Recently there has been a swath of indie bands that have taken on a sort of happy-go-lucky mentality with each of their albums. Artists like Best Coast, Purity Ring, and Of Montreal have all released album after album of the brightest and lightest tunes one could imagine. Within this group lies indie pop duo Matt & Kim. Formed in 2004, Matt & Kim are the husband and wife duo of Matt Johnson and Kim Schifino. They already have 3 studio albums to their name since they formed, and "New Glow" is their fourth release to date. Matt & Kim are probably most famous for their song "Daylight", which has been featured in many commercials and movies. I have no real personal connection to this album, but there were no big releases this week, so I chose to review "New Glow" since I've heard of Matt & Kim before.
Let me start off by saying that this is probably the most cheerful record I have ever listened to. Matt has a very bright color to his voice that could probably make birds chirp and babies laugh. This voicing helps develop the cheery mood of the album very well. In fact, it seems like every little aspect of this album is meant to prove how happy these two are with their lives. They keys are mostly played in a very chordal manner, with Matt banging on the keyboard with all of his joyous might. The synthesizers buzz with melody and harmony, mirroring the singer's cutting voice. In fact, I don't remember hearing a single song off this album in a minor key. As well as being happy, this music was made for dancing. While this technically can be accomplished, the songs aren't really varied enough for a Matt & Kim to be very interesting.
Coming in at only 27 minutes, this is a very brief record. In fact, when it was over, I had to triple-check to make sure the music didn't stop itself somehow. Yet, even though it isn't even thirty minutes long, it feels like Matt & Kim ran out of material halfway through writing this record. Most, if not all songs on "New Glow" sound exactly the same. If you played one of the songs for me, waited ten minutes, and then played a different one, I would not be able to tell the difference. In fact, none of the songs stand out to me at all, and I do not remember what any of them sound like maybe 30 minutes after listening. The only exception to this is "I See Ya", the closing track, which forgoes the jangly pseudo-dance style that M&K incorporated throughout the first twenty minutes of the album, and instead is slightly slower but still overly happy. If you're a Matt & Kim fan, I'm sorry, but I don't see how anyone can enjoy listening to the same joyful shanties on loop whenever this band releases an album. I'll admit that their big breakthrough song, "Daylight", was pretty catchy and enjoyable. However, with "New Glow", Matt & Kim were not able to capture the same kind of magic, and instead tried to feed us a spoonful of faux sunshine and happiness.
When the question of the greatest artist of all time is brought up, there are certain names that come up every time. Bands like The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, and Led Zeppelin often get tossed around. Artists such as Bob Dylan and Elvis Presley also get thrown into the mix. One of the biggest dark horses in this great debate, in my opinion, is the Beach Boys. The Beach Boys were the biggest band in the 60s surf rock scene -- and for good reason. They were the source of some of the catchiest songs ever, from "Surfin' USA" to "Barbara Ann". Also, their artistry went much deeper than most know. The Beach Boys' 1966 album "Pet Sounds" is regarded by many, including me, as one of the best albums ever released. The group's mastery of Phil Spector's "wall of sound" technique, coupled with their knack for experimentation at this point in their career, made for an amazing record.
The mastermind behind all of the Beach Boy's music was lead singer and songwriter Brian Wilson. He occupied the lead role in the band for a long time, until a mental breakdown caused him to contribute less and less to the band up to his eventual departure. Ever since, he has gradually attained a better mental state, and has been releasing solo projects here and there. "No Pier Pressure" is one of a string of solo records released by Wilson, and is his most recent.
Upon listening, I immediately recognized Wilson's famous voice, despite his trademark falsetto being mostly missing. Old age has done nothing to take away this man's vocal prowess -- he is as good as ever in that regard. What is interesting is that, in his solo work, Wilson uses multiple tracks of his own voice to create the vocal harmonies that are such a huge part of his music. With the Beach Boys, he obviously had his other bandmates to sing harmony. This exemplifies how much of a solo artist he really is. Although his bandmates are missing, their metaphorical sound is not. Many of the tracks on this album sounds like they were written on the deck of Sloop John B itself. However, the novelty and excitement that was captured in Beach Boys records seems to be missing here, leaving a slightly boring vacuum in its wake.
Something that sets this record aside from Wilson's other solo work is the use of featured artists -- ten out of the thirteen tracks on the album feature some other artist in some shape or form. These features range from underground country star Kacy Musgraves to fun. vocalist Nate Ruess (who is actually my least favorite singer in the business). Even controlling for my biases, these guest appearances are wholly uninteresting, and really don't add much to the album at all. In fact, after the first song, Wilson himself is rarely heard for the rest of the album. The only time this comes off as appealing is when actress Zooey Deschanel chimes in on the track "On The Island", but I usually am automatically interested in things when Zooey is involved, so this may not mean much.
There has been much speculation that this may be Brian Wilson's last album before his retirement from music. His extensive use of guests, along with the fact that the last song on the album is literally called "The Last Song", this theory is pretty darn plausible. If this is the case, then this will have ultimately been a boring, sad way for this monster of pop music to have left the industry. Here's to hoping that Wilson has at least one more good album left in him.
Something about the warmer weather that (usually) comes around this time of year makes me change my taste in music. Instead of the more intellectual jazz, classical and hip hop music I spend most of the winter months listening to, I tend to opt for more emotive songs with simpler structures. One can often hear me blasting vapid, obnoxious party music over the summer, or jamming to mellow folk tunes. Well, it just so happens that tomorrow is the warmest day of the year thus far, so that means I am mid-transformation as we speak. Luckily, indie folk artist Sufjan Stevens released his newest LP, "Carrie & Lowell" this week, so I have something to indulge my sentimental side.
Sufjan Stevens is somewhat of an interesting figure in the music industry. I would describe him as a less-boring version of Iron & Wine, and I mean that as a huge compliment. His first release, 2003's "Michigan" was an epic album that told tales of many different towns in the artist's home state. Next, he released "Seven Swans", which contained a large amount of Abrahamic imagery. This is very noteworthy, since indie music today is almost entirely secular. Stevens has been releasing a steady stream of music ever since, and has worked on other projects too, such as the score to the movie "Little Miss Sunshine".
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"Carrie & Lowell" is as solid as the oaks in whatever mystical forest Stevens was born in. While it is not as experimental as some of his other releases, there is something beautiful about the glum simplicity of this album. Other reviewers have even described "Carrie" as "Simply Sufjan". The lyrics are just as melancholy as Stevens' others, but this time they seem more genuine for some reason. Something about the morose emptiness of each track on this record adds to Stevens' credibility as a sad dude. Despite this, his vocal delivery is nowhere near dramatic. His voice is very barren throughout the record, making him sound broken down. Even the use of sparse electronics helps add to the chilly and impersonal (but very personal) feel of this album.
My favorite part of "Carrie & Lowell" is actually the intro, "Death With Dignity". It's a ballsy move to begin by talking about death, but Stevens owns it with this haunting track. In it, Stevens talks about how "every road leads to an end", and how he'll never see his mother again. The track ends with a haunting chorus of wails and hums that are filtered so perfectly that they sound like the ambiance of the forest. My only complaint with this record is that, after this song, most of the other sound the same.
Overall, this is a very skillfully made album that will make you nostalgic over things that haven't even happened to you. Such is a Sufjan Stevens record.
In lieu of the fact that there were no albums I desire to listen to that were released this week, I'll review a favorite of mine again.
Bob Marley is one of the most revered figures in pop music today. He was one of the first people to bring reggae -- and Caribbean music in general -- to a much larger audience. His face is emblazoned on a multitude of posters, t-shirts, beach towels and the like (although often for the wrong reasons). Also, he was deemed 11th greatest artist of all time by the Rolling Stone. His estate has been able to release album upon album of content after his death, which shows just how deep his artistry really was. However, one reason that many people love and respect the man so much (including me) was the message that he spread with his music. He talked about themes such as poverty, racism, and just loving your fellow man unconditionally. His message was an important one that I feel would benefit most people if they could take it to heart.
The album that I chose to review for this piece is my favorite recording out of Marley's entire repertoire: "Talkin' Blues". This album is my favorite because I've been listening to it for as long as I can remember. My parents would always like to listen to "Talkin' Blues" at dinner time, especially during the summer. Because of this, I know every song by heart, as well as their lyrical content. From what I understand, the overall theme of this album is Bob's experiences with poverty in the ghettos of Jamaica. This theme is especially pertinent in the album's title song. The opening lyric, "Cold ground was my bed last night, and rock was my pillow too", goes to show the kind of masterful imagery that Marley employed when writing his lyrics. Other songs have different themes. For example, the song "Slave Driver" is very racially themed. Marley talks about how his blood runs cold at "the crack of the whip". Hi racial conscience shines through at other points in the album too, including "Walk The Proud Land" and "Get Up, Stand Up". However, not every song on this album takes itself so seriously. The tracks "Am-a-do" and "Bend Down Low" have overt sexual themes that you can probably decipher just by reading the names.
One thing that makes "Talkin' Blues" unique is that it is technically a live album. While some of the tracks are from actual concerts, most were recorded in a claustrophobia-inducing closet. This gives each recording a very tight, close-knit feeling, with the band members essentially playing only to themselves. Because of this, it is much more raw and personal than many of Marley's studio recordings. "Talkin' Blues" borrows even more from traditional Jamaican music and instrumentation than Bob's previous recordings. My personal favorite song off the album, "Rastaman Chant", sounds like it was taken right off the streets of Kingston. Another aspect of "Talkin' Blues" that differentiates it from Marley's other work is the multitude of interview clips interspersed throughout. Marley, with his trademark Jamaican patois, talks about the meanings behind his music, as well as what was going on in his life when he wrote it. This makes the album feel even more personal to Marley, since you relate each song to his feelings.
Rapper Kendrick Lamar is one of the biggest rising stars of this decade. After enjoying modest success with his first album, "Section.80", Lamar changed the game with 2012's "good kid, m.A.A.d. city". Lamar's sophomore release was subject to insane amounts of critical praise, and is now considered one of the greatest hip-hop albums ever released. After a few breakout guest verses on other artist's tracks, he became one of the most hyped rappers in the industry. After having a few amazing years like Kendrick Lamar has had, many artists would cower at the challenge of living up to their own hype. When it was announced that the 27 year-old Compton native would release another album in 2015, the world waited intently to see whether this new release could possibly live up to Lamar's lofty standards. With "To Pimp A Butterfly", I would argue that the rapper absolutely did just that.
Kendrick Lamar's previous effort, "good kid, m.A.A.d. city.", focused on the harsh realities of life in the inner city. Lamar, having grown up in Compton, was no stranger to gang violence and organized crime as a teenager, and this showed in his music. Lamar continued this trend of social commentary with his newest record as well. While the drama that was "good kid" was set in the streets, "Butterfly" focuses on the sociological burdens of being a Black American -- specifically, a black artist in a white-dominated music business. The overarching motif of the record was introduced by the title of the album: the butterfly. The metaphorical butterfly is the black artist who evolved from a caterpillar -- the caterpillar being the symbol of the poor, black kid stuck in the ghetto. The title, "To Pimp A Butterfly", is a reference to the white music industry "pimping" their black artists to the American audience. Now, this analysis is not my own; I only noticed these themes after reading interviews with Lamar himself about this release. This shows how intelligent and subtle the artist really is. Another recurring theme of the album is Lucy, who is a mix between a seductress and Lucifer himself. Lucy tempts "butterflies" like Lamar to forget their roots and accept getting pimped to society, but Lamar isn't falling for Lucy's evils. Lamar almost feels guilty about the fact that he is enjoying so much success while his friends back in the city are struggling day in and day out.
While one could analyze the subtext of this album for pages and pages, there is also a wealth of music to critique. The first thing that I noticed of "To Pimp A Butterfly" is that it is much more eclectic than its predecessor. While "good kid" was aggressive at certain times and somber at others, it usually stuck with the melodic West Coast style popularized by Lamar's biggest influence, Tupac Shakur. However, "Butterfly" heads in a much jazzier and funkier direction -- in a way returning to the roots of African-American music. There are horns and guitars where "good kid" had mostly synths and tight 808 kits. The album's first single, "i", sounds like a full-fledged rock song at parts. Also, while the production on "good kid" seemed to mostly be a vessel to get Lamar's words across, the actual instrumentation takes a more central role here. Verses and verbal hooks are sparse on this album, but when they do occur, they are powerful. Kendrick also flaunts his skills as a character rapper on this release, playing the part of a sad alcoholic on "u". While most of "Butterfly" is assertively calm, tracks like "The Blacker The Berry" show Lamar at his breaking point, employing the use of screamed vocals and abrasive beats. Ultimately, the album ends with a bone-chilling "interview" with the late Tupac, where Kendrick used samples of Shakur's voice and interplayed it with his own.
I do believe that Kendrick Lamar lived up to his hype with "To Pimp A Butterfly". While it was not "good kid" -- there were fewer instantly classic tracks -- the album was just as good in different ways. The subtext beneath Lamar's words is what elevates this album to greatness. Also, the more experimental nature of it feels like the exact direction in which Lamar was supposed to go after such a monumental effort in 2012. Here's to you, K-Dot; the hip-hop's most interesting man.
I feel like everybody has that one album that they can listen to whenever their heart desires. For me, this special album is American Football's eponymous 1999 release. Ever since I first listened to it, the album has held a special place in my pre-frontal cortex (or whichever region of the brain houses long-term memory -- anybody a science major?). The way it infuses the heart-wrenching lyrics of emo music and the intelligence of math rock and post rock creates something magical in only 40 minutes worth of time. But enough with the sentimental talk -- let's get into some context behind the album.
American Football started out as yet another side project of emo-entrepreneur Mike Kinsella. By the time of AF's conception, Kinsella had already been in two bands: Cap'n Jazz and Joan of Arc. Kinsella formed Cap'n Jazz with his brother Tim in 1989 when he was only 12 years old, and with the release of their first and only album, “Burritos, Inspiration Point, Fork Balloon Sports, Cards In The Spokes, Automatic Biographies, Kites, Kung Fu, Trophies, Banana Peels We’ve Slipped On and Egg Shells We’ve Tippy Toed Over” (seriously), the Kinsella brothers became cult heroes in the Chicago area. When American Football released their self-titled LP, they received heaping amounts of praise from critics, but little mainstream fanfare. Then, in true Kinsella fashion, American Football disbanded after one record. This early exit from the music industry propelled American Football to mythical status among indie music fans.
Musically, “American Football” is a departure from what other emo bands had been doing for a long time in that it is achingly mellow. Kinsella avoids raising his voice above a wholesome croon over the course of the entire album. Also, the backing tracks and instrumentation are as fulfilling as they are haunting. The actual high point of the album, in my opinion, is the intro track “Never Meant”. It kicks things off with a casual conversation by the band members and occasional drum spurts, but once the actual music begins, you’re immediately hooked. The lilting arpeggios and somber vocal performance from Kinsella draw you in even before the one-minute mark. This enchantment continues with tracks like “Honestly?”, with its coda so drawn out that you forget which album you’ve been listening to. Finally, the album culminates with a gorgeous instrumental piece titled “The One With The Wurlitzer”, featuring a trumpet solo so melancholy it sounds as if the horn itself is weeping.
Now, if you haven’t realized it yet, this is my favorite album of all time, so you’ll have to forgive me if I seem over sentimental during this review. Something about American Football just clicked with me the time that I discovered this band and record. I would recommend everyone to at least give it a listen.
Every year, there is often talk among music critics about who the "King of Hip-Hop" is. This constant search for the "King" is unique to hip-hop, most likely due to the genre's association with machismo and competition. Depending on who you ask, and which year you asked it, you could get a multitude of answers: from mainstays like Jay-Z and Eminem, to perennial dark horses like Kanye West and Lil Wayne, to newcomers like Kendrick Lamar (Complex has a very interesting list that compiles the "best" rapper in each year since 1979). One name, especially in recent years, has come up more often than the others, however: Drake. Since his first EP was released in 2009, Drake has stayed at the forefront of the hip-hop industry with each of his releases. His newest mixtape, "If You're Reading This It's Too Late", is no exception. Unlike Drake's other records, IYRTITL was dropped with little to no fanfare involved. There was no marketing strategy, no advertising; just a cold release. Despite the lack of any effort on Drake's part, the mixtape has still seen more exposure than most rappers see in their entire careers.
One thing that I noticed upon first listen is that this sounds a whole lot like Drake's previous releases. The hazy, emotive style that he pioneered with his masterpiece "Take Care" has now become Drake's modus operandi in hip-hop. While his music is very euphonic and pleasing to listen to, I would be lying if I said that I was satisfied with him continuing on the same path for yet another release. Drake has essentially been releasing the same songs over and over again since 2012, and I've begun to notice. Now, I get his mentality behind this trend -- if it ain't broke, don't fix it. However, it would be great to see one of hip-hop's giants start to take more artistic risks, like he did with "Take Care". While his emo-rap hits the spot on many the occasion, I am growing slightly tired of Drake's constant soul-baring. Tracks like "Legend" and"No Tellin'", while making some interesting choices production-wise, sound like they are straight off his previous album, with murky beats and Drake's trademark moan prevailing throughout. "Energy" is probably the most interesting song on the record due to its sampling of one of my favorite Jamaicans, Shabba Ranks.
All of this doesn't mean that IYRTITL isn't a solid record. There is a reason why this man holds much of the industry in the palm of his hand. Personally, however, I am getting fatigued by listening to what seems like the same release every year from this artist. Many people think that IYRTITL was just a quick release to hold fans over until Drake's next big album (among other theories, including one postulating that this mixtape was Drake's carefully calculated exit strategy from his record deal with Cash Money). Hopefully this new album on the horizon makes some of the artistic leaps and bounds that I know the current King of Hip-Hop is capable of.
For many, young adulthood is a time of great emotional polarity. Young adults come out of their youth with their guns blazing, ready to take on the world. They often realize later, however, that the world doesn't exactly welcome everyone with a gleaming smile and a warm hug. Loneliness is more common among emerging adults than any other age group in America, and the "disenfranchised youth" are an actual demographic talked about by sociologists. While actively being alienated by society, however, these young men and women are also hitting on many important milestones: first house, first real career--and first true love. "I Love You, Honeybear" gives this combo of cynicism and passion life in just under 45 minutes. Hidden within its sarcastic and surprisingly humorous lyrics are references to the dilemmas of young adulthood.
"Honeybear" is former Fleet Foxes drummer Josh Tillman's sophomore release under the stage name Father John Misty. Despite being a former member of the popular folk band, Tillman writes music that is uniquely his. His sound bears only a passing resemblance to the Celtic-sounding folk ballads of his previous group. Father John Misty is much more keen on embracing psychedelia and odd instrumentation, and seems to match up with Tillman's mystifying persona. Also, while most of today's indie folk music tells tales of fairies and magic, "Honeybear" is filled with many explicit references to contemporary problems facing young adults. The track "True Affection" is a great example of this--over electronic textures, Tillman wails about how texting women is no substitute for physically meeting them. Also, in "Bored In The USA", he laments the state of the economy and society that he and his fellow 80s kids have been thrust into recently. In this track, he unconventionally employs the use of a laugh track, likening himself to a cynical stand-up comedian. When looking closer at his lyrics, one finds out that this comparison is not very far from the truth. On "The Night Josh Tillman Came To Our Apt.", Tillman complains about a one-night stand that he isn't very in to. His exact words are: "She says, like, literally, music is the air she breathes". The girls that Tillman associates with are often vapid, and they lack the depth and profundity that he so desires.
Contextually, this album was released soon after Josh Tillman got married to his fiancee, photographer Emma Elizabeth. After "The Night", "Honeybear" takes a turn for the optimistic. In the lyrics, Tillman turns down aggressive women at bars, telling them about the absolutely gorgeous woman that he is taken by. Also, in the very same song, he threatens any man that hits on his wife at said bar. This slow road to optimism leads to the powerfully titled "Holy Shit"--a song that was written on Tillman's wedding day. Although he doesn't use the prettiest language, and sometimes even seems a bit crass in his descriptions, you can't help but feel the passion and excitement that Tillman obviously had for his beloved. This upswing then culminates with a track called "I Went To The Store One Day"--a track that tells the story of the day he met his wife. The song ends with the lyric "Seen you around; what's your name" which, supposedly, are the first words that he said to his wife-to-be. In the end, "Honeybear" becomes a fantastic look into the experience of a young adult in American society, including the disillusioned but never-ending lust for life that young adults possess. Despite its eclectic musicality and dreamy sound, "Honeybear" is a very sensible and down-to-earth record.
Could any of you imagine having a successful music career before turning 20? Brooklyn-born rapper Joey Bada$$ lives this dream every single day. Born Jo-Vaughn Virginie Scott to a St. Lucian mother and Jamaican father, Joey Bada$$ was always interested in the arts. At first, he intended to study acting, but in 9th grade changed gears and started writing raps. This stemmed from his precocious love of poetry. By his current age of 19, Joey has released a mixtape to widespread acclaim,started rap collective Pro Era with the late Capital STEEZ, and spearheaded the Beast Coast hip-hop movement with other rappers from the Flatbush neighborhood of Brooklyn. Not bad for somebody who can't even drink, wouldn't you agree?
Joey Bada$$'s new release, "B4.Da.$$" (pronounced "before da money") is actually his first full-length studio album, having only done mixtapes and features up to this point. "B4.Da.$$" mostly follows suit with his previous releases. In true Beast Coast style, this album is really an homage to classic east coast rappers. Joey obviously idolizes artists such as Nas and Biggie Smalls, as he emulates them throughout the album. This usually is done well, although some of his rhymes that hearken back to the golden age of hip-hop seem a bit clunky and forced. Overall, production is very good, too. The record is full of jazzy, downtempo beats perfectly compliment Joey's assertive, bouncy style.
The album starts out with the track "Save The Children", opening with what sounds like fanfare at a Joey Bada$$ concert. It then grooves through many different tracks, interspersed with the occasional skit. These skits include simulated voicemails, interviews, and radio lead-ins, and make the album feel almost like a news story. As a whole, the album flows very well, climaxing with the leading single "Big Dusty". It is a very cohesive record, which at some points makes it slightly uninteresting. While the overall quality is good, the artist didn't really take any creative risks, which could get stale by the end of the hour-long record. However, the quality of Joey's flow and the production overcomes this in most spots. Also, his ability to emulate classic rappers whose heyday was long over before he was even born makes Joey Bada$$ a force to be reckoned with in hip-hop. I wouldn't be surprised if we see a lot more from this teenager in the coming years, as well as his cohorts in the Beast Coast movement.
Icelandic artist Björk is certainly one of the most interesting characters in all of Nordic music, if not the entire music world. She has seemingly spent most of her long career roleplaying as some sort of Icelandic fairy, making sure that nobody this side of the Atlantic Ocean has any idea what she is doing most of the time. She is also known for her outrageous fashion choices, including the infamous "swan dress" that she wore at the Academy Awards in 2001. Here is a picture of said dress:
While she has certainly adopted an interesting persona over the course of her career, this has in no way detracted from her music. Beginning with 1993's aptly named "Debut", Björk embarked on a solo career that saw the release of many critically acclaimed albums. I had listened to "Debut" already, but decided to familiarize myself even more with Björk's eclectic body of work before reviewing her newest release.
First off, "Vulnicura" is unmistakably a Björk album. She possesses one of the most unique voices in music today--she can shift from a high warble to a much more commanding tone that one wouldn't expect from such a dainty individual. Björk's trademark use of strings and glitchy production appear on this album as well. However, one thing makes "Vulnicura" different from her other releases: context. Björk recently went through a breakup with artist Matthew Barney, with whom she had a daughter. Consequently, her new release is darker and edgier than its more ethereal predecessors. The album is filled with dark instrumentation and highly-mechanized beats, and this is used for good effect, especially on the beautifully morbid "Family". In this track, Björk asks "Is there a place/I can pay my respects/For the death of my family?". With this, she likens the disintegration of her relationship to the loss of a loved one, exposing her open wounds for us all to see. Another high point of the album is "Atom Dance". This song starts off innocuously, with the Icelandic singer cooing over sparse strings. The track eventually climaxes with the addition of what sounds like dozens of male voices overtop some of the best production I've heard in a while.
If you can't tell, I'm very partial to Björk and her music already, so my review may be a little biased. Despite this, I do believe that "Vulnicura" is probably the best album released yet this year (yes, I know that we're only 4 weeks in). The raw emotion behind this album causes it to be more than just a routine Björk release--it is one of her best in a while. The only gripe I have with this album--albeit slight-- is that most of the songs sound similar to each other. This is not a problem to me, however, since they all sound so damn good.
