Category: Reviews

Cate Le Bon – Mug Museum

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cate_le_bon_mug_museumRating: ★★★★☆

This record feels more 1973 than 2013 and I love it.

Cate Le Bon may not be for everyone, but I think a lot of people are going to “get” Mug Museum. It’s quite a multifaceted record. Musically, Mug Museum is highly unpredictable, shifting between jangling chamber-pop and early indie rock with plenty of twists. Over all of this, Le Bon alternates between her sullen, jazzy low register and a strange, theatrical falsetto.

Although Cate Le Bon is from Wales, she recorded Mug Museum with Noah Georgeson (Joanna Newsom, Devendra Banhart) and Josiah Steinbrick in LA. The result is definitely her best sounding record to date, and one that still feels definitively British (partially due to Le Bon’s prominent Welsh accent).

Mug Museum is more instrumentally varied and more densely constructed than most of Cate Le Bon’s previous work. Smooth organs and synths set the tone for many of the more downbeat tunes such as “Mirror Me”. Assorted pianos, drums and horns fill in the gaps elsewhere. Great bass lines abound throughout the record, especially on “I Think I Knew” and “Sisters”.

Cate Le Bon is a supremely confident vocalist, holding her notes perfectly even when they’re not quite right. There’s something approaching ennui in her voice that reminds me strongly of Nico, although I think Le Bon is a more talented singer. Despite the fact that she writes all of her own songs, Le Bon has a very distant, detached way of delivering her lyrics. “I forget the detail but know the warmth,” she sings in the title track, and her music tends to make me do the same.

For the most part, this is a very easy album to listen to. Still, there are challenging moments like the one at the end of “Duke” when Le Bon pushes her voice past its upper limit in an almost comical way. The guitar work throughout Mug Museum is artfully careless, and it reaches its logical conclusion on the latter half of “Cuckoo through the Walls” in a mess of twangy noise and dissonance.

The title track, “Mug Museum”, is the slowest, jazziest tune on the album, and definitely my favorite. Give it a listen if you’ve got the time. “Mirror Me” and “Duke” are also worth checking out. Actually, just listen to the whole thing… It’s worth it.

Radical Face – Family Tree: The Branches

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385315_10152304962695476_563176136_nRating: ★★★★☆

Family Tree: The Branches is the second installment in a trilogy of records from Radical Face. It continues the family saga begun by 2011’s The Roots, and will be followed by The Relatives. Ben Cooper, the voice behind Radical Face (who is also a member of Electric President, Iron Orchestra, and Mother’s Basement), explains that the lyrics on these albums are based upon “a fictional family tree — a Frankenstein of random genealogy charts, my own family history, some of my personal experiences and plain old fiction.” (http://www.radicalface.com)

The Branches is another beautiful Radical Face album despite the fact that it probably contains the most depressing collection of songs that Cooper has written. As in Cooper’s previous efforts, the harmonies and background vocals here are fantastic. The piano work throughout the album is also wonderful. Unlike Radical Face’s previous recordings, The Branches has been mastered, making it cleaner and a bit more modern sounding than Ghost, Family Tree: The Roots, or Radical Face’s two EPs.

The lyrics on The Branches are often quite dark. There’s a great deal of regret expressed here, and very few of the stories here have happy endings. Cooper begins “Reminders” by saying, “I wish I had more nice things to say, but I was raised not to lie.” This kind of bleak realism is representative of the tone throughout most of the record. The closest thing to optimism on The Branches is the kind of calm acceptance conveyed in songs like “Holy Branches” and “Letters Home”. The latter, a fictional letter from a wounded soldier back to his family, ends with the line “I’m all right; I’ve made peace with it all.”

“Summer Skeletons” is probably my favorite song on The Branches. It has everything that is good about Radical Face: simplicity, honesty, and profound, unassuming lyrics like: “we were down by the shore and the skies opened up and all the stars fell into the lake, and the water was warm. I walked in over my head then you pulled me out by the collar of my shirt.”

I do somewhat miss Radical Face’s slightly more hopeful side, and I must say that Ghost is still my favorite album, but I would highly recommend giving Family Tree: The Branches a listen.

Poliça – Shulamith

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Polica_ShulamithRating: ★★★☆☆

It seems like in this day and age, making an album once every year is no big deal for an artist to do, so it’s no surprise that this 2012 buzz band is back for round two so soon. Lead by front woman, Channy Leaneagh, Poliça first made waves in the indie world with their synth based take on R&B. With the rise of synth pop and triphop groups with female, hyper-feminine vocalists, a-la Grimes and Purity Ring, it only seems natural that Poliça is making their rise quickly; the atmosphere is right for this group and Shulamith offers a grouping of songs that utilize the tools already in place from Give You The Ghost.

“Chain My Name,” kicks the album off with fast paced, body roll-inducing beats and Leaneagh’s auto-tuned vocals spouting off lyrics quickly, trying to keep up with the music. A funky bass line compliments the tinkering upper levels of synthesizer sound, and the percussion constantly pattering beneath it all. What is interesting about Poliça and a little different from other than the other groups that I mentioned previously is that the lead vocals aren’t exceptionally strong in their nature—Leaneagh’s altered vocals almost blend in with the other electronic elements; an extra layer of synth to add to the mix. It’s a fun number that should have you dancing around whatever space you find yourself listening in.

Next up on the highlight reel of this record is “Vegas,” which plays into the R&B vibe that this band has played into. Slower and more seductive, but never sleazy as the title would suggest, this track is purely enticing to listen to. Leaneagh’s voice takes on some power in this track, though still not overt in its nature. Later on, Justin Vernon joins the group to add some much needed variety half way through the album. Such song, “Tiff” is a another slower number, but Vernon’s higher pitched backing vocals give a twist on the song that sets it apart from the other numbers; the element that seems to be lacking from some other tunes.

Despite its redundancy in sound to their debut album, and to itself in places, Shulamith is an album that offers a nice change up in your listening catalogue. Perhaps a bit too long—on a song to song basis as well as the whole album—there is definitely room for improvement. Obviously some tracks have gleaned my attention more than others, but if you’re looking for some new jams to groove out to, check it out.

 

Widowspeak – The Swamps EP

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widowspeak-epRating: ★★★☆☆

The Swamps isn’t nearly as gloomy as its cover and title might indicate.  Although the EP begins with a slow, somewhat melancholy introductory track, it soon gains momentum.  By the time the penultimate track, “True Believer” rolls around, the mood on this record could almost be called optimistic.

Musically, The Swamps is a bit more eclectic than Widowspeak’s first two albums.  At times, the band almost strays from the smooth, dream-pop sound of their previous work.  “Smoke and Mirrors” feels a bit like surf-rock, while “Calico” and “Brass Bed” are much lighter, folksier tunes.  Still, the band is instantly recognizable due to lead singer Molly Hamilton’s dragging, breathy vocals.  Hamilton has an effortless way of rising up into notes that reminds me strongly of Mazzy Star singer Hope Sandoval.

Lyrically, these songs combine the imagery of a swamp with both nostalgic and hopeful sentiments.  “Calico” and “Brass Bed” are about simple, domestic pleasures and reflect a lost sense of normalcy in a relationship, while “True Believer” is a more direct appeal for understanding.  “True Believer” contains a grand, sweeping chorus and is, for me, the best and most memorable song of the group.

I’m not the biggest dream-pop fan out there, and the songs on The Swamps might not be as strong as some of Widowspeak’s earlier tunes, but there’s something very compelling and soothing about the vocals throughout the record.  

Radioactivity – s/t

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1185631_205042416336958_2061587917_nRating: ★★★½☆

While the Marked Men might be on some sort of hiatus due to the busy schedules of everyone involved, Radioactivity at least gives us a glimpse at the glory of old, with half the band represented on the band’s eponymous debut.  The project is filled with leftover tracks from Jeff Burke’s project, The Novice, and he called in good pal Mark Ryan to flesh things out, leaving us with a blistering record of punk rock hits.

“Sickness” opens with that stuttering guitar line that’s pretty prominent in the work of all those involved with Radioactivity, though there’s a soloing guitar line that seems to knife its way through the track.  The vocals push the boundary of raspiness that you get from classic punk rock, though for all intents and purposes, the group’s still leans a little bit towards the pop side of things.  You’ll get that image perfectly on the following two tracks, “Other Life” and “World of Pleasure.”  The latter is definitely one of the record’s standout tracks, pounding furiously in your ears, despite having a catchy delivery of the lyrics throughout.

And you get what you expected on the first half of the record, with the blistering pace of the tunes allowing for the band to demonstrate their songwriting capabilities, while still honing their pop sensibility; this is one of the things I’ve loved about Marked Men and all associated bands. Tracks like “Alright” are perfect for driving, partying or even running; they fit in every corner of your life.  But, what has impressed me about Radioactivity is that there’s a glimpse of what’s to come with the band’s next LP (rumored to be on its way in 2014) near the latter half of the album.

For example, “Alone” has this huge ringing guitar line, with the bass slowly working its way into the fold.  It opens up the space quite a bit, adding just the slightest differentiation to the band’s signature sound.  If you listen carefully, you can hear the guitars working against each other, almost fighting to define the band’s sound.  There’s also the power ballad that lurks at the end of the record via “Trusted You.”  The drums seem to want to escape into a heavier realm, though their steadiness really provides a good backbone for the rest of the song, which remains sort of a heartfelt ode to a lost friend or lover.  It’s actually great on its own, but it’s made even better for the fact that its fittingly unique in the grand scheme of the LP.

I’m a huge fan of the group, even if the songs sometimes seem to blend together after repeated listens.  And that’s the thing with Radioactivity, you’re going to get repeated listens. The songs are too good to ignore, and too catchy to dismiss.  It’s clear that the duo of Ryan and Burke still have tons of tricks up their sleeves to keep me coming back to buying their records.

[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/04-Locked-in-My-Head.mp3]

Download: Radioactivity – Locked in My Head [MP3]

Mutual Benefit – Love’s Crushing Diamond

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mutualRating: ★★★★½

This is one of the most exciting debuts I’ve heard all year.  Well, it’s not exactly a debut.  Mutual Benefit, a fluid band centered around songwriter Jordan Lee, has independently released several EPs, but Love’s Crushing Diamond is their longest and best effort to date.

I find this music very hard to describe or classify – in a good way.  The tunes here could almost pass as folk, but folk music is not this experimental or this expansive.  I can’t really call it pop; pop isn’t this introspective and delicate.  The immediate thing, the crucial thing to note is the incredible warmth of this album.  A soft analog hum pervades the piece, and there is not a harsh sound or a strained note to be found on the record excepting a few intentionally scratchy violins.

Love’s Crushing Diamond somehow feels like a cohesive unit despite being made up of endless combinations of seemingly incongruent instruments.  Banjos, cymbals, synths, organs, distorted guitars, strings, hand claps, and various chimes somehow manage to coexist and complement each other.  The result is a very modern sounding record, despite its analog veneer.

Vocally, Lee is at once vulnerable and precise, and sounds somewhat like Sufjan Stevens or Elliott Smith.  There’s certainly an Elliott Smith influence in the way Lee builds his own harmonies and double-tracks his voice.  His recordings, however, are more comparable to projects like Microphones or even Radical Face.

For me, there is not a single song worth skipping on this record.  My favorite though is probably “Advanced Falconry”; a song built on a great looping riff and lifted by beautiful strings.  Lee’s falsetto on this track is something special.  Like “Let’ Play / Statue of a Man”, “Advanced Falconry” has a great sense of movement and energy with very minimal percussion.

Both musically and lyrically, this is an uplifting record.  Most of the songs are celebratory, at least in some way.  Lee’s declaration that, “There’s always love whether tattered, strained, or torn,” in “Let’s Play / Statue of a Man” feels like a fairly good starting point for understanding this album.  As a lyricist, Lee is very concise and understated in a refreshing way.

Very few bands mix genres this effectively and naturally, and very few albums are recorded and mixed this well.  I haven’t heard many new voices as sincere and moving as Jordan Lee’s.  I hereby nominate Love’s Crushing Diamond for “best use of wind chimes in a genre-defying masterpiece”.

Audacity – Butter Knife

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Audacity-Butter-KnifeRating: ★★★★☆

Make no mistake about it, garage rock is best when blended with punk rock enthusiasm and pop sensibility.  If you take a listen to Butter Knife, it’ll only take you a few minutes to realize that Audacity has mastered the art form, leaving those of you thirsting for a solid rock record with the solution to what ails you.

Sure, “Couldn’t Hold a Candle” is the perfect way to open the record, and it might convince others that Audacity was going to bring more of a pop sensibility to this outing; it’s got these great hooks from both the anthemic lyrics and the guitar playing, but what sold me on my infatuation with Butter Knife was the following tune, “Pigs.” Furiously the drums pound, pushing the pace of the track into more of the classic punk rock realm, but, please do hold on here.  Just after the 1.5 minute mark, the song breaks down; it turns itself on its side, bringing more of a power-pop sound into the fold.  For me, it’s the best of both worlds!

The next big hit you’ll find is “Cold Rush.” It begins with a twanging guitar that rings, then moves into this bouncing swing of energy and brattiness.  Using backing vocals from the far off background is another nice touch that really makes this tune a straight-up winner.  Even as the longest track on the album it never ceases to lose its accessibility, making one of my favorite tunes. And if you skip ahead just a bit, you’ll find “Rooster,” which is another track that’s worth your time (although they all are really). One great thing about this track is not just the pacing, but the clarity of the vocals that allows you to really sink your teeth into the tune.

When listening to Butter Knife, you’ll see that every song has something to offer listeners.  Those of you looking for a classic pop sound can find yourself nodding along to tunes like “Onomatopoeia” or “Dancing Under the Soft Light;” they both offer great ballad stylings, though done in Audacity‘s fashion. Or there’s the harder edged tunes like “Tell Yourself” and “Watered Down,” so you get the best of both worlds: punk and pop. The band moves between the two so easily that it’s clear they’ve mastered the form, better than many of their peers.

As garage rock continues to make its push, it’s easy to get weighed down by all the countless names coming in and out of the genre.  But, every once in a while you stumble onto some group that’s doing it just right.  It’s not too punk, it’s not too pop.  Butter Knife walks a fine line between the two, and in doing so, Audacity have left us with a record that we’ll be bobbing along to for quite some time.

[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/01_Couldn_t_Hold_A_Candle.mp3]

Download: Audacity – Couldn’t Hold A Candle [MP3]

Arcade Fire – Reflektor

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130909-arcade-fire-rekletor-album-cover_0Rating: ★★★☆☆

“Thought you were praying to the resurrector, turns out it was just a Reflektor,” Win Butler repeats into the mic— a line from single, “Reflektor,” ironically talking of falling short of adored pop culture icons. Whether you love them or hate them, it seems these days it is impossible to ignore Grammy winning, Indie Rock icons Arcade Fire, as their success from 2010’s The Suburbs threw them into the rough of the public eye. If that wasn’t enough, the publicity campaign for Reflektor, their fourth full-length studio record has been splayed across all forms of media for the world to latch onto. There was an obvious sense that this band was after something big: and at 85 minutes long, Reflektor is definitely large, but has this group bitten off more than they can chew?

The answer to that question is complicated, and while others may turn to the band’s obvious influences and sonic similarities for the solution, I think the answer lies within the music itself. There are some interesting tracks on Reflektor, more so on the latter half of the album than the first. Second track “We Exist,” stands out immediately in its driving synth line that promotes the ‘dance’ aspect of their sound that the band has been allegedly aiming at. The song builds to a graceful crescendo complete with beautiful string work in the background and Butler’s voice stretched to its peak in emotion, bleeding through the effects on it. Later on you have “It’s Never Over (Oh Orpheus)” that brings out the clear cut snarling guitar back and “Porno,” which is a slower number laden in synth whose chorus and twists and turns in the lyrics beg your attention.

These are some of the moments on this record when the overproduction hasn’t squeezed the life out the sound and where you can still recognize the band, but those instances aren’t there a great deal of the time. If you were to receive this record with no expectations, from a band under the moniker The Reflektors, it would be easier to enjoy. As a fan, it’s really difficult to get behind the overall lack of lyrics, emotion behind the vocals, when the past three LPs, as different as each are from one another, were chalk full of those aspects—that was what drew me in. All in all the record feels a bit hollow: Butler’s voice is distant and flat in instances when you want emotion, (“Afterlife”), the lyrics are a little simple and repetitive, (“Flashbulb Eyes”), and the songs drag on, (“Awful Sound”). Reflektor is not an awful record, but it certainly doesn’t live up the hype, nor the glory that this band has made for themselves.

Trust me, I have long had a guiltless adoration for this band, and it brings me much pain to write a review so critical of simple people who sing and talk and play music about a reflective age in which everyone is terrified to create for fear of ridicule. I muse that was what Butler was aiming at when he wrote those lyrics I quoted—when we glorify artists, we forget that they are just people with lives of their own and they don’t exist to make music for us. That being said, I am left to wonder why would you invite, then, more of the general public and the media to consume your material when you have already gained worldwide acclaim? Why did Arcade Fire buy into the very thing—publicity they have long claimed to despise—when they could have just let the music speak for them? Perhaps a lack in the actual substance of Reflektor is the reason.

Los Campesinos! – No Blues

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lcRating: ★★½☆☆

Though the high-energy twee pop of Los Campesinos! may not be the perfect companion for any mood or time period, their bright music seems to shine brighter than anything else when I am in the mood for melodically sunny tunes. However, on their last record, Hello Sadness, we got a glimpse of a darker side of this band that formed a few years back in Cardiff. Will they bring the darkness back on this release, or does the title signify a return of only sunny days?

As per usual, with this band, I find myself falling in love with a few tracks from this album and leaving the rest behind. This time around, at first, opener “Flotsam,” feels like one of those to keep, with its small intro of just lead singer Gareth David to its big ending and overall more grounded sound, but there is also a reserved quality that doesn’t immediately grab you completely. It’s not until track six that I really get a strong wave of interest in the music. On “As Lucerne/The Low,” I’m immediately pulled in by David’s powerhouse vocals belting out at the top of his lungs: “There is no blues that could sound quite as heartfelt as mine—” a very angst filled, youthful sentiment. The spastic drums and general cramped nature of all the instruments fighting for your attention all combine to create a high energy and glittering tune.   And on the next track “Avocado, Baby,” you are brought back to the sound of this band that you encountered on their debut record. Group vocals and chants of seemingly nonsensical, but actually quite witty lyrics are at the center, and I’ll be damned if I’m not tempted to sing right alongside them.

There is a bit of a return to gravity on No Blues, but this time it is in the form of more grounded tunes that fit less into the genre of twee and more of straight laced indie-pop. Save for the two songs I mentioned and some other mildly interesting tracks, there isn’t too much new or exciting on the record that we haven’t already heard from this group already. This is the reason by No Blues ultimately falls a little on the weak side is because Los Campesinos!  have been doing the same thing, making the youthful energy feel less fresh. That’s not to say the energy isn’t high or that I didn’t enjoy No Blues, but I definitely picked out my favorites pretty fast.

The Avett Brothers – Magpie and the Dandelion

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avett__59847_zoomRating: ★★½☆☆

Magpie and the Dandelion is the eighth full length album from the Avett Brothers, a hardworking folk-rock band that has enjoyed considerable popularity since their 2009 major label debut, “I and Love and You”.  Fans of the band will discover another consistent album and a few worthy additions to the band’s live set list.  Those on the fence, however, are unlikely to be won over.

The Avett Brothers make simple, accessible music that always seems effortlessly authentic.  In keeping with their previous efforts, Magpie and the Dandelion is a fairly straightforward and minimalistic album.  Musically, the record holds no real surprises; the Avett Brothers stick to their winning formula: real instruments, sparse arrangements, calm, sincere vocal performances.  

Any band that insists on simplicity to the degree that The Avett Brothers do puts a lot of pressure on their songwriting.  On top of that, The Avett Brothers write very literal, direct lyrics and often repeat them.  I like the idea of The Avett Brothers.  I like their sound, their confidence, their openness.  It’s hard to say a critical word about this band because their message is so earnest and positive, but I’m going to give it a shot.  

The songs, specifically the lyrics, on Magpie and the Dandelion are something of a let-down.  My inner grammar Nazi perked his ears up early and often while listening to the album.  While nodding my head to the first track, “Open Ended Life“, (certainly the catchiest tune on the record) I heard the line: “I was taught to keep an open-ended life and never trap myself in nothing” (apparently this includes the constraints of proper syntax).  Okay, okay, I know that double-negatives, even those as easily avoidable as the one caused by the choice to use the word ‘nothing’ instead of ‘anything’ in this lyric, are accepted colloquialisms and should be forgiven.  It would also be nitpicky of me to get worked up over conflicts of tense, such as the one found in the line, “I lived it but now I’m wanting out,” from “Skin and Bones”.  Where this album loses me, however, is in its constant use of pronouns with vague or missing antecedents e.g. the line: “Apart you’ll see how true it is and how back then it possibly was impossible for you or me to know it,” in “Apart From Me”.  Besides the general clumsiness of the sentence, I’m left with no clue what the word it is supposed to refer to.     

There are sweet sentiments throughout, even bits of wisdom worthy to be hung over many a kitchen sink.  Elsewhere though, the album hits you over the head with lines such as: “When to know what I should for my heart to rest doesn’t meet with the actions I make, I will seek the approval of no one but you in love for the changes I take.”  I can’t begin to parse this statement.  Unfortunately, Magpie and the Dandelion’s ultimate song “The Clearness is Gone” could also serve as its ultimate description.

Despite getting hung up on some of the lyrics, I did manage to enjoy parts of Magpie and the Dandelion.  Although the opening track is ostensibly about packing up and hitting the proverbial road, in many ways this record is all about commitment and responsibility.  Songs such as “Good to You” and “Bring Your Love to Me” reflect the real cares and concerns of songwriters who have become fathers and husbands.  There are some great piano parts on the album, most notably in “Morning Song”, which is at once hopeful and bittersweet.  My favorite song on the album, by a long shot, is “Souls Like the Wheels”.  This is the only live recording on the album, and the song dates back to 2008’s The Second Gleam EP.  The finger-picked guitar here is brilliant, and in contrast to many of the other songs on the record, “Souls Like the Wheels” is effective and emotive.

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