommendation.
Additional Thoughts: I quite like this record, it’s fun and relatable. As I said in the tweet, it does remind me a lot of Weezer and Offspring. I hear Offspring most notably in the vocals, particularly songs such as “Bad Year” and “Nevermind.” As far as Weezer, it’s most in their melodies and overall sound (which sounds power pop to me, though they call it “heavy pop”), as well as their sorta self-deprecating, angsty lyrics. And for the record, I’m not describing the Superweaks as angsty in a derogatory way, it just feels like the best word to describe their certainly-not-happy-but-not-majorly-depressed themes. I think many of the lyrics are quite clever, such as “Sinusoidal confidence will tow my mind beneath the river flow.” (“Kick It”) and “Who's gonna pull your weight if I leave you behind?” (“Frances Quinlan Will Have Her Revenge On Philadelphia”) However, a major flaw with the record is its overall lack of strong choruses and hooks as well as song titles that don’t seem to relate to their respective lyrics. Granted, the title thing isn’t Fall Out Boy level of unrelated, but I could still see it causing issues with regard to remembering specific songs. But still, it’s a good, solid record and I definitely want to check out their other stuff.
All albums available to stream on Spotify.
If you'd like to suggest an album, comment on this entry, tweet me, or ask on Tumblr.
