Tag Archives for B+

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 But with bands like Fleet Foxes now challenging the basic connotations of folk, this old sound is just a little outdated and a little boring.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

Neko Case – “The Worse Things Get, The Harder I Fight, The Harder I Fight, The More I Love You”

(Photo Credit: thelineofbestfit.com)

Grade: B+

Key Tracks: “Night Still Comes,” “Man”

The full title of singer-songwriter Neko Case’s sixth solo album is “The Worse Things Get, The Harder I Fight, The Harder I Fight, The More I Love You” and it fits the album perfectly. The album sends across mixed emotions, signs of inner conflicting demons. “The Worse Things Get” is displayed by poetic questionings of everything, even her own identity. “The Harder I Fight” comes through in blue collar folk songs with strong, subtle grit. “The More I Love You” is declared through hauntingly beautiful odes to lovers. The mixing of emotions does not signify a lack of a theme; in fact, it is the theme. The album’s three interchanging segments all feel temporary and imperfect, as if she’s holding herself together as long as she can, until some emotion takes her over. The lyrical result isn’t a mixed album, but full parts of a human. And Case dominates the album as the sole voice, only occasionally calling on help from other musicians.

The music is reflective of the lyrical conundrums. The album’s second track “Night Still Comes” is a beautiful and building indie-folk song, one that gets followed by the speedy and electric-driven “Man.” “Man” also serves as the album’s most poetic and frightfully questioning song. Indie-folk bands usually have albums that stretch out into varying tempos and accompanying instruments, but Case goes further than most. “Nearly Midnight, Honolulu” is an a capella, profanity-laden song. “Where Did I Leave That Fire” has an almost industrial and metrical feel to it, and the final three tracks are surprisingly upbeat, fun songs. The album is truly diverse musically. It’s only two faults are just a few too many saggy, subdued moments around the album’s middle, and the less-than-rewarding short lengths of most of the songs. But those are not nearly enough to tarnish the album.

The beauty of this album is the faintest subtext of grit and anger that plays under some beautiful music. There are a lot of conflicting pieces to this album, all of which come together and form an indecisive existence; a look inside a troubled person. At times fun, at times engaging, at times frustrating, it is what most singer-songwriters set out to do. It may have a few too many ideas, it isn’t completely memorable, and it may end a little too soon, but it is a beautifully wrapped folk album.

If you like this, try: Laura Marling’s “Once I Was An Eagle.” Entirely acoustic-based, but another varied album from a great singer-songwriter.

-By Andrew McNally

Arc & Stones – “Arc & Stones”

(Photo Credit: Arc & Stones Bandcamp)

Grade: B-

The debut EP from New York based band Arc & Stones doesn’t accomplish anything revolutionary, nor is it an extraordinary album. But each of the five tracks has just enough diversity, and just enough energy, to get stuck in your head. There is a catchy element to their music, and they use a combination of genres to flesh out what would otherwise be boring, rock songs. The band meshes rock, folk and soulful sounds to make five honest songs that sound kind of generic but have depth to them.

Opening track “Silence” spins the 90’s Black Crowes-inspired sound on its head by subtly building up sound and getting a little heavier than it seems. “Say Goodbye” greatly resembles some of the more radio-friendly 90’s rock bands like Collective Soul, building up from an acoustic rhythm to a big, fuzzy guitar ending. “Let Me Down” follows a piano and acoustic rhythm similar to the one that starts off “Say Goodbye,” largely staying in it before a bigger, group chorus at the end. “She’s Mine” is a louder track, bolstered by a bluesy guitar rhythm that adds some needed speed to the EP. Final track “Rise” is also centered an electric guitar rhythm, a catchier one. Every track is reminiscent of the folksy mid-90’s radio rock.

The band is consisted of Ben Cramer on lead guitar, Dan Pellarin on vocals and rhythm guitar, Joey Doino on drums and Eddy Bays on bass. Musically, they center more on a collective and friendly sound, and the unfortunate downside is that there isn’t much to speak of originality wise. The band does blend genres successfully, adding some emotion and soul to their more subdued moments, and it is more fine-tuned than most other bands of this nature. Pellarin’s lyrics, as evidenced by the song titles, aren’t anything that we haven’t heard already, but his voice is strong. Pellarin’s voice is soothing and honest, and he really adds the soul to the album, a needed diversity.

“Arc & Stones” isn’t overly memorable, but it is a promising debut release. The band might find their niche and gain a following. There are enough elements of rock, blues, folk and soul to keep the songs in your head for at least a little while afterwards. Part honest displays, part 90’s throwback, “Arc & Stones” might be the beginnings of a really good band.

If you like this, try: “Pyyramids” by Pyyramids (2013). Another decent debut from a band that shows a lot of potential.

-By Andrew McNally

Nine Inch Nails – “Hesitation Marks”

(Photo Credit: Consequence of Sound)

Grade: B+

Key Tracks: “Copy of A,” “Came Back Haunted”

The most immediate thing about “Hesitation Marks” is that Trent Reznor went through some changes in his time off from Nine Inch Nails. There’s no way of knowing what, but forming a band with his wife and winning, of all things, an Academy Award both seem to have livened him up, just a little. “Hesitation Marks” is distinctly a Nine Inch Nails record – lengthy, synth-based tracks with many layers of sound. But there is something gone, and it’s the gloom-and-doom feel. I hesitate to say it’s ‘missing’ because Reznor never really sounds like he’s trying to recapture it. Instead of lyrics about fear of religion and death and mutilation, there’s more inward songs about betrayal and personal responsibility. There may be keyboards and synthesizers abound, but the songs are more structured and sound more accessible than previous Nine Inch Nails records. Reznor did something no one saw coming. He made a rock album.

This isn’t a bad thing, either, because it works for the most part. The album starts off with a 52 second intro, before kicking off with two of the faster songs, “Copy of A” and “Came Back Haunted.” A majority of the songs hover in the 5-6 minute range and follow typical rock song structures. The songs generally get slower as the album goes on, before ending with a 1:29 instrumental outro. Reznor concocted a typical rock album, just one that lacks in guitar.

“Hesitation Marks” lacks the heaviness that is present on nearly all of his past albums. “The Downward Spiral” was one of the best albums of the 90’s because of it’s wicked and menacing layers of volume. “Ruiner” actually sounded like an empire collapsing, and “March of the Pigs” was a better punk song than most punk bands are capable of writing. The layers are present on “Hesitation Marks,” but the outward anger is gone, both lyrically and musically. Instead, we get a more early-80’s sound, like Reznor opening the door a bit for Depeche Mode. While it’s disappointing on paper, Reznor still pulls it off remarkably. The album drags at points, and it’s less memorable than most NIN records, but it is still its own great thing. This is a different side of Reznor, still angry but at different targets, and flirting with commercialism. And at 61 minutes long, there’s a lot of it to take in.

-By Andrew McNally

Franz Ferdinand – “Right Thoughts Right Words Right Action”

(Photo Credit: Wikipedia)

Grade: B+

Key Tracks: “Right Action,” “Love Illumination”

The easy way out is to say “This is another Franz Ferdinand album,” because it is. It’s a collection of short, fun blasts of alt-rock that meddle between catchy beats and artsy lyrics. But, like their previous “Tonight: Franz Ferdinand,” it does it’s part to separate itself from their less aimed first two albums. “Tonight: Franz Ferdinand” was a slight concept album, one that chronicled a successful one-night stand, in the typical glitzy and suave Franz Ferdinand fashion. “Right Thoughts, Right Words, Right Action” relies more on the music than the lyrics to stand out. The album goes above the bands that influenced it – something many European alternative bands seem to struggle to do. Early British alternative bands like the Cure and Joy Division had a huge impact on the genre, and bands still model themselves to sound like their predecessors. This album sees the band still embracing them, but branching out and expanding their sound with consistently great results.

Some tracks, like “Bullet” and leadoff single “Right Action” still capture the energy of their previous albums. The tracks are catchy and fast, almost resembling a friendlier version of the Hives (with equally nice suits). “Right Action”‘s speedy guitar is interspersed with some bass bumps, giving the song a truly catchy feel. But the band experiments more with tempo and structure. There’s nothing close to the experimental, synth freak-out of 2009’s “Lucid Dreams,” but there are distinct points of growth. “Treason! Animals.” resembles an epic, based around a central character. “Fresh Strawberries” sees Alex Kapranos get his most cynical yet, comparing us all to a fruit that will soon go bad. The brilliant finale of “Goodbye Lovers and Friends” is a final statement; “This is really the end” Kapranos sings. But it’s doubtful that this is the final Franz Ferdinand record, it’s probably just their snark peering out one last time.

The only real fault of this record is it’s length. After waiting four years for a new record, it’s a little disappointing to only get 35 minutes of music. It’s a lot of fun, though, and it’s a memorable record. It’ll probably take a few listens to get to really know, and it deserves them. Franz Ferdinand have, yet again, made a fun and danceable album of bouncy, alt-pop with some real hidden complexity. Let’s hope this trend continues.

If you like this, try: This is the third album this year from a popular, catchy indie band that branches out from what we’re used to. The other two – which don’t need a plug – are among my favorites of the year: Phoenix’s “Bankrupt!” and Vampire Weekend’s “Modern Vampires of the City”

-By Andrew McNally

Sarah Neufeld – “Hero Brother”

(Photo Credit: CST Records)

Grade: B

Key Tracks: “Hero Brother,” “Sprinter Fire”

It’s been three long years since Sarah Neufeld’s primary band has released an album, so the sporadically-overworked violinist of Arcade Fire decided to work solo. The result is a relaxed-sounding album that falls nicely in between traditional performance classical and indie rock experimentation. The album barely has any other sounds than Neufeld’s violin, accompanied only by keyboards and occasional vocal rhythms.

Neufeld never overworks herself like she does on some Arcade Fire tracks, instead taking a minimalistic approach to her songs. Nearly every song is just Neufeld with some slight music in the background, and in some moments everything drops out altogether. Her playing is often slower but experimental, finding just the right moment for a violin shriek or a repeated sequence that would sound very out of place in a traditional orchestra. There is a subdued element to the album, even if Neufeld’s playing doesn’t always sound like it.

I will say that I am not sure what the target audience for this release is. Arcade Fire die-hards like myself might enjoy it based on principle (go Sarah!), but it is not by any means an album for people just looking for indie rock. It is strictly instrumental and classical-inspired, resembling a school recital but on a grand scale. Fans of pre-Stravinsky classical music might not eat it up either, given its tendency not to shy away from rough rhythms. But it is a good listen, even if its audience is kind of a niche. Win Butler said he’d retire from music at 30, so if he actually holds true to that word, maybe we can get some more solo work from Sarah. “Hero Brother” is a solid instrumental album, with just enough experimentation to make it an entertaining, genre-blending work.

-By Andrew McNally

White Lies – “Big TV”

(Photo Credit: The Vinyl Scout)

Grade: B-

Key Tracks: “Big TV,” “There Goes Our Love Again”

There’s something inherently interesting about White Lies. On paper, they’re doing nothing original, but their albums are entrancing. There are plenty of bands today doing 80’s throwbacks – the Killers, Muse and Editors jump to mind. But White Lies can add enough depth to their songs to make them their own, and not just rehashed ballads that wouldn’t please Ian Curtis at all. Their third album sees little in the way of ambition, similar to 2010’s “Ritual.” And with an overabundance of ballads, it shouldn’t be an enjoyable record at all. But leave it to White Lies to be able to entice the listener to keep the album on for unexplainable reasons.

The beauty of White Lies’ simplicity is how they don’t simply rebrand 80’s alt-ballads. Every song on this album is synth-driven, to the point where it acts as a running narrative. But they also take the counter-counter-culture 80’s gloom, a la Depeche Mode and non-hair metal bands. The album exists as a blending of two 80’s sounds, many years too late. Still more, they often add guitar crunch and painfully reflecting lyrics to kick it into today’s world. For music that sounds easy and repetitive, there are always a few things going on.

“Death” is easily the most ambitious song from the band. Sadly, it is the first track on their first album. With each album, they’ve relied more and more on this formula. While it still proves successful, the band is starting to drag. There are too many slow songs here. They’re broken up nicely by a few up-tempo songs, and two short instrumental interludes, a first for the band. But the album can’t help but feel a little bloated. While still entirely listenable, it begs the question of how long the band will be able to keep this going without getting too boring. Or too spacey. The album sounds more spacey, like Muse at their peak, before they too got too bloated and boring.

Still, the album is an intriguing listen, because White Lies are one of the few bands today that can pull off an album like “Big TV” and get away with it. It’s inexplicably enjoyable, though very faulted. The ballads come too early and too often, and many are forgettable on their own. As an album, though, each song works, and it results in a nice, somewhat easy listen.

If you like this, try: “Given to the Wild” by the Maccabees (2012), another album of largely down-tempo songs that’s still totally enjoyable.

-By Andrew McNally

Earl Sweatshirt – “Doris”

(Photo Credit: Pitchfork)

Grade: B

Key Tracks: “Chum,” “Whoa”

Everyone knows what made “The Silence of the Lambs” one of the scariest films ever. Little of the movie’s horror was in the face of the viewer, but infiltrated the mind instead. And it was driven home by the powerful believability of the actors. Earl Sweatshirt’s full-length debut, “Doris,” exists in much of the same way. He was the rising star of Odd Future when the group took a sharp and sudden rise to fame in 2010, and was a promising rapper in an otherwise passable group. His mysterious disappearance and fall from the public eye left the spotlight open for Tyler, the Creator and Frank Ocean instead, both of whom capitalized on it. His first EP, “Earl,” saw brutal tales of murder and a violent life, much in the Odd Future way of over-exploitation and disgustingly perverse gore in the lyrics. It was a lot, but with Sweatshirt’s capabilities, he pulled it off.

“Doris” is just as frightening of a record. But Sweatshirt leaves the restraint of Tyler, the Creator and gets into the listener’s mind, lyrically and musically. Sweatshirt raps often about growing up without his father, and how he feels he should be angrier about it than he actually is. And he raps about dealing with drug use, a possible cause for his disappearance (he is only 19 now, placing him at 16-17 then). Sweatshirt is a conflicted man, and he easily brings his mental anguish onto the record for us all to experience. His short songs and drone music accompany an often low-key style of rapping that sounds like he might be phoning it in, but really, he is so wrapped up in his own problems that he can’t work through them well enough to deliver what fans might expect. It might be added effect, it might not be, but like watching Anthony Hopkins and Jodie Foster, it doesn’t really matter. It’s effective enough as is.

Only two of the album’s fifteen tracks stretch over four minutes. No idea sticks around long, adding to the effect of Earl spouting out ideas and stopping when he can’t find resolutions. And musically, although the albums switches handily from beats to horns, etc, there is a constant drone feeling, a slight feeling of dread hanging over it. The music is often as low-key as the rapping. A plethora of guest stars tend to keep it cool, too. RZA flies off a bit (in an entertaining way), but Frank Ocean, Vince Staples, Mac Miller and many others contribute to the album’s tone. He even keeps the asinine Tyler, the Creator from flying off the handles and (relatively) keeps his profane manner down. One of the album’s best songs is “Whoa,” the second of two tracks with Tyler, that features both of them playing it cool over a unique, vocal beat.

“Doris” is not really revolutionary, and it does jump around a little frequently. Sometimes, it’s deeply honest and affecting. Sometimes, it’s tough to follow. But it is a narrative, and a brutal telling of a man who has too many problems for someone of his age. When the audience first sees Hannibal Lecter, he is locked in his cell, in a very mentally scary shot. “Doris” is a cell for Earl, and it is an album that sticks out more in the mind than in the gut. And for this, it’s more grounded and affecting than Odd Future could ever be.

If you like this, try: “Twelve Reasons to Die (The Brown Tape)” by Ghostface Killah (2013). An alternate version of his album from the spring that adds a minimalistic production. It also has a narrative feel, though one that goes more for the gut.

-By Andrew McNally

The Civil Wars – “The Civil Wars”

(Photo Credit: Rolling Stone)

Grade: B+/A-

Key Tracks: “The One That Got Away,” “Devil’s Backbone”

A band name and bleak album cover have never sounded so apropos, as the Civil Wars release their second album amid public fighting. The folksy duo of Joy Williams and John Paul White have been having trouble making their partnership work lately, something that has not been kept secret from the media’s eye. While it is awful to have a group – especially a duo – struggling to make their magic work, the resulting product is a beautifully tormented album of folksy sadness and acoustic ballads. Whatever is happening over at the Civil Wars home base, they have pushed through to release music as planned, and although only some of the tension seeps through the album, we’re left with a whole album of strung together painful memories and broken hearts, always sounding beautiful and never too mellow or self-indulgent.

Save two covers – Etta James’ “Tell Mama” and a surprising, lyric-only cover of the Smashing Pumpkins’ “Disarm” – Williams and White share writing duties on every song (alongside a few other names). Williams seems to get a majority of the vocal duties, however, getting many moments to shine her powerful and remorseful voice. Parts of “Tell Mama” have the instruments cut out almost entirely behind Williams’ singing. White still gets his moments. Closer “D’Arline” sees him expanding his vocal wings too. Some tracks, like single “From This Valley,” feature some beautiful harmonies ripped right out of a CSNY song. Both singers have strong voices, ones that can intensify the sadness and the internal tension.

“The Civil Wars” is very light on music. Few songs feature more than an acoustic guitar and violin, if even the latter. This album is low-key folk to the max (or better yet, the min), focusing on the strength of the vocals and lyrics. Luckily, the tempos are constantly switched out. The album is never too slow, bolstered by a pleasant number of faster tracks. People that are not too into the light nature of the album might find it tedious by the end, but it stands as a beautiful piece of folk art that maintains a message without overstaying it’s welcome. “The Civil Wars” might be the most accurate album title of the year. Let’s hope they can work through everything and keep going.

If you like this, try: I don’t need to plug this band, but Fleet Foxes. Both albums of theirs are more harmonized, folksy sadness, albeit with a little more instrumentation.

-By Andrew McNally

The Polyphonic Spree – “Yes, It’s True”

(Photo Credit: Glide Magazine)

Grade: B+

Key Tracks: “Popular By Design,” “Blurry Up the Lines”

“Yes, It’s True” is the fourth album from the vocal-heavy choral-pop-rock band, a genre that is a lot more conventional and a lot less gospel-influenced than it sounds. The Polyphonic Spree currently sits at twenty members, although the album does at times resemble a normal-sized group. The album is heavy on engrossing music and light on inspiring lyrics, but is frequently worthwhile. Former Tripping Daisy frontman Tim DeLaughter is in total control on this album, perhaps even too much. The collective playing behind him is under his spell, following him through his mixed influences.

The album always falls closer to pop than any other genre. Each track plays out like a typical single from one of DeLaughter’s inspirations, from the Beach Boys to Bright Eyes. “Single” is the important word there, though, because every song on the album is “single” standard. In fact, the album’s lead-off single, “You Don’t Know Me,” is not among the album’s better songs. The music on the album is often standard, fun vocal pop. It is a market that has been tapped many times before, but as long as the product is catchy and retains a little depth, it can be done again and again. There are a few tracks were DeLaughter does a back-and-forth in the chorus, exchanging solo lines with group lines from the musicians. It’s all very fun and inspired. The final track, “Battlefield,” ends with an extended synth fade-out that is meant to sound ominous, but almost comes off as anticipation for wanting to record another album.

Lyrically, the album doesn’t hold up nearly as well. Track titles like “Carefully Try” and “Let Them Be” don’t prepare to offer much lyrically. There is nothing more than basic pop poetry here, which can get repetitive. They even sound less inspired alongside the music. It’s rarely an issue, because the album has enough good spirit to make up for this. Also, pop albums nowadays do not seem to be expected to be poetic masterpieces, so it’s expected in a warped way.

Twenty-piece choral-pop groups are hard to come by, but The Polyphonic Spree are doing something right. They may be a collective – their ‘former members’ page on Wikipedia includes forty-five people, one of them being Annie Clark from St. Vincent – but they are having fun in the studio. And when it comes down to it, that is the key to a successful pop group. Things might not work, but if the listener believes enough in the band, they can look past it. And it is very easy to surpass the faults on “Yes, It’s True” and just enjoy the ride.

If you like this, try: “Here” (2012), the second album by Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeroes. The best of their three, and one that includes a surprising variation of influences into a collective effort.

-By Andrew McNally