Taste The Rainbow Of Tobacco Flavor
*Yawn* Is it the end of May already? Okay okay. Heres some reviews…
David Bazan: Strange Negotiations– A lot has been made of what Bazan has written of the years and for good reason– He is one of the most compelling indie rock musicians of the last 20 years. His lyrics are always what separates him from others in rock and what has catapulted him to where he is now. So everyone wants to know: How much does he talk about God on this album? I’ll answer this simply… Who cares? Instead of talking about whether hes singing about the bible, sipping beer with cigarettes in it or whatever, I’m simply going to talk about what matters: How it all works out musically. Lets be honest here. Unless you’re already a christian who only listens to someone because they say they’re christian, the only thing that matters is not what is said, but how its said. Everything else is pointless. That being said, Strange Negotiations really surprised me. After Curse Your Branches, I began to lose a little faith in him. It wasn’t a horrible album, but it did something one of his albums had never done to me before: It bored me. I thought perhaps he’d peaked and it was all downhill from here on out. Instead Bazan has gone back to what has made him a star: Emotionally sung lyrics in his unique style over thoughtful pieces with singable choruses. While dropping the Pedro The Lion moniker separated a part of himself that he used to be, I can comfortably say this is his best work under his own name. Heartfelt, raw and most importantly, a great overall record… 9.5/10
Cold Cave: Cherish The Light Years– Cold Cave is a mixture of synth pop and industrial overlaid with David Bowie-like vocals. Cherish The Light Years is a beat heavy and energetic record that completely knocks you over if you aren’t ready for it. It also hearkens to the past and much like many bands right now, its 80s new wave that gets the nod here. But the most impressive thing about this record is its balance. Cold Cave never overplays itself like a lot of synth pop tends to. Repetition never really comes into play at all. So maintaining good energy throughout while keeping repetition nearly non-existent, Cherish The Light Years is incredibly creative and played so intelligently that I can’t really say too many bad things about it. Then again, Matador can usually be relied upon to find bands who strive for perfection as closely as Cold Cave clearly have. Absolutely awesome…9.7/10
Det Vackra Livet: Det Vackra Livet– What was true with David Bazan, speaks even greater volumes here. The ‘Its not what you say, its how you say it‘ mantra I was pushing earlier is absolutely critical here… especially if you don’t speak Swedish. Det Vackra Livet(The Beautiful Life) are brothers from Gothenburg, Sweden and this band is a side-project of their main band, The Mary Onettes. Many of the elements that make The Mary Onettes a compelling band are ever-present on this record. Their unbelievable knack for writing excellent choruses is showcased on this debut and aside from the obvious language barrier, this very much resembles their other band. The differences are there, but they’re very subtle ones. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing when you’re talking about their talent level, but to label them as a Swedish-speaking version of The Mary Onettes is actually pretty accurate. They don’t take very many chances here, they just do what they do best and incidentally, do it quite well. Beautiful, airy and heartfelt dream pop…9.2/10
Shine 2009: Realism– The early 1990s are back. Thats right, get your Hammer pants on and shape your hair into a wedge cuz the Cold War is over and we’re going clubbing! At least thats what this record makes me think of. Once you hear Paula Abdul come in on So Free, those visions are completely realized. But imagery aside, Shine 2009‘s debut is actually a very well-executed pop album that echoes of a 90s version of The Embassy. And if you’re a fan of The Embassy or pop in general, you’ll be hard-pressed to ignore the genius at work here. This is a catchy and addictive record whose only real flaw is that it can be a bit repetitious at times. The beats were a bit simplistic… much like early 90s pop, I know, but still. Theres not a whole lot here that you haven’t heard in the past, but I think thats kind of the point. Its a fun record from a band who knows their music history and this is clearly a tribute to that time and music…8.8/10
Black Moth Super Rainbow: Extra Flavor– Its no secret that I’m fan of BMSR and TOBACCO in his many forms. So naturally when they released a special album comprised of tracks taken from their Dandelion Gum outtakes, I bought it straight away. What they failed to mention is that only 6 of these songs are previously unreleased. The other 10 songs are already available on other releases or only slightly differ from their original release… now that $6 I spent makes more sense. The new songs only combine for about 15 minutes and though they’re pretty cool, they mostly seem to end too early… maybe thats why they weren’t included originally. In any case, I’d say that overall this is a pretty decent compilation of outtakes and rarities if you aren’t already a big fan of theirs. For die-hard fans like myself, listen before you buy, get what you don’t have and leave the rest… 7.0/10
I still haven’t had a listen to the new Bazan record yet, but it’s good to read some positive words abut from a source I trust before diving in. Heavily anticipating it.