life (the cardigans)
This is a fun album. When did the Scandinavians start utterly dominating pop music? I suppose ABBA is the pioneer in that regard. I'd love to spend an afternoon reading about the history of Scandinavian pop music, and why so much of it is so much better than all other pop music- or at least, very distinct. Sweet, bright, sunny, with a timeless flair of the '60s.
"Carnival" is a lush, fun opener, one of my favorite songs. I've always liked the relentless peppy pop of "Rise & Shine" and the tangle of '60s GoGo instruments unleashed to max pop effect in "Over the Water." The ending coda of "Sabbath Bloody Sabbath," the 'No one, no one, nooo-bah-dy' has always been a personal favorite moment from this record- it just hits me the right way. Also, the midafternoon sidewalk cafe stroll of "Cecilia," one of the more lyrically brutal numbers, has always kept my attention.
A few of these tracks have become a little too sweet for my ears, a little too cute, but I can't be shamed out of liking the classics. There's always been a soft spot in my heart for girly Euro-bubblegum, and this is one of the finest records I own in that genre.
Monday, October 31, 2011
album #9
city of daughters (destroyer)
One of the earlier Destroyer albums, City of Daughters is also the least complex of his albums that I own- touches of synth, but largely simple, direct songs, directed by the acoustic guitar. Among the albums I've liked by artists I like, this is one of the closest to something that I feel like friends of mine could make, in terms of production.
Overall my excitement level isn't tremendous with this record; there's a lot of tracks that don't quite catch me. But it's overall solid and there are a few I've always loved from this record- particularly "Loves of a Gnostic" and "Melanie and Jennifer and Melanie," two songs that have a really wistful drift in the melody. This is a Winter album for me, I was listening to it during either Christmas '06 or '07, thinking, "wow, this is kinda boring relative to the other Destroyer records I've heard." Sure, but still hints of loveliness.
One of the earlier Destroyer albums, City of Daughters is also the least complex of his albums that I own- touches of synth, but largely simple, direct songs, directed by the acoustic guitar. Among the albums I've liked by artists I like, this is one of the closest to something that I feel like friends of mine could make, in terms of production.
Overall my excitement level isn't tremendous with this record; there's a lot of tracks that don't quite catch me. But it's overall solid and there are a few I've always loved from this record- particularly "Loves of a Gnostic" and "Melanie and Jennifer and Melanie," two songs that have a really wistful drift in the melody. This is a Winter album for me, I was listening to it during either Christmas '06 or '07, thinking, "wow, this is kinda boring relative to the other Destroyer records I've heard." Sure, but still hints of loveliness.
album #8
sgt. pepper's lonely hearts club band (the beatles)
This album is beyond review, it's an all time great. I just want thoughts on record for every album I own, so it's time for this one. The only song I don't like is "Good Morning Good Morning," because the Spector overproduction really makes it blaring and buzzy and annoying, especially compared to the stripped down version, from the Anthology, which I utterly love. I remember telling JD that this was one of my favorite Beatles songs, and his shocked reaction, and then listening to the proper album version and realizing how off we were. But hell, even listening to it now, it's all right.
"She's Leaving Home" is one of the earliest Beatles songs I remember hearing, along with "Lucy In the Sky With Diamonds," because my sister would play them- maybe on tape, maybe CD, can't quite remember. I knew right from then and there that it was a real beauty, always liked it. "Lovely Rita" spent a season as my favorite Beatles song, late junior year. Something about the head-bobbing, anticipatory perfection of the piano, really won me over. And I think "A Day In The Life," in wistful beauty and orchestral ambition, and for a lovely heads/tails union of Lennon/McCartney, ranks as The Beatles' Greatest Song (a different category than Best, which is much more open to dispute.)
Every song I haven't mentioned is terrific. Personally I think I love Revolver just a bit more, there's something sweeter to it that I enjoy; and perhaps even Magical Mystery Tour, which was my first favorite Beatles album. Still, no disputing this is a classic, it's always been good by me.
This album has always kept with me aesthetically- the legendary front cover, the red back cover, the portraits of the inside fold (the subject of my best middle school-era painting), the random mustache and insignia inserts that apparently came with the record- I was so excited the only time I ever saw these in person, when I visited my art teacher's boyfriend's music studio. I remember holding a mirror up to the center of the drum, looking for a message the internet alleged, re: Paul is Dead.
This album is beyond review, it's an all time great. I just want thoughts on record for every album I own, so it's time for this one. The only song I don't like is "Good Morning Good Morning," because the Spector overproduction really makes it blaring and buzzy and annoying, especially compared to the stripped down version, from the Anthology, which I utterly love. I remember telling JD that this was one of my favorite Beatles songs, and his shocked reaction, and then listening to the proper album version and realizing how off we were. But hell, even listening to it now, it's all right.
"She's Leaving Home" is one of the earliest Beatles songs I remember hearing, along with "Lucy In the Sky With Diamonds," because my sister would play them- maybe on tape, maybe CD, can't quite remember. I knew right from then and there that it was a real beauty, always liked it. "Lovely Rita" spent a season as my favorite Beatles song, late junior year. Something about the head-bobbing, anticipatory perfection of the piano, really won me over. And I think "A Day In The Life," in wistful beauty and orchestral ambition, and for a lovely heads/tails union of Lennon/McCartney, ranks as The Beatles' Greatest Song (a different category than Best, which is much more open to dispute.)
Every song I haven't mentioned is terrific. Personally I think I love Revolver just a bit more, there's something sweeter to it that I enjoy; and perhaps even Magical Mystery Tour, which was my first favorite Beatles album. Still, no disputing this is a classic, it's always been good by me.
This album has always kept with me aesthetically- the legendary front cover, the red back cover, the portraits of the inside fold (the subject of my best middle school-era painting), the random mustache and insignia inserts that apparently came with the record- I was so excited the only time I ever saw these in person, when I visited my art teacher's boyfriend's music studio. I remember holding a mirror up to the center of the drum, looking for a message the internet alleged, re: Paul is Dead.
album #7
neon bible (arcade fire)
This is one of the big examples of an album the world loves, the critics love, that I just don't really feel for. This album is just a little too cold, a little too glum. Neon Bible was famously recorded in a church, and I feel that chilly emptiness when I listen to it. It's got some nervy, pulsing energy, that working class soul of Springsteen, some nice instrumentation, but altogether it's too dull and dark in my ears. Good, but it's never excited me. I've always loved the magisterial organs of "Intervention," and something in the ragged seesaw of "Black Wave/Bad Vibrations," the first half, has always stuck with me as a personal highlight from this record. Altogether good, but just not the album for me.
This is one of the big examples of an album the world loves, the critics love, that I just don't really feel for. This album is just a little too cold, a little too glum. Neon Bible was famously recorded in a church, and I feel that chilly emptiness when I listen to it. It's got some nervy, pulsing energy, that working class soul of Springsteen, some nice instrumentation, but altogether it's too dull and dark in my ears. Good, but it's never excited me. I've always loved the magisterial organs of "Intervention," and something in the ragged seesaw of "Black Wave/Bad Vibrations," the first half, has always stuck with me as a personal highlight from this record. Altogether good, but just not the album for me.
album #6
third eye blind (third eye blind)
This is an end of summer '04 album, and one of the great albums of late '90s radio pop rock. I suppose Third Eye Blind is an example of a "whole life to make your first album, and a year to make your second" dilemma- several massive pop hits from this record (including my pick for best pop hit of the '90s, "Jumper" (and "Semi-Charmed Life," another contender), and then from every record they've made since, the only track I've really heard and liked is "Never Let You Go."
In addition to the superstar tracks, I also always liked "Narcolepsy," there's a sweet lull in the way the guitars drift, and after the listener is pulled through a hostile dream sequence, the guitars return with real power. I always liked the melodic sneer of "London," too. This record is about evenly divided between, sneering, searing rebellions, mellow laments, and titanic pop achievements, all of them with the color of California and a current of self destruction. It's very '90s Romeo and Juliet, something romantically, apocalyptically suburban about it all.
This is an end of summer '04 album, and one of the great albums of late '90s radio pop rock. I suppose Third Eye Blind is an example of a "whole life to make your first album, and a year to make your second" dilemma- several massive pop hits from this record (including my pick for best pop hit of the '90s, "Jumper" (and "Semi-Charmed Life," another contender), and then from every record they've made since, the only track I've really heard and liked is "Never Let You Go."
In addition to the superstar tracks, I also always liked "Narcolepsy," there's a sweet lull in the way the guitars drift, and after the listener is pulled through a hostile dream sequence, the guitars return with real power. I always liked the melodic sneer of "London," too. This record is about evenly divided between, sneering, searing rebellions, mellow laments, and titanic pop achievements, all of them with the color of California and a current of self destruction. It's very '90s Romeo and Juliet, something romantically, apocalyptically suburban about it all.
album #5
gallowsbird's bark (the fiery furnaces)
This is probably my favorite Fiery Furnaces album. Searing, blues-rock guitars, rangy acoustics, ice cold lyrics- there's something icy about them, not even meaning distant or off-putting, but "ice cold" the way Outkast sang- coolness from a place of dry originality. There's a psychadelic edge to it, a rambling, playful, vibrant spirit. This band eventually moved to a highly synthetic, surreal place, really got farther and farther away from music that can happen live onstage, with each record. And I have really enjoyed their stranger creations, but something about the raw, driven, melodic adventure of this record keeps my affection. They're short songs, tightly paced, catchy and fun.
There are too many favorites to cover them all- it's a terrific album all the way through. Some songs I've always really dug- "Don't Dance Her Down," a great drive to this one, like an iron man stumbling down the stairs, repeatedly. "Crystal Clear" is a nervy, intense number, that throbs and bursts into a fantastic guitar swirl in the chorus; "Two Fat Feet" has a raw, numb, chill vibe, and a delightful dance of piano; "Worry Worry" hits with a '60s intensity; "Bright Blue Tie" is a melodic, relatively subtle beauty; and "Tropical Ice-Land" says it all in the title.
I listened to this a lot, summer '07, evenings of Texas driving. Really brings to mind the parking lot of the cool coffee house in Austin, parking and departing. It's a good record, it's kept with me.
This is probably my favorite Fiery Furnaces album. Searing, blues-rock guitars, rangy acoustics, ice cold lyrics- there's something icy about them, not even meaning distant or off-putting, but "ice cold" the way Outkast sang- coolness from a place of dry originality. There's a psychadelic edge to it, a rambling, playful, vibrant spirit. This band eventually moved to a highly synthetic, surreal place, really got farther and farther away from music that can happen live onstage, with each record. And I have really enjoyed their stranger creations, but something about the raw, driven, melodic adventure of this record keeps my affection. They're short songs, tightly paced, catchy and fun.
There are too many favorites to cover them all- it's a terrific album all the way through. Some songs I've always really dug- "Don't Dance Her Down," a great drive to this one, like an iron man stumbling down the stairs, repeatedly. "Crystal Clear" is a nervy, intense number, that throbs and bursts into a fantastic guitar swirl in the chorus; "Two Fat Feet" has a raw, numb, chill vibe, and a delightful dance of piano; "Worry Worry" hits with a '60s intensity; "Bright Blue Tie" is a melodic, relatively subtle beauty; and "Tropical Ice-Land" says it all in the title.
I listened to this a lot, summer '07, evenings of Texas driving. Really brings to mind the parking lot of the cool coffee house in Austin, parking and departing. It's a good record, it's kept with me.
Sunday, October 30, 2011
album #4
off the wall (michael jackson)
This is another record beyond review- I'm going through my archives, with the goal of putting into words my thoughts on each record I own. "Off the Wall" is simply fantastic- sexy, sweet, a phenomenal introduction to Michael Jackson. You can hear the romance in his voice- there's always a sense of excitement when I hear this record, the sense of a young man, perfectly packaged, relentlessly talented, all glowing potential, about to be unleashed on the world. It's the peak of his attractiveness, in my book.
This record remains fixed in one weekend for me, my trip to Portland. Listening to this and the Best of the Gin Blossoms, on my old blue cd player, again and again. This record is also a bonding point between Rob and I; this was always I think our mutual favorite Michael Jackson record (though I certainly love Thriller more, these days.) This is such a great record though, lots of great uptempo numbers, great rhythm, great funk and disco and pop balladry. Several of the tracks are uptempo dance gems, all stylistically similar, the star of them perhaps the rousing finale "Burn This Disco Out." I always liked "I Can't Help It," a contemplative, romantic track, that curves really beautifully near the end- a shift in the key of the chorus that wins me over completely, every time (interesting how songs use this so effectively- "Satellites of Love" pulls it off too. I wonder what this says about the human conditioning to patterns, and the joy that comes from change without disruption of expectations.)
I love most of the songs on this album, but a personal favorite remains "Rock With You," my first favorite Michael Jackson song, and still a contender for that title. Sweet, romantic, glowing- it's a lovely song, and I can't hear it without seeing the video in my head, and I never hear just the song- every time I hear the entire unfolding potential of this incredible artist.
This is another record beyond review- I'm going through my archives, with the goal of putting into words my thoughts on each record I own. "Off the Wall" is simply fantastic- sexy, sweet, a phenomenal introduction to Michael Jackson. You can hear the romance in his voice- there's always a sense of excitement when I hear this record, the sense of a young man, perfectly packaged, relentlessly talented, all glowing potential, about to be unleashed on the world. It's the peak of his attractiveness, in my book.
This record remains fixed in one weekend for me, my trip to Portland. Listening to this and the Best of the Gin Blossoms, on my old blue cd player, again and again. This record is also a bonding point between Rob and I; this was always I think our mutual favorite Michael Jackson record (though I certainly love Thriller more, these days.) This is such a great record though, lots of great uptempo numbers, great rhythm, great funk and disco and pop balladry. Several of the tracks are uptempo dance gems, all stylistically similar, the star of them perhaps the rousing finale "Burn This Disco Out." I always liked "I Can't Help It," a contemplative, romantic track, that curves really beautifully near the end- a shift in the key of the chorus that wins me over completely, every time (interesting how songs use this so effectively- "Satellites of Love" pulls it off too. I wonder what this says about the human conditioning to patterns, and the joy that comes from change without disruption of expectations.)
I love most of the songs on this album, but a personal favorite remains "Rock With You," my first favorite Michael Jackson song, and still a contender for that title. Sweet, romantic, glowing- it's a lovely song, and I can't hear it without seeing the video in my head, and I never hear just the song- every time I hear the entire unfolding potential of this incredible artist.
album #3
sunlight makes me paranoid (elefant)
The title says it all- a night-time album with a touch of anxiety and preoccupation. They fit right in to the New York sound of the early/mid aughts, the sexy, subdued instrumentation, the present bass, the tight voice with a European curve. They're the Strokes but a little smoother with the ladies. Or Maroon 5's hot, mysterious cousin. It's an album pretty much entirely about women- a collection of seductions and recollections, downtown at night.
A lot of this record takes me to a particular time frame, the late summer nights driving around Texas, between freshman and sophomore year. A lot of the other tracks are rather dull or drippy, they never really hooked into me. I gotta say though, the album's opening three tracks have always really hit me, I've always loved them and how they fit together. "Make Up" is the sexiest, sweetest song about love- 'get up and dance around the room, my eyes are on you'- christ I love that lyric. To live that moment, everything it implies… it really is a romantic ideal. "Now That I Miss Her" is sad and awesome, it's a good one, and I've always considered the cliffhanger, 'this is her answer,' to in fact be answered by the third song, "Misfit." The best track on the album, Elefant's breakthrough song. Then the rest of the record drifts between stylishly okay and a little bit drippy, then closes with Ester, a song I've always enjoyed. It has the steady, low pulse of most of the tracks on the album, but something in the lyrics- "and the way I tried to win you, I was being young," has always kept with me. Having first heard this record as a young man, a nostalgic guy, it has struck me as a good line, a relevant sentiment.
Reading a little about the band before I wrote the review, I noticed that the leader of Elefant grew up an Iggy Pop fan, and I can certainly hear in this record, a certain rhythm- that lowness, the sultriness- that calls to mind a cleaner, better produced, modern take on the Bowie/Pop collaborations. It's interesting, after reading "Bowie In Berlin," and reading about the far-reaching influence of his output then, to pick up hints of it now. The Strokes, Interpol, Elefant- all grandchildren of Heroes and The Idiot, in one way or another.
The title says it all- a night-time album with a touch of anxiety and preoccupation. They fit right in to the New York sound of the early/mid aughts, the sexy, subdued instrumentation, the present bass, the tight voice with a European curve. They're the Strokes but a little smoother with the ladies. Or Maroon 5's hot, mysterious cousin. It's an album pretty much entirely about women- a collection of seductions and recollections, downtown at night.
A lot of this record takes me to a particular time frame, the late summer nights driving around Texas, between freshman and sophomore year. A lot of the other tracks are rather dull or drippy, they never really hooked into me. I gotta say though, the album's opening three tracks have always really hit me, I've always loved them and how they fit together. "Make Up" is the sexiest, sweetest song about love- 'get up and dance around the room, my eyes are on you'- christ I love that lyric. To live that moment, everything it implies… it really is a romantic ideal. "Now That I Miss Her" is sad and awesome, it's a good one, and I've always considered the cliffhanger, 'this is her answer,' to in fact be answered by the third song, "Misfit." The best track on the album, Elefant's breakthrough song. Then the rest of the record drifts between stylishly okay and a little bit drippy, then closes with Ester, a song I've always enjoyed. It has the steady, low pulse of most of the tracks on the album, but something in the lyrics- "and the way I tried to win you, I was being young," has always kept with me. Having first heard this record as a young man, a nostalgic guy, it has struck me as a good line, a relevant sentiment.
Reading a little about the band before I wrote the review, I noticed that the leader of Elefant grew up an Iggy Pop fan, and I can certainly hear in this record, a certain rhythm- that lowness, the sultriness- that calls to mind a cleaner, better produced, modern take on the Bowie/Pop collaborations. It's interesting, after reading "Bowie In Berlin," and reading about the far-reaching influence of his output then, to pick up hints of it now. The Strokes, Interpol, Elefant- all grandchildren of Heroes and The Idiot, in one way or another.
album #2
the slow wonder (a.c. newman)
There was a phase when pretty much everything touched by the octopus of the New Pornographers piqued my interest. This record was the first time I looked into their solo work, to see what my favorite member, the master, would come up with. In one sense it's a little boring, a little foresty- the instrumental choices are more subdued, it's less of the explosive, propulsive, pure sugar rush of the New Pornographers. In retrospect it just now hits me that this hints at their future, more subdued output, coming as it does after their last Awesome album and before their ongoing series of Good but sweeter, softer, vaguely duller albums.
Still, this is a gold album. I've always loved "On The Table," something about the sweet, metronomic strike of the keyboards. And "Miracle Drug" is a stud, the great drums, the best guitar lick on the record. A few of the tracks are a little more plodding and have a bit of a southwestern twang in the guitars, and they're all right. "Come Crash" is a song I absolutely loved when I was younger, now it strikes me as perhaps a little too obvious- the beat too heavy, the lyrics too sing-songy, the guitar melodramatic. I still net like it though. "35 In The Shade" is a really good one, a pulsing, dramatic, weird song- this feels like The New Pornographers, in a way I really like. Even the drumming. Heck, "The Town Halo" is good too- the more I listen, the more I remember that every song is pretty good, really.
I don't particularly go to this album, but it's always been solid- well crafted melodies, some interesting lyrics. A great Starbucks record- I hate saying that, it's so pejorative and pretentious, but it feels like the right adjective. Inoffensively lovely, exciting and different without being weird. Overall, the solo work of the other top Pornographer, Dan Bejar, ended up having a much stronger, more lasting influence in my personal taste.
There was a phase when pretty much everything touched by the octopus of the New Pornographers piqued my interest. This record was the first time I looked into their solo work, to see what my favorite member, the master, would come up with. In one sense it's a little boring, a little foresty- the instrumental choices are more subdued, it's less of the explosive, propulsive, pure sugar rush of the New Pornographers. In retrospect it just now hits me that this hints at their future, more subdued output, coming as it does after their last Awesome album and before their ongoing series of Good but sweeter, softer, vaguely duller albums.
Still, this is a gold album. I've always loved "On The Table," something about the sweet, metronomic strike of the keyboards. And "Miracle Drug" is a stud, the great drums, the best guitar lick on the record. A few of the tracks are a little more plodding and have a bit of a southwestern twang in the guitars, and they're all right. "Come Crash" is a song I absolutely loved when I was younger, now it strikes me as perhaps a little too obvious- the beat too heavy, the lyrics too sing-songy, the guitar melodramatic. I still net like it though. "35 In The Shade" is a really good one, a pulsing, dramatic, weird song- this feels like The New Pornographers, in a way I really like. Even the drumming. Heck, "The Town Halo" is good too- the more I listen, the more I remember that every song is pretty good, really.
I don't particularly go to this album, but it's always been solid- well crafted melodies, some interesting lyrics. A great Starbucks record- I hate saying that, it's so pejorative and pretentious, but it feels like the right adjective. Inoffensively lovely, exciting and different without being weird. Overall, the solo work of the other top Pornographer, Dan Bejar, ended up having a much stronger, more lasting influence in my personal taste.
album #1
room for squares (john mayer)
This album is somewhat beyond review; I've grown up with it and always loved it. It's a highly melodic album, contemplative, nostalgic. This record basically exists for high school- even the tracks I don't love, like "Your Body Is A Wonderland," are pretty high school- the level of unabashed, cheesy romance that one must feel within themself to sing those lyrics, which personally I find hard to recapture with age. Every track is basically either a meditation on nostalgia or the story of a girl. Songs like "Neon" and "City Love" are like a coin flip, two girls in the city, one dark and sultry, troubled, and the other a dopey swoon of love. "Back To You" kinda hits both nostalgia and love- the sense of a lost love that can't be shaken (and in this sense it's another coin flip, since "Love Song For No One" is an unshakeable future love.) As a nostalgic person and a lover of melody, and having been introduced to this music at the right time (age sixteen, Cornell summer camp), I've always really liked this album. "3x5" is an old favorite- a message about living instead of capturing and collecting (whoops!), with a beautiful curve to the melody. "No Such Thing," the original breakthrough, entirely glows- the whimsical, dreamy number of a young man taking over his high school- this definitely sang right to me. It's weird that John Mayer (the person) has collected such a weird and vaguely negative reputation in the years since, because this album always struck me as pretty sincere, sweet, playful, and pretty.
I don't go to this album too much these days- largely thanks to a college evolution that left me just a little bit more pretentious or deliberately hip with the music I pursue- but it remains warm and beautiful, like the Cornell lawn on a summer afternoon.
This album is somewhat beyond review; I've grown up with it and always loved it. It's a highly melodic album, contemplative, nostalgic. This record basically exists for high school- even the tracks I don't love, like "Your Body Is A Wonderland," are pretty high school- the level of unabashed, cheesy romance that one must feel within themself to sing those lyrics, which personally I find hard to recapture with age. Every track is basically either a meditation on nostalgia or the story of a girl. Songs like "Neon" and "City Love" are like a coin flip, two girls in the city, one dark and sultry, troubled, and the other a dopey swoon of love. "Back To You" kinda hits both nostalgia and love- the sense of a lost love that can't be shaken (and in this sense it's another coin flip, since "Love Song For No One" is an unshakeable future love.) As a nostalgic person and a lover of melody, and having been introduced to this music at the right time (age sixteen, Cornell summer camp), I've always really liked this album. "3x5" is an old favorite- a message about living instead of capturing and collecting (whoops!), with a beautiful curve to the melody. "No Such Thing," the original breakthrough, entirely glows- the whimsical, dreamy number of a young man taking over his high school- this definitely sang right to me. It's weird that John Mayer (the person) has collected such a weird and vaguely negative reputation in the years since, because this album always struck me as pretty sincere, sweet, playful, and pretty.
I don't go to this album too much these days- largely thanks to a college evolution that left me just a little bit more pretentious or deliberately hip with the music I pursue- but it remains warm and beautiful, like the Cornell lawn on a summer afternoon.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)