Tag Archives: music reviews

Van Hunt – What Were You Hoping For?

2 Oct
Van Hunt - What Were You Hoping For?

Van Hunt - What Were You Hoping For?

After dealing with being released from his label and the shelving of his previous release Popular, Van Hunt seems more determined than ever to break through with this dazzlingly eclectic release.

Release Date: September 27, 2011
Record Label: Thirty Tigers/godless-hotspot
Rating: 95

Van Hunt is an impossible artist to pin down. With a keen eye for Sly and the Family Stone-style flair but with a penchant for rocking out, his eclectic style likely infuriated the record labels that eventually dropped him. The end result is a huge benefit for fans and critics alike as What Were You Hoping For? is just as (if not more challenging) than his faltered release Popular, but at the same time displays the brilliance that he has shown since his debut.

Typical song structures be damned, What Were You Hoping For? appears to be a stream of consciousness album in many ways, allowing for the album to capture Van Hunt’s wide range of influences and run free, as seen on the masterful groove “Plum.” The eccentricity is not all for show either, as the stripped down, country tinged “Falls (Violet)” is as beautiful and bittersweet as anything he has ever written. The lead single “Eyes Like Pearls” triumphantly exudes a Purple Rain-like swagger, while the socially conscious title track recalls Sly and the Family Stone at the peak of their powers.

What Were You Hoping For? can seem a bit overwhelming at first blush– it’s an admittedly scattered album. However, it somehow all comes together by the end as a well thought out and accomplished effort that, when taken as a whole, is likely the best we’ve seen from Van Hunt yet.

Van Hunt – “Eyes Like Pearls”

Jay-Z and Kanye West – Watch The Throne

20 Aug

Jay-Z and Kanye West - Watch the Throne

Unsurprisingly, there are flashes of brilliance on Watch the Throne (what else would you expect when two of the biggest artists in their genre get together?), unfortunately the album is anything but consistent– relying far too heavily on the home run instead of doing more with less.

Release Date: August 8, 2011 (iTunes), August 12, 2011 (Physical Release)
Record Label: Def Jam
Rating: 82

The music video for “Otis” sums up Watch the Throne perfectly– like a Hollywood blockbuster, the emphasis is on style over substance. They picked the most venerable video director of all time (Spike Jonze) to film them take one of the most expensive vehicles produced (Maybach), chop it, and drive it around a set lot with random pyrotechnics thrown in for good measure. Combine that with a needlessly expensive sample of Otis Redding’s “Try a Little Tenderness” and you get an idea that perhaps the larger-than-life envelope that Kanye West has always relied on has been pushed too far.

On a purely superficial level, there is a lot to enjoy about the album– West and Jay-Z are always reliable rappers, and with a revolving door of A-list producers, the beats and presentation are both top-notch, but there’s very little to draw you in, and the album consequentially feels a bit cold. That being said, there are flashes of supreme brilliance, especially in the second half of the album, as the opening “No Church in the Wild” is likely the best on the album and features a great guest spot from Frank Ocean. Likewise, the last thirty seconds of “Lift Off” is a fantastic afro-beat laden jam, and even makes Beyonce’s overreaching vocals tolerable. “Murder to Excellence” is a surprisingly poignant political piece, that may be one of the most fully realized socially conscious songs either artist has made. Similarly, “Made in America,” for all of its lyrical misgivings, is a truly tender-hearted piece as well.

As a whole, Watch the Throne is an interesting proposition– it’s not an all out failure the way Best of Both Worlds was, but while it may sonically shape the way of hip-hop to come, it doesn’t consistently deliver to make it as groundbreaking as it perhaps feels like it should be. If you can accept that, there’s a lot to enjoy throughout the album, just don’t expect anything more than over-the-top Hollywood popcorn thrills.

Jay-Z and Kanye West – “Otis”

Jay-Z and Kanye West – “No Church in the Wild”

My Morning Jacket Circuital

31 May

Where Evil Urges faltered in creating an eccentric and larger-than-life world, Circuital crafts such an unassuming atmosphere, that by the time you realize it’s just as nutty as the last album, you’re hooked.

Release Date: May 31, 2011
Record Label: ATO
Rating: 90

If you haven’t figured it out by now, My Morning Jacket is a weird band with a wicked sense of humor. Not sardonic or apathetic like you would expect most rock bands to be, but just a genuinely weird self-aware bunch of guys that as much as they like to rock out are really all about pushing the oddity envelope. However, whereas before these (pardon the pun) evil urges were pushed into the background previously (“Into the Woods” from Z, “They Ran” from The Tennessee Fire), they came full frontal on both their last release and (possibly to the chagrin of many) on Circuital as well.

Before you write off their latest album, however, do know that it’s a better overall effort than Evil Urges. Surprisingly, the reason for that is possibly because Circuital doesn’t straddle the line the way Evil Urges did– where for every “Librarian” and “Touch Me I’m Going to Scream” you had a quintessential MMJ tune like “I’m Amazed”– instead the Kentucky-based band goes all out with reckless abandon.

It all begins with the strangely hypnotic “Victory Dance,” which builds on a deceivingly simplistic rhythm and evolves into a dark, but lovely, piece before leading into the gorgeous title track. Other highlights include the vulnerable “Wonderful (The Way I Feel)” which could eclipse “Golden” as their most stunning track recorded. “Slow Slow Tune” and “Movin Away” are also both some of the better slower songs the band has recorded in quite a while.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, the absurd “Outta My System” is likely to be this album’s “Highly Suspicious,” you’re either going to love it or hate it. The insanely theatrical “Holdin On to Black Metal,” however, endears itself with its larger than life scale, and a pitch-perfect understanding and execution of its concept.

Yes, Circuital is out there– it’s not really a concept album so much as it is an affirmation of My Morning Jacket going from an established southern rock band to something more otherworldly and at times, flat-out indescribable, but that’s a good thing. Unlike the frequently half-baked Evil Urges, My Morning Jacket takes the plunge here, and they come up smelling like roses.

My Morning Jacket – “Holdin On To Black Metal”

My Morning Jacket – “Wonderful (The Way I Feel)”

Bibio Mind Bokeh

3 Apr

Mind Bokeh can’t match the charm of its predecessor, but it still creates a distinctive and largely enjoyable sonic journey.

Release Date: March 29, 2011
Record Label: Warp
Rating: 81

After crafting such a summery breakthrough album in Ambivalence Avenue, which features the single “Lovers’ Carvings” (featured in those Kindle ads), it seems a bit surprising that Stephen Wilkinson would decide to proceed down a path that is largely the antithesis of his previous effort. Edgier, nuanced and decidedly not radio friendly in any sense, Mind Bokeh is going to only truly appeal those that understand Bibio as a dubstep and electronic producer, not anyone that is going on based on what he did on Ambivalence Avenue.

Quirks aside, there is still the same smart and concise productions that make Bibio a joy to listen to, especially when he does open things up on tracks such as “Pretentious” and specifically “Anything New.” The latter is a true summer banger, with a slick baseline, finger snaps and a decent hook to boot– if nothing else, it’d be easy to see a number of underground rappers sampling it for their future mixtapes. Another true standout is “K is for Kelson,” a bubble-gum pop tune that has shades of Jackson 5 and brims along with glee.

If you can accept Mind Bokeh for what it is– or more aptly, look at the album in a vacuum, there is a lot to enjoy.  It’s issues only lie within its overall cohesion, and that’s something that only stands out more when you look at all that Wilkinson accomplished on his previous releases. That being said, you can see that there is some decided experimentation taking place here, and for a restless artist that’s always a good thing– perhaps on his next release he’ll be able to tie it all together. In the meantime, Mind Bokeh has a great number of strengths that are noteworthy in their own right.

“Anything New”

“K is for Kelson”

Belle & Sebastian Belle & Sebastian Write About Love

11 Oct

Considering the successful run of indie pop albums Belle & Sebastian has released in recent years, it’s easy to dismiss Write About Love, as it marks a return to their gentler AM pop sound. Still, for headphone listening, Write About Love is a lovely album.

Release Date: October 12, 2010
Record Label: Rough Trade
Rating: 84

Their first release of new material in four years, Belle & Sebastian Write About Love is a bit of a departure considering they had seemed to find their stride with Dear Catastropher Waitress and The Life Pursuit– both of which were much more in the vein of true indie-pop and relied on the strength once again of excellent songwriting. In comparison, Write About Love feels like a more slickly produced Fold Your Hands Child, You Walk Like a Peasant. The first half of the album oddly highlights the band’s 70′s AM pop radio charm, which has always worked in doses but comes off a bit heavy-handed here. From there, things come together with a handful of more upbeat songs that recall the band’s finer moments, before settling back into a lighter groove once again.

From a musical standpoint, and this is the key here, the album is absurdly lovely and makes for a fantastic headphone album. However, for a band that is as dynamic as Belle & Sebastian can be, Write About Love could be more, and it certainly isn’t helped by the unevenness of the songs.

As odd as it is to wrap your head around hearing Stuart Murdoch perform a duet with Norah Jones, “Little Lou, Ugly Jack, Prophet John” is a gorgeously written tune and is the definite highlight of the quieter songs, along with the opening “I Didn’t See It Coming.” “I’m Not Living in the Real World” and “The Ghost of Rockschool” are two other songs that are the finest moments when it comes to B&S more popular forms of indie pop.

Belle & Sebastian Write About Love is a difficult album to pin down, because it’s really quite good. It’s not flashy in any way, and while it’s enjoyable it also certainly won’t wow you– it’s a bit like an accent piece in an art gallery, where it certainly has enough of a distinct charm to not seem out of place with the other works of art, but it doesn’t exactly grab you either. That’s not a bad thing by any means, just don’t expect it to live up to their best work.

“I’m Not Living in the Real World”

 

Sufjan Stevens The Age of Adz

10 Oct

Easily the most difficult album Stevens has ever recorded, The Age of Adz– a tribute to the late Royal Robertson– is a chilling yet brilliant album.

Release Date: October 12, 2010
Record Label: Asthmatic Kitty
Rating: 100

Sufjan Stevens has managed to make quite a career doing whatever he wants, and being really good at it. Whether its recording an electronic album about the Chinese Zodiac, embarking on a fifty states album project (that has been all but abandoned), or creating a multimedia experience revolving around a bridge in New York (with an orchestral score to match)– Stevens has been anywhere and everywhere musically. As such, perhaps it was only a matter of time before he finally hit a creative wall, as The Age of Adz is Stevens’ first traditional album since The Avalanche in 2006, and that was just a collection of outtakes and remixes from 2005′s Illinois.

That’s not to say he hasn’t been busy, The BQE, an immensely overwrought project that was a film, soundtrack, and live concert series all in one, was a huge undertaking in 2009, and just a few months ago Stevens released his All Delighted People EP. However, between the distressed lyrics and sonics of The Age of Adz, and the undertones that acknowledge an influence from artist Royal Robertson, it’s clear that Sufjan Stevens is exercising some serious demons here.

The connection between The Age of Adz and Robertson makes sense, with the often dystopian nature of the songs and a great sense of alienation in both works. It also serves as a great channel for what has become Sufjan Stevens’ trademark– an immaculately grand sense of scope in his music. In contrast to the romantic orchestral foundation on both Illinois and Michigan, Stevens has instead opted for a heavily layered digitized base full of synthesizers, autotuned background vocals, and deep bass. There are a couple of exception to this rule, such as the opening “Futile Devices” and the impassioned “Now That I’m Older,” but for the most part– disparate and unwieldy electronic backdrops are the norm.

For the Sufjan Stevens’ fans that are willing to take the plunge into this murky world, they are in for what could end up being one of the most chilling and exhilarating listening experiences of the year. While songs like “Too Much” and “I Walked” will be more comfortable listens, the real rewards lie in the apocalyptic title track, as well as the inescapably dark “I Want To Be Well” and the wondrous, 25-minute closer “Impossible Soul.”

The Age of Adz is an affected pop masterpiece that links more closely to the works of Björk than what Stevens has traditionally done in the past, and that is by no means a bad thing. For all of the digitized pomp and circumstance, the core of Stevens’ release is immensely personal, albeit surreal. For that reason, The Age of Adz avoids ever feeling completely forced or too ornate for its own good. These aren’t the same ornate sonics that were featured in earlier Stevens albums, instead, every single seemingly dissonant note on the album correlates to some inescapable element of a distraught subconscious.

“Too Much”

The Walkmen Lisbon

16 Sep

Riding high after a superb (and possible career best) album in You & Me, The Walkmen for once sound comfortable in their own shoes. The results are surprisingly lively, a sharp contrast to their past– and makes for a very engaging listen.

Release Date: September 14, 2010
Record Label: Fat Possum
Rating: 89

The music may not be a stylistic sea change, but if there’s one thing that’s crystal clear from the onset, it’s that the brooding, occasionally uncomfortable tension that belied much of their sound, has been lifted in the spirit of the band recording in the new environment of Lisbon, Portugal. The opening track “Juveniles” is far more optimistic than anything you would’ve heard on You & Me, and with a stronger surf rock influence this time around, there’s a jovial bounce that has been missing from much of their material up until now. “Angela Surf City”, “Follow the Leader,” and “Torch Song” all pack the same stinging poignancy of their earlier work, but remain sunnier, the latter with its perfectly placed (albeit surprising) harmonized vocals, and perhaps as a result, the album has a sense of genuine intimacy and curiosity that never truly lets up. Even “Blue as Your Blood,” which deceivingly begins with a haunting and affected guitar and percussive riff develops into something much more grandiose and gorgeous than the sparse beginning would lead you to believe.

After an immensely successful release with You & Me, The Walkmen have followed up nicely with Lisbon. By putting themselves in a new environment and organically branching out their sound without coming off as forced, they have allowed for the kind of growth every band could ever hope for after climbing into the spotlight. Where one could argue that The Walkmen failed to capitalize on Bows + Arrows with a comparatively weak A Hundred Miles Off, it’s easily apparent that they don’t make the same mistake twice this time around– Lisbon is an absolute treat.

“Woe Is Me”

Matthew Dear Black City

22 Aug

Think David Bowie submerged underwater, and you’ve got a good idea of what this moody yet intriguing album has in store for you.

Release Date: August 17, 2010
Record Label: Ghostly International
Rating: 85

With the bursts of electronic noise erupting above the surface of the otherwise sleepy opening track, Black City begins in the most unassuming of displays, with the droning vocals creating a TV on the Radio-like atmosphere. As quickly as it came, “Honey” then bleeds into the superbly produced “I Can’t Feel,” an air-tight groove that’s built on a constant smattering of rhythmic blips and a sweet jazz bass line. Dear’s matter of fact vocals almost seem out of place here, yet they accentuate the understated nature of his music– even the grooves on this albums aren’t in your face, LCD Soundsystem style jams, but rather understated grooves that subtly bleed into your subconscious. No matter your perspective, however, “I Can’t Feel” is certainly one of the highlights, as is the Bowie-esque “Little People (Black City),” “Soil to Seed” and “Monkey.”

Black City isn’t a flashy album, yet it’s incredibly tight, and its Bowie-esque hooks offset the deceivingly mundane vocals. It’s certainly one of the more worthwhile albums to come out this year, and may very well find its way into many a best of list at the end of 2010.

“I Can’t Feel”

Curren$y Pilot Talk

10 Aug

A thoroughly enjoyable late-summer release, don’t let the stoner rap reputation fool you, Pilot Talk is a laid back and fun album for anyone.

Release Date: August 3, 2010
Rating: 88

With a lazy drawl and a marijuana habit to boot, Curren$y doesn’t seem like a guy that should garner a lot of attention at first blush. From the onset though, thanks in large part to Ski Beatz outstanding production throughout the album, Curren$y’s sleepy rhymes pack enough punch and swagger to make even some of his most outlandish songs such as “King Kong” nearly plausible (at least until the third go round of the chorus “King Kong ain’t got **** on me”).

Superbly timed features from Mos Def lead to two of the shining bright spots on the album, with the centerpiece being “Breakfast,” a lush, gorgeous summery backdrop perfectly balances Curren$y, who seems to wake up just in time to deliver some silly yet truly inspired rhymes. Other highlights include “The Hangover,” “Prioritize,” and “Address.”

Even when he’s goofy, such as the off-the-wall, mind-altered take on Outkast’s Speakerboxxx/The Love Below with “Chilled Coughphee,” or the aforementioned “King Kong,” there’s still a certain je ne sais quoi that allows the listener to look past it. Yes, Pilot Talk may not be the most original release this year, but in a time where hip-hop artists seem to be striving to do everything but hip-hop, for Curren$y to finally come through with a major label debut that plays to all of his strengths, and allows the listener to have fun while taking in his half-baked pleasures, well– that’s just an added bonus. Pilot Talk is a guilty pleasure to be sure, but compared to most saccharine laden crap these days, it’s also a lot more rewarding and will likely last a lot longer.

“Audio Dope II”

Wale More About Nothing

9 Aug

If Attention Deficit had sounded anything like this, there’d be no reason for him to feel slighted. In the meantime, More About Nothing proves his other mixtapes weren’t a fluke, but makes it that much more frustrating that he wasn’t able to deliver on his first release.

Release Date: August 3, 2010
Rating: 90

While other rappers such as Drake and KiD CuDi had the benefit of some heavy backing from big name artists, Wale’s penchant for rapping over songs like Justice’s “D.A.N.C.E.” or Mark Ronson productions isn’t going to garner him much of the prime spotlight. That doesn’t mean that he doesn’t have the tools to be a star, and one could argue that he has more talent than most of the other new school rappers around, it’s just that he’s hardly the MTV prototype– and that’s precisely the reason why Attention Deficit failed so miserably.

The slick productions, a Lady Gaga feature, a Neptunes track– for fans and critics alike that praised Wale for his no frills charismatic rap, the album almost felt like a bastardization of what made Wale such an engrossing artist in a continuously crowded field of up and coming hip-hop artists. Now, a year later, somehow Wale sounds like a guy that’s down, but far from out– which is a good thing, because More About Nothing in fact contains more of everything that made Wale so good to begin with.

Starting with a humble spoken word piece before going into the opening song “The MC,” Wale’s first two tracks display his sheer hunger and his attempts to understand the reason for his failed launch. Whereas the previous Mixtape About Nothing used Seinfeld clips in a more carefree nature to offset the serious tone in which Wale was questioning the overall state of many aspects of hip-hop, More About Nothing is a much more provocative as seen on “The Soup” (which uses the famous Soup Nazi Seinfeld episode as its basis). Other highlights include “The Black N Gold,” “The Breeze,” and “The Friends N Strangers.”

If there’s one complaint it’s that More About Nothing is not the tight ship that Mixtape About Nothing was, and while Wale is as poignant as ever, executing some of the most thought provoking lyrics around, there are times on the album where he errs on the side of melodramatic. That being said, Mixtape About Nothing should be a reminder to those that Wale is certainly not one to be ignored, as he is one of the more talented acts around– hopefully when he is due for his sophomore release, he can transfer his strengths into a studio album format.

Download More About Nothing here

“The Soup”
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