Seapony - Go With Me Album Review

My review of Seapony's debut album Go With Me just got published on Donnybrook.

Here's my quick take on the album:

"Seapony’s debut album, Go With Me, transports you back to a time when life was simple and filled with childish innocence. Homework was the enemy; monsters lived under the bed; the opposite sex had cooties; and tantrums were eloquent emotional treatises.

Beginning with the first track, your ears are greeted by sugary sweet dreamy 1960s-tinged pop. In fact, Seapony’s music is so light and sweet that it melts in the air like cotton candy, a sensation that continues unabated with each of the album’s successive tracks."

Watch the video to "Dreaming" below and head  over to Donnybrook to read the rest.

Gruff Rhys Hotel Shampoo Review

My review of Gruff Rhys's latest album Hotel Shampoo is now up over at Donnybrook.

Here's just a quick take on the album:

"Beginning with “Shark Ridden Waters,” the listener is immediately swept into a world of espionage and intrigue as if they were in a sexy, retro spy thriller. A smooth ’60s-era melody cycles hypnotically in the background as Rhys gently coos shadowy lyrics like, “I don’t know what’s wrong with me, but lately I’ve been feeling like I’m truly… at the end.”

From there, the album quickly pivots from song to song in a quirky, schizophrenic journey that somehow manages to make sense. The tracks range from glum ballads like “Sophie Softly” to the upbeat and frenetic piano of “Sensations In The Dark” and the ’90s alternative rock throwback of “Patterns Of Power” with its Weezer-esque guitar riffs. Throughout each of these stylistic transformations, Rhys’s light falsetto is always present, imbuing each track with slight tinges of misery."

Head over to Donnybrook to read the rest or check out the video to "Shark Ridden Waters" below.

Thao & Mirah Review

My review for Thao & Mirah’s debut album just got posted over at Donnybrook yesterday.

Here’s a brief snippet:

“Not quite as fun, energetic, or whimsical as Thao with the Get down Stay Down and not quite as poignant as Mirah’s carefully composed folk, their joint effort lands somewhat awkwardly in the middle. That said, the album still has many bright moments and is impressive in their bold exploration of new territory, blending charm with disorder.

Pushing each other musically, Thao & Mirah have broken ground that they likely would not have been comfortable approaching on their own. Beginning with the jarring beats and amelodic sounds of the album’s opening track “Eleven,” it is readily apparent that they do things a bit diferently. Deftly juxtaposing chaos and beauty, “Eleven” vaguely resembles MIA with its electronic beats, dominating drums, and the chaotic swirl of noise (although the song distinguishes itself from any MIA effort as it has significantly better vocals).”

Head over to Donnybrook to read the rest.

Listen to “Little Cup” below.

The Kills – Blood Pressure Review

My review of The Kill’s latest album Blood Pressures just got published over at Donnybrook.

Here’s a snippet of my take on the album:

“Showing incredible growth, Blood Pressures exhibits the band’s increasingly complex and textured sound. No longer just malevolence and brashness, the band deftly manipulates our emotions by vacillating between slow boiling sensuousness and wicked guitar driven snarls, even managing to infuse it all with tinges of nostalgia and wistful longing…

In particular, “Baby Says” stands out as evidence of the band’s expressive new sound. Opening with a “Gimme Shelter”-esque riff, the track is more melodic and lovesick than anything I’ve heard from The Kills to date. Instead of bludgeoning you with his abundant talent, Hince chooses to quietly display it with a smooth perpetually rolling riff that ebbs and flows perfectly with the essence of the song. Meanwhile Mosshart’s vocals are breathier and more passionate than ever, as she coos wistfully over a steady driving beat. Other songs that deserve repeated listens include the smoldering sexuality of “DNA,” the hypnotic “Heart Is A Beating Drum,” and the southern twang of “Pots and Pans.””

Head over to Donnybrook to read the rest.

Quiet Lights No More Canyons 7" Review

My review of the Quiet Lights No More Canyons 7" is up on Donnybrook.

This is definitely one of my favorite new bands to emerge, so be sure to read the review and check out their 7". You can watch the video to the B-side "Break Trouble Wait Below."

Here's a quick excerpt:

Mesmerizingly beautiful, Quiet Lights’ No More Canyons 7” will haunt your mind long after it has been exorcised from your speakers. Like those lovely but oh so deadly Sirens of Homer’s Odyssey, Quiet Lights will lure you into their world with their ghostly vocals and enchanting soundscapes.

Shoegazey with an underlying malice, “No More Canyons” is full of trouble. It begins innocently enough with a few quiet strums, but the track is quickly swallowed by a monstrous wall of overdriven guitars that nearly engulf the ghostly vocals.

Despite your best attempts, only faint wisps of words, thoughts, and sentiments can be heard over the din. These indiscernible night susurrations build to a howling, miasmic swirl until everything suddenly stops, leaving only a hanging whisper in the air – the ellipsis is almost palpable.

To read the rest, head over to Donnybrook


Break Trouble Wait from Quiet Lights on Vimeo.

Young Galaxy – Shapeshifting Review

I’ve been so busy these days I didn’t get a chance to post, but I did want to throw up a quick link to the recent Young Galaxy review that I did for Donnybrook.

Here’s a quick take on my thoughts:

Gone is the driving optimism from old classics like “Outside the City,” “Searchlight,” and “The Alchemy Between Us.” It seems their joyous sense of adventure has been lost and in its place a world-weary iciness has crept in, leaving everything empty, cold, and alienated. But as the album progresses, elements of their prior exuberance shine through and you see that rather than cynicism, their optimism has merely been tempered with unsympathetic doses of reality.

Written like a meditation on humanity, the album progresses with Young Galaxy slowly working through mankind’s foibles and weaknesses to eventually find the beauty within our civilization. To accompany this allegory, Young Galaxy has filled Shapeshifting with hollowed out voices, electronic beats, and sparse soundscapes drawing inspiration from the likes of New Order, The Knife, and The Eurythmics. Of note is the inclusion of traces of world music, like the Caribbean-style steel drums on “Cover Your Tracks;” however, at times it falls too deeply on the side of some absorbed new-age mystical oddity.

Check it out the rest here and listen to my personal favorite “We Have Everything” below.

Enjoy.

Young Galaxy - We Have Everything by Hypetrak

U.S. Royalty – Mirrors Review

My review of U.S. Royalty’s album Mirrors just got published over at DonnyBrook, so hop over here to check it out.

To say the least, the album kicks a lot of ass.

Listen to my favorite track from the new album “Hollywood Hollows” below and head over to Donnybrook to read more.