musicguyposts-blog

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(2/2) Panda is a song you'd be hard-pressed to avoid, but on his debut ep, Desiigner manages to escape the repetition of panda into some really interesting flows. Despite the nearly impossible to understand nature of Desiigner's vocals, his confidence makes sure you know he's actually killing it, and you just don't know it. However, this record sounds incredibly single focused, leaving me wanting some more song diversity. 7.4/10

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DOUBLE REVIEW Because I've been relative dormant, here's two for one APHEX TWIN-CHEETAH Aphex Twin's music is always weird and erratic and close to glitch and break than to idm. On this ep, RDJ makes the shift from unpredictable and often confusing songs to the solid flow of idm, a shift that leads to some amazing shifts in sound, many of which for the better. The record mixes booming bass lines with snaking melodies and syncopated rhythms. 8.3/10

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When I first listened to DIIV’s sophomore album, I was worried that it would face the same pitfalls as many records this and last year-homogeneity. Every single song sounding the same seems sweet if your format is solid and your sound is unique, but I quickly tire of records with as much song diversity as metal machine music (i.e. not much). This is where Is the Is Are triumphs. Despite being a guitar-led dream pop album, it still manages to keep switching up song styles and structures, keeping the record interesting enough to warrant its 17-track length.

Of course there’s standout tracks. Songs like Bent (Roi’s Song) and Incarnate Devil start with a whirlwind rush of drums and guitar (think “Only Shallow”, sans vacuum cleaner) to build into a frenzy-pitch chorus, creating shoegaze-esque walls of noise beneath the excited surface. On these (and pretty much all) tracks, Cole’s singing is subdued, but fits the music perfectly.

Then there’s Mire (Grant’s Song). It starts with a slow ascent which segues into a slightly noisy jam that perfectly fits the record. That’s what DIIV does right. Every single song feels like it has some place in the record. My only complaints about this record are the relatively insignificant vocal presence (which honestly isn’t too bad) and the fact that all the guitars on the record sound really similar. Besides that, it’s a fantastic record and fantastic start to 2016.

8.6

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Song of the Day-Kicked it in the Sun by Built to Spill off of "Perfect from Now On." This song fits perfectly into the record as a warm near-post-rock jam that sound great. Cozy, fun and excellent.

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Song of the day-Cool Waves, off of Spiritualized's "Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating in Space". This song shows both J. Spaceman's gospel leanings (which are present on this record, but most prevalent here) as well as the incredibly layered sound that makes this record so excellent. Pretty cool.

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Song of the day-Dark Comedy Late Show by Open Mike Eagle off of his "A Special Episode of" EP, which was released in early 2015. I think think song very effectively exemplifies both Mike Eagle's lyrical themes as well as Hellfyre Club's relentless lyrical onslaught. An excellent opener.

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Song of the day-A Great Division, the ninth track off of Helvetia's fantastic "The Clever North Wind". It's an interestingly lo-fi song that focuses on intertwining guitars (like something Television would play) and is just the perfect length.

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lmao I'm too lazy to write reviews on time so everything I have is painfully dated. So I'm gonna start doing a "Song of the Day" thing. This way you can both discover new music AND have good taste. The inaugural song of the day is "Decomposing Trees" off of Galaxie 500's fantastic On Fire. However, rather than completely sticking to the slowcore leanings of the rest of the album, towards the end of the song it flourishes into an explosive jazz riff that brings the song to a fantastic close.

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Drinking water is good. Breathing is good. Exercising is good. Sit down. Stand up. If you thought that was a blast, you'll be thrilled to hear Hozier's debut album is within the same vein of mundanity. The lyrics rarely stray from "this person I like" and "whoops" (and occasionally "I CAN WRITE ABOUT DEAD PEOPLE"). These aren't necessarily bad, but feel wrong and out of place when sung with the fake haughty soul croon Hozier refuses to move away from. I would also be fine for that, if it wasn't for the barely audible instrumentation. It just sounds like someone reading a sixth grader's "deep" poetry while doing a "funny" impression of Aretha Franklin for 53 way-too-long minutes. The album has its merits (Jackie and Wilson is a charming blues song that actually works with his voice) but they can't support the generally weak songs Hozier presents. 3.6/10

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After 2010’s Transference, Spoon’s trajectory was unclear. However, after recharging with other projects and the addition of a new member, Spoon’s newest LP, They Want My Soul is a stunning return to the powerful indie rock featured on their breakthrough, Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga. Lead singer Britt Daniel’s vocals are consistent but not repetitive. The guitars are constantly churning and jamming but never grating. The percussion is constant and focused. But what truly makes They Want My Soul excellent is the production. Synth flashes fade in and out, barely audible background guitars add atmosphere. The record would play excellently without these flourishes, but their additions only perfect what was already an excellent record. The record starts with the bass-heavy drums of “Rent I Pay”, a power chord-fueled three minute trek through stereo. While the chorus can be repetitive, it only adds to the guitar and guitar driven spiral. The track crashes to a halt just before “Inside Out” begins. This is my favorite track on the album for a good reason. Its production emphasizes the forward thinking that Spoon uses throughout the record. It also escapes the rock focus the rest of the album shares, opting for more of a crescendo-ing funk rhythm. After the lush synth pop fades, the constantly moving jam of “Rainy Taxi” pushes the record to its next single, “Do You”, a vocal-driven song which showcases Daniel’s spot on performances throughout the album. After the vocal expedition of “Do You”, Spoon turns more towards a flamenco sound with “Knock Knock Knock” which features rigid timing and erratic guitar spurts. Following it up is the synth-lead track “Outlier”, which, sans Daniels, would feel too much like a Silversun Pickups track for comfort. The lead singer, however, reigns the track into more of an “Underdog Pt. 2” than anything Silversun could have imagined. This track segues into arguably the weakest track on the album, which also happens to be the title track. The song would be excellent, if not for some of the boring vocals towards the second verse. However, the track isn’t too long or short, and ends up being decent rather than mediocre. Next is "I Just Don't Understand", a rolling ditty almost comparable to a sea shanty. It's a gimmicky song no doubt, but it's just short enough that it fits right into the wide scope of the album. Next is the roaring jam "Let Me Be Mine", which is another stellar example of the production that makes this record great. The lyrics are interesting and well delivered and the guitars thrash synchronously with the vocal delivery. Last is "New York Kiss", which serves as more of a reminder of what you just heard in the last 37 minutes rather than a song. Stellar vocals, thoughtful production and great synths propel this track through the roof. This is what truly sets They Want My Soul apart. It's the inventive, consistent, calculated rock that Spoon perfects on this record. The only bad thing about it is that it's only 40 minutes. 9.4

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helo

welcome to my review page. this is a space where i will semi seriously review new and recommended music but FIRST THINGS FIRST:

the scale: 1-10, 10 is best possible. these are my tens for each genre i feel comfortable reviewing in

.. and a few others but these should provide a solid framework. i’ll try to review one album a day until i get tired. i’ll also do suggestions whenever or a classics kinda review.

see you in the future