To kick off this blog, I decided to post my thoughts on my three favorite albums from 2010. I know, I'm a little late to the party. But I figured it would give a decent representation of my tastes, so any readers can have some idea of what to expect in the future. I plan to keep my reviews relatively succinct, and as opposed to having any kind of numeral rating system, I'll just state one of the following: "It's okay," "It's good," or "It's great." Yes, I know that those phrases are borrowed from iTunes, however, I don't mean them to be associated with the quantified star rating. This phrase grading system allows for some ambiguity, some "give or take" flexibility. If you really like to think numbers, then I'll give you a scale: from 1 to 1,000,000, "okay" represents 1 to 400,000, "good" represents 400,001 to 700,000, and "great" represents 700,001 to 999,999. There, I hope you're happy.
Mute by Demians
I was thrilled with Demians' energetic progressive music revealed in their (or should I say "his," referring to the sole man behind it all, Nicolas Chapel) debut,
Building an Empire.
Mute confidently reinforces this surge of powerfully melodic energy with more concise and varied tracks. Although
Building an Empire featured incredibly strong musical ideas, they were executed without much personality, and frankly, ended up sounding somewhat generic.
Mute plays like a living, breathing record that is anything but generic. The songs are more cohesive this time around, featuring the raw, dense guitar riffs that now feel less like an obtrusive component and more like a blending tool. From the grungy "Swing of the Airwaves" and "Rainbow Ruse," to the delicate "Black Over Gold" and "Falling from the Sun," and to the lively "Tidal," Chapel's expertise in controlling moods and textures is evident and very pleasing to the ear.
Typo's Picks: Without a doubt, "Overhead" is my favorite. The first half reminds me of Balmorhea, with multiple instruments (read: violin, acoustic guitar, bongos) steering the airy, adventurous melody, until the song bursts into fierce gust of driving percussion and a solid wall of guitars. "Hesitation Waltz" comes in at number two. Starting with a mellow and eerie guitar line, this song builds into a beautifully intriguing conclusion. The constant droning of guitar distortion melds with the haunting drum pattern that evokes a feeling of instability.
Typo's Vague Rating: It's good.
Self-Preserved While the Bodies Float Up by Oceansize
Let me begin by saying that I absolutely adore Oceansize's previous effort,
Frames. Each song oozes with emotional melodies that I couldn't and still can't get enough of. With that said, when I bought
Self-Preserved While the Bodies Float Up and listened to it, I was dumbstruck at first. Although I certainly wasn't outright displeased with it, I thought it all sounded very "neutral," like a watered-down Oceansize. They definitely mellowed their sound. Most of the songs are memorable and musical, yet they all come across as somewhat bland. Maybe the terms "bland" and "musical" contradict each other a bit, but they describe the album well. Tracks such as "SuperImposer" and "Build Us a Rocket Then..." don't have much character. Contradictorily, they also are fun songs to listen to. It's a very difficult thing to describe, but I love them and am bored by them at the same time. Don't get me wrong, this album is chock-full of beautiful compositions with stimulating chord progressions. They're just beautifully bland.
Typo's Picks: My three favorites are "A Penny's Weight," a gorgeous song filled with harmonious vocals, "Silent / Transparent," which features a powerful, passionate ending, and "It's My Tail and I'll Chase It If I Want To," a frantic track with distant screams overlapping the main vocals that vicariously leave you breathless (quite literally).
Typo's Vague Rating: It's good.
Option Paralysis by The Dillinger Escape Plan
Welcome to chaos. By not conforming to the standards of songwriting, The Dillinger Escape Plan have achieved a collection of aggressive songs that don't at all have predictable paths. Discordant guitar noodling and frenzied drum rhythms are abound, layered above the solid bass lines, with vocals that often switch between clean and harsh. Relentlessly violent songs such as "Good Neighbor" and "Crystal Morning" provide contrast for the milder ones, like "Widower" and the closer "Parasitic Twins" (with vocal harmonization that brings to mind The Beatles' "Because"). The latter tracks also utilize keyboards that add a pleasing texture for the softer passages. The best part of The Dillinger Escape Plan's sound is that edginess; something attained through their dissonant chords and constantly shifting rhythms.
Typo's Picks: "Endless Endings" is pure anarchy. Shrill guitar riffs are pounded out by a mess of rapid snare hits until they take a break to venture into a especially jarring guitar solo section. "I Wouldn't If You Didn't" instantly kicks in with a satisfyingly crushing intro until the entire band melts down into a dishevelment of wailing guitars and garbling keyboards, later coming in again with full force.
Typo's Vague Rating: It's great.
