Review: Cake - Showroom of Compassion (* * * 1/2)

I had pretty much lost track of Cake after their 2001 album, Comfort Eagle. I didn't even hear 2004's Pressure Chief until at least a year (maybe two) afterward, and by that time I guess I just wasn't especially interested in the band anymore. So I can't quite explain my excitement at hearing news about Showroom of Compassion, Cake's sixth album and first in seven years. Maybe I just figured Cake had good reason to return to music after such a lengthy hiatus, or perhaps I was feeling nostalgic. Mostly I was just curious to know if this record would be any good, and as it turns out, Showroom of Compassion is a fine addition to Cake's catalog, despite being a bit uneven.

If your only exposure to this record is the first single "Sick of You," you might be disappointed with how strikingly similar it is to some of the band's other popular songs. But while it's true that Cake often sticks to their established style on Showroom of Compassion, they have much more to offer than a bland rehash of their past material. "Long Time," for instance, uses the group's key ingredients--John McRae's half-sung vocals, lively bass and guitar lines, and trumpet solos--to create a funky rock tune that feels refreshingly relevant, while the admittedly familiar-sounding "Mustache Man" has a sharp combination of menace and melody that make it one of Cake's best songs to date. The eerie, synth-infused rocker "Easy to Crash" and the melancholy ballad "The Winter" are a bit more adventurous, providing some welcome variety and helping to further distance Showroom of Compassion from past albums in the group's catalog. If nothing else, fans should enjoy hearing these alt-rock veterans successfully explore some new avenues without straying uncomfortably far into unfamiliar territory.

Showroom of Compassion has more than enough solid tunes to make it easy to overlook missteps like the aforementioned "Sick of You" and the psychedelia-tinged opener "Federal Funding," though there are certainly some songs that work more convincingly than others. For example, "Got to Move" is decent, but pales in comparison to the record's best tracks and "Teenage Pregnancy" is only a mildly entertaining instrumental piece. As a whole, however, Showroom of Compassion is a fun and surprisingly strong record, a welcome return for a band that will hopefully be more active over the next seven years.

Daily Dose - 9/27/10: Young Man

Artist: Young Man
Recent Release: Boy
Genre: Singer-songwriter/Indie

Last year, Deerhunter frontman Bradford Cox posted a song on his blog, a cover of Deerhunter's own "Rainwater Cassette Exchange" which Cox called "fantastically superior to the original." The YouTube poster behind the cover is Colin Caulfield, now recording as Young Man, and once you take a listen to his beautifully haunted music you'll understand why there's been so much buzz surrounding him this year. His debut EP, Boy, was released about a month ago, and I've had it in steady rotation ever since. His enticing harmonies and hypnotic soundscapes (created with guitar, organ and assorted digital loops and such) are reminiscent of several indie mainstays (most notably, perhaps, Animal Collective), but Caulfield is carving out a niche all his own, and you won't want to pass up the chance to discover it.

Key Tracks: "Home Alone," "Just a Growin'"

Download: Up So Fast (via Stereogum)

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Review: Jamie Lidell - Compass (* * *)

Ordinarily, an artist doesn't release their breakout album after 30, but then, Jamie Lidell’s story is anything but ordinary. Formerly in experimental electronica (both solo and as half of Super_Collider), Lidell’s seemingly swift transition into soul was both surprising and totally successful—as his 2005 record, Multiply, emphatically proves. He distanced himself even further from his digital roots with 2008’s Jim, which doesn't match the explosive creative energy that defined his debut, but is a fine pop album in its own right, allowing him to flirt a little with mainstream success in the process. But if there were any who figured Lidell would attempt to complete his late-blooming transformation into a radio-ready pop icon on his third go-round, they would most certainly be wrong. Instead, we find the artist in a highly experimental mode on Compass, still churning out danceable, soulful tunes but with decidedly more exploratory edge that sometimes enhances and sometimes distracts from the quality of the songs themselves. Enlisting the help of Beck and Chris Taylor (of Grizzly Bear) as producers, along with a slew of other collaborators, Lidell’s latest is a fascinating though unfortunately not very successful effort. (Read my full review @ In Review Online)

Introducing: Milagres

You may know the band Milagres by their former name, The Secret Life of Sofia, or perhaps--like me--you are just now getting introduced. Either way you would do well to give these guys a listen. The group recently made the name change (which is Portuguese for "Miracles") and just released their debut under the new moniker, Seven Summits, a mature and accomplished album that certainly belies the band's experience and gets them off to a great start with their updated name. The record isn't truly a "concept album," but it does have a unifying theme--mountain climbing, which stems from front man Kyle Wilson's love of all things mountain-related. The press release states the album is "part fact, part historical fiction," and truly there is a wealth of lyrical detail to discover here, but even if you're less inclined to dig into the meaning behind the words, Milagres makes truly beautiful, majestic music that's quite easy to appreciate.

My personal favorites include the epic opener "Fifty Fourteeners," the lovely ballad "Sheet Stealer!" and the intriguing narrative "Nanda Devi," though it's hard to go wrong on Seven Summits. To start, I recommend downloading the single "Outside" below, or checking out the band on MySpace to hear more. Definitely don't pass this album pass you by, it's spectacular stuff.

MP3: Outside

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Live Review: mewithoutYou/Rocky Votolato/Rubik

The Avalon, Salt Lake City

June 5th, 2010

Rubik

I arrived probably earlier than was necessary at The Avalon to get a close seat for the show, but I had a feeling it would be worth it to see openers Rubik live. Granted, I had no real reason to expect they would be fantastic--I was just betting that was the case. And you know what? I wasn't disappointed in the least. Rubik hail from Finland and definitely had a very distinct sense of fashion and presentation, but there was absolutely no barrier between them and a largely uninitiated crowd when it came to the music. From the moment they began--with an ethereal introduction showcasing frontman Artturi Taira's vocals--everyone in the room seemed instantly drawn to these unusual pop performers. The band's intense energy and their obvious love for making music was infectious, to say the least, and each song drew a more enthusiastic response than the one that preceded it.

Taira led the bunch with some absolutely stellar singing and frenzied dance moves, but everyone on stage seemed to be having the time of their lives, shouting, running, and feverishly pounding their instruments. I counted at least four keyboards, plenty of drums, two trombones, and more that the band used to replicate personal favorites like "Karhu Junassa" and "Goji Berries" with the kind of emotion that can only exist in a live performance. And after a wonderful alternate version of "Wasteland," they exited the stage far sooner than any of us would have preferred to a standing ovation which was received with sincere gratitude. In fact, when Taira came back to take his mic and keyboards down, it drew another enthusiastic cheer. I've rarely seen an opening band win over a crowd with this same sort of impact, it was nothing short of spectacular. (MySpace) (Free EP Available Here)

Rocky Votolato

Rocky Votolato didn't have nearly as much to prove as Rubik certainly must have, but he still gave a remarkable and memorable performance. Being relatively well-versed in his music, it was nice to hear Votolato play music from most of his records, opening even with "Alabaster," one of the best from his breakout album, Suicide Medicine. It was also refreshing to see a musician perform with absolutely no need for a backing band--it was just him, his guitar, and a couple harmonicas. The performance's starkness contrasted sharply with both the other bands playing that evening, but not only was it a nice reprieve from the noise, it was just as captivating. His clear voice was every bit as effective on stage as it is on his recordings, and his simple instrumentation was the compliment to his world-weary tunes.

He played nearly all of my favorites, which was nice, but I felt that the material from his new record, True Devotion, was the most emotionally powerful despite the fact that I don't think the album is one of his best. "Sun Devil" especially was hypnotic, and even the high ceilings of the room couldn't distract from what was a compellingly intimate and touching performance. Of course, career highlights "White Daisy Passing," "Suicide Medicine," and "Portland is Leaving" were the best received as they were the most familiar, but no matter your previous experience with Rocky Votolato's music, his heartfelt, dynamic performance was impossible to deny that night. (MySpace)

mewithoutYou

I have less to say about mewithoutYou, but not because their performance wasn't great. In fact, they played a lengthy and consistently energetic set that kept about everyone in the audience with their eyes glued to the stage as frontman Aaron Weiss bounded about, twirling and yelling at times and then retreating to the background when the tempo died down. I've never been the band's biggest fan, but I found their show a fun, engaging experience. And, without a doubt, the highlight of the evening was mewithoutYou's encore, during which they played some of their most popular and exciting tunes and even were gracious enough to finish the final song after 20 or so people climbed on stage to provide the band with unexpected backup chanting and dance accompaniment. (MySpace)

It was the perfect ending to a long and consistently fantastic show. If anyone left unsatisfied that night, they had only themselves to blame.

Introducing: Inlets

So working in a band has many advantages - it provides an exchange of ideas, it offers varied perspectives, etc. - but there's also something to be said for those artists who prefer to keep their music to themselves. Getting the best of both worlds is Sebastian Kreuger, operating as Inlets, who seems to make the majority of his creative process a solitary one, but certainly isn't opposed to collaboration. The talented newcomer has recorded or performed with the likes of Fiest and DM Stith, and on his debut LP, Inter Arbiter, he gets some assistance from Beirut frontman Zach Condon and Dirty Projectors vocalist Angel Deradoorian, among others. As a result, his first record often feels like a solo project in its darkly intimate style, but these mostly quiet songs feature striking instrumental backdrops and gorgeous vocal harmonies that help make the music especially compelling.

Kreuger's voice - both beautiful and haunting - weaves between acoustic guitar, subdued horns and banjo in a way that doesn't provide for many outright hooks, yet his intricate melodies and unusual song structures are absorbing just the same. The music of Inlets is brainy, cerebral stuff, and that's where most of its appeal lies, but Kreuger manages to include an emotional edge to his songwriting that allows the music to be accessed from more than just a technical standpoint. Highlights from Inter Arbiter include the constantly shifting "Canteen," the strange and melancholy "Bright Orange Air," and the enjoyably unstable "Famous Looks." It may be his full-length debut, but Kreuger shows a remarkable amount of maturity and depth here - no doubt the result of both a generous amount of creative energy and previously refined musicianship.

Download: "In Which I, Robert"

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You Should Know: Local Natives

If you haven't already been introduced to Local Natives, allow me the honor of doing so right here, because it's quite necessary. Already heralded as one of the next big things by Pitchfork, these LA natives have crafted an excellent debut record, Gorilla Manor, which combines the folk harmonies of Fleet Foxes with a blend of modern influences (borrowing from psych-rock, surfer pop, etc.) for exceptional results. Their pedigree may be easy to hear, but the band never sounds repetitious or uninspired, and their songs are so fantastically executed it doesn't matter much anyway - they've produced the best debut so far this year and you should hear it.


Local Natives use afro-pop-esque guitars, shimmering piano, and all sorts of excellently played percussion to create their rich, warm sound. But while there always seems to be a great deal happening, the songs never feel crowded or overstuffed. Instead, the boys prove themselves to be not only talented musicians but intelligent ones as well, who restrain themselves when necessary and hit you with everything they've got when the moment is just right. Their songs are often joyful and sunny, even when there's darkness lurking below the surface, and there's surprising emotional depth here to discover after multiple listens. No matter how deeply you dive into the music, however, it's just about endlessly enjoyable. Highlights from the record include most everything from Gorilla Manor's first half, especially the entrancing "Sun Hands" and the beautifully melodious "World News."

You can download "Sun Hands" over at Pitchfork's Forkcast, which of course I recommend you do immediately. Also, check out the group's MySpace page for more.

Review: Fredrik - Trilogi (* * * 1/2)

Swedish collective Fredrik impressed me a couple years ago with the release of their debut, Na Na Ni, so I was obviously quite excited when word reached me that their second LP was on it's way. Then came a release delay that put it nearly out of mind for a couple months until recently when I finally got a chance to hear the new record, much later than I had anticipated. Though it doesn't perhaps reach the high standard set by its predecessor, Trilogi was worth the wait, a strong sophomore record which makes some improvements and shows a band willing and able to progress beyond their initial boundaries. This sophomore effort is named for the way in which it was conceived, starting as a series of three EPs that the group eventually combined to form the 13 tracks of a full-length album that works very cohesively despite its scattered origin and should help to establish Fredrik as yet another noteworthy Swedish musical export.

The most important improvement Trilogi makes upon Fredrik's debut has more to do with its presentation as a whole than with the individual tunes. Na Na Ni was entertainingly inventive and successfully so, but its variation also caused the album to feel pieced together and occasionally slight - at least on first listen. The group's latest is considerably more substantial and purposeful, with a darker musical and lyrical theme. The band still experiments with a wide array of organic and electronic elements, switching between seemingly nonsensical lyrics and moody instrumental pieces, but the record flows convincingly in one direction where before it never felt settled. Perhaps as a result of the album's focus on unity, the songs on Trilogi don't impress as immediately and the music is slightly more predictable in its execution, but the way in which it all comes together is gorgeous.

Various and unique instruments ( including harp, bells, xylophone and plenty which I couldn't accurately identify) comprise the music of Trilogi, and when composed in such a beguiling way, Fredrik truly sounds like nobody else. Highlights from the album include the delicate, spare "Milo," the edgier "Ner" and the constantly shifting "Locked in the Basement," with each tune revealing more upon the repeated listens that the album seems to demand. And though the pace occasionally drags over a weak track or two, the whole of this immaculately composed and impressively detailed record is an experience worth having and the second consecutive example of Fredrik's considerable talent and inspiration.

Locked in the Basement (MP3)

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You Should Know: Postdata

Paul Murphy, the singer and songwriter behind Postdata, more frequently operates with the Canadian band Wintersleep, who have received critical acclaim and even a Juno Award for their efforts. But Postdata, the band and the album, is a very different and perhaps more important project for Murphy - one that hits decidedly closer to home. With his brother Michael, Paul wrote and recorded a deeply personal collection of tunes relating to different members of their family. Over time, these recordings eventually took shape in the form of a nine-song folk album filled with intimate, gripping details and a great deal of emotion. The results are often melancholy, sometimes wistful, and always gorgeous, and the origin of these songs conveyed through the vivid songwriting make this album a striking one that really shouldn't be missed this year.

With a limited palette of acoustic guitars, keys, and vocals, the Murphy brothers make simple, yet stunning music on Postdata, but the focus is, of course, on the lyrics and melodies. And it's here that the record draws you in, with brief but captivating stories of love, contemplation, and heartbreaking loss. My personal favorites include the rolling "Tracers," which is upbeat and nostalgic, and the quietly sad "Warning," which deals with the complex emotions caused by death over lonesome guitar and the soft hiss of tape. It's only 27 minutes long, but there's enough weight to the material that Postdata certainly doesn't feel light on substance. It's also consistently interesting throughout and avoids coming across as too withdrawn or depressing, and the songs are quite tuneful and warmly presented. I've no idea if the brothers plan on continuing this project or if this will be a one-time thing, but you really should hear this regardless.

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Review: Animal Collective - Fall Be Kind EP (* * * *)

(This one got GOLD over at In Review Online)

Heaping praise on indie superstars Animal Collective is starting to seem too easy, unnecessary even. Don’t get me wrong; AC have earned their status as the preeminent boundary-pushing experimental group working today. This past year alone they released 2009’s best album and my personal favorite of theirs, Merriweather Post Pavilion. But the announcement of their Fall Be Kind EP almost prompted me to just say, “It’s Animal Collective, of course it’s amazing." Listen to it, love it, and then we’ll all move on. And if Fall Be Kind was just “good,” or even great in exactly the same way the LP that preceded it was great, maybe I could settle with that generalization. But in keeping with tradition, Animal Collective has crafted another distinctly superb and somehow progressive set of songs, noteworthy for its own merits and not simply as another strong addition to the band’s remarkable catalog. (Read the full review @ In Review Online)

Review: Thao with The Get Down Stay Down - Know Better Learn Faster (* * * *)

I posted this already but now I've cleaned it up/rewritten it for In Review Online:

Thao Nguyen's last album, We Brave Be Stings and All, is a charming if somewhat slight set of songs that I admittedly became quite smitten with last year. Thao's distinctive, agreeable vocal and off-beat perspective on failing relationships perfectly complement the folk-meets-funk sound she and her band create, and though Bee Stings is nothing revolutionary, at the time it seemed a welcome breakthrough for a unique and talented artist. Thao and the remainder of her band—dubbed The Get Down Stay Down, and comprised of bassist/keyboardist Adam Thompson and drummer Willis Thompson (no relation)—are now back with their second full-length, Know Better Learn Faster, the band's third effort and one that surpasses the quality of its predecessor while moving the band stylistically forward. The formula the band follows is similar this time around, but guests such as Eric Earley from Blitzen Trapper and Andrew Bird lend the new record a bit more variance and depth. (Continue Reading @ In Review Online)

Reissue Review: Cloud Cult - They Live on the Sun/Aurora Borealis (* * * *)

Even if you're a die hard Cloud Cult fan, it's unlikely that you have been able to find hard copies of two of the earliest releases - 2003's They Live on the Sun and 2004's Aurora Borealis - from the experimental indie collective. The band has recently remixed, remastered, and re-imagined these two records and released them as a double album to make them widely available in physical format for the first time. And really, besides the convenience for fans of releasing the albums together (at a generous price, I might add), these two records belong together - having been released only six or so months apart and both being conceived and recorded primarily by frontman Craig Minowa in isolation after the unexpected death of his two year-old son not long before. I can't actually comment on the differences between these new versions and the originals as I haven't heard the latter, but I do know there have been a few additions and deletions, including the previously unreleased "Time" on They Live on the Sun and "And It's Good" from Aurora Borealis. For fans of the band's later recordings or for completists, this reissue is one worth exploring.

They Live on the Sun is the rougher and rawer of the two, eclectic and sprawling in the way that the band's current highpoint, The Meaning of 8, is but somehow even more explosive and fractured. In fact, there are relatively few tracks that are cohesive and structured enough to be classifies as songs, with cuts like the scratchy punk rocker "Turtle Shell," the eerie, spoken-word interlude "Da Dum," and the demented "It's Gay" providing brief and bizarre looks into Minowa's troubled and grief-stricken mind using a variety of digital programming and instruments that never settle into one approach for more than a track or two. Even knowing the album's inspiration, the music doesn't often seem outright depressing, but even in it's most pleasant and accessible ("Radio Fodder," for instance), there's a feeling of sadness that permeates the catchy melodies and earnest lyrics. The more full-formed tunes are the highlights here, like opener "On the Sun" or the electronica epic "Back Again P.ii," and though the entire experience can be overwhelming at first given the amount and variance of the material, there's a remarkable amount of sincerity and honesty that Minowa somehow conveys in the midst of all the chaos. For those willing to take the dive and immerse themselves in the experience, They Live on the Sun can be a very rewarding listen.

Only released a handful of months after its predecessor and inspired by the same isolationist experience, Aurora Borealis somehow manages to feel like a decidedly different record than They Live on the Sun. The instrumental palette is similar - guitars, piano, plenty of synths and programming - but there are fewer odd interludes, more traditional (relatively, anyway) rock tunes, and a more urgent, frenzied approach to the proceedings. It's also easier to enjoy and appreciate, with highlights like opening ballad "Breakfast With My Shadow," the dark, spacey "All Together Alone," and the aforementioned new addition "And It's Good" contributing to a fast-paced and accessible first half that subsides into a more experimental and strange second. There are still obvious references to Minowa's son, like the voice of a child in the outlandish "Northern Lights" or the heartbreaking, haunting closer "Beautiful Boy," but Aurora Borealis has the feeling of a return, in part at least, to sanity for this grieving parent. At nearly 20 minutes and six tracks shorter than the epic collage that preceded it, this more streamlined counterpart will likely appeal to a wider audience and shows some of the artistic growth and stability (again, this is relative to the band) shown on Cloud Cult's more recent releases.

I do have some gripes about these reissues, specifically that there were a handful of tracks cut from each (though I still haven't heard them, perhaps I should trust the band's discretion) and that the final song on each album is proceeded by fifteen minutes of silence, which seems like an unnecessary pain. However, these minor flaws don't detract from the quality and amount of the material here that gives longtime fans the ability to own the physical discs and more casual observers, such as myself, a good opportunity to explore the early career of this talented and enigmatic musician.

Purchase

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Review: Editors - In This Light and on This Evening (* * * 1/2)

The sophomore album is often the one in which a band must prove themselves to be more than just a passing fad, but with Editors, their third effort is the one to bear the most weight of that expectation. After a solid first album with The Back Room, the British rock outfit drew comparisons to Joy Division and Echo & The Bunnymen, which - of necessity - made them seem an awful lot like Interpol. Not a bad set of influences, certainly, but after a passable yet overtly familiar second effort, An End Has a Start, that did little to differentiate them from their peers both old and new, it seemed as if Editors may unfortunately fade into anonymity if they stayed their current course. Fortunately, according to frontman Tom Smith, "If we'd tried to make another more traditional guitar record, I don't think we'd have got through it... for our own sanity, we had to do something we hadn't done before." Good for them and good for us, as In This Light and on This Evening may not be the band's strongest effort, it's definitely their most distinct and ambitious recording and gives hope to Editors future.

Longtime fans of the group will most likely be split on the new sound, which relies more heavily on synthetic musical elements yet somehow seems less polished than the band's previous outings. The array of digital instrumentation expands Editor's familiar style and varies the results, while many of the songs carry a more intimate and raw feeling than before despite the band's signature grandiosity, which generally remains intact here. The self-titled lead track, perhaps the album's most stirring moment, begins with a synth riff under Smith's heavily affected vox, then slowly builds with organic instrumentation but remains both dark and beautiful throughout. It eventually climaxes into something just short of epic, but Smith's voice never rises to his usual soaring croon - and the restraint is much appreciated. The next cut, "Bricks and Mortar," is similarly effective in that it shows a band that is willing to forgo their former tricks and reach for something more unique, though it's easily recognizable as an Editors song if you were to strip away the digital programming scattered throughout.

From this strong start, In This Light and on This Evening becomes less consistent, like first single, "Papillon," which unfortunately comes across as more awkward than ambitious, or the dull, dense ballad "Like Treasure." But even on these less inspired moment, Editors' willingness to go outside their well-established comfort zone and take some risks should be applauded, and the nine tracks comprising the album are thoroughly entertaining. Still, though the band has proved a desire to stay relevant and fresh, it remains to be seen how this third effort is received as In This Light and on This Evening breaks the band's own mold in some ways and revels in it in others - perhaps too alienating for fans and too familiar for critics. Personally, I've enjoyed digging into a record that is both surprising and - on occasion - frustrating, but provides some of this English band's best tunes in the process.

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Review: Islands - Vapours (* * * 1/2)

Nicholas Thorburn – or Nick Diamonds if you prefer his stage name – seems to have been gifted with an inability to recognize his own limitations or boundaries, a curse as well as a blessing, but probably more often the latter when it comes to making great pop music. He never stays in one place for long, resulting in an involvement in numerous, varied and often significant musical endeavors, only one of which has lasted more than an album or so. His first group, The Unicorns, only released one true LP (the spectacular Who Will Cut Our Hair When We’re Gone?), his hip-hop side project Th’ Corn Gangg never cut a record at all and his folk rock collaboration with Jim Guthrie, Human Highway, seems to have been put indefinitely on hold after a debut album and some touring. The one exception to this career of short-lived projects, of course, is Islands, who recently released their third effort, Vapours. (Continue Reading...)

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Review: Muse - The Resistance (* * *)

Almost by its very nature, Muse's music inspires drastically different reactions. Even the critical opinion seems to be quite divided , and though most everyone acknowledges the same strengths and weaknesses, how much you enjoy it seems to depend on which attributes of their music you choose to focus your attention. Or maybe, at least recently, it really just boils down to whether or not you love stadium-sized rock 'n' roll that pays homage to classic 80s rock. Because that's what The Resistance is at heart - no more, no less really - a collection of overblown and over-dramatic rock songs that reference everyone from Blondie to Queen, stuffed with anthematic vocals, epic guitars and thunderous drums. The transformation that began with 2006's Black Holes and Revelations continues with their new record, taking Muse into territory quite distant from their Radiohead-emulating origins in 1999.

Personally, I thought Black Holes and Revelations was easily the band's most accomplished work. That it was grandiose to the point of being silly and more than a little pretentious is true, but it's also beside the point. The music was just too good to ignore, with Matthew Bellamy's soaring voice and angst-ridden lyrics delivered over some superb guitar, bass, and drum work. And really, the formula for The Resistance is about the same, though it's got a decidedly more 'rock opera' feel to it this time around. Bellamy is still paranoid, singing about the people's fight and eventual triumph over 'they' (the man, the government, the greedy, the selfish, etc.), who seem intent on keeping him and everyone else hopeless, loveless and downtrodden. His lyrics feel trite at times, more so here than before, but usually he's convincing (or maybe just convinced) enough to get away with it.

The remaining band members stay sharp on bass and drums, but they also compete much of the time with other digital and organic instrumental flourishes that remained mostly absent even from the band's last record. "Undisclosed Desires" floats over a hip-hop beat and emotive string arrangements while "United States of Eurasia" rips off Queen so completely (one of several incidents) you might actually think Brian May was there to provide guitar and backing vocals. It's here that the music begins to feel a little disingenuous - Muse is certainly talented enough to pull it off, and it's mostly fun and occasionally thrilling - but the whole experience feels somewhat tired and borrowed when you'd think Muse should be able to come up with their own ideas by now. When they stick to the basics ("Unnatural Selection," for example) the results are stronger in their simplicity.

The three-song closing suite "Exogenesis," with a string-heavy, symphonic style, takes things in another direction entirely. It doesn't work completely - but it's at least interesting and genuinely beautiful at times. It's yet another disparate element in an obviously ambitious but somewhat confused album that I'll admit I enjoy but only when I'm in certain moods. At it's best, though, The Resistance provides the same high-adrenaline hooks and over-the-top choruses that are difficult to resist. Next time around Muse will likely have to come up with something a bit more convincing to keep our attention, but The Resistance works well enough to satisfy.

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Review: The Twilight Sad - Forget the Night Ahead (* * * *)

Four-piece rock outfit The Twilight Sad are one of the foremost bands among what appears, to me at least, to be a recent explosion of Scottish rock 'n' roll acts emerging into the indie mainstream (for lack of a better term). That's not to say Scotland ever stopped producing noteworthy musical exports, but between this year and last, we've seen many young acts such as Glasvegas, Broken Records, and We Were Promised Jetpacks follow similar formulas - including big, loud guitars and even bigger-voiced singers - to similar amounts of acclaim and attention, especially in the UK. With their sophomore effort, Forget the Night Ahead, The Twilight Sad further establish their prominence among their peers with a strong set of songs that nearly reaches the bar set by their debut.

Though the band hasn't undergone any serious reinvention since a couple years ago, the music is decidedly darker and denser this time around, as well as slightly more polished, building on the already grandiose songwriting found on Fourteen Autumns & Fifteen Winters. Songs like the dramatic "Made to Disappear" and the explosive "The Birthday Present" are good examples, with both the emotional intensity and production values taken up a notch or two for an arena-ready rock sound. And where their first album was obviously focused on memories from a miserable childhood, Forget the Night Ahead seems to deal with more adult concerns - though with singer/songwriter James Graham's frequently opaque lyrics, it can be difficult to tell exactly what's the matter. The feelings he conveys however - of regret, sadness, and longing - are clearly transferred from the band to the listener. It's not exactly difficult to imagine the despair behind lead single "I Became a Prostitute," shown as much through the group's characteristically bleak song titles as the combination of distorted guitars and desperate lyrics.

What looks on paper, and occasionally sounds in practice, to be the same stylistic approach used by many other bands is somehow more potent in the hands of The Twilight Sad. The boys seem to have a natural ability to create tension and genuinely dark emotion while rarely sounding over-dramatic or heavy handed. Their songs are dynamic, but not just in the start-quiet-end-loud kind of way. The layers of guitar build into fits of rage and then subside into muted melancholy, the drums enter as thunderous exclamation points at times and then stay absent for long stretches, and Graham's thickly accented voice is both charming and menacing throughout each tune. Also, some of these songs are just undeniably great; "I Became a Prostitute," "That Room," and "The Neighbour's Can't Breathe" are especially strong. Forget the Night Ahead is a clear avoidance of the sophomore slump and another solid addition to this exciting young band's small catalog.

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Review: The Big Pink - A Brief History of Love (* * 1/2)

The Big Pink is a band following in the tradition of many a commercially successful brit-rock band. Like last year’s breakout act Glasvegas, The Big Pink have for about a year now been releasing singles (some in Japan only) and creating both a popular and critical frenzy in the process. They even won the Philip Hall Radar Award this year, the same honor Glasvegas received in 2008 at the NME Shockwave Awards, adding to the almost uncanny resemblance of the two bands' origin stories. And there are musical similarities as well; The Big Pink, comprised of multi-instrumentalists Robbie Furze and mil Cordell, make songs filled with thundering drums, walls of sound and epic choruses – though they often choose to substitute synthesizers for guitars and generally avoid Glasvegas’s melodramatic lyrical nature. I’ll stop with the comparisons; it’s obvious The Big Pink have leveraged themselves to an enviable position, making their debut album, A Brief History of Love, a release that's been almost impossible to ignore during these past few weeks. (Continue Reading...)

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Concert Review: fun. @ Kilby Court (SLC)

For their first stop on their headlining tour, frontman Nate Ruess and company (Andrew Dost of Anathallo, Jack Antonoff of Steel Train and a couple others) were met with a sold out crowd at one of Salt Lake City's most beloved (and tiny) indie venues - Kilby Court. This was my first experience in the garage-turned-concert hall (mostly just an empty shed with speakers), but at least a couple of the band members had been through before, which wasn't surprising given their involvement with other projects. A good setup so far, but while they were definitely the band the crowd was there to see, they had to do without openers Miniature Tigers - who were very unfortunately deterred by van problems and unable to make it. By the time fun. started, a very antsy group awaited them, most having stuffed themselves into position an hour or so before the music began. To be honest, fun. is such a newly formed group that I hadn't heard a thing about their live performances, so I didn't know exactly what to expect.

30 seconds into the show, however, and it became clear that any reservations on my part were unfounded; it was also clear that the crowd came well prepared. As Ruess began the first lines of the first number, "Be Calm," it seemed as if everyone in the place not only recognized the song, but knew it by heart - despite the fact that the band's debut album had been released less than two months ago (even the band looked impressed!). What followed was something like a frenetic sing-a-long in which the band and audience connected like I'd never seen before. The boys (and girl) on stage were sharp, with Ruess flailing around with the mic, squarely hitting even the highest notes (and that's saying something) while the rest stayed busy behind him on keys, drums, bass, guitar and more, easily making up for the lack of orchestration found throughout most of the album cuts. The leaner versions of the songs were just as energetic and lively, and whenever Ruess needed a backing choir - the crowd was there to help him out. At one point, during "Barlights," he ambitiously had the audience singing THREE distinct parts, and what's more spectacular is that it actually worked, creating an atmosphere that was nothing short of euphoric.

fun. played through their entire debut (ten songs), an appropriate Format cover ("The First Single") and one new number, which was the only three minutes during which Ruess was able to sing alone. Highlights from the evening included the single from the debut record, "At Least I'm Not as Sad (As I Used to Be)," "Walk the Dog" and their two-song encore, the intimate and romantic "The Gambler," and finally "Take Your Time Coming Home." An hour didn't feel long enough, but the band didn't exactly have much more material to play, so we had to be satisfied with what we were given - and despite its brevity, I think everyone felt their $10 had been well earned. I hadn't had such a fun (pun intended, but accurate) time at a show in quite a while and was left with a renewed belief in the power of pop music - I highly recommend fun. to you as fantastic live act.

I won't provide you with any of the pictures I took as I couldn't get a decent shot (or really even see the band most of the time), but you can take a look at the set list below, and see their MySpace page for tour dates.

1. Be Calm
2. Benson Hedges
3. I Wanna Be the One
4. Walking the Dog
5. Stitch Me Up (New Song)
6. The First Single (Format Cover)
7. Light a Roman Candle With Me
8. All the Pretty Girls
9. At Least I'm Not as Sad (as I Used to Be)
10. Barlights

Encore:

11. The Gambler
12. Take Your Time (Coming Home)

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