Smith Westerns - Soft Will

 

After enjoying a couple of festival performances by the SWs, I've decided to give a record a try. And how do they say hello to me? The lyric: "It's easier to think you're dumb". I probably deserve that.

That opener, "3AM Spiritual", is a fine track that hearkens back the poppier elements of Abbey Road. Or for a more obscure reference, but closer to form, an Abbey Road send up album by the band Sloan called "Never Hear The End Of It". (highly recommended).

From that opener though, the band treads into a style that has always bored the shit out of me. That sunshine California pop jangle. All other examples are escaping my head right now, but you've heard it. As if someone took all of REM's Rickenbackers and just made everything sound happy. I mean, there's even a track called "Cheer Up".

And the album never gets out of that rut. A band named after a goddamn gun (ish? right?) should not sound the Archies. Unremarkable is the best that I can come up with. Out of this collection of 10 songs, the opener is okay, and there is a Pink Floyd-ish instrumental track in the middle called "XXIII". Other than those, there is actually nothing where I would be able to distinguish one song from the other. (1.5 of 5 stars)

Kanye West - Yeezus

While certainly aware of Kanye and the music of his that makes it to the radio, I've never actually sat down and listened to an album. This one seemed like a good enough place to start. A ridiculous album title with ridiculous song titles. But it's only 10 songs long (I appreciate getting to the point). It's also interesting to note that each of the 10 songs have about 10 songwriters and 10 producers each. I know hip-hop has always been a collaborative genre, but damn... And I don't have to be judgmental at all on the over-the-top 'Ye megalomaniacal persona. If the music's good, fuck it. But... is it?

It kicks off with raucous beats. Daft Punk are big contributors to this record, so we are either treated to loud buzzy electro-synth. Or loud buzzy beats. Or both. "Black Skinhead" has that Gary Glitter "Rock And Roll" beat- I was half expecting the Black Keys to riff a guitar and a da-da-da background vocal. And with a title with as strong a politcal-racial imagery as "Black Skinhead"- it's really nothing more than a general rap boast.

Also nothing incendiary in the lyric to "I Am A God". What he could have made could have been awesome and offensive as Kanye is off-the-mic. But no, in this track, he seems to be making of himself and his level of celebrity.

I am a God
So hurry up with my damn massage

In a French ass restaurant
Hurry up with my damn croissants

Apparently all of that broken-heart, dead-mom self-reflection is behind him. "New Slaves" does tough have something more socially significant. And it's good and fine, Kanye's still a great rapper. But I feel like if a guy is going to put himself in such a self-important pedestal, he should be doing something important. I think one of the best raps on the album is a straight-up filth track called "I'm In It", where he recalls Martin Luther King's "free at last" speech to eloquently describe exposed titties.

So, maybe this writer wanted more dark twisted fantasy and instead got a lot of real-life-my-dick-goes-into-a-lot-of-places themes. It was still a fun collection. And I should've really been less hopeful about an album whose main inspiration was a lamp. (No... really.) (3 of 5 stars)

Jason Isbell - Southeastern

An NPR interview was telling enough to get me to try our Jason's new album. I certainly knew who the Drive-By Truckers were back in the day, but they were also outside of my wheelhouse. I am mellower now, so maybe I can more closely get behind an ex-drunk's tales of mournful drunkenness.

And while the opener "Cover Me Up" is an apologetic romantic letter of a man back from a darker side; the rest, of course, it's not all that morbid at all. Jason's really a fine singer/songwriter in the Nashville tradition, while still earning his title as "Americana" or even "Alt-Country" by avoiding the trappings of glossy C&W radio.

And like any good country record, Jason's got some road songs. They involve the road-weary guy and the pining-romantic guy. "Stockholm" is a smartly worded mid-tempo track that describes the differences from the old addict and the new man with a home to get to. "Traveling Alone", though, is a little more on the typical side. Call the latter the poor man's version of the former.

Other standouts include "Elephant", a great fireside tale of hanging out with a good friend. The elephant in the room being ignored is the cancer- turning the ode to a requiem "New South Wales" was the track played on the radio that day that led me to this review. "God bless the busted boat that brings us back."

And while most of the tracks are folky tales about redemption, the blaring stand-out might be the biggest crowd favorite. "Super 8" is the only rocker on the record. Not so against the grain, as the song is about wild days in the past. I don't mind saying, it souded like fun. And whatever ailed Jason to get to a place where he's 90% more mellow than this track, at least it got him a quality collection of songs. (4 of 5 stars)

Queens Of The Stone Age - ...Like Clockwork

I'm still very excited to hear the new QOTSA album as I prepare for the live show this week. A lot of people have let this group drop off their radar since getting the Grohl bump three albums ago. I've enjoyed each as much as the next and see no reason why this should disappoint me.

It kicks off with a dirty gross groove. QOTSA have always been good at the stoner desert jam, and "Keep Your Eyes Peeled" is twice as sick. Strippers will connect. Think: "She Rides". Less sick but still powerful is the romantic ode "I Appear Missing". Dave Grohl keeps up with the time changes and Josh writes the truth: "It's only falling in love because you hit the ground"

The singles don't fare quite as well. "I Sat by the Ocean"  is a radio single and sounds like it. Also sounds to familiar to a previous Queens song that I can't spot right now. ("Long Slow Goodbye" ?) And it's lyrics do little for the cliché of a broken relationship. "We're passing ships in the night." I was also unimpressed with the other single, "My God is the Sun". A pretty-simple driving tune has speed and has heavy, but stays in a straight-lane roll off the curb.

"The Vampyre Of Time And Memory" is a crazy departure. A '70s glitter-era ballad that envokes Wings or Queen in me somehow. But it's sad and unromantic which fits it into the mix well. "Kalopsia" is another that's good by me, but I'll bet that it falls flat to most listeners. It does seem altogether childish. A "woe is me" verse coupled with a lashing-out chorus. But it's still psychedlic enough for me to jump in the boat with.

The pièce de résistance, though, is "Fairweather Friends". Elton John lends a hand on this one, and it makes some weird sense to me. While only three-and-a half-minutes long, the song still sounds like an epic, grungy version of  "November Rain". The title track also tries to employ this vibe. And it's okay, but its the lesser of two Queens. With it's fuzzed-out Slash-like solo and piano riffing, FF's a mini-classic.

...Like Clockwork is a right-on-time near-masterpiece with far more hits than (near) misses. (4.5 of 5 stars)

Alice In Chains - The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here

The second album since the band reformed after Layne Staley's death. (Wow. Ten years really flies.) And quick backstory- I was never one to say that a band needs to pack it in when a singer leaves/dies. True, the AC/DC success stories of the world are few and far between, but AIC had a uniqueness in that Jerry Cantrell really did write most of not only the music, but also the lyrics. It is also true that Layne’s voice was very unique itself and contributed a large part of the band’s sound. But what their first post-death album proved is that you can get a guy to sound enough like Layne, maintain a style, and it can turn out to be pretty decent.

 

The problem with “…Dinosaurs…” is a sophomore slump. And it probably would have existed with Layne, too. Musically, Jerry seems to be second guessing what he wants to do vs. what he’s expected to do. Or maybe he’s just tired of the genre. But he’s written some tunes that follow form without feeling new. A fresh batch should feel like a fresh batch. Drop-D grunge tunes that never stray from verse-chorus-verse-chorus-solo-chorus-out. Lyrics about being vaguely repressed and depressed. A song called “Scalpel” should be sharp and specifically grating. Instead, we get some reflective road tune about “frozen, dreaming of yesterday”.

 

And you can’t blame the new “singer’ at all. William gets one writing credit here, and his vocals are never out any farther than Jerry’s. I remember the last album having a more defined role for him, but nonetheless, that’s what we have this time.

 

There are some exceptions, of course. "Stone" is a huge standout. A bass dirge that is the most Sabbath-y the Chains have ever been. "Phantom Limb" also brings on the sludgy metal. More than just "grunge"- these two tracks prove that the band can hash without so much rehashing. A great platform to build from, even if they didn't reach a goal this time. Before becoming the dinosaurs left behind. (2.5 of 5 stars)

 

 

The National - Trouble Will Find Me

I first became aware of The National from the Boxer album. I didn't love it at all, but "Start A War" was a personal anthem for me during a break-up. So I'll give them a chance again, but am wary that Matt's vocal and lack of dynamics will again keep from getting too close.

"You didn't see me, I was falling apart
I was a television version of a person with a broken heart"

The album starts with some relief to my reluctance, because while "I Should Live in Salt" is a mellow, fairly monotonous sounding tune, there's something about the lyric that I really love. "Don't make me read your mind". And even better than that is the follow up, which may end up on the year's best of list. "Demons" has a mellow groove that conjures memories of this year's Nick Cave record. But instead of slow-jam sexy, it's a bitter, resentful reflection of self. "I am secretly in love with everyone I grew up with" and "When I walk into a room, I do not light it up... fuck." are both brilliant examples of a lyric that draws me like a mosquito to the bar's neon.

That same kind of aesthetic follows through another favorite, "Graceless", which could be a full on party jam if someone remixed it. ...And if the audience didn't quite focus on the complete self-destructive, sad nature of the lyrical content.

"I'll be a friend and a fuck-up and everything

But I'll never be anything you ever want me to be"

I was right in my prejudice that The National do not project any variation of styles. I think it would be great to be the drummer in this band. You get your share of the publishing royalties and you barely have to show up. And Matt's vocal range goes from deep moan to deep lilt. He seems almost asleep most of the time.

Having said that though, the writing of Trouble Will Find Me is brilliant. The lyrics, the pacing, etc. are as good as your favorite U2. I can't believe that I blew them off live this year, but I've found a contender for album of the year. (5 of 5 stars)

Vampire Weekend - Modern Vampires of the City

I've never listed to a VW record before. Knowing who they were, they seemed too twee and sweet to me. Imagine an Iron Maiden fan in 1982 picking up a Haircut 100 album. Doesn't fit. ...And the leader's name is "Ezra" for fuck's sake. He makes John Mayer look like Lemmy. But I admit that they made a pretty impressive showing at Lollapalooza this year, so I'm putting on my deck shoes, tying my sweater behind my neck and giving them a spin.

"Step" is a good example. A slow beat with some harpsichord ramblings would generally be entirely too ridiculous to add to my collection. Especially when sir Ezra kicks over a stack of encyclopedias and reads random words with a calm white-reggae-rap over it. But something about it works. I'm sure it would work more for me if those same lyrics were being cockneyed over by Alex Turner, but I can still take it.

Down the line, "Hudson" is another one that totally surprised me. A morbid matter-of-fact gothic march which is mourning something, painting a hell-scape war-torn landscape while not explaining anything concretely. Still- put me in the right mood.

Other than those, only a couple of other tracks matched my expectations from the live show in terms of excitement. "Diane Young" and "Finger Back" are hyper-kinetic blasts of energy. But other than the break of of fun, there wouldn't be a lot for me to connect to. Especially the latter, where the vocal rap is not anymore decipherable than it is interesting.

The remainder of the album is filled with some mid-tempos and rich-white-kid-polyrhythms (see:"Ya Hey") that betray their Paul Simon influence without having ever gotten their hands dirty in city soil, much less African. I can see the modern vampires benefiting from experience. They have a collective head to find something interesting, even if they don't quite perform it yet. (2.5 of 5 stars)