Teen Dream

“Myth,” the first single off the album and the album opener, is very melancholic in nature with the layering of instrumentation and Legrand’s unique vocals.  The sweeping guitar riff complements Legrand, adding an erethral element to the song.  “Lazuli,” the song that was released on a 7″ for Record Store Day,  is a bit more upbeat with persistent ascending and descending keyboard notes, while Legrand builds her vocals to explode into “ah ah ahs.”  The most lyrically beautiful song on Bloom is awarded to “The Hours.”  Legrand croons, ”It’s deeper than you and me/It’s all in a glance you’ll see/It’s farther than we could be.”  The song may not be the cheeriest depending on how you interpret the lyrics, but the relative simplicity of the instrumentation places the focus of the song strictly on Legrand’s’ vocals; a stand out from the other songs on the album.

Bloom showcases Beach House experimenting with more synth and darker lyrics, but preserving the integrity of the Beach House sound.  Unlike some bands who feel the need to drastically change their sound from album to album, Beach House succeeds at adding subtle changes to their sound to give each album is its own unique quality.  The all-encompassing dream pop sound continues on Bloom, and listening to the entire album in one sitting is a necessity to fully appreciate the masterpiece that Beach House has created.

Recommended Tracks: Myth, Wild, Lazuli, The Hours, New Year

Notable record producer and composer, Jon Brion (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind/Of Montreal/Kanye West), was recruited for The Only Place and it’s evident that he has helped Best Coast maximize their sound. The album kicks off with “The Only Place” in which Consentino’s voice is noticeably more powerful and the instruments are similarly smoother. The opener is the happiest of the collection as well as homage to California – as if the album cover isn’t enough PDA. “Why would you live anywhere else?” Consentino asks.

The rest of the album takes on a much darker spirit. The second track, “Why I Cry”, has bouncy beats and assertive vocals that are ridden with hopelessness but come off a bit winey. The utilization of simplistic lyricism isn’t abandoned in this album, but Consentino definitely takes a bolder approach to story telling. In the quintessentially short but sweet ballad, “My Life”, she sings, “My mom was right/I don’t wanna die/I wanna live my life.” The charming melodies serve as a contrast to a song about reliance on drugs and the desire to turn back time.

In “No One Like You”, the album’s mid-tempo pace is taken down a few notches and given the vibe of a ’50s slow dance and “Dreaming My Life Away” seizes upon hushed instrumentation.

The true insecurity and loneliness that is threaded in the foundation of The Only Place is heightened in two particular tracks. “How They Want Me To Be” expresses it through droning background vocals and a mostly monotone melody. “Better Girl” introduces more of an enjoyable, folky guitar and is fueled by seclusion and reputation uncertainties.

My favorite track and the closer of The Only Place is “Up All Night.” It’s another slow paced song that feeds off of Bethany’s Joni Mitchell-esq pitches. A dreamy longing for love is slowly built up to instrumental and vocal intensity that includes moving orchestral accompaniment (cue Brion.) For a second I thought I saw myself running in slow motion towards someone I was desperately in love with at the other end of a field of daisies. Ah, the power of music.

In multiple interviews after Crazy For You’s release, Bethany Constenio was insistent on Best Coast steering away from their lo-fi, surf rock trademark and her “cat loving stoner” reputation. For some, those qualities were what made Best Coast, well… Best Coast. As a result, the lo-fi crackling was turned down, the overall tempo was slowed and Bethany revealed some of her darker, innermost thoughts in The Only Place. Some songs fall flat under this influence while others bring Bethany’s vision to life.

There’s very little that Jack White does not do, and there’s even less that he does poorly. This much is generally accepted as fact. There’s a palpable significance, then, to White releasing music as “Jack White.” As Reuters reports, White said, “these songs could only be presented under my name,” which is a pretty hefty statement for a man who has such an impressive curriculum vitae.

We are to assume, then, that Blunderbuss is – at least to White himself – a very personal expression with real reflective significance. The resulting output will provide genuine insight on the nature of the man who masterminded one of the most iconic bands of the past two decades, in addition to other undeniably notable projects. It is disappointing, in this case, that “Sixteen Saltines,” the album’s second single, is nothing more than a conspicuously undercover White Stripes song, perfectly situated to please everyone who misses “Seven Nation Army” a bit more than is warranted.

A straightforward Stripes song isn’t really that offensive on a record that promises to illustrate Jack White’s true preferences; it was his band, after all. But The White Stripes was a band with a very deliberately conceived message – the invitingly childish clamor, the color scheme – and everything was designed to look and sound a certain way. The White Stripes didn’t showcase Jack White to his greatest potential, per se; it just allowed him to operate within certain comfortable sphere.

Therefore, one would hope that on Blunderbuss, White would seek to hover somewhere outside of the space that The White Stripes afforded him. And he does, most of the time, but “Sixteen Saltines” simply doesn’t conjure any sort of Stripes nostalgia. There’s no room for The White Stripes on Blunderbuss, so if that nostalgia is what you’re after, go listen to the real thing.

As I mentioned, “Sixteen Saltines” is a bit of an anomaly, and White does deliver a really enjoyable record. But it’s not until the title track, five songs deep into the album, that things really get up to speed. Opener “Missing Pieces” is good, and so is lead single “Love Interruption,” but if you were paying any attention to this album prior to its release then you’ve already heard that, and you’re probably already over it. “Blunderbuss,” “Hypocritical Kiss,” and “Weep Themselves to Sleep” are three of White’s very best songs, period. So is closer “Take Me With You When You Go,” and everything in between is good fun as well.

Of all the things that complete the sentence: “Jack White is…” the most fitting might be “a historian.” White has immense respect for the musicians that came before him, which he embodies in his own art, right down to his recording process. With The White Stripes, Jack White would often take some heat out of his preposterously frenetic shows by covering Dolly Parton’s timeless “Jolene.” If I had to assign an artist to that cover, I would have always given it to The White Stripes, simply because Meg was on stage. But Blunderbuss makes it clear that music like “Jolene” is where Jack White truly buries his bone. Although born and raised in Detroit, White headquartered his label, Third Man, in Nashville for a reason. Country-blues dominate the second two-thirds of Blunderbuss, and that portion of the record completely sheds any attempt to hearken to the past. Blues have always infiltrated White’s music, but Blunderbuss is the first time he is able to completely embrace that vibe.

There’s a moment about midway through “Take Me With You When You Go,” the album’s final track, where a jumpy piano line interrupts a smooth strings arrangement. And then, as if arriving unannounced and uninvited, White’s guitar growls and tears through the piano and launches into the record’s most carnivorous riff, soon to be joined by a tight drum groove and White’s searing vocals and frantic fiddling. It’s the album’s most triumphant moment, and it’s a one that simply wouldn’t exist in any other Jack White project. It’s why Blunderbuss is a success; exceedingly listenable, honest and new. It’s not without flaws, but Jack White got famous in a band to which imperfection was as intrinsic as distorted guitar, so in some ways it’s fitting that Blunderbuss captures the abundant talent of Jack White alongside his palpable mortality.

Recommended Tracks: Blunderbuss, Hypocritical Kiss, Weep Themselves to Sleep, Hip (Eponymous) Poor Boy, On and On and On, Take Me With You When You Go

Some of its elements are quite similar to his previous effort Hold Time. Both albums’ most radio-friendly songs feature strong duets with Deschanel. Hold Time’s “Never Had Nobody Like You” and now Wasteland’s “Sweetheart” feature her vocals prominently in the song. But it’s nice to see M. Ward be the center of attention on the album when his vocals so often take a backseat in She & Him.

Many of the songs on the first end of the album sound like they belong in some sort of indie sock hop time warp. However, some successfully stray away from this notion. The first single, “The First Time I Ran Away” has very few lyrics and lacks any sort of chorus, but is united by a soothing string of nonsense sounds and solid guitar work. The title track is a stand out, though not for its lyrical content, which is at best mundane. Rather, its intro has an acoustic guitar twang so commonly associated with country that somehow morphs into a sweet, Latin acoustic vibe by the end of the song. In under three minutes, the song completely changes its tone and attitude so subtly you can’t even tell it’s happening.

That starts a run of soft and mellow songs that blend well into one another. On the downside, it flows almost too well, making many of the songs hard to differentiate. But M. Ward puts together an easy-going pop record here. The album is strong as a whole, but highlights within it are too infrequent to make it an all-time best.

Recommended Tracks: Clean Slate, Sweetheart, A Wasteland Companion

“Little Talks” has made its way to the radio waves and is definitely the better known song off of the album due to the release of the Into The Woods EP back in December, which included three other songs off of My Head Is An Animal.  Upon listening to the  rest of the album, there is not one song that I can’t help singing along to and hitting the repeat button immediately after.  “Dirty Paws” starts the album off with a somber, yet powerful tone with guitars, drums, bass and piano, and is backed with the usual “heys” and “la-la-las.”  ”Mountain Sound” is a swinging, upbeat tune that has the feel of having a grand ol’ time on a summer night with all of your friends.

Of Monsters and Men slow it down with “Love Love Love,” an acoustic ballad that almost sounds like Kate Nash dealing with another disintegrating relationship.  ”Slow and Steady” is another painfully beautiful ballad, exemplifying the power of the male/female vocal duet to add layers of emotion to a song.  The hand-clapping, toe-tapping acoustic number, “Sloom,” has a hint of country twang to it and simple lyrics, making it a fun sing-along for around the camp fire this summer.

I can continue to rave about this album, but that would take up your precious time to go purchase My Head Is An Animal and listen to the album in its entirety without any distractions.  This is the end of the article, go forth and seek Of Monsters and Men.  Now.

Recommended Tracks: Little Talks, Six Weeks, From Finner

Noctourniquet isn’t De-Loused, but it isn’t the opposite (read: Octahedron), either. In fact, it bares almost no consistent resemblance to any previous Volta album. This doesn’t mean much seeing as Omar and friends’ first five albums are all only related by artist name, but Noctourniquet is of an entirely different breed. The album is the first without contributions from keyboardist Ikey Owens and ex-RHCP guitarist John Frusciante, but their absence only makes up a small percentage of the change. And while the controlled drumming from Deantoni Parks helps to bring the percussion department back down from the far-off galaxy reached by the gospel chops-ridden Thomas Pridgen, his role is still mostly insignificant in the establishment of something so radically new. Unsurprisingly, Omar is to blame for the transformation. He strived for the creation of The Mars Volta’s first pop record, and while he succeeded in producing an approachable album, it was not done without making some near fatal mistakes along the way.

The album begins with my least favorite track by far, “The Whip Hand,” which is completely ruined by a painfully obnoxious synth lick and downright silly vocal hook. Luckily, neither reemerge in later numbers. My heart sank the first time I heard this introduction, particularly due to the Volta’s track record of consistently beginning their albums incredibly strongly. I have since convinced myself that song number two, “Aegis,” gives the album a much more powerful introduction. Two tracks later is one of the best TMV songs to date, “Empty Vessels Make the Loudest Sound,” a mature seven minute epic that exercises articulation over explosive force. “In Absentia” follows in a similar vein, beginning with five minutes of clutter and confusion only to culminate with a beautiful, revolving chorus. The sonic intensity peaks on “Molochwalker,” which may be the only track on the album that bears any considerable resemblance to a previously released Volta track, namely from the Amputecture era, sans the art rock influence. The album’s last three songs are all equally strong, each featuring a discernible chorus that is hum-worthy, a trait hard to imagine coming from a band known for affixing steep learning curves to anything even remotely definable as a hook.

The main problem I have with Noctourniquet, though, is that almost every track vaguely reminds me of another moment from a different Volta album. This record does an embarrassingly good job of serving as a table of contents for some of Omar’s finer moments of songwriting, with tracks that are ever so slightly reminiscent of each of the five albums that came prior. Noctourniquet would be a perfect debut album for many other bands, but when you have to follow up some of the greatest progressive rock albums of this millennium, the classical reinvention technique doesn’t always come out unscathed. Noctourniquet is good most of the time, great some of the time, and has rare but nonetheless unquestionable moments of brilliance. However, this is also the case on many of Omar’s solo albums. I can’t help but feel like had Omar released this on his own, the impact would have been much less significant. The fact that he didn’t take that route and instead pushed it as the next Volta album feels, well, lazy.

That being said, the album was still written over many years by Omar and Cedric, still features incredible musicianship from all contributors, and still combines the progressive aspects of classic Volta with mature and approachable songwriting. No, it’s not the best album by The Mars Volta, but for some it will certainly be the most enjoyable. While Octahedron was awkward and sloppy sounding because it took the Mars Volta sound and turned down the volume, Noctourniquet approaches accessibility from a different angle, making for a catchy, enjoyable prog rock album! It’s rare to see progressive rock and catchiness available on the same record, but for the moments when Noctourniquet really sings, you’ll find yourself tapping and humming along.

Recommended Tracks: Empty Vessels Make the Loudest Sound, In Absentia, Vedamalady, Zed and Two Naughts

Armed with a keyboard, a synth, and an eerily babyish voice, Grimes leads you in to her world. The quick and looping intro, “Infinite Love Without Fulfillment,” suggests maybe robots have taken over. Next come the two strongest songs of Visions, “Genesis” and “Oblivion.” While the former wouldn’t be amiss on a J-pop album with its soft Asian-inspired melody, the latter relies on a very stiff synth beat. Both are equally danceable.

More often than not, Grimes uses her voice as an instrument, masked behind layers of distortions and harmonies. The result is airy and dreamlike. “Symphonia IX (my wait is u)” is reminiscent of waking up from a dream you desperately want to be real. The song ends at the moment you open your eyes and reality sets in.

Though Visions maintains a certain ambience that works, it is a real treat when Grimes’ voice comes through clear and strong. Her vocals on “Circumambient” would make Beyoncé blush. Songs like “Be a Body” and “Visiting Statue,” as their names might suggest, give more body and structure to an otherwise atmospheric album.

So which supernatural, post-Internet world does Grimes belong in exactly? I have decided she is the alien love-child of Aphex Twin and Abba. Then again, with the internet as her oyster, who knows what inspirations she’ll channel next.

Recommended Tracks: Genesis, Oblivion, Symphonia IX (my wait is u)

When White Rabbits recruited Spoon lead Britt Daniel as the producer of their sophomore album, It’s Frightening,  the band did a lot more than just use him as a major influence. White Rabbits attempted to carry that unique style seen in their debut, but also started to morph into a Spoon clone. Whether it was intentional or not, the resemblance is hard to avoid. Spoon fans will immediately picture Daniel singing for a moment instead of White Rabbits’ lead vocalists Steven Patterson and Alexander Even on the majority of their songs.

The release of Milk Famous, their third album, has some of the same features as It’s Frightening. Although they still sound dangerously close to Spoon, it is also evident that the band has started to sneak some of their own style back into their music.

With that said, Milk Famous still leaves you wishing for something more. “Heavy Metal,” the opening track, is particularly repetitive, the drum line stays consistent throughout the song along with the guitar and synths. The same goes for “Hold It To The Fire,” which contains the same drumline throughout without any variation, leaving the listener yearning for a twist. The listener becomes eager for something more substantial on tracks like “It’s Frightening,” which does have promising vocals, eery synths, and dream-like piano lines, but doesn’t really do much besides stay inside the same melodic line and end before it could have done so much more.

As I mentioned earlier, however, White Rabbits do start to inch toward a personal style on tracks such as “Back for More,” which has a groovier feel to the rhythm reminiscent of early work on Fort Nightly. “Temporary” also features a more upbeat tempo which gives a certain variety to the album that contradicts nicely with the repetitive feel of the majority of the other tracks on the album. “The Day You Won The War” is also noteworthy; it contains the kind of infectious beat seen in earlier tracks and variates with an instrumental piano part towards the end of the song. When taking the album as a whole, one can pinpoint disappointment in their work, but also moments when White Rabbits start to build a solid style, and it is in this that I remain hopeful of their work to come.

Recommended Tracks: The Day You Won the War, Back For More, Temporary

It seems that anything Andrew Bird does musically works for him. The man can do no wrong. His sixth solo studio album, Break It Yourself, is an amalgamation of elements: whistling interludes reminiscent of the Little Miss Sunshine soundtrack, crickets, and a violin rift suitable for a jig. It’s so wild it’s peaceful.

The album title comes from “Eyeoneye,” in which Bird sings, “You’ve done the impossible now / Took yourself apart / Made yourself invulnerable / No one can break your heart / So you break it yourself.” It sounds like both the ultimate freedom and the ultimate sorrow.

These themes are standard in the world of woeful, beleaguered indie rock musicians. Yet Bird balances this with dynamic lyrics such as, “and we’ll dance like cancer survivors / like we’re grateful simply to be alive” on “Near Death Experience Experience.” Moreover, he incorporates jazz, folk and new wave elements, revamping the genre of indie rock, in which handspun tales and melodies can grow trite. He knows his craft well.

Bird draws on aspects of previous albums but rehashes them enough to craft something original. For example, the opening of “Orpheo Looks Back” is similar to that of “Two Sisters” on his solo debut Music of Hair, but it goes in a different direction. Bird also not utilize violin flutters as much as in Music of Hair, but more so than in the preceding four albums. Bird scatters his signature moves throughout; each one is like the familiarity of biting into your grandmother’s secret-recipe chocolate chip cookies.

The standout moment on the album comes with “Danse Caribe.” The track begins with the type of acoustic guitar music that never gets old. He proceeds to sing, “Here we go mistaking clouds for mountains, oh / Here’s the thing that brings the sparrows to the fountains, oh” in a manner that makes one think he unearthed some secret from his great folk predecessors. Halfway through, the piece transitions into something that sounds like Sufjan Stevens on a tropical island, then an aviary, then a country-dance. It’s just plain fun.

At one hour, the album gets long, which is detrimental at moments with the vibe of a lullaby. Yet this quality is mostly positive: this is music meant to be soaked up, as if it could seep into one’s pores and rest tranquilly in the soul.

Recommended Tracks: Desperation Breeds, Danse Caribe, Near Death Experience, Sifters

The band’s newest album, a self-titled LP due out on March 13th, is a slight departure from this roots-rock sound found in their earlier work. I’m not gonna lie, I was more than a little skeptical of this change at first. I mean, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it right? After a couple listens though I was skeptical no more. Delta Spirit had taught me a valuable lesson: If it ain’t broke, make it better.

While the record does have a more varied and modern sound than previous releases, it doesn’t abandon the energy and grit that Delta Spirit is famous for. The track “California” is a perfect example. Underlying synth lines, repetitive vocal hooks, and vintage guitar tones all work flawlessly together to give the listener a fun and memorable track to rock out to at full volume. This trend also continues with “Home,” a quiet and intimate tune that layers a beautiful droning synth bass-line and finger-picked electric guitar to complement the lead vocals with great effect.

If this new modern direction scares the hell out of you, don’t fret! Delta Spirit returns to their origins with tracks like “Empty House” and “Idaho,” both of which are just as loud and obnoxiously wonderful as you’d expect them to be.

This record is the result of a band that finally feels comfortable in their own skin. Delta Spirit is no longer a bunch of young guns rocking out with wild abandon. Now they’re a couple of mature gentlemen…but they’re sure as hell still rocking out.

Recommended Tracks: Empty House, California, Yamaha

The Canadian dream pop duo Memoryhouse.

The latest addition to the Sub Pop family recently released their debut album The Slideshow Effect, a collection of newly composed songs with a couple of remastered songs from the past that are bound to carry you off to dreamland.

Initially beginning as a bedroom recording project, Memoryhouse has fine-tuned their sound on The Slideshow Effect.  Their sound can be compared to that of Beach House, but with less nasally vocals.  On “All Our Wonder,” Denise Nouvion’s vocals are refreshing, conveying emotion in a simplistic manner that complements the airy synths and guitar.

The Slideshow Effect is mellow for the most part, with “The Kids Were Wrong” being the upbeat song on the album.  The guitars are almost reminiscent of the ‘50s rock ‘n roll sound, but Nouvion’s vocals keep the song modern.  The entire album is a well-balanced mix of modern and classical composition, which keeps the songs from being overbearing on the ears.

“Bonfire,” which is one of Memoryhouse’s older songs, is remastered on their debut.  The song doesn’t have the same raw sound from the bedroom recording, losing a touch of the emotion of walking down memory lane conveyed in the original recording.  The remastered version is crisp and clear, but Nouvion’s vocals are a little bland without the accompanying synth that once looped in the background.  Sometimes remastering isn’t the best decision as key instrumentation is dropped and emotions are lost.

Memoryhouse is bringing a unique twist to the dream pop sound with The Slideshow Effect.  The songs are presenting the ethereal voice of Nouvion as the primary focus and the airy instrumentation as an enhancement to the emotion of the song.  The combination makes for the perfect soundtrack to a peaceful sleep.

Recommended Tracks: Walk With Me, The Kids Were Wrong, Old Haunts