Cloud Nothings - Attack on Memory (Carpark Records/Wichita)
Japandroids - Celebration Rock (Polyvinyl)
Titus Andronicus - Local Business (XL)
Grizzly Bear - Shields (Warp)
Tame Impala - Lonerism (Modular)
The Men - Open Your Heart (Sacred Bones)
Swans - The Seer (Young God)
The Walkmen - Heaven (Fat Possum/Bella Union)
Godspeed You! Black Emperor - Allelujah! Don't Bend! Ascend! (Constellation)
Kendrick Lamar - good kid, m.A.A.d city (Interscope)
Showing posts with label albums. Show all posts
Showing posts with label albums. Show all posts
Sunday, 30 December 2012
Sunday, 17 June 2012
Reviews>> Smashing Pumpkins - Oceania (EMI/Martha's Music)
In the five years that have passed since The Smashing Pumpkins’ last studio
album, Zeitgeist, was released, there
have been numerous line-up changes. Most obvious of course, being the departure
of original drummer Jimmy Chamberlin, who was replaced by 22-year-old Mike
Byrne, a long-time Pumpkins fan. Unlike on Zeitgeist,
rhythm guitar and bass duties weren’t supplied by band leader Billy Corgan, but
by Jeff Schroeder, who’s a somewhat veteran in the band, having been there since
live shows in 2007, and Nicole Fiorentino, formerly of Spinerette and Veruca Salt fame,
respectively. This therefore makes Oceania
the first full band release for the Pumpkins, since 1995’s colossal double
album, Mellon Collie & the Infinite
Sadness, which incidentally, Corgan had claimed that Oceania would be their finest effort since then.
Over their long career, the Pumpkins have always fused
together an amalgam of different genres and this release is no different,
taking a trip through different stages of their career, from arena rock to prog
to dream pop and electronica. It isn’t a completely new sound for the Pumpkins,
a couple of songs could be found at home on earlier releases, but it is an
attempt to make its own mark in the Pumpkins vault, rather than rehashing past
glories.
Opener “Quasar” hits you early on, with its pounding drums
and soaring arena-ready guitars, whilst the ensuing “Panopticon” continues
where its predecessor left off. The new wave “Pinwheels” could well be the “1979”
of the album, a beautiful dreamlike composition comprised of floaty guitars and
atmospheric-synths. The title track is the Pumpkins at their grandest and most
ambitious; an epic, evolving nine-minute journey through dreamy space rock,
progressive rock, acoustic balladry and funky basslines. Ballads “My Love is Winter” and “Violet Rays”
are melodically beautiful, whilst “The Chimera” and “Inkless” revisit the early
Pumpkins, with their fuzzy, heavy progressive riffs. “Pale Horse” is a futuristic
space rock odyssey. It does tail off
towards the end with “Wildflower,” but with listening to the album all the way through,
it is worth enduring.
Overall, it’s a great return from The Smashing Pumpkins, but
it’s also a great prologue for them to continue off on their next release.
8/10
Tuesday, 8 May 2012
Reviews>>Silversun Pickups - Neck of the Woods (Dangerbird)
Lead off single “Bloody Mary (Nerve Endings)” may carry the name of a teenage horror movie urban legend, but its melodic synths and cinematic dream pop gives it that scary and unsettling feel, whilst the industrial “Make Believe” shows a different side to their sound. “Here We Are (Chancer)” carries Aubert’s mysterious, ghostly vocals over a mellow drum-machine beat. “Simmer“ is the album’s seven minute prog epic, “The Pit” has 80s synth-pop in the style of Depeche Mode and haunting basslines from Nikki Monninger, “Gun Shy Sunshine” generates jangly riffs and reverb, whilst “Busy Bees” is Ok Computer territory Radiohead. The gothic “Mean Spirits” is their most Pumpkin-esque track on the album, an amalgam of arena-heavy wall of sound guitars and powerful drumming courtesy of Christopher Guanlao. Final track “Out of Breath” is pretty much usual Pickups territory with its driving atmospheric guitars and robotic drum work.
If Silversun Pickups have long been compared to 90s alt-rock legends My Bloody Valentine and Smashing Pumpkins, then Neck of the Woods shows that they have moved into a new direction, following M83 into incorporating electronica into their sound. It is a beautiful flow of trancelike electronica, that shows the quartet are unafraid of trying something new with their sound and are able to tackle a variety of styles successfully.
8/10
Thursday, 26 January 2012
Top 5>>Underrated Albums
Pavement//Slanted & Enchanted (1992)
Though this wasn’t considered underrated due to its lavished critical praise, it received a perfect 10 that Nadia Comaneci would be proud of in the NME, it is the thought of Pavement not receiving the coverage they thoroughly deserve that makes it so underrated. Their inspirational debut helped shape 90s alternative America and the lo-fi slacker generation. Stephen Malkmus’ obscure, hilarious and sarcastic lyrics helped turn Pavement into an influence on their contemporaries, including Weezer, Beck and Guided By Voices, and they were the sound of generation-xers who were wondering what to do with their lives. Despite this, their music still refuses to merge with the mainstream masses despite such phenomenal albums, including Slanted & Enchanted and follow up Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain. They deserve the same mass recognition that the critics have realised since the band’s conception and Slanted & Enchanted should be a household name to all music fans.
The Shins//Wincing the Night Away (2007)
Arguably The Shins’ finest hour, this bittersweet indie pop release from Albuquerque’s finest was not given the attention it deserved. Though, with “Turn On Me”, they briefly reached mainstream approval, it wasn’t enough to launch them into the big leagues. James Mercer’s cryptic lyrics are sometimes hard to understand, but sounding so good, as “Australia” and “Split Needles” do, it doesn’t really matter to the listener. Despite consistently releasing quality albums, The Shins continue to hide in the background, while some of their less illustrious colleagues reap the mainstream rewards.
Titus Andronicus//The Monitor (2010)
New Jersey’s Titus Andronicus, named after the William Shakespeare play, produced one of 2010’s underrated classics. This epic and ambitious concept album, is set amongst the American Civil War as a metaphor for the trials and tribulations of modern day New Jersey. Borrowing heavily from Bruce Springsteen’s and Billy Bragg’s sound, but still sounding original and iconoclastic, it is a drunken and rebellious rollercoaster ride through a turbulent era. Including recreated speeches from Abraham Lincoln, Jefferson Davis, William Lloyd Garrison and Walt Whitman, it sounded completely different to any other of 2010’s releases.
The Replacements//Tim (1985)
You may not know it, but The Replacement’s Tim was one of the most important releases in American alternative rock. Though they never had any commercial success, they helped influence a new generation of musicians. They were the first American underground rock band to sign to a major label in the eighties, before R.E.M and Husker Du, with Tim being the result. “Hold My Life”, “Bastards of Young” and “Left of the Dial” are voice-of-a-generation anthems, the sounds of suburban alienation and despair, whilst the balladry of “Swingin’ Party”, with its self-deprecating twist of hopelessness and insecurity, was an early footprint for the grunge sound. The success of Tim inspired many of their contemporaries to follow their lead, with the album influencing countless bands and also acted as the template for the alternative rock explosion in the 1990s.
Sunny Day Real Estate//How It Feels to be Something On (1998)
In the nineties, while most of Seattle was gripped by flannel shirts and the grunge sounds of Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Alice in Chains and Soundgarden, Sunny Day Real Estate were busy putting emo rock onto the map. Third album How It Feels to be Something On, recorded after their reunion, was their defining moment. Whilst the band had split up briefly, drummer William Goldsmith and bassist Nate Mendel were acquired by Dave Grohl for his new project Foo Fighters, but Goldsmith returned to appear on this album, though Mendel did not and was replaced by Jeff Palmer. The spiritual feel of the record is both discouraging and uplifting, while the album’s sound, a mixture between art rock and progressive rock, is almost trancelike. It is a collection of songs that flow coherently and is hard to find fault amongst the album. It was also one of the best albums of a highly nostalgic and creative decade and certainly an important and influential album for the ensuing decade.
Though this wasn’t considered underrated due to its lavished critical praise, it received a perfect 10 that Nadia Comaneci would be proud of in the NME, it is the thought of Pavement not receiving the coverage they thoroughly deserve that makes it so underrated. Their inspirational debut helped shape 90s alternative America and the lo-fi slacker generation. Stephen Malkmus’ obscure, hilarious and sarcastic lyrics helped turn Pavement into an influence on their contemporaries, including Weezer, Beck and Guided By Voices, and they were the sound of generation-xers who were wondering what to do with their lives. Despite this, their music still refuses to merge with the mainstream masses despite such phenomenal albums, including Slanted & Enchanted and follow up Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain. They deserve the same mass recognition that the critics have realised since the band’s conception and Slanted & Enchanted should be a household name to all music fans.
The Shins//Wincing the Night Away (2007)
Arguably The Shins’ finest hour, this bittersweet indie pop release from Albuquerque’s finest was not given the attention it deserved. Though, with “Turn On Me”, they briefly reached mainstream approval, it wasn’t enough to launch them into the big leagues. James Mercer’s cryptic lyrics are sometimes hard to understand, but sounding so good, as “Australia” and “Split Needles” do, it doesn’t really matter to the listener. Despite consistently releasing quality albums, The Shins continue to hide in the background, while some of their less illustrious colleagues reap the mainstream rewards.
Titus Andronicus//The Monitor (2010)
New Jersey’s Titus Andronicus, named after the William Shakespeare play, produced one of 2010’s underrated classics. This epic and ambitious concept album, is set amongst the American Civil War as a metaphor for the trials and tribulations of modern day New Jersey. Borrowing heavily from Bruce Springsteen’s and Billy Bragg’s sound, but still sounding original and iconoclastic, it is a drunken and rebellious rollercoaster ride through a turbulent era. Including recreated speeches from Abraham Lincoln, Jefferson Davis, William Lloyd Garrison and Walt Whitman, it sounded completely different to any other of 2010’s releases.
The Replacements//Tim (1985)
You may not know it, but The Replacement’s Tim was one of the most important releases in American alternative rock. Though they never had any commercial success, they helped influence a new generation of musicians. They were the first American underground rock band to sign to a major label in the eighties, before R.E.M and Husker Du, with Tim being the result. “Hold My Life”, “Bastards of Young” and “Left of the Dial” are voice-of-a-generation anthems, the sounds of suburban alienation and despair, whilst the balladry of “Swingin’ Party”, with its self-deprecating twist of hopelessness and insecurity, was an early footprint for the grunge sound. The success of Tim inspired many of their contemporaries to follow their lead, with the album influencing countless bands and also acted as the template for the alternative rock explosion in the 1990s.
Sunny Day Real Estate//How It Feels to be Something On (1998)
In the nineties, while most of Seattle was gripped by flannel shirts and the grunge sounds of Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Alice in Chains and Soundgarden, Sunny Day Real Estate were busy putting emo rock onto the map. Third album How It Feels to be Something On, recorded after their reunion, was their defining moment. Whilst the band had split up briefly, drummer William Goldsmith and bassist Nate Mendel were acquired by Dave Grohl for his new project Foo Fighters, but Goldsmith returned to appear on this album, though Mendel did not and was replaced by Jeff Palmer. The spiritual feel of the record is both discouraging and uplifting, while the album’s sound, a mixture between art rock and progressive rock, is almost trancelike. It is a collection of songs that flow coherently and is hard to find fault amongst the album. It was also one of the best albums of a highly nostalgic and creative decade and certainly an important and influential album for the ensuing decade.
Wednesday, 28 December 2011
Best of 2011: The Albums
Mastodon - The Hunter (Roadrunner)//The Atlanta quartet took another quantam leap in 2011, with the excellent The Hunter. Brann Daillor's powerful percussion are the album's driving force, alongside the heavy guitar work, that even the most Mastodon novice can head-bang to. You don't even have to be a metal fan to enjoy this.
Fucked Up - David Comes to Life (Matador)//Described as a "rock opera", the Canadian punks' concept record was one of the years' highlights. It's catchy, it's fun, it's hardcore, but it's also downright brilliant. The ambition of the record pays off and gives the six-piece a deserved masterpiece.
The Antlers - Burst Apart (Transgressive)//When mentioning The Antler's Burst Apart, it's hard to see a review that doesn't mention ther previous masterpiece, Hospice. Whilst this album probably isn't on the same level, it is still a terrific album which shows why the New Yorkers are one of the most underrated bands around at the moment. It's heartbreaking atmosphere yet elegant production, will break your heart, yet still requires repeated listens.
PJ Harvey - Let England Shake (Island)//Album of the year from 13 different publications and Mercury Music Prize winner, it was hard to argue against the success and critical praise that Polly Jean Harvey received. Written through emotions of anger and passion, it is Harvey's best work to date of an impressive back catalogue. Powerful and deeply layered, bloody and bruised, it tells of England being built on bloodshed and battles.
M83 - Hurry Up, We're Dreaming (naïve)//A double album is always a shaky ground to tread; it could either be a grim prospect of a twin dose of boredom or a generous extended reward for the listener. Thankfully, Anthony Gonzalez (aka M83) gives us the latter. It's breathtaking force and grace travels through a dreamy experience, which is gradually culminating to a resounding climax. It's an ambitious album and one that will put Gonzalez on a much grander pedestal.
Fucked Up - David Comes to Life (Matador)//Described as a "rock opera", the Canadian punks' concept record was one of the years' highlights. It's catchy, it's fun, it's hardcore, but it's also downright brilliant. The ambition of the record pays off and gives the six-piece a deserved masterpiece.
The Antlers - Burst Apart (Transgressive)//When mentioning The Antler's Burst Apart, it's hard to see a review that doesn't mention ther previous masterpiece, Hospice. Whilst this album probably isn't on the same level, it is still a terrific album which shows why the New Yorkers are one of the most underrated bands around at the moment. It's heartbreaking atmosphere yet elegant production, will break your heart, yet still requires repeated listens.
PJ Harvey - Let England Shake (Island)//Album of the year from 13 different publications and Mercury Music Prize winner, it was hard to argue against the success and critical praise that Polly Jean Harvey received. Written through emotions of anger and passion, it is Harvey's best work to date of an impressive back catalogue. Powerful and deeply layered, bloody and bruised, it tells of England being built on bloodshed and battles.
M83 - Hurry Up, We're Dreaming (naïve)//A double album is always a shaky ground to tread; it could either be a grim prospect of a twin dose of boredom or a generous extended reward for the listener. Thankfully, Anthony Gonzalez (aka M83) gives us the latter. It's breathtaking force and grace travels through a dreamy experience, which is gradually culminating to a resounding climax. It's an ambitious album and one that will put Gonzalez on a much grander pedestal.
Friday, 31 December 2010
theAmp's Albums of 2010
It's been another busy year in the music world, but there have been some gems been released and here's theAmp's pick of the bunch.
The National - High Violet//Although you could say it was somewhat an inferior comeback to 2007's excellent 'Boxer', album no.5 was the one to bring The National to escalating heights. The deep emotional lyircs of Matt Berginer, both feel uplifting and heartbreaking at the same time. A deserved placing into the mainstream for the hardworking New York quintet.
Titus Andronicus - The Monitor//The probable only way to describe Titus Andronicus is 'Bruce Springsteen brawling with The Pogues in 19th century America' however that will still only get you half-way there! The New Jersey literates once again bring their druken, punk energy to the front of their sound, which mixes from eccentric guitar solos, to slow, moving tracks. They probably recorded the most expansive album of the year, which was based on the American Civil War, featuring the readings of Abraham Lincoln, Walt Witman and even a bagpipe solo.
Arcade Fire - The Suburbs//Although an album with 16 tracks, does look like it would be filler material, Arcade Fire manage to somehow produce an album where every track is great. Unlike 'Funeral' and 'Neon Bible', where there were a few outstanding tracks sublemented with weak tracks, there is no weak track here on The Suburbs. A triumphant year for the Montreal band, with headline appearances at Reading and Leeds and a sold out arena tour, the pressure will be on them to deliver another masterpiece next time around.
Fang Island - Fang Island//"The sound of everyone high-fiving everyone" is how this energetic lo-fi band describe themselves, and with their energy and creativism it's hard to argue otherwise. It's been a year of the lo-fi revival, and while some bands have been bland, Fang Island have been a fresh air amongst the crowded market and certainly stood out.
Vampire Weekend - Contra//Contra seemed to have an adverse effect on Vampire Weekend. While it didn't ooze the same mainstream sound as their self-titled debut, it managed to propel them to new heights and went number one on the billboard charts in the native US of A. They experimented more than the previous with reggae, reverb and harps, but once again they lead the pack of chasers of their peers.
The National - High Violet//Although you could say it was somewhat an inferior comeback to 2007's excellent 'Boxer', album no.5 was the one to bring The National to escalating heights. The deep emotional lyircs of Matt Berginer, both feel uplifting and heartbreaking at the same time. A deserved placing into the mainstream for the hardworking New York quintet.
Titus Andronicus - The Monitor//The probable only way to describe Titus Andronicus is 'Bruce Springsteen brawling with The Pogues in 19th century America' however that will still only get you half-way there! The New Jersey literates once again bring their druken, punk energy to the front of their sound, which mixes from eccentric guitar solos, to slow, moving tracks. They probably recorded the most expansive album of the year, which was based on the American Civil War, featuring the readings of Abraham Lincoln, Walt Witman and even a bagpipe solo. 
Arcade Fire - The Suburbs//Although an album with 16 tracks, does look like it would be filler material, Arcade Fire manage to somehow produce an album where every track is great. Unlike 'Funeral' and 'Neon Bible', where there were a few outstanding tracks sublemented with weak tracks, there is no weak track here on The Suburbs. A triumphant year for the Montreal band, with headline appearances at Reading and Leeds and a sold out arena tour, the pressure will be on them to deliver another masterpiece next time around.
Fang Island - Fang Island//"The sound of everyone high-fiving everyone" is how this energetic lo-fi band describe themselves, and with their energy and creativism it's hard to argue otherwise. It's been a year of the lo-fi revival, and while some bands have been bland, Fang Island have been a fresh air amongst the crowded market and certainly stood out. 
Vampire Weekend - Contra//Contra seemed to have an adverse effect on Vampire Weekend. While it didn't ooze the same mainstream sound as their self-titled debut, it managed to propel them to new heights and went number one on the billboard charts in the native US of A. They experimented more than the previous with reggae, reverb and harps, but once again they lead the pack of chasers of their peers. Tuesday, 21 September 2010
Review>>Interpol - Interpol
Interpol - Interpol (Co-op)
In the three years since the release of “Our Love to Admire,” the New York pessimists have suffered a dramatic downward turn in momentum, from what looked like a placing on the world’s main stage, resulting towards a belief that the band are starting again from scratch.The self-titling of the new record will intensify those beliefs, whilst the loss of key bassist Carlos Dengler is a huge hole to fill. Fortunately, Dengler was around for the recording of the album and despite all the gloom surrounding the release, it means he leaves the band with them heading back to form.
Returning from a solo album under the guise of ‘Julian Plenti,’ front man Paul Banks’ distinctive, cynical vocals are again at the forefront of the band’s sound. This is particularly evident in Try It On, where he yearns for his love’s return, letting his emotions get the better of him through a bundle of expletives. All of the Ways, however, is the opposite; a cold and seething disgust evident in his vocals, as he demands “Tell me you’re mine.” On the album’s standout and most diverse track, The Undoing, Banks shows off his vocal range by breaking-out into Spanish mid-way, further deepening the gloomy outlook of the atmosphere, combining with the Church organs and brass background echo.
Banks isn’t the only standout, with lead guitarist Daniel Kessler producing several riffs that make him the key element in the band’s sound, for the first time in their back catalogue. In the album’s most mainstream sound, Barricade, Kessler’s guitar floats off in its own simultaneous direction, while the stomping drums imprinted in the chorus will make it a live favourite. In pre-album teaser Lights, Kessler’s guitar work once again leads the listener to their impending doom of the song’s brooding darkness; which brings rewards through repeated listens, whilst Safe Without is a classic riff gradually built up alongside a hypnotic emotion.
The synthesizers of Always Malaise (The Man I Am) wouldn’t look out of place in 1980s horror movies, whilst the bleak pianos lurk towards a cold and bitter winter ahead, with the robotic drumming of Samuel Fogarino culminating in a late surge in tempo. Dengler’s work will be missed as heard through the haunting, atmospheric bass of Memory Serves, the calm stroll in Summer Well and Success is Interpol at their menacing best, with the reverb guitar work complimenting the thumping build up of the bass.
On this evidence, Dengler will be a loss to the band; however they clearly have the flair to survive without him, suggesting a guitar-based sound coming to the fore.
7/10
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