Bw’s Blog

It’s really nice to see someone who can keep on making music at any age, and I’m sure that Neil Young will keep on going until it’s no longer possible. Although his new album, Fork In The Road, doesn’t have the same magic as previous albums, it still kicks ass.

One of the first things I noticed on this album is the natural spaceyness of the recordings. Particularily on the guitar sound, you can really hear the room that the band was recorded in. This is a nice effect, and it sounds far better than most artificial reverberation. A similar technique was used on Harvest, and I’m sure most of his other albums as well.

The first two songs didn’t do too much for me, but number 3, Just Singing A Song, is a good indicator that Neil still has it in him. The guitar playing is typical Young, and the song starts off with a beautiful little guitar solo before he brings in the lyrics. The vocal melody is one that competes with any other I’ve ever heard from him  - pure greatness.

Next up is Johnny Magic, and it gives us a bit of aggression. This song is fairly fast-paced and it’s one of the heavier songs on the album. The vocals are okay, but they’re not too inspiring. Light A Candle is the softest song on the album, and it reminds me of the acoustic performances of old. It includes a moving vocal melody and some sweet-sounding slide guitar.

The title-track isn’t all that great. As the longest song on the album, I expected it to be worth it’s length…it isn’t. The song seems to go on too long, and it’s quite uninteresting all the way through. Oh well…

Overall, there were some definite dull moments but there were also some great new songs. Is this another classic album from Neil Young? I would say no, but it’s still pretty cool.

BW.

Protest The Hero is a hardcore/metal band from Ontario, and they have serious musical skill. If you thought their last album, Kezia, was good, you’ll love Fortress.

The album combines some serious metal riffs, complex rhythms, and the smooth wailings of vocalist, Rody Walker. The album starts off in a big way, and the band does not hold back the intensity (it doesn’t end until the album does).

The opener, Bloodmeat, is just under four minutes of great music, and they throw in one of their signature epic choruses halfway through. I find that the hardcore style can be come too abrasive after awhile, but Protest The Hero keeps it pretty fresh for the most part. Besides, if you’re into metal, you should be used to it anyways.

My favorite song on the album right now is the single, Palms Read. The song features an incredible guitar riff that is as catchy as it is intricate. This song has the most memorable vocal melodies, and it’s quite pleasant to listen to. I also enjoyed the short bass solo.

This album impressed me more than I expected it to, and the intensity of the music is nothing to cast aside. As a serious step up from Kezia, Fortress is a great album from a great band.

I strongly recommend going to myspace.com/protestthehero and checking out their music.

BW.

Okay, so I know that Keith Urban plays a specific genre of music that I’m not really into, but I can still tell that he crosses the “crap” boundary a few times on his new album, Defying Gravity.

I’ve seen videos of Keith playing guitar, and I know that he’s a talented musician, so it makes me wonder why he plays such insincere music. I guess it sells more albums…

The album opener, Kiss A Girl, is one of the lamest songs I’ve heard in a long time. The initial guitar riff is pretty good, but as soon as the vocals come in the song goes down-hill. The lyrics in the chorus are so insincere that I have to hold myself back from turning it off. It’s as if he took them straight out of every other lame country song every written. Pure crap…thanks Keith.

The first single, Sweet Thing, also starts off with an interesting guitar line. Although the lyrics are still pretty terrible, they’re not as pathetic as Kiss A Girl. The verses sound quite dated, as if this song was written in the 80s. Nothing innovative here (that was an understatement).

I wish I could say that there are some good songs on this album, but there’s just nothing. With generic song titles such as My Heart Is Open, Hit The Ground Runnin’, and Thank You, Keith Urban has become synonymous with cliche. Do yourself a favor and skip this album.

Sincerely,

BW. 

The second album from A Camp was inspired by a trip by Nina Persson to South Africa, where she was reminded of an old-fashioned empire. Persson is also the singer for the Swedish pop-band, The Cardigans.

The album starts off heavy on the old-fashioned theme, which is an appropriate way of introducing the music to the listeners. The Crowning is a theatrical song that combines Persson’s kooky lyrics with some interesting instrumentals. This song is alright, but it didn’t quite tickle my fancy.

 Stronger Than Jesus is the debut single from the album, and I would have to agree that it’s one of the catchier songs. The choruses are instantly wedged into your ears when you hear them, and the rest of the song is equally exciting. The lyrics are a little iffy in my opinion, and I’m not too sure what they mean - but that doesn’t bother me much.

There are some softer moments on Colonia, like the endearing Bear On The Beach, and there are some energetic moments, like Here Are Many Wild Animals, but they’re all tied together with a solid consistency throughout.

Nina Persson and the rest of her band did a great job on Colonia, and I hope to hear future albums from A Camp.

Sincerely,

BW.

Due out next week, Silversun Pickups have recently put the finishing touches on their second album, Swoon. It’s been almost 3 years since their debut, Carnavas, which made quite a splash with the song Lazy Eye.

The first single, Panic Switch, gives listeners a taste of what this album will sound like. The first 50 seconds are filled with a screeching guitar solo that may turn off as many listeners as it attracts, but once you get to the chorus it’s obvious why they released this song as a single. The melody is endearing, pleasant, and most importantly, memorable. I foresee extensive radio play for this song in the near future, and it’ll get a lot of ear-time with gamers as it’s being released for Guitar Hero as well.

It’s Nice To Know You Work Alone is another song that will soon be available for Guitar Hero, and it’s a good one. This song has an interesting combination of soft vocals, crunchy guitar, hard drums, and a string section. The combination of these instruments makes it easy to see why the band is often compared to the Smashing Pumpkins.

There are a few softer songs on Swoon, such as the dark sounding Draining, which gives listeners a change of pace from the heavier stuff. The depressing effect is strong on this song, and I can get a good sense of what the songwriter(s) was feeling when the song was written. This song could easily be a soundtrack to a movie, and I wouldn’t be surprised if I hear it in that scenario one day.

Overall, the album is a great second effort for a relatively new band. They’ve managed to maintain the same sonic signature from Carnavas, while at the same time evolving their sound to create something new. I’d love to see this band live to see if they can impress me some more.

Check out myspace.com/silversunpickups

Sincerely,

BW. 

So, 18 years later, Pearl Jam has remixed and re-released one of their greatest albums, Ten.

And if you’re wondering what that means, it doesn’t mean that they added dance beats and synthesizers to the music. What they did was take the original recordings and do an alternate mix of the album by changing levels, eq, compression, etc.

The band has previously stated dissatisfaction with how the album sounds, and have been thinking about re-mixing it for several years. All the performances on the album are the exact same ones from the original version, but now you can hear certain parts more prominently and clearly.

As all the performances are the same, there’s not much music to talk about. All the classics are still there: Even Flow, Alive, Jeremy, etc. But now they’re better than ever!

If you’re a fan of Pearl Jam, you’ll definitely appreciate the new album, but you might find that listening to it on your computer speakers doesn’t really do the new mix justice. Also, if you’re really into the band, you might want to check out the $200+ package that includes a replica cassette, vinyl, and CD version.

Sincerely,

BW.

This is my first time listening to Neko Case, but she’s been a part of Canadian and international music for many years now. She first started as a part time vocalist for the New Pornographers, and began releasing her solo albums soon after that.

Her latest album, Middle Cyclone, is a good example of how powerful she can be as a vocalist and as a guitarist. The album features several guest musicians including members of Calexico, New Pornographers, M. Ward (click here to read a review of his latest album), and more.

Some songs on this album feature what Case refers to as a “piano orchestra”. She collected as many free pianos that she could find and placed them all in her barn/studio, tuned them up, and had her and her friends play several of them at the same time. It doesn’t sound as epic as you might think, but the effect is still pretty cool. Also, on the song Polar Nettles you can clearly hear naturally recorded birdsong, which was a staple of recording in the barn.

There’s some great drumming on this album, and I particularly like the spacious introduction to Fever. The rest of the song is equally enjoyable, and the rest of the instruments come together with the drum track quite nicely. This is one of the best songs on the album.

Overall, the instrumentation was solidly performed and the songs are passionately written - although not overly inspiring for me. I’m not sure if I’ll be listening to this album after I write this review, but I can say the the music was entertaining for the time being.

Sincerely,

BW. 

I’ve recently written about how much I like Death Cab For Cutie, and I reviewed their new release, The Open Door EP, but I’ve yet to post about Narrow Stairs.

The band released Narrow Stairs in May of 2008, and have put out four singles including I Will Possess Your Heart, and Cath…, which are two of the best songs off the album. Death Cab is another band that prefers the analog recording process, and producer/guitarist Chris Walla has sculpted the sounds beautifully.

The album sounds smooth, a little shiny, but it still has that analog grit and substance that is rarely found on digitally recorded albums. The instrumentation on this album is another notable addition to it’s substance. Each instrument stands out nicely, while blending with each other at the same time. As a drummer, I can appreciate the subtlety of Jason McGerr’s playing.

I’ve spoken in detail about I Will Possess Your Heart and Cath… in my previous post, so I won’t talk about them again, but I do want to reiterate that I still love these two songs. After first hearing the song Talking Bird on the EP, I can really appreciate the album version. The song is quite slow and simple at first, but this is part of it’s greatness. The distorted guitar is deep sounding and rests nicely in the background. The song is just over three minutes and although it doesn’t get very exciting, it’s still one of my new favorites.

Your New Twin Sized Bed has a fresh sound to it that differentiates it from the other mellower songs on Narrow Stairs. The guitar playing is much brighter and sounds quite happy, while the drums and bass provide an upbeat groove that’s relaxing yet exciting. The song transitions well into the next song, Long Division, which is also fast-paced track.

Pity And Fear is probably the most epic song on the album, and it’s driven by a tabla beat from an electronic drum-machine that was purchased by Ben Gibbard in India. Eventually, acoustic drums are blended in to pick up the energy and add to the slow build of the song. The odd ending has created some negative comments from listeners as the music cuts off rather abruptly, and I was also a little confused by this, but it didn’t ruin the song for me. The final song, The Ice Is Getting Thinner, is a great way to end an album. It’s just guitar and vocals and it’s the calmest song I’ve heard from this band.

Overall, I was fairly impressed by Narrow Stairs, but I’ve come to expect such things from Death Cab For Cutie. The album is recorded well and the performances are great - what more can you ask for?

Sincerely,

BW.

Dan Auerbach is most known for his work as the guitarist and vocalist for The Black Keys, but he recently released his first solo album, Keep It Hid.

I haven’t heard any of The Black Keys’ albums, so I can’t make a comparison, but I can tell that Auerbach likes to get a vintage sound out of his guitar and his recordings.

Keep It Hid sounds like it could have been recorded decades ago, yet it still sounds like a modern album. You won’t find any plug-ins here - in fact, Auerbach’s recording studio is called “Akron Analog”.

I managed to enjoy this album, although the music isn’t really my taste. It’s very relaxing and country-esque, but it just didn’t make me feel any different (a quality I look for in music). I do appreciate the analog recording medium, and the sonic results are evidence that Auerbach knows what he’s doing as an engineer.

The final song on the album, Goin’ Home, is a relaxing way to ease listeners out the door. It’s another classic sounding track, and the reverb on the vocals sounds eerily appropriate. This turned out to be my favorite song on the album, and it ends with a subtle wind-chime tinkling in the breeze.

Although the style of music isn’t necessarily my cup of tea, I can easily see that this music would resonate well with others. Check out myspace.com/danauerbachmusic to listen.

Sincerely,

BW.

I’ve written here about Death Cab For Cutie before, but I’ve done things in completely the wrong order. If you want to read my first post, check it out here. I haven’t been able to listen to Narrow Stairs yet, but I will be reviewing it in detail very soon.

For now, I’ll be talking about the new EP which contains songs that didn’t fit in with the album. The Open Door EP contains four new songs and a demo of Talking Bird (from Narrow Stairs).

My favorite song on the album is easily A Diamond And A Tether. Although the lyrics in this song are fairly direct, the metaphor is still clever. The emotional quality of the music is undeniable, and the choruses are simply beautiful. I felt like this song was a little immature at times, which might be a reason why they held it back from the full-length album.

My Mirror Speaks is an interesting track that’s a bit more upbeat than the others. It’s not as soft or lovey-dovey as others and this makes a nice change. There are some good parts in this song, but again, I can see why it didn’t make the cut. This song wasn’t as moving as other Death Cab songs I know and love.

While not being familiar with the album version of Talking Bird, the acoustic version was still enjoyable. It has a very “demo” quality to it (makes sense…) and I couldn’t help but think “I wish I knew the album version of this song” while listening to it. That would’ve made it a lot better.

Stay tuned for my review of Narrow Stairs coming up this month,

Sincerely,

BW.