Happy Horror Movie Season to all! This is my review of Final Destination 4, er, I mean, The Final Destination, which is a completely different title from Final Destination.
So let's get that cleared up right away. There's nothing final about this iteration in the franchise. There was no reason to call it The Final Destination, except perhaps to convince people that they might as well see it if it's going to be the last one. Well, Death only knows if this is really the last one.
To no one's surprise, this movie is essentially identical to the previous three. The style, the story, and the characters have no significant differences in any Final Destination (FD) movie. So why bother making more? Well, the true answer is that as long as they can think of ways to kill people, people will fork over their money to see it.
The supposed big draw of FD4 is that it's in 3-D. This was my first experience seeing a movie in 3-D, and to be honest, it was a lot better than I expected. Aside from the obvious gimmick, the 3-D effect adds noticeable depth to the scenes. I am surprised to say that I think putting it in 3-D was worthwhile. My only complaint is that it's clear that some effects were done specifically to take advantage of the effect, rather than for any purpose within the story. Some of the kills would have been more effective if it didn't seem like this character was killed in this way just to show a 3-D view of the gore. On the other hand, there are a few moments where the added depth really does add something worthwhile to the experience. A good example is the car wash scene shown in the trailers. The scene's depth really gives an improved feeling of being trapped. In future films, this effect has the potential to create a disturbing realism to such scenes.
Now, let's talk about the movie itself. FD4 is the most emotional film in the franchise. I say this as a compliment to it, but unfortunately, it isn't saying much. As usual, there's never a strong sense of the true terror of death looming over you, nor the agony of watching and waiting for someone you love to be killed in an imminent freak accident. Even so, this one does have a few emotional moments that add some much-needed flavor to the series. Let's hope they can take this much further in Final Destination 5: Another Final Destination.
But of course, people only go to these movies to see people die in the most clever ways possible. The kills in this movie are a mixed bag of cringe-inducing, funny, and just ridiculous. Some of them don't seem to know if they're supposed to be funny or disturbing. I recall a few times when we were shown a rather disturbing scene, which was immediately followed by something humorous. Mixing humor and horror is nothing new to the FD series, but it's too abrupt in a few cases to be effective.
FD4 doesn't have the most clever kills in the series, but some of them are fun to watch, assuming you're into that sort of thing.
I applaud this movie for keeping to the style without being horrible after four movies, and for the few innovations, most notably the (mostly) good use of the 3-D technology. The downside, which I think is huge, is that it still sticks too strongly to the formula set up in the original FD. The characters, story, story structure, deaths, and just about everything else are all the same. If this franchise is to continue, it needs some significant changes, if only to make each installment different from the last. It can stagnate at a decent level for as long as the studio lets it, but it has the potential to be much better. But of course, if you found that you enjoyed all three of the others, as I did, then you will enjoy FD4 just as much and for all the same reasons, as I did.
Caius's rating: 2 stars
Saturday, August 29, 2009
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Imogen Heap: "Ellipse" review
Hi folks. I haven't done a review in quite some time now, so I thought I better get back to it. I haven't seen any new movies in the theater lately, except Harry Potter 6 which I'm sure everyone has seen (though I'll review it if I get a request), so it's time for another album review.
This time we have Imogen Heap's new album Ellipse. Whether you love or hate Immi, you must admit that her music is unique, both in her solo material and with Frou Frou. Ellipse is a difficult album to evaluate because it's so different from typical pop and electronic music.
Immi leads off with her lead single, "First Train Home." When I first heard it, I was a bit confused that she (or her label) chose this as the first single from the album, as it isn't as intriguing as her most famous single, "Hide and Seek," nor as accessible as most of her other singles like "Goodnight and Go." This turned out to be more of a problem with the album than I had expected; it turns out that the album doesn't have a standout track, so she just had to go with the best one she had.
And really, that pretty much sums up the album as a whole. Immi has clearly refined her style perfectly and has made a coherent album, but at the expense of anything that will really grab you. I normally applaud albums that have a consistent quality among their songs, and this one does, but it's not that each song on Ellipse is great, it's that each song is mediocre. If you like Immi's style, you'll get tons of it here. What you won't get is a song you'll be singing for weeks, or a song with a unique structure, or a song with a varying mood or flavor, or a song that you'll even remember when her next album comes out.
Besides "First Train Home," the best candidates for singles are probably "Wait It Out" and "Swoon." But again there's that mediocrity issue: Even though these songs are the strong points of this album, not one of them would compare to any of the singles from Speak for Yourself.
But I don't want to sound like it's all bad, aside from the fact that her stylistic awesomeness is intact. I do applaud her ambition in some areas, most notably the brief and moody instrumental "The Fire." Songs like this work in well-structured albums because they can give some added flavor to an album without trying to be hit singles. That's part of the beauty of the album as a medium.
Immi put some effort where it counts, and a lot of her diehard fans will probably be pleased. I might not be so harsh on her if I didn't know from two fantastic albums that she's capable of much better work. I think that both Details and Speak for Yourself will go down as classics among people who can appreciate what makes them special. But this just isn't her best work. But hey, even The Beatles had a couple of lousy albums, right? Maybe she'll get it together next time. She's definitely got the foundation right. Now she just needs to knock it out of the park.
Caius's rating: 2 stars
This time we have Imogen Heap's new album Ellipse. Whether you love or hate Immi, you must admit that her music is unique, both in her solo material and with Frou Frou. Ellipse is a difficult album to evaluate because it's so different from typical pop and electronic music.
Immi leads off with her lead single, "First Train Home." When I first heard it, I was a bit confused that she (or her label) chose this as the first single from the album, as it isn't as intriguing as her most famous single, "Hide and Seek," nor as accessible as most of her other singles like "Goodnight and Go." This turned out to be more of a problem with the album than I had expected; it turns out that the album doesn't have a standout track, so she just had to go with the best one she had.
And really, that pretty much sums up the album as a whole. Immi has clearly refined her style perfectly and has made a coherent album, but at the expense of anything that will really grab you. I normally applaud albums that have a consistent quality among their songs, and this one does, but it's not that each song on Ellipse is great, it's that each song is mediocre. If you like Immi's style, you'll get tons of it here. What you won't get is a song you'll be singing for weeks, or a song with a unique structure, or a song with a varying mood or flavor, or a song that you'll even remember when her next album comes out.
Besides "First Train Home," the best candidates for singles are probably "Wait It Out" and "Swoon." But again there's that mediocrity issue: Even though these songs are the strong points of this album, not one of them would compare to any of the singles from Speak for Yourself.
But I don't want to sound like it's all bad, aside from the fact that her stylistic awesomeness is intact. I do applaud her ambition in some areas, most notably the brief and moody instrumental "The Fire." Songs like this work in well-structured albums because they can give some added flavor to an album without trying to be hit singles. That's part of the beauty of the album as a medium.
Immi put some effort where it counts, and a lot of her diehard fans will probably be pleased. I might not be so harsh on her if I didn't know from two fantastic albums that she's capable of much better work. I think that both Details and Speak for Yourself will go down as classics among people who can appreciate what makes them special. But this just isn't her best work. But hey, even The Beatles had a couple of lousy albums, right? Maybe she'll get it together next time. She's definitely got the foundation right. Now she just needs to knock it out of the park.
Caius's rating: 2 stars
Friday, February 6, 2009
Shiny Toy Guns: Season of Poison Review
Let me get this out of the way. The first time I listened to this album I cringed. I thought, oh no, what have they done with everything that made their first album good? But, now that I've heard it a few times, I feel like I can give it a fair chance.
What put me off at first was the two singles, "Ricochet!" and "Ghost Town." God, they are awful. I don't know who chooses their singles, but I think they really need to reconsider their career choice. Now, that's done. Listen to the album as a whole. It's not bad, except for those two songs. I'm going to try to evaluate the album as a whole; just keep in mind that those two songs weigh down the whole thing to a degree, while the rest by itself is pretty solid.
We open with the moody "When Did This Storm Begin." It's by no means a standout track, but it sets the tone well for the wide array of songs (and genres, even) to come. Next up is "Money For That," a synth-free rock song about nostalgia. Then comes "I Owe You a Love Song," which is probably the most similar to the style they set up in their first album. It doesn't measure up to songs like "You Are the One," but it's good to have a bit of the "classic" Shiny Toy Guns.
After the miserable "Ghost Town" comes "It Became a Lie on You." This is the first of several slow-tempo songs on the album. If they had more songs like this in place of the singles, I would have a lot of respect for them. After "Ricochet!" is the second slower song, "Season of Love." It's very simplistic and features a bit too much falsetto from Chad, but I like the chords, and the harmonies between Chad and Sisely are actually nice.
My favorite song on this album by a wide margin is "Poison." It's by far the most dynamic, interesting, and, dare I say, aesthetically pleasing song on the album. Let's hear more like this, STG!
The next two are pretty good lead-ups to a strong conclusion in "Frozen Oceans."
Although I sometimes question their choice of flow, I think they did a good job making Season of Poison feel more like an album and less like a collection of songs. This is especially apparent in the second half, once the singles are out of the way and the style is consistent. For this reason, and for the handful of songs that really are solid, I don't consider this album a failure. I actually like that they represent many different styles of music in their albums. If they can get rid of the style found in songs like "Ghost Town" and polish up their electronic tendencies, then they should have a great third album. Will this happen? I doubt it, but we can hope.
Caius's rating: 2.5 stars
What put me off at first was the two singles, "Ricochet!" and "Ghost Town." God, they are awful. I don't know who chooses their singles, but I think they really need to reconsider their career choice. Now, that's done. Listen to the album as a whole. It's not bad, except for those two songs. I'm going to try to evaluate the album as a whole; just keep in mind that those two songs weigh down the whole thing to a degree, while the rest by itself is pretty solid.
We open with the moody "When Did This Storm Begin." It's by no means a standout track, but it sets the tone well for the wide array of songs (and genres, even) to come. Next up is "Money For That," a synth-free rock song about nostalgia. Then comes "I Owe You a Love Song," which is probably the most similar to the style they set up in their first album. It doesn't measure up to songs like "You Are the One," but it's good to have a bit of the "classic" Shiny Toy Guns.
After the miserable "Ghost Town" comes "It Became a Lie on You." This is the first of several slow-tempo songs on the album. If they had more songs like this in place of the singles, I would have a lot of respect for them. After "Ricochet!" is the second slower song, "Season of Love." It's very simplistic and features a bit too much falsetto from Chad, but I like the chords, and the harmonies between Chad and Sisely are actually nice.
My favorite song on this album by a wide margin is "Poison." It's by far the most dynamic, interesting, and, dare I say, aesthetically pleasing song on the album. Let's hear more like this, STG!
The next two are pretty good lead-ups to a strong conclusion in "Frozen Oceans."
Although I sometimes question their choice of flow, I think they did a good job making Season of Poison feel more like an album and less like a collection of songs. This is especially apparent in the second half, once the singles are out of the way and the style is consistent. For this reason, and for the handful of songs that really are solid, I don't consider this album a failure. I actually like that they represent many different styles of music in their albums. If they can get rid of the style found in songs like "Ghost Town" and polish up their electronic tendencies, then they should have a great third album. Will this happen? I doubt it, but we can hope.
Caius's rating: 2.5 stars
Monday, November 24, 2008
The Killers: "Day and Age" Review
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
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
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
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)