3rd Quarter Of 2016 In Music - Wrap-Up

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Perhaps a bit overdue, but better late than never. Here's a summary of what we listened to in the third quarter of 2016 (July - September) and links to albums we've reviewed.

5-Star Albums (85 - 100)

4-Star Albums (65 - 84)

3-Star Albums (45 - 64)

2-Star Albums (25 - 44)

1-Star Albums (0 - 24)

  • None!

Throwback Reviews

 

Top Albums Of 2016 (so far)

  1. Radiohead - A Moon Shaped Pool
  2. AURORA - All My Demons Greeting Me As A Friend
  3. Panic! At The Disco - Death Of A Bachelor
  4. Deftones - Gore
  5. Dream Theater - The Astonishing
  6. Foxes - All I Need
  7. Sin Fang - Spaceland
  8. Daughter - Not To Disappear
  9. Gojira - Magma
  10. Thrice - To Be Everywhere Is To Be Nowhere

Top Songs Of 2016 (so far)

  1. AURORA - 'Murder Song (5, 4, 3, 2, 1) (Acoustic)'
  2. Radiohead - 'True Love Waits'
  3. Deftones - 'Hearts/Wires'
  4. Radiohead - 'Daydreaming' *
  5. Panic! At The Disco - 'Emperor's New Clothes'
  6. Foxes - 'Better Love'
  7. Lacey Sturm - 'Rot'
  8. AURORA - 'Through The Eyes Of A Child'
  9. Deftones - 'Phantom Bride'
  10. Thrice - 'Black Honey'

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Bat For Lashes - The Bride

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Splashing in puddles on a rainy day. Sitting peacefully under a shady tree in a peaceful meadow with somber clouds covering the sky. A late night ending with the gentle light of 5A.M. filing your room, you alone with your thoughts. That's what this album feels like. Bat For Lashes' fourth studio effort The Bride is a moody album, mellow and melancholy in all its devices, but comes out to be more of a background listener than a vivid experience.

If there's one thing this album has, it's atmosphere. All the synths and guitars resonate for ages allowing for cavernous textures to backup Bat For Lashes' silky voice. Song like 'In God's Hands' have sparkly and bright synths that add color to the track behind standard drumming and pianos, while other tracks like 'Joe's Dream' rely on the echoes of the subtle elements of the song to build up a big space. Some songs, namely the brilliant 'Close Encounters' and the bonus 'Clouds' feature orchestras, the latter closing the album with a gentle orchestra while 'Close Encounters' features a darker and more moody string section. Dark guitars give 'Never Forgive The Angels' an extra punch, with creepy harmonies and delicate pianos building their way into the song's dark composition.

While this album does have its place, it isn't exactly eventful. It's pretty much the musical representation of the color grey. There's no splashes of yellow or red in there (maybe some blue and greens). It's just one, continuous, slow moving storm of sad. It's almost gothic in it's own way, the vocals really taking a poetic melody in songs like 'Honeymooning Alone' and 'Close Encounters'. The weird ASMR 'Widow's Peak' even plays to this. This is what makes this album a background listen - there's nothing to keep your attention; no bursts of energy, no tense parts, just sadness.

Bat For Lashes has a new moody soundtrack to their discography. It's moody and sad, which is evidently what it was going for. It just lacks excitement or any hooks to grab at the listener to make it memorable. There are some really beautiful tracks on the record, but no really exciting ones. It's a storytelling record, in perhaps the most somber way possible.

Favorite Tracks: Close Encounters, Never Forgive The Angels, Joe's Dream

Least Favorite Track: Land's End

Rating: 73 / 100