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Posts tagged with first listen

05/25/2010

[first listen] Woods – At Echo Lake

I’ve been hearing quite a lot of talk lately about At Echo Lake, the newest album from Woods so I figured I should probably give it a listen. This will actually be a total fresh review with no preconceived notions about anything (for once), because to be honest I never made it around to hearing their 2009 album Songs of Shame (or any of their other previous albums). It’s probably better that I never have preconceived notions about music (well, or anything for that matter), but sometimes it just happens and there’s nothing I can do about it. Oh yeah, and I think this will be the last album review where I try to describe every single song, because that’s way too difficult. So let’s get this show on the road.

1. Blood Dries Darker: Starts out like what rock and roll would sound like through some sort of strainer, one that left it still identifiable but a bit muddled (definitely intentional though). At 4:29, this is the longest song on the album. Some subtle but nice harmonies. The tremolo picking throughout gives it a nice surfer vibe. This sets a nice tone for the album.

2. Pick Up: The intro sounds a lot folkier than the first song. I thought Jeremy Earl’s voice was going to annoy me, but it just sounds like it was made for this lo-fi style.

3. Suffering Season: Big instrumentation on the intro (amidst the constant lo-fi sound). I really love how much is going on, especially when compared to the first two tracks. Nice beat changes from the drummer as well. “Who knows what tomorrow might bring?” None of us. That’s the excitement and anxiety of life in a nutshell.

4. Time Fading Lines: This song sounds really familiar. I think I’ve heard it before. I hear “In an hour or so I’ll let you know” but I’m not really sure of what. It’s all good though, because I’m not much of a lyrics guy anyway. I love the little pickup in the last minute of the song.

5. From the Horn: Really cool and sometimes abstract instrumental track. It sounds like something that could have come from a different era of music (I’m thinking late 60s or early 70s).

6. Death Rattles: For some reason my first image in my head was of baby rattles. Death baby rattles. Coming right after “From the Horn”, it seems at first like it’s a really slow song, but it’s not. “God only knows just to be by your side I would be there all night/I would be there alright alright”.

7. Mornin’ Time: The first of the last 5 songs all clocking in at just about 2 minutes (give or take). Sort of a “Hey Jude” tempo and beat. Another one that feels like it could have come from a different era, but Earl’s voice makes sure you know it’s not. It’s sort of nostalgic to listen to for some reason though.

8. I Was Gone: Clearer acoustic guitar picking to start out. Sounds like at least 2 or 3 of them going at once. “You’re the cool breeze/You’re the wind in my life” is, I think, what they’re saying. It’s a lot harder to understand here than in most of the other tunes.

9. Get Back: Sounds sort of alt-country, and as the song says a few times, ‘It works just fine.”

10. Deep: Definitely one of the more abstract songs. Well, at least in the beginning. But then it all fits together and makes sense. Really loud elements come in and go. Like some sort of clapping, acoustic guitar noodling, and probably a banjo? Ok, yeah it’s still pretty abstract, but I don’t hate it.

11. Til the Sun Rips: A slow acoustic tune full of harmony to close out the album. I really like when an entire song is harmonized. It makes things really interesting even if there isn’t much happening. All kinds of bells ringing in the background, just loud enough to hear. Tambourine comes in loud and clear. And the final 30 seconds of the abstract ringing fading away into oblivion.

So, what did I think of my first true taste of Woods? That last sentence didn’t sound very good, did it? Well, it was an extremely refreshing journey back into the land of music before computers. I’ve been so caught up lately in electronic music and synth and all of that, and this album really brought me back down to Earth. I don’t really recall many standout tracks, but with a playing time of what seemed like only 35 minutes or so, it’s extremely convenient to listen to the album as a whole anyway. I’m looking forward to getting this one into the rotation, so thanks to everyone who incessantly mentioned it enough to get me to give it a listen. Jeremy Earl’s voice, which did sort of bother me a little on the few random Woods tracks I’d heard in the past, flows in perfect harmony with the lo-fi music that seems to take all sorts of subtle turns into so many different musical styles. I wholeheartedly approve of this record.

Ok, I take back what I said. The track below was sort of a standout for me.

Woods – Suffering Season

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05/13/2010

[first listen] Caribou – Swim

Ok, so technically this isn’t my very first listen. I did listen to the stream of the album a while back, but to be fair, I was at work and definitely not paying attention. So for all intents and purposes, this is my first listen. I think my very first exposure to Daniel Snaith’s Caribou was at the 2008 Pitchfork Fest and I really enjoyed the live show but like so many others, I just never got around to checking out the rest of the goods. And that brings us to today, where goods will be checked out, this time in the form of Swim, the new album that was released last month. Let’s give it a go!

1. Odessa: Heard this one a million times. Talked about it here. Still love it. Funky beat and great start to the album. I love near the end when you can hear the chords a bit more clearly, and the song just all comes together.

2. Sun: Sounds a bit dancy, with lots of wah wahs that ebb and flow. The production on this track is really top notch. There really isn’t much going on at all, and it’s extremely repetitive, but you don’t so much notice that because the production continually switches it up so it sounds fresh the whole time, even though you’re really listening to the same thing over and over. I’m hoping the interesting production will be a running theme on this album. At about 3:40, the song really changes for the first time. Ok, this song is the shit. There, I said it.

3. Kaili: Ok, so I actually already talked about this one too, right over here. Again, really great production. Even with desktop speakers, I can hear the music going back and forth between the channels. And I’d imagine with headphones it would provide a swirling effect with the music just circling your head. Really interesting musically in the best way.

4. Found Out: Slower start than the rest with really short vocal delays. Music kicks in, and all is well with the world. Didn’t expect this much head bopping when the song started. A really great and subtle build up to the full song. Could be a real sleeper track (not in a “puts you to sleep” way, in an “under the radar” way).

5. Bowls: Church bells and harps are the first things I hear. At over 6 minutes, I’m curious to see where this one goes. So far it sounds like a pretty conceptual song. At about 2:15, a new melody kicks in that I enjoy. It all came together a bit in the second half of the song, but not as much as I hoped for. I really like whenever the harp sample comes in.

6. Leave House: A quieter tune with a steady beat that keeps it going. 2:45 in and this song just got way better. A lot of these songs kind of leave you wondering, but then all come together very nicely. I like that. Even though the beat stays the same throughout, the elements making up the beat are always changing. And now we have a beautiful bevy of woodwinds (I hear at least a clarinet and a saxomophone). Interesting stuff.

7. Hannibal: Excellent totally atomspheric start. Again I can hear the music swirling from left channel to right and back again. The deep bass notes are suggesting a beat coming in soon. The music keeps going just ever so slightly out of tune which gives it a sort of old-timey feel even though its surrounded be electronic bits and pieces. Again everything comes together (including a brass section). Just in time to switch it into a house beat and the first vocals of the song at 4 and a half minutes. Again, falls juuuust short for me, but great potential in a live setting.

8. Lalibela: Music sounds like it’s being played in reverse. And really happy sounding too. Nondescript vocals add a nice touch as well. A pretty short track, but very refreshing.

9. Jamelia: I’ve looked at the track list but I didn’t realize how many tracks were names (actual or perceived). Starts out with airy vocals over really soft music. And then at 1:45 it gets really interesting. Maybe the clearest non-falsetto vocals on the album? Again over a beat that seems to fall in and just out of tune ever so slightly for a cool effect. That was the sort of buildup I was waiting for the past few songs. You can hear the conviction in his voice. And then the album fades out into oblivion. A perfect ending.

So, my overall thoughts? I love it. I read an interview where Snaith said that he thought it would be interesting to take dance songs and make them liquid sounding, and that’s exactly what he’s done on so many of these tracks. Even the slower and more subdued songs usually had a nice beat carrying you through. A few songs built up, but I think they could have gone just a bit farther. I’m not sure if Snaith produced the album himself, but major kudos to the producer, whoever he may be. This album was all about the subtleties and I think it’s one in which you will notice something different with every single listen. So with that, I think it’s only fair that I give it many more listens, which I am more than happy to do.

Caribou – Sun

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Caribou – Sun (Short Bloom Remix)

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05/10/2010

[first listen] Foals – Total Life Forever

As I’ve mentioned in the past, my first real exposure to Oxford, England band Foals was at Lollapalooza 2008 by accident when I just happened to be chilling by the stage on which they were performing while waiting for some friends, and I’m glad that happened. I really like their high energy and their beaming electric guitar riffs that suck you in so easily. Here are my first listen thoughts on their new album Total Life Forever, which has been officially released today in the UK.

1. Blue Blood: A really subtle start to the album with just some guitar and vocals. And then it hits. About 1:30 in, it really sounds like Foals for the first time. Even though it’s a bit more laid back approach from them, I really like it. Got that characteristic dueling guitar riffs going on. A nice start.

2. Miami: Starts out harder than the last track and again with a much more laid back beat than I’m used to from Foals. I’ve always loved how Foals layers on the pieces and this is no exception. “Would you be there be there be there for me?” I always pay attention to the 2nd track more than the 1st in albums, and this one makes me want to keep listening.

3. Total Life Forever: Another slower tune (well, compared to what I like from them). Good melodies, didn’t really grab me in though.

4. Black Gold: Ohh, this one didn’t really have me until the totally fluid sounding chorus. “The future is not what it used to be.” Ain’t that the truth? Again when the chorus came in, there was a fantastic contrast between the staccato of the verses and the liquidity of the chorus. This is one of three songs on the album that clock in at over 6 minutes, which sometimes bothers me/loses my attention, but in the case of this song it does not.

5. Spanish Sahara: You may remember me talking about this one here when it first hit the web. Starts out insanely slow/quiet. I remember being extremely surprised by this because I’d always associated Foals with nothing but energy. But it is oh so worth it for the buildup that ensues. I like that they are stepping out of their comfort zone a bit more with this album. Just loving this song more and more all the time.

6. This Orient: Really cool/unexpected start! Definitely the happiest/most upbeat track so far. “It’s your heart that gives me this western feeling.” I’m not sure what that means but I think I like it. That song almost reminded me a little bit of Shout Out Louds. That was rather enjoyable.

7. Fugue: Not much to report here. 49 seconds of piano and speaker fuzz and weird effects. But I guess it was a cool 49 seconds.

8. After Glow: Simple but excellent opening riff with the guitar jumping back and forth between left and right speakers. I was hoping this would be more high energy when it started, and it definitely just got there. This might sound like the Foals I know more than any other track thus far in the second half of this song (not to say that I don’t like the sound they’re rockin in the other songs).

9. Alabaster: Really slow and reverb-y beginning. Even though the song is really slow, there are so many different things going on and working in harmony that it carries you through without getting bored. There’s a lot to pay attention to in all of these songs which keeps it fresh.

10. 2 Trees: Holy canoli, this song sounds super fresh. A slow jam for sure (at least right now), but double time drums carry it and sound great against the guitar and vocal reverb. This song is a great summary of where Foals has progressed to, and I approve.

11. What Remains: Another more major sounding start (as opposed to the minor sound of many of the other songs). The music seems to be more secondary to the vocals and percussion, sort of swirling around in the background for a good amount of time. Like so many others, this one started out small and gradually built into something much bigger. I do feel like it ends a bit suddenly though (not Sopranos finale suddenly though).

After first hearing “Spanish Sahara” a few months back, I was expecting something a bit different out of Foals, and as you can see above, that is definitely what they give us. But, I really think this works for them. I love the in your face riffs and really up-tempo songs on their past albums, though I can’t argue that their use of layering so many sounds, each coming in one at a time, to create buildups in almost every song is entertaining. But if you’re looking for those huge guitar riffs and songs that make you want to jump around, you may have to look elsewhere. Total Life Forever really shows how this group is maturing musically and I can’t wait to learn these tracks inside and out.

Foals – 2 Trees

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04/27/2010

[first listen]the national – high violet

I’ve been a big fan of The National for a few years now, so while I was excited about the upcoming album, I was a little worried that it was going to be, for lack of a better word, boring. The National can take on many styles and tempos, but I felt like they’ve been going towards that really slowed down style, and hoped that there would be some more variety on this new album. They’ve really taken to working on the instrumentation in their songs, which is always great, but I’m just hoping it doesn’t turn things into a snooze-fest. Let’s find out.

1. Terrible Love – Just like on “Boxer”, this album starts with a slower song, but it’s nice. Sounds a bit fuzzy, but not sure if that’s just my headphones. Wondering if it will pick up like “Fake Empire” does. YES, it just did. Really quick drum beat, great vocal harmonies in the chorus. Ok, I liked this one a lot more than I expected to when it first started.

2. Sorrow – Much more upbeat start than the first song. This one sounds much clearer as well, so I guess the fuzz of track 1 was intentional. Instrumentation is extremely warm. It’s a song that could have been a straight up slow song too so it’s nice to have the consistent double time drum beat. Sounds like a choir just chimed in. Nice song.

3. Anyone’s Ghost – Now that’s more like it. I feel like the National does dark songs and bright songs really well. This is the first taste of the darker side of the band. The drum beat sounds distinctly National-esque. Really unusual chord changes at times. I think I prefer the darker National, so that is right up my alley.

4. Little Faith – Something a little electronic in the intro. Didn’t expect that at all. Again, really nice layers and instrumentation. And again, the drums really keep the song pushing forward where the vocals are a bit slower. It does pick up a bit at the end, but overall I didn’t think this one was very memorable.

5. Afraid of Everyone – One of two songs on the album I’d already heard. Dark and mysterious, just how I like the National best. It’s maybe the highest notes we’ve heard from famously deep-voiced singer Matt Berninger. I think I hear a clarinet in there somewhere. For some reason this song reminds me of Cormac McCarthy’s “The Road”. Even as dark as this song sounds, the music is still full and somewhat warm. My favorite song so far, but it might just be because I’ve already heard it a few times.

6. Bloodbuzz Ohio – Here’s the other song that I’ve heard quite a bit. While this one has been growing on me a little bit, this is sort of what prompted me to form my notion that this album could be a bit “boring”. Sure, it sounds nice and all, but I just feel like it stays the same throughout the entire song. It is somewhat of a nice contrast, however, coming right after the dark “Afraid of Everyone”.

7. Lemonworld – I like the intro. It sounds familiar but fresh. Musically it reminds me a lot of “Mistaken for Strangers” and I’m OK with that. I’m sensing a bit of a buildup in the works. Really subtle violin in the background. Didn’t build up as much as I expected it to, but it did become a lot warmer as it went on. Not a bad tune.

8. Runaway – Slower tune. Actually I feel like I’ve heard this one a long time ago as well. Maybe they played it when I saw them last summer? And I remember it being a bit of a yawner back then too. The horns really fill up the space nicely, but I personally just can’t always get into tracks like this.

9. Conversation 16 – A refreshing start after that last tune. I do like when it gets a little brighter in the second half of the song. Although I’m pretty sure he just sang, “I was afraid I’d eat your brains ‘cause I’m evil.” It’s an interesting contrast to have these really morbid lyrics sung over such pretty music. But yeah, I’m digging this song a LOT.

10. England – Cool piano intro, I like the chord progression. Sort of unexpected. Interested to see where this one goes. And so far it hasn’t really gone anywhere, but there’s still time. Ok, there’s definitely a buildup happening right now. Better. This might be the loudest point on the album. Even so, I feel like it never gets as far as it could go.

11. Vanderlyle Crybaby Geeks – Another slow jam to close out the album. It’s nice to listen to, but it’s just not very memorable. Another quasi-buildup that doesn’t seem to really go anywhere.

So let’s summarize. It’s definitely a really good album. Musically, it’s full of depth and layers and from what I picked up lyrically, it’s not bad, although a bit more abstract that I’m used to from the National (I tend to prefer their straightforward lyrics, a la “Karen”). I really liked the darker tunes in this album, and I liked some of the brighter tunes. But some of the brighter songs, while the instrumentation was really nice, sounded kind of generic to me. It’s almost as if the songs I didn’t really care for on Boxer added in some strings and horns and tried to pass themselves off as new, but I still think that those songs are well written and produced, just not my style.. Ok, that probably sounds a lot harsher than how I mean it. As of right now I like it, but don’t love it, but I’m actually pretty sure that will change after a few more plays on the ole ipod.

~~The National – Anyone’s Ghost~~ (removed by request)

Here’s “Afraid of Everyone” as we were asked to remove “Anyone’s Ghost”

05 Afraid of Everyone by user6556083

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04/22/2010

[first listen]delorean – subiza

With the overwhelming amount of new music that I’ve been trying to trudge through lately (mind you, it is definitely an enjoyable trudge), I thought it would be a nice feature to add to the site to review some albums based on the first listen. I’m hoping to do this once a week, and I think there will be plenty of material out there for this to work. First up is an album that I am expecting to be a quintessential summer album based on their prior works, Delorean’s Subiza. I know most of you have heard this one already, but I’m sitting at the airport listening for the first time. Here we go!

1. Stay Close – The first single from the album is the only track I’d heard prior to this listen and I’ve already talked about what makes it so great here. Makes me want to have a dance party on the beach. As I am predicting most of this album will.

2. Real Love – Right off the bat, I love the distorted vocal sample. It’s got a bit of a “What You Know About That” vibe. A bit more of a slow burner, but still a nice dance vibe. A great example of how Delorean tracks have so many little bits and pieces working together to make something really beautiful. Didn’t expect this one to go on for so long, but I like the major reverb in the second half.

3. Endless Sunset – Starts out with a really nice beat. Whoa! Wasn’t expecting that big drop right in the beginning. This one’s gonna be fun. I just noticed that I’ve never really listened to a Delorean lyric, but I don’t feel like I have to. This music just speaks for itself. Nice synth coming in for the chorus, especially when the beat kicks back in.

4. Grow – This one sounds a little more house than the others. Really subtle. I’m barely 4 songs in and excited about the summer dance party possibilities. This might be the brightest of the songs so far, which says a lot.

5. Simple Graces – Hits you right away! Slower than the other tracks, but still pushing forward. Again, great use of vocal samples. Nice quiet section in the middle with some subtle bongos. Might be the chillest part of the album thus far, but still keeps your attention. Sounds like there’s a buildup in the works. Back to the opening theme before a quick percussion outro.

6. Infinite Desert – This one is a bit slower at the start as well. There’s a cool little thing going on with the rhythm and the piano working together. Just building more and more layers as the song goes on. Big change in the middle, and the percussion is mostly replaced with handclaps, but not annoying ones. And now the piano is replaced with juicy synth. Nice big finish. “Would you like to start, start a riot?” Yes, please.

7. Come Wander – Starts out quietly and bursts into one of the most driving tracks on the album. I know I keep saying this, but every song is just exploding with sunshine and happiness. There are a few breakdowns that remind me a tiny bit of Tensnake’s “Coma Cat”. Piano seems to play a bigger role.

8. Warmer Places – Still has the great dance beat, but sounds just a tad less happy than the others in the beginning. I didn’t love this one until the chorus, but now it makes more sense. There’s a sort of nice contrast between the verses and chorus. I think these end lyrics are saying “And if you want to we can drown our way back into the sun.” So I guess even lyrically it is all summer all the time.

9. It’s All Ours – What a great beat. It sounds a little tribal and a little South American influenced to me. Definitely stands out from the rest. This track sounds to me like it was meant to kind of calm you down from all the excitement of the rest of the album. Still really nice but quite a bit more lax than the others. A fitting ending to a great album.

So I think it’s pretty clear that I fully endorse this album. I can envision it falling heavily into my summer rotation. I do think I had a preconceived notion of what this album would sound like, but I think my notion was spot on. And I can only imagine I’ll like it more with each listen. I dig.

Also, while this album is prime for blaring on hot summer days, make sure you also take the time to listen to it through some headphones for the full effect.

Delorean – Come Wander

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