Saturday, September 27, 2008

Album Review: Weezer - Weezer (Red Album)


Weezer, Weezer, Weezer...what are you doing? Hey...stop it! Okay? Just stop it.


I really don't know where to start with this one, the sixth album from the former 90's underground rock Gods, and the third to have a title only classifiable by the background color of it's album cover. Perhaps this is the first sign of Weezer's inability to create anything both original AND exciting throughout the album's tedious ten tracks.

I'll admit that the band definitely tries to cover some new ground here, often (even within a song) jumping from one genre to the next like a little kid playing hop scotch, appropriately led by Rivers Cuomo's innocuous vocals (see "The Greatest Man Who Ever Lived"). But rather than a bold exploration of new sonic territory, it sounds more like he and the rest of the band are lost in a whirlwind of undeveloped ideas that they couldn't fully flesh out individually so instead they simply jammed them all together into one, mucky package.

As for the times when the band tries to adhere to their former success formula, they only come out stumbling. Opener "Troublemaker" is almost a carbon copy of their past hit "The Good Life" off 1997's
Pinkerton, only this time accompanied by an array of laughable lyrics.

"I picked up a guitar, what does that signify?
I'm gonna play some heavy metal riffs,
And you will die."

I mean, come on! And this lyrical trend definitely continues throughout the album. It seems like Rivers' approach to his songwriting has become to adopt a 12-16 year-old POV thinking that it coincides with the innocent persona they've carried throughout their career. One of the things that gained them so much recognition in the first place was being the sweater-wearing (or destroying?) band of pseudo-nerds that could rock out and generate wildly catchy hooks (e.g. "Buddy Holly", "El Scorcho", "Don't Let Go"). Today, we are left with the Weezer that is trying to deviate from their past sound (which is often admirable for bands) but instead is faltering in almost every song they've generated over the past two LPs (the other being 2005's
Make Believe, another nod to Rivers' new tendency to cling on to his youth).

There are really only a couple of listenable tracks on this album, and one of which should be cut at its midpoint. The first is the song "Dreaming", which finally by track six brings us back to the Weezer that we know and love with infectious hooks and a Rivers' lovable crooning, flooded by heavy guitar riffs and a solid percussive beat. However, while the old Weezer would have wrapped things up when necessary, the song hits it's halfway point about 2 1/2 minutes in when it starts to deviate into multiple, lulling vocals and sound effects of birds chirping. The second, actually best, pick of the litter is the closer "The Angel and the One" which, despite only having one melodic line that changes subtlely throughout, is actually a very emotionally powerful, escalating ballad (nearly reaching the heights of their classic first album closer "Only In Dreams").

All things considered, this album is a huge disappointment for me, and should be for all Weezer fans out there. It is very rare that I actually wish that one of my favorite bands of all time throw in the towel. However, with each successive album it seems that Weezer is only weakening their powerful formula more and more, as if continually diluting what was once a hard-hitting shot of rock that their first albums served to its listeners. Hopefully Cuomo either has a huge creative breakthrough in the near future or calls it quits for the band before they are simply serving us a room temperature pitcher of water.

Key Tracks:
Dreaming
The Angel and The One

Final Verdict: 2.7

Monday, September 22, 2008

Sauw's Corner: Meeting TV on the Radio

It all started about half an hour before I was about to leave work and head back to my humble Brooklyn abode for another typical, Netflix-infused weeknight. It was around 5:30pm that a knowledgeable friend at work informed me about a very under-the-radar performance by TV on the Radio that would be taking place on the fire escape of the Ed Sullivan Theater as the final segment of a Late Show taping. Seeing as I'm currently obsessed with their new album Dear Science (to be reviewed in the very near future) and that the band has rapidly become one of my favorite new acts of the last few years, that it would probably be worth waiting an hour just to see them play one song...and what a great decision that turned out to be.

After a brisk run in my work clothes down 53rd Street I arrived to reserve the best spot available, which due to the guard rail configuration was on the opposite side of the street from the fire escape where the performance would be. After waiting about 45 minutes, I hesitantly followed someone wearing a "Late Show" badge away from my seemingly good spot to another waiting area that they claimed would get me to the front of the crowd, which was about to pour out of the theater. Despite being led half a block away, we were eventually escorted back to the space within the U-shaped guard rails, just below where TV on the Radio would soon be playing 15 feet above our heads.

By 8:10pm, the members of TV on the Radio began coming out of the theater. And so, as promised, the band sprawled across the two levels of the fire escape and played their punchy, lyrically packed, "It's the End of the World As We Know It"-esque song titled "Dancing Choose", the second single off their new LP. As producer/guitarist David Sitek delivered the goods from the heights of the upper tier, a trio of horn players along the stairwell led down to the rest of the band, steered chiefly by Tunde Adebimpe's rambunctious vocals.

The crowd (which I estimate from eavesdropping that more than half of which hadn't even heard of the band) was simultaneously enthralled by the performance and upset that it was over so quickly. This lack of fulfillment actually favored my chances of getting to meet the band, as many people quickly began to file out and disperse through the streets that had brought them there. And so, as I had hoped for, the band descended to street level and I quickly began to make my rounds.

My one worry about the band's possible fan negligence was quickly expelled, as all of the members that I talked to were incredibly down to Earth and willing to talk to me. After telling singer/songwriter Adebimpe how great I thought they sounded, he thanked me and with a smile said that it was actually pretty weird playing up on the fire escape. I also got to speak to the bassist Kip Malone, mostly discussing our shared love for our shared residence of Brooklyn. After telling him that I've only been living in the BK for a few months, he paused and proceeded to give me a very genuine and straightforward "well...welcome." Lastly, I was able to stop Sitek to tell him how great I think his band is, who responded with a similarly honest "thank you very much."

I once read a review of TV on the Radio's 2004 debut album Desperate Youth, Bloodthirsty Babes that said that the band was five years ahead of its time. Looking at the music scene four years later I firmly believe this. There is no other band out there today that sounds like TVoTR, creating lush soundscapes and towering compositions reminiscent of such rock gems as David Bowie, Prince, and even Radiohead. Much like the Pixies in the late 80s, TVoTR is a band that has harvested a body of innovative rock that sounds like nothing before them, but which many will sound try to immitate down the road. Mark my words, 10 years from now they will be among a handful of bands that are referred to as having defined the daring new steps that music took during the 00's.



Tuesday, September 9, 2008

Album Review: Death Cab for Cutie - Narrow Stairs


Death Cab for Cutie is often cited as one of the greatest indie rock success stories of the last decade, and rightfully so. The seeds of buzz were planted with an eight song cassette in 1997 titled Songs You Can Play With Chords, sprouting more in the early '00s among the indie community (sadly due to their appearances from Fox's The OC), and finally blooming in 2003 with their critically acclaimed Transatlanticism. With Narrow Stairs, "the little band that could" debuted at the top of the Billboard 200 and is now playing at venues as large and populated as any other big name band venues. Luckily, with the ever-increasingly lures of becoming more mainstream, their creativity hasn't waned. 2008's Narrow Stairs serves as sufficient proof for this.

Narrow Stairs' opener "Bixby Canyon Bridge" immediately showcases one of the biggest reasons for the band's success; Ben Gibbard's pure and harmless vocals. They serve as a big fat hook those who are just trying to get a taste of the growing pot of indie rock stew but have been deterred by some of its alternative flavors. However, please don't be mistaken. Not all of the band's content is laced with flowers and sunshine, especially with this most recent release. While Gibbard's vocals seem innocuous, they often exhibit very dark and somber undertones, making the band well worth exploring.

Take for example the second track of the album "I Will Possess Your Heart". After the
both atypical and entrancing four-minute jam introduction, the lyrics unfold and it quickly becomes one of the few stalker songs that you'll ever actually enjoy listening to. The dark nature continues throughout the LP. However, we continue to listen because the content it juxtaposed with often uplifting and inspiring songcraft. Not surprisingly, the album follows the band's tendency of concluding with a barebones and heartfelt ballad. "The Ice Is Getting Thinner" is a beautiful closing track, reminiscent of the touching nature of previous closers "Stable Song" and "A Lack of Color" from their two previous albums.

After a few listens, one quickly realizes that Narrow Stairs is filled with some of the most personal material that Gibbard has ever written (which he has admitted in recent interviews). Of course, just because of this we shouldn't pretend that it is HIS album. The entire band plays into the album's sound. Producer/guitarist Chris Walla also lends a good deal to the sound, jumping back and forth between solitary soundscapes to more lush and textured arrangements.

The album succeeds for the most part in creating a continually engaging listen, with Gibbard often serving as a fragile but persistent guiding light to take us through the album's darkness. Despite a few skipable duds (e.g. "Talking Bird", "Grapevine Fires") that hold the album back from attaining it's album-of-the-year candidacy, it still features some of the best songs that the band has ever assembled ("Your New Twin Sized Bed", "Pity and Fear"). Over 10 years into their lifespan and Death Cab for Cutie can still manage to deliver an impressive album to add to their catalogue. While
compared a few years ago, the ice that they stand on may have gotten slightly thinner, they're certainly still not falling through any time some.

Key Tracks:
No Sunlight
Your New Twin Sized Bed
Pity and Fear

Final Verdict: 8.0

Sunday, September 7, 2008

Album Review: Bon Iver - For Emma, Forever Ago


Hearing Bon Iver's For Emma, Forever Ago for the first time was a both a strange and unique experience for me, and one that I've rarely ever encountered before. The sensation was similar to submerging oneself into a frozen lake, but instead of rushing back to the surface choosing rather to embrace the cold and become fully absorbed in it. It's a sound that hits you with a sharp chill and slowly unfolds into something that is pure, organic, haunting, and emotionally moving.

Before I get too carried away, let me just back up a few steps. So Bon Iver is actually the singular creation of Justin Vernon, a Wisconsin native who was (up until this album) struggling to find the true sound that he had always been looking to create. So pre-Bon Iver, there was the unfulfilled Justin Vernon, member of the North Carolianian indie folk band DeYarmond Edison. When his desire to attain the creative flexibility that he so desperately needed finally broke through, he decided to pack up his bags, dump his girlfriend, and make his way back to his Wisconsinian roots.

Once back, he moved to the solitude of his father's hunting cabin in the woods, all alone and intending simply to relax and re-establish some peace of mind. But as soon as he started to pick up his guitar, a multitude of uncontainable ideas began to flourish, ones that wouldn't be interrupted by anything but his own sleep schedule. And so, Bon Iver (a mispelling of the French "bonne hiver" meaning "good winter") came into being, emerging from the woods three months later with his arms full of tremendous material.

Bon Iver can easily be compared to other heartfelt and reclusive artists like Iron & Wine's Sam Bean or the late, great Nick Drake. However, to limit him to this would just be wrong. Vernon shares similarities with a smorgasbord of musical talents, with vocals achieving the emotionality of Marvin Gaye, the raw troubadour passion of a Glen Hansaard, and the wild creativity matching the likes of Neutral Milk Hotel or more recently Animal Collective.

The album is filled with hypnotic acoustic compositions that swagger and sway mostly due to Vernon's amazing voice. The opener "Flume" is captivating for it's simultaneous delicacy and incredible power. Vernon's falsetto flutters through the entire album, only dipping occasionally into lower registers. However, when it does drop to a lower register, his songs achieve an atypical, climactic ability. This is no more apparent than on the gripping "Skinny Love", the kind of song that Ben Harper always aspired to write but never quite achieved.

In his debut, Justin Vernon/Bon Iver has created a piece of work that will certainly stand the test of time and most likely achieve the same timeless status of other wildly influential singer/songwriter landmarks such as Astral Weeks or Pink Moon. After a quick 37 minutes it comes and goes far too quickly, bringing to mind some of the most sadly ephemeral natural occurances like the Northern Lights or a full moon. Luckily for us we can simply press "Play" again and start the whole cycle over again as many times as we like.

Key Tracks:
Skinny Love
For Emma
Re: Stacks

Final Verdict: 9.8

Bon Iver - Skinny Love