writhaus

1 star

This record is the first record I was asked to review by someone. I totally admit new-school R&B music isn’t my thing. I’ve tried to be impartial, but I can’t help it. The Evolution of Robin Thicke is mostly garbage. Robin Thicke, the son of actor Alan Thicke, reminds me a little bit of Justin Timberlake, in that he sings in falsetto way too much. But even when he’s not singing in falsetto, he sounds like a wuss (for lack of a better word). While I was listening to the album, I couldn’t help but think about the field day Beavis & Butt-Head would have with Thicke.

The mostly cheesy lyrics bottom out in “Lost Without U”: “Tell me how u love me more and how u think Im sexy baby/That u dont want nobody else/U dont want this guy u dont want that guy/U wanna touch yourself when u see me/Tell me how u love my body.” Yes, all the lyrics are written in text language.

The musical sound is incredibly generic. It sounds like most of the R&B rubbish that dominates the charts nowadays. The opener, “Got 2 Be Down,” features Faith Evans and is perhaps the most generic of all. “I Need Love” sounds like that stupid McDonald’s jingle: “Ba-da ba ba ba. I’m lovin’ it.”

The record’s a little frustrating because it’s way too long. It’s also frustrating because Thicke shows some signs of potential. In “Ask Myself,” Thicke makes it clear he actually has a good voice. He’s almost Stevie Wonder-like in it. Why couldn’t he sound like that throughout this mess? “Wanna Love U Girl” features Pharrell and is funky and danceable, but the lyrics are very weak. “Can U Believe” is a well-written pop song, but Thicke’s vocal style ruins it. That high-pitched “Ooh” has to go. The two highlights of the album are “Everything I Can’t Have” and “Cocaine.” The former is a cool Latin song that is undeniably catchy. While listening to the latter, I found myself dancing around like an idiot in my living room. It’s great. The bottom line with this record, though, is don’t waste your time. Ba-da ba ba ba. I’m not lovin’ it.

Scale:
0. Shoot yourself
1. Poor
2. So-So
3. Good
4. Excellent
5. Instant classic

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3.5 stars

Modest Mouse maintains their trademark manic style during much of their latest release, We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank. The question is: Is their unique style still a novelty, or have we been there and done that? The answer is somewhere in between.

The opener, “March into the Sea,” makes it clear you’re listening to a Modest Mouse record. It’s followed, however, by the surprisingly accessible first single, “Dashboard,” that has my vote for Single of the Year so far. It’s very catchy, and it’s a blast. The lyrically fatalistic song sets the lyrical tone for the rest of the record. Most of the tracks have a “man, I used to be stupid” quality to the lyrics: “You gave me some sound advice but I wasn’t listening.”

Other than “Dashboard,” highlights from We Were Dead include “Missed the Boat,” which is about how stupid we are to think we know anything, “Parting of the Sensory,” “We’ve Got Everything,” and “Spitting Venom.”

Huge fans of Modest Mouse will enjoy this record. Others familiar with the band might be a little tired of the band’s sound. Modest Mouse certainly deserves respect for not selling out and continuing to be genuine, but they certainly are not as refreshing as they once were. It doesn’t help that this record is a long one. The once-common 62-minute record seems a little bloated by today’s standards. In general, though, Modest Mouse has put out a solid album here with many good songs.

Scale:
0. Shoot yourself
1. Poor
2. So-So
3. Good
4. Excellent
5. Instant classic

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2 stars

Clap Your Hands Say Yeah were the darlings of the indie scene for a hot second after the release of their self-titled debut in 2005. But the nasally and whiny voice of singer Alec Ounsworth has gotten old. The release of their second album, Some Loud Thunder, has made it clear that the novelty of this band has worn off.

The title track opens the record, and you think there’s something wrong with your stereo. There’s so much static that it seems like a mistake. Most of the songs wander aimlessly through space without much focus. The exception, however, is the best song on the album, “Satan Said Dance.” It has a steady, danceable beat with cool and weird noises scattered throughout in the background. It certainly is Clap Your Hands at their best. Two other songs help “Satan Said Dance” somewhat save this album: “Goodbye to Mother and the Cove” and “Underwater (You and Me).”

I would not recommend buying this album until you have heard the band for yourself. You either will hate Ounsworth’s voice or you will find it fresh and unique. Clap Your Hands Say Yeah certainly is an original band, but most of the good things they do are done better by someone else.

Scale:
0. Shoot yourself
1. Poor
2. So-So
3. Good
4. Excellent
5. Instant classic

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5 stars

This record is huge. Arcade Fire‘s sophomore album, Neon Bible, is the best album so far this year. This album is full of hopelessness, insecurity, and paranoia, which all have been written and sung about before. Arcade Fire, though, do it on a scale unmatched by any of their peers. And they somehow avoid any pretension, including when they sing in French.

The Montreal septet recorded Neon Bible in a church. The album, however, has little to do with religion. One exception is “(Antichrist Television Blues),” in which a Joe Simpson-like man reaches out to God and talks about his daughter: “Dear God, I’m a good Christian man… My girl’s 13, but she don’t act her age. She can sing like a bird in a cage. O Lord, if you could see her when she’s up on that stage!” Singer Win Butler channels the voice and style of Bruce Springsteen in this track with great success. Most of the time, though, Win wails as if he’s in front of a large and hopeless congregation. His mournful and pleading voice is reminiscent of David Byrne‘s voice, but his style is all his own.

Neon Bible features a sense of hopelessness only touched on slightly in the band’s 2004 debut, Funeral, which was also a masterpiece. The haunting opener to Neon Bible, “Black Mirror,” sets the tone brilliantly. Next comes the paranoia of “Keep the Car Running.” “Keep the Car Running’s” abrupt end is one of two such endings that brings a sense of uneasiness. The second song that has an abrupt ending is “(Antichrist Television Blues).” The silence between that song and the next song, “Windowsill,” is chilling. “Windowsill” is a phenomenal protest song. Butler, an American expatriate, is pretty direct in his message: “Don’t wanna fight in a holy war. Don’t want the salesmen knocking at my door. I don’t wanna live in America no more. ‘Cause the tide is high, and it’s rising still. And I don’t wanna see it at my windowsill.”

Neon Bible features some amazing lyrical imagery. Water and oceans are mentioned a lot, giving a distinct feeling of loneliness. “Black Wave/Bad Vibrations” conveys a feeling of dread. There’s the lonely “Ocean of Noise”: “Left in the morning while you were fast asleep into an ocean of violence, a world of empty streets.” And “The Well and the Lighthouse”: “So down I fell, down into the water black. My prison cell, only the moon was shining back.”

The band covers itself with “No Cars Go.” The song originally appeared on Arcade Fire’s self-titled first EP in 2003. The more-refined Neon Bible version has a slightly faster tempo, and it fits on the album perfectly. The finale, “My Body Is a Cage,” is a haunting track that crescendos to spine-tingling heights just when you think the record can’t get any better.

Win Butler’s wife and bandmate, Régine Chassagne, did much of the orchestral arrangements on the record, and they’re phenomenal. The organs and strings add so much depth to the music, especially in “Intervention” (also an exception to the religion thing). The extent of the depth they have rarely is seen in indie music. Arcade Fire is an extraordinarily talented band who have left their mark on the indie scene. Buy this record!

Scale:
0. Shoot yourself
1. Poor
2. So-So
3. Good
4. Excellent
5. Instant classic

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3 stars

Lily Allen has been popular in the UK since last year, and she finally has made it to this side of the pond. Allen’s debut album, Alright, Still, is a pop record with attitude. She’s a pop diva alternative music fans can appreciate.

Allen’s sass is evident on the record’s first single, “Smile.” It’s a catchy song, and the fact that her delivery is so nonchalant makes the lyrics sting that much more: “At first when I see you cry, it makes me smile… At worst I feel bad for a while, but then I just smile.” “LDN” features a saccharin melody and an affectionate, yet sarcastic take on life in London with enjoyable effect. “Alfie” is a big sister’s song to a little brother. It makes for a cute and fun song. “Oh, little brother, please refrain from doing that. I’m trying to help you out so can you stop being a twat.” Yes, she’s got a mouth on her, too.

The record does have its share of filler such as the lame “Friday Night.” I can’t remember, however, the last pop album that didn’t have a lot of filler. The lyrics are lame sometimes, but in general, this is a very refreshing pop record. The music can be interesting at times, including some good piano and horn work. You’ll be charmed by Allen’s cuteness and attitude. Keep it down, though, guys: “Oh my gosh you must be joking me if you think that you’ll be poking me.”

Scale:
0. Shoot yourself
1. Poor
2. So-So
3. Good
4. Excellent
5. Instant classic

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3.5 stars

The solo debut of The Strokes‘ rhythm guitarist, Albert Hammond, Jr., is a success. Yours To Keep is kind of like a throwback pop record in that the lyrical content mostly consists of love and sex, it has sunshiny melodies, and it’s simple rock music. Of course, it’s not considered pop music by today’s standards largely because the artist plays an instrument and writes the songs.

The intro to the first song, “Cartoon Music for Superheroes,” makes it hard to believe you’re not listening to a Beach Boys record. The majority of songs, however, including the second track, “In Transit,” are soaked with a Strokes vibe. Hammond’s voice reminds me of John Lennon‘s voice, especially on “Blue Skies.” That’s about where the comparison ends, though. Lennon’s son Sean actually sings backup on two songs. The Strokes’ singer, Julian Casablancas, sings backup with Sean Lennon on “Scared.” Like Sean Lennon, Hammond’s father was a musician. Hammond, Sr. was popular in the 1970s. His most famous song is probably “It Never Rains in Southern California.”

Yours To Keep is a fun album and easy to listen to. As one-fifth of The Strokes, the band whose 2001 debut, Is This It, is arguably the most important and influential release of the century so far, Hammond proves he can stand on his own. He does not break any ground or experiment much, although the horns at the end of “Hard To Live in the City” were a cool surprise, but he put together a memorable group of ditties here. Yours To Keep comes out March 6. It was released in the UK late last year, and I got my hands on that. The U.S. release will feature two bonus tracks and the video for “101.”

Scale:
0. Shoot yourself
1. Poor
2. So-So
3. Good
4. Excellent
5. Instant classic

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4 stars
Written 02/14/07

If you’re expecting a Gorillaz-like project from Damon Albarn, don’t come here. The debut from the most recent band he’s fronting is produced by Gnarls Barkley’s Danger Mouse and features Albarn (Blur, Gorillaz) on vocals and keyboards, Paul Simonon (The Clash) on bass, Simon Tong (The Verve) on guitar, and afrobeat pioneer Tony Allen on drums. The album is a melancholy and dreamlike offering. You will not put it on during a party.

The band officially has no name, but the industry generally has referred to them as the title of their album. The Good, the Bad & the Queen is mostly quiet and ghostly. Albarn calls it “scary, sad but optimistic.” The “optimistic” comes during the title track that closes the album. It’s as if they’ve saved all the volume until the end, with great effect.

The whole album, though, offers great musical depth, mostly in the form of Albarn’s pianos, organs, and keyboards. The active, yet minimalist bass of Simonon is often Clash-like. There’s a bit of rock, a bit of reggae, and a bit of a lot of other things. The band plays with surprising chemistry given the members’ different backgrounds. This is an album that gets better each time you hear it. It seems Albarn can do no wrong.

Scale:
0. Shoot yourself
1. Poor
2. So-So
3. Good
4. Excellent
5. Instant classic

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3 stars
Written 02/12/07

Fall Out Boy continues to lead the way in the pop-punk/emo genre. And they know it. “Make us the poster boys of your scene, but we are not making an acceptance speech.” Infinity on High is on the sugary side musically, but that’s no big surprise because it’s a pop-punk record. If you listen to it, you will get a song stuck in your head. It’s unavoidable.

The record is anchored by the first single, “This Ain’t a Scene, It’s an Arms Race.” The song itself is an interesting commentary on the pop-punk/emo scene. Most people either love it or hate it. It’s undeniably catchy, and I think it’s a great song.

Infinity on High breaks little to no ground as far as being innovative, but Fall Out Boy has put together a solid selection of songs here dealing with fame, sex, teen angst, and the music industry. It’s worth a listen.

Scale:
0. Shoot yourself
1. Poor
2. So-So
3. Good
4. Excellent
5. Instant classic

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4.5 stars
Written 02/08/07

With A Weekend in the City, Bloc Party proves their debut gem, Silent Alarm, was no fluke. Weekend brilliantly weaves tales of disconnect, discouragement, boredom, drug use, frustrations in love, racism, and being sentimental between loops of great post-punk melodies. A more mature Bloc Party has emerged with more musical depth and much more lyrical depth.

Though you may have to read many of the lyrics to understand what singer Kele Okereke is saying under his heavy British accent, you won’t be disappointed. Inspired by the plight of his 20-something friends who aren’t rock stars and the deteriorating state of London, Okereke wrote great lyrics. “Hunting for Witches” was motivated by the terrorist attacks in London on July 7, 2005. It opens musically with a feeling of disconnect, and the lyrics follow: “All reasonable thought is being drowned out by the non-stop baying for blood.”

The song with perhaps the biggest chance of becoming a smash hit, “I Still Remember,” curiously is buried in the album at track nine. It’s brilliant, though, because that’s where it fits musically and lyrically. Bloc Party made an album here; they did not make a series of songs. Of course, “I Still Remember” won’t be a hit in this country, except with alternative music fans. But in an age where Nickelback is getting awards for their work in the field of rock music, it’s a crime Bloc Party isn’t on the radar.

Another interesting note about the record is the apparent homosexual content in the lyrics. “I Still Remember” includes the lyrics “we left our trousers by the canal and our fingers they almost touched. You should have asked me for it. How could I say no? … I kept your tie.” Regardless of your sexual preference, however, you’ll enjoy the song.

A Weekend in the City has solidified Bloc Party as one of the best indie bands out there. Luckily there’s no sign of them slowing down. We should hear a lot more of these guys.

Scale:
0. Shoot yourself
1. Poor
2. So-So
3. Good
4. Excellent
5. Instant classic

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3.5 stars
Written 02/05/07

The Shins established themselves as college rock giants with 2003’s Chutes Too Narrow. The highly anticipated follow-up, Wincing the Night Away, is a solid album, but it’s not a masterpiece by any means. Whenever a band releases a masterpiece, which Chutes certainly was, the next record certainly will be held against it, however unfair that may be. It’s human nature.

The Shins’ third album, Wincing offers enough of the soaring melodies and bright and jangly guitar riffs to keep fans of their earlier music happy, but the record in general is much more experimental. In “Sealegs,” the Albuquerque, N.M., band experiments with prog rock of all things. “Red Rabbits” sounds Hawaiian. The vocals are filtered at times. Most of the different music styles work well. The exception is the haunting, yet boring song “Black Wave.”

The lyrics are obtuse for the most part. The album’s first single, “Phantom Limb,” is the highlight of the album melodically, but the lyrics are confusing. It still is the best song on the album. The overall feel the lyrics give can be described as sad and defeatist. “I felt like I could just fly but nothing happened every time I tried.” “There is a numbness in your heart and it’s growing.” The lyrics may resonate with just-out-of-college kids going through quarter-life crises discovering for the first time they may not attain their dreams.

You cannot help but feel enlightened and academic when you listen to The Shins’ music. You can put them on when your mom’s in the car, but they somehow retain a cool edge. So many times bands try to rewrite their masterpieces and fail. The Shins escaped that, and Wincing shows the band is willing to develop and experiment, while maintaining their trademark sound.

Scale:
0. Shoot yourself
1. Poor
2. So-So
3. Good
4. Excellent
5. Instant classic

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