I must admit, this one caught me by surprise. The Killers have made a complete 180 turn with their newest album, Day and Age. Some reviewers have already called it their best album yet, and others have said that it's nothing more than a strained revival of 80s pop music. Well, it seems to me that both are true.
These are not The Killers we've all come to know from their first two albums. It is true that Day and Age sounds much more like 80s pop than their traditional "neo wave" and punk-esque style. Their two leading singles, "Human" and "Spaceman" make this change in style painfully clear. Oddly enough, the end result is that newcomers might love this album, while fans are put off by it. I can't emphasize enough that despite all its good points, Day and Age is a huge middle finger in the face of Killers fans.
With this in mind, it might be hard to imagine how this could be called their best album, so I'll explain that first. The first two albums were dripping with style, in a good way, but let's face it, most of the songs on both were fillers. Each one only had three or four really good songs. Day and Age is much more consistent in quality. If you find that you like the new style, then chances are you'll love this album. Only one or two songs fall below the quality standard. So while I can't call any of these songs excellent, almost all of them are solid.
The two singles are the obvious standouts. "Spaceman" is without a doubt the best song. It's full and catchy, and it clearly got the most work in production. Then there's "Human." I think most people will either love or hate this one. It takes a major influence from 80s pop, and the vocal style is a painful reminder that this can hardly even be called rock music anymore. The melody sounds like it could have come straight out of a Broadway musical or a Pet Shop Boys tune, take your pick. Nevertheless, it's catchy, and some people will take to it easily.
"Catchy," in fact, is a good way to describe almost all the songs on this album. They might not have you rocking out the way The Killers did before, but somehow you'll find yourself singing them all day. I would list song titles here, but as I look at the album, it seems that every song with the exception of "Joy Ride" and "Goodnight, Travel Well" fit into this category. As for those two, "Joy Ride" is the weakest link in my opinion; it just doesn't have much going for it. "Goodnight, Travel Well" is the closing song. It's a bit reminiscent of "Everything Will Be Alright" from Hot Fuss. I won't say it's bad, but it's really just there to finish off the album, not to be a memorable song.
So I say again, your enjoyment of this album will be directly proportional to your ability to stomach the change in style. From an objective standpoint (or as close as I can get to it), this is still their best album in terms of quality, but be warned. You should definitely listen to the two singles before you commit to the purchase, or you might be terribly disappointed.
Caius's Rating: 3 stars
Monday, November 24, 2008
Friday, November 21, 2008
Enya: "And Winter Came" Review
Enya does a Christmas album. Fans might hope for this to be a traditional Enya album that simply uses Christmas as the subject matter. In some areas, it works in this regard, but essentially, it sounds more like a tired Christmas special.
Part of the reason for this is simply that Enya is not what she used to be. Any fan of her music will tell you that her first few albums are (generally) beautiful, and her later albums, while not bad, simply aren't as moving. Take 2005's "Amarantine." It was a decent album, and it still had that mellow, soothing Enya style, but it fell short in originality. The same is true of "And Winter Came," but to a greater degree.
Although most of these songs are Enya's own, most of them sound more like old Christmas carols than original works. The melodies are painfully predictable, and the punchy, major-key vocals of "White is the Winter Night" and "One Toy Soldier" just don't carry much emotion.
There are a few songs that might be worth a listen for Enya fans. "Trains and Winter Rains" sounds more like a true Enya original. "Last Time By Moonlight" is the warmest song on the album. I wish the rest of the songs sounded more like this one; it's classic Enya, and it works. I see "Stars and Moonlight Blue" as a bit of a missed opportunity, as it has a similar vocal style and a suitable melody, but it needs a bit more warmth (and volume) in the strings and a bit more color to the chords to capture the same beauty.
In addition to the original works, there are a couple of actual Christmas carols on the album. "O Come O Come Emanuel" starts off right: a vocal solo drenched in reverb over a constant low drone. Then when it starts to pick up in the remaining verses, it suddenly loses it's flavor. The biggest problem with it is the way she (or her producer, I suppose) textures the vocals with... I'm not sure what it is, but it makes her voice sound electronic and unnatural. Granted, she uses this effect in almost all her songs when she sings chords, but here, it just doesn't fit. The second carol is "Silent Night." All I can say about it is that if you're an Enya fan who also happens to like Christmas music, you'll love it. It centers on vocals, dripping with reverb, and, well, it's good. Not amazing, but good.
I just want to make a quick note about "My! My! Time Flies!" What is this? It's a total reversal in style from the rest of the album, and it comes right at the end, followed only by "Silent Night." It's not that it's a horrible song; it just doesn't fit with this album in any way. Is that an electric guitar I hear? What?
But enough of that. If you're a fan of Enya, you will surely appreciate the gems of this album, and they might be worth downloading to add to your Enya mix. On the whole, though, "And Winter Came" is a disappointment and a mere shadow of what Enya has proven herself to be capable of. Even her recent albums are far superior to this one, and for that reason, I think fans will ultimately be disappointed.
Caius's Rating: 1.5 stars
Part of the reason for this is simply that Enya is not what she used to be. Any fan of her music will tell you that her first few albums are (generally) beautiful, and her later albums, while not bad, simply aren't as moving. Take 2005's "Amarantine." It was a decent album, and it still had that mellow, soothing Enya style, but it fell short in originality. The same is true of "And Winter Came," but to a greater degree.
Although most of these songs are Enya's own, most of them sound more like old Christmas carols than original works. The melodies are painfully predictable, and the punchy, major-key vocals of "White is the Winter Night" and "One Toy Soldier" just don't carry much emotion.
There are a few songs that might be worth a listen for Enya fans. "Trains and Winter Rains" sounds more like a true Enya original. "Last Time By Moonlight" is the warmest song on the album. I wish the rest of the songs sounded more like this one; it's classic Enya, and it works. I see "Stars and Moonlight Blue" as a bit of a missed opportunity, as it has a similar vocal style and a suitable melody, but it needs a bit more warmth (and volume) in the strings and a bit more color to the chords to capture the same beauty.
In addition to the original works, there are a couple of actual Christmas carols on the album. "O Come O Come Emanuel" starts off right: a vocal solo drenched in reverb over a constant low drone. Then when it starts to pick up in the remaining verses, it suddenly loses it's flavor. The biggest problem with it is the way she (or her producer, I suppose) textures the vocals with... I'm not sure what it is, but it makes her voice sound electronic and unnatural. Granted, she uses this effect in almost all her songs when she sings chords, but here, it just doesn't fit. The second carol is "Silent Night." All I can say about it is that if you're an Enya fan who also happens to like Christmas music, you'll love it. It centers on vocals, dripping with reverb, and, well, it's good. Not amazing, but good.
I just want to make a quick note about "My! My! Time Flies!" What is this? It's a total reversal in style from the rest of the album, and it comes right at the end, followed only by "Silent Night." It's not that it's a horrible song; it just doesn't fit with this album in any way. Is that an electric guitar I hear? What?
But enough of that. If you're a fan of Enya, you will surely appreciate the gems of this album, and they might be worth downloading to add to your Enya mix. On the whole, though, "And Winter Came" is a disappointment and a mere shadow of what Enya has proven herself to be capable of. Even her recent albums are far superior to this one, and for that reason, I think fans will ultimately be disappointed.
Caius's Rating: 1.5 stars
Saturday, June 28, 2008
Get Smart Review
Get Smart, a spy spoof based on a TV series of the same name, follows bumbling secret agent Maxwell Smart and his partner, Agent 99. A government agency known as Control promotes Max and gives him his first assignment as an agent in an attempt to foil attempts at domination by the evil organization KAOS. Hilarity ensues.
Let me start with a comparison to the series. I think that fans of the series will love this movie. Steve Carell does a great job of capturing the essence of Agent 86 left behind by Don Adams, and the movie as a whole holds closely to the general feel of the show. The biggest general difference is that the movie is clearly more modernized. A lot of the corny humor has been replaced by what is now mainstream, but a number of the show's catch phrases and other motifs were fit in. Siegfried is not nearly as over-the-top as he was in the show, which makes the comedic spotlight shine more brightly on 86. Even so, I think that some of the funniest moments came from Alan Arkin as the Chief of Control. Hymie is briefly introduced, but allow me to emphasize the word briefly. He's barely mentioned. Maybe they wanted to set him up for use in a potential sequel, but as it is, it was rather pointless to have him there at all.
I think this movie is hilarious, and a lot of the humor is well-done. Though silly, it's not as shallow as the humor in other recent comedies. Basically, this movie isn't just sillyness for the sake of sillyness; it's actually a solid comedic effort that represents a strong collaboration between the writers, director, and actors. Hell, even The "Dwayne Johnson" Rock has some funny moments. Not every fan of Juno will like this movie, but it's a big step above the average comedy.
Although I suppose it was a bit inevitable, it seems that in some situations, the whole scene was set up just to work in a catch phrase or two from the show. The result is that while some of these moments are funny, they don't always seem to fit seamlessly with the rest of the plot.
Fans of the show owe it to themselves to see this movie. For everyone else, there is still a lot to love, even if you miss out on some of the inside jokes. Sure, it could have been better, but I was very happy to see a well-made TV remake for once.
Caius's Rating: 3.5 stars
Let me start with a comparison to the series. I think that fans of the series will love this movie. Steve Carell does a great job of capturing the essence of Agent 86 left behind by Don Adams, and the movie as a whole holds closely to the general feel of the show. The biggest general difference is that the movie is clearly more modernized. A lot of the corny humor has been replaced by what is now mainstream, but a number of the show's catch phrases and other motifs were fit in. Siegfried is not nearly as over-the-top as he was in the show, which makes the comedic spotlight shine more brightly on 86. Even so, I think that some of the funniest moments came from Alan Arkin as the Chief of Control. Hymie is briefly introduced, but allow me to emphasize the word briefly. He's barely mentioned. Maybe they wanted to set him up for use in a potential sequel, but as it is, it was rather pointless to have him there at all.
I think this movie is hilarious, and a lot of the humor is well-done. Though silly, it's not as shallow as the humor in other recent comedies. Basically, this movie isn't just sillyness for the sake of sillyness; it's actually a solid comedic effort that represents a strong collaboration between the writers, director, and actors. Hell, even The "Dwayne Johnson" Rock has some funny moments. Not every fan of Juno will like this movie, but it's a big step above the average comedy.
Although I suppose it was a bit inevitable, it seems that in some situations, the whole scene was set up just to work in a catch phrase or two from the show. The result is that while some of these moments are funny, they don't always seem to fit seamlessly with the rest of the plot.
Fans of the show owe it to themselves to see this movie. For everyone else, there is still a lot to love, even if you miss out on some of the inside jokes. Sure, it could have been better, but I was very happy to see a well-made TV remake for once.
Caius's Rating: 3.5 stars
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
Argyle Street: Departures Review
It's time for a review of something that you can't find on Wal-Mart shelves. Departures is a brand new album that is now available from iTunes, Amazon, and Argyle Street's Myspace page. If you have any interest in what some people might call "synthpop," I would recommend giving this one a listen.
Argyle Street is the one-man effort of someone known only as Shawn Z. He did all the songwriting and singing, but he also had some help from a few female vocalists and everyone's favorite producer, Joey Belville.
In terms of style, I would describe Departures as mellow synthpop. For those who don't follow electronic music as closely as I do, synthpop is a loose subgenre of electronic music characterized by a focus on vocals and a structure similar to typical rock music. Now, back to Argyle Street, I use the word mellow loosely. Only a few of the songs are slow and gentle, but just about all of them have a light and airy feel to them. There is also less of a focus on sonic complexity than in a lot of electronic music and more of a focus on mood. I suppose it's one of those albums that you will either love or hate, but I commend it for its originality.
The album opens with its title song, which is by no means the strongest song on the album, but it serves as a good introduction to the album as well as the band's style. It is a great showcase for Shawn's smooth vocals and simple, yet strangely captivating, melodies.
Then comes "ABC," which is one of the faster, brighter songs. It's a bit more on the "normal" side than a lot of the rest of the album, but that's not a bad thing. It's incredibly catchy and it really showcases what this indie band can do.
My personal favorite, and probably the most elaborately produced, is "One." In contrast to "ABC," it's much slower and gentler, but the melody can stand up to anything mainstream and the production is just brilliant. Layered strings underscore the soaring vocals, while a smooth square lead textures the background. Unless you listen to it on headphones, you might not even notice it, but regardless, it works very well and easily creates the best mood on the album.
"I Saw You First" is another standout. It's more mellow than most of the others, but there is a nearly constant harmony with female vocals that can just about put me to sleep.
A number of the other songs, even those that don't stand out as much as the ones I've already discussed, have a remarkable way of keeping you hooked. I can't really explain it, but something about them makes this one of those albums that I can just leave in my car and forget it's there.
As far as the lyrics go, you'll get everything from the relatively deep commentary of "Departures" to the intentionally silly "Antiperspirant." I always care more about the music than the lyrics, but they seem to serve their purpose well.
I feel like I've been praising this album too much. Like all albums, it's not perfect. I understand that complexity was often sacrificed for the sake of mood, but not all of the songs are as moving as "One." Some, like "Cold Cereal" and "ABC," could have benefited from some extra synth work, or at least some more varied effects. To be honest, though, I doubt that most people will even see that as a problem. It is, after all, a stylistic choice. The only other significant issue that comes to mind is the flow. I think it's great that the album never strays too far from its overall style, but sometimes, the song-to-song flow isn't as smooth as it could be and it can be a bit distracting.
Overall, I have to say that this is a very strong start for Argyle Street. If you have yet to hear him, at least look him up on Myspace. If you like what you hear, buy the album. If you like the style at all, you won't be disappointed. Hopefully, we can look forward to more strong work and a constantly maturing sound from Argyle Street.
Caius's Rating: 4 stars
Argyle Street is the one-man effort of someone known only as Shawn Z. He did all the songwriting and singing, but he also had some help from a few female vocalists and everyone's favorite producer, Joey Belville.
In terms of style, I would describe Departures as mellow synthpop. For those who don't follow electronic music as closely as I do, synthpop is a loose subgenre of electronic music characterized by a focus on vocals and a structure similar to typical rock music. Now, back to Argyle Street, I use the word mellow loosely. Only a few of the songs are slow and gentle, but just about all of them have a light and airy feel to them. There is also less of a focus on sonic complexity than in a lot of electronic music and more of a focus on mood. I suppose it's one of those albums that you will either love or hate, but I commend it for its originality.
The album opens with its title song, which is by no means the strongest song on the album, but it serves as a good introduction to the album as well as the band's style. It is a great showcase for Shawn's smooth vocals and simple, yet strangely captivating, melodies.
Then comes "ABC," which is one of the faster, brighter songs. It's a bit more on the "normal" side than a lot of the rest of the album, but that's not a bad thing. It's incredibly catchy and it really showcases what this indie band can do.
My personal favorite, and probably the most elaborately produced, is "One." In contrast to "ABC," it's much slower and gentler, but the melody can stand up to anything mainstream and the production is just brilliant. Layered strings underscore the soaring vocals, while a smooth square lead textures the background. Unless you listen to it on headphones, you might not even notice it, but regardless, it works very well and easily creates the best mood on the album.
"I Saw You First" is another standout. It's more mellow than most of the others, but there is a nearly constant harmony with female vocals that can just about put me to sleep.
A number of the other songs, even those that don't stand out as much as the ones I've already discussed, have a remarkable way of keeping you hooked. I can't really explain it, but something about them makes this one of those albums that I can just leave in my car and forget it's there.
As far as the lyrics go, you'll get everything from the relatively deep commentary of "Departures" to the intentionally silly "Antiperspirant." I always care more about the music than the lyrics, but they seem to serve their purpose well.
I feel like I've been praising this album too much. Like all albums, it's not perfect. I understand that complexity was often sacrificed for the sake of mood, but not all of the songs are as moving as "One." Some, like "Cold Cereal" and "ABC," could have benefited from some extra synth work, or at least some more varied effects. To be honest, though, I doubt that most people will even see that as a problem. It is, after all, a stylistic choice. The only other significant issue that comes to mind is the flow. I think it's great that the album never strays too far from its overall style, but sometimes, the song-to-song flow isn't as smooth as it could be and it can be a bit distracting.
Overall, I have to say that this is a very strong start for Argyle Street. If you have yet to hear him, at least look him up on Myspace. If you like what you hear, buy the album. If you like the style at all, you won't be disappointed. Hopefully, we can look forward to more strong work and a constantly maturing sound from Argyle Street.
Caius's Rating: 4 stars
Sunday, May 25, 2008
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull Review
We all knew this was coming. And we were all thrilled, yet horrified that the fourth film would suck. Really, it isn't so much that the fourth one was destined to fail; it's just that it had so much to live up to. So now, twenty years later, I can safely say that Indy 4 is not a miserable failure, but it will never receive the acclaim of the original trilogy.
I try not to spoil anything in my reviews, and sadly, I can't really say much about the plot at all in this case without giving anything away. I'll just repeat what you probably know already. In the Indy canon, Kingdom takes place roughly twenty years after the events of Last Crusade (go figure). So there are no more Nazis. The key villains happen to be Russians, and Indy is in his sixties. Aliens have some sort of involvement in the plot, although not like E.T.
Kingdom seems to poke fun at itself in some instances, which I think is a bit necessary given this twenty year gap between films. Like the original trilogy, this one is a bit ridiculous, and it's not afraid to admit it. And of course, it delves into the supernatural, which is nothing new to the franchise, but this one is by far the most off the wall. Even so, it still keeps an archaeological air about it and stays within the style of classic Indiana Jones.
The problem is that it's all a bit much. For one, Indiana Jones has always had a knack for solving riddles, but this time, he's the riddle master. Not to mention he now understands a handful of dead languages and interprets symbols in a matter of moments. That's all well and good, but in the original trilogy, such things became part of the story and just made it all the more intriguing. Who could forget the riddles in Last Crusade? This time, they are just a means of quickly moving the plot along. No sooner is a riddle revealed than it is solved: 'So that means we need to go here.' As far as the supernatural elements go, it doesn't all fit into place as well as it used to. In a story centered around the lost ark, the ark turned out to have a supernatural power that became significant to the story. Now, in a story centered around a crystal skull, aliens fit in there somewhere. Yeah.
But I've been comparing too much. On its own, this movie isn't so bad. One thing I love about it is that even now in a completely different film culture, it still manages to maintain the feeling of an Indiana Jones movie, for the most part. The only trouble there comes from the fact that it also tries to be a modern summer blockbuster. Some stuff was put in to appeal to a modern crowd, and although a lot of it is fun and funny, it does sometimes take away from the classic Indy flair. In the middle, particularly, I must have said "Oh, come on" a good five or ten times. On that note, Shia LaBeouf has no place in this movie. Sure, his character matters, but it's obvious that he was only put in to try to round up the younger viewers. I would probably respect this film more without him. More than anything, he's just a distraction, not only from Indiana Jones's character, but also from his style since LaBeouf's character is a modern contrast to Indy's classic form, and the two don't really mesh well.
The only other thing I really have an issue with is the ending. It's not a bad ending by any means, but a lot happens at once, and none of it really makes any sense. Granted, the trilogy rarely explained much either, but this time it just seems like too much and too random.
The action scenes are very entertaining for the most part. Like I said already, they maintain the classic Indy style, and it's a lot of fun. Sometimes, though, ridiculous things will happen, and eyes will roll.
Fans of the series, do yourself a favor and allow yourself to enjoy this movie. It's tempting to get wrapped up in all the things that are wrong with it, all the inconsistencies, and all the things the original trilogy did better. No one ever thought this movie could measure up to the original trilogy's legacy after all this time, and of course it doesn't, but I argue that it was impossible for it to do that, no matter what the makers had done with it. Taken for what it is, this is a fun adventure flick that's very well-made. I'm sure it will be underrated for years to come, but I think it was a worthwhile effort.
Caius's Rating: 3 stars
I try not to spoil anything in my reviews, and sadly, I can't really say much about the plot at all in this case without giving anything away. I'll just repeat what you probably know already. In the Indy canon, Kingdom takes place roughly twenty years after the events of Last Crusade (go figure). So there are no more Nazis. The key villains happen to be Russians, and Indy is in his sixties. Aliens have some sort of involvement in the plot, although not like E.T.
Kingdom seems to poke fun at itself in some instances, which I think is a bit necessary given this twenty year gap between films. Like the original trilogy, this one is a bit ridiculous, and it's not afraid to admit it. And of course, it delves into the supernatural, which is nothing new to the franchise, but this one is by far the most off the wall. Even so, it still keeps an archaeological air about it and stays within the style of classic Indiana Jones.
The problem is that it's all a bit much. For one, Indiana Jones has always had a knack for solving riddles, but this time, he's the riddle master. Not to mention he now understands a handful of dead languages and interprets symbols in a matter of moments. That's all well and good, but in the original trilogy, such things became part of the story and just made it all the more intriguing. Who could forget the riddles in Last Crusade? This time, they are just a means of quickly moving the plot along. No sooner is a riddle revealed than it is solved: 'So that means we need to go here.' As far as the supernatural elements go, it doesn't all fit into place as well as it used to. In a story centered around the lost ark, the ark turned out to have a supernatural power that became significant to the story. Now, in a story centered around a crystal skull, aliens fit in there somewhere. Yeah.
But I've been comparing too much. On its own, this movie isn't so bad. One thing I love about it is that even now in a completely different film culture, it still manages to maintain the feeling of an Indiana Jones movie, for the most part. The only trouble there comes from the fact that it also tries to be a modern summer blockbuster. Some stuff was put in to appeal to a modern crowd, and although a lot of it is fun and funny, it does sometimes take away from the classic Indy flair. In the middle, particularly, I must have said "Oh, come on" a good five or ten times. On that note, Shia LaBeouf has no place in this movie. Sure, his character matters, but it's obvious that he was only put in to try to round up the younger viewers. I would probably respect this film more without him. More than anything, he's just a distraction, not only from Indiana Jones's character, but also from his style since LaBeouf's character is a modern contrast to Indy's classic form, and the two don't really mesh well.
The only other thing I really have an issue with is the ending. It's not a bad ending by any means, but a lot happens at once, and none of it really makes any sense. Granted, the trilogy rarely explained much either, but this time it just seems like too much and too random.
The action scenes are very entertaining for the most part. Like I said already, they maintain the classic Indy style, and it's a lot of fun. Sometimes, though, ridiculous things will happen, and eyes will roll.
Fans of the series, do yourself a favor and allow yourself to enjoy this movie. It's tempting to get wrapped up in all the things that are wrong with it, all the inconsistencies, and all the things the original trilogy did better. No one ever thought this movie could measure up to the original trilogy's legacy after all this time, and of course it doesn't, but I argue that it was impossible for it to do that, no matter what the makers had done with it. Taken for what it is, this is a fun adventure flick that's very well-made. I'm sure it will be underrated for years to come, but I think it was a worthwhile effort.
Caius's Rating: 3 stars
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Death Cab for Cutie: Narrow Stairs Review
Narrow Stairs is Death Cab's second release on a major label. 2005's Plans was a solid album that showed the strength of this atypical rock band. Narrow Stairs, on the other hand, seems to take the band a step backwards.
The album opens with "Bixby Canyon Bridge." This is a choice I'll never understand. I suppose it's just because they had no other place to put it, but I would have just bitten the bullet and opened with the single in this case. "Bixby" is one of the most lifeless tracks on the album, and in my opinion, not a suitable intro. Granted, it picks up and starts to sound more like a rock anthem in the absurdly long bridge section, but even that is pretty simple and not the best showcase of Death Cab's talent.
Next we have the single, "I Will Possess Your Heart." Although it doesn't represent the band's best songwriting, it displays the highest production values on this album. The radio edit is classic Death Cab. The album version was somehow stretched into eight and a half minutes, which is way too long for this structurally simple song, but the length doesn't kill it.
The next two songs, "No Sunlight" and "Cath" are probably the most similar to Death Cab's usual style. They are not among the band's best work, but they are solid in their own right.
That's where it starts to go downhill. The rest of the album feels sloppy and hastily thrown together. The songwriting becomes noticeably less creative, almost immediately. But we can all forgive a few "fillers." The problem is that so many of these songs made it onto the album. I would argue that only about five of the album's eleven songs really belong at all. A few, in fact, show a sharp contrast in style compared to the rest of the album, which makes it feel like they just came out of nowhere. The relatively mellow "Your New Twin Size Bed" is followed by a sudden transition to bright rock in "Long Division" (which, ironically, was probably this album's best candidate for a single. It just doesn't fit!). The closing song, "The Ice is Getting Thinner," is slow and simple, and it also feels like it was forced into place to fit with the rest of the album.
Taking Narrow Stairs as a whole, I don't think it's bad. Some of the songs are solid, and Death Cab for Cutie's overall style smacks generic rock in the face. That said, a lot of this album feels sloppy, and I think that fans will be disappointed when they compare this release to the band's other work, especially Plans.
Caius's Rating: 2.5 stars
The album opens with "Bixby Canyon Bridge." This is a choice I'll never understand. I suppose it's just because they had no other place to put it, but I would have just bitten the bullet and opened with the single in this case. "Bixby" is one of the most lifeless tracks on the album, and in my opinion, not a suitable intro. Granted, it picks up and starts to sound more like a rock anthem in the absurdly long bridge section, but even that is pretty simple and not the best showcase of Death Cab's talent.
Next we have the single, "I Will Possess Your Heart." Although it doesn't represent the band's best songwriting, it displays the highest production values on this album. The radio edit is classic Death Cab. The album version was somehow stretched into eight and a half minutes, which is way too long for this structurally simple song, but the length doesn't kill it.
The next two songs, "No Sunlight" and "Cath" are probably the most similar to Death Cab's usual style. They are not among the band's best work, but they are solid in their own right.
That's where it starts to go downhill. The rest of the album feels sloppy and hastily thrown together. The songwriting becomes noticeably less creative, almost immediately. But we can all forgive a few "fillers." The problem is that so many of these songs made it onto the album. I would argue that only about five of the album's eleven songs really belong at all. A few, in fact, show a sharp contrast in style compared to the rest of the album, which makes it feel like they just came out of nowhere. The relatively mellow "Your New Twin Size Bed" is followed by a sudden transition to bright rock in "Long Division" (which, ironically, was probably this album's best candidate for a single. It just doesn't fit!). The closing song, "The Ice is Getting Thinner," is slow and simple, and it also feels like it was forced into place to fit with the rest of the album.
Taking Narrow Stairs as a whole, I don't think it's bad. Some of the songs are solid, and Death Cab for Cutie's overall style smacks generic rock in the face. That said, a lot of this album feels sloppy, and I think that fans will be disappointed when they compare this release to the band's other work, especially Plans.
Caius's Rating: 2.5 stars
Saturday, May 10, 2008
Iron Man Review
It's been a while since I've gotten to do a movie review, but I doubt this will be my last in the near future with all the big movies coming out this summer. The first, of course, is Iron Man, yet another superhero flick based on the Marvel comics. It shares many similarities with - to be honest - all the other Marvel films that have been made in the last ten years, but fortunately, Iron Man manages to avoid many of the failures that have plagued so many of the others.
The plot follows Tony Stark, the head of a successful weapons manufacturing company. He ends up getting captured by terrorists who ask him to build missiles for them. Instead, he decides to build a giant kickass suit of armor. Somehow, they couldn't tell the difference. Once he gets free, he decides to stop dealing with weapons and use his new suit of armor to protect people.
The whole sequence when Stark is held captive is probably this movie's strongest point. Although it's thoroughly dramatized, it's probably the most real part of the movie, and it's a strong beginning for Stark's hero personality. The rest is extremely predictable, from the rise and fall of the key villain to Stark's love interest. Now don't get me wrong; none of this is badly done. If you have liked most of the recent Marvel movies, then you will undoubtedly like this one too, and it is one of the better ones. It's just that it contains all the same cliches and style choices as all the others, and sometimes, it can just be ridiculous. The best examples of all this come toward the end of the movie, so I won't spoil anything for the sake of giving examples.
Most of the depth of this movie is the result of the recurring theme of manipulation, which is a driving force in both character and plot development. It is also worth noting that this theme is well-presented throughout with some clever camera and editing tricks. Sadly, that's about it for the depth. It's a shame, because there really was some potential for depth, and a good start too. It just didn't turn into very much. The overall plot is shallow and predictable.
One of the specific problems is that the plot dwells too much on the creation of the suit. That is of course the focus of the action when Stark is held captive, but even when that's over, he spends about the middle third (that's a guess) of the movie building and testing new models of the suit. We get it, the suit is awesome; now let's see some deeper character development.
On that note, I have to give them credit for Stark's development. For a superhero, he actually has some depth and internal conflict, and it's kind of interesting to see his change from a wealthy asshole to a slightly more (but not overly) caring person. That said, every other character, however significant, is very shallow and underdeveloped. The acting from the other major characters is also not nearly as strong as Robert Downey, Jr.'s.
As far as the action goes, there are some explosions and such, but mostly, it's just scenes of Iron Man being a badass. And hey, that's cool, as long as you think a rich dude in a super high-tech suit is badass. I thought so.
As a whole, Iron Man is a solid superhero adventure. It's fun, it's funny, and if you take it for what it is, it works well. It's no Batman Begins, but it's also no Batman and Robin, and for fans of the genre, that's all that matters. For the rest of us, it's only as worthwhile as we're willing to make it. If you just want to see a fun summer movie, then you will be entertained. I just doubt that this will be one of the superhero movies that will be widely remembered and respected in 10 years.
Caius's Rating: 3 stars
The plot follows Tony Stark, the head of a successful weapons manufacturing company. He ends up getting captured by terrorists who ask him to build missiles for them. Instead, he decides to build a giant kickass suit of armor. Somehow, they couldn't tell the difference. Once he gets free, he decides to stop dealing with weapons and use his new suit of armor to protect people.
The whole sequence when Stark is held captive is probably this movie's strongest point. Although it's thoroughly dramatized, it's probably the most real part of the movie, and it's a strong beginning for Stark's hero personality. The rest is extremely predictable, from the rise and fall of the key villain to Stark's love interest. Now don't get me wrong; none of this is badly done. If you have liked most of the recent Marvel movies, then you will undoubtedly like this one too, and it is one of the better ones. It's just that it contains all the same cliches and style choices as all the others, and sometimes, it can just be ridiculous. The best examples of all this come toward the end of the movie, so I won't spoil anything for the sake of giving examples.
Most of the depth of this movie is the result of the recurring theme of manipulation, which is a driving force in both character and plot development. It is also worth noting that this theme is well-presented throughout with some clever camera and editing tricks. Sadly, that's about it for the depth. It's a shame, because there really was some potential for depth, and a good start too. It just didn't turn into very much. The overall plot is shallow and predictable.
One of the specific problems is that the plot dwells too much on the creation of the suit. That is of course the focus of the action when Stark is held captive, but even when that's over, he spends about the middle third (that's a guess) of the movie building and testing new models of the suit. We get it, the suit is awesome; now let's see some deeper character development.
On that note, I have to give them credit for Stark's development. For a superhero, he actually has some depth and internal conflict, and it's kind of interesting to see his change from a wealthy asshole to a slightly more (but not overly) caring person. That said, every other character, however significant, is very shallow and underdeveloped. The acting from the other major characters is also not nearly as strong as Robert Downey, Jr.'s.
As far as the action goes, there are some explosions and such, but mostly, it's just scenes of Iron Man being a badass. And hey, that's cool, as long as you think a rich dude in a super high-tech suit is badass. I thought so.
As a whole, Iron Man is a solid superhero adventure. It's fun, it's funny, and if you take it for what it is, it works well. It's no Batman Begins, but it's also no Batman and Robin, and for fans of the genre, that's all that matters. For the rest of us, it's only as worthwhile as we're willing to make it. If you just want to see a fun summer movie, then you will be entertained. I just doubt that this will be one of the superhero movies that will be widely remembered and respected in 10 years.
Caius's Rating: 3 stars
Sunday, March 16, 2008
Vantage Point Review
Vantage Point is a thriller that starts off with the president getting shot. For the rest of the movie, the same event is shown from the perspectives of several different characters. Each of these adds a bit to your knowledge of the situation and adds a few minutes to the story. The whole thing takes place over the course of about 15 minutes.
It should sound interesting; that's what they were going for: something unusual. But in reality, the concept really only serves to limit your knowledge as time goes along. It is very deliberate in what it shows you each time, and a lot of the information you obtain by seeing a new perspective doesn't even come as much of a shock, because you knew just from the way it was shot that SOMETHING was going to be significant about that person or object. So what you end up with is a really drawn out 15 minute story. Luckily, it's not just senseless time stretching as there are some worthwhile moments in the movie, and it all culminates in a final message that makes you think not just about the movie, but about what it would be like if something like that happened in the real world today.
Still, at its core, it's just an average thriller with an average (and long) car chase and an average kidnapping and some average terrorists at work. While it seems to try to present itself as something more, that's really all you're going to get out of the overall experience, plus the more positive points I already described. What gets me the most about it is the predictability. The characters are all shallow, the action is typical (car chase? come on), and the ending is bland and predictable, aside from the final message.
The core film here is what I call 2 stars, but I give it a half star bonus for its fine points, which, of course, stem mostly from the concept of it. Not bad, but nothing exceptional. If you like thrillers, then you'll probably get a kick out of it. Otherwise, you'll probably see it as very average.
Caius's rating: 2.5 stars
It should sound interesting; that's what they were going for: something unusual. But in reality, the concept really only serves to limit your knowledge as time goes along. It is very deliberate in what it shows you each time, and a lot of the information you obtain by seeing a new perspective doesn't even come as much of a shock, because you knew just from the way it was shot that SOMETHING was going to be significant about that person or object. So what you end up with is a really drawn out 15 minute story. Luckily, it's not just senseless time stretching as there are some worthwhile moments in the movie, and it all culminates in a final message that makes you think not just about the movie, but about what it would be like if something like that happened in the real world today.
Still, at its core, it's just an average thriller with an average (and long) car chase and an average kidnapping and some average terrorists at work. While it seems to try to present itself as something more, that's really all you're going to get out of the overall experience, plus the more positive points I already described. What gets me the most about it is the predictability. The characters are all shallow, the action is typical (car chase? come on), and the ending is bland and predictable, aside from the final message.
The core film here is what I call 2 stars, but I give it a half star bonus for its fine points, which, of course, stem mostly from the concept of it. Not bad, but nothing exceptional. If you like thrillers, then you'll probably get a kick out of it. Otherwise, you'll probably see it as very average.
Caius's rating: 2.5 stars
Friday, February 1, 2008
Lunar
Hey everyone. I normally don't advertise on behalf of bands, even if I really like them, but I wanted to make an exception. The reason is because this is really something unique that I've never heard before and the band is not very well-known. So anyway, even if it's not your style, support the originality and ambition of the one-man-band Lunar. It's a combination of orchestral and electronica in a really dark, epic-sounding style. In other words, it's like a movie soundtrack on crack. Check it out.
www.lunarmusic.net
www.lunarmusic.net
Friday, January 18, 2008
Cloverfield Review
Cloverfield? What's Cloverfield? Oh, it's a monster movie that's gotten a lot of hype? I see. Ok, let's go see it so I can slam it in a fun review. We go to the theater to get tickets, arrive just after it sells out, and wait around for two hours for a later show. Our tickets are taken and we get in line. Before long, the line has gone all the way to the side exit and looped around back to where it started. "What the hell is the big deal about this movie?" my brain asks. "Fuck if I know," I reply. Finally, we go in, get our seats, and it starts.
No intro, no credits, no title. It begins with a message saying that the footage is owned by the Department of Defense and was recovered from the area formerly known as Central Park. The rest of the less than 90 minute movie is said footage, shot on a normal guy's handheld camera. Most of it is footage of a giant monster attack on New York.
But this is not your ordinary "monster movie." The best part of it is that it was shot in the way it was. It puts you right up next to the main characters, and it just feels entirely real. Cuts occur when the camera would have been paused, and previous footage is shown when the camera would have been fast-forwarded too far. Some people might complain that the camera was too shaky; a few people even said it made them sick. To be honest, though, I don't think it could have been done any other way and still been good. It works incredibly well, and it's just one of those things you have to see to understand, and for your own sake, see this one in a theater.
Largely as a result of this technique, Cloverfield is intense. All night I've been trying to think of a more intense movie that I've seen lately, and I just can't think of any. The best part is, it doesn't rely on cheap thrills like so many other horror/disaster movies. It just puts you in the shoes of the main characters, and it works extremely well. Sure, there are a few "oh shit" moments, but even they fit well; nothing feels like it was tacked on just for shock value. Again, it really makes you feel like you're right there.
Another thing that helped a lot was that there were no big name actors (that I noticed) in the movie at all. Having a recognizable actor in a movie is a big distraction, and this was not the one to do it in. And better still, the acting is fantastic. Every character is wholly believable, and nothing is overdone; even the scenes of desperation have a realistic feel to them. The audience's reactions to this film were some of the most pronounced I've ever heard in a theater.
Ok, now that I've gone on a big rant about the realism of the film, it's time to talk about what isn't real. It's not perfect. The visual design is done in such a way as to make it look like it was done on a handheld camera, and overall it's extremely convincing. In a few scenes, though, there's just a bit too much light, or slightly too perfect contrast, which indicates artificial lighting in some scenes. Luckily, it's not overdone and the vast majority of the scenes look just how they should. The biggest problem is in the sound design. The microphone on a small handheld camera is almost always very small, and in the midst of the enormous sounds and screams going on all over the place, it would often get distorted. What you actually hear is very clear. I understand the design choice as hearing a ton of static every few seconds wouldn't make for such a cinematic experience, but just a touch of it in some places would do a lot for the realism. Also, in one or two scenes, you can hear what the main characters are saying very clearly when in reality, it should all just be a jumbled mess considering what's going on all around. I mean, yes, it's important to the plot and everyone would want to know what they were saying, but a lot of the realism comes in the fact that you really don't know much about what's going on.
Really, that's about all I could complain about in this one. It's extremely well-done overall, and it creates one of the most intense and realistic experiences I've ever seen. Such an original and ambitious idea certainly deserves a lot of credit. Judging by the sell-out crowds, I think it's going to do well. What we have to watch out for is overdoing it. If the success of Cloverfield generates a surge of similar films, I will be pissed off. This movie is a statement for originality in a number of ways; let's not ruin the idea.
I keep thinking I'm going to get to review a terrible movie. I realized that I have yet to rate a movie at less than three stars on this blog. Usually, I hesitate to give a movie more than two and a half, unless I really think it deserves it. What can I say? I'm thoroughly convinced that Cloverfield deserves it. Like any movie that exists or ever will, it's far from perfect, but when I look at this one as a whole, I can't help but feel that it went above and beyond what we think of as a film and truly succeeded. Some people would argue with me forever on this, but when I think of how this movie made me feel as I was watching it and even now that I'm only looking back on it, I see no alternative. For these reasons, I proudly bestow upon Cloverfield my very rare five star rating. Go see it.
Caius's Rating: 5 stars
No intro, no credits, no title. It begins with a message saying that the footage is owned by the Department of Defense and was recovered from the area formerly known as Central Park. The rest of the less than 90 minute movie is said footage, shot on a normal guy's handheld camera. Most of it is footage of a giant monster attack on New York.
But this is not your ordinary "monster movie." The best part of it is that it was shot in the way it was. It puts you right up next to the main characters, and it just feels entirely real. Cuts occur when the camera would have been paused, and previous footage is shown when the camera would have been fast-forwarded too far. Some people might complain that the camera was too shaky; a few people even said it made them sick. To be honest, though, I don't think it could have been done any other way and still been good. It works incredibly well, and it's just one of those things you have to see to understand, and for your own sake, see this one in a theater.
Largely as a result of this technique, Cloverfield is intense. All night I've been trying to think of a more intense movie that I've seen lately, and I just can't think of any. The best part is, it doesn't rely on cheap thrills like so many other horror/disaster movies. It just puts you in the shoes of the main characters, and it works extremely well. Sure, there are a few "oh shit" moments, but even they fit well; nothing feels like it was tacked on just for shock value. Again, it really makes you feel like you're right there.
Another thing that helped a lot was that there were no big name actors (that I noticed) in the movie at all. Having a recognizable actor in a movie is a big distraction, and this was not the one to do it in. And better still, the acting is fantastic. Every character is wholly believable, and nothing is overdone; even the scenes of desperation have a realistic feel to them. The audience's reactions to this film were some of the most pronounced I've ever heard in a theater.
Ok, now that I've gone on a big rant about the realism of the film, it's time to talk about what isn't real. It's not perfect. The visual design is done in such a way as to make it look like it was done on a handheld camera, and overall it's extremely convincing. In a few scenes, though, there's just a bit too much light, or slightly too perfect contrast, which indicates artificial lighting in some scenes. Luckily, it's not overdone and the vast majority of the scenes look just how they should. The biggest problem is in the sound design. The microphone on a small handheld camera is almost always very small, and in the midst of the enormous sounds and screams going on all over the place, it would often get distorted. What you actually hear is very clear. I understand the design choice as hearing a ton of static every few seconds wouldn't make for such a cinematic experience, but just a touch of it in some places would do a lot for the realism. Also, in one or two scenes, you can hear what the main characters are saying very clearly when in reality, it should all just be a jumbled mess considering what's going on all around. I mean, yes, it's important to the plot and everyone would want to know what they were saying, but a lot of the realism comes in the fact that you really don't know much about what's going on.
Really, that's about all I could complain about in this one. It's extremely well-done overall, and it creates one of the most intense and realistic experiences I've ever seen. Such an original and ambitious idea certainly deserves a lot of credit. Judging by the sell-out crowds, I think it's going to do well. What we have to watch out for is overdoing it. If the success of Cloverfield generates a surge of similar films, I will be pissed off. This movie is a statement for originality in a number of ways; let's not ruin the idea.
I keep thinking I'm going to get to review a terrible movie. I realized that I have yet to rate a movie at less than three stars on this blog. Usually, I hesitate to give a movie more than two and a half, unless I really think it deserves it. What can I say? I'm thoroughly convinced that Cloverfield deserves it. Like any movie that exists or ever will, it's far from perfect, but when I look at this one as a whole, I can't help but feel that it went above and beyond what we think of as a film and truly succeeded. Some people would argue with me forever on this, but when I think of how this movie made me feel as I was watching it and even now that I'm only looking back on it, I see no alternative. For these reasons, I proudly bestow upon Cloverfield my very rare five star rating. Go see it.
Caius's Rating: 5 stars
The Great Debaters Review
The Great Debaters is a movie that honestly surprised me. I went into it with every expectation of seeing a run-0f-the mill drama, but it turned out to be far superior to the average. That said, it's far from perfect, but still a solid film that any fan of the genre should see. People who are not so into dramas will likely see all the same genre trends in this movie, except they're done much, much better than normal, making for a good experience overall.
On that note, this movie does tend to stick to genre conventions. Like so many others, it tackles race and gender issues very deliberately, contains scenes of violence, sex, and alcoholism, and throws tears into the eyes of nearly every major character at some inspirational moment. My biggest gripe along these lines comes in the last three or four scenes of the movie, which scream the ending of just about every underdog story ever put on film.
It's the rest of the movie, i.e. what comes before the ending, that makes it good. Although it goes about the issues very deliberately, it creates an unusually strong feeling of tension around those issues. In some scenes, the cinematic effects really do a good job of putting you in the shoes of the characters. I honestly feared for their lives in a few scenes, and I am not the type of person who gets emotionally invested in characters in movies. So, if you're the type who does, then you'll probably gasp and cry a few times (several of the people I went with did).
The debate scenes serve their purpose well, but they're a bit too movie-like. Allow me to explain. In real debates, the stance that each team is supposed to take is randomly assigned; then they take turns making logical arguments and the winner is determined by judges. In the movie, most of the debates, and all of the ones that had a major plot significance, involved a topic that had something to do with race, and the main characters were always assigned to argue on the side that they would support on their own. For example, in one debate they were assigned to argue in favor of the integration of schools. On its own, that scene is fine, but it's very unlikely that they would have gotten their own side every time. Also, the characters on both sides of each debate had a noticeable tendency to focus more on the emotional side rather than the logical side of the issue. While this can be effective in moderation, it wouldn't leave you with a very strong argument in a real-life debate. The short version of this paragraph is: this movie sacrifices realism in favor of cinematic effect in the debate scenes. I wouldn't normally complain about this issue so much, but this is one of those movies that really tries to portray something real and believable.
The acting is pretty solid. Forest Whitaker is kickass.
I wouldn't recommend The Great Debaters to everyone, but most people will probably be moved by it in one way or another. It's not perfect by any means, and it still needs to stray farther from the all-too-common conventions of similar movies, but overall, I give it my kudos.
Caius's Rating: 3 stars
On that note, this movie does tend to stick to genre conventions. Like so many others, it tackles race and gender issues very deliberately, contains scenes of violence, sex, and alcoholism, and throws tears into the eyes of nearly every major character at some inspirational moment. My biggest gripe along these lines comes in the last three or four scenes of the movie, which scream the ending of just about every underdog story ever put on film.
It's the rest of the movie, i.e. what comes before the ending, that makes it good. Although it goes about the issues very deliberately, it creates an unusually strong feeling of tension around those issues. In some scenes, the cinematic effects really do a good job of putting you in the shoes of the characters. I honestly feared for their lives in a few scenes, and I am not the type of person who gets emotionally invested in characters in movies. So, if you're the type who does, then you'll probably gasp and cry a few times (several of the people I went with did).
The debate scenes serve their purpose well, but they're a bit too movie-like. Allow me to explain. In real debates, the stance that each team is supposed to take is randomly assigned; then they take turns making logical arguments and the winner is determined by judges. In the movie, most of the debates, and all of the ones that had a major plot significance, involved a topic that had something to do with race, and the main characters were always assigned to argue on the side that they would support on their own. For example, in one debate they were assigned to argue in favor of the integration of schools. On its own, that scene is fine, but it's very unlikely that they would have gotten their own side every time. Also, the characters on both sides of each debate had a noticeable tendency to focus more on the emotional side rather than the logical side of the issue. While this can be effective in moderation, it wouldn't leave you with a very strong argument in a real-life debate. The short version of this paragraph is: this movie sacrifices realism in favor of cinematic effect in the debate scenes. I wouldn't normally complain about this issue so much, but this is one of those movies that really tries to portray something real and believable.
The acting is pretty solid. Forest Whitaker is kickass.
I wouldn't recommend The Great Debaters to everyone, but most people will probably be moved by it in one way or another. It's not perfect by any means, and it still needs to stray farther from the all-too-common conventions of similar movies, but overall, I give it my kudos.
Caius's Rating: 3 stars
Thursday, January 3, 2008
Thoughts on some recent electronic music
I haven't seen any new movies since Sweeney Todd, so I thought I'd take a look at music for this entry instead. Nice to have some variety I suppose. I've been listening to several CDs over the break, some of which were released fairly recently. But the thing is, not one of them (to my knowledge) has been released on a major label, so it's unlikely that most of you have heard of any of them. So instead of writing useless reviews, I thought I'd just take a brief look at each of them. If my discussion piques your interest, then I highly recommend checking them out if you like anything electronic.
First we have Pulse of Pain by Michigan. I'm starting with it because it's my surprise favorite of this set. Their style is not at all unlike Depeche Mode in their middle period, but it is still their own, particularly with the songwriting. Although these 12 songs don't exactly reinvent songwriting, they are catchy and they work well with the heavy, but not overpowering, synthesizers. There is no lapse in quality between songs, with the exception of one or two. "The Nomad" starts off strongest, as the single on most albums does, but Pulse of Pain really keeps up the energy through the end, making it a very solid and worthwhile album overall. I highly recommend it to any fans of rock and/or electronic music.
Soft by Nevarakka. This album is a bit harder to evaluate. For the most part, it's generic trance through and through, but there are a few gems on it that really sparkle. "Angel on Earth" might sound like something off of DDR, but I just can't get it out of my head. The best parts of the album, however, are the slowest songs, "Meant to Last" and "Suddenly." Although neither one is incredibly complex, they both go far beyond what anyone would expect of basic trance and create something that can ultimately be described as beautiful (keeping in mind that it's Nevarakka, and not Mozart, that I'm talking about). But that is only two of the fourteen songs. As a whole, this album is a great one to listen to as background music when you don't want to concentrate too hard on it. There is a sameness to the songs, but the positive side of that is that they are all good, though not exceptional. It's a solid 70 minutes of trance in one album; you can't go wrong.
Help Yourself by Fantazja. The synth work here is very original. It works on a number of levels and complements the vocal style nicely. The melodies also deserve a lot of credit. The hooks are brilliant and the progression usually really works. The lead singer is the real problem here. If there is a polar opposite to spitting out words, this is it. His words seem to slide out, regardless of how small a percentage of English speakers can understand them, and it's really distracting. We also have the issue of a sharp drop in quality after the first three songs. "How I Feel," "Remedy," and "Kathy" are all very worthwhile; the rest are fillers. That's not to say that they're bad by any means, but the core of this album is definitely at the beginning.
Details by Frou Frou. If you've heard of Imogen Heap, Frou Frou was her project before she went solo. Personally I'm much more fond of this because of the strong synth work. In case you weren't already aware, Imogen Heap is well-known for her interesting vocal style, which centers largely on her ability to jump between her head and chest voice seamlessly. She does it very well, and I love the style overall, but I must admit that on a couple songs, she does go a bit overboard. Most of them, however, get well past the style and create real gems, especially "Let Go" and "Must Be Dreaming." It's not too heavy, but if you like a light, pop-esque style, then Details is a great one.
First we have Pulse of Pain by Michigan. I'm starting with it because it's my surprise favorite of this set. Their style is not at all unlike Depeche Mode in their middle period, but it is still their own, particularly with the songwriting. Although these 12 songs don't exactly reinvent songwriting, they are catchy and they work well with the heavy, but not overpowering, synthesizers. There is no lapse in quality between songs, with the exception of one or two. "The Nomad" starts off strongest, as the single on most albums does, but Pulse of Pain really keeps up the energy through the end, making it a very solid and worthwhile album overall. I highly recommend it to any fans of rock and/or electronic music.
Soft by Nevarakka. This album is a bit harder to evaluate. For the most part, it's generic trance through and through, but there are a few gems on it that really sparkle. "Angel on Earth" might sound like something off of DDR, but I just can't get it out of my head. The best parts of the album, however, are the slowest songs, "Meant to Last" and "Suddenly." Although neither one is incredibly complex, they both go far beyond what anyone would expect of basic trance and create something that can ultimately be described as beautiful (keeping in mind that it's Nevarakka, and not Mozart, that I'm talking about). But that is only two of the fourteen songs. As a whole, this album is a great one to listen to as background music when you don't want to concentrate too hard on it. There is a sameness to the songs, but the positive side of that is that they are all good, though not exceptional. It's a solid 70 minutes of trance in one album; you can't go wrong.
Help Yourself by Fantazja. The synth work here is very original. It works on a number of levels and complements the vocal style nicely. The melodies also deserve a lot of credit. The hooks are brilliant and the progression usually really works. The lead singer is the real problem here. If there is a polar opposite to spitting out words, this is it. His words seem to slide out, regardless of how small a percentage of English speakers can understand them, and it's really distracting. We also have the issue of a sharp drop in quality after the first three songs. "How I Feel," "Remedy," and "Kathy" are all very worthwhile; the rest are fillers. That's not to say that they're bad by any means, but the core of this album is definitely at the beginning.
Details by Frou Frou. If you've heard of Imogen Heap, Frou Frou was her project before she went solo. Personally I'm much more fond of this because of the strong synth work. In case you weren't already aware, Imogen Heap is well-known for her interesting vocal style, which centers largely on her ability to jump between her head and chest voice seamlessly. She does it very well, and I love the style overall, but I must admit that on a couple songs, she does go a bit overboard. Most of them, however, get well past the style and create real gems, especially "Let Go" and "Must Be Dreaming." It's not too heavy, but if you like a light, pop-esque style, then Details is a great one.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)