Animal Kingdom - The Looking Away
This indie band's from the UK and this is their sophomore album, although it's the first I've ever heard of them before, and I have to say, I like what I hear. Since "indie" is essentially useless as a signifier, I guess I'd say these guys leans more towards an orchestral, melodic area. It's a pretty full sound, like something like the Editors, but unlike that group there's more of a variety to how they sound: at different times, Animal Kingdom can sound moody, bright, chill, or driving. Front to back, this is a solid indie release.
Selection (Unfortunately, the album is only out on iTunes, so I can't link spotify, and youtube only has one of the songs. If it's any consolation, it's a pretty fucking great song)
Strange Attractor
Get Away with It (Update: YouTube finally added some more Animal Kingdom songs)
Chappo - Moonwater
"But wait: didn't you talk about this band last week?" no one's thinking, because I doubt anyone's paying that close attention. But yeah, last week I did talk about an EP that this band put out a couple years ago. I was introduced to this band when I heard the song "Come Home" on Sirius radio a couple weeks ago, checked out that previously discussed EP and loved it, and pretty much didn't learn anything else about this band. So imagine my surprise when their debut LP came up on the What's New tab on Spotify. I still really like this band. As you would expect, unlike the EP, which was pretty strictly focused on space-y psychedelia, the LP shows the band having a little more versatility. Maybe it's just increased familiarity with their sound, but I was very impressed with the lead singer today. Sometimes he sounds like the lead singer of the Scissor Sisters if he was backed by a decent rock band, sometimes he sounds like Win Butler of the Arcade Fire, and sometimes he even approaches Neil Young (the fascinating "Native Savage," which kinda sounds like if Neil Young ever decided to do Bon Jovi's "Blaze of Glory"), but it all works for me. I hope this band gets big.
Selections
Come Home
Native Savage
Sunblades
Shots Fired
Silversun Pickups - Neck of the Woods
Honestly, this album feels like a bit of a misstep. I'm really rooting for these guys - I think that within the limited range they operate in, they're really quite excellent - but this album appears to be deliberately more moody and gloomy than their previous two, and unfortunately, that reveals the band at their most boring and droning. I think this band has been at its best when it's been poppy, and on this album any populist singles appear to have been eschewed for "atmosphere." Frankly, I just wish the band would get out of their comfort zone more: this group could learn a little bit from their obvious forebears the Smashing Pumpkins and make an album as diverse and occasionally weird as Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness (although please stay away from the double album format. Also, any sort of chronological conceit). Anyway, you likely already know what this album sounds like if you've listened to Silversun Pickups' first two albums, so act accordingly.
Selections
Bloody Mary (Nerve Endings)
Gun-Shy Sunshine
That's pretty much it for albums I would recommend this week. Damon Albarn released an 18 track concept album about 16th century occultist John Dee (yes, really), but I have to admit, I wasn't able to get through even half of it, so boring was the start. Apparently it's the soundtrack to an opera or something, but as much as I like Damon Albarn, I can't recommend this. Oh, and in the bubblegum pop, the group Karmin released their album, which has the pretty decent single "Brokenhearted" that most of you are already familiar with (and if not, likely will be soon), but nothing else on the album is half as much fun, and it features entirely too much white person rapping to be recommended.
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