Posts written by album of the week
Album Of The Week
It’s strange in a world where genres are so diverse that a band could so easily defy pigeonholing. I’d like to call them new folk, but that just wouldn’t do justice to their diversity, and a subgenre so broad might mean that when you come to listen to this album you’d be thrown by at least half the tracks. I’d like to say it’s experimental, but it feels far too comfortable and unchallenging. Brooklyn-based Dirty Projectors are led by Yale music composition graduate Dave Longstreth, so it’s little surprise that this album is so, well, surprising- it’s fresh and vibrant, it’s contemporary and relevant and yet bears no comparison to anything else in the charts or in the works. It’s a shame that for an album I’d like to champion, and that so effortlessly impresses all, I’m inadequate enough to be left with abstract phrases like ‘it’s like memories of your back-garden as a child, but in space’. Truly, an album that surpasses my literary coherence. I can only apologize.
18/20 AGCS’s
Alistair
Album of the Week
After the last album, Gold Lion, Yeah Yeah Yeahs’ were given up on by many fans. What Gold Lion failed to deliver was something exciting and challenging, something with as much heart as 2003’s ‘Fever To Tell’.
The distinction between Gold Lion and their latest offering – It’s Blitz – is to realise that the New York punk of their early days was as much an ethic as it was a sound. Punk, without the rebellion and aggression falls on its face; it’s not enough for guitarist Nick Zinner to come back with the same guitar pedals, as Gold Lion showed.
‘It’s Blitz’ shows breadth with the introduction of synths and electronic drums .It’s a more mature sound, with Karen O really shining on her own. Where Hysteric is the new Maps and Zero the new Y Control, this is a really well rounded album – If it’s more Yeah Yeah Yeahs you’re after, rather than more ‘Fever To Tell’, this is highly recommended.
Out today on physical formats.
Alistair
Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Zero
Album of the Week. On…Tuesday.
Excuse the rose tinted glasses here, but somehow we’ve all let our quality control get a bit limp haven’t we? I don’t think we should ever, EVER accept an album with ‘filler’ material. An album that consists of the 2 singles (the reason you bought it) 4 fillers (of which maybe one shows a hint of promise) and then an overzealous couple of ending tracks maybe be the most common conception of an album but it shouldn’t be the norm. AGCS is just out the womb and covered in proverbial afterbirth, so a revolution isn’t likely – but if you are reading this – expect more. Expect a band who wants to give you 10 or more release worthy songs. Of course, you’ll probably argue that this is oversimplified subjective conjecture, and you’re probably right, but keep reading, because I’m about to tell you about a great new band and you won’t regret it.
Harlem Shakes are brilliant. They’ve toured with Deerhoof, Vampire Weekend, and Beirut, and opened for Wire and Clap Your Hands Say Yeah – so this gives you some idea of the scene/sound, but honestly, I think they trump all those guys, especially Vampire Weekend. Lead singer Lexy is nasally and whiney, like Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, but somehow it’s entirely tolerable. Naive synths and electronic drums play a part, but only ever add to new dimensions, unlike shit-eating Vampire Weekend who flaunt their ‘quirky’ instruments at every opportunity. Most importantly, there is NO filler. Granted, there are only 10 tracks, but I’d like to imagine they left out the not-so-strong tracks for my sake alone. If they haven’t already, I suspect this album will ensure these guys turn up on Skins (or a car ad in between Skins) and be flaunted by the MNSTRMrs. Until then make sure you take a listen and download-enjoy-return-repeat.
9.8789/10
Alistair
Harlem Shakes - Strictly Game
