Catching Up...

For a period of about 29 days just a bit ago, due to fairly ridiculous circumstances, I was completely cut off from the world. Internet, music, everything. Since re-entering reality I've been in a frenzy to get caught up on all the new releases, and having done so, now feel obligated to spout a few opinions off about them. It is worth noting that I only do full up reviews on albums that I feel may have slipped under the radar, or that I think I may have a unique perspective on. Every now and again though you might catch me doing a rough and tumble round up, kind of like what we have here:

Phoenix: Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix

A straight up pop record; a medium of which I'm a huge fan of. This is definitely more of heartbreak, yearning type pop however than your joyous release type stuff. On a first listen I thought of the Kooks, but drenched in a slick glaze of cool, for lack of a better way to describe it. It is smoother, more direct, and has a more uniquely interesting production. The great downfall of this album is all the songs (particularly on the second half) sounding much the same. When "Love Like A Sunset" comes on, your ears prick up, hoping that this is the point where the album will take a sudden turn into the interesting and unexplored. On the next track however they sink right back into the tedium.

Rating: 6.5/10
Best Tracks: "Lisztomania", "Lasso"


Grizzly Bear: Veckatimest

Did you enjoy 'Yellow House'? This record is, on the face, very much the same as the one that preceded it. The production hovers in about the same place, and the songwriting remains only sometimes immediately rewarding, and otherwise challengingly gorgeous. I doubt this will rope in new Grizzly Bear fans, as it is merely a progression along the same path as before, but it will certainly solidify old ones. The arrangements are endlessly complex, but subtle enough to never distract. The replay value from this record is almost ridiculous.

Rating: 8.5/10
Best Tracks: "Two Weeks", "Cheerleader", "About Face"


Dirty Projectors: Bitte Orca

A band with possibly the most challenging discography I can think of, somehow found a way to release an immediately accessible and enjoyable record without sacrificing any of the nuance that at one time made them so frustrating. As usual, the voices, arrangements and guitar playing are virtuosic. Only here, the strength of the songwriting equals the talents of the players. Still quirky and interesting at many points, but always endlessly rewarding.

Rating: 9/10
Best Tracks: "Temecula Sunrise", "The Bride", "Useful Chamber"


God Help The Girl: God Help The Girl

Basic summary: Stuart Murdoch makes a Belle & Sebastian album under a different name with mainly girl singers. This is basically your typical B&S, especially as far as the wordplay is concerned. The instrumentation however often takes on a much more classic, timeless feel, which sometimes make it sound more like something out of your Mom's record collection than an indie record; and thats not necessarily a bad thing. The variety of female vocals are a nice change up, as all the singers boast strong voices, and each bring a unique personality to a songwriter who we've all become more than accustomed too.

Rating: 7/10
Best Tracks: "God Help The Girl", "Pretty Eve In The Tub", "If You Could Speak"


Dinosaur Jr.: Farm

J. Mascis must have found the mythical fountain of street cred or something, cause no matter what these guys do it just always feels legit. I mean, how many bands after 20 years of recording are still pumping out albums as un-polished as Farm? And yet thats exactly how it has to be. To me, this is what bands like Nickelback and Daughtry or whatever should sound like. Playing straight ahead, gritty hard rock. And yet despite trying to come off this way, the majority of their fans end up being teenage girls. I guess thats what happens when you spend your time in a make-up booth instead of learning to rip like J. Regarding the album, to me it never quite hit the highs or acheived the energy of 'Beyond'. The longer numbers run a little long, and because the softer numbers are so nice there probably could have been more of them. That said however, this album rocks. "See You" is among the best work they've ever done.

Rating: 7.5/10
Best Tracks: "I Want You To Know", "Over It", "See You"