Tag: album review

Shimmering Stars – Violent Hearts

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Rating: ★★★½☆

As the last few years have seen, recording in a home studio has reaped great rewards for many bands, and such is the case for Shimmering Stars, who recorded in a garage studio.  While some might yearn for cleaner production, the quality of the recording is one of the attributes that makes Violent Hearts so affecting.

Opening up with “Believe” and “I’m Gonna Try” established a mood rooted in the history of classic pop from an earlier era of music. “I’m Gonna Try” might portray an outcast, or even a rebellious teen, but the melody provides listeners with an endearing warmth, only made stronger by the perceived distance provided in the production.

“East Van Girls” has almost a psychedelic quality to it, pushed through by the deepness of the guitar.  Using a vocal that seems to drift in from another room allows Shimmering Stars to maintain that quality of effortless pop one usually achieves when focusing on the craftsmanship of the melody rather than simply using the best equipment available.

While Violent Hearts might have a tendency to get lost in its own dense quality, the brightness created in spots by Rory McClure’s vocal belting always provides a reassuring that the band isn’t here just to give you a muddied spin on pop of year’s past. For instance, “Sun’s Going Down,” opens with a great floating McClure line before the band jangles their way through the song.  His vocals always seem to rise and float above the music, sort of the way you would expect Brian Wilson to explore his own garage recordings.

Your first through runs through Violent Hearts might indicate that the band is creating track after track, all blending together, but a closer focus on minor details will reveal that this is not the case, at least not entirely. “I Don’t Wanna Know” easily fits into the modern spectrum of revisionist pop, with Shimmering Stars paying more attention to banging out their notes at various points, rather than holding them back.  The album’s closer, “Walk Away” is a trickling pop number, one that doesn’t really fit into the grand spectrum of the record, and it might lead you to wish the band had mixed this number earlier into the collection.  It takes a noisy little gallop at moments, always returning to it’s own softness–more such tracks would definitely have benefited the overall sound.

Shimmering Stars definitely have their ears pressed hard in the past, but of course, production value brings them into the present.  This is also a moot point, however, as the songs on Violent Hearts easily speak for themselves, allowing breezy pop moments to take the lead, whisking you away down a sunny Interstate drive.  At the end of it all, you’ll press play once again, returning to that place in your heart where nostalgia meets the present, pushing you to smile at the joys of music listening today.

[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/SS_NervousBreakdown.mp3]

Download: Shimmering Stars – Nervous Breakdown [MP3]

Violent Hearts is out now on Hardly Art Records.

Blitzen Trapper – American Goldwing

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Rating: ★★½☆☆

It’s strange; sometimes, bands that have been around for a while often don’t change their sound, be it for fear that they will lose those who became enraptured by their original sound, or that they just don’t see themselves as anything else than what they were before. This seems to be the case with Blitzen Trapper on this album, as their only shift seems to be to a bit more of a bluesy spin on their Americana craft.

American Goldwing is one of those albums that just don’t have enough chutzpah to keep me focused and interested in for more than five songs. It starts out fairly strong, even though nothing novel, but progressively ceases to retain my interest as the songs drag on and on to its close. The first song, “Might Find It Cheap,” sums up this phenomenon in a single swoop. Yea, it’s a good song and I can get down with those fuzzy guitars and the traditionally tangy vocals, I just feel like I’ve heard it from Blitzen Trapper before. Their distinct crookedly country Americana rock sound works against them in that the sound from previous albums resonates deeper and makes it hard to listen to these tracks when I know there are astoundingly better renditions on Furr or other prior albums.

My favorite track on this record comes third, at a time where I’m looking for something to spice up this album. “Love the Way You Walk Away,” takes a new stance that I’ve been longing for this band to take. Even though it is of a country note, which I don’t often find myself enjoying, there is new territory to be covered at last. Bluesy undertones patter in the background while harmonies swoon in the foreground. If you listen carefully, you can hear deep bass drums at some points and of course there is that steel pedal guitar that pushes the song around in dominance. Late in the track, this band slows things down with a little harmonica and it’s easy to find yourself singing right alongside Eric Earley and the rest of the gang. It’s simply the song with the most redeeming and interesting qualities to be found on American Goldwing.

By all means, if you are a Blitzen Trapper addict, you’ll love this album. It has everything that you’ve already been shown, perhaps with one or two tracks that take a new direction. As for me, and I’m sure others, I’m in need of something a little bit fresher to keep me intrigued in this band’s sound. Perhaps it is coming on their next release, or perhaps I just need to revisit those old gems in the catalog of this band.

The Drums – Portamento

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Rating: ★★★★½

After much global adoration, and possibly some skepticism, The Drums return to follow up their self-titled debut.  This outing appears to still bubble and brood, if not more so than the band’s first record, which makes Portamento a thoroughly enjoyable listen from start to finish.

If you wanted to see how the group would move into their next phase, then you need to look no further than “Book of Revelation.”  Bouncing bass rhythms control the sign, and while similarities remain vocally, there’s a definite growth in Jonathan Pierce’s voice, sounding much more grounded. And if that didn’t solve your dilemma, then perhaps you can look at “What You Were” to see the band attempting to distance themselves, just a hint, from their past. Pierce’s delivery is vastly different than earlier work, sounding almost indifferent, in an endearing fashion.  Even a horn instrumentation demonstrates the band moving forward.

You’ll still find some excellent numbers worthy of your favorite flailing arms dance move such as the single “Money.” While the lyrical content may not see the band pushing through literary barriers (that’s never been their style), the speedier pace of the drumbeat and Pierce’s vocal shifts during the chorus will allow any listener to realize this band has hooks galore. But, the first half, while catchy and superb in its own right, doesn’t hold much water to the depth of exploration the band made in crafting the second half of Portamento.

With songs like “Lets Go Surfing” on their debut, it seemed the group was intent upon beating you over the head with these incredible hooks.  But, The Drums have switched things up just a bit on this go round, allowing the tracks to brood a little bit, rather than being so forceful.  “If He Likes It Let Him Do It” has a much darker quality than most of the tracks we’ve heard from the group, sounding more like some sort of dark-wave post punk, as opposed to bright surf-ish dance pop. Even the album closer, “How It Ended” seems much more patient in its approach to grabbing listeners, coming off with a much warmer tone than what we were presented with in the band’s early works.  Musical touches are familiar, allowing the fan base to appreciate the olden days, but the best thing is that new listeners will find themselves rewarded by Portamento’s ability to pull you in for a whole song, even album, rather than just a momentary hook.

While I’ll admit that I have some reservations about the group, due entirely to a live performance I witnessed, I can’t escape the fact that the band simply crafts amazing records.  For me, Portamento is a huge step up, and is worthy of ten times the repeated listens in comparison to the first release from The Drums.  It’s got hints of everything any modern listener needs: dance, bounce, brooding, atmospherics.  You really can’t go wrong spending your time listening to this entire album again and again.

[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/04-Money.mp3]

Download: The Drums – Money [MP3]

St. Vincent – Strange Mercy

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Rating: ★★★★☆

Annie Clark has definitely been around the musical world a fair number of times for the short amount of time that her music has been in circulation. Granted, she was in several other bands before her debut as front-woman in St. Vincent, such as The Polyphonic Spree and backing for Mr. Sufjan Stevens. So it wasn’t a surprise when this lady took things by storm and it isn’t a surprise that this third release is just as savory as the previous two.

A clear standout track that you can pick up on first listen, or even before, is “Cruel,” a single from this album.  From the beginning, you have this creepy sweeping, lullaby-gone wrong trance-like sound, which then switches quickly to a down-right dance able tune, with psychedelic beat in tow. Clark’s vocals resound solidly through the whole song, switching between power and wispy, but nevertheless, pushing the song forward. The end result is a song that lends itself to almost the dance-pop genre, which is a bit of a surprising, darker twist for St. Vincent that is sure to have you bobbing your head and shaking yourself all over the place along to the buzzing guitar and the steady dance beat.

Something different on Strange Mercy that wasn’t so apparent on the last releases is the shift from innocence and the transition to darker, deeper tracks that aren’t afraid to pack a punch. “Cheerleader,” the third track, holds such intensity, as Clark asserts that she “don’t wanna be a cheerleader no more,” over and over again while resolute drum beats drill her vocals in like a hammer driving in nails. Clark is assertive and adopts a woman-in-charge flair whose presence can be felt all the way until the end of the album, especially on the very last song “Year of the Tiger,” in which the band builds to it’s explosively powerful ending. Meanwhile, Clark’s voice remains impeccable, holding you to listen like a super charged magnet until the gritty musical elements kick in towards the end, and the song switches from sweet to the prowl of a tigress.

Overall, it’s a pretty complete album; there is a range of various types of songs, all of which seem like different aspects of Clark’s soul, as her voice is the delightful motif that makes its way through all the tracks. While the elements that surround her vocals may change, what remains is a strong front woman who isn’t afraid to experiment with varying kinds of sound and you are bound to enjoy at least a few of these lovely songs.

Light for Fire – s/t

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Rating: ★★★★½

At this point in time, there probably aren’t too many people familiar with the Portland outfit, Light for Fire.  Honestly, that’s probably the biggest tragedy we’ll come across, as their self-titled debut is chocked full of brilliant pop moments, fusing moments of great indie-pop with arrangements created by a singer-songwriter format.  It’s just flat out golden.

You’re going to struggle to find as good a one-two punch as the opening tracks on Light for Fire this year.  “The Huckster” appeals to those interested in the craftsmanship of a singer/songwriter, with the majority of the song revolving around strummed guitar and J. Nicholas Allard’s great vocal performance. From here the band joins Allard with the stomper, “NY (By the Hand),” which is in the running for one of the greater tracks of the year.  There’s a hint of a scratch to Allard’s voice, but with the banging piano and his storytelling, there’s not much that sounds better coming through your stereo speakers.

If you’re looking for some sort of generic marker to throw at Light for Fire, you’ll easily find comparisons to Spoon.  But, that being said, the band has cleaned up some of the noisy meandering that’s been associated with Spoon, instead allowing the poppier side to push on through.  Take “The Letters,” and you’ll have that semi-stomp, with Allard doing his best to give that scratchy croon perfected by Britt Daniels.  Even “Green Life” seems to take a bit from the comparison, using hints of piano to craft their tune, reminiscent of some of the singles off GaGaGaGaGaGa.  This isn’t a bad comparison, as few people write great pop numbers in the vein of Spoon. But, I suppose someone’s bound to get caught up in the similarities.

But, the more you listen to these eleven tracks, the more you see the band has definitely attached themselves to the songwriting of Allard, and rightfully so. “Where I Was Born” is a track for storytellers, with the narrator giving a brief summation of his life.  There’s restraint in the guitar playing, that is until the band jumps in, making it a passionate Americana rocker. And with “4th of July,” you get a quiet number that evokes other songwriters from the Portland area.  Allard’s voice takes on a more gentle quality, and the guitar lines barely trickle into your ear.

One of the best things you can do for your day is to get your hands on this wonderful effort by Light For Fire.  Yes, there’s touchstones of modern indie stars, but beneath those allusions lives great songwriting.  It’s executed to perfection, providing listeners with eleven tracks, not one of which begs to be skipped. For a band seemingly coming out of nowhere, this is the perfect place to start.

[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/nybythehand.mp3]

Download: Light for Fire – NY (By the Hand) [MP3]

A.A. Bondy – Believers

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Rating: ★★★½☆

For years now, A.A Bondy has been riding the waves of undiscovered artist; while garnering some devoted fans, he hasn’t exactly achieved instant fame and success of the independent world. However, as per the intrigue of his last album and the original detailed work of his very first effort, this hasn’t seemed to hurt Bondy in the slightest; he is still a master at his folksy craft.

There isn’t a song on this album more dauntingly beautiful than “Skull and Bones,” which crops up third in the listening experience. From the moment it begins, there is a foreboding feeling instilled by the effervescent bass and guitar combo. It’s an unsettling sound that gives a sense of instability and then A.A himself jumps in with those cautionary vocals that add to the darkness of this twisting song.  At a little over three minutes long, it jumps right in and grabs your focus right from the start, and then pulls you further and further in, and by the time the looped vocals of the chorus flood your ears, you can’t help but notice the elegant poignancy that the track dangles out there for you to snatch up on repeated listens. A.A Bondy knows this, and includes a short, cleansing song after it, as to break away from its quiet resonance and move back to his more traditional folk style.

This is a lovely change for Bondy, and though it’s unparalleled on this album, it is certainly not the extent of good songs to be found on Believers. You have late stunners such as “The Twist,” that is just dripping in delectable folk elements and yet it still has a quick pace that doesn’t allow it to be as heavy as earlier songs. This pacing allows it to sink in slower, and not become a bogged down album. By no means is it fluffy pop fuzz, but it is not so thick that it becomes a drag to listen to.

For a third release, this album is very consistent, at least at first glance. It seems that Bondy is just destined to remain under the radar in his work, which is not necessarily a bad thing, as he is currently a man with three solid albums, each of which with its golden moments. This being said, I can definitely see Believers becoming more with time as it ripens in the minds of listeners. Regardless, it’s still worth a good listening to; time will tell if it will be something extraordinary.

Jacuzzi Boys – Glazin’

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Rating: ★★★☆☆

Jacuzzi Boys first appeared back in 2008, when they released an EP that presented their garage rock style and followed this with their debut album, No Seasons, in 2009. Now, two years later, they are back with Glazin’, their true sophomore effort, which is chock full of garage rock noises, such as buzzing guitars and wild percussion.

The first track, “Vizcaya,” is a short and sweet introduction to the bands sound. At roughly two minutes, you just get enough of Jacuzzi Boys to know where they are headed on this album. The vocals are sharp and twangy, shuffled amidst the buzz of the guitar and the furious pacing of the song.  For a song with so much crammed into it, it’s a great thing that it’s so short, because it quits itself before the song becomes overwhelming. Such is not the case for third, and title track, “Glazin.’” Even upon first listen, you can feel the repetition of at the end, which is definitely a sign that it has gone on for too long, and it’s easy to seek it out on repeated listens.

This is a bit of the precursor for the rest of Glazin’ in its entirety. There are some songs that really standout as the album comes to its close, but the majority of the tracks in the middle all sort of mesh together into a big ball of garage rock, which by no means is a bad thing, but it isn’t an album made for active listening. The songs are short enough that they jump quickly from one to the other, but this also makes it difficult to discern the differences between songs; those little nuances that are supposed to come with variation. The result is that the repeated sound fails to hold the attention of its listeners, but if there’s one thing I could advise you, it’s to stick around for the end, in which Jacuzzi Boys bring back the variety.

The last two songs, “Los Angeles” and “Koo Koo With You,” both showcase the best of the garage rock sound as well as a different side of the band. The second to last track is one of the most intriguing all out jams on the album. You have the trademark sound, but some gang vocals jump in and will have you grooving along. Then Jacuzzi Boys switch things up at the end, with the catchy last, and acoustic-y, number. Gone are the buzzy guitars, for the most part, and present is a softer touch to this album, which, albeit, might have been better placed somewhere in the midst of the rock as opposed to at the end.

If you’re a hardcore lover of garage rock in any form, then Glazin’ should be a real treat for you. If not, then you should be able to find some tracks that may tempt your fancy on this casual effort.

Cymbals Eat Guitars – Lenses Aliens

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Rating: ★★★☆☆

Hailing from New Jersey, Cymbals Eat Guitars are a four-person band with one album, Why Are They Mountains, under their belt already. Released in 2009, that album rewarded this band with comparisons to bands like Modest Mouse, and Pavement. On this new effort, they looked to work on it more collaboratively, and the effect of this is a band that sounds more controlled, and the instrumental parts feel tightly knit and well thought out on Lenses Alien.

The first song is “Rifle Eyesight (Proper Name),” which is an eight and a half minute long track, but it’s really just two songs pushed together with the help of some atmospheric guitar feedback noise in between the two. For roughly the first three minutes of this track, you have this lovely bouncy and jangly alternative rock song, complete with the harsh vocals of lead singer, Joseph D’Agostino, whose voice reminds me a bit of John Paul Pits, of Surfer Blood, due to its ability to turn ragged and grungy in an instant. You get a chance to see this switch to grungier on the second half of the first song, in which the guitars are fiercer, the cymbals crash more, and the pacing is faster. D’Agostino gets his chance to command the song with his vocals that are exasperated and rough at first. However, as the song calms down, so does the raspy nature in his voice, softening, if only for contrast as the song resurges to its final height.

After this monster of a song, it would be easy for the rest of the other tracks to pale in comparison, but each brings a lovely new element to the table. On “Shore Points,” you have a nice little surf rock jam, complete with angular guitars and enticing backing vocals from the other band members. Following immediately on “Keep Me Waiting,” there’s a killer bass line just bubbling under the surface, waiting for your ears to pick it out and move your body to it.

 While there are softer songs on here, like “Wavelengths” toward the end of the album, Lenses Alien does seem to fall a little one dimensional upon the inaugural listen. Perhaps there is too much of a good thing on this album; the heavy guitar and nasal vocals seems a little grating by the end of the ten song album. Maybe, with much repeated listening, there is more to this sophomore release, but as of now, it’s a pretty middle of the road album.

Blood Orange – Coastal Grooves

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Rating: ★★★☆☆

Dev Hynes changes names like most of us change pants, you know, once or twice a week.  First there was Test Icicles, then Lightspeed Champion, and now Blood Orange.  While names may come and go, Dev will always be the same, and Coastal Groove, his new record, finds him sort of running in place, albeit a more 80s influenced place.

When “Forget It” hits your speakers, those familiars won’t find too much different than the most recent Lightspeed Champion record.  But, the slightest nuance can change things; you’ll notice a more electronic beat driving the track, but Dev’s sultry voice is always front and center.  Moving right into “Sulphin Boulevard” will have you catching the essence of the entirety of Coastal Grooves.  There’s a delicateness to every musical note, breathing sexuality over electronic down-tempo tunes a la Twin Shadow.

It’d be real easy to throw lots of Prince allusions throughout this first record by Blood Orange, especially if you catch the vocal performance on “Instantly Blank,” but that’s probably selling Hynes short, as he’s always had this odd combination of indie rock and R&B; this is one of the reasons I’ve always adored his work. But, for the majority of the record this sort of feels like his attempt at mediocre bedroom pop, and that might not be his foray; if you strip him of his orchestration, he seems less dramatic, less artistic even.

One of the saving graces about Mr. Hynes is that he’s always been fairly open about his projects, willing to do pretty much anything he’s asked, just for the sake of it.  That being said, there are some successful tracks that I’ve found myself jamming to throughout the day, such as “The Complete Knock” with its steady stuttering guitar line kicking off a nice little groove throughout. “Are You Sure You’re Really Busy” seems like the track where he could take off into a different level, as the drama in his voice, wavering ever so slightly gives this track an extra step above the rest of Coastal Grooves.

For what it’s worth, this isn’t a bad record at all; I’ve heard much worse (from the Foo Fighters) this year alone. Yet, having followed Dev for quite some time now, I can’t help but be a little let down by the entire Blood Orange project.  He’s missing something here, such as his orchestration or his flare for spinning words into new melodies mid-word.  Coastal Grooves seems to lose a bit of focus, turning out the same guitar line over and over, but I’m still going to get into it over time because that’s just what Dev deserves.

Am & Shawn Lee – Celestial Electric

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Rating: ★★★★☆

Originally a solo artist, AM hails from America, bringing the diverse sound that you would expect from someone who was raised New Orleans. Producing music steadily built upon the mixture of Americana folk pop as well as various R&B elements, he already had a whole lot of genre conglomeration going on before he decided that he would collaborate with London acclaimed groove master, Shawn Lee, on this album. What one would think is far too many different kinds of sound to be packed into one album, but the result is surprisingly refreshing.

First, let me just say, do not be intimidated by the size of this album. At fifteen tracks, with the medium range time around three and a half minutes, Celestial Electric comes in at around an hour total, which to me, sounded like I was going to be bored by the final track; I mean come on, how much electronic beats can you dish out without repeating yourself? However, I was stunned at the variety and these two’s ability to keep things fresh pretty much consistently through the fifty four minute long album.

With any preconceived notions about electronica, or anything else out of the way, let’s get to the actual music. Celestial Electric opens on an instrumental track, “Dillon’s Song,” which is by no means brief, but also by no means boring. It’s a lovely little groove, which builds the whole way from a funky bass line. The next track is “I Didn’t Really Listen,” another groovy beat that will make you sway in the verses and party dance in the choruses/breaks from the normal serene beat. Overall, it sort of sounds like a mellowed and more electronically driven Phoenix, which is a connection probably made on the vocals, which are most similar.

So, introduced to this massive mix of genres, you continue your trek through these waves of chill, each track inducing some head bobbing, and maybe a little shimmy-shaking—if you’re feeling it especially. For me, someone who doesn’t normally get along too well with dancey music, this feels different. Each song pulls me in, making it hard to skip a song. Sure, there are some real standouts, like the early “City Boy, ” which combines a sweet guitar base with a falsetto chorus that will have you crooning right along. Or even “Promises Are Never Far From Lies,” which is perhaps the grooviest track on here, bringing those handclap sounds and the made for dancing synth meanderings.

All in all, Celestial Electric is as its name would suggest—a stunning and ridiculously enticing slew of electronic beats. Give it a try before you knock it.

[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/04_Dark_Into_Light.mp3]

Download: AM & Shawn Lee – Dark Into Light [MP3]

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