Well, since I’m back around, I figure I should start posting again.. So, without further ado, here is some music I’ve been listening to lately..
Thom Yorke – The Eraser
Most of you probably know that I am a massive Radiohead apologist (I am of course making the wild assumption that people still read my blog). That having been said, it was with great anticipation that I purchased Yorke’s solo debut, ‘The Eraser’. Not only was I pleasantly surprised, but I am convinced that Yorke could carve out a successful solo career, a la Beyonce and Destiny’s Child (I immediately regret making this reference, but still, it works). This album has a cohesiveness that reminds me of OK Computer.. in that the songs actually go together to form a unity of sound/lyrics/style. Some critics have used this unity to criticize this album for being bland or too predictable. I, on the other hand, prefer to recognize Yorke’s newfound vocal melody and lyrical continuity. If this album is any indication of Radiohead’s future direction, I can see the possibility of the final frontier for Radiohead fans: Kid A and OK Computer being brought into perfect unity inside a single album… perhaps a theme album?!.. who knows?
Tegan & Sara – So Jealous
Okay, so this isn’t a ‘new’ album.. it’s the 2004 breakout album from the surprisingly long-tenured indie group. Tegan & Sara’s catchy melodies and infectious riffs transfer well to the big album world they encounter here. Anyone who enjoys ‘The New Pornographers’, ‘Yeah Yeah Yeahs’ or even ‘Rilo Kiley’, should certainly give this duo a chance. For me, this is a ‘turn-on-while-i-am-driving-with-the-wind-in-my-hair’ sort of treat.
David Bazan – Fewer Moving Parts EP
Bazan, the enigmatic frontman for now-defunct Pedro the Lion, opens his post T.W. Walsh career with a thrillingly recognizable effort. Many fans had no idea what to expect from Bazan following his disbanding of Pedro and his repeated indescretions with groups like The Undertow Orchestra, but he has sufficiently redeemed himself from scrutiny with a very Pedro-like sound in this solo debut. The lyrics are classically cutting, while still retaining their unexplained optimism.. See these lyrics from the song ‘Backwoods Nation’ -
‘Calling all frat’ boys
To trade in their hazing
Their keggers and cocaine
And casual date raping
For cabinet appointments
And rose-garden tapings’
Honest to the bitter end, Bazan shows on this record that the strength of his writing will last and easily transfer away from the PTL name.. Hopefully, the fans will follow.
Guster – Ganging Up On The Sun
Honesty time: I’ve never liked Guster. I’ve listened to their previous album, ‘Lost And Gone Forever’ and come away unimpressed and surprised at how many people actually enjoyed it. So, when I was told by excited friends about their new album, not only was I highly skeptical, but downright negative. I was wrong. Guster’s sound has evolved, nay, matured into a complex and engaging web of intelligent writing and addicting melodies. They have largely abandoned their hand-drum fetish and show by their snazzy beats that this is all for the better. Furthermore, they have retained their youthful optimism and college-aged love of life amidst the darker revelations that come with growing up. Check out the songs, ‘Satellite’, ‘Manifest Destiny’ and ‘The Beginning of the End’, and you’ll surely find an uber-pop group soaring in their newfound identity.
Josh Ritter – Hello, Starling
Again, another old album that I am just now discovering. All the critics are writing reviews on his latest effort, ‘The Animal Years’, and I’m still stuck on his startling sophomore offering.. And what an offering it is. Heralded by some as a new Dylan (needless hyperbole), and criticized by others as just another navel-gazer (jumping to conclusions), Ritter falls somewhere in between while taking some of both sides along with him. As a folk artist, Ritter shines the brightest when his lyrics have the spotlight and his simple music plays second fiddle. Much of his music does remind me of early Dylan; when young Bobby Z was still learning how to play the guitar but, man, you couldn’t run from those lyrics if you tried. The difference here is that much of what Ritter is writing are introspective and non-controversial, while Dylan’s lyrics changed the world. For those old-style folk fans, people who love Cat Stevens and Pete Seeger, Ritter offers a fresh update to these classic sounds, much in the vein of fellow folksters Iron & Wine. Now I need to give that new album a spin, eh?
