Radiohead - A Moon Shaped Pool

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It’s not easy to describe something so perfectly beautiful. Just as I fail to describe my girlfriend, I come to a loss of words with Radiohead’s highly anticipated ninth studio album, A Moon Shaped Pool. The austere beauty of this album is something almost beyond comprehension - well, that may be an over exaggeration, but this album hits hard and sad. It’s tone is clearly sad, but it has that optimistic tinge to it that Radiohead does so well.

1) Burn The Witch - The album couldn’t have had a better intro if it tried. The opening strings and synths just bring you into the looking hole, Alice In Wonderland style. This song is actually an older one, pieces of which were teased a decade ago during the band’s live performances. The song’s symphony adds huge colors and layers to it, and is oddly invigorating in the context of the introduction track. Perhaps its the way the strings in the song like the innards of a clock coming to life and burst into action, or the badass choruses chanting “Sing a song of sixpence that goes burn the witch” that make the song sound so triumphant. It was the perfect hype-up song leading to the release of the esteemed LP9, and an even more perfect introduction to a legendary record. 9.5/10

2) Daydreaming - To describe this song in a short paragraph is like trying to write a college essay in a short and sweet thesis, and nothing more. This song is so magically and hauntingly beautiful that it stirs the emotions within you like a soup with thousands of ingredients. The somber and happy memories within you all come to fruition with this song. It won’t make you cry - it’ll do something that ultimately may be even worse: make you think. Click the link to read my full review of the track, because that’ll say a more worthy claim of my opinion than I can here. 10/10 

3) Decks Dark - The first taste of brand new music from the album had you listened to the singles. ‘Decks Dark’ begins with ethereal pianos and the verse kicks in with sweet piano arpeggios. When that bass kicks in, it’ll send chills down your spine, and then the rest of the band follows suit along with a haunting choir to back Thom Yorke’s cryptic vocals. A very chill song and quite laid back, but beautiful all the same. The bittersweetness of the song inches away from the heartbreaking ‘Daydreaming’ while still provoking the thoughts the song stirred up. ‘Burn The Witch’ gets you riled up, then ‘Daydreaming’ takes everything from the deepest pores of your body. The rest of the album explores those feelings and thoughts. 9/10

4) Desert Island Disk - Things take a folky turn with ‘Desert Island Disk’, another song that has been performed live before its studio version. Beginning with a warm acoustic guitar with an almost country twang, the song explores a sense of recollection, with lyrics like “Waking up from shutdown / From a thousand years’ sleep” provoking your attention. The song is relatively simple, the synths in the meat of it flowing like waves at just the right speed to stir up the same feeling of flow within you. It’s an interesting one, to say the least. 9/10

5) Ful Stop - The introduction of this track is almost creepy. The saxophony-synths harken back to David Bowie’s ‘Blackstar’ and are definitely unsettling if nothing else. All of this song feels pretty Bowie-esque, even Yorke’s vocal delivery. The tonality of the line “A foul taste of medicine” especially gives a Bowie vibe. The second part of the song builds up epically, guitarist Jonny Greenwood playing something simple that just sounds so dark, on top of the wails of Yorke and huge walls of synths and bass. The bass is just so crushingly awesome, and paired with the higher guitar synth creates a haunting contrast. This song will take you to a dark place if you let it. 10/10

6) Glass Eyes - Another song that begins with absolutely gorgeous piano. ‘Glass Eyes’ is like a little brother to ‘Daydreaming’. But that brother is going through their emo phase. While the prior had a certain optimism to it, this song is just purely sad. Beautiful piano topped with stunning symphonies elevate the crushingly sad melody of vocals consisting of lyrics like ”I just got off the train / A frightening place / Their faces are concrete grey / And I'm wondering, should I turn around?” and “The path trails off / And heads down a mountain / Through the dry bush, I don't know where it leads / I don't really care”. This song is stunningly sad, and as beautiful as it is sad. And it is quite sad. 10/10

7) Identikit - Another live classic, this one has awesome guitars backing it, giving it a great live presence already. Thom Yorke really outdid himself with melodies on this record. They’re just so beautiful. The backing vocals are especially haunting. As the song progresses, the guitar gets more and more awesome, building to an absolutely epic guitar solo to close it out. The only word to describe this song: awesome. 10/10

8) The Numbers - Awesome piano paired with groovy guitar open this one. This song was formerly known as ‘Silent Spring’, yet another live song performed in the past, albeit only acoustic (during the same performance as ‘Desert Island Disk’, in fact). This song is grand on a different level than ‘Identikit’, this time bringing strings to the forefront instead of guitar. The orchestra has the epicness of ‘Burn The Witch’, the song’s epic climax falls into layers of piano that tapper off into nothingness. Awesome. 9.5/10

9) Present Tense - More live classics - this album was definitely made, in part, to be a fan pleaser. The guitar and beat is almost funky, funny enough. The stunning vocals are just sad enough to keep you from shaking your hips. The vocal melody is great and the echoing vocals add distinct color to the track, on top of the Spanish twang. This track is just general chill. As far as provoking memories goes, this one makes you feel wanderlust. You just want to get up and run somewhere listening to it. Radiohead really left no stones unturned here. 9/10

10) Tinker Tailor Soldier Sailor Rich Man Poor Man Beggar Man Thief - Now, I will admit: I copied and pasted the title of this song. The origins of this song are very clear: this tweet. The band deleted all of their media presence not for promotion, but so all of the secrets of this album couldn’t be found before it came! Jokes aside, this track feels very Kid A to me. Perhaps the splashy beats that fill the track accompanied by dreamy synths and bluesy piano. It’s kinda off putting, but in the endearing Radiohead kind of way. You can’t have Radiohead without weird. It just doesn’t work. There’s some fantastic string work on this track, too. It is admittedly a little blander than the rest of the album, but it’s still a fantastic and haunting track all the same. 8.5/10

11) True Love Waits - This song. The world may have not been ready for this song. By far the oldest track on the record (performances date back to 1995 - that’s 21 years!), this song has had decades to grow and develop. The fan-loved ‘True Love Waits’ concludes this already near-perfect album, and so beautifully so. The somber piano accompanies Thom Yorke’s desire-filled vocals. The way the piano reverberates sends the soundwaves throughout your body (which at this point of the album, should have lost all sense of emotion - you’re at the beckoning of A Moon Shaped Pool now) and Yorke’s absolutely defeated disposition in his vocals will have you choking back tears. This song plays with your heart. It almost sounds like a send off, or a goodbye. The final words of the track aren’t even pleading as they should be; they’re like a final attempt at asking for forgiveness. Nothing more than a simple cry of “Don’t leave” brings the album to a close as brilliant pianos fill into a intertwined array of emotion. If this was Radiohead’s last album, they couldn’t have ended their career on a better song. A classic becoming a sendoff. That’s almost crushingly sad in itself, isn’t it? 10/10

No one crushes your soul better than Radiohead can. A Moon Shaped Pool is a truly beautiful album. It has an overall sad tone, but it goes deeper than that. Truly absorbing it will take you on an exploration of your inner mind, an elaboration of all of your past experiences. Guilt, regret, desire, and love are just a few of the emotions that will stir within you listening to it. Radiohead may have hit their magnum opus here. If In Rainbows had brilliant orchestras and the subtle electronics of Kid A and the rock vibes of OK Computer, you’d have this album. Perfection is the easy way to describe it. My girlfriend is perfection, so that’s where my standard lies (pretty high). But this album comes close to that. Pure emotion is beautiful in any form, and that’s what comes out with it. A Moon Shaped Pool is a classic, and will never lose that magic touch.

Favorite Tracks: True Love Waits, Daydreaming, Identikit, Glass Eyes, Ful Stop

Least Favorite Tracks: Tinker Tailor Soldier Sailor Rich Man Poor Man Beggar Man Thief

Rating: 10/10

 

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. Daughter - Not To Disappear
  8. Lacey Sturm - Life Screams
  9. HÆLOS - Full Circle
  10. Weezer - Weezer (White Album)

Radiohead - 'Daydreaming'

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Beauty is often found in the simplest of things. It’s always the refined and subtle beauty that makes something undeniably perfect. The new Radiohead track, ’Daydreaming’ is the perfect example of this. It’s quiet and subtle but all the while, huge and evergrowing.

Radiohead is always one for surprises. The media promotion for the upcoming LP9 (releasing tomorrow!) was elusive and hyped up all who couldn’t escape their screens for the latest news. Even those who didn’t care were intrigued. The beginning was the erasing of their online presence, deleting all of the media posts and tweets. Then the floodgates opened when they dropped ‘Burn The Witch’, an old track teased live ages ago and finally made it to the studio. That track was disjointed (as any quality Radiohead track should be), and along with its thought-provoking clay-animation music video, had some angry charge to it. The song’s first unique aspect was the inclusion of strings on it, showing that the direction the band was taking with The King Of Limbs was a thing of the past. A rawer, orchestral sound was the next step.

Then ‘Daydreaming’ dropped two days after. The pure beauty of the song was hard to grasp on the first listen. All of the sweet waves of the instrumental complemented by Thom Yorke’s haunting vocals coupled with an enchanting music video all added up to an overwhelmingly chilling experience. It’s as if the minimalistic swelling beauty of my favorite Radiohead album, In Rainbows had met the beautifully chilling orchestra of ‘Spectre’, a combo I was not ready for..

The track begins with chiming ambience, as beautifully simple piano arpeggios bring the track to a start. The ambience moves to the background and Yorke’s recollective vocals kick in, the first line somberly admitting, “Dreamers, they never learn.” Haunting weeps are sampled in the second part of the first verse, panning left and right as if passing as you fly through a dream. A short instrumental break then enters the picture, soaring with blue and white spirals of noise. The second verse continues much like the first, only building upon the background ambience and a synth imitating the piano, adding to the gentle body of the song. A second, more immense instrumental break follows, this time with all of the elements of the songs building to a grand climax. Chilling vocal samples fill the soundscape as strings, ambience, and synths swell slowly and brilliantly. Bond-esque strings accompany the song to a provocative end, the track ending with piano fading out as an effected backwards sample deeply and creepily chants with basses.

LP9 has set its mark already, and it’s still just under 24 hours before it’s release. It’s triumph and disposition have already laid the foundations for what may be Radiohead’s magnum opus. ‘Daydreaming’ is one of the most haunting and beautiful tracks I’ve heard this year, and every time I listen I can feel my heart beating tensely with the flowing beat of the piano and strings. LP9 is almost here, and the long wait is almost over. If the first two tastes of music from it are any indicators of the rest of it... we may have an album of the year on our hands.

Modern Baseball - Holy Ghost

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The whole emo “sing like you don’t care” scene is all the craze in punk today, and lots of artists are failing to find a niche within the sound and become just another whiny band. Modern Baseball escapes that cliché with their new album, Holy Ghost. 

Honestly, I categorized MoBo under that cliché before I heard this album, and I still standby that most of their material prior sounds that way to me (&I saw them live at Skate And Surf twice!). Regardless, this album was definitely a refreshing sound to sore ears. Beginning with the folky acoustic lo-fi ‘Holy Ghost’, the albums starts off on a sweet and sombre note. The good vibes kick in immediately with ‘Wedding Singer’, that builds on the sweet intro with an alternative rock drive to it and elaborates on the sweetness of the beginning. ‘Note To Self’ follows up on the vibes with a big summer vibe. Lots of the songs have that big sound with a taste of good feelings, such as ‘Apple Cider, I Don’t Mind’. The closure track on the record, ‘Just Another Face’ is a grand song to close on, triumphant all the while ending the album on a thematically pleasing way.

That isn’t to say there are some low points on the record. The sincerity of the track ‘Hiding’ is completely ruined by the murderous distorted drum sample that plays right in the middle of it. Do yourself a favor and turn your volume down for this one. The song builds softly with little tidbits in the background that just clutter up the song, and it would honestly be my favorite song on the album had it not been for all these rogue samples. The second half of the album barring ‘Just Another Face’ feels uninspired, as well; ‘Coding These To Lukens’ is dinky but lacks any substance, making it feel like a filler. ‘Breathing In Stereo’ is a strong punch to the face, but the energy is thrown off by the following tracks that have the same issue ‘Coding’ does.

Modern Baseball made a profound mark on the indie punk culture, and while I still stand by my original opinions on their back catalogue, Holy Ghost is definitely an all around great record. With the genre becoming more monotone with acts who fill the cliché, this album was a refresher. Perhaps it’s time to give them another chance.

Favorite Tracks: Wedding Singer, Just Another Face, Holy Ghost

Least Favorite Tracks: Apple Cider, I Don’t Mind; What If...

Rating: 7/10

Drake - Views

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Somber summer vibes is what Drake’s Views is filled to the brim with. His signature good-boy flow couples nicely with over an hour of material found on the new album, but it does become a bit stale after awhile. Views was promoted as if it were his magnum opus, but it is far from it.

The album’s beginning is promising, ‘Keep The Family Close’ setting the late night, dreary scene of a lonely summer. The track may be a tad overdramatic, but it’s orchestration guides the verses into big brass punches near the middle that bring it to a new level of groove. ‘9’ follows up, falling short in that while the flow is good, it seems to lack any purpose. ‘U With Me?’ has a similar issue. Drake’s dreary images with this album are accentuated with songs like ‘Weston Road Flows’, a track with a great instrumental and good flow, while maintaining that somber feeling of walking through rainy streets alone. The song is another to feature the random, anticlimax of a jet engine sample. Several tracks have it tacked on to the end, building into nothing. Lots of tracks have a darker side to them, especially in the beat. ‘Hype’ and ‘Pop Style’ in particular having some dark vibes. There are, sadly, some complete failures of songs on the record, too. ‘Childs Play’ is almost facepalm worthy. ‘Fire & Desire’ feels boring and uninspired, especially being tacked onto the album that has repeated the same theme and flow through and throughout over the course of it’s 81-minute runtime. A lot of the tracks on the album fall into the average spectrum, such as bonus track and viral sensation ‘Hotline Bling’, that at the end of the record is a slight splash of new color but still doesn’t give the album what it needs: substance.

Half of the guest spots on this album feel wasted. Some, characteristically so, though. The PARTYNEXTDOOR collab ‘With You’ is a throwaway track, and the follow up ‘Faithful’ featuring Pimp C and dvsn is no better. Two of the stand out tracks, on the record, however, are highlights on the record. ‘One Dance’ with Wizkid and Kyla has a Spanish flair and generally good vibes, and ‘Too Good’ featuring Rihanna is one of the most down-to-earth and emotional tracks on the album. That’s the sound of hip-hop love. Surprisingly, the Future guest spot on ‘Grammys’ isn’t completely trash. It’s actually pretty good, which was a treat for someone who’s sick of him. 

Drake built Views up to be a massive summer banger, but instead made a chill, late-night drive through the city kind of album. The album isn’t inherently bad, it just lacks any meat. It’s full of fillers and light tracks, all similar in theme and flow that eventually becomes bland, with flashes of brilliance in between. There’s no meat in this album, just a single monotone feel. Drake lived up to the sound his cliché is, but failed to prove it wrong. It’s not a bad album, it just needed a proper direction that Drake just couldn’t latch onto.

Favorite Tracks: Too Good, Hype, One Dance

Least Favorite Tracks: With You, Childs Play, Faithful, Fire & Desire

Rating: 7.5/10

Beyoncé - LEMONADE

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The Queen is back and bigger than ever. Dropping LEMONADE out of nowhere, Beyoncé has yet again set another mark in music. While this effort may not be flawless throughout, but it holds its ground as one of the strongest pop albums this year has seen yet.

Beginning with the ominous synth and vocal intro of ‘PRAY YOU CATCH ME’, the album begins gently with a sweet and sensual track led by orchestra and harmonies. Things pick up with ‘HOLD UP’, a funky track that has a sense of fun (though unfortunately sampling the god-awful airhorn sound). The synth reminds me of the game Undertale, specifically the legendary ‘Dogsong’. In the song, Beyoncé sings about being the girl who loves a guy the most, fairly cliché but in execution, it’s a pretty sweet song. The good girl vibes are erased in the following song, ‘DON’T HURT YOURSELF’ featuring Jack White. This song has the rock drive of The White Stripes with a taste of hip-hop, building up epically. Beyoncé sounds huge and grand in her vocal delivery, embodying a badass old-school blues vibe. It’s quite a turn from the sweet vibes the first two songs of the album set up, with the first verse proudly declaring: “Bad motherfucker, God complex / Motivate your ass, call me Malcom X.” ‘SORRY’ isn’t too noteworthy - it’s something you’ve heard before; it’s basically a more confident version of Bieber’s song with a hip-hop flair. ‘6 INCH’ with The Weeknd is sensual as you’d expect, with a massive brooding soundscape backing it. ‘DADDY LESSONS’ starts with a New Orleans jazz style (as if to link with the lead single’s video) and kicks into a folky pop-rock track. This one was surprisingly groovy and infectious, definitely has a deep-South folk song vibe going on. The album goes back to a sweeter sound, ‘SANDCASTLES’ notably being a sweet, ballady track. The track ‘FORWARD’ feels like nothing more than a filler, and is truly forgettable in the grand scheme, especially before the epic ‘FREEDOM’ which features a characteristically destructive verse delivered by none other than Kendrick Lamar. ‘ALL NIGHT’ brings back some punchy brass in the verse (the opening line in the chorus feels like it came straight out of the sample from Jack Garratt’s ‘The Love You’re Given‘, though). The album ends with it’s lead single ‘FORMATION’ that feels overconfident and cocky, but in the right ways with Beyoncé.

LEMONADE is confident and strong, with sweet moments dispersed within. It feels like a story, in a way. Out of order, but all of the pieces are there. It draws from the past and the present, and looks out for the future. Beyoncé proved again she knows her power in the world of pop, blending jazz, folk, and rock into one cohesive pop record that is full of color.

Favorite Tracks: DADDY LESSONS, DON’T HURT YOURSELF, FREEDOM

Least Favorite Track: FORWARD

Rating: 8/10

1st Quarter Of 2016 in Music - Wrap Up

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2016 is off to an extremely strong start. Here’s just a list of all of the new albums I’ve listened to from January to March and links to reviews, if applicable.

Doing it a bit different this time, doing it by rating, from greatest to worst. Alphabetical just seemed trivial.

5-Star Albums (8.5 - 10)

4-Star Albums (6.5 - 8)

3-Star Albums (4.5 - 6)

2-Star Albums (2.5 - 4)

  • Killswitch Engage - Incarnate: 4
  • Cozz - Nothin Personal: 3.5

1-Star Albums (0 - 2)

  • None! :D

 

Top Albums Of 2016 (so far)

  1. AURORA - All My Demons Greeting Me As A Friend
  2. Panic! At The Disco - Death Of A Bachelor
  3. Deftones - Gore
  4. Dream Theater - The Astonishing
  5. Foxes - All I Need
  6. Daughter - Not To Disappear
  7. Lacey Sturm - Life Screams
  8. HÆLOS - Full Circle
  9. Weezer - Weezer (White Album)
  10. LIGHTS - Midnight Machines

Top Songs Of 2016 (so far)

  1. AURORA - 'Murder Song (5, 4, 3, 2, 1) (Acoustic)'
  2. Panic! At The Disco - 'Emperor's New Clothes'
  3. Deftones - 'Hearts/Wires'
  4. Foxes - 'Better Love'
  5. Lacey Sturm - 'Rot'
  6. AURORA - 'Through The Eyes Of A Child'
  7. Deftones - 'Phantom Bride'
  8. Dream Theater - 'Moment Of Betrayal'
  9. Daughter - 'New Ways'
  10. Jack Garratt - 'My House Is Your Home'

Thanks for reading my reviews and following! :) A lot more to come, I’m nowhere near stopping. Follow me on Twitter or add me on Facebook too, while you’re at it.

The Last Shadow Puppets - Everything You've Come To Expect

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The Last Shadow Puppets triumphantly returned this year with a follow up to their 2008 debut, The Age Of Understatement with the infectiously groovy and old-fashioned Everything You’ve Come To Expect.

What separates this album from every other indie rock record out there this year is this album’s voice. The old-fashioned vibes resonating from the twangy guitars of ‘Used To Be My Girl’ and the brilliant orchestras adding so much color to songs like ‘Dracula Teeth’ say enough on their own. They ooze funk and groove, in increasing fashion to craft something cohesively strong yet undeniably lacking seriousness; it’s fun, but at the same time emotional. Beginning with the melodic and old-timey guitar of ‘Aviation’ with the giant brass ending, this album immediately has a sense of uniqueness. ‘Miracle Aligner’ follows up with the bluesy guitars, and sweet piano arpeggios to conclude it. You can just taste the citrus of the flanger in ‘Pattern’, too. As already mentioned, the string sections play a huge role in every track of the album. ‘Bad Habits’ even has strings that may sound similar to that of Björk! The orchestras also add a strong ominous vibe to many songs, including the title track ‘Everything You’ve Come To Expect’ and ‘She Does The Woods’. The album does, of course, also have sweeter moments: ‘Sweet Dreams, TN’ is very sincere and emotional, and ‘The Bourne Identity’ ending the album on a sweet note, being oddly nostalgic. Unrelated to the instrumentals is the deep meaning behind ‘The Dream Synopsis’, a tale about being rejected in a relationship. The theme of love is a recurring one throughout the record, sometimes sweet and at other times, sour. That only adds to the diversity of this record, though.

Unlike the title may suggest, this album is everything you wouldn’t expect. Symphonies on top of slow moving, chugging indie rock twang. It’s hard to put into words the personality the album has. It’s one you won’t want to miss out on, though. It’s everything you need for a good blast to the past.

Favorite Tracks: Aviation, Sweet Dreams, TN; The Dream Synopsis

Least Favorite Track: The Element Of Surprise

Rating: 8.5/10

BABYMETAL - Metal Resistance

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Oh, Japan. You never fail to disappoint us. Whether or not you’re into the cute side of Japan’s gifts or the weird side, surely BABYMETAL has fallen into the fine mid-way point of that, for all to enjoy! The trademark kawaii metal band have returned with their second effort, Metal Resistance, and I can’t tell if they’re making metal fight back, or resisting metal themselves.

It’s hard to forget the first time you heard this band. Back at their hype-up period in 2013 and 2014, they released a few singles that had the Internet vocally exclaim, “What the fuck?” Since then, they’ve gained quite a dedicated fanbase and major commercial attention, and for good reason. Despite the obvious gimmick of J-Pop melody over metal instrumentals, it’s actually such a contrast that the result is something close to beautiful. Don’t knock it ‘till you try it. Unfortunately, while their self-titled album did what it could with its resources, Metal Resistance falls short.

The album starts off promising with the grand ‘Road To Resistance’, though having triumphant beginnings and ends doesn’t justify the absolute cluster of a track it becomes in the meat of it. Then we have ‘KARATE’, the song that has no sense of tone. I get the purpose of it all, but this song is pushing it. The cute vocals are just so jarring over the instrumental of this track, something the self-titled album managed to avoid. The following track, ‘あわだまフィーバー’ too has a horrific melody vs. instrumental conflict. Other tracks like ‘GJ!’ and ‘Sis. Anger’ have the melodic problem, but that lies in the fact that the vocals are just downright annoying. ‘META!’ sounds like a patriotic salute for a part of it, but then goes into a whole different (albeit, epic) part that makes me question whether they knew what they wanted this song to be.

With all the negatives out of the way, let’s look at the plenty of strong moments this album has. The track ‘ヤバッ!’ is just downright epic, with powerful performances on all ends. The funky verses set up beastly choruses backing by awesome synths (’シンコペーション’ also has some killer synths going on). Similar grooviness can be found in ‘Tales Of The Destinies’, which has a jazzy section before a nice piano conclusion. My personal favorite on the album, ‘NO RAIN, NO RAINBOW’ has an empowering feelings and the girls are backed by a beautiful orchestra that elevates this song to a whole new level. Whether or not it be the title, the song did actually remind me of ‘Somewhere Over The Rainbow’, though that, perhaps, may be a fault on my part depending on how you look at it. The album ends huge with ‘THE ONE’, the English version of the album actually featuring an English-sung version of the song, which is pretty cool and refreshing. Big, awesome instrumentation leads this album to a triumphant conclusion.

BABYMETAL both proves that they aren’t a gimmick, yet they are. Some tracks just show lack of direction, while others prove the power this band has. It feels like this is the transition to something bigger, as if with this record, the group is trying to find that perfect balance of sweet melodies and brooding instrumentation. That’s yet to come, though. We’ll see.

Favorite Tracks: NO RAIN, NO RAINBOW; THE ONE

Least Favorite Tracks: KARATE, あわだまフィーバー, GJ!, Sis. Anger

Rating: 7/10

LIGHTS - Midnight Machines

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Canada’s greatest gift is at it again. Pop/electronic queen Lights has released her fifth album (and third acoustic release), Midnight Machines featuring acoustic renditions of tracks from her prior release, Little Machines, as well as some new material.

As you’d expect of an acoustic album, this album is very intimate, which, for Lights, is always great. But from acoustic versions of songs from what was one of her most active and energetic albums, it’s almost like you’re listening to completely new songs. Truth be told, Little Machines didn’t really click with me originally. It felt like Lights trying to fit some kind of status quo with how poppy it was. After revisiting the album after listening to this release, the true colors of it clicked with me. Midnight Machines reveal the purer emotions behind each track, giving their original version a much different and more powerful meaning, too.

The album begins with an intimate rendition of ‘Up We Go’, a very electrifying track in its original form, but very personal in its stripped down version. The plucked guitars and kick drum beating like a heart accentuate Lights’ recollective vocals. The message has a very personal “I’m here for you” vibe to it. The same theme is found in ‘Running With The Boys’, a song that’s energy that drove it is absent in this performance, but has that recollective sense to it that just feels so dreamy that it’s hard to fault it. A new song, ‘Follow You Down’, has a similar vibe to ‘Up We Go’, but with a more somber demeanor. The sing-a-long part is just so sweet and emotional, it’s chilling. ‘Meteorites’, a song that oozes pop dance vibes, becomes a song you could slow dance too, a beautiful choir in the bridge bringing the song to a brilliant end. ‘Don’t Go Home Without Me’ is definitely, for me, at least, the most heartbreaking track on the record. For no other reason than the emotion found in the disposition of Lights’ lyrics and the beautiful orchestra remind me of my girlfriend so very much. The buildup of the bridge nearly brought me to tears; this is a beautiful song. I love you, Halli. If you’re reading this. I probably look stupid, otherwise. The album’s closure track, ‘Muscle Memory’, is interesting in that I think it’s actually better than the original. The intimacy of the lyrics that were intended for the original, just feel so much stronger in the acoustic version. It’s like a whole different song. The only track on the album that brings it down in any way is ‘Head Cold’, which isn’t even inherently bad, but it feels like, to me, a better song could’ve made it’s way for a personal acoustic version.

The instrumentals of the album make it all the more powerful. The symphonies throughout the album are just beautiful, especially in ‘Same Sea’, where the blend of backing vocals and an orchestra are just fantastic. With the acoustic instrumentation and subtle orchestras, the album overall has a very open atmosphere. The acoustics and dynamics of the album are so crisp and open, it’s a very pleasant and soothing experience if you can look past the emotion the vocals will make you feel.

Lights always delivers with her acoustic material. The acoustic version of ‘Cactus In The Valley’ on the acoustic version of Siberia is one of my all-time favorite songs - her performances on acoustic albums ooze so much emotion and intimacy. It feels like a friend is talking to you. The personal flair doesn’t falter at all with Midnight Machines, and its colors bring the original songs to a whole new level. Listening to this album at midnight (or in the early morning - it can have the same feel then, too), as the title suggests is such a surreal experience. It feels like your emotions are so much more susceptible at those times, and this album knows that. It uses that to deliver the beautiful music it has, and helps you remember that you’re not alone. It’s relatable nature is what makes it so great. Midnight Machines is another fantastic release from Lights, and I just can’t wait for the next one.

Favorite Tracks: Don’t Go Home Without Me, Up We Go, Follow You Down, Meteorites, Muscle Memory

Least Favorite Track: Head Cold

Rating: 8.5/10

 

Top Albums Of 2016 (so far):

  1. Aurora - All My Demons Greeting Me As A Friend
  2. Panic! At The Disco - Death Of A Bachelor
  3. Deftones - Gore
  4. Dream Theater - The Astonishing
  5. Foxes - All I Need
  6. Daughter - Not To Disappear
  7. Lacey Sturm - Life Screams
  8. HÆLOS - Full Circle
  9. Weezer - Weezer (White Album)
  10. LIGHTS - Midnight Machines

Yeasayer - Amen & Goodbye

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Need some strange, indie groove in your life lately? Yeasayer has you covered. Their fourth album, Amen & Goodbye is full of infectious and left-field indie rock tracks that’ll keep you on your toes.

After starting weird with the hopelessly optimistic harmonies of ‘Daughters Of Cain’, the album begins on a high with the electrifying ‘I Am Chemistry’, and epic synth rock track filled with awesome synths and cool guitar effects. The synths and guitars work together to create a massive sound, especially during that amazing solo section. The song itself even changes itself around in its conclusion, a different part featuring a young choir and acoustic instrumentation that closes the song gently and rawer than it began. Things take a less serious note with ‘Silly Me’, the track that feels like a punchier version of a song off of The 1975′s new album, which I could only take so much of. ‘Half Asleep’, on the contrary, takes some harmonies reminiscent of AURORA, who’s debut album is my favorite this year, coincidentally. It has some great instrumentation, too. Trumpet hype! The aforementioned groove comes out full steam on ‘Deep Sea Scrolls’, an infectiously groovy track with a funky melody and beat, and an awesome solo to top it off. Brass is always a major component, too.

After that beginning of the record, things start getting weirder. ‘Prophecy Gun’ takes an atmospheric and electronic turn, while tracks like ‘Uma’ and ‘Cold Night’ are sweeter and more composed, upbeat tracks. ‘Divine Simulacrum’ is haunting melodically and has the epic, disjointed instrumental like that of Clarence Clarity. ‘Gershon’s Whistle’ also has a great chorus melody, though takes a bluesy/funky turn with big guitars and a massive ending. There are many filler tracks in between that just feel like they clutter up the album, though. The closure album title track, for example, feels like such an anti-climax after the positive ending of ‘Cold Night’. The excessive clapping in ‘Child Prodigy’ also feels like it does nothing but break the focus of the album.

Yeasayer put together a catchy record for their fourth effort, with both great success and mild disappointment. Some tracks are just infectious and can’t be forgotten, while others are just there to fill space and break the mood. It’s a good album nonetheless, but in execution, maybe not put together in the best of ways.

Favorite Tracks: Gershon’s Whistle, I Am Chemistry, Divine Simulacrum, Deep Sea Scrolls

Least Favorite Tracks: Amen & Goodbye, Computer Canticle, Child Prodigy, Silly Me

Rating: 7/10