Showing posts with label travis. Show all posts
Showing posts with label travis. Show all posts
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Album Review: S Carey - Range of Light


S. Carey – better known as Sean Carey, the drummer for Bon Iver – knows how to stay on the top of his solo game. After surprisingly captivating us with single after single of ethereal beauty from his debut effort All We Grow, the soft voiced drummer has returned in 2014 with the transcendent Range of Light. The instrumentalist turned solo singer-songwriter has only continued to perfect his craft with each new song release, supplying us with even sleeker orchestral compilations and fresh environmentally inspired jams. And, yes – he’s done it again.

Building across a sparse, spacey experimental apparatus, album opener “Glass/Film” provides the record's whole ambience within its confines, which is to say, it shows a certain intentional complexity in its orchestration that Carey always strives to add. This follows straight into “Creaking,” another track piggybacking on Carey’s attention to detail, especially in the way it creates a complex soundscape revolving around water droplets, the pitter-pattering of pans, and jittering electronic beeps.

Even Carey’s writing has an astonishingly wholesome, honest tone to it, as is the case in the single “Fire-Scene:” “The city’s fire trapped behind the earth. Digging in your deepest dirt. The reddest hue reminds you of you. Clinging love and falling true.” Bounteous amounts of string-based instruments, pianos, electronic beats, and several other contemporary elements fill the sonic landscape of not only this song, but the entire album, highlighting a much more rounded collection of tracks than what was released with All We Grow. Tranquility flows throughout one of the album's strongest songs (despite the minute and a half timespan) titled “Radiant,” a completely calming assortment of refreshing vocals and earthy tones. Closing out the essentials is “Crown the Pine,” the delicately layered new single that forges a peaceful and serene atmosphere around the xylophone strokes, airy vocals, and elastic, rhythmic beats.

Let’s just point it out that Range of Light is not what you would call radio friendly. However, that’s perfectly acceptable and even better in this case as S. Carey’s album has found its niche within a calming listener ship in places like an office or waiting room, whereas beat-heavy indie-pop or hip-hop fails to mesh with in the same way. Although some of the noises used to inspire this album may sound quite uncommon or off-putting at first, the entire soundscape S. Carey builds in Range of Light is definitely something that needs to be heard first hand.

Grade: A-






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Album Review: Future Islands - Singles


If you’ve never heard of the synth-rock trio Future Islands, then take a moment to watch their unorthodox yet strangely entertaining performance on the Late Show with David Letterman a couple of weeks ago. That should give you a good idea of the group’s emotional attachment to each performance, particularly the passion lead singer Samuel T. Herring seems to have. Following the success of 2011’s On the Water, the trio went back to the drawing board and came up with the concept of making another album that was rhythmically cohesive while focusing on their fiery beats and catchy hooks. Luckily for them, all of those preconceived thoughts fully embody their fourth studio album, Singles.

Right away, the track listing foreshadows a theme of optimism throughout its collection with songs such as “Spirit,” “Sun in the Morning,” and “Doves” to name a few. The opening track to Singles, “Seasons (Waiting on You),” is a combination of everything Future Islands is sonically: breezy vocal talents, anthemic choruses, blaring guitar strokes, and a touch of other new wave rock and modern pop elements. Herring’s viral performance on Letterman sets a good notion for this album. This notion is that no matter what selection you pick on the album, they pale in comparison to the live performances and pure theatrics that come along with a Future Islands concert. Although, if I had to pick a song off of Singles to try and match their on-stage liveliness, it would either be the appropriately upbeat “Doves” or “Sun in the Morning.”

Singles also serves as a reflective piece bred from the innermost thoughts that arise when one meets an unexpected, detrimental outcome when following their dreams and endeavors. These feelings are best represented in “Fall From Grace” and its cryptic and truly eerie lyrics of “ You were mine when I was young. Why does it take so long? When you were here, it was warm. Now it’s a bitter storm. Now I’m older, turning white, watching days into nights. Now I’m older and I’m grave.” Above all else, Herring’s vocals shine on the track by showcasing his ability to not only sing, but to howl. This sort of emotion again channels its way through to “A Song for Our Grandfathers,” a song equally pleasant in its ambient instrumental textures as well as its graceful ballet inspiring others by simply saying “Let’s be brave.”

Future Islands may have made the risky choice of naming their album Singles because they believed each song stood on its own ground as being an identically potent single choice, however, for the most part, they were correct. Each song has developed a unique sound that’s all its own while still blending into a cohesively synth-rock centered album in true Future Islands fashion. This album most importantly shows that even after three albums behind them, Future Islands is still a band willing to experiment and evolve by amping up the melodious pop quality of their music and staying true to their rock roots.

Grade: B+





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Album Review: Foster the People - Supermodel


Foster the People came under the national spotlight once there incredibly catchy yet arguably dark school shooting based jingle “Pumped Up Kicks” reached the top of pop charts around the world. However, if that was the band you originally fell in love with then prepare for a small shock, not so much in the lyrical material, but in their overall sound. Band front man and lead vocalist Mark Foster described the group’s sophomore effort appropriately by saying it was an “angry, guitar-based record about capitalist greed.” It’s also no wonder Supermodel is much more diverse then their debut album as the groups recordings spanned from Morocco to Malibu while being influenced by such sources as David Bowie and Clash.

To start off, the band decidedly chose “Are You What You Want to Be,” a song heavily rooted in their enticing dance-infused pop-rock beats with slightly darker undertones aptly due to the African tribal beats. Compared to their previous album, Torches, this song holds the most amount of melodic similarity along with the edgy drug tale titled “Best Friend,” which sincerely tries to convey a story of two buddies hooked on drugs. The resurrection of a second “Pumped Up Kicks” type jam is out of the question on Supermodel, however, “Best Friend” is a strong contender for those who miss the thought provoking, abnormal creativity in lyrics and style as its all packed into this songs core.

It makes perfect sense for Foster the People to release their last recorded song “Coming of Age” as the first single for the album as it focuses on the hectic lifestyle changes of the band members throughout the last couple of years. The song itself is a more upbeat and energetic pop track with hypnotizing rhythms and an even more haunting chorus of “Feels like, feels like it's coming. It feels like, feels like I'm of coming of age. Feels like, feels like it's coming.” This track flows into “Nevermind,” a less than strong song choice that offers compelling lyrics of “Yeah its hard to know the truth in this post-modernist view where absolutes are seen as relics” over quite bland mid-tempo guitar plucks.

The band must’ve dwelled in some medical terminology books while transcribing Supermodel or at least that’s the way it seems from the name of their song “Pseudologia Fantastica” aka compulsive lying. Released just a few weeks ago as the group's official second single, “Pseudologia Fantastica” delivers on the newfound sound Foster the People sought after during their frequent international trips. They did so by using restless synths and a thumping percussion beat to compliment the polished chorus and just when you think it can’t get any better there as a deep bass line backdrop.

If the names of the songs are any indication of the mindset for the album, it had to have been all fun in games when creating Supermodel. “A Beginner's Guide to Destroying the Moon” and “Goats In Trees” goes to show the group’s descent into complete self-introspection to discover the world around them the only way they know how, through witty and amusing yet completely serious critiques. The former goes out repeating how “You’ll never be whole until you lose control”, which was there way of saying to think for yourself and escape the clouded judgment others pass on to you. The latter does try to critique being an outsider, but a song that features faux bird whistles and other animal sounds can’t be taken too seriously and ultimately disappoints.

There isn’t any track on Supermodel that can match or surpass the brilliance that was “Pumped Up Kicks,” however, that doesn’t mean its not worthy of a listen. Foster the People tried their hand at a couple different flavors of various pop-rock jams and while many are sonically pleasing, its simply missing the durability to stand on its own for a long period of time in the international limelight. Even though “Pumped Up Kicks” got them center stage it seems like the band is more suited for a mid-sized audience as this album would disappoint those who’ve held great value on the sophomore releases hype.

Grade: B-





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Album Review: Aloe Blacc - Lift Your Spirit


At this point, many people may think that American soul singer Aloe Blacc has popped up out of nowhere. However, Aloe Blacc, or otherwise known as Egbert Dawkins III, has been on music’s radar for the last few years starting with his debut effort Shine Through and his sophomore album Good Things. Most notably, he’s been riding a stream of success for his vocal appearance on Avicii’s worldwide smash “Wake Me Up” from last summer, even though his voice went unaccredited. Not too long after that, his chart-topping track, “The Man,” was released with newly joined record label Interscope Records to critical acclaim and convincingly started gaining the mainstream attention he’s been after. Along with his upcoming tour opening for pop/R&B superstar Bruno Mars, which makes a stop here in Buffalo on June 30th at the First Niagara Center, Aloe Blacc finally has the chance to help match his name with his songs for a nationwide audience who might currently find him unrecognizable.

One may mistakenly take Blacc’s opening to “The Man” to simply just be a cover of Elton John’s hit “Your Song” as he sings, “Well you can tell everybody, yeah you can tell everybody,” before Blacc abruptly interrupts the brief recognition of John’s classic to say “I’m the man.” What follows is a peppy hip-hop beat that manages to carry a soulful production value lending to the tracks viability as a cross-genre hit just like his soon-to-be tour mate Bruno Mar’s unique sound blend. The lyrics also make it a sure fire hit since they work to inspire the listeners through Blacc’s personal, self-proclaimed experiences of standing strong during tough times.

Keeping on point with his largest hit to date yet also his most unrecognized song as a vocalist, “Wake Me Up” is on Lift Your Spirit except this time around, Blacc decidedly chose to go with a more folk-centered, slothful style to the EDM jam. Following speed is “Ticking Bomb,” a warning call for a fast approaching dystopian future that compliments well from the adjacent, slow beats and swaying vocal tone. Album closer “Eyes of a Child” showcases exactly the reason why Blacc deserves his mainstream success by his ability to hold lengthy, dynamic notes without a hitch.

Just when you thought you’ve seen all the sides to Pharrell upon the release of his sophomore album last week, he comes back again to produce Blacc’s retro-soul track “Love is the Answer.” This song stands out as one of the album's strongest, single worthy contenders due to its infectious, melodic groove and gripping soul drenched vocals, and a Pharrell backing definitely won’t hurt the songs marketability. Almost equally entertaining is the blazing falsettos on “Red Velvet Seat,” a song rooted in classic romanticism with lingering words of “In my red velvet seat you can sit next to me. Got a bouquet of lilies, and daises, and roses.”

Across the board Lift Your Spirit is a very diverse, however, a not too cohesive collection of songs that somehow just works. It maintains much of Aloe Blacc’s previous stylistic elements in a more polished, defined setting that aim to make a lasting impression onto multiple genres. By making his music true to form with socially conscious lyrics and pleasantly soothing beats in such a way that it’s popular to the masses, he actually has a chance at grasping the attention of a worldwide audience.

Grade: B+





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Album Review: Pharrell Williams - G I R L


If there were ever a time for Pharrell Williams to strike it big as a vocalist, right now would be it. Of course he’s been a notable producer who had a fiery return in 2013 with Daft Punk’s smash hit “Get Lucky” and Robin Thicke’s electro-funk jam “Blurred Lines.” As a soloist, though, he’s been often met with mixed criticisms hailing the most from his 2006 debut effort In My Mind, however, this time around, Pharrell has cleverly decided to stop his rap game and focus on his vocal talents.

As the title suggests, Pharrell Williams sophomore album is about girls, but more specifically, it’s about one girl who he sees as his queen from outer space. Hot on the heels of his multi-country, number one hit song “Happy” and his latest performance on the Oscars this past Sunday, it should come to no surprise his album has topped iTunes in over 60 countries worldwide. With G I R L, Pharrell tries to capitalize on the funky-pop sound of his recent, chart-topping collaborations while also keeping his songs simplistic in nature, but full of enticing innuendos and hypnotic grooves.

The first single off of the album is “Happy,” which was featured in last summers animated blockbuster Despicable Me 2, showcasing everything Pharrell was aiming for in his solo revival. That is to say it’s full of funky beats, catchy hooks and unparalleled, upbeat energy perfect for mainstream audiences. The opening track “Marilyn Monroe” starts off with an orchestra arrangement that’s later followed by infectious electronic beats and even features a short vocal appearance from fashion icon Kelly Osbourne. The song swiftly transitions into “Brand New,” a collaboration with Justin Timberlake that takes on the shape of any other track from JT’s own The 20/20 Experience. It’s a blend of contemporary funk-styled rhythms with the throwback atmosphere and pop-centered vocals you’ve come to expect from the latest JT offerings making it a clear standout from Pharrell album.

Next up is “Hunter,” a song straight out of a 1970’s Bee Gees album with the same trance inducing disco rhythms minus any sort of distinguishing and memorable characteristics. The most sexually explicit track on G I R L comes in the form of a song called “Gush” where Pharrell sings, “I don’t know what’s come over me. My momma didn’t raise me that way. You lit a fire from inside of me. Light that ass on fire.” On top of the raunchy lyrics, there’s a very mesmerizing groove that makes it a suitable song to just chill and relax to. The ever so controversial pop star Miley Cyrus assists on “Come Get It Bae,” and while the song itself isn’t anything special, it does add depth to the overall album when listened in full with the rest of the songs. Adding to his set of A-list collaborators is Daft Punk, who lend their Grammy Award winning electronic-synth flows to “Gust of Wind.” Even though there second time joining forces doesn’t prove to be as captivating as “Get Lucky,” it’s still a strong standout between the rest of the tracks on G I R L.

All together, the latest efforts from Pharrell Williams in G I R L prove he’s much more suited to singing rather than using spitfire speeds to rap his lyrics. He effectively creates a groovy rhythm and contemporary mainstream funk-pop sound that continues through all of the songs making for a full-circle, cohesive album. This time around Pharrell proves he’s not only making hit songs for top notch, superstar artists, but quickly becoming one of them.

Grade: B+





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