Besides
poorly written music reviews and rambling directionless musings about medical
issues, this blog is littered with half formed failed efforts at short
stories.These weak efforts I have
sporadically posted have always portrayed moments in time.The goal, I suppose, is to capture immediacy
and meaning in the mundane – to find drama in the unspoken and undone.Maybe this is part of why I draw so much from
Allo Darlin’ (silly name aside),
because singer Elizabeth Morris’
lyrics effortlessly paint emotional moments in time in so few words.She can convey more imagery and meaning in
one stanza than I could ever achieve in 4,000 bumbling words.
Allo Darlin’
have always evoked the emotional depth and poeticism of the legendary Go-Betweens, along with the simple
charm of The Lucksmiths (especially
their final LP 2008’s First Frost) –
two long time favorites.We Come from the Same Place is their
third long player and it has a come with high expectations.I was a little lukewarm with their 2010
debut, but once I made the effort to listen to the 2012 second album, Europe, I discovered that they were on
to something pretty damn special (my #2 pick for record of the year – see
review here), and it has remained on
heavy rotation ever since.There’s often
a fear of what may come from a newly favorite band.Will they stick to the same formula?Will they expand and grow?Will they somehow stay true to the spark that
first drew us to them?It’s a no win
scenario for most artists.If they don’t
develop, people will eventually lose interest.If they broaden their horizons, there’s no way to know if their fan base
will follow them down that path (and then disparage them for making the
effort).Allo Darlin’ somehow managed
the ultimate trick from debut to album number two, by sticking to the same
formula, but making it sound more powerful and poignant.The same cannot be said of the transition
from Europe
to this latest release, but despite sticking to their guns this is still
fresh.Maybe their strengths lie in the
sheer friendliness of their sound and Morris’ words.Paul
Rains’ fresh and endlessly melodic guitar leads, Bill Bottling’s deep bass lines, and Mike Collins’ spiky drums fills are comforting, while Morris’ rich
vocals and her sentimental vignettes of love found, lost, or missed from all
over the world feel like postcards from one’s oldest and dearest friend.Their music contains a warmth and lushness
that feels welcoming.
The album
opens with the endearing “Heartbeat,” a tale of a drunken night out dancing
with friends – probably in an effort to get over a recent break-up, so the fun
and games is entrenched in lingering heartbreak (“I’m starting to think true
romance is fictional”).There actually
seems to be a lot of drinking across many of these stories.The wine comes out in “Angela” as Morris does
her best to help a friend get through a recent break-up and one absolutely
heartbreaking chorus: “And the hardest thing we ever have to learn is when
those we love don’t love us in return.”Meanwhile, “Kings and Queens” (originally released on the 2012 WhereIt’s At Is Where You Are Records7777777 singles club release) finds our narrator hopping from bar
to bar and feeling the high of being in love and having fun.Rains joins Morris on vocals in the sweet
duet “Bright Eyes” - reminding a little of the gone too soon Standard Fare, except things are okay
here.It’s nice to hear Rains unleash a
little buzz and feedback on his guitar as this song climaxes.The entire band brings an edge to “Half Heart
Necklace,” where we find Morris delving into a song about falling for the bad
guy.There’s more upbeat pop perfection
with “Romance and Adventure” – a song filled with mixed emotions, but the
dreamy chorus put things on hold for a brief moment as Morris admits a need to
revel in her sadness (“I’m just tired of being strong”).It’s this open hearted honesty that is Allo
Darlin’s strength.When their earnest
and tangibly genuine music plays, one can feel the passion of each song long
before delving into the vivid short story lyrics.
We Come from the Same Place ultimately comes to a happy
ending.The final three songs, though
fraught with uncertainty, come to the realization and acceptance of finding
love and a willingness to let go and enjoy the adventure.The anticipation and nervous excitement of
the record’s closing song, “Another Year,” is absolutely bursting in the slow
glide and bounce of the music, while Morris describes a sketchy plane trip into
the unknown and the beginning of a new life.Because it feels so real, it is ultimately encouraging and
inspirational.Another lovely album.
It actually
took me about six listens to this album before I made it through to the
end.Generally about three songs in, I’d
fall asleep.This may sound like a
slight, but it’s actually quite a compliment.I struggle to sleep – often due to a restless and disruptive mind, so
having music that is so comforting and perfectly performed and recorded is a
very good thing.David Roback’s guitars
are so well played and the notes always seem to hit exactly as they should,
while Hope Sandoval’s beautiful Patsy
Cline inflected voice simply drifts me into a dreamy world, where maybe not
everything is hunky dory, but for this moment in time, everything happens to be
okay.When I ran across Mazzy Star’s “Common
Burn” 7” early in 2012, at first, I actually thought it was two songs from
their early 90s days unearthed for the first time, since the sounds were
exactly as I had always remembered them.Surprisingly, this was brand new material after being away for 16 years
and this album is the result of this reformation.What can I say about it?If you enjoyed any of their original three
albums, then you will like this.It will
act as an old lost friend who has come back into your life.It will remind you of whatever you were doing
at the time that this band first struck a chord inside of you.If this is a new introduction, then you are
in for a treat.Mazzy Star formed long
after the L.A. “paisley underground” had dissipated as a scene, but they drew
from the best of those bands by inflecting their soft mood music with blues,
country western, touches of psychedelics, folk and a remarkable melancholia all
filtered through a gothic mysticism.They capture a certain mood that is uniquely them and very easy to
like.
Strange Pleasures is the second full length from Still
Corners and it is a remarkably different direction, yet a comfortable
turn.While 2011’s Creatures of an Hour was an interesting take on 70s horror movie
soundtracks, with Tessa Murray’s haunting vocals and Greg Hughes’ scary
creep-tactic organs and loops, this new offering contains more gorgeously lush
dance numbers.There is still a bit of a
mysterious edge to their sound, but these songs are much more welcoming.This collection reminds a bit of the retro
80s electro pop of bands like M83, Washed Out, and even at times, Chairlift, but none of them have the
wonderful touch of Greg Hughes’ sterling guitar work, like that which appears
on the epic opener “The Trip.”There is
a definite mood going on here and “The Trip” sets it perfectly, as these songs
are made for driving or riding down an open road late at night completely lost
in the slow glide of the rhythm of the wheels turning.“Midnight Drive,” which should’ve been the
album’s closer, continues this theme to perfection and needs to be added to
anyone’s vehicle’s music machine.The
title track, “Beat City” and especially “Berlin Lovers,” have a definite Kraftwerk vibe underneath, the kind
that played its hand in Depeche Mode’s
early 80s work (especially 82’s A Broken
Frame and 83s Construction Time Again),
while the acoustic “Going Back to Strange” could be a Lanterns on the Lake number, and who can forget 2012’s 7”
headliner, the breathtaking rumbling and breathy “Fireflies”?In other words, Still Corners have actually
been on the move and have broadened their horizons without changing their
special touch that separates them from the rest.This comes highly recommended as company for
those lonely reflective nights on the road, or if you want to find yourself in
that frame of mind, this will transport you there.
Midway Still
have always been a well-too-kept secret.It is so great to have them back and active again, after such a brief
two album stint in the early 90s.Their
last two albums, 2010s Note to Selfand 2012’s Always
Ends, were remarkable reminders that their run was far from over.No matter how old I get, or lost in fluffy
winsome and atmospheric music, I still need shots of rock-n-roll adrenaline and
Midway Still always provide with a plethora of solid sing-a-long anthems.This eight song third album came as a big surprise.Apparently, Paul Thomson and company recorded this lost album in 1993
and for whatever reason; it never saw the light of day until now.Thankfully it has, if only in limited form –
directly through the band’s website (it still shows up on their website, but
I’m not sure if it’s still available.Maybe some sweet talking will be needed to secure a copy).It is a bit of a departure, but never shies
away from their knack for melody and huge sounding choruses.The songs here are longer, more stretched out
and crammed with multiple tempo changes, instead of their reliable three minute
torchers – although “Too Far Near” and “Hyperglide” would be at home with any
of their other work.“Pool of Fire” and
“Face It” gives us a down tempo side and the angry “To Hate, Every Day” fuels
this collection with a metallic edge and an incredible drum-fueled chorus (“and
my revulsion gives me reason to hate every day”).It is the massive sounding opener that really
kicks my ass though.“When You’re Wrong”
is one of their best songs ever and its just now seeing the light of day after
20 years!!Thomson’s guitar work here is
absolutely shredding and phenomenal and the song is always on the verge of
careening out of control.I see on their
website that they’ve also re-released an expanded edition of their stellar
debut album Dial Square – re-titled Redial, so if you’re trying to track
this CD down, you may as well order that one up as well.Thanks for this.
Elizabeth
Morris fronts the indie band Allo
Darlin,’ whose whirlwind and overwhelmingly touching second album, Europe, was my #2 pick from 2012.She has released, through Bandcamp, a bare bones four track digital
EP as a stopover before the next highly anticipated album.With “Tallulah” from Europe, she proved that she
can not only carry the sparest of arrangements, but thrive in them.Her voice is so rich and lovely that it’s
comforting simply to hear her sing.This
EP is made up of two solo piano songs and two acoustic guitar songs and is
jammed with her amazing storytelling, which mildly evokes the early 70s solo Paul Simon, whom she name checks on the
title track (“I had a bad dream last night / that Paul Simon died / and when I
woke up in the morning / I wanted to call you up and cry”).It is in this environment that her stories
pack the most emotional punch.The
opening “Young Republic” envisions a world where “guilt and fear and loss and
shame” are outlawed allowing her to lay herself bare and express her strong
feelings for someone, but she fully realizes that she cannot overcome the
reality of how scary it is to actually open oneself up to such a potential hurt
from being completely open (“and I realize that I’m playing the fool”).The aforementioned “Optimism” is similarly
heartbreaking, as she sings of feeling reluctant to express her feelings for
another during a chance encounter (“then I wrote your name in my notebook / I
had to check you were not looking / the most impressive person I’ve ever
met”).She sings of longing for this
person and needing to lean on them after her emotional dream, but cannot
confront them with her feelings in person (“I don’t know what to do when you
look at me straight in the eye”).It
seems as though the chorus is a message directed inward and comes off as both a
mild pep talk and defeatist (“And I said you’re too young / to give up on
optimism”).The first of the solo guitar
songs has a similar tone to her “Tallulah” with serious long distance
pining.In this case, she doubts that
she’ll ever be able to get beyond the idea of not ever seeing them again.The heartbreak is palpable as she sings of
growing old and never recovering.The
final song is a cover of a Wave Pictures
song, with whom her band toured extensively.The song fits her style beautifully, as she strips the original’s
country flair to its base and sings with that amazing voice which is
occasionally tinged by that emotional quiver that is so effectively
touching.This is a nice surprise to
enjoy while we patiently await the next Allo Darlin’ album.
When I first
fell for the Secret History, with 2008’s Desolation
Town EP, I felt I had stumbled upon the next great thing.When their debut LP came out in 2010, The World That Never Was, evidence was
piling up that this band, led by former My
Favorite indie stalwart Michael Grace Jr., was something pretty
special.Their blend of modern indie,
80s new wave, 70s glam, three main vocalists, and a whole lot of Catholicism
made for an exciting mix harrowing tales and a nice wide variety of musical
arrangements.Now that they’ve released
a second album, I feel that they have perfected their exciting little
niche.This is good stuff.What also strikes me, and I can’t believe I
hadn’t noticed this before, is that this music is ripe for a stage musical or
even a cinematic one.Depending on your
take of such things, this could be a massive compliment or a huge slap in the
face.I am not generally a fan of
musicals of any kind, but the internal short stories and sheer drama that
Grace’s lyrics provide so spectacularly, make the idea of streaming them into a
narrative an intriguing idea.Anyway,
that’s just an observation.As an album,
this is really fun to listen to.It
reminds me of going to concerts in the mid 80s, when it seemed (at least here
in Portland)
that so many barriers between cliques were non-existent.We could go to a show by a minor one hit
wonder and find ourselves mingling with CHR hit radio junkies, Goths, punks,
the older crowd, and of course the new wavers smoking cloves.This kind of music breaks those barriers,
which may be stronger than ever in some ways with the ability of people to shut
out anything they don’t like or don’t want to give a chance, and could, unite
us all.Okay, that’s a pipe dream, but
not a bad one to have and it feels like the Secret History have that kind of
ambition.Every song is titled in some
fashion after a name, so we get short stories about different characters as
told by Grace, Lisa Ronson, and Jaime Babic.“Sergio” was the first single from the album and acts as a perfect
introduction with its insistent bass-line, and Ronson’s plaintive vocal, as she
begins to question what her and this Sergio have been up to. She’s no longer sure that living on the edge
is something that she wants to be involved with anymore (“We stole the
future…your dogs are fed but we are not”).“Age of Victoria” comes on with a shaking and stuttering beat and a fun
groovy bass-line, but continues this theme of growing up and realizing that
there’s a point where youthful fun and abandon needs to turn into
responsibility, whether we like it or not.“Eleanor (The City & Sea)” is as catchy as this band can be with its
spectacular chorus and unusual instrumental twists and turns.The song is propulsive and exciting and tells
a tale of resolute independence, with the underpinnings of self-doubt as the
protagonists are on the run from what they’ve always known.“Age of Marianna” is a beautiful piano ballad
about loss and regret that is a nice musical break and a chance to take a
breath, despite the heavy subject matter.Meanwhile, “Anthony!” is a flashback of going dancing, carousing and
having fun, that has the same fun remembrances and airy vitality of the Kinks 80s hit “Come Dancing.”It will be interesting to see what this band
decides to do next, but I will definitely be on the lookout.
“I’m not sure I’m ready for this,” Sophia said and laughed nervously.
“You shouldn’t doubt yourself! You’ll do just fine!” Chuck responded immediately, trying to fight the urge to reach over and touch her arm and verge into creepy territory.
“This is my first visit…”
“We’ll be there together and we’ll work through it together,” he tried to be reassuring. He was always a little nervous about these visits as it is and this was still his responsibility, so having someone there to help always comforted him. He always appreciated the back up. He was also nervous because he had developed a crush on her from afar. She was so pretty and so keen on jumping in and helping anyone and everyone out.
The week prior, Sophia approached him at the office out of the blue. He had seen her around, but didn’t know who she was. He had noticed her wandering through the office with her resonant smile and that long dark hair. Now here she was asking him if she could join him on his next run of home visits. Turns out she’s interning two days a week and wants to expand her experiences at their busy little office. Chuck straightened his back and stammered an approval. She brightened and said enthusiastically: “See you next week Charles!”
There she was sitting in the passenger seat of his car and he had been trying to prepare himself for this all week. He knew she would be with him, and he hoped that he would like her as much as he found her physically attractive. He wanted to make a good impression. So far during the drive across town everything had gone great in Chuck’s mind. Sophia was easy to talk with. She was interesting and engaging. She told him about what she wanted to do with her life and why she was interning. She wanted to help senior citizens. She wanted to be an advocate for them. She was going to school to study all angles of the social, political, and health concerns of all of our grandparents. She told Chuck about how her dream had been sidetracked as she initially dropped out of college to begin raising her two young children, but how after her divorce, she found the courage and wits to get her affairs in order and return to school. He marveled at the idea of her raising two young kids on her own, working a job, going to school full time and still taking time to volunteer (or intern) where he works in order to achieve her goals. It made him feel a great admiration for her and very sheepish about how much time he wastes away every day.
Still, despite, his own personal misgivings about the state of his life, that half hour with Sophia instilled Chuck with energy and inspiration. She helped him realize that his job is important and increased his focus on the few visits he had scheduled for them that morning.
“What will they think of me?” she asked him, concerned that his clients wouldn’t take her seriously.
“Just be the kind, courteous, and caring person you seem to be and they will all love you. They will prefer you over me, I’m certain. The most important advice I can offer is to genuinely listen to what these fine people say and ask,” Chuck offered.
Sophia let that last sentence hang in the air and they sat in the car wordless as Chuck turned left and pulled the car into an apartment complex parking lot. He kept hearing his own annoying voice echo around his thoughts. He always hated being aware of his voice and the stupid sounding things he would find himself saying. He didn’t allow this to deter him though. Being with Sophia made him feel positive and he had had a great week leading up to this day. He had been social and hung out with friends. He had found himself noticing an occasional smile from women he would pass at the grocery store and the bank and over the weekend he was pretty certain that the bartender at Bottles was flirting with him. He felt foolish thinking such a silly thing, but it made him smile anyway.
They grabbed some notebooks out of the back of his car after Chuck finally found an open parking spot and Sophia shadowed him as they made their way to the front entrance of the building to see Howard. Howard was in his 80s and mostly bed ridden and needed help filling out some insurance forms.
“You have a pretty girl following you! Heh Heh!” someone shouted towards them from the smoking area near the front door.
“I sure do. It must be my lucky day!” Chuck shouted back, as he grabbed a security card from his notebook and used it to open the door.
**********
“Do you think Victor will be okay?” Sophia asked Chuck after they climbed out of his car at the office parking lot. He noticed that she had turned her face skyward to absorb the warmth of the sunshine after she asked about Victor. He cursed himself for keeping the car too chilly. Too much air!
“I sure hope so. His health hasn’t been very good lately. I’ll be joining him for his doctor’s appointment tomorrow, so we’ll see,” he told her with enthusiasm, but he knew that Victor was not doing well. “I sure hope so,” he mumbled.
“He’s so sweet,” she added before thanking Chuck for letting her go along.
Chuck did not want to say goodbye, but it was clear that their arrangement for the day had come to an end. He did need to file his reports and make some phone calls and so on.
“Thank you, Sophia!” he chirped back overenthusiastically. She headed off to see Theresa, her advisor, and he headed to his downstairs office to check his email. He couldn’t stop thinking about what had just happened. His face was flushed and his heart was racing. He was smitten, whether he wanted to be or not. He sent Sara a quick email about how his “hot date” had gone. Sara was the only one he had told about his new crush and how she had arranged their afternoon together. Sara was the wife of one of oldest and dearest friends. She had become his closest confidant, unwittingly, with his imaginary matters of the heart.
“Do you think you’ll pursue her?” was Sara’s immediate response, always the one to get straight to the point.
He pondered with his hands hovering over the keyboard, “Do I?” he thought. All of his crushes had gone nowhere except for one, which became a suffocating nightmare after only a couple of months before coughing, choking, and wheezing to a collapsing, yet merciful end. “Not sure. She has two kids and is always busy. Not sure I’m ready for that,” he carefully pecked out. “I do really really like her though.”
“Hmmm…when will you see her next?” Sara replied immediately.
“Next Thursday,” he answered, realizing that the week ahead without seeing her made him feel sad. Again, he paused and wasn’t sure what to type. He knew he had all kinds of emotions boiling under the surface, but none of them made any sense. “I guess I’ll just talk to her then.”
**********
Luckily for Chuck his week was incredibly busy. He had a weekend scheduled with friends and family. Nearly every night was booked with some sort of social engagement and work was always three weeks behind schedule and there to keep him occupied. Sometimes he had to over schedule his time because he struggled to be alone. Alone, his thoughts always turned to what he was missing. It was when he was alone that he realized that he had been alone for far too long. He thought of Victor. He thought about how he was close to the end and had no family and no friends around to care for him or to simply keep him company. All he had were occasional visits from people who were paid to check in on him. A big part of his job was employing a heavy dose of empathy and none of his clients could possibly know how deeply he understood their plight.
**********
Chuck splashed on some cologne for the first time in about a year. He laughed as he glanced at the small bottle in his hand. He didn’t know what this was, where it came from, or if it still existed. He wasn’t even sure if he liked the smell, or if the smell was the same as it had been when it appeared in his medicine cabinet countless years ago. He tried to wash it off moments later. He smiled and bounced around that morning and hummed along with the Allo Darlin’ CD playing quietly from the oversized speakers in his adjoining bedroom:
“If I told you
I was never cool And all I wanted
Was just to have you
And when I see you
I will put my arm around you
It will be hard to let you go”
One of Chuck’s other crushes was with lead singer Elizabeth Morris’s voice, and the uplifting message of “The Letter” was a perfect song to start his hopeful day ahead. Even with his busy week behind him, the idea of seeing Sophia had always been at the forefront of his mind. He was hoping that she would join him on some more visits. He pulled the disc out of the player and took it with him for the commute to work.
**********
That magical smiling face of Sophia’s caught Chuck’s eye as he finally spied her on her way into the office. He had kept looking at the window all morning and there she was. She waved a greeting to Cindy as they passed in the parking lot. He was stuck on a conference call, which he had long ago stopped paying attention to. All he wanted to do was drop the line and rush to the entrance to greet her. He didn’t know what he would say anyway, so he put his head down on his desk and continued to tune out the chatter coming from his phone. He didn’t see her again the rest of that day.
**********
“Good morning,” Chuck said to Sophia as she wandered into the break room. She had her back to him and looked out the window. He was squirting old coffee from a broken urn. She had surprised him. He hadn’t seen her all morning and wasn’t sure if she was scheduled to work on Fridays.
“Oh, hey,” she glanced back over her shoulder.
“How are you doing?” he asked, ready to ask more rapid fire generic small talk questions to keep her around.
“Okay,” she said as she turned around. She turned her attention to the doorway. Chuck could hear voices. She trotted out of the room after them.
“Hey, Mark,” he heard her voice again. “Would you mind if I joined you for that meeting today?”
“Sure! I’m headed out now. Come on,” Mark encouraged.
Chuck poured his cold cup of coffee down the sink and sat down at the table. He thought about their drive the week before. It was then that he realized that through their entire conversation, the only questions she asked of him had to do with work, while he had touched on not only work, but also her life and her interests and her kids and childhood. When Sara asked him if he was going to pursue her, he only thought about the idea of him not being able to handle being a part of her busy life with kids, school, and work. He could only think about the amorphous directionless mess of a life he had always led – a life without a plan. All he could count on each day is that he would wind up at work the next day until he could no longer work anymore. He never considered what she might think of him. She smartly was on a fast track to achieve her goals, which had nothing to do with him. Chuck needed to get to Victor’s to take him to his doctor’s appointment. The last prognosis was not positive. He started his car and rolled down the window. Allo Darlin’s “The Letter” spurted on midway through the song. This time Elizabeth’s words made him feel overwhelmed with emptiness. He wanted a beautiful voice to be singing those words to him – not for him.
This Minnesota three piece forced their way into my consciousness as a pleasant surprise this year – thanks to a tip of a Facebook friend’s post (yes, this works for promotion – word of mouth!). That song happened to be the standout breath of fresh air “Threads.” Now, I will admit up front, that this is still my favorite song on the album. It is such a perfect song. It is at once atmospheric and driven with urgent momentum. Lyrically, the metaphor of the thread and the ease of pulling it to “watch it unravel” is excellent. This song could easily fit right in with anything off of Lush’s creative highpoint 1994’s Split. It turns out Threads is their second long player – first for Chris Walla’s Trans- label. They used to be known as Now, Now Every Children and their debut is actually worth checking out. Threads, however, is a big step forward. They have an incredible knack for finding a succinct way to communicate the confusing and frustrating habits that we all form in relationships. You know those little things that we do unconsciously (sometimes) to sabotage everything? Or more commonly, there are prime examples of self sabotage everywhere by not letting go, when it is time to move on – as in the true album opener and standout “Prehistoric” (“I’ll say that I’ve been trying to move on, but we both know I’m not”), or settling for less in the melancholic “But I Do” (I am what you need when you can’t find it somewhere else / I am what you want when you don’t want anything else”), or in the resigned sigh of “Separate Rooms” (“I’ll stay right here and carry you / While you clear your head and I grind my teeth”). Musically, this is all fairly solid too. Their best moments come when they strive for big dramatic moments and there aren’t enough of those here for me. Sometimes the songs bog down a bit – partially due to the overly heavy snare sound throughout, but that is a minor squabble that is more about production than anything. This is excellent and definitely a band to keep an ear out for.
Their Trans- label debut is the Dead Oaks EP, which is three songs, but two of them are on the album (“Dead Oaks” and “School Friends”), so it’s not really worth seeking out. However, “Dead Oaks” is a fun short dry strummer that conveys the longing of missing someone from far away, while “School Friends” is an encapsulation of a confusing noncommittal guy and someone who probably shouldn’t be interested in him “You have a girlfriend, but she’s not your girlfriend”). The only non LP track is the slow dragging “Shifting,” which is clearly B material and for completists only. This song is also available on a Record Store Day split 7” with label mates The Lonely Forest (2011’s #15 pick seen here, who offer up an alternate version of their song “Woe is Me” that really rocks!).
(nownowband.com)
Now, Now-Thread
9.
Corin Tucker Band Kill My Blues
(Kill Rock Stars)
The second album from Corin Tucker’s Band is kind of a second comeback already. When she released 1,000 Years in 2010 (my #5 pick seen here), she was throwing off four years of public dormancy after the demise of her legendary band Sleater-Kinney. Though an excellent album full of deeply felt songs, it is a tad stiff and sterile sounding, which sometimes can happen when trying to make the perfect album. That was her first comeback, now we have the band as a four piece and some touring under their belt and some genuine cohesiveness and life! This album is a return to the rock and some outright joy musically. There is out and out fun to be had in the energetic summer songs “Summer Jams” and “Neskowin” (which hits home since I grew up a few miles south of this quaint and mostly unspoiled coastal community). No need to worry though, it’s not all fun and games, because Tucker has not abandoned her unceasing ability to tackle big time issues with the deftest touch possible. The opening “Groundhog Day” addresses her disappearance from the world of music during a stretch where women’s rights and personal freedoms have been under warped political scrutiny, which is when the world needed her strong voice the most. The album starts with the line “Huh? Que pasa? I’ve just woken up like Rip Van Winkle in a denim mini skirt,” and then continues to question what happened: “Did I lay down? Did I fall asleep on the backs of the women who have come before me?” The big celebration, however, is that her big voice and guitar are back up front and in your face and in the red and with a feeling that she’s back from her hibernation for good!
(corintuckerband.com)
Corin Tucker Band-Neskowin
8.
Standard Fare
Out of Sight, Out of Town
(Melodic/Thee Sheffield)
“At the Lake” 7”
(Where it’s at is Where You Are)
I’m pretty sure it was the summertime release of Standard Fare’s entry into the intriguing singles club that label Where it’s at is Where You Are started this year (The club released seven 7” singles on the 7th day of 7 different months of the year – or some such deal) that not only rekindled my growing love affair with this band, but the second album. These three non-LP songs are definitely not album throwaways or filler either. All of them are catchy and fun numbers that could’ve easily made the album. My favorite is the catty “Girlfriend.” This is worth the effort to track down, as well as some of the other singles from the club.
(wiaiwya-7777777.blogspot.com)
Standard Fare-Suitcase
7.
The Icicles
Renegade Parade
(Microindie)
The magical Icicles entered my world sometime in the spring of 2005 when I first heard their snappy addictive song “I Wanna Know” from their 2004 first LP A Hundred Patterns and I was hooked. Most people will unknowingly be aware of them from their bouncy “La Ti Da” which appeared in a Target ad not long after its release (on 2007’s Arrivals and Departures). “La Ti Da” is a good indicator of this band’s earliest material. They have always been a fun bunch with some light-hearted catchy tunes and matching hand sewn outfits all around. Their “Gedge’s Song,” which is about a cat wishing it could go outside and play, is about as melancholic as they would get. Now, after a five year hiatus, The Icicles return with a big album that is heavy on the melancholy, and a major sense of feeling lost, uncertain and unfulfilled. The opening salvo “Numb” finds the narrator, lead singer Gretchen DeVault, stating “I begin to feel numb / I am no longer young.” Meanwhile, the stunning and dramatic song “Would You Know” begins with the lines “Feeling so suffocated the walls are closing in on me / Too many people / I can no longer breathe / Maybe I could go / would you ever know / if I left today,” letting us know that things are not the same anymore, but who can deny the sheer power and beauty of the lush, dreamy and spooky keyboard waves from Joleen Rumsey that punctuate the end of each downtrodden verse of this magnificent song? Breathtaking. The entire opening of the album is an absolute stunner! “Night Drive” glides along with some positive feeling as we take a refreshing and reflective late night drive, while during the next song we learn that we are riddled with “Insomnia.” Even by track seven, a song named “Smile, Smile, Smile” of all things, includes at least the third reference to ‘walls closing in,’ while our narrator is “driven to the brink.” Much like “Night Drive,” “Bernadine” finds some joy in small things – in this case a change of season from fall to winter – but here it sounds more hopeful than satisfied. It isn’t until the tenth song that we find a truly happy sounding song with the travel song “This is it.” Here we’re led on a contented drive in the sunny southwest that feels warm and welcoming. This is absolutely a stunning and beautiful album and quite a surprise. I never thought that my go to rainy day album of the year would be from Michigan’s Icicles! My only issue is that the album is a little too long. It loses focus after what would be a perfect closer in “This is it.” The final four songs are fine, but they don’t quite fit. They feel like an unnecessary epilogue. Maybe these should’ve been saved for an EP that I would’ve happily shelled out money for. Those first 10 songs though are pure brilliance!
(theicicles.com)
6.
Evans the Death Evans the Death
“Telling Lies” 7”
“Catch Your Cold” 7”
(Fortuna Pop! / Slumberland)
Oh wow, this is exciting! These 12 tracks fly by with such a rollicking good time on this UK band’s debut album that I am already anxiously awaiting a second offering. These guys and gal throw themselves into every song with fun abandon making each song a short burst (only two songs crack the three minute mark) of energy and whatever emotions they’re trying to convey at the moment. Katherine Whitaker’s vocals are unique and rambling and all over the place and a highlight of the album (she takes a stab at her own voice with the lyric “I scratch you with my morning voice” on the appropriately titled “Morning Voice”). She is in full command of each song in the same way that Standard Fare’s Emma Kupa does and I have to say that I approve (she also reminds me of the woman from that Cold Case show)! The Standard Fare comparison isn’t too far afield either, because they share similarities from the 80s UK indie scene, but instead of the crisp clean approach of Standard Fare, Evans the Death is a looser drenched in reverb outfit. It’s also fitting that they are on Slumberland records here in the US, because there are moments (like the kick ass “Threads”) that wouldn’t sound out of place on a Black Tambourine 7” from 1992, while elsewhere their music and wild abandon rollercoaster arrangements can hint at that label’s Boyracer or Henry’s Dress from the mid 90s. The album deals mainly with the modest moments in our lives that affect each of us more than we’d like to know (“Sorry this was all I could afford / give me a shout if you feel bored / we could go out for a walk” – from “You’re Joking”). There are also some self effacing and funny sentiments throughout, as in the old before their time bitterness of “A Small Child Punched Me in the Face” (“I believe the children are the scourge of the earth….because this generation / is one generation / too many”), and the shut in tendencies of “I’m So Unclean” (“When I’m watching the shopping channel / I will think of you / When I’m making a sandwich / I will think of you”). I cannot recommend this enough - such a breath of fresh air.
The two singles are non essential, except for freaks like me. Both “Telling Lies” and “Catch Your Cold” are standouts from the LP, while the B-side to “Telling Lies” is simply a nice acoustic version of the album’s “Morning Voice.” It’s a great rendition, but it is missing the explosion of guitars halfway through. “Crying Song,” the B-side to “Catch Your Cold” meanwhile is probably their first real misstep as the song is a complete throwaway.
(evansthedeath.co.uk)
Evans the Death-I'm So Unclean
5.
Dum Dum Girls
End of Daze EP
(Sub Pop)
This release was so incredibly necessary for me. If anyone has ever read this terrible blog I occasionally toss around, you may know that I had a profound experience at a Dum Dum Girls show (2 actually) this year. The immense sadness of the beautiful songs on 2011’s Only in Dreams (#4 pick seen here) crushed me and astounded me at the same time (for more madness, see post here). They also played a short song that was haunting me in a different way. It was so damn catchy that I somehow felt like I knew the song the very first time I heard it. I searched lyrics that I remembered from the show on the web the next day hoping that it was a post punk classic from my childhood and hoping to find the original - but no such luck (keep in mind that these girls have shown impeccable taste with their choice of covers). Finally, early this fall, this release gave me the answers about the mystery song and a format to listen to it any time I choose – and choose I do over and over again. More on this song later. How cool is it that the Dum Dum Girls release genuine stand alone EPs? Most people probably don’t care, but I love it. It reminds me of the old non-LP singles that would pop up out of the blue from the likes of the Smiths and New Order, or those incredible EPs from the so-called shoegaze era from My Bloody Valentine, Slowdive, Moose, Lush, Ride, etc. I keep getting sidetracked. This five song collection opens with three songs recorded back around the time of Only in Dreams and it is clear. The opening “Mine Tonight” is a heavy brooder that is still stuck in that album’s struggles with death and dying (“Will I dream tonight / there’s nothing left / there is no light”), while “I Got Nothing” ups the tempo a little, but remains resolute to dwell in sorrow and emptiness (“I close my eyes / and recall the time / things weren’t so wrong”). The middle track is a cover of Scottish new wavers Strawberry Switchblade’s “Trees and Flowers,” which continues the sadness (“For I hate the trees / and I hate the flowers / and I hate the buildings / and the way they tower over me”). Dee Dee even removes the slow little shuffle beat from the original and goes it alone with a slowly picked heavily affected (or is that effected?) haunting guitar. The final two songs are more recent recordings after lots and lots of touring and they begin to show some signs of recovery. “Lords Knows” cruises along at a deliberate pace, and has a powerful and heartbreaking chorus. It seems to be about realizing that there is some hope in life with those that we love and who love us who are still around. In other words, it’s time to look up from the depths of mourning loss and embrace what we still have. Finally, the EP closes with the aforementioned mystery song, “Season in Hell,” and its redemptive power is so therapeutic. From the harsh quivering reverbed guitar strum that starts this song to the pounding drive of Sandy’s excellent drumming; this short song is nothing short of perfect. Dee Dee croons “From shards of broken hearts / and tears from desert eyes / something new is redeemed” and it sends chills throughout my body during the opening verse, but that is nothing compared to the big final statement of “Doesn’t the dawn look divine? / Yes, doesn’t the dawn look divine” that is an exhale over top of a chorus of background voices and shimmering tambourine. I can and do listen to this song over and over and imagine that I will do so for a long time coming. The Dum Dum Girls have an excessive amount of heart and soul and seem to get better with each successive record. This is a must have.
(wearedumdumgirls.com)
Dum Dum Girls-Lord Knows
4.
Abecedarians
Eureka 2 LP+CD
(Pylon)
I have been waiting, hoping and daydreaming for the last 21+ years that this release would happen and lo and behold it finally has! In January of 1991 I received my first package from the venerable LA based Independent Project Records and their subscription based “Archive Series.” These limited edition 10” vinyl EPs were housed in Bruce Licher’s amazing and beautiful hand printed sleeves and the music would prove to open up a whole new world of music for me. The first two installments for this series were from For Against (their experimental In the Marshes collection, which is among the best work from the legendary Nebraska post punk band) and a double 10” collection titled The Other Side of the Fence by a mysterious California band I had never heard of named Abecedarians. The collection was made up of twelve previously unreleased recordings recorded between 1983 and 1985. I played those records to death – so much so that I had to buy a second copy. I recorded the songs onto cassette and played that till the tape wore thin and broke. The Other Side of the Fence (along with Mark Eitzel’s solo acoustic Songs of Love Live) was my favorite record of all of 1991 and has held a strong grip on me ever since. Maybe it was the mystery. Who were these guys and how could they make such powerful music with so little notice? What was the deal with their strange cross logo? Why did they name themselves after a 16th century sect who rejected human knowledge in favor of visions received directly from God (sounds eerily familiar)? Along the way I was able to track down Caroline Records’ 1988 CD collection, AB-CD, combining songs from their whopping three total releases. Then I finally found their first LP, 1998’s Resin on used vinyl, along with the drastically different version of one of my all-time favorite songs (as I had known it from the IPR 10”) “They Said Tomorrow” on the Scream LA band compilation. I was never able to track down their 1985 debut 12” single on Factory Records (“Smiling Monarchs” – included here and one of only two US bands to ever get a Factory release), or their US debut six track EP Eureka. Well, after this long-winded history lesson that can only possibly be interesting to me, here it is! Pylon Records has graciously released not only the EP, but they’ve added the two songs from the Factory 12”, as well as 6 of those songs from the IPR collection (available on CD for the first time ever!).
Not a lot of this material is new to me, but it is so damn good to hear these songs again that it has been a refreshing breath of air during these dark days of December (this was just released on December 4th). This is, however, my first chance to hear the EP version of the oddly titled and absolutely amazing “Beneath the City of the Hedonistic Bohemians,” as well as the very first time I’ve heard the original EP closer “Misery of Cities,” which greatly recalls the airy drive of Joy Division’s “These Days.” This is the first glimpse of where they may have been coming from stylistically. They are a tried and true post-punk band with a fondness for guitar effects pedals. The previously mentioned “Beneath the City…” has a rapid and heavy bass drum drive that keeps the A Flock of Seagulls style of fluttering waves of bass and guitar from floating away. Chris Manecke’s vocals are deep and rich and they write some obtuse open ended lyrics that are ripe for interpretation, or to simply allow the listener to fill in the blanks to create their own story. Also, John Blake’s creative bass playing often finds itself as the lead instrument, much like pioneer Peter Hook, but Blake takes his bass lines into many different directions from song to song. Check out the low end slow fills crossed with sharp plucks in the epic “Ghosts,” or the busy electronic effects of the two Factory songs “Smiling Monarchs” and “Benway’s Carnival.” Finally, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the unique rolling drumming style of Kevin Dolan, which not only keeps the other two in check (let’s just say that many of these songs find a mesmerizing groove and tend to luxuriate in them), but colors each song with a different hue – helping make this a remarkably diverse band with a strong recognizable sound all their own. I could go on and on about these songs and to many I have. I could talk about how the soft and floating “Ghosts,” the creepy dirge “Soil,” or the pan flute introduced “I Glide” have guided me through long late night drives on creepy dark densely forested Oregon highways and byways. And though I am normally one who prefers his songs concise and to the point, the Abecedarians willingness to experiment and fixate on whatever stunning sound they’ve created for a longer stay, only makes me happier. Having said that, it’s the more pop oriented songs like “Beneath the City of the Hedonistic Bohemians,” the New Order-esque (circa Power, Corruption and Lies) “Switch,” and the two heartbreaker’s “They Said Tomorrow,” and “Wildflower,” that have literally brought tears to my eyes with their nervous and itchy bass and guitar interactions, urgent atmospheric keyboard layers, and excellent scene setting lyrics (“This is the gutter I was made to stay in / life is so empty for me / I looked at the girl and explained / wild flowers grow from the trash”). This stuff inspires me, makes me want to be creative and to dream bigger dreams. I am glad that these songs are no longer so inaccessible, because this is a secret that should no longer be kept.
By the way, this is available on CD, as well as double 12” vinyl, and if you order directly from Pylon Records, there are a limited number of the vinyl editions that come with a six track CD, which includes the remaining six songs from The Other Side of the Fence IPR release. This includes superior versions of “Beneath the City…” and “Ghosts,” as well as the catchy, but rough unfinished sounding “Come Out” and as well as a couple of nice short instrumentals. Highly recommended! Now will there be a second release covering the Resin material as well as some unearthed gems? I hope I hope….
(pylonrecords.com)
Abecedarians-Misery of Cities
3.
exlovers
Moth 2 CD
(Young and Lost Club)
Finally! I don’t know what took so long, but I’ve been waiting for this LP since 2010. It was early that year that I ran into their “Photobooth” 7” and “You Forget so Easily” 10” EP (#15 pick of 2010 seen here), then they teased again with a brilliant 7” early last year (“Blowing Kisses” 2011’s #6 pick seen here), and again with a free download near the end of the year (“Starlight, Starlight”), but no debut album! I was beginning to believe that it may not happen. Well, it did, and it is spectacular! Much like last year’s Joy Formidable “debut,” the unfortunate part for us who have already put some time and investment in the older material is that half of this album is made up of those songs. However, they have flown under the radar for so long that it makes perfect sense to put together a proper debut with eleven amazing songs. This gets going with the aforementioned “Starlight, Starlight,” which mildly reminds of the Stars via Lush song “Ageless Beauty,” with its chiming keyboards and dreamy vocals. Then we get a couple of new songs with “This Love Will Lead You On,” which recalls the woodsy acoustics and howling guitar layers of first LP House of Love, and it’s lyrical mirrored cousin: the catchy “Emily.” Sprinkled in through the rest of the album are some of the old singles like the stellar “Just a Silhouette,” which is pure poetry with its detailed guitar picks and drunken regrets; and who can overlook the perfection that is the timeless pop classic “You Forget So Easily;” and the driving smasher “You’re So Quiet” (the production from Stephen Street on this song is so much beefier than the remainder of the album it begs the question: why isn’t the entire album done by him?). Lyrically these songs dwell in heartbreak and simultaneous desire for isolation, which is a dichotomy best presented in the beautiful “Unlovable” – a song that is somehow both tragic and uplifting at the same time (“The more I hide the less I can see / here in your arms / everything dies / there’s dust in my mouth and mist in my eyes”). Exlovers to me have drawn from a lot of sources that I really love (and I still contend that the dual vocals of Laurel and Peter recall the one album wonder Everything Last Winter from Fields from a few years ago - #6 for me in 2007), but they sound incredibly fresh. They are smart and nothing here is wasted – though I am curious why the feedback transition between “Just a Silhouette” and “Blowing Kisses” is chopped off! They are clearly meant to merge together, but instead there is an abrupt gap between the two. I suppose in this world of downloads, this is another sign of the loss of “albums,” which are meant to be heard as a whole. At any rate, I am hoping that unlike Fields, exlovers find the will to keep going. I will try my best to be patient for album number two in 2016. Too many complaints from me – this album is a must-have!
The second disc is made up of 4 really nice acoustic versions of standout songs from the LP. The most notable is the super slowed down version of “You’re So Quiet.”
(exlovers.co.uk)
exlovers-Emily
2.
Allo Darlin’
Europe
“Capricornia” 7”
“Europe” 7”
“Northern Lights” 7” Covers 10” EP
(Fortuna Pop/Slumberland)
“Only Dust Behind” 7”
(Where it’s at is Where You Are)
Full disclosure: I am absolutely smitten with the sublime voice of Elizabeth Morris, the Australian front woman for Allo Darlin.’ She manages to wring so much heartfelt sincerity out her fantastic short story lyrics. Europe is a marked improvement over their 2010 self-titled debut, but in a subtle indescribable way. Where that album was okay to good, this one is outstanding from start to finish all without messing with the foundation or formula. Maybe this is a case where practice makes perfect. At any rate, the part that I hate is the comparisons – the ‘who do they sound like?’ portion of the review. Well, there are many possible touchstones. The overall feel leaves me with a similar wistful and hopeful vibe of the late 80s Go-Betweens (with Amanda Brown), while Morris’ vocals recall the warmth of sentimental honesty of The Lucksmiths’ Tali White and Camera Obscura’s Tracyanne Campbell when she’s at her sparest moments. Paul Rains’ delicate and busy guitar work brings to mind the tasteful layering of Smiths-era Johnny Marr, while the rhythm section provide a controlled runaway essence that are the lovelorn musings of Morris and don’t get me started on the deep low end lushness that Bill Bottling’s bass lines provide. Need I go on? Whoever I compare this to; it will be one of the all-time greats. These ten tracks all act as little postcards from different parts of the world with varying stages of romantic longings and separation attached to them. “Neil Armstrong” finds Morris struggling with the confusion of being in love, but with serious issues lying just underneath the surface (check out her subtle jab: “why did you say that you miss a simpler time / well so do I and I find myself pining for you”) and stated in the tight chorus “Well I am tired of feeling confused / and lest my words be misconstrued / I can’t separate what’s real but I know I believe in you.” Meanwhile, the lap steel touched “Some People Say” and the energetic “Wonderland” both perfectly captures the nuances of a budding romance. Every song here is fantastic and difficult for me to describe, because it wraps around me like a warm and comfortable broken in jacket. It’s kind of funny that my favorite song is here is the spare solo ballad “Tallulah” (name checking the Go-Betweens’ 1987 classic perhaps?) by Morris, since I love the full arrangements so much. She strums her ukulele and she tells a mournfully lonely tale of separation and a need to run away to brighter pastures (“and I wonder if you would go there with me / when I’m finished over here / if you’re not finished with me”). I think it’s the focus on that voice that I love so much that makes it stand out above the rest – not to mention the detailed and heartbreaking lyrics (“I’m wondering if I’ve already heard all the songs that will mean something / and I’m wondering if I’ve already met all the people that will mean something”). Okay I mentioned them. This is a beautiful spectacle and it feels like one of those albums that will continue to warm and break my heart for years to come.
What a busy year it was for these kids! They released three singles from Europe and hopefully have continued to win the hearts of people from all over the world. The summery strummer “Capricornia” makes for a fantastic lead off introduction single. It is energetic and holds the consistent depth of the album. The b-side “When You Were Mine” is a nice song, but clearly b material compared to that of the album. Next up appeared the “Europe” 7”, which is another album highlight, while the b-side takes the Nashville tinged “Some People Say” from the LP and turns it into a reverb drenched echo chamber slow motion dirge. This ‘alternate version’ gives the song a completely different feel and is worth investigating. Finally, the rocking “Northern Lights” was featured and again is truly the ‘pop song’ of the album. It too is upbeat and wistful and brimming with positivity – like a pep talk from a close friend. Meanwhile, this b-side, “Golden Age” is the best of the non-LP bunch with an addictive chorus. Excellent!
Allo Darlin’ also released late this year two more records. First appeared the Covers 10” EP, which is a compilation of past covers that they’ve released on compilations and such, along with two new ones. The new ones are the big standouts for me. They do the vaunted LP closer from the Go-Betweens’ all-time favorite 16 Lovers Lane – “Dive for Your Memory.” This is a faithful cover, but still of interest due to Morris’ beautiful voice. There’s also a cover of one of my favorite Eux Autres songs (see review elsewhere) from their 2007 album Cold City – “City All to Himself.” Also comes a heartfelt rendition of one of my favorite Bruce Springsteen songs (Nebraska’s “Atlantic City”), as well as the Ramones’ “I Wanna Be Sedated,” AC/DC’s “You Shook Me All Night Long” – when Morris was solo and went by the name The Darlings, and Darren Heyman’s fun “Wu Tang Clan.” If you can find this – get it! The last 7” EP is the December entry from the WIAIWYA 7777777 singles club (see elsewhere). “Only Dust Behind” is a soft dreamy wistful song that shows that they are still on a winning streak! The two b-sides are a little rougher around the edges, but “Dear John” is a frustrated lovesick song that is super catchy, and “Kings and Queens” closes this out with another tasteful tune. Whew.
(allodarlin.com)
Allo Darlin'-Northern Lights
1.
Bob Mould
Silver Age
(Merge)
My year started off by reading Bob Mould’s autobiography See A Little Light, which is solid, but it never crossed my mind how much facing his massive past would clear the way for him to reignite and release his best album since 1992’s Copper Blue (with Sugar). Mould seems genuinely at peace these days and he seems free and open to simply rock and rock he does! It’s not like he went away. His last three albums, since his surprising foray into electronic music (with 2002’s stepping stone Modulate and the full bore leap Long Playing Grooves, his one release under the pseudonym LoudBomb), have been good to great. Yet, much like Sugar’s debut felt fresh and revitalized after his first couple of dark and heavy and, frankly, amazing solo albums, this one does as well. In 1992 I claimed Copper Blue as that year’s best album in my old ‘zine and said this of Mould’s music: “the buzz is a part of his music. It is the melody. There is so much space and tunefulness in his guitar that the feedback isn’t there to hide behind or even to augment – it is everything.” Much like then, I could say the same thing about Silver Age. This time he is even more focused. Even the small distractions on that album are streamlined into a huge force that is a call to re-energize and re-engage. The tour de force starts off innocently enough with the mid-tempo solo rhythm guitar for a moment before the stellar force that is his touring band for the last few years (Superchunk drummer Jon Wurster and Jason Narducy of the much missed Verbow on bass – check out both of these bands, if you aren’t familiar!) joins him with a pounding groove on “Star Machine,” a song about a rock sellout. Could it be a song about some generic big rock star story (think Billy Corgan of Smashing Pumpkins or Axl Rose of Guns n Roses – “You tell the world you had to fire the band / Your little world has gotten out of hand”), or is it a some strange self-deprecating nod to himself in that he never had the chance to sellout, but freely admits in his book that he sometimes let his ego run a little awry? Never mind who it’s about, because it is the perfect beginning for what is to come, because it segues immediately into “Silver Age,” the ad-hoc thesis to what this is all about. Yeah, he’s gotten pretty old (52?!), but he’s still got some serious fire and vigor and can shred the shit out of anyone who has copped his sound over the last 30 years (“Stupid little kid wanna hate my game / I don’t need a spot in your hall of fame, no / what a fucking game, yo”). Then we get his usual third track – first single, “The Descent,” which is such a beauty that it sends shivers up my spine every time I hear it, and there is no volume loud enough to contain it. It is again self-analytical/critical about his career choices and maybe showing a tinge of regret about his electronic waylay (“I didn’t want to play the song / that gave people so much hope / I turned my back and turned away / here’s the rope that made me choke”) and maybe he’s now ready to embrace his life or what’s left of it as his world descends. What makes this song so magical, besides the fiery electricity barely contained in a pop song so timeless and catchy, is his own background harmonies that build an immense wall of depth mixed with his layers upon layers of chiming guitar noise. Jaw dropping. “Briefest Moment” seems to explore his earliest inspiration and drive which led to him getting into music inside another scorching punchy rocker that keeps the sound bleeding into the red. “Steam of Hercules” closes the first half and is the first opportunity to exhale as it slows down the tempo and focuses its attention on the stratosphere, much in the same way that Copper Blue’s closer “Man on the Moon” does. The second half unfolds in much the same way as the first. “Fugue State” opens as a mid-tempo bruiser with drum fills surrounding us before exploding into a brilliant speedy chorus, while I have a feeling that “Round the City Square” is the song that I kind of overlook now, but will one day realize is one of the best (much like Sugar’s “Fortune Teller,” which was a huge highlight from his tour this year!). “Angels Rearrange” cruises in with Mould’s deeper register atop a heavy wall of buzz and a tasteful exploratory bass-line before heading into a sing along chorus. The biggest highlights of the second side come with the two closing numbers. “Keep Believing” literally launches itself off the ground like a NASA space ship and Mould even gives us a positive message as he expresses his joy from finding inspiration in music and how important it is to “always keep believing.” Finally, the album ends, leaving us all exhausted and satisfied with another lyrically upbeat song, “First Time Joy,” which musically builds and builds piece by piece into a giant stomping crescendo. He’s done it again.
(bobmould.com)
Bob Mould-The Descent
That wraps up 2012! I hope you enjoyed and that you'd be willing to share some of your favorites.
The remainder of the Top 40 of 2012 can be found via the following links:
