Saturday, April 27, 2013

Frank Turner - Tape Deck Heart

Being totally new to this Frank Turner fella, I picked this record out of the lineup simply for the title. He's several albums in, with a punk career before his current singer-songwriter phase. When I read that the album was going to be about breakups, I was wondering if we were going to be subjected to another punker-turned-pansy Dashboard Confessional type of emo.
 
What we find instead is a fairly sunny collection of acoustic pop, not unlike a British Rhett Miller. Musically, the album stays with safe acoustic chord strumming with occasional band accompaniment. One exception is a Babys' kind of arrangement on the the near-closer "Oh Brother".  But the greatest effort that Frank spends are on the lyrics, and there are some clever ones. But then, he tacks on a chorus, seemingly not because he has a love for the classic feel of a pop chorus, but because he has to. Many of the songs end up sounding like the Goo Goo Dolls pulled out a thesaurus.
 
The album definitely has merit and I'm sure that girls will stab each other to get to the front of the stage. A highlight for me was a ballad that judged:

"Fuck you Mötley Crüe
For charming us with access and with excess
For telling tales that leave out all the dark sides
For bringing out the lowest drive in everyone"

And another track, "Four Simple Words" is an almost embarrassing pop-punk sing-along which seems to precious, but at the same time, fuck it, it's fun. The words: "I want to dance" and the song is just a declaration of dedication to the fun. "This shit wasn't fashionable back when I fell in love, so if the hipsters move on why should I give a fuck?"

And I try to separate my album reviews here from bonus tracks and such, but even without being a KISS fan, "Wherefore Art Thou Gene Simmons"  is a killer deluxe edition cut.

But on the whole, you will appreciate Frank's sincere likability. I mean, shit, through twleve tracks you pretty much feel like you have an intimate connection with twelve of his relationships. And if it was a little darker, I'd probably feel closer to it. But Frank stays sentimental and nice, focusing on the remembrances that we want to have. (3 of 5 stars)


Saturday, April 20, 2013

The Thermals - Desperate Ground

If you've heard the Thermals once, you'll know what's going on here too. Short burst of punk rock goodness. Heavy sing-along shouting with defiant energy. Sixteenth notes.

That's true here too. The longest song is 3:10. Previous albums have lyrically focused on politics, like the Bush era's "Fuckin' A"; or maybe have been more poetically ambiguous like "More Parts Per Million". The new album though is strictly defiant individualism.

"The sword by my side will be the last thing my enemies will see."

Seriously, the songs are so righteous in their single "I WILL SURVIVE/OVERCOME" message, that if they just added guitar solos it would fit comfortably next to your KISS or Manowar albums from the eighties. "Our love is true, that's why we fight..."

It's really difficult to find much else to say about the record. It's over and done with in under thirty minutes. And that's not a bad thing. High energy, inspirational and out the door once your ass is kicked. With an AC/DC-like tenacity, the songs are all similar enough to define a style without being a boring collection where all songs are a poorer representation of one good song. Yeah, I shouted out a lot of old-school metal here, but that's just attitude. It's still a punk collection and it will rank among the best of the year. (4 of 5 stars)



Saturday, April 13, 2013

Volbeat - Outlaw Gentlemen & Shady Ladies

I'm not sure how I ever heard of Volbeat, but for some reason, I checked out a cd from the library. Two years after the fact, I was jamming on a Danish heavy metal band that took the best of mainstream Metallica and Iron Maiden and other classic metal influences and made a great record.

The new record follows the same sound as the previous. Even with the addition of longtime Anthrax guitarist Rob Caggiano, the songs are still written from the base of leader Michael Poulsen. Volbeat don't add any more thrash with Rob and stay truer to the nineties version of melodic metal.

The cover and the first track, an acoustic western style instrumental, set the scene for the theme of the album. Lyrically, the stories deal a lot with travelling the United States, a rebel to society. Cowboys, train robbers, etc. are all presented as underground heroes with songs that are appropriately anthemic. There's even songs called "Black Bart" and "Doc Holliday". A favorite is about some kind of southern Jesus-type whose words inspire the protagonist to carry on. "Dead But Rising" is a good example of Poulsen, whose assuredly using English as a second language. The concepts are mostly broad, the words less complicated. But still effective in their simplicity.

In an interesting track listing choice, the heaviest track in Volbeat's catalog, a haunted nightmare King Diamond duet, "Room 24" follows the single, and most commercial Volbeat track, "Cape Of Our Hero". And cover of a recent hit, Young the Giant's "My Body" is a highlight.

Altogether a good collection. I don't mind saying that I grew tired of all the western imagery and storytelling. Even though the inspiration here was respectfully "Run to the Hills" and "Indians", my favorites leaned on the side where the songs were more general and universal. That's always been the case with me. Stick to my highlights and you'll find yourself rocking out without the history lessons. (3 of 5 stars)


Saturday, April 6, 2013

The Black Angels - Indigo Meadow

The BAs have been a favorite of mine since seeing them in their hometown of Austin about five years ago. I've liked their albums to varying degrees, but none so much as the one that hit me first, their debut. I would have love to have heard this new one before seeing them live again for my birthday, but it didn't happen. I had an amazing time, but the concert of a psychedelic rock band is way too atmospheric to assume that the best songs are being played. Plus, they released the poppiest single that they've ever waxed for the last Record Store Day. So, I just their new songs here.

It kicks off with the title track. And it would sound as if they've allowed a more professional production take the reigns. It sounds fuller, cleaner than just your normal garage drone. But then the chorus kicks in and Angels jump back to their youthful ways. Which is good. Dynamic.

The first single is also a fun one. "Don't Play With Guns" has got the fuzz of the rest of the catalog, but it's clear that they just tweaked a chorus a little toward the commercial side. Simple, catchy, not muddled in reverb.

And then it gets weird for a spell. The awkwardly mellow "Holland"Another song that does the spell game: "L is for the love in your eye, O is for the sighs..." Holy shit. And the worst song in the Black Angels canon with "The Day", which is a song about the moon telling the sun to go away, because it's nighttime now. It's like the Doors just gave up and recorded a children's nursery rhyme. Alex... you're better than this.

My problem may mostly be with lazy lyric writing. I mean, it's psych-rock so you don't ask for much. But I feel like Alex is kind of rehashing ideas. "Bite the apple, taste the flesh of red and white" ? "My favorite wine, I'll drink you all the time" ? Come on. And other songs that are good are still good in spite of some oversimplification of words. "I Hear Colors" is a heavy hallucination while "Black Isn't Black" is a sexy dark closer. But neither benefit from grand wordsmithing.

I'm still taking five songs with me from this album on my journey through life, which is a lot for my discerning tastes. It would generally earn a five star review. But usually, the highs are higher and the lows not so low. Maybe if your meadow had a more reddish hue. (3 of 5 stars)