Why? – “Golden Tickets”

(Photo Credit: thelineofbestfit.com)

Grade: D

This is a really frustrating one, because any review should be based solely on the music. The concept behind this EP is brilliant and unique, but the actual execution is mediocre. The concept behind this album is that the indie-folk-rap group “stalked” their superfans online to learn information about them, and write songs about them. It’s a little creepy, but the odes are nice. Each fan gets the “golden ticket” of having a song based off them, and the band in turn sold each song online individually, proceeds going to various disaster reliefs. It was all for a good cause, and Why?’s big fans get songs written about them. In most of the seven tracks, frontman Yoni Wolf takes on the personae of the fans.

Beyond the concept, though, everything feels largely phoned in. There’s no indication that there is a concept behind the album, I only came across it when looking up information on the EP. What it sounds like instead is Wolf adopting random identities for the sake of poetry – something he has done on previous Why? songs. The first three tracks all have either “Me name is” or “I am” as introductory lines. He barely raps, often doing a more melodic talking that sounds pretty disinterested. And musically, the band has traditionally written interesting pieces of music – often filled with tempo changes and genre melding. But on “Golden Tickets,” they largely just create simple structures and stand by them, doing nothing to complement Wolf.

“Dropjaw” is the worst offender, and was based off the best concept. A fan sent the band a video of him mouthing a wordless monologue, and Wolf wrote lyrics to what he imagined him saying. Again, it’s a great concept – but Wolf’s rhythmless, medioce Jamaican accent that he adopts is off-putting. The final song, “Peta Godfrey,” is the album’s only real good point. Wolf sings at points, actually sounding interested, and the band has crafted what feels like a good old Why? song.

As a very big fan of Why?, this felt like a weird misstep. It’s great that they’re doing something like this for their fans, but the execution felt very flawed. I’ve enjoyed everything they’ve done up to now, so a little misstep is fine, but “Golden Tickets” is really a missed opportunity. For someone looking on getting into the band, this is not the best place to start.

-By Andrew McNally

Grouplove – “Spreading Rumors”

(Photo Credit: grouplovemusic.com)

Grade: A-

Key Tracks: “Ways To Go,” “Shark Attack”

When Grouplove’s first three hits – “Colours,” “Itchin’ on a Photograph” and “Tongue Tied” – emerged two years ago, they were getting fairly graded as another folksy indie band, one that added enough outside elements to be separated from bands like Mumford & Sons and Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeroes, but didn’t add enough to be overly interesting. I, for one, expected their sophomore album to be focused on diversifying a couple of potential singles that are cemented amongst some average folk tunes. This was generally what their debut, “Never Trust A Happy Song,” was. But this album is radically different, embracing as many influences as possible. The band shifts away from folk, adding synths and volume. For the most part, it all blends well.

Christian Zucconi, the primary singer for the band, has always seemed to have a little grit or edge to his voice, that other indie-folk singers try not to have. It’s what made their early hits sound unique (plus “Tongue Tied”‘s rapping), and it’s one of the driving forces behind this album’s welcome diversity. His voice is strong, and the very unique sound of it never really gets tiring. Fellow singer Hannah Hooper gets some more moments, too. “Didn’t Have to Go” gives her a whole electro-ballad to shine as Christian takes a backseat.

Musically, the album is far more diverse than expected, and it rarely wallows in its ideas. The band wasn’t experimenting for the sake of it, these are carefully planned songs. The opener, “I’m With You,” is a mid-tempo song that’s got enough to stand on its own, but is really there to reinforce the loud and electric follow-up, “Borderlines and Aliens.” This is the song where the band really shows it’s change from their first album, with a fast and heavy song. Lead single “Ways to Go” features a prominent synth rhythm, which sounds unexpected at first until the next track, “Shark Attack,” goes into full EDM mode. Luckily, the band keeps up the diversity instead of letting the album’s first half carry the second.

There are some weak spots, some less than memorable songs and one track made uncomfortable by some awkward profanity. But overall, “Spreading Rumours” is a delight, and a fulfilling listen. It’s better than their debut, though it’s tough to compare the two. Grouplove seems even more like an anomaly in the indie-folk world, gleefully going to places other bands have vowed never to go to. That is, if we can still refer to Grouplove as “indie-folk.” It’ll be interesting to see where the band goes next, but for now, we can enjoy “Spreading Rumours.”

If you like this, try: The Bravery. The band was overshadowed by the meteoric rise of the Killers and unfairly forgotten. Through three albums, they drastically changed their sound and approach, like Grouplove does here.

-By Andrew McNally

Elvis Costello and the Roots – “Wise Up Ghost”

(Photo Credit: Pitchfork)

Grade: A-

Key Tracks: “Walk Us Uptown,” “Refuse To Be Saved”

Elvis Costello and the Roots coming together is one of those combinations that no one ever thought up, but when we heard it, it just kind of makes sense. Costello, the post-punk singer who always has a groovy touch to his music, and who has recently been branching out to other genres, and the Roots, the jazzy hip-hop group and permanent residents as Jimmy Fallon’s house band. Their work together on “Wise Up Ghost” just feels natural, the best quality to have on a groovy record like this.

The album starts with the sound effect of someone increasing the volume on a Mac (that blip-blip-blip), a testament to how long each act has been active (The Roots since ’87, Costello since ’70) and an ode to the timeless style of music they create. The album’s opening tracks are very upbeat, hip songs that blend Costello’s post-punk with classier hip-hop. Many of the songs have a variety of instruments, creating a full and diverse sound. Standout “Refuse to Be Saved” matches a clean synth rhythm over horns, until both die out and a string section ends the song. They pull off an excellent ballad, too, in the closer “If I Could Believe” that relies successfully on Costello’s strong vocals.

The album is not without its faults. The fifth song, “Trapwire,” is undeniably slow, too slow for it’s placement on the album. This kind of kills the vibe that’s been built up before transitioning to a number of midtempo songs. The title track finally brings it back to the fun it was before, but not until track 11. What’s in between is a number of good songs, just ones that are not as interesting as what comes at the album’s bookends. Also, given that The Roots are one of hip-hop’s funkiest groups, it’s surprising that there is no rapping on the album. The vocals rest solely on Costello. Just one track of some back and forth would have been nice – a fast song with rapping in the verse and singing in the chorus.

Although the album is a little inconsistent, it is greatly helped by some pristine production. The production is just a little grainy and a little condensed, invoking the sound of a 70′s record. The album is kind of a throwback, and the production places the listener in that era with the help of some perfected vintage production.

The album’s slower songs are a little tough to get though, but “Wise Up Ghost” is a lot of fun while having a lot of depth. Costello still sounds great, and the Roots’ diverse instrumentation give the album a number of layers. The fact that this record came out in 2013 and not the ’70s is a bit of a surprise, because it feels right at home then. Meaning, of course, the album completely does what it sets out to do.

-By Andrew McNally

Said the Whale – “hawaiii”

(Photo Credit: ridethetempo.com)

Grade: B

Key Tracks: “I Love You,” “Mother”

For the most part, Said the Whale is a fun indie band, not setting their sights on doing anything revolutionary or changing music at all. Their single “I Love You” is one of my favorite songs of the year, because it’s a bouncy little number with some oomph that gets stuck in your head. It’s nothing more than that, yet it’s great because of it. “I Love You” has more energy than most of the rest of the album, but it all still acts as a fun little reprieve from life.

Musically, the band keeps it simple. Most of the songs are quick and upbeat, not overstaying their welcome while staying different from each other. Think Two Door Cinema Club’s first album. Unfortunately, there’s something kind of inherently forgettable about music like this. The lack of complexity makes it fun, but doesn’t necessarily make a stand-out.

Vocally, the singer almost sounds like he’s emulating Vampire Weekend’s Ezra Koenig at times. The vocals are clear and the lyrics are often honest and entertaining. The production is crisp, but allows for a little distortion when it’s needed. And the album is over nearly as soon as it starts, probably a good quality for a fun listen like this one. It stops before it gets too repetitive.

With a band resembling Two Door Cinema Club and a singer resembling Ezra Koenig, it’s pretty certain that their album is going to be a decent one. “hawaiii” isn’t anything special, but it’s a good listen, and a nice break from complex indie bands. Chances are, fans picking up this album know exactly what they’re looking for, and won’t be disappointed.

If you like this, try: 2005’s “With Love and Squalor,” or really any album by We Are Scientists. Another fun, catchy but not totally forgettable indie band.

-By Andrew McNally

MGMT – “MGMT”

(Photo Credit: thelineofbestfit.com)

Grade: C

Key Tracks: “Your Life Is a Lie,” “Plenty of Girls in the Sea”

With their 2007 debut, “Oracular Spectacular,” MGMT burst onto the scene with mainstream experimentation that hadn’t been seen since the Talking Heads. More conventional than Animal Collective and giddier than Radiohead, MGMT showed the world that experimental pop could be popular while still being ‘weird.’ What the band struggled with after, though, was following it up. Refusing to make an album as catchy as their debut, they released 2010′s confusing and inconsistent “Congratulations.” And now, in 2013, we have a self-titled album that regrettably fits in between the two. “MGMT” has the more conventional natures of their debut without the catchiness, and the abstract qualities of “Congratulations” without any of the fun tonal shifts.

“MGMT” is the band’s first structured and consistent record, and it works nicely as a whole listen. Their first two albums were designed around enjoying tracks individually, while “MGMT” is almost only listenable as a full album. The transitions between songs aren’t as rough as their previous albums, as songs more represent differing pieces of a whole instead of standalone tracks. Individually, though, the songs lack the goofiness and urgency that their other albums enjoy. “Congratulations” was too confusing and too messy, but the energetic “Flash Delirium” is still one of the most fun four and a half minute songs out there. There’s no energy on “MGMT,” evidenced by the frustratingly mid-tempo opener, “Alien Days.” Every song wallows in synth-heavy rhythms, without actually having catchy hooks. The far and away catchiest track is “Plenty of Girls in the Sea,” which doesn’t come until the penultimate spot. There are certain spots, like the nearly six minute “I Love You Too, Death” where the band takes some time to actually develop something musically, but they’re few and far between.

One of the strongest points of both “Oracular Spectacular” and “Congratulations” was the clarity of the vocals, no matter what crazy melodies were happening behind it. Here, the vocals are intentionally buried behind distortion, taking more inspiration from Lightning Bolt than Elvis Costello. It’s very easy to ignore the vocals and take your focus away from the often interesting lyrics.

“MGMT” would have been the logical transition between the band’s first two albums, had it come out earlier. Now, it just sounds like a weird conglomerate that takes the faults of both albums. It’s not a bad record, but it just feels rushed and distant. The individual songs all sound a little too similar, and none of them are catchy enough to be hits nor experimental enough to be worthy of the MGMT name. The band should be praised for constantly experimenting off what their last record was, but nearly every part of “MGMT” just feels dull and underprepared.

If you like this, try: Animal Collective’s superb 2012 album, “Centipede Hz”

Balance and Composure – “The Things We Think We’re Missing”

(Photo Credit: Pitchfork)

Grade: B

Key tracks: “Back of Your Head,” “Notice Me”

On a first listen, Balance and Composure might seem like an average, borderline hardcore band. But they ride a nice, uh, balance between hardcore and fourth wave emo, without incorporating too much of either. It’s a balance that takes the best parts of each genre and mixes them into one. It has the intensity of hardcore, without the repetitive ferocity. It has the lyrics and melodies of fourth wave emo, without the wallowing sadness. This album isn’t overly memorable in the long run, but it makes for a refreshing listen.

The band really excels early on in the album. “Back Of Your Head” and “Notice Me” are two of the stand out tracks, showing the band’s energy. Some bands struggle to capture a song’s energy in the studio, but songs like these can make you sweat. For the most part, the album is energetic, taking advantage of it’s distorted, fuzzy sound to make a loud creation. “Dirty Head” is a stand out too, though, as the album’s acoustic piece. Ballads on albums like “The Things…” are usually throwaways, but Balance and Composure have written a simple, affecting piece. Strictly musically, the album embraces it’s blending of different genres.

The irony of the album, though, is that because it embraces it’s unique sound so hard, it starts to get repetitive. No other band sounds like Balance and Composure but Balance and Composure, and at points they really sound like it. The album’s sound goes on a little too long, and because it sounds so similar for so long, it makes it a less memorable listen. “Dirty Head” is a nice reprieve, but it doesn’t do enough to break up the album at all. Varying song lengths also try, to some success, but by the end of the album, it feels just a little too exhausting.

Still, the good outweighs the bad here. This is a good album from a unique band, one that asks to be praised more as an idea than a collection of songs, and it deserves it. Energetic without being upbeat, heavy without being hardcore, and honest without being too sad, it’s constantly riding the right side of a tough fine line. It might get a little watered down in it’s own ideas, but it’s a welcome relief for fans of emo and hardcore who are getting a little too tired of similar bands.

If you like this, try: Defeater’s “Letters Home,” a recent release by a proper hardcore band, one of the best working today.

-By Andrew McNally

Body/Head – “Coming Apart”

(Photo credit: http://www.cristinarocks.com)

Grade: A

Key Tracks: “Last Mistress,” “Black”

Sonic Youth fans like myself were heartbroken by their relatively unexpected 2011 break-up. But most fans expected to see the members in other projects soon enough. And two years later, we’ve already got three projects. Lee Ranaldo released his first proper solo album in 2012, an inconsistent but largely great album. Thurston Moore’s new, energetic band Chelsea Light Moving released their debut earlier this year (and it stands as one of my favorite albums of the year), and now Kim Gordon’s new duo have released their debut LP. Sonic Youth fans may have expected Gordon’s new project to be the most experimental and ambitious of all the immediate post-Youth groups, and it certainly is. Body/Head, also featuring Bill Nace, is a minimalistic guitar duo, playing long, crunchy drones, with occasional lumbering lyrics from Gordon. To put it simply, Body/Head sounds a little like some of Sonic Youth’s earliest records, slowed down a lot.

“Coming Apart” is a double album, coming in at roughly 68 minutes (but with only 10 songs). There is no way to tell when the album one switches to album two, but the album does have a building experimentation. That is, it tends to get more experimental as it goes along. “Abstract” starts the album off with a vocal-heavy song, and “Last Mistress” serves as one of the most droning tracks on the album. But it only gets more minimalistic as it goes on. Songs often lack beats, sometimes lack rhythms, and have long instrumental sections. And the last two songs, “Black” and “Frontal,” combine for a total of 30 minutes. “Black” is a dissonant, building odyssey with violent lyrics that channel Patti Smith’s “Land” portion of her album “Horses.” Gordon’s voice largely stays monotone throughout the album, and it is the most effective on “Black,” a song that’s too menacing to ignore.

The album is punishingly minimalistic, one that starts off making boldly ambitious claims and slowly grows even more so, until the listener is suddenly engulfed in a seventeen minute finale. It certainly won’t appeal to everyone, but those interested probably already know what they’re going into, with Kim Gordon involved. The duo works with both song structures and the total absence of them, drawing out notes as Gordon draws out words. Minimalism can often feel pointless, but “Coming Apart” never does. “Coming Apart” has poetry, it has meaning, and it has subtexts. It’s dark and heavy, but there’s beauty amidst the mess.

If you like this, try: “Drifters / Love is the Devil” by Dirty Beaches. It’s a little less noisy and has wider influences, but it’s another double album that only gets more experimental as it goes on.

-By Andrew McNally

Arctic Monkeys – “AM”

(Photo Credit: Spin)

Grade: C-

Key Tracks: “Do I Wanna Know?” “R U Mine?”

Bands by no means have to retain any sort of their original sound. Five albums and seven years later, the Arctic Monkeys do not need to sound like the bratty teenagers they were on their debut. But this album feels like such an antithesis to their debut that it ends up being frustratingly disappointing. When they shot out of nowhere in 2006, they were four teens playing wild, sloppy songs about underage drinking and one-night stands. Now, they’re well-dressed and playing metrical and over-produced odes to maturity and bachelor life. In some ways, a band maturing is nice, and this is the first Arctic Monkeys album where the members seem to fully realize who they are and what they’ll become. But this Arctic Monkeys seems like it would scoff at the 2006 Arctic Monkeys, and the 2006 Arctic Monkeys seems like it would despise what it’ll eventually become.

The band took a different approach to this album. Their recent, public relationship with Josh Homme of Queens of the Stone Age (and a tour with the Black Keys) has largely benefited them. Homme appears on this album; Alex Turner appears on QOTSA’s “…Like Clockwork.” The band has, for whatever reason, decided to ‘Americanize’ their music by recording in the desert with Homme and basing beats off of Dr. Dre. It’s an interesting idea, and one that fits wonderfully within the band’s running thing of each album representing some aspect of life. But the new songs are so beat-based that they feel like a how-to guide for people just starting to learn music. The drum machine and artificial clapping are basic and pointless. And the album is so slickly produced that it makes old songs like “A Certain Romance” feel like underground recordings from the ’70’s. The band and the production are both so slick and so smooth, that it doesn’t feel real. And that’s the last thing I ever expected from them.

Had this album been released by a different band, it would probably be a good recording. There’s diversity amongst the tracks, and a common theme of being a bachelor. The songs ask questions, the lyrics are provocative, and the music is catchy without being overblown. Taking it out of the history of the band, it’s a pretty decent recording. I wouldn’t recommend this as an introduction to the band (that might go to 2011’s “Suck It And See”), but if someone were to listen to this album with no prior knowledge of the group, they might enjoy it.

That being said, the band gave me something that they’ve never given me before, and that’s a large chunk of an album that’s truly boring. There’s a section of three or four songs in the album’s midpoint that should not be as dull as they are. And a song called “No. 1 Party Anthem” should not be one the album’s slowest songs. Unless, of course, this is a grown-up party with adults discussing current events. And this may be the Arctic Monkeys that we have come to.

I’ve been a lifelong fan of the Arctic Monkeys. I keep their debut, “Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I Am Not,” as one of my go-to albums in my car. I loved “Favourite Worst Nightmare,” I enjoyed “Humbug,” and I adored “Suck It And See.” So to see the band go so slick and smooth felt, to me, like a total loss of principle. They may have been heading in that direction, but I didn’t think they would hit this point so quickly. This album is the direct opposite of their debut, and I find it hard to believe that these guys could truly mature this much in so few years. I will stick by this band, I’ll still see them if they come around this way, but I can’t see myself listening to “AM” again anytime soon.

If you like this, try: The new Queens of the Stone Age album I linked to, it’s another boring album by one of my all-time favorite bands.

-By Andrew McNally

The Boston Boys – “Keep You Satisfied”

(Photo Credit: TheBostonBoys.Bandcamp.com)

Grade: B+

The Boston Boys, operating out of New York but formed at Boston’s Berklee School of Music (not my alma mater, unfortunately), put a surprising amount of influence into an EP that’s roughly twenty minutes long. Though billed as a folk and americana band, The Boys show hints of bluegrass and soul, and even some country. The EP is diverse, showing broad appeal alongside a youthful energy and musical proficiency.

Opening track “Satisfied” packs a lot of energy into it’s folk and gospel roots, with some resounding vocals to boot. The band is consisted of Eric Robertson, Duncan Wickel, Josh Hari and Nicholas Falk, and all four are credited as singers. Second track “Amelia” mixes pop-like vocals with traditional folk guitar and violin, starting off melodic and slow before kicking up the tempo with some keyboard. “Endless Creation” has an incredibly catchy melody based around a couple different instruments, and some striking vocals. These help to save the song from some tired and overused lyrics. “Honeycomb” takes on much more of a country sound than heard previously, while still sneaking in a little blues. The band messes around a little with volume, keeping the song very quiet for segments before having stringed instruments kick back in for a quick rhythm. The final song, “Take Me Under,” is a ballad, and a prettier song than the first four. Although it too suffers from some overdone lyrics, it succeeds as an effective ballad and a soft finale.

The Boston Boys seem to be aiming for big audiences with their mistake-free blending of genres, and their proficiency might just lead them there. Despite having a limited number of songs (and this EP doesn’t come out until October), The Boston Boys were asked to perform as one of seven official bands on Obama’s re-election campaign. The Boys have a knack for bluegrass and folk, and they prove that on this EP. Its only faults are some tepid lyrics, and they are faults that are more than easy to overlook.

-By Andrew McNally

Okkervil River – “The Silver Gymnasium”

(Photo Credit: Paste Magazine)

Grade: B-

Key Tracks:”It Was My Season,” “Lido Pier Suicide Car”

The easiest thing to say about “The Silver Gymnasium” is that it does it’s job. A folk album that’s loosely based around the nostalgic concept of leaving one’s hometown comes in, has a number of varied tracks, and finishes. It’s unfortunate that this is being said of Okkervil River, because place this album a decade in the past and it would have been something really great. But Okkervil River might be a victim of their own creation. The band formed in 1998, long before the recent alt-folk revolution gave us Mumford & Sons, Laura Marling, Of Monsters and Men and what feels like two hundred other, largely great bands. Okkervil River used to be at the forefront of alt-folk, among the likes of fellow hold-outs Neko Case and pre-steriod addiction Wilco. The sounds conveyed on “The Silver Gymnasium” was a folk sound popular in the late ’90s. But with bands like Fleet Foxes now challenging the basic connotations of folk, this old sound is just a little outdated and a little boring.

But time should not be the main critique of quality, and there are some great songs on the album. Will Sheff’s voice is soothingly melodic, and matches the nostalgic tone perfectly. Opening track “It Was My Season” is so engagingly beautiful that almost anything that follows is set up for disappointment. Fellow stand-out “Lido Pier Suicide Car” serves as the album’s second-longest song, staying down tempo for long enough that its seconds away from becoming belaboring before kicking up the pace. And “Black Nemo” stands as a beautiful finale. These tracks, and a few others, are enough to still make the album a worthwhile listen, but there are a number of formulaic tracks. A fair amount of the album doesn’t quite feel original enough to exist in 2013, and a majority of the tracks aren’t really that memorable.

Okkervil River fans, and fans of late 90′s alt-folk will surely enjoy the album. Its nostalgic feel should connect with the band’s audience, many of whom can probably relate to leaving their hometowns. And in fact, the nostalgic tone might be why the album sounds a little tired. It could all be part of the concept. But even if it is, it isn’t an album for fans of the recent folk uprising. The concept works, and the never-indulgent personality Sheff displays works, it just isn’t easy to imagine revisiting the album after the first listen.

If you like this, try: the Neko Case album that’s reviewed directly underneath this!

-By Andrew McNally