Tag: album review

John Vanderslice – White Wilderness

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Rating: ★★★★☆

It seems odd that John Vanderslice doesn’t get more praise all over the world.  He’s done great work as a producer, put out some pretty solid records, and collaborated with favorites like John Darnielle.  Yet he never seems to get the credit.   However, on White Wilderness, he should begin to get some recognition, not only for his work with the Magik Magik Orchestra, but as an incredible songwriter as well.

You have to love the fragility in John’s voice from the minute that “Sea Salt” takes off, perfectly matching the quiet piano tinkering in the background of the song.  It might be a subdued opening, but as the string arrangements join, the depth of the song really begins to take off.  But, it’s almost as if John’s an on-looker sitting beside the orchestra, never really letting the strings overwhelm his sound.

“Convict Lake” seems to have a brighter side to it, as the horns and female vocal accompaniment definitely create one of the shiniest moments on White Wilderness.  What will stick out to listeners, however, is how well the lush orchestration fits in perfectly with Vanderslice’s songs.  He breaks into chorus at just the right time, and even lets his voice falter just a bit, evoking strong emotions from listeners. Surely one can appreciate his work as he goes quiet, then loud, then grows quiet, almost to a cool whisper, begging you to listen to his storytelling.

Perhaps for some, though, the album might be a bit tedious to work through.  Orchestrated moments left and right will definitely call a less self-indulgent Sufjan Stevens, but that’s a lot to endure for many listeners.  “The Piano Lesson” is one such song, where everything doesn’t quite fit together, as it has throughout the whole of White Wilderness.  It’s one of the few times where even John’s restraint doesn’t seem to give justice to the song living beneath the Magik Magik Orchestra.  But, bold artistic moves are made to divide us, and perhaps my subjectivity is getting in the way here.

John Vanderslice‘s bread and butter are those songs when he holds the orchestra back, as stated earlier.  “After It Ends,” though one of the shortest numbers on the record, is precisely the type of song that really should render the man a household name for music fans.  His gentle vocals and light guitar strumming provide the listener with the intimate moments we always yearn for from our greatest songwriters.  Even those songs like “Alemany Gap” where there’s light arrangements in the background allow Vanderslice to break on through with his love for melody.  Those enjoying this style of song will also adore “English Vines,” which is perhaps my favorite track of the entire album.  Light strings in the background, a little woodwind action and a softly strummed guitar.

All said and done, White Wilderness is a bold statement by a songwriter who hasn’t really gotten the praise he deserves.  He might have set out on such a large undertaking to finally make his name known.  Every track is worthy of repeated listens, some more so than others.  It’s time we gave John Vanderslice his acclaim because this record shows that he deserves every bit of it, if not more.

[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/01-Sea-Salt-1.mp3]

Download: John Vanderslice – Sea Salt [MP3]

Destroyer – Kaputt

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Rating: ★★★★☆

When thinking about Destroyer, one might envision the older drunkard who mumbles brilliant things under his breath. While Dan Bejar may or may not be drunk when he writes the songs for his albums, it is still obvious that he writes vaguely brilliant songs, often coupled with a variety of different musical accompaniments, which vary depending on the album. On Kaputt, it seems that Mr. Bejar has chosen to go the way of jazz, along with 80’s pop elements that put a new spin on his coded lyrics. 

 At the opening noises of “Chinatown,” it’s possible to think that perhaps you put a different CD into the player, due to the presence of saxophone and tambourine, but when the familiar guitar strumming is heard and Bejar begins his craft, you know you’re in the right place. The smooth jazz beat in the background mixes with voices, creating a hazy fog where Destroyer lives. It’s foggy enough so that you can see everything right away, but clear enough to understand and enjoy. Slowly, that irresistible beat pulls at the muscles in your feet and makes them tap, and you have been hypnotized by Kaputt.

I could go through the list of songs on this album and tell you of the brilliance in each and every single one, but that would spoil the fun for you. I will however tell you that along with this new jazzy sound, there are some other new aspects to the album, such as the presence of feminine vocals. No, Bejar does not climb to falsetto, but rather hires the vocal talent of Sibel Thrasher, who can be heard on almost every track. Whether it is a big part, or a tiny one, she adds another dimension to Destroyer—as if they needed more complexity. On “Kaputt”, she blends in with the lead vocals and disco beats, giving the impression that the narrator is an ambiguous figure, not just one man preaching to you about the delicate intricacies of life. At one point in the song, Bejar remarks that “it all sounds like a dream,” which sums up the lyrics, as well as the smooth music that becomes Kaputt, all swirling around in your head.

With this new spin on his wit, Destroyer’s choice to incorporate a different sound with their classic style contributes to the catalog of albums. It does not hinder the witty lyrics, nor does it take away from the intricacy that the group does so well. Bejar and company continue their path of wowing their audience with their sacred knowledge of changing just enough to keep their style fresh, but not too much where they have become unrecognizable.

If you’ve been a Destroyer fan since their origin in 1995, or this is your first experience with the group, the waves of cryptic lyrics will wash over you, leaving each person with your own spin on the meaning of his words, just like every well written album should.

[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/01-Chinatown-1.mp3]

Download: Destroyer – Chinatown [MP3]

Fujiya & Miyagi – Ventriloquizzing

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Rating: ★½☆☆☆

Fujiya & Miyagi have to be the biggest conundrum in the music world, at least according to my tastes (read: opinion). They make these rhythmically pulsing beats, yet they seem to sort of live on one plane of sound, never really going.  Yet, through the years, people have continuously raved about the group, and now that their latest, Ventriloquizzing, is out, it’s time to take a close look at their work.

This record kicks off as you would expect, “Ventriloquizzing” sort of creating that atmospheric dance vibe fueled by bass work that just grooves and grooves.  But, that’s it, it purely grooves, and doesn’t go much further.  Just because you’re throwing in ambient noises in the background, doesn’t mean the work itself is really going anywhere.  The song, like much of this record, runs in place.

Don’t get me wrong folks, I like a little bit of groove, and I’ve admittedly enjoyed the group when I’ve seen them in the live setting, but it’s hard to really get into the Fujiya & Miyagi recorded material.  For one, when you throw a lyric at me like “you don’t know which side your bread is buttered on” right at me, it’s definitely not going to wow me.  And I know the band has never been one for overly creative lyrical content, but one expects some progression, some step further in the right direction.  It’s becoming increasingly hard to get beyond this point, as they keep throwing things at us like “vanilla, strawberry, knickerbocker glory” from their last effort.

There are some marked improvements that show the band is having a bit of fun with little playful elements like the opening of “Taiwanese Roots.”   But those moments only last for few brief moments, and then you go right back into the same tried and true formulaic approach the band have been utilizing since their inception.  By this point, you would think one would tire of such antics, but the band don’t seem to care.  I have a feeling that it’s all some sort of artistic approach that revolves around a school of thought that, in my mind, remains irrelevant for a reason.  You can give it up to the band, as they are probably tighter than 99.9% of the bands out there, but that’s not going to get me to enjoy their music anymore.

Ventriloquizzing is the fourth LP from the group, and it sounds exactly like all the one’s that came before it.  It’s not necessarily a bad listen, in fact, it’s perfect for the background, most likely at your favorite industrially decorated coffee house.  Still, Fujiya & Miyagi are a band that just tread water when I listen to them.  Lyrically, they never go anywhere, especially with songs like “Minsterone.”  Then, take into account that you could easily put together a best of compilation by this group, remove the lyrics, and everything would sound precisely the same, rendering it one of the worst records of all time.  I guess if you’re looking for a somewhat energetic album to run to while you’re living in an urban environment, then grab this and go.

Braids – Native Speaker

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Rating: ★★★☆☆

In this day and age of Attention Deficit Disorder musical consumption, there is something to be said about the first thirty seconds of any album. It’s supposed to be a slice of one of the best songs on the album, drawing people to listen to the rest. However, Braids don’t seem to think it is that important, or perhaps want dedicated listeners because they chose to leave the first thirty seconds of Native Speaker empty, save for some atmospheric sound – a sign of things to come.

A few more seconds pass and soft drums kick in and “Lemonade” gets moving, with the half whisper, half clear vocals of Raphaelle Standell-Preston propelling it onwards. It proves to be a simple, yet elegant song that echoes through the emission of heavy instrumentation. Then, they move to “Plath Heart,” in which the sweetness of Standell-Preston’s voice is shown. A trace of a yelp provides the perfect vocals to ride upon the calm and collected ripples of the song, which is the norm for the rest of the record. Another standout track comes later on with “Same Mum.” For a longer number, it holds the attention of the listener for all seven minutes and two seconds that it plays. The sharper clacking of drumsticks, and raised beat let the song move, as if an easily run marathon.

My biggest problem with Native Speaker as a whole is that it fades into the background all too easily. Something about the lack of variety, length of each song (some are over eight minutes) and amount of soft space allows this album to slip under the radar, instead of pulling me into their world of dreamy pop. Instead of packing a punch in this short album, Braids are as spacey as a band can get. They start with emptiness, end with emptiness and throw in some emptiness in the middle. If one were to listen to one track at a time, the lack of substance would be acceptable, as the songs themselves are not bad—contrariwise they are rather intriguing. With each additional listen, they grow on me, but I want more than small noises that fade when the song ends.

Don’t get me wrong, I really like this album, but as it meanders its way to finish, I get a little bored. The band just doesn’t show much versatility or variety, and the long songs work against them in that they stretch the separation of each song so thin that it becomes transparent, and everything blends together. As far as music that will knock your socks off goes, this does not fall under that category. However, if you are looking for something calm and soothing, perhaps the perfect accompaniment to a rainy day, then by all means, this is your album.

[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/Braids-Plath-Heart.mp3]

Download: Braids – Plath Heart [MP3]

I Was A King – Old Friends

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Rating: ★★★☆☆

A few years back I Was a King burst into my life, and I couldn’t have been happier.  They recalled bits of my favorite under-appreciated band, The Comas, as well as hints of Teenage Fanclub.  On their latest outing, Old Friends, the group adds a few little twists to the foray, though nothing that ultimately changes the established sound of the group.

From the minute you get into opening track “The Wylde Boys,” you can tell that Old Friends will definitely have a bit of a facelift.  There’s this distortion/horn jam opening the track, and in fact, it probably detracts from the band’s meat and potatoes.  But, once the killer drumming jumps in appropriately and those warm hypnotic guitar lines clean things out, you’re in heaven.

Once you get into the nitty-gritty of the album, fans of amazing power-pop will definitely find themselves enjoying repeated listens.  “Echoes” has a great little stomping beat that supplies perfect opportunities for the guitar to wrap itself around your eardrums. These are the type of tracks fan of I Was a King were probably expecting from this record.  But, as much as these moments clearly leave you in love with the band, there are some disarming elements, at least as far as construction of the songs go.

Take the single, “Daybreak,” which would be one of my favorite songs, period, if you could only remove some odd things that just don’t belong.  First, you have that thirty second intro, seemingly belonging to a Beirut demo that made the trash.  Second, that damn horn! Why on Earth does a splendid band with incredible hooks add the usage of a horn to flesh out their sound?  It’s reminiscent of the time Cursive included horns to their post-punk sound; it doesn’t work. Some things are better left untouched.  Perhaps the band found themselves stuck in a rut, battling to push themselves in a new direction, but this might not have been the best direction one could go.

Excitingly, there are some new touches here that excite me, as a long time fan. “Snow Song” begins with some acoustic strumming, and Frode’s voice sounding as pristine as it does in the live setting.  It’s not straight-ahead power-pop, and it doesn’t have to be in order for I Was a King to pull it off.  This is something I probably wish the band realized more.  “Old Friends,” similarly has this great little bit of swing to it, and this cool, breeze-like vocal that accompanies the entire track.  It’s a great closer, and a great piece of songwriting.

Oddly, Old Friends is still a winning record.  There are a few miscues here and there, but even those odd spots don’t do enough to make you forget that the combination of melody and shredding guitars never sounded as perfectly as it does here.  And the drumming, the drumming is phenomenal.  I Was a King might have pushed themselves for this new record, and while I may not whole-heartedly agree with every step, I can appreciate spreading out into new territory.  As long as they can still write those power-pop hooks that win any reasonable listener over, they’ll continue to progress, and continue to make me a fan, day after day.

[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/I-Was-A-King-Daybreak.mp3]

Download: I Was A King – Daybreak [MP3]

Iron & Wine – Kiss Each Other Clean

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Rating: ★★½☆☆

Typically Sam Beam has been recording at home, with the help of friends and what not.  On Kiss Each Other Clean, his first album after his jump to a major label, you can tell that the big money definitely allows for more production, which at times might be to his detriment on the new record for Iron & Wine.  It’s a fine addition to his growing catalog, but that’s just it, it’s a fine addition, nothing more.

“Walking Far From Home” makes use of some atmospheric swells for the song’s opening, but once removed the piano laden track really shows that our excitement rests on Sam’s remarkable voice, though it has a bit less of that folk feel to it.  But, just as soon as you begin to get in the groove, Kiss Each Other Clean begins to wander in the opposite direction.

Experimentation is fine and good, but sometimes it can feel incredibly forced, and almost unnecessary.  On the record’s second track, “Me and Lazarus,” that’s where I get a little skeptical on Mr. Beam’s intentions.  There’s some saxophone solos, weird blips and inserted noises, and for me, it just doesn’t seem to fit with the Iron & Wine I’ve come to experience.  Now, I’m not banning growth or pushing your artistic tastes, but some formulas are better left unadorned.  “Tree by the River” comes off as the sort of thing someone would hear at a church-camp, using gospel-influenced backing vocals.  Once the song gets kicking, it sounds rather ordinary, almost like a mundane radio single, which is precisely what I never hoped to see from Sam Beam.

Don’t get me wrong here, there are some tracks that I’d probably consider some of my favorite from Iron & Wine.  “Half Moon,” for instance, is probably the first time through Kiss Each Other Clean that you really get the intimate vibe from Sam, which might be a bit late, considering it’s placed in the middle of the record.  That lightly soloing in the background provides just enough extra texture to give the song more depth, and its more of the direction I hoped to see throughout.  Perhaps it is the moment when he seems the most exposed where Beam is able to win over the listener.  “Godless Brother in Love” reminds me of something I would have expected Jeff Buckley to be writing in his bedroom without his lush production.  Emotion pours out of this song, and that’s what you expect from something, or someone, with such great power. When Sam’s voice goes into that high pitch, it just sucks me right in to the song.

Surely people won’t hate this album at all, but it definitely stands out as having some disposable tracks, such as “Big Burned Hand, with all its sax squawking. Kiss Each Other Clean has shining moments, as previously mentioned, but one is left to feel that various experiments might have gone a bit too far in the long run, leaving the record sort of standing there.  For Iron & Wine, it’s the first time I feel as if he’s really middle of the road.

[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/002-Tree-By-The-River.mp3]

Download: Iron and Wine -Tree By The River (Daytrotter Session) [MP3]

Mind Spiders – s/t

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Rating: ★★★★☆

From the instant you press play on your stereo, to the moment in which its final notes resound, Mind Spiders refuse to stop. In that miniscule pregnant pause before the guttural guitar resounds through your speakers, take a breather, because you’ll need all your strength to keep up with their punk pace.

“Go!” is the album opener and does exactly what its title exclaims. It’s an almost two minute scramble of garage rock and gang vocals that pack a hell of a punch into a tiny slice of time. Before you know it, the first track is gone and the second is about to pass you by. On “Don’t Let Her Go,” it is easy to see a similar sound to that of the late and great Jay Reatard. The muddy vocals and frantic jamming guitar along with the shortness of the number all are reminiscent of Jay’s work on Watch Me Fall, namely “It Ain’t Gonna Save Me.”

However, this album is not simply a copy cat of other’s work, but rather, a culmination of tastes from a variety of genres; a little bit of 60’s pop here, some lo-fi there, and a dash of some all out punk. For instance, on “Read Your Mind,” the group starts out slow, with slightly clearer vocals and soft waves of “ooohs,” that occupy the first minute and twenty or so seconds. It’s almost as if the band wants you to relax a bit after the first three songs before they jump right back into their ferocity. The vocals become muddier as the song morphs from slow-mover into punk once more.

The next super stand out track is “No Romance,” which is sadly the shortest song on the album. It continues the quick pace, but not without grabbing your attention through a sea of compact jams. Following this is a lo-fied nod to Little Richard on “Slippin’ and Slidin.’” On this track, the overall distorted sound contributes to enticing quality; the more I listen to this song, the more I like it.

What this album has working for it in addition to its stellar beats is that Mind Spiders know their limits. While only four out of twelve of the songs last longer than three minutes apiece, it works for such a fast paced album. If every song were to last for slightly longer than it does, this album could have derailed from its hasty tracks. Instead, it was a toe tapper from start to finish.

So you as you look at the stereo in disbelief that track twelve is becoming track once again, do nothing. Allow this album to permeate the surrounding air like a gust of cold air into a stuffy room, waking you up like an icy shower —lather, rinse, repeat Mind Spiders.

[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/No_Romance.mp3]

Download: Mind Spiders – No Romance [MP3]

Daniel Martin Moore – In The Cool of the Day

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Rating: ★★★☆☆

When Sub Pop sent out the press release, they told of a man possessed by a Steinway inside a Cincinnati radio station.  If this is possession, perhaps we shouldn’t be so inclined to shy away from such things because this new record from Daniel Martin Moore, In the Cool of the Day, is quite beautiful–perhaps not everyone’s cup of tea, but you can see the genius clearly.

Honestly, writing gospel songs for those outside the gospel seems a bit odd to me, but the entirety of In the Cool of the Day has Moore reinventing classics he heard growing up, or going it on his own. For instance, “Dark Road” definitely has that swing in the step you would envision being sung in some Southern Baptist  church. The string instruments definitely provide that bluegrass feeling at the same time, so you get a bit of both life in church and outside.

He’s got some funky elements thrown in, demonstrating that Moore is out to illustrate his talent as a compser/songwriter.  “In the Garden” has some light hi-hat, and that walking bass line that many will immediately associate with jazz.  But, Daniel has this angelic voice, and his control over pitch and tone really allows him to pull some honest emotions out of listeners. However, it’s his numbers when he sounds more like the elemental folk musician from Kentucky that really piqued my interest.

For instance, you can take “Up Above My Head,” and apply it to more modern artists such as Mason Jennings, though this definitely doesn’t have that humorous pep Jennings carries.  It’s got a funky little groove that sort of pushes it on, yet there’s a definite pop feel to the way Daniel Martin Moore sings the vocal that takes it beyond a mere gospel song.  It even has a bit of a banjo/guitar breakdown near the end.  These things don’t really apply to church tracks, the ones I know, at least.  The title track, “In the Cool of the Day,” also goes beyond church, although it relies predominantly on the piano backbone to elevate the solemn melody.  Still, Moore uses his voice as a tool to take the track somewhere else, almost like Sufjan Stevens. 

Personally, “It Is Well With My Soul” hits a note for me, and that’s probably because it’s the most recognizable gospel track that I know of, as I haven’t been much of a church goer in some time. Perhaps I can envision myself singinig this at some campfire, with my father playing his guitar, trying to get the family involved.  This is pretty much the way a lot of people will feel about In the Cool of the Day. You take a religious background, even a mild exposure, and you elaborate, almost pushing the spirit out of the church doors and into the rest of the world. This is precisely what Daniel Martin Moore has done, and while I may not be your favorite listen this year, it’s assuredly worth several spins around the record player.

[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/dmm.mp3]

Download: Daniel Martin Moore – Dark Road [MP3]

White Fence – …Is Growing Faith

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Rating: ★★★½☆

Tim Presley is a confusing man.  He’s got so many projects going at once you wonder if the dude even has time to come up for air.  Can’t complain though can we, as he keeps churning out the hits.  White Fence seems like the backbone for everything he does though, so its odd that Is Growing Faith comes at this point in his career. Conjecture aside, he continuously churns out albums chock full of nostalgic classic pop sounds, benefitting us all.

Immediately, one can complain that the only thing that makes this a modern album is that you can tell the production value is minimal, but that’s precisely why White Fence seems steps beyond their fellow peers in when it comes to low-budget recordings.  You can make out audible pops and crackles when you jam the vinyl, and more so when you’ve got those iPod buds in your ears.  In a way, what might seem like laziness actually brings you closer to the music itself, giving it a more natural feel.

If you make it past the first twenty seconds of a song like “Sticky Fruitman Has Faith” you’re going to get rewarded.  That California jangling guitar from the late sixties just sort of meanders in and out of the track, with a little bit of jangling boogie to make it all gel together.  Or maybe you decide to take a little bit of a trip with “A Pearl is Not a Diamond,” a track that definitely harkens back to the early days of what would later become Americana.  Personally, I get a kick out of the little stuttering guitar solo awkwardly placed in the background–put on headphones and listen closely.

One of the things that makes Tim and White Fence so interesting is that you see his influences all over the place, and I really mean all over the place.  There’s “Tumble, Lies and Honesty,” which really has to be given credit for it’s use of the water drop effect, presumably made by one flicking their finger against the chick.  Tie that odd rhythmic percussion in with the gentle strumming of the guitar and you can definitely find yourself a magical piece of pop.  Even more interesting is listening to “Stranger Things Have Happened,” which feels like an allusion to the most recent work of Tim’s other band, Darker My Love. It’s remarkably similar to the sound, even down to the most intricate bending of guitar strings.

But, to top it all off, there’s still a bit of angst inside this psychedelic world of classic rock.  “Harness” is a gritty little number, one that might draw similarities to Fresh and Onlys, but it’s got a bigger sense of urgency to it, that is until the chorus.  However, the chorus has a bit of brightness to it, something that really made this song stand out in my mind.  Perhaps you can draw similarities within the album, as a sonic connection definitely exists on the earlier Is Growing Faith track “Enthusiasm.”

Damn you Tim Presley! How can one write a review of your White Fence albums? They’re all over the place, going between americana, psychedelia and even hints of punk.  I love it all, every single minute.  In time, I have a feeling that Is Growing Faith will be a record that reveals more and more to me with each listen, but as it stands right now, I’ve had enough listens (17 to be exact) to know this thing is a rocking good time.

[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/White-Fence-Lillian-Wont-You-Play-Drums.mp3]

Download: White Fence – Lillian (Won’t You Play Drums) [MP3]

Ducktails – Ducktails III: Arcade Dynamics

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Rating: ★★★★☆

It’s really quite a shame that Ducktails has to be considered a side-project; surely there are others out there who would absolutely enjoy more production from Mathew Mondanile of Real Estate.  Sure, he’s got loads of work, not just 7″s, under his belt, but his latest opus, Ducktails III: Arcade Dynamics, is so wonderful that it’s quite hard not to beg and plead for more.

Given, some might look at the tracklisting and see some oddballs, such as the opener “In the Swing” or “Little Window.”  Such songs are barely blips on Arcade Dynamics as a whole, yet they definitely serve a purpose, providing momentary soundscapes from which you can venture deeper into the underbelly of the album. So don’t let yourself get caught skipping some of these elemental pieces.

“Hamilton Road” is precisely as advertised, a song built for the road.  Something about this songs gentle guitar work and barely audible lyrics really provides for genuine pop moments, the sort one would want as they head out on a long drive to clear some cobwebs out of your head.  You can continue this journey immediately with “Sprinter,” a song that seems to sprawl further and further into field of pop with repeated listens.  Three songs in, and you’ve probably turned off the highway and found yourself cruising below the speed limit on some farm road to nowhere.

MM, or Ducktails, oddly manages to squeeze a lifetime of pop enjoyment into extremely short spans of time.  “Sunset Liner” and “Don’t Make Plans” do a phenomenal job of packing all these carefully crafted moments into a span just over two minutes.  Its full of guitar work that seems both intricate and delicate, yet understated, immersing every listener in a gentle trance of sorts; one that rewards you each time you fall deeper into its path.  For some reason, Arcade Dynamics, manages to clean out your mind, which is peculiar, if and only for the fact that it seems so simple.  Perhaps that’s it; simplicity often provides the most impact.

While some might think it strange that such an elegant piece of bedroom pop would reference Seinfeld, yet alone pull if off with success, but that’s precisely what Ducktails does. As the guitar solos in mid-track, providing listeners with just faint hints of sunshine, you can certainly see what sort of time led to such construction and craftwork.  Each note seems purposefully placed, draped across other various notes in an effort to maximize the final product.  I can’t tell you how many times I’ve already listened to “Art Vandelay.”

Closing track “Porch Projector” lurks near the end, and that’s probably the most fitting place for it; it doesn’t detract or add from the collection on Arcade Dynamics as a whole.  If anything, the song, like the album, just takes you into the realms of wherever you wish to be.  It isn’t often that I am swept away in the mental and emotional level simultaneously by a record, but Ducktails has accomplished such a wondrous feat, only to return me back to my reality every 35 minutes.

[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/07-Killin-the-Vibe.mp3]

Download: Ducktails – Killin’ the Vibe [MP3]

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