Tag: album review

Holograms – s/t

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Rating: ★★★★☆

When you get a record from Captured Tracks, you sort of know what you’re getting into, but Holograms, one of the newest bands on the label, are here to change your preconceived notions.  Their self-titled debut is dark, but it’s definitely fueled by a punk sensibility that provides listeners with an angst ridden record you can throw on to lift your spirits.

“Monolith” is the second longest track on the record, and it comes with a great sense of foreboding. A bass line slowly moves in just before you get the swirl of the angry guitar sound.  Hollow vocals dictate a more industrial feeling, and then they blast forward.  Energy, distortion, brash youthfulness; it’s all there. But, then “Chase My Mind” comes into play, giving more of a traditional pop sensibility to Holograms. Light synthesizers and a steady drumbeat provide little bits of a propulsive hook.  It’s the sort of track that energizes you; it encourages you to appreciate the vibrance that underlies a great deal of punk rock.

One of the things that differentiates this self-titled affair is its reliance upon a tradition that encourages anthemic choruses, no matter how angry and bitter the music may sound. Take a track like “ABC City” and you immediately feel the bass growing in your speakers, and as the band jettisons off, you’re tossed back to an era when frivolous pogoing was popular.  Even the lyrics have a tendency to be screamed at the top of your lungs, though the Swedish accents make it a touch more difficult to perfect your sing-a-long. Holograms even seem to have captured the swagger that I adored in my punk rock heroes growing up, which is sometimes lacking in modern acts.  “Fever,” for instance, is a pretty straight forward punk rock tune, but the vocal delivery reeks of cockiness (or brattiness if you like) and as you listen you can feel the grin creeping upon your face. Still, the band’s not just content to revel in the past.

A great deal of the record also has that industrial post-punk sound, which honestly revolves a great deal around the way the vocals are recorded.  They seem distant on a track like “Memories of Sweat” where the swirling guitars and pounding drums do the body of the song’s work.  There’s a primal element to the track, giving it a raw emotion that makes it endearing to listeners. Some might find that the recording of such tracks weakens the effort, but I think it’s quite the contrary, allowing the band’s songwriting and vibrant energy to push beyond the limits of your speakers.

Holograms is a record that warms your heart as you listen, especially if you consider yourself voiced in the annals of punk rock.  What makes it thoroughly enjoyable though is that it goes beyond some of the typical stereotypes, adding a darker element that often goes missing in modern renditions of the style.  Still, Holograms have given you hooks too, which will make any listener swoon; it makes for a great record that you’ll soon learn to love.

[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Chasing-My-Mind.mp3]

Download:Holograms – Chasing My Mind [MP3]

 

Echo Lake – Wild Peace

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Rating: ★★½☆☆

Last year, this band first hit the music scene by releasing their Young Silence EP, which demonstrated their ambient/psychedelic pop styling’s. On their first full length, Echo Lake lives up to their name in the biggest way; Wild Peace is a collection of distortion and mirages that combine to create a cloud of hazy indie rock that may leave listeners a little hazy on how they feel about this record.

Things start out bright on the first track, “Further Down,” with an intense amount of echo to the vocals and thick layers of guitars and synthesizers, as expected. It’s a good balance between the harsh electronic sounds and the sugary vocals, which give off a creepily serene vibe. Juxtaposed well, these elements hook you, making you wonder just what exactly this band has to offer. Echo Lake continue on the upward slope with the second song “Another Day,” which immediately bubbles above the first track in energy. Whereas the first track was mysterious and dark, the second is lighter, with its jangly percussion and faster tempo. Linda Jarvis’ voice takes a more prominent role here, leading the song instead of becoming another element of the atmospheric background; a role I wish it would take more often on the rest of Wild Peace.

To me, this album feels a bit like the gradient shown on the cover in that it starts out so strong, but gradually fades away from your attention as it progresses. Such is a shame, as there are quality tracks to be found on the second half of songs, but by the time you get there, things already feel too far out of your reach as though you’re only hearing echoes through a wall of the room next door. Take “Last Song Of The Year,” which is an exceedingly interesting listen on its own. With more pronounced percussion and clearer, centralized vocals, it comes across less ambient and more like noisy lo-fi. Complete with some nice guitar lines interspersed, the song makes for an easy and enjoyable listen, but it’s buried seven layers under massive amounts of atmospheric buzz that prevents it from standing out.

There just simply isn’t enough variation from track to track to give this album the ups and downs it needs to prevent it from being a large mass of fuzz and echoes. Separately, there are some really solid tracks on Wild Peace, but collectively, it comes across as flat, missing the production it needed to push it to be something great.

Wild Peace is out now via Slumberland Records.

Ty Segall Band – Slaughterhouse

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Rating: ★★★☆☆

It’s been an extremely busy couple of years for Ty Segall; he’s fronted his own project, joined up with White Fence and now he’s got an effort with the Ty Segall Band—it’s gotta be hard to keep all of that straight.  That being said, over-working yourself can often lead to mistakes, and while I am not saying those exist, I do feel like something is amiss on this effort.

Coming into “Death” you want to see just how tight the Ty Segall Band can be, and rest assured, he’s got the right group surrounding him here.  While the song begins with distorted feedback, it jumps into Ty seemingly chanting before an onslaught of guitars explode ferociously.  Personally, I feel that the instrumentation out-performs the vocals, as so often happens throughout Slaughterhouse.  However, I feel like “I Bought My Eyes” is the most traditional Ty Segall effort on the record, capturing the live sound of the band, yet still holding onto Segall’s vocals as the band pummels your ears.

From there, the record seems to go off into a furious live album, which is both good and bad.  “Slaughterhouse” brings images of a frenetic live show, with Ty and his man Mikal Cronin banging out the tunes furious and loud.  Then you get “Tongue,” which does have a bit of that traditional Segall bounce to it, but again, the vocals get a bit obscured as the band seems to turn up the noise.  Therein lays the problem with Slaughterhouse: it’s an album with the markings of Ty Segall all over it, but the final production value isn’t as polished as the work he’s done in the past.

I get that one man can’t repeat himself too much, but as a long time fan I sort of get the impression that Ty Segall Band is meant to capture the live sound of Ty, with more of a nod going to the performance than to the actual songwriting. “Muscle Man” has that angular distorted guitar chug that I love, but the sound of the track itself seems sort of muddy; I just ask for a bit of cleaning up.  “That’s the Bag I’m In” follows that up with a sort of childishness that’s none-too-pleasant. It’s forceful in delivery, yet it beats you over the head with Ty’s vocal performance; it’s probably one of the worst performances I’ve heard from him to date.

Slaughterhouse is an excellent listen if you want to picture what Ty Segall Band sounds like in the live setting.  It’s heavy and heartfelt, but it doesn’t quite emphasize the songwriting licks that made Ty stand out in the past few releases. That’s always been his dynamic though, right? He’s a great songwriter in the studio, and a brash performer on the stage.  I dig both, but I just don’t think I can spin this album as much as I could spin Goodbye Bread or Melted.  Just one man’s opinion.

[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Ty_Segall_Band_-_I_Bought_My_Eyes.mp3]

Download:Ty Segall Band – I Bought My Eyes [MP3]

Beachwood Sparks – The Tarnished Gold

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Rating: ★★★½☆

With the current indie landscape coated in folk harmonies and wooded soundscapes, it seems only fitting that Beachwood Sparks would return after taking a break 11 years ago.  Interestingly, The Tarnished Gold, while bearing similarities to the modern landscape, has a sound more classic in structure, carefully crafting the perfect listen for fans of all sorts.

Immediately you fall in love, or at least I did.  “Forget the Song” sounds like an American version of The Crayon Fields, except filled with a bit of slide guitar and twang.  It’s got the same slight echo on the vocal, with guitars and casual drumming all tied in to perfection.  Other songs fit this exact same  style like “Tarnished Gold,” which is perhaps why I’ve enjoyed listening to Beachwood Sparks so much lately.  The guitars definitely give it a more country/folk feel, but the gentle vocals will absolutely carry you away. You’ll also find hints of other great American music throughout.

“Sparks Fly Again” is filled with noodling guitars and vocal harmonizing, but what caught me off guard was the seemingly Grateful Dead chorus jumping in and out.  It’s not there in a jam band sort of way, which enables me to appreciate the track all the more, but it definitely reminds me that my age is having me walk a fine line with the hipster abhorred hippy ilk. But, please don’t tell anyone that I just admitted to that.  The presence of these sort of moments are all over The Tarnished Gold, demonstrating that the band is much more rooted in the classic structure of Californian pop music, rather than joining the bandwagon of modern folk acts.

With all their traditional stylings, one of the things I like best about this Beachwood Sparks record is its ability to go live it out on its own terms.  “No Queremos Oro” is a quirky Spanish pop tune, almost like a sunny Mariachi ballad.  Of course, my love for all things Latin American forces me to love this track, but you have to have courage to put something like this in the middle of a classic folk tinged album; I applaud the band for that.  Luckily, it’s also followed by my favorite track here: “Earl Jean.”  I like the sound of the guitar strumming, spliced with some intermittent guitar jabs (noodles?) coming in and out. It’s explosion of bright guitars at the midway point is truly special, and feels so familiar that I swear I wrote it myself.

The more I get involved with The Tarnished Gold, the more I feel that it’s going to become the perfect soundtrack for my summer here in Texas.  As the warm sun beats upon my back, I can hear the slide guitars meeting on the humid air of the harmonies. There’s elements of folk music, classic Americana, and even your modern indie feel; it’s pulled off to perfection, giving Beachwood Sparks a return to glory that seems much deserved.

[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Beachwood-Sparks-Sparks-Fly-Again.mp3]

Download:Beachwood Sparks – Sparks Fly Again [MP3]

Bart and Friends – There May Come a Time EP

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Rating: ★★★★☆

Bart and Friends is an Australian supergroup of sorts, fronted by Bart Cummings.  The group features members of the Shapiros and the Lucksmiths, to name a few, so you’re probably going to have some lofty expectations.  Luckily for us all, There May Come a Time lives up to those expectations, and in fact, it surpasses them.

Opening the EP is “There May Come a Time,” which features the wonderful Pam Berry on vocals.  She’s talking about writing songs, but suggests that there are some words/songs she’ll always remember (those of a love when she was young). I love the brightness of the guitar sound here, not to mention the precision drumming which helps accentuate the depth of the track.  You’re going to be hard pressed to find a better album opener on a pop record than this one.  But, then they move into some extremely familiar territory with the much covered track, “Can’t Help Falling in Love.”  I know the song was originally done by Elvis, but as a kid of the 80s, I think back to UB40 (unfortunately).  However, twenty listens into this EP, I will forever think of Berry’s performance here; her voice seems to be perfectly crafted to sing this track.  Definitely a special song.

From here you’ll get into the middle of There May Come a Time, featuring two of my favorite tracks, though one is the record’s shortest.  “A Kiss You Won’t Forget” encompasses everything I’ve come to love about the sound of pop music that’s been carried over from Australia.  Sharp dueling guitars, careful bass work, and some of the best vocal performances.  It’s one of those songs you want to put on a mixtape and play for all your friends.  There’s only one thing wrong with “There Are So Many Things I’d Like to See,” and that revolves around the 50 second song length.  It’s a completed track by Bart and Friends, but I completely wish they’d have pushed it even further; it’s got the makings of becoming one of my favorite tracks every.  I’m just going to loop it over and over on my own to reach the desired effect. The group does approach similar territory on “These Words Are Too Small,” but Berry seems a bit more rushed here, so it doesn’t have that drama in it.

Closing out the EP is “A Summer’s Dream,” the most chilled out track on There May Come a Time.  Here, while Berry again sounds great, it’s the sound of the guitar that really shines.  It’s as if each note was carefully picked for maximum melodic power; there’s a carefree mood created by both the band and Berry.  It’s a relaxing feeling, the way every summer dream should be.  The ending is perfectly fitting for this EP, as the band have bookended both sides of the EP perfectly.  But, don’t think that the middle is just filler; you’re likely to find some of the most special pop moments of the year hiding in there. Go see for yourself.

[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/There_May_Come_A_Time.mp3]

Download: Bart and Friends – There May Come a Time [MP3]

There May Come a Time is available now from Matinee Recordings.

Charlie Big Time – Dishevelled Revellers EP

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Rating: ★★★½☆

Britain has long had a history of crafting glowing guitar pop, though the more brash bands abroad have garnered more attention.  That’s probably a good thing, with bands like Charlie Big Time quietly making their way to our ears.  The group’s newest EP, Dishevelled Revellers is brief, but for those of you unfamiliar with the band it’s the perfect introduction to the group, now a proper trio.

The title track begins the four song affair, beginning casually for the most part.  It’s a quieted pop approach allowing listener’s to get a full grip on the inherent harmonies present within the track, but that changes at the 1 minute mark.  A chorus erupts with a more distorted guitar sound, giving a heavier touch to the softer melody working beneath the tune.  It’s a familiar song, sonically speaking, but one that speaks volumes to the craftsmanship of Charlie Big Time.

You’ll find that the lead single “The Liberation of Love” provides the perfect “pleased to meet you” moment with the band’s newest member, Beth Arzy.  Her effortlessly gentle voice provides the perfect juxtaposition to the deeper male vocal role, and gives a different level to the slower track.  There’s’ a wandering jangling guitar noodling its way about the track, which is one of the reasons I find Dishevelled Revellers so enjoyable; it’s not here to beat you over the head with brilliant pop, only here to let you sit back and enjoy incredible songwriting.

Personally, I immediately fell in love with “Real Estate” from the moment that guitar line comes in.  Strummed guitars are met with solid vocals and various other textures that demonstrates the creativity of the group–it even includes some light horn flourishes. Beth’s here again, but her voice is slightly understated, turning it into more of an instrument of lushness, rather than a counterpoint.  The subject matter seems fairly dark, but you’d never really know by the emotional tug you’ll get when listening to the track, happily floating away with the tune in your heart.

Then it all comes to an end with sullen “Passion and Headaches,” the fourth and final track here. It seems like the perfect song for someone living on the British Isles, or even the Northwestern US.  I find that there’s a bit of a cold haze that floats about the casual track; I picture the group crafting the song on their porch as the rain comes down.  But, like all great pop, you cannot help but to feel a bit of an uplifting aura surrounding the track, much as you’ll find on the whole Dishevelled Revellers EP.  Charlie Big Time have managed to quickly burst into the scene of great pop songwriting, and hopefully we’ll get to hear more from them soon.

[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/02-The-Liberation-of-Love.mp3]

Download:Charlie Big Time – The Liberation of Love [MP3]

Dishevelled Revellers is now available from Matinee Recordings.

 

The Eastern Sea – Plague

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Rating: ★★★★☆

As we all know, Austin is a giant arena for up and coming bands to make their names known, but in such a big scene, how do you stand out amongst the others trying just as hard as you? For The Eastern Sea, their delicately forceful rock, complete with some uniquely striking vocals sets them apart from the average bedroom rock band. Upon first listen, Plague gives off an illuminating quality that yields further listening and promises that this band has a lot to bring to the table.

The opener and title track introduces the deep sound that The Eastern Sea builds upon with the rest of the album. A slow burner, “Plague,” relies on a thick coating of atmospheric sound and a gradual build that shows the range in Matt Hines vocals. It’s a refined number that reveals just how much control the band has, and the restraint that is employed early on, leaving you yearning to know just what is in store when they let loose. As if they know what you’re waiting for, the next song, “Wasn’t For Love,” picks up the pace and gives you a taste of the layers of complexity that combine seamlessly. The track begins with a groovy bass line, and continually adds upon itself with a lighter line of jingly percussion, a looping guitar hook and of course Hines’ James Mercer/Ben Gibbard-esque vocals. Some horns join in on the chorus and later in the song, and you’re forced to marvel at how very put-together this band is; they are controlled chaos at its finest, knowing where to reel in before it becomes too much.

As aforementioned, in a town so big on music, something is needed to set apart, and what the Eastern Sea has going for them is their control and an album packed with interesting and excitingly good songs. There are numbers like “Santa Rosa” on which the lyrics are sharp and quick witted, and more horns join in, leading up to a sizzling couple of choruses, before they pull back and end the track on a quieter, refined note. The band pulls back one slower numbers like “The Match,” but still builds to an explosive ending. There is a great mixture of loud and quiet, controlled and chaotic that pushes the elements of sound of this group above others.

There really isn’t much to complain about on Plague; it’s a beautiful album that will have those who love some classic indie rock begging for more. So enjoy this effort from a local band and look forward to this band blowing up in the near future.

Metric – Synthetica

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Rating: ★★½☆☆

When it comes to catchy pop with a superstar of a front woman, Metric has been a staple for years now. Their last effort from 2008 showed a transition to a stronger electronic sound from the angular guitars that early releases relied on. Three years later they are back and the title, Synthetica tells you where this band is headed with their sound before you even hear the first song; artificial and synthetic and further down the road they turned onto with Fantasies.

If the album title wasn’t enough to clue you in to the direction of the album, the first track ought to the do the trick. “Artificial Nocturne” starts out with waves of synthesizer and Emily Haines’ sleek vocals claiming she’s “as fucked up as they say.” This lasts for the opening two minutes of the album, before the guitar and drums kick in and the song begins to go anywhere. At this point, Metric eases into the familiar sound that they’ve given you before, but it feels distanced, as if you have to search to find the pop music that this band has previously doled out with ease.

As far as songwriting goes on this album, it seems as though Haines has grown a bit lazy, which is the main reason that Synthetica falls flat upon listen. Before, the band put out songs with a heavy electronic presence, but the lyrics that Haines spat at you were catchy and interesting, gracing the music with human accessibility. A lot of the tracks on this release feel lazy, with overly repeated lines, which may be catchy, but become stale after they are the very crux of the songs. One of the worst offenders of this repetitive business is “Dreams So Real,” whose two-minute-and-forty-one seconds of existence feels like it goes on forever while Haines reiterates that she’ll “Shut up and carry on,” and sadly, you wish she would.

Of course there are exceptions to this phenomenon that are quite enjoyable. Embedded in the far away tracks are those that you can connect to with hooky guitar lines and Haines sultry vocals leading you along. Songs like “Breathing Underwater,” and “Lost Kitten,” prove to be interesting and real additions to your listening bank of Metric songs. “Breathing Underwater” is a seamless combination of the synthetic elements with the grounded guitar lines, reminiscent of “Gimme Sympathy” off of their previous release. “Lost Kitten,” is a sassy number on which the quick lyrics draw you in and then Haines holds you with her understated power vocals.

Synthetica is not the step into a new, interesting direction that I was hoping Metric would take. Rather, the majority of this album is muted and lacking the shimmer that sets Haines and company apart from the average pop band, however, I invite you to wade through Synthetica to find those gems.

Sonny Smith – One Act Plays

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Rating: ★★★★☆

Sonny Smith is most well-known, at least in the Interwebs for his work with the Sunsets, but the songwriter also has a few plays under his belt, although they’re probably more apt to be performed in song.  Luckily, the good people over at Secret Seven Records have released One Act Plays, a recording of songs/plays that Sonny recorded back in 2006 for a play called The Dangerous Stranger. 

Musically, it’s sort of what you expect from Sonny Smith, though it’s him stripped down to his bare bones, naked in front of the listener, as a true performer would be.  His voice in these recordings closely resembles Bill Callahan, which is fitting seeing as he’s playing the role of storyteller in these tunes.  But, he’s also got a lot of help from his friends such as Neko Case, Jolie Holland and Mark Eitzel; having all those guests on one record alone makes One Act Plays worthy of your purchase…and listening.

Thematically, Sonny admits to dealing with issues about family and redemption, and he also gives a nod to Sam Shepard.  But, despite the well-developed characters (as much as one can in one act), Smith perhaps should acknowledge the great job he did turning these acts into actual songs, so much so that you can get lost in the songs themselves.  My favorite is probably “The Stick-Up” just because it’s so stripped down, and the I chuckled each time the mention of stage directions comes into play; you don’t often get stage directions turned into actual lyrics.  It’s odd, but in providing musical accompaniment, the characters are humanized, which is precisely what a good playwright would hope to do.  You’ll even find “The Stick-Up (Part Two)” wrapping up the record, in case you feel like Sonny left you without a proper ending. Just remember, “when you shoot somebody, there ain’t no going back.”

Honestly, this isn’t a listening experience for everyone out there.  But, there’s definitely an audience for this, as Stephin Merritt can attest. While I enjoy the music quite a bit, I appreciate the combination of literary elements being thrust into the foreground.  For instance, the dialogue in “The Terrible Truth” brings to life a conversation between two men, who appear to be friends.  It begins in a call-and-response manner, as a dialogue would appear on stage, but there’s a moment when the vocals unite, and it’s such an emotional moment that your body can’t help but tingle just a bit; then it ends.  Like much of the songs, they’re all a separate entity or chapter, but they fit together, united by theme and song.  Only Sonny Smith seems capable of doing such a thing.  Find one song to love, or love them all, but if you love the theatre and you love music, then pick yourself up a copy of One Act Plays.

[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/01-The-Stick-Up.mp3]

Download:Sonny Smith – The Stick-Up [MP3]

You can order the LP directly from Secret Seven Records.

White Arrows – Dry Land Is Not a Myth

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Rating: ★★★☆☆

Some bands manage to get the timing just right, and as we move closer the official arrival of Summer it seems that White Arrows have arrived with their debut right on time.  Dry Land Is Not a Myth is filled with an electronic influence that’s aimed more at dance floors than bedroom pop experiments; it’s best listened to at high volumes with a bunch of your friends.

When you start off with “Roll Over” you can grasp at the live performance by White Arrows; the guitars are much more prominent, and the vocals unfold carefully, creating a bit of anxiety as the song builds towards the spastic chorus.  But, the album doesn’t fully kick in until you’ve reached “Get Gone,” the following track on Dry Land Is Not a Myth.  Here, you’ll find the band spinning their style around sampled beats, though you still get some angular guitar parts stuttering in the background.  Hand claps compliment the stuttering vocal delivery, and if proper volume is reached, you’re going to be bouncing around your room.

For me, “Coming and Going” is the heart and soul of the record, not to say bright moments are absent beyond, but this is a record built on electronica, and combined with the soulful crooning of the chorus, you can feel the classic pop seeping through the cracks with hints of oddball programmed sounds subtly creeping in to the track; it’s much like a track you’d expect Hot Chip to throw your way–there’s soul, but there’s also a dance element. It matches well with the closer on Dry Land Is Not a Myth, “Fireworks at Sea.”  There’s a wash of electronic atmospherics that coats the song in a sort of fog, but that’s juxtaposed with sprightly guitar licks and a bouncy vocal delivery from Mickey Church.  “Get Gone” might be a hit, but these two tracks exemplify the sound of White Arrows when they’re at their best.

But, it’s not all about beating you over the head with dance jams; the group also goes into more traditional rock n’ roll territory, only with an electronic bent.  “I Can Go” is one such song where the guitar seems to be the focus of the track, rather than the throbbing rhythm from some machine.  That being said, it does make the record a bit disjointed in parts, which I blame on the sequencing of the tracks.  Thrown somewhere else, this is a fitting track, but following three dance heavy songs, it seems amiss.  Still, band’s, especially on their debut, are allowed some missteps, are they not?

As a debut, Dry Land Is Not a Myth is quite a statement. It’s an album filled with hooks, both in the songwriting and the vocals. The songs don’t run too long, so you’re not going to feel burdened by redundancy, instead you’ll feel energized as the group provides you with exciting pop jams over and over again.   It’s a solid debut, and one that will surely give White Arrows claim to the perfect claim to Summer Album 2012.

[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Fireworks-Of-The-Sea.mp3]

Download:White Arrows – Fireworks Of The Sea [MP3]

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