White Arrows - Dry Land is Not a Myth
This is the debut album from a tremendously fascinating act. For one, there's the Waterworld reference for an album title. That'll get you some points. Further, the lead singer was born blind and had his sight restored by doctors when he was 11, which is fairly interesting, to say the least. Oh, and this is another in a line of recent White bands from the last couple years: White Stripes, White Denim, White Rabbits, etc. The band's music is also difficult to describe: it's an amalgamation of pop, electro, garage, and world music. They sound like, I dunno, maybe if a more pop-friendly Animal Collective snagged Vampire Weekend's rhythm section and tried to write LCD Soundsystem songs? The pop-friendly part is important: I think this band mostly manages to avoid the esoteric nature of other genre bending acts like the aforementioned Animal Collective. Anyway, I like this album, I think it could grow on me, and I'm intrigued to see where this band goes next.
Selections
I Can Go
Settle Down
Coming or Going
Roll Forever
Metric - Synthetica
This is a pretty good alternative rock album: the kind that doesn't often get made any more. Having really only been familiar with the band's previous song "Help I'm Alive," I was pleased to learn that Metric is able to rock a little more than I expected. The band still does atmospheric rock well, but they're not afraid to bring the hooks, and there's some arena-sized anthems on this album. I think this thing is pretty enjoyable from start to finish.
Selections
Artificial Nocturne
Youth Without Youth
Breathing Underwater
Smashing Pumpkins - Oceania
This is a perfectly acceptable, slightly below-average Smashing Pumpkins album, much as it pains me to call a D'Arcy-less, James Iha-less, Jimmy Chamberlain-less band the Smashing Pumpkins. Still, in spite of the lineup being Billy Corgan and three random folks (two dudes and a chick bassist; Billy loves his chick bassists), this sounds of a part with the band's pre-Adore output, even if it's obviously not as good as any of those records (seriously: Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness-era Smashing Pumpkins have somehow ended up being underrated in today's climate, in my estimation). Album opener has shades of both Gish opener "I am One" and Siamese Dream opener "Cherub Rock," and hey, why the heck not? If Silversun Pickups can make a lot of money ripping off early 90's Smashing Pumpkins, shouldn't the actual band (or, at least the main creative force of the actual band and three random folks) get to do so too? As far as comeback albums go, this one doesn't reveal new facets of Billy Corgan so much as reveal he still does what he does pretty well.
Selections
The Celestials
Inkless
Pinwheels
Fiona Apple - The Idler Wheel Is Wiser Than the Driver of the Screw and Whipping Cords Will Serve You More Than Ropes Will Ever Do
This album is getting all kinds of praise, and I'm wondering if I'm just not in the Fiona Apple's target audience or what. It sounds like pretty much what I expected: jagged, off-kilter vocals, sparse production, staccato piano. None of it's objectionable, but I'm not entirely sure I get the genius of it either. The song's sound kinda same-y to me.
Selection
Left Alone
Periphery
Ed Sheeran - +
This may qualify as a guilty pleasure, another overly earnest troubadour with an acoustic guitar. And sometimes he raps. Alright, he's more than a little Mraz-ian. And I do worry a little bit that if the lead single "A Team," which sounds like it was written for a closing montage on Grey's Anatomy, does well enough, then this guy could take a turn for the crappy. But whatever: I like the laid back guitar, the rapping isn't really ever obnoxious, and the choruses get in my head. Why do you all have to be so judgmental? Can't I just like what I like already? I don't have to prove anything to any of you.
Selections
A Team
UNI
Grade 8
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