For better or worse, Conor Oberst has always taken varying approaches to writing music. His career encompasses a slew of genres, from gunge/emo (Decaprecidos) to electronic (Bright Eyes’ Digital Ash in a Digital Urn) and his current folk stint. But one thing has always been for sure: a Conor Oberst album is a one-man show. Most of his past projects (including his first album with the Mystic Valley Band) have featured Oberst as the sole lead vocalist, singing familiar lyrics in the first person – and in general, it’s worked well. But Outer South, released on May 5 by Merge Records, is a different story. Oberst has given up much of his creative control, with seven of the album’s sixteen tracks having been written or sung by his bandmates.
Stylistically, the album drifts further down the bluesy Americana path that its predecessor marked out. But while Oberst’s first outing with the Mystic Valley Band still possessed much of Bright Eyes’ charm (“Get-Well-Cards,” “Moab,” “Souled Out!!!”), this one comes off with a sparse dryness. Outer South offers a few bright spots, but it’s weighted down with an equal number of tracks that you could skip without missing a thing. Also, none of the Mystic Valley Band members seem to be capable of sharing frontman duties with their leader. Other than Jason Boesel’s deep croon on “Difference is Time,” the non-Oberst vocals on the record are timid and inconsequential.
Still, there’s plenty here to enjoy. Oberst commands his ensemble of jangling guitars and wailing organs with prowess on “Slowly/Oh So Slowly,” “Cabbage Town,” and the album’s best song, “I Got the Reason #2.” When things go right on Outer South, they really go right. The triumphant chord of vocals at the six-minute mark on “Reason #2,” the lyrics on the fourth verse of “Roosevelt Room,” and the climactic last two minutes of “Cabbage Town” are all musical moments that rival anything else in Oberst’s discography.
But for each inspiring moment, there are two moments that wouldn’t inspire much more than a yawn. There are about five solid tracks on the album, and in between these infrequent bright spots, the band drags through handfuls of dreary, stale fillers. There’s some fodder for playlists here, but don’t expect to listen to this record in its entirety (a whopping seventy minutes) more than a couple of times. That’s the danger of releasing two full-length LPs in a nine-month period. More often than not, the second effort ends up as a mediocre work that could have benefitted greatly from more time in the cooker. Outer South is no exception.
Score: 5.5/10
So it goes,
Derek
Music Review: Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band - "Outer South"
Music Review: Manchester Orchestra - "Mean Everything to Nothing"
A couple of years ago, I saw emo veterans, Brand New, at the Ridglea Theater in Fort Worth. Opening the show was a upstart band called Manchester Orchestra. By the end of their set, I was impressed – these guys were good. Whereas the emo genre has, over the past five years, digressed into a cesspool of heartless powerpop garbage, Manchester Orchestra’s debut album, I’m Like a Virgin Losing a Child, showed the promise of a young band that would, with some fine-tuning, blossom into something great.
Now, two years later, it seems that they’ve undergone that fine-tuning. In the hands of producer, Joe Chiccarelli (The Raconteurs, My Morning Jacket, The Shins), Manchester Orchestra has returned with Mean Everything to Nothing, a passionate rock album that showcases a new maturity for the band.
From the start of the record, it is clear that Manchester Orchestra has made many steps forward. Their sound has filled out – encompassing everything from 90s lo-fi indie vibes on “In My Teeth” to explosive, angst-driven sing-alongs on “Shake it Out” – and the songwriting is much more cohesive than in the past. But it's not entirely perfect. The second half of the album is not nearly as strong as the first. Also, while the first three tracks are all great songs, there is little to no transition between them, making for an awkward first listen. All in all, though, these flaws are slight in scope and don't plague the album too seriously.
Manchester Orchestra is at their best on dynamic, high-strung thrillers like “Shake it Out,” “The Only One,” and “I’ve Got Friends” (current single and best track on the album), but their soft side is also well worth noting. On “I Can Feel a Hot One,” singer Andy Hull croons atop a layer of poignant guitar picking and sparse percussion for a satisfying four minutes.
Mean Everything to Nothing is a stellar example of what a band’s sophomore album should be: a passionate product that displays a growing maturity while sticking close enough to the band’s roots to keep its following. If this record is any indication, expect to hear lots from Manchester Orchestra in the coming years.
Score: 7.5/10
So it goes,
Derek
______________
Manchester Orchestra is touring the U.S. this summer. Listen to tracks from the album and check out their tour dates on Myspace.
This is the extended version of a review originally published in The Gadfly, a magazine of Politics, Philosophy, and Economics at the King's College in New York.
Music Review: Japandroids - "Post-Nothing"
A couple of weeks ago, I got an update on Google Reader (to which I am hopelessly addicted) about a band called Japandroids, a two-piece outfit from Vancouver. I thought, “Japandroids? That has to be one of the most ridiculous band names I have ever heard!” and promptly skipped the post. But over the next week, the updates on this band kept pouring in: glowing reviews, news of their upcoming tour, and a Pitchfork.com “Best New Music” award. Eventually, I got over my stubbornness, admitted my initial mistake of dismissal, and picked up the band’s recent debut album, Post-Nothing.
On paper, I should not enjoy Japandroids. I’m a guy who likes his music to be polished, theatrical, and complex. Japandroids are none of these. They are the epitome garage rock – broad, heavily distorted guitar chords, fast-paced drum parts and sparse lyrics. On average, there are about five different vocal lines per song, which both band members chant repetitively. And again, there’s their ridiculous-as-hell name. But, there’s something about Japandroids that keeps me listening. It’s because, for all of their simplicity, their sound – a bare bones, punk driven mix of Broken Social Scene and At the Drive-In – has an irresistible charm. As the duo chugs through song after heartwarming song, you can’t help but smile and tap your foot to the beat.
Post-Nothing keeps things short and sweet (clocking in at eight songs and a total of 35 minutes) but never feels incomplete. It begins with “The Boys are Leaving Town” (possibly a play on the classic Thin Lizzy song?), which sets the tone of displacement that develops throughout the album. The album’s best tracks are “Young Hearts Spark Fire” and “Wet Hair,” two upbeat, anthemic songs about being young, chasing girls, and not wanting to grow up. Remember when you and your high school buddies used to jam in your parents’ garage? That’s what this is, except it’s done well.
The album revolves around feelings of rootlessness, nostalgia, and anxiety for the future – feelings which it evokes with an irresistible passion. And this is because of, not in spite of, Japandroids’ makeup. They’re not showy or complex – just two guys playing their hearts out. As a result, Post-Nothing is one of the most stirring albums to have emerged from the noise-pop scene in quite some time.
Score: 8/10
So it goes,
Derek
__________
Japandroids are touring the U.S. this summer. Listen and check out their tour dates on Myspace.
Music Review: Yeah Yeah Yeahs - "It's Blitz!"
There’s only one word that adequately describes indie rock band and New York City natives, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs: unpredictable. Ever since stepping onto the scene, they have constantly refined and adapted themselves, all the while sticking close enough to their roots to remain a pleasurable listen. Thus, with their latest album, It’s Blitz!, on the horizon, fans of the band expected something fresh and exciting.
And once again, Yeah Yeah Yeahs have delivered. For the new record, the band ditched much of its signature garage rock grunge and hit the dance floor – adding a chorus line of MIDI controllers and drum machines to their mix. Facilitating the transition is co-producer and TV On the Radio guitarist, David Sitek, whose influence can be heard everywhere on the album, which feels similar last year’s TVOTR offering, Dear Science. In Sitek’s hands, the band has masterfully and tastefully reinvented their sound. Guitarist, Nick Zinner, also adapts well to the change, knowing when to take a back seat to the synth and when to tastefully cut through the mix. All things considered, It’s Blitz! finds the Yeah Yeah Yeahs at the top of their game. It’s one of the most compelling pop-rock albums of this decade.
The record kicks off with the current single, “Zero,” and from the very first second, a pulsing synth sequence lets you know that you’re in for a ride. Singer Karen O trills and pants atop a layering of keyboards and drum machines as the song builds through the first two minutes. Then, just when you thought the band had ridden itself of all things stringed, the song explodes into a soaring, fuzz-driven guitar solo. By the end of the track, you wonder how the band could possibly follow such a stunning opener.
But the album keeps its pace, rolling through a rock-solid lineup of songs. “Soft Shock” is exactly what its name implies: dynamically tame in its context but every bit as vibrant as the rest of the album. For those of you who (for some weird reason) aren’t excited about the electronic currents of this record, have no fear. On “Dull Life” and “Shame and Fortune,” the band moves the synths to the background, landing a one-two punch of guitar rocking winners. The album holds steady for the home stretch with “Dragon Queen,” a club-worthy mix of percussion and chiming guitars and “Hysteric,” a poignant, airy set up to the dreamy closer, “Little Shadow.” On the last vocal line of the record, Karen O asks, “to the night, will you follow me?” If she plans to continue in the direction of this album, the answer is a resounding yes.
Aside from their new electro-pop vibe, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs have gained another new element on this album: a sense of direction. It’s Blitz! is their first effort that really feels like a cohesive unit, and thus, it emerges as the most satisfying electro-pop record this side of MGMT’s Oracular Spectacular. Expect to see this on most critics’ “Best Of” lists for 2009.
Score: 9/10
This is the extended version of a review originally published in The Gadfly, a magazine of Politics, Philosophy, and Economics at the King's College in New York.