Author: nicole.baumann

Typhoon – White Lighter

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wlightRating: ★★★★☆

Portland has been known for being a major hub for indie rock production, so it really didn’t surprise me at all when I found out that Typhoon was born there. What did shock me, is how this band is on their fourth studio release and have yet to make it big in the indie sphere of music. However, White Lighter is bound to change that, with its perfect blend of delicate indie folk rock and swells of grand string and horn arrangements.

After a brief prelude to warm things up, Typhoon jumps right into their glistening folk rock, charging forward with Kyle Morton at the helm of lead singer. Averaging at around 12 members for a live performance, leading is no small feat, but Morton’s warbling voice, which is reminiscent of Zach Condon’s, manages to pull everything together whilst spinning tales of great gravity and wit. “Artificial Light” begins with this great fast paced and soft percussion and an electric guitar riff, followed closely behind by strings and then horns! Soon, there are so many elements layered on top of each over you become a bit overwhelmed with the detail of it all. Never fear—they reel it in for a brief spotlight on Morton’s voice before they tear back into things. The instrumentation is ferocious one minute and almost absent in another.

This dichotomy is what makes Typhoon and White Lighter so interesting and good; they craft tunes that are built for longevity as well as instant gratification. Take “Morton’s Fork” and “Possible Deaths” for example. “Morton’s Fork,” begins beautifully with a string introduction, segueing into some acoustic guitar plucking and Morton on vocals. He is soon interrupted by some angelic female vocals telling you to ‘let it go, let it go, let it go,’ and triumphant trumpets which add to the overall rosy feeling surrounding this music. All the while, though the instrumentation is enough to have you enchanted by this group, the lyrics themselves pull you further in, with lines like ‘We are alone in this together’ that seem to be chanted to you by a whole choir. A continuation of this wonderful tune begins “Possible Deaths,” which packs a punch with its roars of sound that slowly dim to those sugary female vocals that you already met before. These two tracks come together to make for a trip deeper into the album.

I could go on and on about each individual track on this record, iterating its beauty, but it would be just a better idea to tell you to please do yourself a favor and buy it. There are a great number of moments that I have already come to love, and with each new listen through I find more and more. So many graceful nuances await you on White Lighter, so go on and have a listen.

 

The Love Language – Ruby Red

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The-Love-LanguageRating: ★★★★☆

It’s that time again in Austin: the weather is unbearably hot, and the days seem to last forever as the sun sets late, and the kids, out for the summer, frolic in public pools and sprinklers while you count the days until the oven breeze turns to just a warm breeze. Yes, that’s right, the dog days of summer are upon us. But never fear, The Love Language has just the release to give you a new lease on summer; Ruby Red is just about as refreshing as a cool plunge into Barton Springs.

On this third studio release, The Love Language, headed up by Stuart McLamb, have put together an album filled with straight up rockin’ jams that will have you coming back again and again. First up is one of these infectious tunes, “Calm Down,” which begins with a groovy bass line and a frenzied drum beat. A few seconds into the song, you get McLamb coming in with his echo-y vocals and the words “don’t look back now…” right before they launch full speed ahead into the song. It seems like a fresh start for the group and an invitation for you to come right along with them and forget the past in a blur of garage rock mixed with a hint of lo-fi coming through; the dual vocals on the chorus give it that lo-fi flare, grounded in the jangly, all out explosive instrumental ending. And that’s just the first song.

Continuing on this positive start, up third seems to be the song that has made it’s way into my favorite slot: “Hi Life.” It’s one of those numbers that just seems to shine and glitter, with its layers of instruments, horns included. These layers help each song stick out from the next: every track battling for more depth of said layers than the track before it. Right in the middle of things, you get a number like “For Izzy,” that slows down the roaring pace, but McLamb keeps you right there with him with his vocals that may not float atop the mix, but whose far away quality makes you hang on to his every word, while the slow, waltz-esque beat dances next to him. This number especially reminds me a bit of The Walkmen, which is never a bad thing.

Overall, Ruby Red seems to be a step in a more garage, and more colorful direction for The Love Language. On their last album they seemed to stick to a milder path, but Ruby Red is pure rock n roll. Have a listen and enjoy the rest of summer. Perhaps this is even an album to carry you right on through the rest of the year.

The Mantles – Long Enough To Leave

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mantlesRating: ★★★½☆

San Francisco and the Bay Area has been long time famous for their psychedelic pop and rock music, so it’s no surprise that The Mantles hail from the West Coast, and this area specifically. In 2009 they released their self-titled debut, which made for a running start for the band, and put their name out for fans to gather behind. That first album won people over with its tighter approach to jangly rock music, and Long Enough to Leave is set to do the same.

First up to start the jangly jams is “Marbled Birds,” which features some prominent precision riffs and gentle, far away percussion. The song itself feels very laid back and easy, but the lyrics, given to you swiftly by vocalist Michael Olivares, paint a picture a bit more complex than you’d imagine for a garage rock band like The Mantles. This imagery, evoked early on, hooks you on what this group is putting out, and lets you know from the start that this is not going to be one of those throwaway albums that you burn through a few times and then sits on your shelf. Though the album isn’t exactly filled with exceptionally long tracks and you do move from track to track fairly quickly, each number turns out to be more detailed in lyrics than you’d expect, and more tightened up within the loops of electric guitar buzzing in the background.

My one and only qualm with Long Enough to Leave is that some stretches of the album tend of blur together. Sometimes, the distant percussion leaves too much to the vocals and guitars to carry the music and lends itself to a lack of variety to separate out the songs. Alas, this is thankfully not the case for the whole album, as the band spices the music up with standout tracks at beginning, middle and end. One of these exceptional numbers, and contender for best song of the album is middle of the road; track five, “Raspberry Thighs.” Something about this song, perhaps the softer vocals from Olivares, or the more tender guitar parts gives it this beautifully nostalgic feel to it, though it isn’t any slower or radically different than the other numbers; the differences are subtle, yet effective in changing the pace of perception.

At the end of Long Enough to Leave, you finish strong with the penultimate track being yet another highlight in “More That I Pay.”  This time it’s fast and high energy for the group—short and sweet leading into the slower burning last track to round things out. The album is all in an all interesting and encourages repeated listens, which is sometimes not the case for jangly garage rock. Have a listen or two.

Surfer Blood – Pythons

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sb

Rating: ★★★½☆

Back in 2010, these Floridians busted their way into the music scene with their garage rock with their debut album Astrocoast, which received widespread praise for its catchy singles and interesting riffs. Following that, the band released an EP, Tarot Classics, last year, which rekindled interest among fans and reminded them that Surfer Blood has more music yet to come. Enter Pythons.

At a length of ten songs, you can tell from first glance that Surfer Blood want to stick with what they know works as far as albums go, as this sophomore effort is the same length as their debut. However, in terms of song length, none of the tracks on this album seem to last all that long, and the longest track ends up not even hitting the 4 and a half minute mark. These songs are briefer, snappier, and stray away from the nautical theme that the band seemed to be inclined to on the last record. In its place remains the same garage rock built around heavily buzzing guitar parts, with some tweaks here and there to spice things up. Although one wouldn’t think this is true from listening to “Demon Days,” which retains the same reverb coated vocals of John Paul Pitts and overall sound of the group.

Not to worry, there are changes to come that prove to be different in all the right ways for Surfer Blood. Third up on “Weird Shapes,” you get this metal feeling riff that opens the song, which continues through the song. Along with this comes a bit of screaming in the chorus from John Paul Pitts, but the quick paced and extra rhyming lyrics add back to the playfulness of the song and keeps it from becoming too much metal for this band. Later on the album, comes “Say Yes To Me,” which is fast paced and amped up, which works for Surfer Blood’s sound. The vocals seem to be clearer with slightly less reverb and more attention to the ability of Pitts. Last up is “Prom Song,” which is a slower number that relies on the ever-steady percussion to carry it a little slower. Overall, something about this track, possibly the guitar riff itself, reminds me of early Weezer, and the slowness gets burned away towards the end of the song so that the album can finish on a high note, with guitars a blazin’ and a power chord to end things right.

Before you know it, you’ve burned through the whole album, which is 34 minutes and feels like 20. However, like most albums that are short and sweet, the sweetness on Pythons is perhaps too short-lived and not designed with the intent of listening longevity. I worry that with these shorter numbers comes a shorter life for Pythons in my listening catalogue, but this is a fear not yet realized, as I continue to press play again and again.

Camera Obscura – Desire Lines

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desireRating: ★★★½☆

Everybody loves Glasgow. Well, everyone should love Glasgow because that city puts out more great indie rock bands than most and Camera Obscura is no exception to that, as they’ve returned for their fifth studio album, Desire Lines.

The introductory song to this album is reminiscent of that bit of music that accompanies the production company/studio’s logo before a great movie begins. A mixture of some brief string arrangements, “Intro” gives out a slightly different vibe then you are used to with our Glaswegian Indie Pop power group. Though the group has never lacked maturity, this thirty-second opening lets you know that they are back and with a new take on their original sound that they first presented twelve years ago on Biggest Bluest Hi Fi and even vastly different than on My Maudlin Career, their most recent studio release.

So what’s changed you may ask? What has this varsity band done differently this time around to make their music stand out to new fans and still appeal to old? For the most part, not too much; you still have subtly confident front woman Tracyanne Campbell spinning tales of love and loss from behind the mic. Her vocals are ever the perfect balance of present and yet not overwhelming and missing a lot of the reverb that was present on their last album. In addition to the clarity in vocals, the reverb seems to be also missing from the rest of the elements of Camera Obscura’s indie pop to reveal a more straightforward rock approach. Such is apparent on single “Do It Again,” in which you have a fun little bouncy number complete with buzzing guitar and hyper percussion carrying you through. Another snappy number that will welcome you nicely to Desire Lines and make you glad you pressed play is “Troublemaker,” which jumps out for its bouncy tempo and catchy lyrics.

Really, there are a lot of little gems to be found on Desire Lines, but on the whole, the album rings a little flat in reference to the other albums in Camera Obscura’s long list of full lengths works. Perhaps it is a slower burner and this new collection of songs will grow to become favorites, but this new work doesn’t really wow you upon first listen or even after a few listens. Desire Lines is good, but not as grand as you’ve come to expect from such a band.

The National – Trouble Will Find Me

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20130321_national_trouble_will_find_me_91Rating: ★★★★★

Though already a staple of brooding indie rock and alternative music in general, The National are going to be one of those bands that follow you years down the road, regardless of their continuation of putting out new records. Fact of the matter is, time after time they have doled out albums whose entirety have wowed audiences, as they are filled to the brim with tracks that speak on a deeper emotional level while also rocking out pretty hard at points. If you haven’t figured it out by now, they’re sort of a big deal, and if you haven’t fallen in love with them by now Trouble Will Find Me is yet again another perfect place to start.

Around for 14 years and counting, this group of middle-aged men has found an uncanny way of speaking to you in ways you never thought they could and they keep on digging their way deeper on this sixth full length studio release. They’ve made some changes, but overall they’re still the same tight knit crew of brooders that will break your heart in some strange way that you enjoy. First up on Trouble Will Find Me is “I Should Live In Salt,” which brings you into the new sound for the band. As always, front man extraordinaire Matt Berninger croons away behind the lead vocals, but his voice has found a new vulnerability in its higher register here. Instead of his deep baritone, borderline mumbling voice, which is the norm for the band, we are introduced to this higher version of our favorite dark and cynical voice and the result is already and emotive difference. If you can believe it, The National have added yet another layer to their emotive depth, making this one of their most accessible albums.

As with any brilliant album, upon the first listen through, every song seems to be fighting for the prize of best track in your mind; every twist and turn the band takes seems to build upon something bigger. On Trouble Will Find Me, this is truth in every sense—the imagery carries through from track to track and if you’re listening closely, from their previous releases. However, it’s not just a rehashing of what they’ve already done, but a slightly different take on the dark and swirling mood that The National is famous for. Don’t get me wrong, they’re still extra dark and swirling like you like them, but at places, these dark clouds part a little to reveal a little glimmer of light. Take some lyrics from one of the most anthemic songs the band has written, “Graceless:” “Put the flowers you find in vase/if you’re dead in the morning they’ll brighten the place/don’t let ‘em die on the vines, it’s a waste.”

When I said accessible earlier, I didn’t mean easy or lazy or boring, but the very opposite. I could go through song by song here, iterating to you how excellent each one is, but Trouble Will Find Me speaks for itself. If you’ve been present in the indie world in the last few months, it’s quite possible you’ve already heard anywhere from one to five of the songs off this album without participating in any sort of illegal activity; the band has played the songs. They were confident that every song on this album is a solid, well-produced addition to their already extensive catalogue of highly emotive and outright beautiful music. They were right.

 

She & Him – Volume 3

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sheandhim

Rating: ★★★½☆

When it comes to indie queens of the Continental United States, there’s no skirting around it, Zooey Deschanel holds her own. Toting her own TV show, girly advice website, and, of course, half of this dynamic duo, she’s got her plate full. And of course, the Him of the title, M. Ward, has his own musical career in addition to this side project. So sometimes it’s even easy to forget about She & Him, but Volume 3 is a nice little reminder of the talent within this pair.

This third effort in this series of albums from She & Him is far from a reflection of its collective members being busy with their own lives, and more of a representation of the goodness that these two have to offer to the indie music scene. First up, they come at you swinging in “I’ve Got Your Number, Son,” which makes for a burst of color to start the album. High-pitched yelps and ‘oohs’ from Zooey are the first sounds to reach your ears, and from this instant, you know Volume 3 is going to be a work of higher energy from these two.

Higher energy, yes, but they still stick to their retro, Phil Spector ‘wall-of- sound’ style for this third work. Which leads me to essentially the same criticism I had with Volume Two: there’s just not a lot different than their previous album, or even Volume One. Granted, it works for the two of them, as Deschanel’s vocals seem to belong to another era entirely, and are suited nicely by the musical accompaniment of rag-timey piano, acoustic guitar, some simple bass lines. However while the band takes advantage of this to craft a style, which they have thus adhered to up to this point, on the tracks that don’t exactly pop out from the rest, the lack of novelty works against these two and I found myself tuning it out—it’s been done before…by them.

But that’s not to say that Volume 3 doesn’t have some mighty fine good tunes for fans or those who have been under a rock since 2008. In fact, there are quite a few hits on here that stand out not only on the album level, but also through She & Him’s whole catalog. There’s singles like “I Could’ve Been Your Girl” and “Sunday Girl,” that evoke a sassier side of Zooey, playing on her vocal tones and even employing a bit of playful French. On the other hand, at the end of the album you have some excellent slower numbers like “London” and “Shadow of Love–” both will wow you with their simple power and beauty within Deschanel’s vocals.

The bottom line is there’s nothing really fundamentally new to the style on Volume 3, which may exactly be what the band is going for by continuing the trend of entitling their albums ‘Volumes.’ If such is the case, then this is a contender for the most hits.

Cowboy Indian Bear – Live Old, Die Young

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Cowboy-Indian-BearRating: ★★★½☆

A four piece from Lawrence, Kansas, Cowboy Indian Bear have already put themselves and their music up for your purveyance. Back in 2010, they released Each Other All the Time, which gained them some fans through their faster folksy songs. Three years, and some supposed grueling touring and extravagant production later, they’re back with a sophomore effort that’s supposed to reflect these experiences. The result is Live Old, Die Young, whose title even sheds a little insight on how experience has shaped this band.

Before you even begin to listen, the title has already conveyed some darker theme that looms over the entire album. As you start, this theory changes into reality as “Washing,” the first track, comes on. Starting out slowly, the band wakes you up to their sound with a gentle lullaby of sorts. You have the delicate female/male combination harmonies and the waltz-esque beat covered with string work to top it all off. All these elements combine to create a beast of a tune that builds upon itself to end in a swirling culmination of folksy and old-timey sounding manner. It shows off the band’s strong suits and serves as a promising start to the album.

But is this a song that really encompasses the entire sound of Cowboy Indian Bear? Yes, but also no, in that they have a real mixture of genres and pacing on Live Old, Die Young. From track to track you have a general mix of what to expect, which is quite refreshing in terms of an album. The songs maintain the same combination of singular and strong male vocals with female focused complementation to back, but this is one of the main features that carry through all of the songs. Take the band’s single “Does Anybody See You Out?” and the song “Seventeen” that comes two tracks later. The first of these two is a drum driven song, with buzzy alterations of those male lead vocals you heard on the first track. This song comes with the lyrical tag that serves as the chorus, “I’ll grind you and spit you out—” a dark and edgy line within a mildly garage rock song. Then, on “Seventeen,” the band softens things up, focusing on the lighter harmonies and incorporating less rigid percussion in the form of jingly sleigh bells.

Point being, Live Old, Die Young, offers a lot to its listeners, and you can really feel the amount of intense effort that this group has put into their sophomore work. I expect great things from this band in the future and for them to garner some more fans with this album, so be sure to give it a spin.

Beacon – The Ways We Separate

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beaconRating: ★★½☆☆

There’s been a big push recently in the indie music scene for minimalist, vaguely R&B inspired, experimental electronic music. We’ve seen it from big names like Purity Ring and The XX, and now in lesser known, but by no means less worth listening to, bands such as Beacon. Composed of Brooklyn’s Thomas Mullarney and Jacob Gossett, Beacon released their first musical material last year in the form of two EP’s, both equally simple and stripped down thematic efforts. The Ways We Separate follows in their footsteps as an amplification of these traits, with interesting yet subtle music to fill your speakers.

Opening the album is “Bring You Back,” a single-esque track that introduces the band’s sound quite effortlessly. What begins as a simple electronic soundscape develops into a four minute, eighteen second track with a hooking chorus line for you to sing along to while you groove to the backing electronics. The high-pitched vocals juxtapose nicely with the deeper tones of the beat, to create a swirling combination that evens itself out. The track may seem mild, but it gives you a solid idea of what you are embarking upon in The Ways We Separate: an exploration of minimalism to describe and encapsulate some of the deepest emotions that are felt in love and loss. Such is felt through the deep lyrics that persistently attempt to iterate all the ‘ways’ as mentioned in the album title. Song after song is filled with little gems of lines that all abide by the same theme, collectively adding up to an album that meanders through the dark electronic

Though it tends to be on the meeker spectrum of music, there are some songs on here that make for solid dance numbers. Take the second track “Feeling’s Gone,” which starts on the same simple note as the song prior to it, but doesn’t stay as still as “Bring You Back” does. Towards the end of the track, you get this great little instrumental dance interlude that could easily be utilized on a dance floor to get your body moving.

However, instances such as this are not abundant on The Ways We Separate, leaving for a pretty one-note album, though a good one note. Some nuances can be appreciated and observed, while others seem to blur together in the overall scope of its length, which could potentially turn some listeners away from repeated listens.

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