Monday, February 20, 2012
Sunday, January 22, 2012
Saturday, January 21, 2012
Wiley - Evolve or Be Extinct
Grime. Essentially dubstep meets rap, invented by our friends in Britain. Dubstep was their baby, too, actually. I have recently just found grime in the last two years or so. My first experience of dubstep was around the second semester of my freshman year in college, but I was exposed to British rap much, much earlier, when I was in either second, third, fourth, or fifth grade. i can't remember. It was The Streets' first album "Original Pirate Material", which is, in my opinion, perfect in every sense of the word. Sadly, none of The Streets' other albums were as good as his debut, but I digress. This is about Wiley, considered the godfather of grime, and his eighth album, "Evolve or Be Extinct".
This is both the easiest and hardest record to get into, regardless of whether you are familiar with grime or Wiley, or not. It is a whopping 22 tracks long, which is roughly an hour's worth of music. At the same time, though, the beats are smooth and catchy, and the lyrics are whip smart, even when they're silly. Especially then.
Be warned: if you have never listened to grime before but you want to get into it, listen to this record in intervals. It is monster record that requires time and patience to digest. It is quite long, and the last thing you want to do is listen to the album just to get it over with. I'm not saying every track is perfect...on the contrary, some tracks are better than others, for sure. But each song deserves a chance, because they all comprise the album. And this album is quite good.
REVIEW RATING:
★
This is both the easiest and hardest record to get into, regardless of whether you are familiar with grime or Wiley, or not. It is a whopping 22 tracks long, which is roughly an hour's worth of music. At the same time, though, the beats are smooth and catchy, and the lyrics are whip smart, even when they're silly. Especially then.
Be warned: if you have never listened to grime before but you want to get into it, listen to this record in intervals. It is monster record that requires time and patience to digest. It is quite long, and the last thing you want to do is listen to the album just to get it over with. I'm not saying every track is perfect...on the contrary, some tracks are better than others, for sure. But each song deserves a chance, because they all comprise the album. And this album is quite good.
REVIEW RATING:
★
Thursday, January 19, 2012
Radiohead - The King of Limbs
Like any other good Radiohead fan, I believe that saying there is a bad Radiohead album is a contradiction in and of itself. There are great Radiohead albums, and there are not so great Radiohead albums, but never a bad one. We Thom Yorke lovers, we Jonny Greenwood aficionados, we Phil Selway appreciators, we Collin Greenwood stalkers, and we Ed O’Brien fanatics all like the Radiohead albums, just in an order that goes from most liked to least liked, and even that fact differs between us all. One thing is for sure, though: once we jump on the Radiohead wagon, no matter how late we may have jumped on, we stay on top of it.
So imagine my surprise when I heard about how Radiohead released a new album entitled The King of Limbs online on the 18thof February 2011…a week after the fact. Needless to say, I sprinted to my computer to download their album and hear about why and how I didn’t hear about it sooner. Turns out that they had the whole project wrapped up in secrecy and announced the album and its release date a week before it came out, and then, on top of that, decided to release it a day earlier than expected; such a classic, Radiohead move.
Before I move on to my analysis/critique/praise/review of the album, I feel the need to disclose my order of favorite Radiohead studio albums that were released prior to The King of Limbs so you, my dear reader, may see where I’m coming from. Be warned: there is a 100% chance that you will disagree with me on my order. Yet that is the beauty of being a Radiohead fan. We all agree to disagree on favorites, and we understand, nay, respect each other’s views, because of one, simple fact: we love this group.
Here goes:
1.) The Bends – Immediate disagreement from you begins now, and I realize this. Yet something about this album draws me in like no other one. Whether it’s the easily recognizable guitar strumming and high pitch chorus of “High and Dry” or the moody mumbling of Yorke in “My Iron Lung”, maybe even the artsy, subtitled music video for “Just”, or perhaps even the titular track is the selling point, one thing is clear: I love this album like no other.
2.) In Rainbows – I remember when this album came out; my older brother brought it and would play it all the time when he was back from college/life. Great timing for me, because 2007 was about the time when I got into music hardcore. My bias towards this album might also have something to do with Jaydiohead’s excellent sampling of “15 Steps”. Regardless, I love this album.
3.) OK Computer – It’s easy to see why this album is considered Radiohead’s magnum opus, and why it is a classic in general. This is where Radiohead started to become less rock and more electronic in sound. The songs are great, but it wasn’t mind-blowing for me like some of Radiohead’s other stuff. I don’t know…maybe it’s because I wasn’t into music when this came out, so I wasn’t there in the moment.
4.) - 7.) Kid A/Amnesiac/Hail to the Thief/Pablo Honey – A three-way tie, but there is no particular order of preference here for me. These albums were great, but they just didn’t grab a hold of me like the others did.
1.) The Bends – Immediate disagreement from you begins now, and I realize this. Yet something about this album draws me in like no other one. Whether it’s the easily recognizable guitar strumming and high pitch chorus of “High and Dry” or the moody mumbling of Yorke in “My Iron Lung”, maybe even the artsy, subtitled music video for “Just”, or perhaps even the titular track is the selling point, one thing is clear: I love this album like no other.
2.) In Rainbows – I remember when this album came out; my older brother brought it and would play it all the time when he was back from college/life. Great timing for me, because 2007 was about the time when I got into music hardcore. My bias towards this album might also have something to do with Jaydiohead’s excellent sampling of “15 Steps”. Regardless, I love this album.
3.) OK Computer – It’s easy to see why this album is considered Radiohead’s magnum opus, and why it is a classic in general. This is where Radiohead started to become less rock and more electronic in sound. The songs are great, but it wasn’t mind-blowing for me like some of Radiohead’s other stuff. I don’t know…maybe it’s because I wasn’t into music when this came out, so I wasn’t there in the moment.
4.) - 7.) Kid A/Amnesiac/Hail to the Thief/Pablo Honey – A three-way tie, but there is no particular order of preference here for me. These albums were great, but they just didn’t grab a hold of me like the others did.
Now that you all know how I view Radiohead’s work, please allow me to return to the task at hand: namely, reviewing The King of Limbs.
When one listens to a Radiohead album, one needs to listen to it over and over again to fully appreciate it. You need to enjoy it the first time around for what it is, then you need to analyze each song individually, next you need to analyze the album in its entirety, and finally you can enjoy it, analyze it, and basically do whatever you want with it afterwards. The King of Limbs is only half an hour long, and each song is basically around the five minute mark, give or take some seconds here and there, and there are only eight tracks. So it shouldn’t be cumbersome for anyone to listen to this album. Not that listening to good music is cumbersome anyways.
What I really like about “Bloom”, and this goes for most opening tracks on any album, is that it really sets up for what the rest of the album is going to be like. We can definitely tell that there are some similarities between this album and In Rainbows, Radiohead’s previous effort, but at the same time we can clearly see, or hear, rather, the differences.
I feel that a good selling point for any song or two, or sometimes an album, is transition. The King of Limbs is chockfull of them, but a perfect example is the transition between “Bloom” and “Morning Mr Magpie”. If “Bloom” is my second favorite song in The King of Limbs, then “Morning Mr Magpie” is hands down a close third.
Every artist needs some part of a song or maybe even an entire song for people to sing along to. That part is almost unanimously given to the chorus, since that’s what the chorus’ job description is. “Little by Little” is Radiohead’s “sing along song”, for lack of a better term. By no means is it a bad song, and by no means are “sing along songs” bad. God knows I’ve sung the explicit version of “Forget You” by Cee Lo Green in the shower more times than I care to count. Yet this song didn’t catch my attention nearly as much as the previous tracks did.
“Quick break (noun) - after the end of a song, there is a small amount of time that is silent between the songs that lasts a second or two or maybe even less, and then the next song goes right into a complex beat with little to no startup or transition”; a term I made up a while back when I got into music. People know what this is, but they may call it something else, since there is no definition of it. That’s what happens between “Little by Little” and “Feral”. Sometimes a quick break works, and sometimes it doesn’t. It works great here. The beat is indeed complex throughout “Feral”, and it caught and held my attention right off the bat.
“Lotus Flower”, the first single off of The King of Limbs, and whose music video shows off Thom Yorke’s…dancing skills…even their song “Just” off of The Bends has a less weird video. But I digress. I can see why this was chosen as a single, despite my preference of “Bloom”. Yet both “Lotus Flower” and “Bloom” tell us the same thing in a different way, which is hard to do in any medium, music including. They tell us, “This is what the album is going to be like, so get ready.” In a way,“Bloom” tells us this in the start, and “Lotus Flower” is like a midway reminder of the message.
What a great way to start “Codex”, I must give props to Radiohead. Having Thom Yorke start to sing and then immediately cut him off is like having blue balls in music. It leaves us wanting more, and it eventually gives it to us in a not-haunting-but-still-kind-of-creepy piano driven ballad.
“Give Up the Ghost” keeps the creepiness of “Codex” by having everyone in Radiohead sans Thom Yorke chant repeatedly, “Don’t haunt me.” This repeated line doesn’t just fit the album’s theme…it IS the album’s theme. Once again, Radiohead is trying to make us all live better, and that means taking care of each other and of nature. Don’t haunt, or hurt, each other, don’t hurt what’s around you, don’t hurt yourself, and, above all, “Don’t haunt me.” Where “Codex” was all about the piano, “Give Up the Ghost” is all about the acoustic guitar, and, wow, does it make this song sound like it came from a Grizzly Bear or a Department of Eagles album. I don’t mean that Radiohead doesn’t sound like Radiohead, which is ridiculous and insulting. Rather, I am saying that Radiohead is at the edge of not sounding like Radiohead, which is super risky and tricky, but, God, does it work fantastically. On that note, I would like to take advantage of this moment and declare that this is my personal favorite song of The King of Limbs.
Last but certainly not least is the closing song, “Separator”. It has a not too simple but not too complex beat throughout, and Yorke keeps the singing style. Sadly, this album, in my opinion, does not close nearly as well as it opens. “Separator” has the same problem “Little by Little” had: it’s an alright song, but it doesn’t do too much to make it stand out. The best part of the song is the contrast of the ever present beat and the high plucking guitar strings that perfectly match Yorke who also goes higher in pitch, and that doesn’t happen until around the 2:30 mark. On top of that, “Separator” doesn’t have a catchy, “sing along song”quality or sing along chorus that “Little by Little” had, which was what saved and nearly killed it in the first place.
Overall, though, when listening to the album in its entirety, I have to admit that I really do enjoy it. It isn’t Radiohead’s best, but it certainly isn’t Radiohead’s worst. In my list, I believe I would have it on par with OK Computer, maybe even above it by a little bit. It reminds me of In Rainbows, but it stands out in its own quality. Besides, the excitement I had when I heard about this album’s release just makes it all the more worthwhile. Believe me when I tell you that this album didn’t hurt Radiohead at all, it didn’t hurt their fan base, and it certainly didn’t hurt me.
The King of Limbs by Radiohead is out now digitally and physically online and in stores everywhere, respectively.
REVIEW RATING:
★
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
The Weeknd - Thursday
Why not start out with one of my favorite artists' second solo attempt? Seems random enough.
Abel Tesfaye, better known as The Weeknd, is an R&B artist in the loosest sense of the word. He uses sound more than lyrics to convey audial imagery, as perfectly exemplified by his first mixtape, "House of Balloons". His third mixtape, "Echoes of Silence", got praise, as well, but his second attempt, "Thursday" did not get that much love. So, I will try to analyze it and see why.
Admittedly, after listening to such a masterpiece as "House of Balloons", "Thursday" does seem a bit of a disappointment the first time through. But after listening to it in isolation, rather than as a continuation of "House of Balloons", one realizes that it is still an excellent musical venture. True, it is harder to get into and is less catchy than "House of Balloons", but it is definitely worth the effort. It is still the Weeknd, after all. Even crap by the Weeknd is gold to our ears.
After all the defense I gave it, I do not, however, mean to say that "Thursday" is without its faults. No one is perfect, and this mixtape definitely has its weaknesses. I am a fan of Drake, but the track he is featured on, "The Zone", is actually one of the weaker ones, as is the final track, "Heaven or Las Vegas". Drake can have a couple of bad songs here and there and it's still kosher, but it is always sad to listen to a record, devote yourself to it, and then be disappointed with the last song. It leaves a bad aftertaste. This is probably one of the biggest reasons why "Thursday" is seen as an afterthought in the trilogy of mixtapes Tesfaye released in 2011, despite it being the second one and being highly anticipated.
The strengths, however, are just as plentiful. Standout tracks include "Life of the Party", the title track, and both parts of "The Birds". Hell, even "Lonely Star" is pretty good. So what does this tell us? The first half of the record is phenomenal, then it weakens with Drake, then regains it's footing, begins to become forgetful, and just falls off at the end. Thus giving us an impression that it all "sucks". Here's the thing, though: "The Zone" is really good UNTIL Drake starts to spit. So it is unfair to say the whole song stinks when it's just the end that's lame, but the same thing happens with songs as it does with albums as a whole: bad endings psychologically give us bad memories of the piece.
As I said before, this record is pretty solid as far as I'm concerned. I've listened to it as a whole a good four or five times before writing this critique, so I hope I'm not biased. But to me, a Picasso is a Picasso, a Beethoven is a Beethoven, and a mixtape by the Weeknd is a mixtape by the Weeknd. And in case you missed it, that's a good thing.
Get the Weeknd's mixtape "Thursday", along with his other two excellent mixtapes "House of Balloons" and "Echoes of Silence", here.
REVIEW RATING:
Abel Tesfaye, better known as The Weeknd, is an R&B artist in the loosest sense of the word. He uses sound more than lyrics to convey audial imagery, as perfectly exemplified by his first mixtape, "House of Balloons". His third mixtape, "Echoes of Silence", got praise, as well, but his second attempt, "Thursday" did not get that much love. So, I will try to analyze it and see why.
Admittedly, after listening to such a masterpiece as "House of Balloons", "Thursday" does seem a bit of a disappointment the first time through. But after listening to it in isolation, rather than as a continuation of "House of Balloons", one realizes that it is still an excellent musical venture. True, it is harder to get into and is less catchy than "House of Balloons", but it is definitely worth the effort. It is still the Weeknd, after all. Even crap by the Weeknd is gold to our ears.
After all the defense I gave it, I do not, however, mean to say that "Thursday" is without its faults. No one is perfect, and this mixtape definitely has its weaknesses. I am a fan of Drake, but the track he is featured on, "The Zone", is actually one of the weaker ones, as is the final track, "Heaven or Las Vegas". Drake can have a couple of bad songs here and there and it's still kosher, but it is always sad to listen to a record, devote yourself to it, and then be disappointed with the last song. It leaves a bad aftertaste. This is probably one of the biggest reasons why "Thursday" is seen as an afterthought in the trilogy of mixtapes Tesfaye released in 2011, despite it being the second one and being highly anticipated.
The strengths, however, are just as plentiful. Standout tracks include "Life of the Party", the title track, and both parts of "The Birds". Hell, even "Lonely Star" is pretty good. So what does this tell us? The first half of the record is phenomenal, then it weakens with Drake, then regains it's footing, begins to become forgetful, and just falls off at the end. Thus giving us an impression that it all "sucks". Here's the thing, though: "The Zone" is really good UNTIL Drake starts to spit. So it is unfair to say the whole song stinks when it's just the end that's lame, but the same thing happens with songs as it does with albums as a whole: bad endings psychologically give us bad memories of the piece.
As I said before, this record is pretty solid as far as I'm concerned. I've listened to it as a whole a good four or five times before writing this critique, so I hope I'm not biased. But to me, a Picasso is a Picasso, a Beethoven is a Beethoven, and a mixtape by the Weeknd is a mixtape by the Weeknd. And in case you missed it, that's a good thing.
Get the Weeknd's mixtape "Thursday", along with his other two excellent mixtapes "House of Balloons" and "Echoes of Silence", here.
REVIEW RATING:
★
Intro
What better time to talk about music than with all of this SOPA and PIPA hullabaloo going on?
Hi, my name is Detective Ventriloquist, and if you're wondering, no, that is not my ACTUAL name, and, yes, it is indeed my name according to the Wu-Tang Name generator, a la Childish Gambino, or Donald Glover. Good luck finding out what my real name is.
A little about myself: I love music. Among other things, such as film and art. I'm a critical person of my own thoughts. I enjoy, in this order, Tumblr, Twitter, and Facebook in order to express myself, and am now trying out Blogger.
I will periodically write about music that I love, be they songs or albums, mainstream or indie, and so on. As long as time permits. I am busy, of course. If you want my opinion on anything music related or otherwise, I will be more than glad to give my honest opinion. A heads up, though: I'm not a fan of metal music, country music, or gory movies, but I'll give anything else a try.
Talk to you soon!
The doctor is now in...
Hi, my name is Detective Ventriloquist, and if you're wondering, no, that is not my ACTUAL name, and, yes, it is indeed my name according to the Wu-Tang Name generator, a la Childish Gambino, or Donald Glover. Good luck finding out what my real name is.
A little about myself: I love music. Among other things, such as film and art. I'm a critical person of my own thoughts. I enjoy, in this order, Tumblr, Twitter, and Facebook in order to express myself, and am now trying out Blogger.
I will periodically write about music that I love, be they songs or albums, mainstream or indie, and so on. As long as time permits. I am busy, of course. If you want my opinion on anything music related or otherwise, I will be more than glad to give my honest opinion. A heads up, though: I'm not a fan of metal music, country music, or gory movies, but I'll give anything else a try.
Talk to you soon!
The doctor is now in...
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