Daily Album Digest: October 18 - 31, 2015

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.

10/18: OOFJ's Acute Feast: Moody electropop with bass and beats reminiscent of Portishead or maybe a strange Bond score.
Why? Spotify recommended it.
Additional Thoughts: So, funny thing, apparently, my comparing Acute Feast to a score wasn’t all that weird, because Jenno Bjørnkjær (one half of OOFJ) composed the score for Melancholia. The Bond comparison is particularly true of “Sailor,” though I can’t put my finger on exactly why, maybe it’s in the horns and strings. Not that I know if any Bond film actually sounds like that, but you know alt-universe Bond, I guess. Unfortunately, the high, breathy vocal style throughout the album alternates between boring and grating, like on “Totally.” I guess I just wish there was some more variety in that area, because I dig the music and mood of it.

10/19: Sara Bareilles' Careful Confessions: Simply wonderful; direct and smart with shades of jazz. Highlight: “Undertow”
Why? I really enjoyed the One Week One Band dedicated to her, so I figured I’d go through her discography.
Additional Thoughts: Something that struck me the first time I listened to this record (after the jazz influence that I didn’t expect) is that so much of it sounds live. And yes, about a third of the album is live recordings, but even the studio recordings feel live. Of course, as wonderful as the music is, with a title like Careful Confessions one might expect as much (if not more) focus on the lyrical content and yes, it appears that Sara most definitely did. Her words show someone smart, honest, and not just relatable, but approachable in a way that other singer-songwriters she might be compared to are not.

10/20: Boy & Bear's Limit of Love: The life and swing of “Man Alone” makes it stand out on an album that's fairly beige.
Why? 2015 release.
Additional Thoughts: I realize calling the album “beige” might sound harsh and I’m sorry for that. It’s not bad by any means, but that’s kind of the problem; it’s some inoffensive pop/rock and just blends into the background. While I appreciate the band’s attempt to record and capture their “powerful live performances,” this record doesn’t come off very powerful to me, in any sense of the word. And that doesn’t necessarily reflect badly on their performances, because there are many examples of records not completely capturing the energy of a great live band.

10/21: Lapalux's Lustmore: Sets out to evoke the transition from waking to sleep, and does - but not in a positive sense.
Why? Saw it on the Needle Drop.
Additional Thoughts: Reminds me of another eternity by purity ring in that it’s very dream-like, but disappears from my memory almost instantly. And I said in the tweet, it does succeed in evoking that state of mind, but it’s just not for me. However, I will say that the guest vocalists are great, especially Andreya Triana. I definitely need to check out her work.

10/22: Sara Bareilles' Little Voice: A major label debut that manages more polish without sacrificing emotion and soul.
Why? Currently working through her discography.
Additional Thoughts: This is a tough one to talk about because six of the tracks also appear on Careful Confessions, so there’s not much for me to say. The versions here are rerecords that, aside from some obvious differences (like the opening of “Fairytale”), mostly just sound a bit more polished than the earlier ones. Most of the changes aren’t very drastic or detrimental. Though I will admit I probably prefer most of the Confessions versions simply because those were the first versions I heard. Of the “new” songs, I think the stand out is the ballad “Between the Lines,” because, ho man, does it hit close to home.

10/23: Vanessa Carlton's Liberman: “Unlock the Lock,” like much of the album, exudes an enchanting, quiet confidence.
Why? New release.
Additional Thoughts: I have to admit that I don’t know very much of Vanessa Carlton’s work beyond her singles, so I wasn’t sure what to expect from this record. And yet, something about this feels… inevitable and right. Perhaps that’s down to the aforementioned confidence it exudes and maybe I’d change my mind were I to listen to the rest of the work it follows, only time will tell. Either way, it’s a wonderful record with enchanting atmosphere and insightful lyrics, like “Blue Pool” and “Nothing Where Something Used To Be.”

10/25: Grounders' Grounders: The vibe of “No Ringer” feels like Final Straw era Snow Patrol, which is a great thing.
Why? Spotify recommended it.
Additional Thoughts: Though it’s great to be reminded briefly of my favorite Snow Patrol era gone by, overall, this record doesn’t do much for me. Other reviews describe it with words like “pillowy,” “haze,” “spacey,” and “atmospheric,” which are fitting descriptions and qualities that can work. However, for me, I found nothing to really latch on to among all the haze and that desire made it impossible to let go and drift away with the atmosphere.

10/26: Sara Bareilles' Kaleidoscope Heart: So much to love; from the vocals to the melodies to lyrics like “Machine Gun.”
Why? Currently working through her discography.
Additional Thoughts: In his review for AllMusic, Stephen Thomas Erlewine says, “Because Bareilles is so naturally commercial, it’s easy to dismiss these gifts, but her effortless music should not be taken for granted; it’s tough to write tunes that play this easy that wind up enduring.” I have to agree with this assessment. Kaleidoscope Heart is overall such an easy and pleasant listen that it could’ve very easily just become dismissible background noise, but Sara is so good at crafting tunes and showing vulnerability (like in the moving “Breathe Again” and “The Light”) that you can’t ignore her. And if tracks like “Let the Rain” are any indication, she isn’t afraid to try new things and expand her sound.

10/27: Chvrches' Every Open Eye: I'm always leery of hype, but “Playing Dead” alone justifies it. (And so does the rest.)
Why? 2015 release.
Additional Thoughts: I’ve been burned by hype trains before (2015 definitely added to that), but luckily that didn’t happen with Chvrches. It’s funny, after listening to the record I made a comment about them being the musical baby of Paramore and Depeche Mode and the literally next day they were announced as part of the line-up for Parahoy. (And they’ve opened for Depeche Mode. Because of course!) Now, I already talked about this album in my 2015 Favorites list and I may expand even more on at a later date. For now, the only thing I wanted to add is about “Afterglow,” which feels like it sits in the church-like opening of U2’s “Where the Streets Have No Name” and extends it for a whole song. Good call, really, I’ve always begrudgingly liked the opening of that song.

10/28: Ivy Levan's No Good: Serious vocal chops with musical variety and emotional versatility. Highlight: “Killing You”
Why? Spotify recommended one of her singles based on Dumblonde.
Additional Thoughts: The obvious star and center of this album is Ivy’s soulful, killer voice. A close second would be the emotional progression (of sorts) that happens over the course of the record. It starts off with a lot of confidence and bragging (“Biscuit,” for example), but toward the end transitions into more heartfelt tracks, like “Johnny Boy.” And she has the presence and voice to make it all work. The only thing that doesn’t really work is the guest rap verse on “Like A Glove,” which has some… charming lines like, “We got a connection. I got a confession. I got a erection,” and that’s not even the worst of it. Ah, well. No album can be perfect.

10/29: Sara Bareilles' The Blessed Unrest: Shows a lot of growth and new turns, such as the synth infused “Eden.”
Why? Currently working through her discography.
Additional Thoughts: This album shows Sara continuing to experiment and expand, like on “Satellite Call” and the aforementioned (and lead contender for best song on the album) “Eden.” But I must say that it doesn’t start on a good foot, because I deeply, viscerally hate “Brave.” Yes, it’s a lovely sentiment, but something about the way “I wanna see you be brave” hits my ears induces complete and utter rage. I’m sorry, Sara. I am so, so sorry. Outside my rage, though “Brave” does start Unrest’s theme of embracing change and well, bravery, it does so far more happily and upbeat than the rest of the record does. That isn’t a bad thing, necessarily, (vulnerability and heartfelt honesty are some of Sara’s strengths, after all) just an observation.

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.

Daily Album Digest: October 4 - 17, 2015

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.

10/4: Baio's The Names: Might not be the most immediate album, but tracks like the breezy "Needs" make it worth a listen.

Why? Spotify recommended it.

Additional Thoughts: The Names is the debut solo project of Vampire Weekend bassist, Chris Baio and though I’ve had my issues with VW’s work, they don’t really come into play here. Baio’s synth/electro-pop is pretty far away his band’s reggae-infused indie rock (except, perhaps, “Sister of Pearl”) and while it can be… unassuming, it doesn’t feel as detached and overly mellow as some VW stuff. I say “unassuming” and bring up the album’s immediacy, because despite being very pop, none of the songs are what I’d call catchy, at least not overtly. The songs don’t hammer their way into your head, but they can slowly wind their way in if given the chance.

10/5: Green Day's Warning: Balanced and full of well-crafted, timeless songs like "Waiting" and "Macy's Day Parade."

Why? I have a list of discographies I want to get through. This time around I decided on Green Day.

Additional Thoughts: Warning has been ranked among Green Day’s best albums, which makes sense as it’s one of their most consistent. It also shows further cultivation of the musical experimentation and maturity found in Nimrod. Though it seems silly or contradictory to use “mature” to ever describe Green Day, it’s difficult to find a better word for songs like “Deadbeat Holiday” and “Hold On.” Plus, as my original tweet mentioned, “Waiting” and “Macy’s Day Parade” are just everything.

10/6: Twin Shadow's Eclipse: Enjoyable vocals, but doesn't feel as cathartic as its grand ambitions suggest.

Why? 2015 release that’s been sitting in my Spotify queue for a while.

Additional Thoughts: This strikes me as one of those albums I want to like far more than I actually do, which is always a shame. It’s just… okay, George Lewis Jr (the man behind Twin Shadow) has a great voice and could probably sing anything and sound wonderful and captivating. Hell, Twin Shadow’s Spotify biography calls him “a born crooner,” which is an apt description. Musically, Eclipse it often tries to sound grand with soaring choruses, but it doesn’t work either due to the production making everything (on the whole and in individual songs) blend together or the fact that there’s just no meat lyrically. Discussing universal topics is great, but these songs feel too impersonal and that makes it difficult for me to really connect to it.

10/7: Drgn King's Baltimore Crush: "Hazy Memories," a song that somehow reminds me of Nine Inch Nails and Vampire Weekend.

Why? Spotify recommended it.

Additional Thoughts: Overall I’d call it a solid rock/pop record. Their Spotify bio describes their work as “psychedelic and electronic-inflected pop.” I think psychedelic part comes through the most clearly at the end of “Alchemist’s Lament” and in the atmosphere of “Solo Harp.” That bio also references their varied influences, which definitely come through in the record. One big example of that being the aforementioned “Hazy Memories” that starts off sounding like NIN’s “Closer” then settles into an indie-reggae-pop bop. Reggae influence also shows prominently on “St. Toms,” but unlike Vampire Weekend, Drgn King never really fall into the trap of feeling laid back to the point of seeming lifeless.

10/8: Green Day's American Idiot: I know I'm a total sucker for stuff like this, but... this is a masterpiece.

Why? Currently working through their discography.

Additional Thoughts: My relationship with this album is a lot like mine with the Backstreet Boys’ self-titled.  Basically, I spent a lot of time watching Bullet in a Bible and Green Day’s comp’d special, but somehow forgot to ever listen to the album beginning to end. (Which really just means I missed out on three tracks.) I love a good concept album and rock opera; give me some recurring musical motifs and I will eat. it. up. But more importantly, American Idiot is the culmination of all these musical ideas and lyrical themes Green Day had been building toward for years and it’s so clever and biting and fucking moving. I don’t much like trying to make predictions, but I think this could be one of the most important albums of the 2000s.

10/9: Alex G's Beach Music: If this is beach music, it's a beach covered in sleet and snow; familiar, but slightly off.

Why? New release.

Additional Thoughts: I realize my tweet may sound odd, but the music really does evoke images of winter, intentionally or not. Either way it certainly doesn’t evoke what most (after decades of the Beach Boys and their influence) would imagine “beach music” to be. That’s not a bad thing, just noteworthy and subversive, in a way, I think. But I think the main reason I’d describe it as “familiar, but slightly off” is that it reminds me of an even quirkier version of thenewno2, which itself feels like an alternate universe project of George Harrison thanks to his son Dhani sounding remarkably like him. The vocal similarities between the Harrisons and Alex G are very apparent, but similarities are also there in the melody and music of a song like “Ready.”

10/11: Chris Walla's Tape Loops: Abstract, but not necessarily obtuse; capable of being enveloping and relaxing.

Why? Featured on NPR’s First Listen. 

Additional Thoughts: Instead of filling this section with observations about how “Kanta’s Theme” has echoes of Pink Floyd’s “Wish you were here” and the like, I want to share a quote from Chris Walla’s interview with Sara Quin (of Tegan & Sara): “Sometimes I really enjoy music that I'm very engaged with and dance to, but I feel like there's a dearth of good music that isn't directive or commanding. I don't think this record is passive, but it's also not commanding; it's not telling you what to think or how to feel. So I guess if there is anything I hope, it's that it can find people who maybe didn't realize they wanted it, or maybe didn't realize they needed it, or maybe didn't realize that what they've been listening to has been screaming at them.” As someone who lives for music with big arrangements and even bigger emotions by some massive personalities, this is the sort of album that I occasionally need as a reminder that there are other ways of going about things, ways that are more subtle and more quiet, and shows that one can have a large presence without being in your face. If nothing else Tape Loops can make one reconsidered how they define boring since this album of quiet, unassuming loops somehow feels less repetitive and less of a slog to listen to than albums with eighty times as much going on.

10/12: Green Day's 21^st Century Breakdown: Upon first listen the story isn't very clear, unlike John Lennon's influence.

Why? Currently working through their discography.

Additional Thoughts: Comparisons are a tricky thing. They aren’t inherently pejorative, but certainly folks interpret them that way and others often intend them to be insulting. I don’t, or at least I try not to. I try use comparisons as a way to describe or contextualize a work or understand possible influences and that’s definitely the case when it came to my tweet about 21^st Century Breakdown. Though John is well-known for getting political in his music, the influence here is more sonic in nature. It’s most apparent on tracks “Last Night On Earth” and “Restless Heart Syndrome,” the latter of which has a vocal melody that just screams John. And you know what? It makes total sense that his influence would be so prominent, especially given that before going in to record Breakdown Green Day recorded a cover of “Working Class Hero” (which is also referenced in Breakdown’s lyrics.) One other thing I found interesting about the album is how sweet and clear Billie Joe Armstrong’s voice often sounds, whereas during most of Green Day’s output he uses that snotty, punk brat voice. It’s a nice change of pace.

10/13: dumblonde's dumblonde: Not sure if their Danity Kane past will hurt or help, but this is an awesomely weird album.

Why? 2015 release.

Additional Thoughts: Duo dumblonde consists of former Danity Kane members Aubrey O’Day and Shannon Bex. I must admit that I don’t really know much about Danity Kane, musically or in terms of the public’s opinion of the group. The only DK song I know is “Damaged” and dumblonde’s debut sounds nothing like it. That’s not an insult, by the way, merely an observation I bring up should the DK connection make some apprehensive. (Plus, I have a stupid amount of love for “Damaged” anyway.) Also, it’s important to note that liking DK might not guarantee one will like it either, because while certainly not inaccessible, most of dumblonde isn’t as immediate as a song like “Damaged.” (The big exception to this idea being the poppy “dreamsicle.”) The Wikipedia page for the album lists one of its genres as “alternative dance” and I think that shows in the diverse blend of influences and creative production. A particular high point of the album is the pair of tracks “you got me” and “waiting on you,” which blend well into each other and have great disco and funk flare.

10/14: Emily King's The Switch: "Aya" is one repeated word with little accompaniment, yet it is so compelling and moving.

Why? Spotify recommended it based on Lianne La Havas.

Additional Thoughts: A solid, well-crafted R&B record. In fact, as a further testament to her craftsmanship, the Songwriters Hall of Fame awarded Emily King with the [Buddy] Holly Award a few years ago. Most of this album’s first half feels laidback. However, after the aforementioned “Aya,” it takes a lot of weird and cool musical terms. For instance, there’s “Out of the Clouds” which sounds like a mix of soul, carnival music, Christmas music, and surges from “I Want You (She’s So Heavy),” a mix that sounds like it shouldn’t work and yet it does. Other examples include “Off Center” which builds while maintaining its soft beauty and the snaps and rhythms of “Believer.” “Believer” also has a great chorus: “I’m not a believer, what I see’s usually what I get. I’m not a believer, but I haven’t seen it all yet.”

10/15: Green Day's ¡Uno!: With tracks like "Troublemaker" it proves they are still solid pop craftsmen.

Why? Working through their discography.

Additional Thoughts: Billie Joe compared it to early Beatles and I have to agree. It’s there in the vibes of tracks like “Carpe Diem” and “Fell For You” and lyrics of songs like “Sweet 16.” More than that, it’s in Green Day getting back (in a sense) to their pop craftsmen roots, which for the Beatles was most certainly at a height in their early days. In a way, ¡Uno! might be comparable to Let It Be, the Beatles’ attempt to get back to that more straightforward work before the bells and whistles of ambition took over. I don’t mean that as any kind of insult to the Beatles’ later work or to Green Day’s own American Idiot and 21^st Century Breakdown, to be clear. Ambition’s great, but going somewhat back to basics every so often is a good idea, I think.

10/15: Green Day's ¡Dos!: Among all the energy and volume, "Stray Heart" and "Amy" stand out most for their heart.

Why? Working through their discography.

Additional Thoughts: The second part of Green Day’s trilogy was meant to be more garage rock and a party, according to Billie Joe. With tracks like “Lady Cobra,” I think they do succeed on the later. That is, until “Nightlife” stops the party dead, which is odd considering the album ends with a tribute to Amy Winehouse that, at least conceptually and theoretically, one might think it would be the track to drag the party down. Not to disparage “Amy,” of course, which is one of the best songs on the album. I don’t have much else to say about this one, I’m afraid. It has some great tracks, but doesn’t really grab me overall. 

10/16: Green Day's ¡Tré!: With a few exceptions, I don't think they hit the epic vibe they reportedly aimed for here.

Why? Working through their discography.

Additional Thoughts: I think beyond “Dirty Rotten Bastards,” “The Forgotten,” and maybe “Brutal Love” the album doesn’t hit the epic  heights Billie Joe wanted, which is kind of funny since his summations of ¡Uno! and ¡Dos! were pretty on point. However, I will agree with him on the album’s reflective nature (“X-Kid” and again, “The Forgotten”) and more sonic variation. Either way, their melody work is, as always, on point, like on “Drama Queen.” It’s a good album on its own, but in the context of the trilogy might not be as appreciated.

10/16: Coheed & Cambria's The Color Before the Sun: The mask of fantasy is gone, but the stories and beauty still remain.

Why? New release.

Additional Thoughts: If it had fit my tweet for this album would’ve just been the Oscar Wilde quote, “Man is least himself when he talks in his own person. Give him a mask, and he will tell you the truth.” Though, obviously, I vaguely referenced it anyway. And while I do think the quote is fitting, I don’t agree with the simplified assertion that is their first “non-concept” album. It’s certainly their first non-Amory Wars work, but the album is very much about that fact and about Claudio Sanchez learning to write as himself directly, as opposed to writing his thoughts and feelings through the Amory characters. (Of course, it all depends on how one defines “concept album,” which I think is an interesting discussion, but not one for this moment.) A long time ago I saw an interview where Claudio said how much the Amory saga had been influenced by his parents, so again I find it a simplification to say Color Before the Sun is the first time he’s getting personal. He’s just more direct here, as I said. Either way, it’s a great record and a good move on their part. As cool as it sounds to be a band that exclusively does music about a comic saga, realistically they can only do that for so long. The transition to something else would need to happen eventually and if this album is any indication so far they seem to be doing well with 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.