Tuesday, April 29, 2014

The Killers- Sam's Town

Released in 2006, Sam's Town is the follow-up to The Killer's highly successful debut album.

Replacing Hot Fuss's new wave / electro style with a series of rural American landscapes elicited a polarised response at the time. Back then, I really enjoyed the newfound narrative storytelling, and it was my favourite album for a while.

... However, recent listening has resulted in some gripes, mainly relating to the recording quality. Oh my goodness, the mastering of this is terrible. Starting at the bottom, kick-drum and bass guitar have very little low-pitched content, leaving a hole at the bottom of the spectrum. Moving up, the rest of the drums sound miniscule and there's a harshness to the high-pitched sounds. And while these problems can be reduced with some (quite extreme) EQ tweaks, the nasally/compressed vocals on some songs isn't something that can be reduced without problematic side-effects. Looking for a silver lining in this cloud, the synths provide good fill and are well integrated rather than tacked-on.

On the songwriting front, I really like the departure from the traditional verse-chorus structure. Many of the songs have nice "pre-choruses" to subtly push them along, saving the highlight chorus for the big finale. It works well. Sam's Town is a good example of this structure. My favourite section is the pre-chorus with the offbeat hi-hat. Also, somehow the following phrase is a wonderful depiction of being patriotic:
Red, white and blue
upon a birthday cake.
My brother, he was born
on the fourth of July. 
Not so wonderful is that the highlight ("I see London / I see Sam's Town") is a letdown and then the song fades out with a whimper. Despite this, the song remains a solid opening track...

... which makes the inclusion of Enterlude as the second track completely pointless. After the first track has established the energy of the album, Enterlude completely destroys the flow for the sake of concept album wank.

The energy of Bling is fantastic, continually forward driving, yet also leaving room for the climax of the "higher and higher" ending. Like many songs on the album, the storytelling in the lyrics is brilliant.

For Reasons Unknown is my favourite song on the album. For me, the lyrics perfectly illustrate the frustrations of witnessing ageing relatives lose their faculties. Yet the musically it is very uplifting, making for a superbly bittersweet experience.

I also like Read My Mind, particularly some of the chord progressions. This might sound strange for a rock song, but its a rare novelty for a band like this to throw some interesting chords into the mix. While the verses are pretty generic, the pre-chorus is nice and it features a good singalong chorus. And somehow it reminds me of early songs by The Strokes.

Uncle Johnny is just what the doctor ordered- a different style to inject some variety into middle of the album. And, again, great lyrics.

Yet another songs with a great story is Bones. While the first chorus is a bit flat, it turns out this is to "save the best for last". Which means we are rewarded with an epic final chorus, where the plastic horns and thousand overdubs are well used. When You Were Young follows a similar recipe, although I find the earlier sections to be quite disjointed.

From here, it goes downhill unfortunately. I'll try to quickly summarise the trainwreck: My List is a rambling mess. The verses of This River is Wild are have their moments but the chorus is a big letdown. Why Do I Keep Counting is just a mess of tacky ideas carelessly thrown together (and the cheesy call-and-response lyrics at the start are a particular lowlight). Finally, Exitlude feels more like "congratulations for making to the finish" than anything else. Ironically, the song itself outstays its welcome at the end...

Favourite songs

Bling, For Reasons Unknown, Read My Mind, Uncle Johnny, Bones

Worthwhile?

On one hand, the lyrics on this album are fantastic. And despite the patchy execution, I really dig the "deep south" theme of the album. I'm a bit down on this album, because with just a few changes it could have brilliantly fulfilled its potential. However, it is nonetheless quite a good album. And worthwhile.

Saturday, April 26, 2014

Violent Femmes- Add It Up

This is the Violent Femmes' second "Best Of" album (out of four!), released in 1993.

And it doesn't start well. Waiting For the Bus really irks me! Unreliable public transport is a daily annoyance for me, so I do NOT want to listen to a whiney song about it!

As everyone knows, Blister in the Sun is a fantastic drunken singalong tune. Sober listening while chin-scratching in an armchair reveals it to be pretty superficial, but magic things happen to it after a few drinks on a Saturday night! Add It Up, while less famous, has the same appeal.

Gone Daddy Gone has a very catchy groove, and uses it to good effect. Dance M.F. Dance is a one-trick pony which slightly outstays its welcome. However it is also quite infectious (until you get sick of it).

The "lo-fi" sound is part of Violent Femmes' character, however I will still have a whinge about the recording quality! Perhaps due to the stereo placement, the instruments all sound isolated from each other, so there is no sense of the band "blending" to create music together (especially when listening through headphones). However everything is crisp and the sound suits the style of the music well.

To be blunt, about 70% of this album doesn't appeal to me at all. One reason is a sense of baseless teenage angst (Gimme the Car, Black Girls, America Is). Also, the composition of many of the songs is a mess (Kiss Off, Lies, Vancouver), sounding more like a jam session than a song. I won't get on my moral soap box about the daughter-killing lyrics of Country Death Song, other than to say I don't get whatever point they're trying to make.

This might sound strange, but there are moments where the band reminds me of late Ramones. Especially in I Hate the TV.

Saving the best until last, 36-24-36 is crazy bouncing fun. The lyrics are probably quite offensive to feminists, but to me they're just lighthearted fun. However, my all-time favourite Violent Femmes song is I Held Her in My Arms. Like 36-24-36, it has a great infectious energy. But what elevates it to greatness is the confused story of teenage discovery. The pre-chorus is a particular highlight for me.

Favourite songs

Gone Daddy Gone, 36-24-36, I Held Her in My Arms, I Hate the TV, Dance M.F. Dance, Add It Up 

Wortwhile?

This is a tough one. The Violent Femmes' style doesn't really appeal to me, well, only a narrow fringe of it does. But that fringe is unique and wacky, so I guess it is enough to just drag this album across the line.

Tuesday, April 22, 2014

Muse- Absolution

Absolution is Muse's third album. It was released in 2003, two years after Origin of Symmetry.

Apocalypse Please kicks things off nicely as an opening track. It isn't the most engaging song, but it establishes the mood nicely.

Even after all these years, Time is Running Out is splendidly infectious. With a very catchy (in a cheesy way) groove and a great singalong chorus, it is the perfect pop song.

Sing For Absolution uses a different tactic- trading a bit of the catchiness for emotion and subtlety. It also works a treat. Highlights are the contrast provided by the softer verses and the chorus vocals, which are an impressive outpouring of emotion.

On the other hand, Falling Away With You on paper has all the ingredients of a Muse classic. Yet somehow it doesn't work at all, and I have no idea why!

For all the talk of dramatic change in direction for Black Holes & Revelations (BH&R), both Stockholm Syndrome and Blackout could well be from that album. Stockholm Syndrome is a successful experimentation with the glam elements into a song that delivers headbanging goodness. Kudos for the chorus- it would be hard to outdo the fervent energy of the verses, so they've done well. Other highlights are the instrumental section and the huge ending- finally Muse have nailed a sharp ending!

Blackout, like BH&R, features a million overdubs of choirs and violins, and the singer wailing incoherently about something metaphysical... or whatever. It is overblown, silly and fantastic all at the same time.

Wow, what an epic groove for the ages we are treated to on Hysteria. And perfectly matched to the drums and shredding lead guitar. Ok, the chorus merely holds the fort between verses, but nothing could compare to that groove!

The recording has far less "wall of noise" and distortion effects than Muse's previous two efforts, which is a fantastic improvement (previously I had whinged about the high-frequency sounds being muffled, but in hindsight this is pretty easily fixed with some equalisation).

Interlude, this song does exactly what it says on the box, nothing more, nothing less.

The driving energy of Butterflies & Hurricanes and Thoughts of a Dying Athiest is brilliant, like the upbeat songs off Sleeping With Ghosts. My favourite moment is in Butterflies & Hurricanes when the final chorus is adapted to maintain the energy for the end of the song.

Ruled by Secrecy is basically Endlessly without any hooks...

And Endlessly is basically "reinvention" of Unintended (from Showbiz). This is a good thing. As per Muse's evolution, it's a bit more upbeat and complicated, but the beauty is again in the song's simple origins. The build-up in the background is fantastic, providing direction to the song but never overshadowing its simple beauty.

Rant about Muse's evolution

*full rant mode engaged!*
Firstly, it seems that looking down your nose at Muse is a popular past-time for music snobs. So it's a bit cheesy and you need to drink the CoolAid to get into the epicness of it all, but I really don't understand the hate. Oh well, it's their loss.

As for my original goal of trying to distinguish between the first three albums, even after listening to them back-to-back, it's quite difficult. Showbiz has some great moments, but it also sounds like the band were still finding their feet. The sound is less extravegant- more like a rock band with occasional keyboard than the electro-rock of later albums. Origin of Symmetry and Absolution are the most similar, sharing a darker and more complex sound. Absolution is the more polished effort, since Origin of Symmetry struggles with the difference between "grand scale" and "noise" at times. As previously mentioned, the jump from Absolution to BH&R isn't as big as people make out, with some of the glam elements of BH&R making an appearance on Absolution.

And picking a favourite of the three albums? That's almost as impossible as naming my favourite album from The Living End. Statistically speaking, by counting the "favourite songs" below, it would be Absolution. It is indeed the  polished highpoint (frustrating audio quality gripes aside) of their early style, with wonderful rock-opera moments. Showbiz is a close second, due to its "freshness" and simplicity. Origin of Simplicity sits somewhere between, but is still a fine album in its own right.

Favourite songs

Time is Running Out, Sing for Absolution, Stockholm Syndrome, Hysteria, Blackout, Butterflies & Hurricanes, Endlessly, Thoughts of a Dying Atheist  

Worthwhile?

Absolutely. (sorry!)

Muse- Showbiz

This is Muse's debut album. It was released in 1999, preceding Origin of Symmetry by 2 years. To mix things up in the middle of this Muse binge, let's do this one in (roughly) reverse order...

Hate This & I'll Love You has its moments, and the contrast within the song is nice. But, overall, I find it plods along. Similarly, Escape is like a reject Silverchair (Australian post-grunge) song: whiney and drawn out.

Overdue is a solid example of Muse's early style. For me, the verses are listenable, but without any real hook. Its catchy chorus is the highlight.

The riff from Uno is fantastic, and wonderfully complemented by the drum beat in the verses. It could have made a great James Bond theme song. Also, the kick-drum has a nice meaty thump often lacking on the rest of the album (on the other hand, the cymbals are too dominant). However, the song is basically a one-trick Pony with this riff. The chorus is just simply more noise added to it, therefore doesn't bring anything new to the party unfortunately.

Cave is very similar to Uno, and hits the nail on the head. Muse seem to have an endless supply of catchy riff, and this one is great bouncing fun. The breakdown for the chorus works really well to provide some contrast to the song. While I really like the instrumental outro at first, eventually it drags out and, means this punchy pop-song ends with a whimper. It deserves much better than this. Sunburn works similarly well, with the novelty of a real piano tinkling away (I always dig a bit of tinkling ivories to give rock songs some class).

At the other end of the scale, Unintended is a great ballad- simple and touching. Not only does it provide some variety to the album, it is also a top-notch song in its own right. I find the extra effects at the end unnecessary, but I guess the rest of the band were getting bored sitting around! The vocals are definitely the highlight, in both their words and delivery they are very heartfelt. Wonderful. Another song showing Muse's sensitive side is Falling Down. It could almost be classified a jazz song, and works well as a sparse, moody soundscape.

Normally prog-rock isn't my cup of tea, but I love the build-ups in Showbiz. This song is a nice preview of Muse's operatic-rock style on later albums. The recording quality irks me with its deliberately (I assume?!) thin and distorted sound. And it is another song that deserves a sharp ending, rather than the indecisive fade-out. At full noise, though, it is great headbanging fun.

Is Fillip some kind of parody/joke? It's an incoherent mess, and sounds like the recording of a teenage band's first jam session. Also, the britpop influences sound awful.

The interplay between the bassline and the various guitar riffs in Muscle Museum is stunning. Timeless guitar brilliance. Combined with impassioned lyrics and a huge chorus, it's an all-time favourite song of mine.

The recording quality isn't as bad as their Origin of Symmetry album thankfully, but that's quite a low bar... It seems like a stylistic decision was made to have a rough "garage band" sound, so the louder parts can be grating, distorted and compressed. On a brighter note, the verses are much easier on the ears and the swirling piano parts are a treat.

(You may notice my favourite songs below are all singles from the album. This is completely by coincidence, but I guess it destroys any music-snob credibility I may have had!)

Favourite songs

Sunburn, Muscle Museum, Cave, Unintended, Uno 

Worthwhile?

Very much.

Sunday, April 20, 2014

Muse- Origin of Symmetery

This is Muse's second album, which was released in 2001 (two years after Showbiz).

On a personal note, in 2006 I purchased all of Muse's back catalogue and binged on them in preparation for a concert. However, I never really differentiated between the three earlier albums, due to their similar style. So I am interested to hear how this compares to Showbiz and Absolution (stay tuned...)

Recording quality? Atrocious. The loud parts have boomy mid-bass, pointless bass-quakes at random times and distortion on every instrument, reducing them to being a wall of harsh electronic noise. A thankful exception (except for the distorted vocal artistic effect) is Feeling Good, which inexplicably sounds much better than the rest of the album.

Space Dementia sounds thin in the verses, although to be fair, this is probably a deliberate stylistic effect. The lyrics are vintage Muse: incoherent wailing (which I really dig!). My favourite aspect of the song is the contrast provided by the relaxed chorus. Unfortunately, the ending feels tacked-on and is unnecessarily drawn-out. Megalomania doesn't appeal to me at all, it's too slow.

While the keyboard effects in Bliss and Hyper Music are fantastic, both their choruses are a letdown for me. Plug in Baby features a very similar melody to Bliss (perhaps they could have moved them apart on the album to hide the fact?!), but it hits the spot perfectly as a catchy Muse-pop hit.

The opening of Micro Cuts is a fantastic menacing instrumental. However the chorus is just a wall of noise. Similarly, Citizen Erased has a very "noisy" sound and the random subwoofer earthquakes are senseless. Things improve once the song gets quieter, and the subsequent build-up makes the return of the thrashing sections much more justified.

Screenager is a welcome break from the intensity, even if it just wanders around aimlessly.

Darkshines' contrast between the soft melodic verses and the massive headbanging chorus is brilliant. The song is a perfect example of simple yet effective pop hooks. Feeling Good is also brilliant. Nina Simone fans probably hate it, but I think it works really well as an rollicking electro-rock song.

Favourite songs

New Born, Space Dementia, Plug in Baby, Darkshines, Feeling Good 

Worthwhile?

In hindsight, it's probably my least favourite of the first three albums. It just devolves into "wall of noise" too often. In isolation, it is an album with some great moments. But I think there isn't enough to make it worthwhile alongside Showbiz and Absolution.

Muse- Black Holes & Revelations

In 2003, the album Absolution shot Muse to mainstream success. Black Holes & Revelations is the 2006 follow-up, where the band took on a more extravagant style, and is regarded as where they "sold out" according to many fans of earlier albums.

I disagree. Sure, its overblown style is worlds apart from the simple elegance of the earlier albums, but I dig it. In my book, Muse's "selling out" occurred with the following album (The Resistance), due to it feeling dumbed-down and like a carelessly cobbled together collection of pop hooks (although I must admit that this opinion has been formed based on the singles only)

Enough ranting... Take a Bow kicks things off in ridiculously over-the-top fashion. Therefore it is the perfect opener for this album! With the right video clip, it could work as the perfect epic soundtrack, but as a standalone song it's a bit silly. Also, the distortion in the recording is a pet peeve of mine. Nonetheless, it works well as the opener here.

Following the successful formula of Time is Running Out from Muse's previous album is Starlight. The cheesy groove and lyrics work just as well here, creating a song that is both catchy and epic. My favourite moment is in the massive final chorus when the drums resolve in the rock beat.

Embarrassingly, until very recently I thought that the chorus lyric in Supermassive Black Hole isn't "Supermassive Vagabond". How on earth did I think that?? Despite the name of the song and all?! Anyway, the glam elements probably aren't popular with "traditional" Muse fans, but I really like it for the contrast it provides. Somehow, the song feels like a mashup of the bands Queen and Human League. And the backing vocals in the chorus are a particular highlight.

Map of the Problematique's electronica style makes it more cruisy than energetic, but I still find it an enjoyable song. Speaking of relaxed, Soldier's Poem is a welcome chance to catch your breath. It's not a song I'd listen to in isolation, but on the album it's a very welcome intermission.

Invincible is a brilliant 21st century rock equivalent of Ravel's Bolero. Minor quibbles are that the recording of the snare sounds awful, and that the final chorus (in attempting to be sounds of massive proportions) ends up being just noise. However, these are easily overlooked thanks to the fantastic build-up, climaxing in the perfectly over-the-top ridiculous guitar shredding before the final chorus. Wow.

Assassin is vintage Muse goodness: the combination of Matt Bellamy wailing incoherently about God-knows-what(!), catchy rock riffs and a thousand other brilliantly layered sounds. It also features a great chorus. Similarly, Exo-politics hits the mark, thanks to a solid riff and the wonderfully catchy pre-chorus and chorus.

City of Delusion somehow doesn't appeal to me at all, especially the chorus. In isolation, Hoodoo is rubbish. However it performs its role on the album perfectly, by serving as an introduction for...

Knights of Cydonia, which is one of my all-time favourite songs. Where Take a Bow could be part of a masterpiece with the right visual accompaniment, Knights of Cydonia needs no such assistance! If I may nit-pick, the bass sound is a bit strange. There is a large amount of "thump" but the lack of a grunty bass guitar sound results in a hole above it. The energy and imagery of the song, however, is brilliant. This rock-opera truly brings the horsemen of the apocalypse to life, as galaxies explode and space-time itself tears apart. This is portrayed by the soaring guitar riff, then -just when you think it couldn't get any bigger- the hypnotic vocals appear on top of it all. Incredible.

Post-script: My initial version here gave this decent marks for recording quality and Knights of Cydonia is a favourite of mine for playing at excessing volume. Therefore I was expecting a quick re-listen would result in a "high-fi" rating... but it wasn't to be. There are two issues, one very simple (perhaps reflecting more on yours truly than the album...) and the other is quite philosophical. The simple reason is that it is devoid of low-end bass; perhaps this was done to give the album a crisp and fast-paced feeling, but other albums have managed to achieve this while still having good meat to the bass guitar and kick-drum. The philosophical reason is that it feels like each instrument is being pigeonholed to play a cameo role, so there is no chance for them to have character or subtlety. The counterpoint to this is that the layering of the thousand overdubs is bliss and the highlights have a huge sense of scale. 

Favourite songs

Starlight, Supermassive Black Hole, Map of the Problematique, Invincible, Assassin, Exo-politics, Knights of Cydonia

Worthwhile?

Epic is an such overused term these days, however there is no other way I can describe it: this album is truly epic.

Monday, April 14, 2014

Massive Attack- Mezzanine

Released in 1998, Mezzanine is Massive Attack's third album, as well as the most commercially successful.

I'd better preface this review with the disclaimer that industrial/electronica isn't a style I usually appreciate, so for me to like any songs at all is a small miracle!

The fundamental conflict about this album for me is that to appreciate all the wonderful sounds layered into each other, it needs to be listened to loud. But I prefer the album in a chillout sense, which doesn't really work when its cranked. This is probably more that I don't "get" this style rather than any problem with the album.

Speaking of the wonderful sounds- wow, the bass! This album is not afraid to give your subwoofer a workout, and thankfully it's never droney. In combination with all the strange birds randomly whizzing across the soundstage (aka heavy usage of stereo effects) it makes for a wonderful alien landscape.

Angel is a brilliant opening track, thanks to the smooth lyrics sitting gently on top of the aggressive and infectious beat. Somehow it's both headbanging and gently hypnotic at the same time.

The combination of rimshots, harpsichord and female vocals are a match made in heaven on Teardrop. Similarly, Dissolved and Black Milk also incorporate female vocals to great effect.

Exchange and Group Four are too sparse for my liking. And while I really dig the lyrics of Risingson, the bassline and chorus don't appeal. The cover of Man Next Door is a solid effort, with the understated vocals very well suited to the lyrics great narrative. While I prefer the more dub-influenced versions of this song (due to the extra "smoothness" in their groove), this is also an enjoyable interpretation.

Favourite songs

Angel, Teardrop, Man Next Door, Black Milk 

Worthwhile?

Yes. Although I said earlier that this album is conflicted for me, on the other hand it works pretty well as either full-volume electronica or soothing background music.

Monday, April 7, 2014

Hunters and Collectors- Natural Selection

This greatest hits album was released in 2003, following the band's career spanning 1981-1998.

Being a compilation, the sound can vary greatly between songs, although it is definitely good enough throughout. I will still note a couple of gripes that came up regularly, though: clarity seems to have been prioritised at the expense of envelopment, and it's got the 1980s reverb effect laid on too thickly for the snare and vocals.

Anyway, Talking to a Stranger kicks things off with a solid riff, which is wrung out for all of its worth... and then some. However, the early songs (also including Carry Me and The Slab) don't have much of the magic that the band were eventually known for.

Say Goodbye is where the magic starts. The horns and strings bring a grand sense of scale, the twangy guitar provides an interesting counterpoint and the lyrics are poetic brilliance. The chorus is a bit of an awkward fit with the rest of the song, but it's still a great chorus, so I won't complain!

Everything's on Fire continues the recipe as above, however for me doesn't hit the same heights. And Is There Anybody In There is actually a step backwards (ie grunty bass-guitar based rock) but with some horns tacked on. I do like the refrain in the bridge though.

Back on the Breadline is quite similar to the band Pulp, I reckon. The Pulp trademarks of a poetic depiction of everyday middle-class scenes and a wonderfully catchy chorus also work a treat here.

Speaking of "everyday Joe", Do You See What I See has been played out of crackly Holden stereos on surfing trips for decades now. Deservedly so, it has great energy. Similarly, When the River Runs Dry is a fantastic mini rock-opera. In particular, I enjoy how it subtly ebbs and flows throughout its journey.

One of my alltime favourite songs is Blindeye. Highlights include: great bassline, great use of horns, great twangy guitar, great subtle hammond, great poetry. So many wonderful ingredients all combined perfectly. For some reason, I always really enjoy the transition when the strummed chords and rimshots steps up a gear to the driving rock beat and guitar riff. I've heard this song a thousand times, and would happily hear it a thousand more.

Unfortunately, the songs True Tears of Joy, Where Do You Go and Back in the Hole come across as overproduced and lacking humility. Now for an embarrassing admission: I don't rate Holy Grail. Its almost an unofficial national anthem for Australia, so to not like it is almost blasphemy! I'm not exactly sure why. The lyrics are great, I think the problem is I find it musically bland.

Throw Your Arms Around Me is a beautiful song. And the live version on this CD makes it even more emotionally intense. Brilliant.

Favourite songs

Say Goodbye, Back on the Breadline, Do You See What I See, When the River Runs Dry, Blindeye, Throw Your Arms Around Me

Worthwhile?

Wow, some amazingly inspiring songs here. What a band.

Wiseacre- Step Up

In 2006, Wiseacre released their first and only album. Their previous 7 year history includes a couple of EPs, such as Make Those Bodies Sing.

Right-e-o gets straight to the point- just simple, fun party rock. Good times! Same goes for Kiss the Night Away, Talking to Myself and My Only Getaway. I don't have much to say about these, it's just good fun. The lyrics might have some kind of narrative, but really they're just fun phrases to sing along with.

Fight This Time is another in this style, however the verses don't really work for me. The same applies to Don't Techno (For An Answer) which has a fantastic chorus and I really enjoy the bad pun of the title! The situation is reversed for Trial By Media, where I feel the verses are the highlight but the chorus doesn't really grab me.

While I'm picking nits, there's some gripes about the recording quality. Strangely, one of the cymbals is located away from the rest of the drums, which is quite disconcerting. More importantly, the drums sound like they're recorded in a bathroom and the horns lack top-end sparkle. On the plus side, the guitars sound nicely crunchy, the bass guitar is characterful without being boomy and the backing vocals are nice and smooth. But this is all missing the point a bit, because it's a light-hearted album that isn't meant for intense audiological scrutiny.

Yeah You and Hey Dad provide some nice variety. They are more a "refreshment" to avoid getting fatigued than great songs in their own right, but they fulfil this role well. We'll Be Alright is a bit disjointed, but every section is still good fun.

Now for my favourites: the riff during the verses of How Can It Be is catchy pop/rock brilliance. The ending is a bit out of place, but overall its a fantastic song. The tongue-in-cheek ska attitude shines through on Bingo Every Tuesday. Very silly, very catchy. It is like The Ramones with a horn section.

Then the cheesiness enters a whole new with The Urge to Submerge. Perhaps it's becuase I associate it with Kung Fu Attack of the One-Legged Moonwalkers, but for some reason I really like this strange instrumental.

Favourite songs

Right-e-o, Kiss the Night Away, How Can It Be, Talking to Myself, My Only Getaway, Don't Techno (For an Answer), Bingo Every Tuesday, Trial by Media, The Urge to Submerge 

Worthwhile?

Like post-Americana Offspring, this album is chock full of simple, feelgood pop-punk hits. Great stuff.

Saturday, April 5, 2014

Kasey Chambers- Barricades & Brickwalls

This is Kasey Chambers' second album, which blasted her to pop fame thanks to the single Not Pretty Enough. It was released in 2001, two years after The Captain.

Let's kick off with some audiophile chinscratching: this album sounds very good. The vocals are captured in great detail, allowing them to sound very "real" and showing off the vocal range. An oddball exception is Crossfire, which lacks any sense of power or size. But the instruments on the rest of the album are a treat, in particular the great character of the guitars and crisp punchiness of the drums.

...The caveat to all of this is Kasey's "whiney" vocals! Many people don't like the style, but personally I really dig it.

Not Pretty Enough is a nice, touching pop song; however it has been flogged to death on radio, so I am "over" it. On a Bad Day has a similar style and I welcome the injection of some more country influence. Its twee chorus, though, is a bit of a letdown.

I know I should respect the pioneering rockabilly style of Chet Atkins as per A Little Bit Lonesome, but it just doesn't click for me somehow. However, this songs echoes Reel Big Fish's use of alcholism to solve relationship dramas(!) with the great phrase:
Well I grabbed a glass,
And said "Kiss my arse
I'm gonna drink you outta my head"

Nullabor Song and This Mountain are wonderful showcases for the vocal talent. While I do find the songs aimlessly wander (which is exactly the point!), at the same time I enjoy them as they really lets the vocals shine.

Crossfire introduces a great rock groove. In the context of the album I really enjoy it, however really it's more of a welcome refresher towards the end of the album, rather than a great song in its own right.

What is a great song, though, is the perfect blend of pop and country in If I Were You. Perhaps is it musically very similar to Drive Mr Bayliss, but I still really dig it. The lyrics are a particular highlight, with that wonderful country music ability to state simple, yet profound, truths.

The gritty rock-blues groove of Runaway Train works a treat. But, despite the ordering of the songs on this album would have you believe, Runaway Train is just a warm-up for Barricades & Brickwalls. What a fantastically moody song! It evokes vivid images of a lawless twilight zone scene and is an all-time favourite song of mine.

As you may have noticed from previous posts, duets aren't my cup of tea at all. Therefore, when I saw that I Still Pray is a brilliantly spine-tingling duet, this is a very special achievement. The lyrics are very touching, while the vocals from Paul Kelly and Kasey Chambers blend together perfectly.

Favourite songs

Barricades & Brickwalls, Runaway Train, If I Were You, I Still Pray 

Worthwhile?

Absolutely. A wonderfully varied and emotional album.