Category: Album Review

Album Review: Spoon – ‘Lucifer on the Sofa’

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In considering the 10th studio album by Spoon, we take a moment to appreciate what kind of an underappreciated milestone that represents.

Among bands that can be considered part of the first- or second-generation American indie rock cohort, there are plenty of heroes (Pavement, Modest Mouse, the White Stripes, Death Cab for Cutie) who either couldn’t keep it together long enough or have seen their output slowed to a crawl.

Lucifer on the Sofa finds Spoon joining the double-digit club (waddup Sonic Youth, Sleater-Kinney, Guided by Voices, Flaming Lips) in full control of the distinct talents and trademarks that have become familiar on the nine previous LPs – this one distinctly more driving and aggressive than predecessor Hot Thoughts, where synths and atmosphere were the ruling order.

The album’s bookended by its two longest songs and two of the more ruminative tracks, leading off with a faithful cover of Smog’s “Held” and closing with the title track that begins by showcasing moody, scene-setting saxophones for a late-night travelogue through Lavaca Street, West Avenue, thoughts about Dale Watson, and an unnamed someone who has left the narrator to deal with remnants that include records, cassette tapes, letters, pictures, and what lead man Britt Daniel paints to be a small fortune in cigarettes.

Continue reading review at The Austin Chronicle

Album Review: Animal Collective – ‘Time Skiffs’

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Let’s be real with each other… Even the most dedicated Animal Collective followers can’t hide that the critical tide had turned drastically poisonous across the ’10s after seemingly being unable to follow up a wave of acclaim. Their run of albums and EPs from 2004’s Sung Tongs through to 2009’s era-defining Merriweather Post Pavilion (and let’s not forget the outstanding companion EP Fall Be Kind released later the same year) proved to be legendary.

The Baltimore based neo-psych darlings could practically do no wrong in the eyes of indie-alternative bloggers, journalists and music obsessives. 2012’s follow up to Merriweather saw the quartet pushing into noisier and more dense sonic chaos, finding the spiritual successor to their true masterpiece, 2007’s Strawberry Jam.

Even though Centipede Hz is an incredible album – one that desperately needs reappraising – it seemingly wasn’t what fans and critics wanted after the blissful, melodic psych-pop gems that defined its predecessor. 2016’s Painting With pushed back into the opposite direction; their most outright sunshine pop sounding record seemed to be too lacking in their striking experimental flourishes.

To give you an idea of how harshly the critical perception turned, The Quietus’ Lee Arizuno described Painting With as “absolute dogshit from start to finish”. Unscathed, AnCo entered a prolific phase afterwards, exploring much less accessible sounds with a series of trippy experimental droney works and a couple of film scores.

As a dedicated fan myself since the release of Strawberry Jam, I’ve certainly not heard any dogshit in their discography – even during the past decade’s “rough patch”. Animal Collective have always been prolific and have always changed up their sound and methodology.

From the freak-folk of Sung Tongs, the largely synth and electronic leaning Merriweather, and then finding instruments again on Centipede Hz (with Panda Bear doubling up as drummer and vocalist), Animal Collective’s constant reinvention of their sound and bold desire to experiment has always been one of their most exciting assets – even if it doesn’t always land.

If any long standing band has deserved the tides to turn back in their favour, it’s Animal Collective, and fortunately this 13th full length (depending on how you count them) is the album to do it with…

Continue reading on AudioTrail (where review was first posted)

Album Review: Beach House – ‘Once Twice Melody’

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When twinkling synths usher the listener into Once Twice Melody—both the opening track and the album of the same name—it feels like you’re entering a fairytale, sprinkled with pixie dust.

But the mood quickly changes after the percussion and guitar come in and Beach House vocalist Victoria Legrand introduces a melancholic story about a woman attempting to process newfound loneliness while craving fantastical escapism.

With references to Peter Pan’s Neverland, Legrand outlines the woman’s life—it was once a fairytale, but has now “gone to hell,” as she later sings.

Beach House’s music has always had a cinematic quality, and that element is expanded on Once Twice Melody. The Baltimore-based duo of Legrand and Alex Scally divided the album into four chapters, each chronicling a relationship’s dissolution.

Beach House’s 2017 album, 7, featured some of the band’s darkest and most experimental tracks, and Once Twice Melody gets even more eclectic, delivering some of the most captivating work of band’s nearly two decade-long career.

Continue reading review where first published – The A.V. Club – by Tatiana Tenreyro

Continue reading review where first published – The A.V. Club – by Tatiana Tenreyro

Album Review: Black Country, New Road – ‘Ants From Up There’

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They may sound like one of those shit southern dad rock bands, but don’t let the name Black Country, New Road put you off as this young English chamber rock ensemble are changing the landscape of contemporary rock and alternative music.

Equal parts King Crimson, Godspeed, Arcade Fire, Black Midi and something else entirely, BC, NR seemingly came out of nowhere on the promise of a couple of wild and lengthy singles at the start of this decade.

Signing to legendary electronic-leaning UK label Ninja Tune, their 2021 debut album For The First Time was a surprise storm; an unhinged whirlwind of chaos, noise, post-rock, math rock, seething violins, dreamlike woodwind, manic brass and the bizarre stream-of-consciousness ranting and raving of vocalist and lyricist Isaac Wood taking the centre stage.

In just forty short minutes, BC, NR’s debut album blew me apart listen after listen and left me wanting so much more each time. Ants From Up There leaves me feeling full and then some, running at just shy of an hour. The septet have knuckled down and expanded their vision so perfectly, using that extra running time to expand the sonic space, their dynamic structures and control their chaos, resulting in a record that is brighter, bolder and more complete.

Listening back to their debut after many listens of this follow up, I can see clearer now that some of the tracks on that album were more sporadic and loosely tied together. Though not a bad thing, the three act nine minute anthem ‘Sunglasses’ traversed through more clever ideas than one song could handle, and there isn’t really a song quite as loose and free-form as this here, as exhilarating as that song is.

If For The First Time was a suffering artist blurting out to their therapist their most dangerous thoughts and darkest secrets, then Ants From Up There is a calm; an acceptance; the sound of a troubled soul working through their hardships. This sentiment could apply to the septet as a whole, or even the idiosyncratic, enigmatic voice that is Isaac Wood.

Continue reading on AudioTrail blog

Album Review: Hippo Campus – ‘LP3’

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It’s funny – and alarming – how quickly trends are changing in music these days. The jaunty indie pop of Minnesota’s Hippo Campus isn’t old-fashioned now, more just out-of-season: much of their new album recalls Vampire Weekend’s work on ‘Modern Vampires of the City’ (2013) in its vibrantly preppy presentation.

Perhaps that’s why the band decided to name their third album simply as ‘LP3’: it’s a statement of intent, a sign that they mean business. It’s been four long years since their sophomore album – albeit with a brief EP (‘Good Dog, Bad Dream’) released last year – and ‘LP3’ is the sound of Hippo Campus reconvening. Most of the band recently took time out to pursue side projects: frontman Jake Luppen became Lupin, Nathan Stocker became Brotherkenzie, and the pair worked with producer Caleb Hinz (also the producer of ‘LP3’) to make their debut record as Baby Boys.

You feel that Hinz has much to do with the quality of production on this album. Not a widely known name but simply another school friend of the band’s from Minnesota, he has risen to the challenge superbly with bright and bubbly production, with the caveat that a debt of gratitude to Rostam Batmanglij’s work on ‘Modern Vampires Of The City’ appears to be a clear influence.

Continue reading review at ClashMusic.com

By Conor Lochrie

Album Review: Yard Act – ‘The Overload’

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Leeds bunch Yard Act felt like one to watch the second they burst through in 2020 with “The Trapper’s Pelts”’, four minutes of sandpaper post-punk, lyrical crosshairs trained on figure-fiddling uber-rich types. Their subsequent Dark Days EP fuelled the flame, all chunky beats and wiry guitars with the pithy words from James Smith’s sharp tongue the icing on the cake.

The Overload lives up to its hype with flying colours. Brilliantly constructed to unfurl like some sordid soap opera of Brexit Britain, it brims with vignettes populated by instantly-recognisable caricatures of the now. There’s “the landlord, Fat Andy” on the title track, a misdemeaning man in a suit narrates ‘The Incident’, while our old friend Graham, the new money slab of gammon from ‘Fixer Upper’, cameos too.

Yard Act wear their affiliations on their sleeves, as James satirises the day’s big-ticket topics – consumerism, gentrification, cancel culture, class identity – with a perfect balance of wit and genuine insight.

His lyrics are dense, revealing more word play with repeat listens, his slick delivery and heavy accent an amalgamation of John Cooper Clarke, Stewa

There’s a unique flair to the way he embodies the characters too. On ‘Land of the Blind’ you hear the saliva wet round his mouth as he points fun at English imperialism: “We cram clammy hands into empty pockets… So we can all fuck about half naked on the beaches of some far off foreign land”.

Conintue reading on DIYMag.com
by Alex Cabre

Album Review: The Blinders’ ‘Electric Kool-Aid (Part I)’

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by Katie Macbeth

Following on from their sophomore album Fantasies Of A Stay At Home Psychopath, Manchester rockers The Blinders release the first part of their two-part EP, Electric Kool-Aid. The EP is the band’s first release since becoming a quintet, broadening their instrumentation with the addition of second guitarist Eoghan Clifford, Johnny James on keys and Thomas Castrey on drums. 

Title trackElectric Kool-Aid, opens the EP, standing at just over a minute long. Short yet sweet, the opener reintroduces listeners to the iconic tones of vocalist Thomas Haywood’s guitar that work in harmony with Charlie McGough’s bass before ambient vocals kick in to repeat the EP’s title. 

Barefoot Across Your Water follows, spotlighting Johnny James’ skills on keys. A romantic, sincere number, the track sees five piece brings something new to the table – showcasing each member’s talents and how they work blissfully with Thomas Haywood’s vocals that propel the track forward.

Next follows the EP’s lead single, City We Call Love. Now a key part of the band’s live shows, since being debuted on tour last August, this track holds stunning metaphors about the links between a city and the feeling of love, whilst pairing them with strong, menacing instrumentation to build what remains to be a stand out number on Electric Kool-Aid (Part I). 

The Writer follows quickly after, a track that will be well known to fans as it has played a key role in The Blinders’ sets since 2019 – yet was left off of the band’s second album, Fantasies Of A Stay At Home Psychopath. Now given its time to shine, The Writer is given a new lease of life within Electric Kool-Aid (Part I), filled with intensity and political frustration, before calming slightly for its middle and bursting into life once again. 

Last not least, I Hate To See You Tortured, sees the band wear their hearts on their sleeves. Showing immense control and passion with an anthemic chorus, with this track The Blinders prove that sometimes change can be for the better. Featuring what could be some of Thomas Haywood’s strongest lyrics to date – I Hate To See You Tortured closes the EP perfectly. 

Throughout Electric Kool-Aid (Part I), The Blinders prove that they are a band that doesn’t just fit into just one genre – with each track bringing something new to the table. Becoming a quintet is something that has certainly paid off for the band, and Part I of Electric Kool-Aid is certain to leave listeners eagerly waiting for Part II.

The post The Blinders – Electric Kool-Aid (Part I) appeared first on Indie is not a genre.

Album Review: Eels – ‘Extreme Witchcraft’

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We aren’t going to bore you with a long, drawn-out chunk of this review dedicated to the fact that the covid pandemic – and its effects on our society – have lasted too long. Instead, I’m going to put it like this: Extreme Witchcraft, the 14th album by Mark Oliver Everett’s long-running outfit Eels, isn’t his first quarantine album, but his second.

2020’s gentle Earth to Dora was itself a reaction to the fact that the pandemic had clipped the wings of Everett – or, as he prefers, simply E – one designed to give solace to his fans during that downtime. By the time E returns to the road and the stage, who knows how many albums he’ll have to promote? Will he be able to manage a hat trick?

The pandemic has lasted long enough, though, that life has begun to return to normal for Eels, and while Dora was produced entirely by E himself, Extreme Witchcraft reunites the band with PJ Harvey and Sparklehorse (not to mention Eels’ own Souljacker) producer John Parish, and with it, Eels return to their more rock-oriented sound.

This alone is a breath of fresh air for Eels fans who prefer the group at their most comparatively energetic – which has long been one of the most beloved shades of Eels – and who will easily sink into the grungier shades of Extreme Witchcraft, which help elevate songs like “The Magic” (among the best songs here) and “Better Living Through Desperation,” which are each packed with some pretty hefty firepower.

The most engaging of the bunch is also the most compelling: “What It Isn’t” oscillates between softly-delivered verses and jagged choruses. “If it is what it is, then I’ve got to say,” he coos as he trails off – just in time for the chorus to suckerpunch you in the jaw: “Then make it what it isn’t/ Shut up!” he howls over the track’s dramatic guitars.

Continue reading at Spectrum Culture by Holly Hazelwood

Album Review: Pedro The Lion – ‘Havasu’

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David Bazan ended Phoenix, his 2019 album as Pedro the Lion, with a big question mark. The album was a reflection on the singer’s youth in Phoenix, where he was born and grew up until moving away when he was in (or about to start) seventh grade. In “Leaving the Valley,” the last song on the album, Bazan faced the unknown as his family pulled out in a U-Haul. “Where the wheel stops, no one knows,” Bazan sang.

As it happens, the wheel stopped next at Lake Havasu, a vast reservoir in northwest Arizona, on the border with California. The biggest municipality in the area, Lake Havasu City, is probably best known as the place where London Bridge ended up, after an oil magnate bought it in 1968 and had the structure reassembled there, block by block. Bridge or no, Lake Havasu was not a place young David Bazan wanted to be, yet his stint there proved formative enough for him to write about it on Pedro the Lion’s latest album, Havasu.

If Phoenix had an air of wide-eyed, sometimes bemused nostalgia, Havasu is more conflicted—and not just about the location. Pedro the Lion’s latest is really an album about starting to come of age. Bazan evokes the tumult of emotion that accompanies the middle school years, sometimes so well that it’s uncomfortable, as he chronicles the year or so he spent in Lake Havasu before his family moved again.

He depicts the anxiety of being the new kid in school, the thrill of a first kiss, the longing to find his place and fit in—a quest made more complicated in Bazan’s case by a religious upbringing that left him in fear of eternal damnation. His lyrics here are unflinching throughout and feel honest to a fault, whether he’s taking too long to think of something cool to say to a new classmate on “Too Much,” or misreading all the signals from everyone and making a hash of things on “My Own Valentine.”

Continue reading on Paste Magazine

Album Review: Blood Red Shoes – ‘Ghosts On Tape’

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Blood red is the new black. Like a reconnaissance of caves, each darker than the last, Blood Red Shoes’ discography is an ongoing incitation to fill already-black voids with one’s own crepuscule. While the flow of 2019’s ‘Get Tragic’ bludgeoned with garage rock energy, follow-up ‘Ghosts on Tape’ lives up to its title by channelling the misery of a global pandemic.

The klaxon-like keyboards of ‘Morbid Fascination’ actually appear chirpy compared to the bulk of ‘Ghosts on Tape’. While it may not encapsulate the album’s torn-apart manifesto – more Satan’s cookbook – the song is an evident high for the duo; an insistence on unique, whilst shaping itself perfectly into today’s hallowed alt rock zeitgeist – alongside a few other bits and pieces, most notably ‘I Lose Whatever I Own’, it’s Muse-like.

But the norm for Laura-Mary Carter and Steven Ansell – heavily persuaded by the cancelled plans and geographic separation spawned by the pandemic – is to play the part of serial downers, shifting shape ever so slightly to fit a beast that bit more frightening. Blood Red Shoes are the vampiric folklore creatures of their craft, spiked by the gloom of isolation, whilst sporadically renewing the garage energy of ‘Get Tragic’ on cardio machines like ‘Give Up’.

Not even those energetic tunes could make ‘Ghosts on Tape’ appear extroverted, though the album does flick through a little book of influences in a manner that teases embrace. A few corners resemble CHVRCHES if their synthesiser suffered from stage fright, as much a part of the action, but hiding its face to contribute with Frusciante-style subtlety; the “it’s not about me” approach of a Pink Floyd concert. Save for post-industrial meltdowns like ‘Sucker’, on which the keyboards breathe upwards like melodic chimneys, this nuanced synth-wave is the duo’s principal creative stamp, multiplying atmosphere when necessary, but as ‘Begging’ proves, such a feat may just as well be achieved with six-inch-deep guitar picking or double-focussed percussion pulses.

Continue reading on IndieIsNotAGenre

Album Review: The Wombats – ‘Fix Yourself, Not the World’

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As an ex 2013 Tumblr teenager, The Wombats’ fifth studio album, Fix Yourself, Not the World, released on January 7th 14th, is one of my most anticipated 2022 releases. The Wombats formed in their native Liverpool in 2003 and have been a pillar of indie rock for the past 2 decades with no signs of faltering. Unlike many of their fellow 10’s alt rock bands, The Wombats are actually gaining traction with younger generations – Greek Tragedy (2015), Kill the Director (2007), Let’s Dance to Joy Division (2007), and Line Without a Hook (2016) have all gone viral on TikTok in the past two years. 

Despite (or perhaps in ignorance of) their expansion into a new and younger audience, Fix Yourself, Not the World is The Wombats’ most authentic album in a decade. After experimenting with a more pop-y sound on Glitterbug (2015), The Wombats seemed to lose their footing. Beautiful People Will Ruin Your Life (2018), aside from Turn and Lethal Combination, was ultimately disappointing. Luckily for fans (old and new), Matthew Murphy (frontman and guitarist), Tord Øverland Knudson (bassist), and Dan Haggis (drummer) seem to have found themselves again.

Fix Yourself, Not the World is a true pandemic-era album; recorded from three different cities (LA, Oslo, and London) with the help of 5 different producers. Murphey, the band’s primary songwriter, pulls two years of quarantine, political unrest, and personal adversity into 41 incredibly relatable (but not too on-the-nose) minutes. This is a record that will outlast the uncertainty that inspired it.

“Method to the Madness” , the first single off Fix Yourself, Not the World, was released in May followed by If You Ever Leave, I’m Coming With You, Ready for the High, and Everything I Love Is Going to Die. The Wombats have already seen industry success with ” If You Ever Leave, I’m Coming With You ” – the single, inspired by the pandemic’s pressure on relationships, was nominated for Radio X Record of the Year and was BBC Radio 1’s Future Sounds Hottest Record in the World. 

Continue reading at IndieIsNotAGenre

Album Review: Samia’s EP ‘Scout’

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samia

via Flood Magazine

On Samia’s new four-song EP Scout, the singer-songwriter explores and expands upon all of the love in her life by shining a light on the hidden crumbs in the cracks. Each track feels like you’re sitting in a room with her as she opens up about missing her dad whenever he calls, or a friend getting a new job at the golf course. In step with her debut album The Baby, Samia maintains a distinct harmonization and strong narratives which lend themselves to the release’s biggest highlights. 

The opening track “As You Are” acts as if it could also close out the album, filled as it is with melting harmonies, legato cadences, and satisfying resolve. Lyrics like “Mouth hanging open in your 4Runner / Digging up shark teeth with your mother” and “You tell your sister you’ll be home in an hour / If she cleans her room, she takes a shower” snuggle together tightly as verses augment the simplicity of the chorus.

In turn, the chorus’s cliché of being taken as you are by a loved one is strengthened when each verse unravels a certain intimacy behind the feeling expressed. Like defrosting food in fridges, details slowly melt in subtle motion until the chorus reels the listener back in. 

The EP concludes with a cover of When in Rome’s “The Promise,” an echo from the past that showcases her versatile range in successfully covering a song while maintaining her unique sound. Featuring vocals from Jelani Aryeh, the cover cements a brimming balance of vocal range and blend. Through the layering of simple instrumentation, her own lyrics always pin themselves as thoughtful and personal—the talent sticks, and she’s ever-evolving. Upon each listen, I imagine the careful detailing of crocheting a colorful meadow into a quilt.