Post 4b: DUAL MODERN CLASSIC REVIEW: Gossamer - Passion Pit and Shields- Grizzly Bear

Classic Review: Gossamer - Passion Pit and Shields - Grizzly Bear

9.8/10

9.5/10

NOTE: Due to the length and detail of this review, I am counting it as two reviews. Also, if we are being honest, I am running low on time to finish these. Live with it. 

Background: Grizzly Bear and Passion Pit are two similar bands that also couldn't be more different. Both East-coast bands are fronted by an incredibly stylish gay man. Both write some of the most beautifully melodic love songs in modern music. Both are critical darlings, although Grizzly Bear more so than Passion Pit. Both also put out the two most remarkable pop albums of 2012. This is where the similarities stop. Sonically, the two couldn't be any further apart. Grizzly Bear specializes in a psychedelic brand of baroque pop, heavy on strings, complex harmonies, and clean guitars. Meanwhile, Passion Pit's music is more akin to walking into a candy store. Passion Pit's music is full of incredibly bright synthesizers, dance beats, and sickeningly catchy melodies, leading to a deliriously happy and upbeat sound. Their music is basically the sonic equivalent of the color hot pink, while Grizzly Bear represents a deep brown with some green thrown in there, maybe a little grey as well. Lyrically, Grizzly Bear sings sad songs, but the lyrics are inflected with a hint of happiness, a sign of hope on the horizon. Passion Pit, however, writes incredibly bright songs with lyrics about depression, addiction, mental illness, and heartbreak. So obviously, these bands being complete opposites and while I am desperately running out of time to finish my reviews before their due date, I have decided to challenge myself and write an entire dual review comparing and contrasting this two albums. Both of these albums came out during my freshman year of high school and were favorites of mine at the time. I don't know how your freshman year went, but mine featured a lot of embarrassment, changes, and personal reflection as I figured out how to not be a terrible person. These albums were essentially the soundtrack to that transformation and have been some of the only albums that I still listen to four years later. 

Review: Oddly enough, both albums open with the most commercially successful song on the album. Shields begins with "Sleeping Ute" while Gossamer gets out of the gate with "Take A Walk." "Sleeping Ute" is not Grizzly Bear's biggest song, but it is undoubtedly one of their best. This song works in sudden stops and starts, with each line in the verse exploding into a noisy wall of guitars, drums, and pianos. Like a ship in a storm, this song bucks in all different directions as it attempts to throw the listener off. The ultra precise drumming (that dude's anti-disco poster really bothers me) really sets the tone here, as it is the first (and loudest) instrument to explode after each line. "Take A Walk" is also a drum led track, but less so than its Grizzly Bear counterpart. The pounding staccato bass drum during the main riff is absolutely crushing and is one of the heaviest drums I have heard in an electronic recording. If you listen to this track, you will probably recognize at least a part of it from just about every commercial in modern memory (or so it feels), which is slightly ironic given that the lyrics tell a devastating tale about the crushing consequences of capitalism. This is by far and away Passion Pit's biggest hit, yet is one of my least favorite songs on the album. On any other record this might be the best song on the album, yet it does not do much to stand out here. I'll give this battle to Grizzly Bear here. 

The next song from each record is one of the most upbeat on each, with Grizzly Bear bringing "Speak In Rounds" to the table, while Passion Pit brings "I'll Be Alright." Passion Pit wins this one by a large margin, as "I'll Be Alright" is one of the best pop songs written in the 2010s, while "Speak In Rounds" is just a great song. "I'll Be Alright" is an absolute heartbreaker, with Michael Angelakos' lyrics describing a failed relationship and the subsequent fall out. This song best illustrates the dichotomy present in nearly all Gossamer-era Passion Pit songs: the contrast between the dark, self loathing lyrics, the bright, electronic instrumentals, and the RIDICULOUSLY catchy melodies. This song refuses to leave your head after even just a single listen, and is not even the catchiest track here. "Speak In Rounds" just pales in comparison to the sheer energy of "I'll Be Alright" (to be fair, most songs would). "Speak In Rounds" sounds like a Fleet Foxes song in the best way, featuring muted drumming and lots of loose acoustic guitar strumming. Similarly to "Sleeping Ute" this song moves in waves (that is a fantastic album cover), but this time is is more in ebbs and flows than violent crashing tempests. After "Speak In Rounds" comes a gorgeous one minute long interlude called "Adelma" that I am counting as part of "Speak In Rounds" for the sake of this review. 

It is really a shame that "Yet Again" has to be the next song on Shields, because the next song on Gossamer is "Carried Away." The song that introduced me to this album, "Carried Away" is my favorite pop song of all time. I have spent my years of listening to music in search of a song that will replicate the feeling I got the first time I listened to "Carried Away." I am also yet to find anybody else who loves that song as much as I do. For some reason this song just pushes all the right buttons in my brain. One listen can put this song in my head for days on end. On top of that, the music video is incredible. I refuse to simply sit here and describe this song, so I strongly recommend that you just go out and listen to it. On the other hand is Grizzly Bear's wonderful song "Yet Again." Along with boasting some of the coolest single art I've ever seen, "Yet Again" is a masterfully constructed rock song. This song, much like "Carried Away" is high energy, exciting, and endlessly catchy. The drumming is again the star here, with drummer Christopher Bear pounding away at his kit in order to keep time for the band. Much like "Sleeping Ute" the song is lead by the cadence set by the drums, and Bear's playing is inhumanly precise. The electric guitar playing is also quite prominent here, and adds a much needed crunch to the song. At the end, "Yet Again"  disintegrates into a psychedelic mess of feedback, distortion, and more brilliant drumming. Both songs are truly remarkable pieces of music, but the edge must be given to Passion Pit. 

Both songs that feature next are the ballads of the album, and both are gorgeous melodically and compositionally. "Constant Conversations" is a beautiful piece of white soul, while "The Hunt" features Grizzly Bear's typical baroque production and possible the most beautiful melody of the album. Both tracks are somber affairs, but "Constant Conversations" is more akin to a drunken slow dance, while "The Hunt" could be the work of a man, alone in a bar, stepping up to a piano and playing for his audience of none. The vocal melody in the chorus is the star of both songs, with Grizzly Bear's catchy revolving melody and Passion Pit's falsetto reassurances both lodging themselves deeply in the listener's head - as well as their heart. Objectively, I have to call the songs equals, although in my head I have to say I prefer "Constant Conversations." 

The next song for Passion Pit is the blistering "Mirrored Sea." This song takes off like a rocket, with pounding synths and drums. The lyrics deal with guilt, but the instrumental is as brash and unashamed as possible. Grizzly Bear's next song is "A Simple Answer," which would have made a great Fiona Apple song. The piano's seems to shift around as the drums comfortably gallop away. This song features one of the best vocal melodies of the album, and there are some synths here that wouldn't sound too out of place on Gossamer. Both songs are far from the best on their respective album but are endlessly enjoyable at the same time. Picking a winner here is nearly impossible. 

For the sake of an even track list, I am going to fuse the next two Passion Pit songs, "Cry Like a Ghost" and "On My Way." Both of these songs feature some fairly strange production for Passion Pit, with the massive sub bass explosions of "Cry Like a Ghost" and the horns on "On My Way." The latter track is a strange sort of electronic soul, while "Ghost" is perhaps the most glitchy and electronic song on the album. Both songs live for their chorus, especially "Ghost," which really takes off in terms of scale when the verse ends. Meanwhile, Grizzly Bear sits back with the relatively quiet "What's Wrong." This song is a more ambient affair than the past few tracks, and is actually fairly boring. The call and response vocals are interesting, but other than that there is not much to say. Passion Pit's double team proves too much for Grizzly Bear's ambient experiment. 

Passion Pit comes out swinging again, with the tense epic "Hideaway." The drums drive this song at a breakneck pace, and the verse melodies are immaculate. The song is truly an exhilarating listen. Grizzly Bear's response is the subdued "Gun-Shy." The tracks are quite opposite, as "Gun-Shy" is a beautiful slice of psychedelic folk. It moves slowly and derives its beauty from the effect-heavy guitars in the background. The change about 1:50 in is absolutely gorgeous and masterfully handled. The preference of song in this battle depends on the listener's mood; one is an exercise in bright immediacy, while the other is a subtle, queasy track worth appreciating over multiple listens. After "Hideaway" comes a short interlude that I am skipping over because it is less than a minute long. 

The next song on Shields is certainly one that takes a bit of patience. "Half Gate" spends most of its time building, with Christopher Bear tapping on his snare drum as the rest of the band keeps time. The key change from major to minor in the verses are gorgeous, yet it is quite apparent that the band is still holding back. Harmonies and guitar build in and the song breaks from a quick walk to a jog. The drumming begins to get a little more ambitious and free form as the harmonies grow more complex and strings begin to accentuate the song. Finally the song begins to take off as ominous strings meet the growingly hectic drumming. The song then dies back down for a little to show off some remarkably beautiful strings, and then builds up for an even-more-explosive-than-the-first second climax. "Half Gate" is truly a roller coaster ride of a song as it pulls the listener up and down through the drumming and strings. Again, for the sake of continuity, the next two Passion Pit songs must be grouped together. "Love Is Greed" is, on the surface, the most obnoxiously happy song of the entire album. The lyrics however, reveal a much darker meaning, discussing how love is actually just seeking to cease their loneliness. It is a dark sentiment delivered in a strikingly beautiful melody and a bright instrumental. "It's Not My Fault, I'm Happy" sounds like a logical progression from "Hideaway" with its thumping bass drum and epic chorus. Both are as well written and produced as they are catchy. Call it a draw, although I know deep down Passion Pit's duo are much easier to listen on a regular basis than the grand "Half Gate." 

The closing tracks to both albums are quite similar, or as similar as two incredibly different songs can be. Passion Pit's "Where We Belong" begins with some weeping strings, arpegiated synthesizers, and bright bells before dropping into a quiet, tense kick drum beat. Lyrics describing two lovers convincing each other into a bathtub suicide commence before Angelakos' falsetto pierces the beat. The lovers then proceed to kill themselves, their spirits leaving the crimson tub, and then the bone chilling line, in perfect falsetto: "Who says that God exists?" as the lovers ascend into heaven. It is a truly chilling and remarkable tracks, which ends with a controlled meltdown from every instrument. "Sun In Your Eyes" is remarkably similar, with its quiet verses and monumental chorus. The song opens with a whisper, yet the chorus hits like a semi truck. The walls of synthesizers, as well as a guitar so deep that it sounds like a horn section, compliment the explosive drumming and the soaring vocals. It is an immense song that fully deserves it's seven minute run time and feels much shorter. The advantage has to be given to Grizzly Bear here, although Passion Pit certainly gave it a good run. 

Upon first listen, these are two albums that could not be further apart. Passion Pit's hectic happiness is in sharp contrast to Grizzly Bear's subdued beauty. One is instantly accessible and begs to be played on repeat (each song on Gossamer has over one hundred plays in my iTunes), while the other takes close inspection and repeated listening to fully enjoy. Yet, upon closer inspection, the albums are more similar than then initially appear. They are structured relatively the same, and deal with many of the same concepts. They are both impeccably produced (Grizzly Bear wins this battle, however naturally I am a bigger fan of the Passion Pit's genre) and their melodies are some of the catchiest around (Passion Pit wins this one; this is the catchiest record I have ever heard). I think the most telling fact about the day each album was released. Gossamer was released on July 20th, while Shields came out on September 18th. I do not think it was an accident that each record label decided to release a blindingly bright, poppy indie pop record in the middle of summer, while the dark, subtle pop record was saved for the beginning of fall. These seasons are perfect representations of each album, as well as the contrast between the two. Just as summer leads into fall and winter, these two albums represent logical progressions from one another. 

HIGHPOINTS: All of Gossamer, all of Shields minus "What's Wrong" 

LOWPOINTS: "What's Wrong" 

RECOMMENDED ALBUMS: Helplessness Blues - Fleet Foxes, Destroyer's Rubies - Destroyer, Merriweather Post Pavilion - Animal Collective

Post 4a: CLASSIC REVIEW: Dirt - Alice in Chains

Classic Review: Dirt - Alice in Chains

CLASSIC/10

Background: Alice in Chains is an American rock/metal band from Seattle, Washington that gained fame for being at the forefront of the grunge movement in the early 1990s. Along with their contemporaries, such as Nirvana, Soundgarden, Pearl Jam, and Stone Temple Pilots, Alice in Chains helped to pioneer grunge, which at its most simplistic consisted of a fusion of heavy metal and hardcore punk that formed as a reaction to the overblown and downright embarrassing forms of metal that began to originate in the late 1980s. Each major grunge band featured traits that made them unique, such as Nirvana's combination of punk with strong pop melodies and Pixies inspired stop-start/quiet-loud dynamics, and AIC's defining factor lay in their heaviness. Despite being one of the leading grunge bands, Alice in Chains were always closer to a metal band than grunge, lacking Nirvana's punk energy and replacing it with the darkness of heavy metal. Another important influence to note in the music of Alice in Chains is a little opioid known as heroin, a favorite of the grunge movement. Dirt, as an album, centers thematically around the use of heroin, and the subsequent effects that such a drug has on the user's life. While this is hardly unique to music (your grandpa's favorite band, The Rolling Stones, had an little ditty named "Sister Morphine" along with other heroin songs), what makes frontman Layne Staley's heroin addiction so interesting is the brutal honesty about the drug. These songs do not mince words, and they do not mess around. A few songs seem to glorify heroin, in an extremely dark and not at all enticing manner, but many make their point clear: heroin addiction is a living hell. In 2002, at the age of 34 and after suffering his entire life with drug addiction and depression, Staley was found dead in his apartment of a heroin overdose. Around him was a stash of cocaine, several empty aerosol cans, a few crack pipes, a loaded syringe in his right hand, and a cleared syringe jammed into in his left leg. Despite being 6'0" tall, Staley weighed 86 lbs at the time of his death. According to Alice in Chains' bass player, who later died of a prescription drug overdose, Staley had entered rehab thirteen times in his life.. 

Review: If this album could be summarized in a single word, it would be "suffocating." Everything about this album feels devoid of oxygen, so brutally honest and close to the listener's ears that it steals the air from the room and selfishly uses it for its own sustenance. The guitars are violent and heavy, while the bass and drums are ruthlessly efficient. The real star here is Staley, however. Staley's lyrics are chilling to the bone, especially considering his ultimate fate. His voice, while not particularly impressive on a technical level, is jarring in its ability to convey feelings of eeriness and anger. Sounding like a baritone Axl Rose, if Axl Rose had spent his teenage years slamming dope into his veins while gargling broken glass instead of learning how to hit his famous high notes, Staley's voice gives off a sense of urgent anger like few in the history of heavy music can manage. The music was primarily written by genius guitarist Jerry Cantrell, with lyric duty handled by Layne Staley, although Cantrell also had a hand in most of the lyrics as well. 

The album opens with a banger, a two and a half minute song called "Them Bones." This song wastes not a single note in its short run time, A yell from Staley, some crunching guitar, and the song launches into its unusual 7/8 time verse. The verse can be described perfectly by the word eerie, with Staley and Cantrell singing in dark harmony over the skittering time signature. The song switches into the conventional 4/4 for the chorus, which really gives it extra kick. The lyrics are downright depressing, focusing on the fact that one day we will all just be a pile of bones. Way to start off the album on a happy note. 

The next track is also a a doozy, the merciless "Dam That River." Written by Cantrell after a fight with drummer Sean Kinney that ended with a coffee table being broken over Cantrell's head, this song features one of the heaviest riffs of the album, as well as some of its most brutal (albeit cheesy) lyrics. The whole dam that river/don't give a damn pun in the chorus is a little lame, but I'm certainly not going to tell the intimidatingly angry man singing it how I feel. This is one of the few songs on the album that do not deal directly with heroin addiction, but the anger, loneliness, and hostility towards the outside world present in the lyrics is no doubt the result of some deep seated issues. 

"Rain When I Die" is the next track, and represents a sort of breather (no pun intended) for the album. This song is slower, and more ambient. However, the eeriness is not toned down at all. Droning guitar and vocals begin the track, which morphs into a swaggering riff. The song then goes back to its slow, plodding pace until the chorus, which almost sounds happy (relatively). The greatness of this song is not so much in the actual song, but in what it represents in terms of the album's structure. This slower, creepier song is an excellent break from the first two pummeling tracks. If this track were to be placed anywhere else, the album would not fit together in the cohesive manner that it does. The song cycles through a few similar phases during its lengthy six minute run and ends with a brilliant trick fade-out that fades back into the song. 

The song "Sickman" is an incredibly tense affair, and would be blatantly ripped off by Soundgarden for their own heroin song. Luckily Soundgarden was one of the best bands from this era, and this is one of the best songs here. The verses are tight and fast, but the song hits slow-mo for the choruses. This one of the most twisted songs on the album, as was the point of writing it. The song has a somewhat breezy bridge before it switches into an excellent guitar solo and ends relatively quickly. 

"Rooster" is the next song up, and it was one of the most popular of AIC's career. Perhaps that is because it isn't about killing yourself with heroin and sticks to the lighthearted topic of the Vietnam War. Written about Cantrell's father in Vietnam (his nickname was "Rooster"), this is by far one of the "easiest" songs to enjoy here. The quieter verses describe a fear of dying in Vietnam, while the explosive chorus trumpets the refusal to give in. It's an inspiring song all the way through due to the contrast of the verses and the chorus, as well as Staley's powerful vocal performance. The guitar playing here, while not particularly technical, is also worth noting. Cantrell's switch between a soaring, clean guitar in the verses to a bombastic metal guitar tone in the chorus really makes it punch with bad intent. The drums, which are understated and economical throughout this album make a subtle but vital contribution with their well placed cymbals and pounding buildup a to the chorus. The changed subject matter is also a nice change, although lyrics about your friends dying in the jungle are not necessarily any easier than the heroin tracks (no pun intended, again). 

 In case the listener had started to miss heroin, the next song, "Junkhead" is by far the most drug induced of the album (and is my personal favorite). This tracks is absolutely disgusting, revolting in the best way. The lyrics see Staley taking pride in his heroin use, defensively using his junkie status as as a badge of honor. It nearly makes me sick to my stomach to hear the lyrics here and realize the fate of one of my musical heroes was decided long before his actual death. Anybody listening to this song when it was released knew the end for Staley would come in one, and only one, manner. 

Similar to "Rain When I Die" the title track represents a a break from the speed of the past tracks, but this time around it is anything but a breather. Despite being slower than the rest of the songs, "Dirt" might be the heaviest of them all. Lyrics here revolve around suicide, alienation, and being buried and are absolutely crushing. The song also features an excellent solo from Cantrell, who does not get many opportunities to show off on this album. 

Back to that aforementioned suffocation, and another song that is quite blatantly about heroin. "God Smack" is a child friendly, lighthearted pop tune. Wait, no. Its a weird, staggering song about really good (bad?) heroin. This is one of the most brutally honest drugs songs ever, There is an immediate desperation in Staley's vocals, very unlike his usual creepy moaning-to-screaming style. His voice quivers with anger as he describes the affects his heroin addiction has worked on his life. Hint: Staley is not a big fan of his dependency. 

Next comes a short interlude named "Iron Man" that is just a bunch of droning guitars with Slayer vocalist Tom Araya growling over it. Pretty hard to listen to, but at least it's short. 

The next song is the most underrated on the album, by far, and actually features singer Layne Staley on rhythm guitar. For a long time this was my favorite song on the album, due to the chilling lyrics and heavy guitars. These vocals see Staley at his angriest as he describes his dependency and the havoc it is wrecking  on his body. Staley describes his transformation from a normal man to the drug addled mess that he would become. "Hate to Feel" is also possibly Staley's best vocal performance here. He sounds as if he is about to fall into a heroin sleep during the verses, but then shoots back into consciousness for the pre-chorus and chorus, as Cantrell's buzzsaw guitar screams to life. This was the song that introduced me to the album, and I still get chills when I hear Staley's voice crack as he is yelling just before the chorus. 

My least favorite track, "Angry Chair" is next. This song, while not inherently bad, just seems rather tame compared to many of the tracks here. Something about it also screams "generic 1990s alt metal" to me and I really dislike how the drums and guitar sound during the verses. The vocals also feature too many effects, which buries Staley's ability to convey emotion as well as he does on the other songs. 

The closer, "Would" is perhaps the best summary of Alice in Chains as an artist. Structured similiarly to "Rooster," this song has a quieter verse, but really explodes in the chorus. The song is written from the point of view of Cantrell's friend, Andrew Wood, who overdosed on heroin in 1990. The lyrics feature him regretting his mistakes, and his powerlessness to his fate. Knowing how Staley's life will end is particularly disturbing here, as when he cries "So, I made a big mistake? / Try to see it once MY way" it is a watershed moment, to say the least. Staley's big mistake would come later in his life, but the passion with which he sings that line lets the listener know that Staley is aware a mistake would be inevitable. The song transitions into a heavy, melancholy bride at the end, with Staley asking "Am I wrong? / Have I run too far to get home?" before finally closing the album with an ultimatum, enhanced by the band punching out a note as he says each word. Staley, chillingly, asks "If I could / Would you?" and the albums ends. 

While this is far from the most famous or acclaimed album of the grunge scene, it has always been my favorite. Cobain's story was nearly as dark as Staley's, yet the music never quite conveyed it. I truly believe that there has never been a more open record about drug use and the subsequent effects in the history of modern music than this one. The darkness of this album is overwhelming, and heroin permeates even the tracks that do not specifically mention drugs. Even the title is a reference to drug. This album remains a testament to the horror of heroin. Even songs like "Junkhead," which on the surface glorify the horrid habit of heroin use, are filled with subtle indications that the pride is just an act, a coping mechanism for the immense struggle inside. Every minute of this record is simultaneously heartbreaking and exhilarating, lethargic yet lethal, violent yet exhausted. There are not many records that can say they do that. 

HIGHPOINTS: "Junkhead" "Them Bones" "Rooster" "Hate to Feel" "Would" "Dirt" 

LOWPOINTS: "Angry Chair" "Iron Man" 

Recommended albums: Nevermind - Nirvana, In Utero - Nirvana, Core - Stone Temple Pilots, Badmotorfinger - Soundgarden, Superunknown - Soundgarden,  Ten - Pearl Jam

Post 3d: CONTEMPORARY REVIEW 2: Is The Is Are - DIIV

Contemporary Review: Is The Is Are - DIIV

7.6/10

Background: DIIV is an indie rock band from Brooklyn, which is surprising given the weird love they have for beach music. Their leader, Zachary Cole Smith, has recently become a Cobain-like quasi-celebrity for his public antics. DIIV exists in a certain niche in indie music that has become very crowded in the past few years: Dream pop with a heavy shoegaze influence. These bands usually carry a heavy reverence for the beach (ex. Beach Fossils) and an even heavier reverence for the stylistic trappings of Loveless-era shoegaze. DIIV's music, which is pretty much summarized by their solid debut album, Oshin (more beach references???). Buried vocals, dreamy, ringing guitars, strong bass lines and lyrics about... heroin addiction and depression! Good times man. Good times. 

Review: In the incredibly dense field of dream pop, all of the leaders in the field have something that make them stand out. Deerhunter stands out by being heavier and scarier than the rest of the field. Beach House stands out in the dream pop field by being well, dreamier than the rest. DIIV stands out through their incredible ability to create tension. These songs are filled with tension, which is usually derived from the band's underrated rhythm section. Underneath DIIVs chiming guitars and catchy muted vocals lives an angry monster made of ultra precise drumming and sprinting basslines. 

Overall, this album could be described in one sentence. This is an 8.5 album that makes some 6.5 errors. Similar to my last reviewed album, this thing is just too long for its own good. However, unlike Malibu, the excessive length here cannot be as easily forgiven, and this entirely due to the albums second major error: lack of variation. On one hand, there are no glaringly bad songs on this album. DIIV has a formula and a locked in aesthetic, and when the values are plugged in the formula yields a result every time. Yet, for most of these tracks, that's all it feels like DIIV is doing. Just plugging presets into a formula and getting an outcome completely devoid of any organic feelings. 

When DIIV decides to break away or improve their formula, however, the results are astounding. Tracks like "Dust" take DIIV's typical, tension filled formula and kick it up a few notches, while a track like "Under The Sun" highlights DIIV's underrated sense of melody. "Dopamine," the lead single and best song on the album (as well as best cover art on an album that has terrible cover art and an even worse name), takes both aspects that makes DIIV enjoyable and combines them. 

In all, this is a great album that makes a few mistakes. If I was ranking this album based solely on his enjoyable it is, it would deserve a score in the mid to low 8s. Unfortunately, there is only so much of this album that can be digested in one sitting. Smith falls in love a little too much with his own aesthetic towards the middle of this album, and it is fairly hard to stomach 40 minutes of the same song at a time. Compared to OSHIN, I would definitely venture to say that the high points of this album are higher, but the lows... the lows are lower. 

HIGHPOINTS: "Dopamine" "Dust" "Under The Sun" "Valentine" 

LOWPOINTS: None. Everything is the same here, except it just isn't remarkable in a way that would put it on the high points list or demote it to lowpoints. 

Recommended Albums: Loveless - My Bloody Valentine, Unknown Pleasures - Joy Division, Joshua Tree - U2, Dirt - Alice In Chains (Not similar in the slightest musically. Recommended if you want more songs about heroin addiction, except even bleaker.) 

Post 3c: CONTEMPORARY REVIEW 1: Malibu - Anderson .Paak

Contemporary Review: Malibu - Anderson .Paak

8.2/10, Worth Checking Out

Background: I actually enjoy the music of My Chemical Romance. Now, while I am admitting embarrassing truths about myself, I really do not know much about Anderson .Paak's background. The singer/songwriter/rapper/multi-instrumentalist burst onto the scene a while back on Dr. Dre's excellent Compton, taking six features during the album's sixteen song, sixty one minute run time. Luckily/unfortunately for an idiot like me, Google does not know much about the man either, so I cannot be faulted. According to Wikipedia, .Paak (pronounced Pack, not Pock) has been making music since 2011, after he was laid off from his job at a marijuana farm (do pot farms have official layoffs or is it more casual?), leaving him, his wife, and his child homeless. After that, he entered the music industry, releasing a few small projects and drumming for an American Idol contestant. He then released his debut album, Venice, which I admittedly have not heard. The guy just drifted onto the scene, don't blame me. From that album .Paak picked up enough steam to get some features on hip hop's first billionaire's album, which gave him the juice to land a few features on The Documentary 2. Cleverly, .Paak has capitalized on his recent publicity and released his second album, Malibu, earlier in January, striking while the proverbial iron is still hot. 

Review: All in all, Anderson .Paak has released an excellent album, although one with a few mistakes. For starters, this album did not need to be sixteen songs and over an hour long. There are very few artists who can pull of an album of that length, and Anderson .Paak is not yet of that echelon. There are a few tracks that could have been pulled or released as bonus material, such as "Your Prime" and "Put Me Thru," to name a couple. They are not bad tracks by any means, but definitely could have been removed in an attempt to streamline the album. Another gripe I have with the record is .Paak's lyrics, which can get a little dicey at times. "Silicon Valley" is a prime example of a fantastic song that suffers from poor lyrics. On this track, .Paak sings an ode to breasts and the organ underneath, but delivers quite a few cringeworthy lyrics while getting there. I absolutely adore the instrumental here, especially the way it builds into that explosive chorus, where .Paak really lets his voice (and the bass) shine. The vocal melody of both the verses and the chorus here is catchy, memorable, and emotional as well. Unfortunately, the lyrical content just is not there. I get what Anderson .Paak is trying to do here, and I am certainly one to believe that there can be no excess of songs written about this particular subject matter, but it just does not work as well as he wants it to work. Perhaps I am just upset that such a brilliant instrumental and excellent song structure can be marred by a few bad lines. 

On to the positives of Malibu, and there are many. Perhaps the most commendable is the ease with which .Paak blends influences from other genres. .Paak takes influences from hip hop, classic soul, R&B, funk, pop, and even some classic rock. It is made readily apparent through the mix of genres here, as well as .Paak's superb choice in t-shirts, that .Paak is knowledgeable across an array of genres. .Paak swings from classic soul sounds, such as in "Waterfall" and "Silicon Valley," to the hip hop of "Without You" and "Room In Here" quite deftly. This album is highly reverential of the past, as evidenced by the use of a dozen or so classic soul cliches, but still keeps it modern. I hate to keep coming back to this track, but "Silicon Valley" illustrates this perfectly. The four step build up that leads into the chorus of the song is textbook vintage soul, yet the huge wave of sub-bass that follows it is distinctly modern hip hop flavored. Another interesting old/new dichotomy that appears consistently though the album is between the old-school, live instrumentation and the modern lyrics and delivery. Anderson .Paak's lyrical content and method of vocal expression is distinctly influenced by modern rapping and indie music, which contrasts nicely with the homage-heavy beats. .Paak sings in a high, nasal register, a more modern quality, yet has more than enough smooth undertones and raspy beauty to rank his voice up there with the classics. 

.Paak's strengths include his sense of melody (see "Celebrate" and "The Bird") and his ability to create a blend of genres that flows together to create a unique yet familiar hybrid. This album has been receiving a pretty large amount of critical acclaim, and for good reason. .Paak is quite skilled at what he does, and that is undeniable. There are a few flaws in his method, but they are more irritants and trivialities than major, glaring flaws. With a little work, more focus, and a few more interesting features (I love Schoolboy Q, but man he dropped the ball here), .Paak might some day be worthy of the ridiculous To Pimp A Butterfly comparison Pitchfork dropped in their glowing review of this album. 

HIGHPOINTS: "Silicon Valley" "Celebrate" "The Bird" "Room In Here" 

LOWPOINTS: "Put Me Thru" "Your Prime"

RECOMMENDED ALBUMS: Voodoo - D'Angelo, Donuts - J. Dilla, Wildheart - Miguel, Channel Orange - Frank Ocean

Post 3b: MODERN CLASSIC REVIEW 3: This Is Happening - LCD Soundsystem

Modern Classic Review: This Is Happening - LCD Soundsystem

9.8/10

Background: LCD Soundsystem is an American dance/post punk/disco/electronic band that "broke up" in 2011, but have recently made my year by declaring a few reunion shows, and even A NEW ALBUM. LCD Soundsystem is a band that I discovered relatively recently in my music career but have since been a band with which I have developed many memories. Whether it is driving home on Halloween night listening to "All My Friends," attempting to sleep on the grimy tile floor of an NYU dorm room with "New York, I Love You But You're Bringing Me Down" playing in my headphones, or sitting alone in a New Jersey airport terminal during a six hour inclement weather delay while listening to "You Wanted A Hit" on repeat, LCD Soundsystem makes the kind of music to which memories naturally attach themselves. Their blend of post punk and electronic dance music, mixed with frontman/leader James Murphy's emotive vocals and incredibly ambitious (read: epic) songwriting lends itself to soundtracking the most memorable moments of life. LCD Soundsystem jumped onto the scene in 2005 with their self titled debut album, which was very techno/EDM influenced and gained considerable critical acclaim. They followed that up with a few small projects and experiments until they released the album Sound of Sliver. This album (which could merit a modern classic review itself) featured a sound more similar to what LCD Soundsystem is known for, more dance punk and alternative disco than EDM/house. This album received absolutely astounding critical acclaim, with Pitchfork even naming  "All My Friends" the second best song of the 2000s decade. Heart-breakingly clever lyrics, get-on-your-feet-and-start-dancing (that truly is the worst music video of all time) instrumentals, and a sense of melody that ranks with the top 40 hits, Sound of Silver really cemented LCD Soundsystem's position as a leader in the field of indie music. After that, LCD Soundsystem released this album, which shall be discussed, and broke up with a huge bang. If this article was written a few months ago this section would have ended there, BUT THIS IS NOT THEN AND LCD SOUNDSYSTEM IS REUNITING.  If you cannot tell, this news has me very excited. 

Review: Let's start this review with one caveat. This record requires a sniper-like patience. These songs are long, and they do not vary much, as they are meant for "dancing." I say that in quotations, because this is obviously a record made for casual listening and consumption, or the lyrics would not be so masterfully constructed or the melodies so brilliant. Still, these tracks are meant for dancing, which means if the tempos keep switching up and things get too varied, dancing becomes difficult. So if you plan to listen to this record (which you should), you need to keep in mind that there are only two songs here under six minutes, and only one that is "pop length."  Yet, this is not a difficult album as long as one is patient. There are no moments in here where a sound plays and the listener will say "Wow. My life and well being would be considerably better if I had never heard that sound" like sometimes people will do when listening to difficult music (caution clicking that link, it is pretty loud and grating). Everything on here is fairly conventional, save maybe a few parts "One Touch," but it is just stretched out. 

The album begins, well, curiously. "Dance Yrself Clean" opens with a weird little intro that sounds great tapped onto a desk during class but is not quite what should be expected to kick off this album. Quiet, restrained, and sparse is not the LCD Soundsystem formula. Murphy's lyrics are reserved and quiet, sung in a deadpan delivery. This weird little intro continues for about three minutes until the song's harmonies begin to get noticeably more tense. The listener is given the sense that something is about to go down and then BAM. A loud, fuzzy synthesizer kicks the club doors in and brings the drums with it. The song then swoops into the dancy and loud LCD that we all know and love. Murphy's vocals jump from boring to wild to hysterical at the flick of a switch (STRONG LANGUAGE ON THAT LINK), and he begins singing in a weird falsetto/scream/yelp for the rest of the track while the rest of the band play their hearts out. As far as introductions go in modern music, this is about as good as it gets.

The next song is the album's only conventional, short track. Titled "Drunk Girls," this one was the main single, and for good reason. This song rocks hard and fast.. Murphy's lyrics border on hysterical while he sings about the stereotypes of drunk teenagers. The band really rocks hard here, and Murphy gives it his all on the vocals, with all the passion and fire that he is known for. If you were wondering if you can dance to this track, I think you already know the answer to that stupid question. Of course you can, this track is excellent for dancing and singing (shouting) along to. 

The album then rolls into "One Touch." This song is highly repetitive, and slightly abrasive. It definitely has an industrial music flair to it, but if industrial music was made for an 80s dance club and didn't suck. Murphy sings in a much lower register, almost like he is doing his best Depeche Mode impression. A loud, repetitive synth line smothers the song at first, but eventually seems to fade into the background, due to some excellent mixing by the band and the sheer repetition of the sound. About four minutes in you'll have heard just about all there is to hear here, so the next three and a half minutes exists mostly if you're still having fun dancing to it or want to hear that catchy little line "ONE TOUCH. IS NEVER ENOUGH." repeated about a thousand more times.

The next song is one of my personal highlights, titled "All I Want" and clocking in at a relatively short 6:41. The song opens with a burst of feedback, one of the few somewhat harsh sounds on the album, and then some punchy drums kick in, guitars start building, and the track is underway. The drums turn into a surf-rock inspired beat, complete with double handclaps, and a short guitar solo is played. Murhpy's lyrics are bitter and self loathing, yet touching and downright beautiful, although a bit blunt. It builds up to an explosive, noisy ending that almost sneaks up due to the masterful way the crescendo is designed. Now I am fully aware that Pitchfork made this call back in 2010, but I have to make it too because it is so spot on. This song is strongly reminiscent of "Heroes" by David Bowie. For those that are unaware, that is a compliment of the highest order. "Heroes" is one of the most skilled fusions of art and pure pop to have ever been laid to record. Bowie (RIP) comparisons aside, this is a truly remarkable song, and arguably the best on the album (it really isn't though). 

After "All I Want" comes "I Can Change" which is another contender for the best song on this album, meaning it is a contender for the best song in modern music (I kid, but I also am not kidding). This song, along with "Drunk Girls," is shorter (if 5:55 is short) and easier to listen to than the rest here. The melody here is stronger than any other track, and it would make a killer ballad if it were slowed down and some of the happier synthesizers were taken out of the mix. The lyrics are heartbreaking and especially potent with Murphy's delivery. Murphy's repetition of the line "I can change, I can change..." immediately followed by "if it helps you fall in love" is crushing, but beautiful. 

The next two songs cap off this album's hot streak with a bang, and despite taking over seventeen minutes between the both of them, it feels much quicker than it truly is. "You Wanted A Hit" is yet another candidate for best song on the album, and features a steady, tense guitar line that runs constantly through the album. It opens with some building drumming and synth chords, stays that way for about two and a half minutes, and then breaks into the actual song when a chugging guitar line makes itself heard. This section is masterfully paced, allowing for enough time to build tension before the song really kicks into gear. From there, Murphy addresses fan expectations for a big song that would really put LCD Soundsystem in mainstream conscious, and succinctly tells them to shut up and enjoy what they are being given. Ironically, Murphy writes a song that actually could have been a hit were it not nine minutes long. After "You Wanted A Hit" comes "Pow Pow." "Pow Pow" does not quite make a run for best song on the album, but it certainly could qualify for best lyrics. Murphy is clever, quick, and eccentric all over this lengthy track. Oh yeah and the dance instrumental behind it isn't half bad either. 

Now I'm not gonna lie to you, the reason for the .2 deducted from the score comes from this next track. It isn't a bad song by any means, but it is definitely is not necessary to the track listing. "Somebody's Calling Me" is not a dance track by any means, and is really just a downbeat, somber affair from start to finish. There is not much to say except that about the song. 

The final actual track on the album is titled "Home" and is a stellar way to end the album. The song is quite Sound of Silver-esque, although nearly twice as long as some of the songs on that album. The song opens with some scratchy guitar and clicking before a strong, groovy dance bassline comes in and takes control of the track. Cowbell is also featured here, which is always a plus. The bass is really the star of this track, along with Murphy's catchy melody. Towards the end the drums start to vary it up a little, sounding more cacophonous and messy compared to the tight hi hats that appeared earlier in the song and with that LCD Soundsystem's career was over (for the time being). 

LCD Soundsystem as a band, rather than just this album, had a fairly sizable hand in reviving dance punk and disco as an artform in modern indie music. Band like Hot Chip, Chromeo, !!!, The Juan MacLean, and even the gods known as Daft Punk have taken some cues from what LCD Soundsystem did for dance music. This album was also surprisingly successful from a commercial standpoint, peaking at number 10 on the Billboard 200. Hard to believe that an hour long dance music odyssey could make it to that kind of fame, but somehow it did. There is also talk circulating that Murphy might try for his first number 1 album with the upcoming LCD Soundsystem album, which would almost be too much for me. No matter how it charts, LCD Soundsystem has left an impression that will certainly be remembered for years to come, and hopefully will continue to add to that flawless legacy. 

HIGHPOINTS: Everything except "Somebody's Calling Me" 

LOWPOINTS: By process of elimination, "Somebody's Calling Me"

Recommended: The rest of LCD Soundsystem's discography, Why Make Sense - Hot Chip, Discovery - Daft Punk, Echoes - The Rapture, any of David Bowie's work in the 1980s. 

Post 3a: DUAL CLASSIC REVIEW 3: Pet Sounds - The Beach Boys and Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band

Classic Review: Pet Sounds - The Beach Boys and Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band - The Beatles

CLASSIC/10

CLASSIC/10

And with this review, I try something different than the standard album review. This might be a little rough, but bear with me. Here I will discuss two albums at once, as both of these masterpieces share quite a few similarities. In addition to the blindingly obvious, such as time period, genre, fame, and legacy, these were both some of the must influential and important albums in the history of modern music. I am not exaggerating here, as I am prone to do when discussing things about which I am passionate. I am not making a joke. Without these two albums, modern music does not exist. These are objectively the most important two albums in modern music. So sit down and start reading. This is the one lesson you need to have learned if you want to talk with anybody that is more than just a casual fan of music.

In case you really do not know anything about music, here is some background on these two bands. The Beatles were a band from England who began their career making excellent, low brow, catchy pop music and then started taking drugs and made the most innovative and commercially successful music in modern history. The Beach Boys were a band from California, USA who began their career making excellent, low brow, catchy pop music and then started taking drugs and made the most innovative and commercially successful music in modern music. With both of these bands, think as if One Direction, but far more popular, just released an album one day and started sounding like an even more innovative Animal Collective, but somehow still retained their popularity. And then make that even more unbelievable, as such a transformation had never happened before. For any more background, read the Wikipedia links attached to their names. Both are good reads, albeit a bit long. 

Due to the sheer amount of music to discuss here (twenty six songs) I am not going through each album song by song, as I usually do. This review is more about the albums as complete entities, rather than as a collection of individual songs. Basically, this review is more about history than music. It is more vital for understanding the course of modern music to view them as such, as these are the two most innovative pop albums of not only their time but of modern music. Before these albums, the album as a format was little more than an excuse to resell previously released singles at a higher price point (see previously mentioned band One Direction). Albums had the singles, and then they had a bunch of throwaway padding to back them up. From this point forth in music, every song on an album was to be flawless, representative of an artist's maximum effort each time. Before Pet Sounds, music was not art. Music did not strive to be particularly innovative, or to be held on the same intellectual plane as classical music or high art. 

Pet Sounds was recorded from July 12, 1965 – April 13, 1966, almost entirely by Brian Wilson, the absolutely insane but brilliant mastermind behind The Beach Boys. In 1964, Wilson, whose innate mental instabilities (which were then aggravated by absolutely depraved amounts of drug use) have become public knowledge in the years since the 60s, suffered a panic attack while on a plane flight. This particularly unnerving episode, as well as a few debilitating incidents in the years before, caused Wilson to resign for a while from touring. This sudden rush of free time allowed Wilson to focus on his production and songwriting, which were his main contributions to the band in the pre Pet Sounds era of their career. Also to note is the fact that this is when Brian Wilson started getting high like his blood was made of acid and cocaine. An actual story features Brian being convinced by his brother, Dennis, to purchase $15,000 of cocaine at one time. In 1960s money. To give a sense of perspective, calculated for inflation, $15,000 in 1965 is the equivalent of about $113,000 in 2015. Try to picture $113,000 of cocaine in one room being purchased by one of the biggest rock stars on the planet. I'd rather not. Anyways, Wilson started writing most of his music under the influence of whatever his infinite riches could purchase him. While this wrecked havoc on his already fragile mind, it worked wonders for his music and Brian Wilson began churning out more innovative and innovative music that peaked with Pet Sounds. Pet Sounds was an instant critical and commercial success in England, yet flopped in both regards in the USA. This is largely due to Capital Records completely wetting the bed in regards to marketing the album, as it was so different than anything else on the market that they had no idea how to promote it. Talk about being a victim to one's own genius. Now, as you read the next part consider how different the musical landscape of the time was from today. Music was not art. Rock n roll was dance music, not made for deep listening. Genres did not cross, and production techniques consisted of little more than recording every instrument, throwing it all together in the studio, and then mixing it a little bit so one instrument did not overpower the others. Suddenly, along comes Brian Wilson. In addition to the standard rock instruments of guitar, bass, drums, piano, voice etc., Pet Sounds features sounds from instruments/not quite instruments like the theramin, flute, harpsichord, barking dogs, Coca Cola bottles, dog whistles, and even trains. Individual songs featured entire orchestras. Genres noticeably covered on the album include psychedelia, pop, baroque, folk, jazz, avant-garde, ambient, progressive rock, classical, middle eastern/Indian, and rock. "God Only Knows" is not composed of actual, identifiable chords, has no key, and is still somehow one of the most beautiful pop songs every written. "Wouldn't It Be Nice" is arguably my favorite pop song of all time and features enough instrumentation for an entire album. There are entire essays that I could write on the album's experimenting with melody, song structure, harmony, timbre, chord voicings, and innovative production techniques, but I will not get into those. The album costed, adjusted for inflation, the equivalent of $510,000 in today's money. A price like that was unheard of at the time, and still sound slightly ridiculous. The album is also noted as one of the first concept albums, which means that it tells a story and shares a constant theme throughout. This was accomplished to a degree in the lyrics, which tell a loose story about love, but is mainly connected in the production. By creating a cohesive theme of production, Brian Wilson managed to create a concept album through his instrumentation, a feat which has only been accomplished by a few artists since.

A little later a little band known as The Beatles decided to stop touring. Their massive popularity had caused their shows to be too loud, and the band could not hear themselves play on stage, This had caused their playing skills to become sloppy, which embarrassed the band. In addition, they were hugely controversial, which had gotten to the point where it endangered the band when they were traveling. When in Japan, a battalion of 35,000 police officers were assigned to protect the band from fans. This sudden rush of free time led to the band separating for seven weeks in order to pursue personal interests and find inspiration in their own ways. It is here that Paul McCartney, the Brian Wilson of sorts for The Beatles, developed the concept of a fictional band decided to write an album from the perspective of this fictional band. Inspired by Pet Sounds, which was actually heavily inspired by an earlier Beatles record, Rubber Soul, Paul set out to write an equal to Pet Sounds (his words not mine) in both scale, innovation, and skill. McCartney's ambition, as well as a literally limitless studio budget, allowed McCartney/producer George Martin to not just push the limits of production as established by Wilson in the year prior, but to take them and break them in half over his knee, like Bane does to Batman in The Dark Knight Rises. A song not included on the album even featured one version of the song played on top of another. The Beatles recorded a sad version of the song and a happy version and layered them to create a song. If that doesn't sound particularly innovative to you, take my word for it. That is some next level stuff. 700 hours of hard work later, Sgt. Pepper's was finished. Unlike Pet Sounds, this album took no time to receive its glory. The album was immediately a commercial success and was hailed as an instant classic by nearly all critics. 

A large part of the reason why I chose to review these records together is because they were directly related, and made by bands who were directly related. The bands listened to each other's music, and regularly stole ideas from one another. The first time McCartney heard "God Only Knows" he broke down crying, and still maintains that it causes him to lost control of his emotions when he hears it. I have heard unconfirmed stories that the first time Brian Wilson heard "Strawberry Fields Forever" he attempted to ram his car into a tree, because the song had accomplished everything he was living to do in his music. Both albums were directly influenced by the work of the other band, and openly so. Both displayed unparalleled ambition and innovation, and are landmark records of their time. Both were also instrumental in the development of music and culture as a whole. The Beatles especially are seen as primary influences of culture and music, but The Beach Boys have seen their fair share of credit, especially in modern musical movements and recent fixations on pop over other genres. 

I am of the opinion that nearly any album released since the mid 1960s owes some sort of debt to these two albums. Go ahead. Try it. Name an album, and I can give you a link to one of these albums. It is like finding a person's bacon number. How is black metal related to Sgt. Pepper's? Well black metal would not exist without thrash metal which was created by a few bands, one of which went by the name Megadeth. Frontman of Megadeth, Dave Mustaine, has cited The Beatles as a large influence on his music. Experimental jazz music? The jazz undertones of Pet Sounds helped to open the public's tastes towards a jazz, leading to a more widespread acceptance of the genre. The influence of these two albums is all reaching, to say the least. 

The importance of these two albums on modern music is hard to understate. Yet, I almost feel as if I am over hyping the albums. Many who listen to them claim that they do not understand their reputation. This is due to a little something similar to the Seinfeld Is Unfunny trope. These albums have been so copied and have proven so influential that they sound derivative and unoriginal. Viewing these albums for what they are, pieces of music now over half a century old, is vital. Another fault when appreciating albums of this nature arise from the average person's inability to appreciate the subtleties of such music. TJ Jenkins from Wichita probably does not understand the brilliance of using non-diatonic chords and inverted chords in "God Only Knows". I can guarantee he never realized that when the line "God only knows what I'd be without you" is sung, the chord progression changes from the unconventional inverted thirds and non diatonic chords to the more conventional progression A–E/G#–F#m7–E, signalling an added emphasis on that line in particular. I bet he didn't notice the constantly changing key, which moves between A major and E major, or that the song ends with perpetual rounds, which was a very uncommon technique for the time. If none of that made sense to you, and it shouldn't make any sense, then you understand why some people might not fully grasp the brilliance of some of these songs.

The best advice I can possibly give to a person who has not heard these albums is to simply go out and listen, keeping in mind their age. I really do believe that even today these albums contain songs that will amaze casual and dedicated listeners, as long as one keeps an open mind. Listening to Pet Sounds and Sgt. Pepper's is almost like a rite of passage for music, similiar to reading The Republic by Plato or studying the Mona Lisa: if you keep an open mind you will probably enjoy it, and even if you don't, that is just too bad. This is a lesson that you do not choose to have.