Daily Album Digest: May 31 - June 13, 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.

5/31: The Unicorns' Who Will Cut Our Hair When We're Gone?: Very rough, lo-fi, silly, a bit morbid, and so charming.

Why? It was in my Spotify recommendations. I wish I knew how it got there.

Additional Thoughts: Much of this album feels like it came from an alternate universe where the Beatles were never under the tutelage of George Martin. Definitely not something for everyone, but I find it charming.

6/1: FFS' FFS: Unless I misheard, this album contains the line "Carrying a Hello Kitty oozie." How could I not love it?

Why? NPR streamed it a week prior to release and I just couldn’t help myself.

Additional Thoughts: I’m going to go deeper into this album in its own post, but for now I’ll say this: Just as Tonight put into relief all Franz did wrong on You Could Have It So Much Better, FFS shows just how much they were coasting on Right Thoughts Right Words Right Action.

6/1: Blur's Modern Life is Rubbish: Could've used some edits, but a definite improvement from their debut, nonetheless.

Why? I have a list of discographies I want to get through; after The Magic Whip I’ve decided to go through Blur.

Additional Thoughts: I feel like that tweet just about said it all. Maybe I just need to spend more time this album and/or Blur, but I’m not grooving with them as much as I thought I might. I do really like “Star Shaped,” though, so there’s that.

6/2: Zella Day's Kicker: A bit of a slow start, perhaps, but promising. "Jameson," in particular, is quite moving.

Why? New release. I read about her on witchsong and quite like “1965,” so I figured I’d give this a shot.

Additional Thoughts: Zella’s been compared to Lana Del Ray and I don’t know enough about Lana to agree or disagree. I do know that the vocalist she reminds me of is Stevie Nicks. I can’t put my finger on it exactly; it’s something about her lower register, like on “Jerome.” Does she have the exact same weight and bewitching quality that Stevie exhibits? Not quite, but this is only her debut, she may get there in time.

6/3: Mount Eerie's Clear Moon: Romantic (in the literary sense), atmospheric and challenging. Highlight: "Over Dark Water"

Why? I saw it reviewed on the Needle Drop.

Additional Thoughts: I’ve said before that I hesitate when music is described as “challenging,” but I really know no better way to describe this album. It’s a hard listen. One reason for that is, as I tweeted, the lyrics are very Romantic as they are very focused on nature and the way one interacts with it, which might seem obtuse or strange to some. It’s also challenging because the obtuse lyrics are delivered with vocals that are often quite meek and get buried in the mix.

6/4: Mariah Carey's Emotions: Impressive vocally, as always, but how is "The Wind" not more well-known?

Why? I’ve always loved Mariah, but there are some gaping holes in my knowledge of her work. I’m going about rectifying that.

Additional Thoughts: The tweet was mostly rhetorical, by the way. I know why “The Wind” doesn’t get much attention. It’s a jazz influenced tune about death/possible suicide – not really a good topic for the pop charts, even (or especially) if you’re Mariah Carey.  

6/5: Unknown Mortal Orchestra's Multi-Love: Some fantastic and funky psychedelia that is really a joy to listen to.

Why? Recent release; I dug the title track when I first heard it, so I figured I’d give it a listen.

Additional Thoughts: There’s been a lot of psychedelia influenced work coming out this year that I just love. I don’t why that is, but I’m going to ride the wave. This album also reminds me a lot of Stevie Wonder, such as tracks “Like Acid Rain” and “Ur Life One Night,” which are also pretty damn awesome. I feel like I should dig into the album on its own. We’ll see.

6/6: Mariah Carey's Merry Christmas: Wasn't going to mention it, but "O Holy Night" gave me too many goosebumps not to.

Why? I’ve always loved Mariah, but there are some gaping holes in my knowledge of her work. I’m going about rectifying that.

Additional Thoughts: Yeah, you could probably put Christmas albums in the same “difficult for me to discuss” category as live albums and greatest hits compilations. Christmas albums have the added difficulty of overcoming the possibility of blending together in a mush of sleigh bells. Of course, any album can run into same-song-over-and-over territory, but since Christmas albums have to stick to one theme/subject it’s especially easy for it to happen to them. Does this album fall into that? A bit. For example, “All I Want For Christmas Is You” and the arrangement of “Santa Claus Is Comin’ To Town” are very similar. Is that on purpose or an oversight? I don’t know. That said, man, I still love “All I Want For Christmas Is You” and I’m a sucker for a good “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing / In Excelsis Deo.” Plus, Mariah made me briefly forget my I-don’t-ever-need-to-hear-this-again twitch in regard to “O Holy Night,” so I consider the album a success.

6/7: Jacaszek's Glimmer: A beautifully melancholy experimental mix of classical and electronic music.

Why? I saw it reviewed on the Needle Drop.

Additional Thoughts: It’s very reminiscent of Danny Elfman scores or Wind In The Wires era Patrick Wolf, so it’s right up my alley. One thing that does bother me, though, is that sometimes the use of distortion doesn’t seem to add anything interesting to it and seems like just noise. I suppose that’s part of the point in mixing seemingly opposed things such as electronica and classical, to also mix beauty and melody with sometimes dreadful noise. Still, I enjoy it.

6/8: Mariah Carey's Mariah Carey: Her rap(-ish) verse in "Prisoner" makes me wonder why 97's Butterfly shocked anyone.

Why? I’ve always loved Mariah, but there are some gaping holes in my knowledge of her work. I’m going about rectifying that.

Additional Thoughts: I will say one thing (besides the seemingly random rap verse) did shock me about this album - how poppy and upbeat much of it was. Music Box and Emotions are quite heavy on the soft rock and ballads, so I expected move of that here. “Prisoner” also ended up taking precedence over the track I thought I’d highlight through most of the album, “Vanishing.” I could be wrong, but I seem to recall Mariah once listing it as a favorite and I can see why.

6/9: Tove Styrke's Kiddo: Ironic the voice of this strong personality often feels buried in the mix. Highlight: "Decay"

Why? New release; I didn’t want to crack into Muse’s Drones yet and I already listened to FFS, so I decided to go with someone I’d never heard of before.

Additional Thoughts: Apparently buried vocals are a theme among this grouping of albums. No idea how that happened. Anyway. A good example of Tove’s strong personality is “Even If I’m Loud It Doesn’t Mean I’m Talking To You,” which contains the line, “I know you feel that pop doesn’t really have a clue.” 

6/10: Alpine's Yuck: The sweet, sometimes breathy harmonies remind me a lot of Janet Jackson. Highlight: "Come On"

Why? NPR featured it as a “First Listen.” I figured why not?

Additional Thoughts: While Alpine is described as “indie-pop” much of this album feels more like R&B. As I said, vocally it recalls Janet Jackson’s sweet and breathy moment, but musically it also feels like her track “Empty”; minimal yet full. 

6/10: Frog Eyes' Tears of the Valedictorian: Some see it as a toning down of their "manic" style and I doubt I can agree.

Why? It was in my Spotify recommendations based on the Unicorns.

Additional Thoughts: When I said “some” I was mainly referring to this review. Admittedly, this is my first exposure to Frog Eyes, so I could be wrong. However, given what the album sounds like, it feels like nitpicking. To my ears, this album is crazed and frenzied. It’s also frustrating, because (like Mount Eerie) the lyrics are quite wordy and involved yet buried under the instruments or the often incomprehensible singing. I can see how it relates to the Unicorns (manic, lo-fi, Canadian band, experimental, etc.), but it lacks any of the charm that made me like their record.

6/11: Alpine's A Is For Alpine: Bit repetitive lyrically, but the sweet harmonies and disco vibes make a pleasant listen.

Why? I really dug Yuck, so I wanted to give their first album a listen.

Additional Thoughts: I realize given what I’ve said about Sparks’ Lil’ Beethoven and Hello Young Lovers that me criticizing an artist for being repetitive lyrically might seem inconsistent or some such. But, as with anything, it depends on how it’s done and why. In a track like Sparks’ “The Rhythm Thief” the repetition builds rhythm for the track the way a beat would. While other times repetition just feels lazy or like an artist didn’t know what else to say. I wouldn’t categorize A Is For Alpine as lazy, but while perhaps they might have been going for something minimalist in the writing, it does sometimes feel like they just ran out of words.

6/13: Zhala's Zhala: She describes her music as "cosmic pop" and that's especially true of the gorgeous "Right Way's Wrong."

Why? Recent release I’ve been meaning to get to for a couple weeks (I think), because she’s the only other artist signed to Robyn’s label and that intrigued me.

Additional Thoughts: Something I found interesting about this record is that, overall, the first half feels very high energy that kinda climaxes with “Prophet”, while the second half is mellower (by comparison) and feels like a good comedown. At present, I think I like the second half better than the first, but that could change. As noted, “Right Way’s Wrong” is great, but another track I found noteworthy is “Prince in the Jungle.”

All albums available to stream on Spotify. Except Yuck, which can be streamed at NPR.

If you'd like to suggest an album, comment on this entry or tweet me. 

There’s Only One Song I Know: Sparks’ “When Do I Get To Sing ‘My Way’” (Singled Out)

As I plowed through Sparks’ discography the last few months, one of the albums I loved the most yet said the least about was Gratuitous Sax & Senseless Violins. When a song or album doesn’t work it can be easy to figure out and expound on why, or, at least, easier than trying to pinpoint what makes a great song or album great. There isn’t one set thing that guarantees a piece will be great music, but when you hear greatness, you know it. But I also hate how vague that explanation sounds. Perhaps a better way to explain what I mean is with James Joyce’s concept of aesthetic arrest; the idea is that when all parts of a piece of art work harmoniously the work will have a certain radiance, a glow that will transfix and, well, dumbfound the observer. Basically, in the presence of such enchanting beauty we can only sit in awe – and that’s how I feel about Gratuitous Sax & Senseless Violins. It’s not perfect album, by any stretch, but man, is it exquisite and for me the song the most embodies that is “When Do I Get To Sing ‘My Way.’”

Before diving into Sparks’ song it’s key to dig into “My Way” first. Paul Anka wrote the lyrics while much of the music and melody came from Claude François’ “Comme d'habitude.” At its core “My Way” is a song of triumph, the triumphant swan song of someone who knows without any doubt they kicked life’s ass. They did all they wanted and any regrets pale in the knowledge that even their regrets belong to them. Every action and word was their choice and “not the words of one who kneels.” Anka wrote the song specifically with Frank Sinatra in mind, at times trying to imitate the way Sinatra spoke, and well, no one would ever call the Chairman of the Board a pushover – at least not to his face.

In stark contrast, “When Do I Get To Sing ‘My Way’” drips in regret and desperation after the life of “one who kneels.” Sparks’ narrator has gone through the motions in the hope that attaining all they were told to want would eventually be worth it when, in the end, all they got was a life of screams and “flying plates and shoes.” Unlike Anka’s narrator who blazes their own trail, this narrator decides to “be gracious and wait in the queue.” They put themselves aside to wait their turn, but it never comes. Furthermore, they’re so resigned to a life of passivity that asserting their individuality isn’t a viable option. The song opens with, “No, no use in lecturing them or in threatening them they will just say, ‘Who are you?’ Is that a question or not when you see that the plot is predictable not new?” These lines not only indicate a fear of seemingly inevitable dismissal, but also the fact that the narrator may not even know the answer. This loss of self proves the narrator of “My Way” right when they say, “What is a man? What has he got? If not himself then he has naught.” By far the biggest regret expressed by Sparks’ narrator is the lack of self-assured nature exemplified by a figure like Sinatra; “When do I get to feel like Sinatra felt?”

Over the years so many artists have covered “My Way” that it ranks near the Beatles’ “Yesterday” as one of the most covered of all time. However, of all those covers only one is mentioned in “When Do I Get To Sing ‘My Way,’” that of Sid Vicious. Not only does genre change make the Vicious version notable, but also the fact that he changed the lyrics. He made it his own and spat in the face of pop traditionalists with every sloppy, sneering “fuck” as he did it. While the narrator of “When Do I Get To Sing ‘My Way’” may question tradition to an extent, they certainly don’t do anything to rock the boat. “It’s a tradition, they say, like a bright Christmas day and tradition must go on.  And though I say ‘yes I see,’ no, I really don’t see. Is my smiley face still on?” They engage with the tradition, but not out of genuine attachment or belief in its importance. Those bright Christmas days mean about as much to the narrator as Sinatra appears to have meant to Sid Vicious – not at all. The only difference is that Vicious had no qualms about making his disregard apparent to all, while Sparks’ narrator keeps on a fake smile and secretly envies him. Of course, in reality Vicious is no one to envy; as with Frank Sinatra, the envy is not about the real man, but what he represents – rebellion. The second verse ends with the line, “Sign your name with an X, mow the lawn.” Earlier I noted the narrator’s passivity and loss of self, which run so deeply the narrator can’t even muster up the desire to write their own name before quickly going back to their routine. They may envy rebellion in others, but they have never and can never engage in it.

Sparks have performed an orchestral version of “When Do I Get To Sing ‘My Way’” and though it is very beautiful, I think the original has a desperation to it that gets lost in the rearrangement. (Of course, I’ve always had an affinity for dancing away bleakness and angst with a thumping beat so perhaps that has something to do with it.) The narrator’s desperation really crystallizes in the contrasts between the bridge and the final verse. The bridge feels like dream sequence wherein the narrator fantasizes of the life they want, one where “women seduce me and champagne flows.” Only for reality to come crashing back in during the final verse where they remember they “have no souvenirs of these crackerjack years, not a moment I could choose and not one offer that I could refuse.” They have no good old days to look back on and no bright future to look toward. They don’t even care if they end up “in heaven or hell.” They just have a vain hope that maybe there is a chance that they could turn things around and finally get somewhere on their own terms. Erase their regrets.

But they won’t.

“The plot is predictable.”

Daily Album Digest: March 29 - April 11, 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.

3/29: Big Giant Circles' The Glory Days: Proof that chiptunes don't need nostalgia value to be affecting and awesome.

Why? A recommendation from LoadingReadyRun’s Best of 2014 podcast(s).

Anything else? In case you don’t know, “chiptunes” are a form of electronic synth music. Also called 8-bit music due to its close association with (or attempt to recreate) old school video game soundtracks. To further drive this association home, Big Giant Circles an album called Imposter Nostalgia, which The Glory Days is a sort of sequel to (the album was Kickstarted with the subtitle Imposter Nostalgia 2.) Since I grew up with that era of video games, I do have a fondness for chiptune scores, which might make me more receptive to this album. However, I don’t think one necessarily needs that background to appreciate it. For one thing, while the songs have chiptune sounds they are very full and complex. It’s a lone melody like old game music. It’s almost orchestrating big arrangements with chip sounds. Each track is so distinct and the album covers so many emotions and moods. It can be very tense and exciting one track and very somber and beautiful the next (like “A Rose in a Field”.) I definitely think it’s worth checking out.

3/30: Sparks' Balls: Who knew a song called "How To Get Your Ass Kicked" could be sung so sweetly?

Why? Still plowing through Sparks in preparation for FFS.

Anything else? One of the downsides to the size of Sparks’ catalog is that some albums will eventually get lost in the shuffle and not always due to any of their own shortcomings. Case in point, this album happens to come after the one-two punch of Gratuitous Sax & Senseless Violins and Plagiarism and before the one-two of Lil’ Beethoven and Hello Young Lovers.  It’s almost a given that this will be overshadowed, but it has plenty of its own charm, such as the aforementioned “"How To Get Your Ass Kicked" and the drama of tracks like “The Calm Before the Storm” and “Scheherazade.”

3/31: Ringo Starr's Postcards From Paradise: Feels like friends getting together and jamming just for the fun of it.

Why? New release and it’s Ringo, so why not?

Anything else? I can’t necessarily see this converting anyone into a fan, but it’s a solid record. Ringo has well passed the point where he has to make music or, well, do anything really. It’s definitely made by people who want to make music and want to do it with each other.  I can always admire Ringo’s positive outlook, which comes through. And yet despite that (or maybe due to it) some of the most memorable moments are the more somber ones, like “You Bring the Party Down” and “Right Side of the Road.”

4/1: Sparks' Lil' Beethoven: The almost Python-esque absurdity of "Suburban Homeboy" is nothing short of magical.

Why? Still plowing through Sparks in preparation for FFS.

Anything else? Before anything else it must be said, this is not entry level Sparks. Even for Sparks this album is strange and I would not suggest most people wanting to get into the band start here. That isn’t a mark against it, it’s just not as accessible as some of their other work. After multiple albums of techno and synthpop, Beethoven’s heavy reliance on classical sounds (though not totally unprecedented in their work) feels like welcomed whiplash. And while the classical aspect could be alienating to some listeners, the lyrical content is what takes the album into avant garde territory. Much of album is built on constant repetition of minimal lyrics; the title of “My Baby’s Taking Me Home” repeats over a hundred times and opener “The Rhythm Thief” consists of a handful of lines that layer over each other. In any other hands it would be tedious or lazy, yet as AllMusic suggests “the mantras themselves become a pulse of sorts” in place of more traditionally achieved grooves and beats. Lyric-as-beat is quite an ambitious idea and I think it works for them.

4/2: Sparks' Hello Young Lovers: To call it a "rock opera" seems an oversimplification. It's fearless genius in action.

Why? Still plowing through Sparks in preparation for FFS.

Anything else? This album felt like Sparks took Lil’ Beethoven and mashed it with the glam rock of Kimono My House and Propaganda and then blew it all up as big as it could get. Generally, I’m not a fan of when people describe a piece of music “rewarding.”  It reeks of gatekeeping and almost makes the piece sound like a hazing or endurance test that reflects badly on one if they failed. Though I suppose it has a more positive connotation than calling a piece “difficult” or something similar. That said, I would probably put Hello Young Lovers in such a category, because it felt like getting chased by a runaway train. It’s an album that can take a lot out of you and much of it isn’t an easy or necessarily pleasant listen. For instance, the repetition of Lil’ Beethoven carries over onto this record, but instead of it serving as lyrics-as-beat it makes the songs’ narrators sound increasingly unhinged as the accompaniment builds in drama and hard rock ferocity (see “Dick Around” and “The Very Next Fight.”) Still, amid the craziness there are moments of fun (like “(Baby, Baby) Can I Invade Your Country”) and beauty (such as “Waterproof” which is one of the loveliest songs about a total asshole since John Lennon’s “Jealous Guy.”) Sparks themselves don’t like variations on the term “rock opera” used in regard to their work, which I empathize and agree with. Unfortunately, that’s the only term to even begin to describe and contextualize what they’re doing, though it can’t fully encapsulate it.

4/3: Ben Frost's Aurora: One listen doesn't feel enough to grasp all that goes on in this tense, menacing electronica.

Why? A recommendation from LoadingReadyRun’s Best of 2014 podcast(s).

Anything else? I’ll confess I’m not really sure how to write about this album. I get the chiptunes that Big Giant Circles works in, so I have a way into the work. Along with electronica, this album is labeled as industrial and noise, two genres that I don’t think I have the vocabulary to do justice to at present (especially the latter.) That’s just a shortcoming on my part, though. The album itself is interesting, intricate, and well-constructed. When I first started hearing “noise” used as a genre I figured it would be something that isn’t for me (given the connotations of the word), but this album makes me rethink that stance. I’m curious and willing to give it a shot now. Even if it takes some time for me to verbalize it properly.

4/4: ABC's The Lexicon of Love: The band succeeds in their desire to be "danceable, memorable, intelligent."

Why? A blog I follow put this on a recent list of recommendations.

Anything else? What stunned me most about this was how many Greatest of the 80s/All-Time lists it’s been included in. Not because the album is bad by any means (it’s damn good), but because I don’t recall ever noticing this album on such lists before. Of course that’s probably due to most “All-Time” lists I’ve seen being US based and 60s heavy. Or it got lost in the shuffle because I didn’t recognize the name. Either way, I’m glad it eventually found me, because it positively sparkles. 

4/5: Sparks' Exotic Creatures of the Deep: Maybe more accessible than the previous two albums, but doesn't click fully.

Why? Still plowing through Sparks in preparation for FFS.

Anything else? I’m not thrilled with the tweet for this album. “Accessible” was the wrong word to use. As strange as they can be, Sparks have a pop sensibility that makes them immediate and their ambition not alienating (with the perhaps exception of Lil’ Beethoven.) And they’ve explored so many genres, I do think most people could find a way into them. I think this album was easier, in a way, to take in because it didn’t have whiplash gear change of Lil’ Beethoven or the hard rock-classical explosion of Hello Young Lovers. Exotic Creatures occupies a similar vein, so the previous albums prepared me well enough. I feel like Exotic Creatures is to Hello Young Lovers what Propaganda was to Kimono My House in expanding and refining some of what preceded it. Also like those two albums, which one you like more may depend largely on which you heard first. There’s a lot of great stuff on this record; the humor of “Good Morning” (“I hope it's just your laugh that is infectious”), the swagger and stomp of “I Can't Believe That You Would Fall for All the Crap in This Song” and “(She Got Me) Pregnant,” and the divine harmonies of “Likeable” and “The Director Never Yelled ‘Cut.’” 

4/6: Foxes' Glorious: Some solid tracks like "White Coats" and "Echo." Great voice, but her enunciation can be muddled.

Why? This album’s been sitting in my Spotify queue since her feature on Fall Out Boy’s “Just One Yesterday” intrigued me.

Anything else? Though I stand by my tweet, I’m willing to give Foxes the benefit of the doubt and put some of the enunciation issue on lyric transcriptions possibly being messed up. Still. It was distracting at times.

4/7: All Time Low's Future Hearts: I don't really see the story said to be here, but it's some sincere pop-punk.

Why? New release and I don’t think I’ve ever heard their work before, so I thought I’d give it a go.

Anything else? According to ATL’s lead singer there’s a story being told on this record, but I didn’t pick up on it at all. If it does indeed contain a story, it’s not very overt about it, which can work. It’s often considered a strength for a work to unfold more with repetition. The songs themselves are fine overall. “Kids in the Dark” and “Dancing with a Wolf,” in particular, are quite good. I don’t mean this as any sort of knock against them, but it’s also quite apparent how much these guys have listened to Plain White T’s and Fall Out Boy. “Kids in the Dark” seems like it might be right at home on Save Rock & Roll.

4/8: Sparks' The Seduction of Ingmar Bergman: Gripping and moving. Some moments stand out, but it's definitely full piece.

Why? Still plowing through Sparks in preparation for FFS.

Anything else? The album is very much a musical that needs and deserves one’s full attention when listening. It’s funny; through a portion of it I didn’t think it was really grabbing me, until a Spotify commercial made me groan in frustration.  I was also surprised by how “Oh My God” and “Garbo Sings” gave me goosebumps. I wanted to enjoy this, but I still somehow ended up being surprised by how much it got to me.

4/9: Tears for Fears' Songs from the Big Chair: The songs have been so enduring a true "first impression" is difficult.

Why? It was in the queue.

Anything else? I realize I pretty much bailed when it came to that tweet, but I really didn’t anticipate literally half the album containing songs I already knew well. (Hopefully the rest of their discography will yield more genuine first impressions.) That said, in spots it felt jazzier than I expected and I love the trio of “Broken” and “Head Over Heels / Broken (Live).”

4/10: Phoenix' It's Never Been Like That: Exudes a joyful feeling that can only be described in silly spring metaphors.

Why? I’ve been meaning to check out their other albums since I really liked Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix and this was in my queue.

Anything else? Yeah, the best way I can describe this album is that it sounds the way breathing in cool spring evening air feels. It’s a subtle joy, not the take-off-down-the-street-“Dog Days Are Over” style of happy, but a subtle joy that stop you in your tracks if you let it.

4/11: The Strokes' Room On Fire: Disappointing. The vocals mostly sound bored or like he's singing through a sore throat.

Why? In the queue and I wanted to get through more of their material.

Anything else? I remember really digging Is This It, so I was disappointed by this one. Although, I’m not too surprised, since I have read critics say the Strokes are an example in diminishing returns. I’m not ready to count them out, though, or even this record. It could very well be that I just wasn’t in the right frame of mind to get into it. Musically I can dig a lot of it, but the vocals often kill any affection I could possibly muster. I don’t know if there’s some kind of effect on Casablancas’ voice or what, I just know that whatever is going on doesn’t work for me. But “Reptilia” still kicks ass. 

All albums available to stream on Spotify.

Daily Album Digest: March 15 - 28, 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.

3/15: Sparks In Outer Space: I was ready call this an okay-possible-grower with cool synths and humor, then "Dance Godammit" confirmed it as more.

Why? Still plowing through Sparks in preparation for FFS.

Anything else? Maybe a better way to put it would have been that “Dance Godammit” made me rethink the album. Much of the album feels “typical 80s,” but the final song seems to imply that may have been intentional. Nowadays an artist attributing the vapid nature of a work to irony happens a lot (see Ke$ha and Marina & the Diamonds’ Electra Heart), so if that’s indeed what Sparks were doing here it would be very easy to just shrug and say, “So what?”; the unfair consequence of any technique becoming so damn pervasive.   

3/16: Bruno Mars' Doo-Wops & Hooligans: Portrays Mars as a solid musical chameleon, but is that all he is? Highlight: "The Other Side"

Why? I only know Bruno’s singles, so I wanted to give his albums a spin.

Anything else? For the longest time I put Bruno Mars in the same category as the Black Keys; acts who don’t do anything outwardly wrong, in fact they do a lot right and ostensibly should appeal to me, but something just doesn’t jive. Generally I like genre-hopping and love soul, but Bruno’s debut doesn’t really feel like it possesses a strong personality behind it to tie it all together. Even the most genre-defying artists have something that strikes as quintessentially them. Bruno certainly knows tons about music and how to write good tunes, but I don’t think the album says anything about him. Some of the tone shifts don’t help in that. The album goes from the sweet and romantic “Just The Way You Are” and “Our First Time” to asshole mode in “Runaway Baby” (and, if we’re being totally honest, “The Lazy Song.”) Not that artists should never contradict themselves, just that when it’s that stark of a contrast (on a debut, especially), I can’t help but think, “Who the hell are you?” And that’s the problem. I could deal with genre-bending and contradicting lyrics, except he does both and tries to be too many things at once without establishing his own clear identity. I see why the album got big, but ultimately it doesn’t really work for me.

3/17: Marina & the Diamonds' Froot: Two big stand-outs from this album are "Weeds" and "Savages," which exhibit stunning brutal honesty.

Why? New release and I’ve been meaning to check her out for a while.

Anything else? It took a while for this album to grab me, but once it did it blew me away with Marina’s honesty. Admitting one’s flaws and mistakes can be difficult and she does it so well, as evidenced by tracks like “Blue” and “I’m a Ruin.” The latter of which contains the great line, “It's difficult to move on when nothing was right and nothing's wrong.”

3/18: Bruno Mars' Unorthodox Jukebox: He still works in pastiche, but this feels more confident. "Treasure" and "Moonshine" are undeniable.

Why? Finishing up Mr. Mars’ discography so far.

Anything else? Now this album I dig. It suffers some of the same pitfalls of Bruno’s debut, but feels more cohesive. I still don’t know if I know much about him, but this time he’s much better at making me forget that fact. I prefer his performances on this album, because it feels like he’s really throwing himself in it. One review calls the album “oddly lyrically aggressive,” which I think contrasts the debut’s occasional lovey-dovey moments. Even though those sweets moments where the best parts of Doo-Wops, they rang false set against songs like “Runaway Baby.” Basically, if you’re going to be an asshole at least commit to it and go whole hog. Put it this way: I’d much rather listen to “Gorilla” than “Grenade.” Both are ridiculous and over dramatic, but I’d rather hear Bruno brag about his sexual prowess than brag about guilt tripping someone with his suicidal ideation.

3/19: Sparks' Pulling Rabbits Out of a Hat: Charming overall. I have a bit of a weakness for seductive synthpop like "Kiss Me Quick.”

Why? Still plowing through Sparks in preparation for FFS.

Anything else? According to the album’s AllMusic review, “Few sparks are struck here.” I disagree. As I said in the tweet, I think it’s charming, especially in comparison to In Outer Space. The title track is fun and sounds like what would happen if Oingo Boingo wrote “Applause” by Lady Gaga. “Love Scenes,” “With All My Might,” and the aforementioned “Kiss Me Quick” are quite lovely. I can see how one would view it as generic for Sparks and I certainly wouldn’t choose this album to die on a hill defending, but it’s charming enough for me, for whatever that’s worth.

3/20: Ariana Grande's Yours Truly: Much has been made of the albums 90s feel, but a big highlight is 50s/60s throwback "Tattooed Heart."

Why? Wanted to finish off Ariana’s discography so far.

Anything else? I enjoyed this more than My Everything.  I think maybe that album tried too hard to be overtly sexual and this one just concerned itself with showing off Ariana’s great voice. I love “Tattooed Heart” in premise and execution. The vocal melody and strings have that classic sound that makes me melt in happiness. 

3/21: Marina & the Diamonds' The Family Jewels: If the idea of a musical baby between Fiona Apple and Sparks appeals to you, this is for you.

Why? After enjoying Froot I’ve decided to go back and look at Marina’s other records.

Anything else? Unlike Froot album grabbed me almost instantly. The performances on Froot are definitely more reserved, especially in comparison to this album. Sparks came to mind immediately when listening to this and I thought that might have been due to how much of them I’ve been listening to until I found multiple critics making the same comparison. I love the bouncy, theatrical moments (like “Mowgli’s Road”) almost as much as the more open moments (like “Obsessions” and “The Outsider.”) The album shows someone who, despite maybe some insecurities, is absolutely fearless musically and willing to try anything, which is greatly appealing.

3/22: Tokyo Police Club's Forcefield: Solid and enjoyable indie pop/rock and sometimes that enough. Highlight: "Argentina Parts I, II, III"

Why? A recommendation from LoadingReadyRun’s Best of 2014 podcast(s).

Anything else? Again restrictions making me sound more backhanded than I’d like. Granted I don’t sound as harsh as some critics and fans that roasted this album for leaving the band’s “original” sound in favor of something more radio friendly. Granted, this was my first exposure to the band, so maybe they’re right about it being a step back. Still, I found the album enjoyable and it makes me curious enough to look into their previous work.

3/23: Sparks' Music That You Can Dance To: "The Scene" & spoken word infused tracks "Shopping Mall Of Love" & "Change" make up for a slow start.

Why? Still plowing through Sparks in preparation for FFS.

Anything else? This can be found on Spotify under the title Best of Sparks. Prior to listening to it I’d read the AllMusic review, so I wasn’t too keen going in. It does have a slow start and I wasn’t thrilled with their cover of Fingertips (I mean nothing can beat Stevie Wonder), but within seconds “The Scene” made up for it. The track reminds me a lot of “The Reflex” by Duran Duran, so I can always get into that. Despite their titles “Music That You Can Dance To” and “Let’s Get Funky” are decidedly not dancey or funky and they’re kind of… plain. For Sparks, anyway. The quirks of “Shopping Mall of Love” and “Change” make up for that, though. “Change” in particular is simply magnificent musically, just heart-clenchingly wonderful. Overall, the album has some fairly forgettable stuff, but the good stuff is really great.  I can’t see the whole album ever being counted among my Sparks favorites, but some tracks definitely could.

(Missed March 24th, so I did two albums on the 25th)

3/25: Mini Mansions' The Great Pretenders: Majestic psychedelia anchored by beautiful vocal melodies. Among the many highlights: "Any Emotions"

Why? New release. Their bio on Spotify describes them as “dark psych-pop” and I can’t deny Brian Wilson.

Anything else? I think I might expand on this record in a full post. It’s really good. I wouldn’t be surprised if it ends up one of my favorites of the year. Don’t be deceived by the title -  they aren’t simply good mimics.

3/25: Marina & the Diamonds' Electra Heart: A record steeped in artifice and irony that's strongest when its vulnerability can shine through.

Why? To round out her discography.

Anything else? As I’ve said, her brutal honesty that draws me to Marina, so I’m not all that keen on her going the ironic route here. That said, I enjoy seeing her growth and how this led to the more “human” sounding Froot. Also, “Sex Yeah” is great. 

3/26: Sparks' Interior Design: Aside from "Lots of Reasons" not much sticks out. I don't know if it needs to grow on me or is just forgettable

Why? Still plowing through Sparks in preparation for FFS.

Anything else? I’m conflicted about this record for reasons stated above. On the upside, “Lots of Reasons” made me laugh; “You’re intelligent, but that’s no threat. I’ve been reading every chance I get.” “Let’s Make Love” also sounds a lot like run-of-the-mill synth-based love song, but it also has a sense of humor; “I’ve been waiting all my life for someone I could stand.”

3/27: Orange Juice's Rip It Up: Feels a bit padded, but its wit and grooves make up for it. Highlights: "A Million Pleading Faces" and "Rip It Up"

Why? Earlier on in the day I’d listened to Late Night Tales: Franz Ferdinand, which probably influenced the decision to pick this over other albums saved in my Spotify.

Anything else? According to what I read this album came after the departure of key members and some record company pressure, so that likely explains that sometimes padded vibe. It feels like they were stretching for time. Despite all that, when it’s good, it’s great, so any weakness is forgivable. 

3/28: Sparks' Gratuitous Sax & Senseless Violins: The kind of techno I really love, where sweetness and haunting beauty just wash over you.

Why? Still plowing through Sparks in preparation for FFS.

Anything else? I loved this record. So much so, that I don’t know if I can coherently discuss it. It reminds me a great deal of their No. 1 In Heaven; lush and breathtaking with a perfection that almost defies any discussion. It was worth going through stuff like Interior Design to get to pieces as magnificent as “When Do I Get To Sing ‘My Way’” and “Frankly, Scarlett, I Don’t Give A Damn.”

All albums available to stream on Spotify.

Daily Album Digest: March 1 - 14, 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.

3/1: The Killers' Battle Born: The title track and "Be Still" are great, but cramming it with aspiring anthems makes it fall flat.

Why? After liking Day & Age so much I decided to charge ahead to this album. It… didn’t work out well.

Anything else?  I’m not a fan of when the Killers get their Springsteen on, but it’s not really that aspect that tanks the record for me. It’s a matter of pacing. The standard edition of the album has twelve songs, only two of them don’t go into lighters-in-the-air anthem territory. After a while they just have no punch anymore. Not every song has to be or can be “Born to Run.” 

3/2: Janet Jackson's Damita Jo: Its best moments are the old school turns ("I Want You") or just plain fun ("Just a Little While.")

Why? I wanted to go the opposite of the Killers’ record and have been criminally behind on Janet.

Anything else? I doubt this will ever be among my favorite Janet records, but it has some great moments. As something of a junkie for the genre myself, “R&B Junkie” speaks to me. I love the old school vibe of that track and “I Want You.” Speaking of “I Want You,” I think that track and the other Kanye West collaborations (“Strawberry Bounce” and “My Baby”) are really good.  His verse on “My Baby” is another matter, but that’s to be expected from him. The Babyface produced  track “Thinkin’ Bout My Ex” is another highlight and quite moving.

As for the negatives, no matter how sexy the singing, no matter if it’s Janet Jackson whispering it breathily, there is nothing sexy about the word “moist.” Or “erect.” I have no problem with Janet (or any artist) exploring her sexuality, but tracks like “Moist” and “Warmth” prove there’s a limit, at least creatively. I wouldn’t go as far as someone from AllMusic and call it embarrassing, just say that there are diminishing returns in that area.

3/3: Purity Ring's another eternity: In a word: dreamy. Carries you through lovely and strange images, but not much sticks out after the fact.

Why? Tuesday release. I’ve seen the name around a lot recently and dove in.

Anything else? No. I didn’t really connect with this record and feel no great desire to go back.

3/4: Sparks' Whomp That Sucker: I'm partial to the song "Funny Face" if for no other reason than it reminds me of book "Invisible Monsters."

Why? Still working through Sparks’ discography.

Anything else? This album came after Terminal Jive and is more rock than that or No 1 In Heaven, but it’s a better rock record than Big Beat or Introducing Sparks probably due to it sounding more early 80s new wave than generic 70s rock.

3/5: The Strokes' Is This It: Seminal works can be difficult to discuss, but alt. rock of the 2000s owes this album a debt and for good reason.

Why? I was originally going to listen to Room On Fire, but decided on this instead.

Anything else? As I said, it’s difficult to talk about albums like this one, because they have been so influential. I may not have ever heard this album in its entirety until recently, but I’ve still heard it because so much of rock in the 2000s wouldn’t exist without it. That sort of status can sometimes work against an album, though since they inspired a lot of the 2000s rock that I like, I dig it. In fact, this album is such a big deal that it landed on the Rolling Stone 500 Greatest Albums of All-Time, so while I would like to dig deeper in this, it’ll have to wait.

3/6: Coheed & Cambria's The Afterman: Ascension/Descension: I hesitate to use this phrase, but really, this is a return to form. Magnificent.

Why? Why not?

Anything else? I held off from this double album for a long time, because I was not big on Year of the Black Rainbow (and parts of No World for Tomorrow, but mostly YotBR.) The band has always had a metal edge, but those records seemed to be carrying them even further into that direction and frankly, that just isn’t for me. However, The Afterman feels more somewhere in between Good Apollo Vol.1 and In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth: 3 without feeling like they regressed. It’s eclectic, gave me chills, made me tear up, so I loved it. 

3/7: Ariana Grande's My Everything: Her sweet and lovely voice saves songs that otherwise would be just middle of the road pop/r&b.

Why? I really liked her Grammy performance last month and have had this album in the queue, so to speak.

Anything else? Twitter’s limitations strike again and force me into backhanded compliments. Given more room let me put it like this: the songs themselves are not that striking or impressive on their own, but Ariana has such a beautiful voice that I wanted to listen to anything attached to it. I just wish the songs had more personality and more of her. She has a writing credit on the title track and that’s one song that feels true and not just a character she’s donning for a song. Maybe in time she’ll become more involved in that area. Her voice is a joy to listen to, so I want her to stick around and hopefully grow.

3/8: fun.'s Aim & Ignite: Reminds me of Panic! At the Disco's Pretty. Odd. in that both hit every right button to make me ridiculously happy.

Why? Another album that’s been sitting in my Spotify queue for ages.

Anything else? I liked Some Nights, in particular the introduction and title track. Something I really like about them is this drama and sense of scale that I don’t know the rest of that album lived up to. Aim & Ignite, however, completely revels in desires of Queen’s grandeur happily the whole way though. There have been critics who bemoan how much is going on musically and it certainly isn’t for everyone, but I can’t help bask in the strings and horns and harmonies. And Nate Ruess may not be Freddie Mercury, but when he sings, damn, I believe every word. Some current frontmen could really take a lesson from him. 

3/9: Janet Jackson's 20 Y.O. : Many blame this album's failings on Jermaine Dupri. That's unfair. The Jam/Lewis tracks don't fare well either.

Why? Playing catch-up with Janet.

Anything else? For anyone else this might be a decent or good album - not for Janet. I can cut her slack though. She has made some of the greatest dance/pop/r&b albums of all-time and frankly, not every album an artist makes is going to be great. It’s just not possible. That said, 20 Y.O. is still a letdown, because it’s the first Janet album that I disliked. “Call On Me” is sweet and breezy, but there’s not much here I feel the need to revisit. Even Damita Jo, which I was mostly lukewarm on, has more to offer. The Dupri-produced tracks feel messy and jumbled, while the Jam/Lewis-produced tracks wear out their welcome quick. Time could soften me this album, but as I said, I don’t feel a desire to go back to it anytime soon.

3/10: Laura Welsh's Soft Control: There's an edge to her captivating voice that recalls Annie Lennox. Highlights: "Ghosts" & "Break the Fall"

Why? The new releases that week were made up mainly of singles and Madonna’s Rebel Heart and I really didn’t want to touch that one.

Anything else? Along with having tones like Annie Lennox, the way she sings the word “cynical” in “Break the Fall” also reminds me of Fiona Apple. Anyone who can remind me of those two women possesses a voice that I can’t help but love. Unfortunately, though the album starts quite strong it starts to peter out about halfway through. The lyrics stay interesting throughout, but musically it blends together. Still, as I said about Ariana Grande, I enjoy her voice so much that I’ll take what I can get. I want to root for her and since this is only her debut I’m quite comfortable in doing so.

3/11: Janet Jackson’s Discipline: Tracks like opener “Feedback” and the evocative “Rock With U” make this the dance record 20 Y.O. wanted to be.

Why? I wanted to finish catching up with Janet.

Anything else? Apparently Jermaine Dupri made statements about 20 Y.O. being the most dance record Janet had done in a while. I don’t believe that to be the case. If you define a dance record as one that makes you dance, well, it didn’t make me want to dance. Discipline, however, does make me want to dance. The record also manages to give Janet a modern sound (such as on “Rock With U”), unlike 20 Y.O.’s clumsy attempts at contemporary r&b.

And yet, for all the goodwill Discipline builds with its dance tracks, the title track nearly throws it all out the window. Of course, Janet discussing sex is not new nor does the track represent her first foray into BDSM themes (see The Velvet Rope’s “Rope Burn”), but I find the track disturbing. Maybe I’m naïve or overreacting, but lyrics such as “Make me cry” and “Take out your frustrations on me” really, really rub me the wrong way. If nothing else, hundreds of thinkpieces on Fifty Shades of Grey prove the handling of BDSM in media is a murky area indeed. 

3/12: Dirty Pretty Things' Waterloo to Anywhere: With dark themes and rough but catchy sound ("Bang Bang You're Dead"), they were aptly named.

Why? It’s been sitting on my backburner for a long time.

Anything else? I’ve loved “Bang Bang You’re Dead” for a long time and was concerned that the rest might not live up to it. That concern was mostly unfounded. “Bang” still stands out the most sonically (mainly due to the inclusion of horns), but lyrically I was really struck by “Blood Thirsty Bastards” and “The Enemy.” The album’s not as rough as I recall (frontman Carl Barat’s previous band) the Libertines being, which works for me and makes it a more pleasant listen than they could sometimes be.

3/13: Box Codax' Hellabuster: How do I process an album full of grooves, that one minute reminds me of Oingo Boingo and 60s girl groups the next?

Why? Another that’s been on a backburner.

Anything else? That tweet was a play on recurring lyric, “How do I get your bullet out of my head” and also very much the truth. I’m still so flabbergasted by this record that I might end up writing a full post for it. But to be brief (for now): I know of this band because one of the members is Franz Ferdinand guitarist/keyboardist Nick McCarthy.  As with much of Franz, McCarthy composes the music of Box Codax  and what really struck me initially is how funky it gets at times. Trying to describe it is difficult for me, because something that vaguely reminds me Oingo Boingo and then throws out Motown strings by all accounts shouldn’t work. But it has so many great grooves that anchor it and it commits so hard to every seemingly mad musical idea that I can’t help but be on board. ...Even if it did break my brain.

3/14: Franz Ferdinand's Live at Roundhouse London: I likely won't discuss many live albums, but this "jolly bit of desolation" is the exception.

Why? Needed a break, so I cheated a bit.

Anything else? I try to steer clear of live albums or compilations for this daily album stuff. It feels a bit like cheating, because a greatest hits compilation doesn’t have the same purpose as a legit album. But, of course, if I’m going to make an exception for anyone it’ll be Franz Ferdinand. If nothing else Franz is a great live band and I really think anyone who doesn’t get a chance to see them should at least give this a listen. They have tremendous energy and when they hit their stride (“The Fallen” through “Auf Achse,” for instance) everything flows almost seamlessly.

All albums available to stream on Spotify. Except for Franz Ferdinand’s Live at Roundhouse London which is available here.