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Okay, so in what seems like a strictly opportunistic, cash-grabbing sort of a situation... Everclear, my #2 band, has released a sort-of/kind-of Greatest Hits disc. Or, well, that's how some people are viewing their latest release, In a Different Light, as. I haven't yet pushed Play, but in my heart, I know Art Alexakis (and whoever he has backing him up these days) puts a lot more thought into this, his life and his love. He's basically called this disc, which houses nine EC favorites, which are re-recorded/re-interpreted, and two preciously semi-unreleased tracks, a fond look back and re-imagining of some classic EC tunes.
And, you know what? I'm all for it. This is a fantastic way, I think (on a marketable side), to get the band back out there before the supposed all-new release in March. Plus, I'm an EC fan, and I'm all for re-interpretations. Y'all know me, I'm the chick who scours youtube for covers of EC (and others') tunes! I loooooove re-dos!
Besides.. If I DID see a problem with this, if I DID think this was a cheap money-grab... How could I whine about it, when GGD has re-packaged things, using re-recordings of some songs as hooks? See? Pot calling kettle black....
So, without further adieu... Let's sway in and out of shadows with Alexakis and EC....
Album: In a Different Light
Artist: Everclear
Released: 2009
Label: 429 Records
Track One: Everything to Everyone
Okay, this used to be my favorite EC song, always tied with Heroin Girl, but in recent years, HG has knocked E2E1 down to a permanent second place, so... We'll just see how this goes!
Oooh, distortion.... Oh, wow! Much more guitars..... God, and there's his voice!!! Oh, that slightly whiny, pained.... Oh, that Alexakis [brand] voice! There's so much more energy this time around! Oh, this works!!!! it just sounds like they're having a frickin' blast... I like the slightly less-polished vibe to it... Like, the guitars... sound... almost more metallic... tin-y, and it's sooooo working!!!! The only mild complaint is the semi-annoying tongue-rolling yelp. It's a little too much.
4/5
Track Two: Wonderful
Okay, the first Wonderful was pretty amazing. It was a pretty big hit for them, too... In fact, it may have been their last major hit, so, once again, there's some stiff competition here...
....Guitars.... Oh, wow..... Piano...... It's stripped down, but, still.... Ooooh.... The voice-echo effect is great, too; not too overdone... Omg, the piano.... wow... Geeze... Almost a decade later, and this is still such a powerful song... and it all just builds and builds... and then... a die-down, for a breath of air... Oh, wow........ Better. than. the. first.
5/5
Track Three: At the End of the Day
EC.... I don't like gospel-esque backing in my songs.... Grrr.... Hmmm, okay, I haven't heard this... Beyond this... It works.... It's a love song... It's hopeful; it's Alexakis in love and in hope... Oh, it makes me smile.... It isn't their best ballad, but it's good... Oh, no, here's the turn... Lyrics have shifted, here's the reality check you'll almost NEVER get in a GGD ballad.... I like the breakdown for the bridge when Alexakis' voice is highlighted... This is a good non-regrets song... I like it... Rock on.
4/5
Track Four: Santa Monica
God, his voice is still so haunting singing these lyrics... The drums sound more like marching drums... like this is some pained dirge into the ocean.... Hmmm, more of those tin-y guitars... This is good... But, it doesn't have quite the same punch that the original had... Until about half way through!!!! OH YEAH!!!! And, for the record, whoever's got backing duties sounds GREAT with Alexakis...
5/5
Track Five: Summerland
Ooooh, something a little older... And, I love... Love this... Oh, wow.... Oh, he hasn't even started singing, and omg..... OH!!! WOW.... This... This.... This. is. amazing. God, the music.....
5/5, i'd give it a six, if i could
Track Six: Here Comes the Darkness
Oh, I've heard this, and I know I love it... God, I do.... It's just a great song... This should've been on Welcome to the Drama Club or Slow Motion Daydream... Yeah, Slow Motion Daydream... If it had been written then...
5/5, i'd give a six, if i could
Track Seven: Father of Mine
Okay, what 90's kid, whose parentals got divorced, DIDN'T use this song to get past it?! Ex-act-ly!! ...Ooooh, nice intro.... Less bass, it still works.... Oooh, there's clapping! I like clapping songs... This one seems the most similar to the original so far... It's darn good, but the original's a little bit better.
4/5
Track Eight: Fire Maple Song
Now we're going way back.... So, if any Goobers are reading this... It's almost the same as when GGD re-recorded 2DiF for EOAC... And, if I dare say.... This is better than the original, or, at least I like it more... It really rocks, and almost has a alt. country bent to it, which works for EC...
4/5
Track Nine: Rock Star
Okay, this is a rock song, and I'm curious to see it in a different.... To see what they do with it. ;-)
Okay, this still rocks without the OMG!polish to it... And, there's those EC [brand] keyboards... It sounds like, once again, they're just having a blast.
3/5
Track Ten: Learning How to Smile
Okay.... I loved this of SfaAM:V1.... Hmmmm.... It's good, but it's almost TOO much like the original.... It's good, don't get me wrong, but I think I was waiting for a little more... Still an amazing song, though.
3/5
Track Eleven: I Will Buy You a New Life
Oh, wow, neat opening..... Ooooh. This.... Is all taken down... It works... Oh, wow.... I approve, greatly, though the repetitious end is a little much.
4/5
And, well, there we have it.... It was a nice, jaunty trip down memory lane.... I loved it. Thank you, Art.... Come back to Houston... I need to see y'all.
i just want my life to be the same, just like it used to be
*Oh, and, okay, fine.... Songs I wish would've been on this: Heroin Girl, Here We Go Again, Overwhelming, and Pale Green Stars*
Okay, so I like The Used. I do, but I've been putting this album off. For one, it's made me a little uneasy just how much they've pushed it, and, two, Lies for Liars or whatever their last effort was did not impress me like their first two albums did, so I'm really cautious this time around, and it doesn't help that others have been saying it's underwhelming. Oh, well. I'll just judge for myself, as per usual.
So, here we go.
Title: Artwork
Artist: The Used
Label: Reprise Records
Release Date: 2009
Track One: Blood on my Hands
It's the lead-in single for the album, so it should be awesome... Okay, it's got a good beat... McCracken sounds good... Sadly, the chorus seems a little lacking... The filter on Bert's voice is alright... I don't know, this one seems pretty mediocre; just a decent effort that relies almost too much on the chorus... I don't know; I'm feeling it, but not too much.
2/5
Track Two: Empty with You
Alright, sounding a little space-age-y... This is building... Okay, I'm diggin'.... Ooh, a soft crescendo... And, I'm lovin' the opening lyric! Okay, this seems more like the Used I like. Hmmm, wait... don't 'empty' and 'hollow' mean the same thing? I think they do.. Oooh!!! A hark-back to Blue and Yellow?... I haven't wasted anything but time vs. I'd like to waste some time with you?... Hmmm, I like it... This is definitely a lot better than BomH... I like this one.
4/5
Track Three: Born to Quit
Neat lead-in from EwY... It seems a little too melodramatic... I don't know, this is a meh one for me, too... Like, it either needs to be harder, or softer, or darker, or more distorted, or something... Like, it needs to decide what it wants to me... The lyrics, to me, cry for some other sound... It's all right...
3/5
Track Four: Kissing You Goodbye
The Used + piano? I like it. I like it... You know what... I might like them as balladeers than rockers... Hmmm, we'll work on this supposition... If anything, this proves McCracken can do more than scream... I like it a lot, and the strings in the end work.
4/5
Track Five: Sold My Soul
Ooooooooh. ......*waits for vocals, music rocks so far*.... "My filthy mouth full of broken words....(?)" Hmmm.... I like this... It makes me think of Buried Myself Alive, a little bit.... I dig this one... The guitars rock... Oooh, PIANO PIECES IN THE BACKGROUND, AWESOME... And, heck, I'm a sucker for songs with angelic metaphors and randomly pretty endings.
5/5
Track Six: Watered Down
........I'm being sort-of drawn to the skip button, but... I'm finding myself hanging around... I'll go with a good solid, 'it's alright.'
3/5
Track Seven: On the Cross
Okay... No. Just too much for me...
1/5
Track Eight: Come Undone
Okie, can they bounce back after that misfire?.... No, not really. They can, just not so much... Really dislike the chorus...
2/5
Track Nine: Meant to Die
Okay, NOW we're back on track.... This one just rocks... Oh, and something about light and darkness?! I dig it!! (This would be a dangerous/good driving song...)
4/5
Track Ten: The Best of Me
(as opposed to Foo Fighters' Best of You) ....Starting off quiet... a bit funereal, even... Okay, I'm intrigued... And, it takes a full minute and a half to kick off.... Ugh, losing points for that... There's a lot of anger in this song, and you can feel it... It's alright, if you skip the intro.
3/5
Track Eleven: Men are all the Same
Neat opening lyric, won't lie... But, once again, it's just too much.
2/5
Final verdict: Hit or Miss album is a Hit or Miss album, at least for me. .....Yeah, and I think I'm washing my hands of the Used. Oh, well. It was fun while it lasted.
surprised to wake and follow the light
Okay, so I'm not gonna lie... I'm pretty psyched for this one. So psyched, in fact, that I'm flatly ignoring the other album I got today, and probably will for a few good weeks, until I get THIS out of my system. See, the thing is... I like Chevelle a lot. They're probably my only "hard rock" band that I really, really dig. They're definitely in my Top 20, close to the Top 10. And, recently, I've been re-listening to Vena Sera and This Type of Thinking (Could Do Us In)... And, have come to the conclusion, especially in concern of the former, that Chevelle's got a LOT to live up to...
So, Peter, Sam, and Dean... Give it your best shot!
Title: Sci-Fi Crimes
Artist: Chevelle
Label: Epic
Release: 2009
Track One: Sleep Apnea
Guitars.... Crunchy bass0y sounds... I dig the music so far, y'all. THERE'S PETER'S VOCALS!! Allllright, here we go.... Oh, I love the slight echo.... This one has a really good, steady beat. Very head-bob-able... God, this just shows one of the kick-ass things about this band; the fantastic meeting of Peter's gorgeous vocals and their powerful music... It's great... OOOH, more of that awesome echo... That's a really good usage of an effect; I dig it. And, oh I'm in love with this bridge... This is a good start, you guys!
4/5
Track Two: Mexican Sun
Drumstick taps!!! Awesome. ...Oooh, Peter sounds so angry on this one. I like it! ...Some screaming? Sweeeet! Rock on! This one's, IDK, dirtier and grungier than Sleep Apnea... But, it's just as good.... Mmmm.... The way Peter's straining his vocals is so spot on... I love this, too... Oh, and the shift in the midst of it... Absolutely great.
4/5
Track Three: Shameful Metaphors
We slowing down? We taking a breather? Okay... I like it. I like the change of pace. Heck, I need a break, too. But, see, this is Chevelle... A break is just something that ROCKS!!!, just not quite as loudly. ;-)
5/5
Track Four: Jars
Ahhhh; here we are, the lead-in single. It rocks; pure and simple. This song, right here, should get Chevelle new fans...
5/5
Track Five: Fell Into Your Shoes
First off, what a cool title, no? I mean, really, what. a. cool. title. ...Anyway... Okay, starting off soft, with some effects... I'm digging..... OOOOOOH!!! Ooooh, I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the pitch variances!!! And the overlaying!!! OMG. Yes, I approve.... "The skies are overwhelmed," neat lyric; randomly powerful... And the brief pause... Final choruses, with a guitar outro... I'm in heart... This is great, This is really darn good.
5/5
Track Six: Letter from a Thief
I'm, oddly, not quite digging the filter of Peter's voice... But, my God, the chorus and everything after makes up for it; the music of the chorus is pure win. ...Bridge is pure win, too... Guitar solo/ending is great... Good lord, this is good.
5/5
Track Seven: Highland's Apparition
A song about a ghost?... We'll see... Oh, acoustic... Wow... The slightly softer side of Chevelle, is it? I approve... OOOOOH...... His little..... IDK.... Drawn out sound... And the odd, harpsichord-y guitar... Oh, wow.... This is just as intense as their other music yet, unplugged....
5/5
Track Eight: Roswell's Spell
..........I was wondering when it'd happen.... *sigh* I knew the I LOVE IT ALL!! spell would break. Don't get me wrong, this one's good.... Just not as good. The verses are just... I don't approve... But, the choruses are fantastic... Oddness. And the music break's great, too... Hmph. I'm totally torn on this one.... It grows on me as it goes on...
3.5/5
Track Nine: Interlewd
PUN FTW.
Anyway.... I don't see the point of this little break, unless that's what it is... If it's a pausing point signifying that the last two songs are particularly out there... IDK. We'll see.
2/5
Track Ten: A New Momentum
I'm... Sort of digging... I like the semi-strianed screaming... It works well; and the crunchy, angry music... But, for some reason, I'm not quite... Okay, I feeling it more... And... feeling it... I don't know how I feel about this one....
2/5 (ask me again at some point in time from now and it could be a 4/5.. seriously)
Track Eleven: This Circus
....This is... This odd, amazing.... Combination... it switches a lot... There's pacing, and there's sounds, and there's voice effects... And, wow... This is just a neat ending; like one big amalgamation of the whole album... I approve.
4/5
Alright... There was a slight nose-dive toward the end... But, overall, this is a very good album. Sadly, it didn't beat out Starsailor for fav album of the year, but it's got the number Two spot! (Yay for Chevelle!)
Stylistically... It's not Vena Sera, and it isn't TToT (CDUI) or Wonder What's Next.... I'd say it's a natural, expected step forward... It is very, very good: an awesome rock album.
Good work, Chevelle. Come to H-Town again, please! I'm dying to see you.
let's let the panic bloom
Okay, so it's been quite some time since the last collection of new 3EB music dropped. Off the top of my head, and I'm probably a little off, it seems to me that '03 was the last time we'd heard from them, minus a best of collection/greatest hits they released at some point. This means that, besides the typical stress and expectations of a normal album, there's a whole slew of over-expected hopes and ideals just because it's been so long. I mean, the typical expectations of an album are surely stressful enough... But, after being on hiatus for so long?
Geeze, do the 3EB boys have their work cut out for them....
Well, let's see if 3EB could pull it off...
Back from being Out of the Vein, let's look up and count the stars in Ursa Major.
Title: Ursa Major
Artist: Third Eye Blind
Label: Mega Collider Records
Release: 2009
Track One: Can You Take Me
High pitched whining and crunchy guitars... Sound effects; oh yeah, this is 3EB... Jenkins is almost a little too drowned out... Sex, ideals, and excellent pop rock... Yep, 3EB land, indeed. And, you know what, maybe a riot IS overdue... It's nice to know his voice hasn't faltered in however many years it's been... Great opening track that, with all its styles, will quickly acquaint any newbies to what this band does.
4/5
Track Two: Don't Believe a Word
This is pretty much the leading single for the album, so let's see how it goes.....
Big rock music.... I like it..... Digresses into the semi-rap/quick lyrics that's Jenkins' style... It's catchy as all get out... Nice little lyrics there... "give me back my photos...." I love it.... But, yet, I can't help but to think that this is just Jenkins' outlet to complain about the times, and thus be relevant... Maybe taking hiatuses isn't such a good thing...
3/5
Track Three: Bonfire
I hear bongos? YES, I hear bongos... Or, some other sort of percussion thing... It strangely fits. This is really good; it's like proof that they can drop the hooks and effects, and still be a darn good and honest act... "if nothing else I am myself / it's all I have to give" I love it...
4/5
Track Four: Sharp Knife
Jenkins, slow down..... Oh, well, I should be used to your style by now. My bad, darling. Oh, well... When you do slow down, it's really effective. "At least you left a mark on me" -damn, doesn't everyone...? The slow-fast is really good on this... The music's fantastic... This is so honest and powerful; he's always singing from some pained, honest place... I wish other songwriters would drift there and sit a spell... "careful, you might hurt someone"
5/5
Track Five: One in Ten
I hear strings? Yes, maybe.. and piano?... Yes.... I dig. Oooh, and horns... Yes?... Hmmm, I like this a lot... The point is so simple, so powerful, and... so awfully easy to relate to, and the music's divine....
4/5
Track Six: About to Break
Wow, Jenkins, do you hate humanity that much? Are you sooooo misanthropic, love? "If there's one thing I can't stand, it's standing next to my fellow man" -geeze, man... You're starting to sound a little Art-ish here... I'm not digging this, but I am digging it, but I'm not, but I am...... It's another soapbox song, and the squeaky/whining guitar is a little too rough/jarring... *eyes narrow*
2.5/5
Track Seven: Summer Town
I really like this one a lot... A whole lot... "I told you everything I knew in a manic, rushing line" -god, who doesn't when they're in love.... This track is amazing. Makes me think of their first release... It's that good, y'all.
5/5
Track Eight: Why Can't You Be
Acoustic?... Okay...... Let's go, Jenkins, take me on a trip... I ain't gonna lie, I smiled at the first comparison, and then just nodded along with the rest... This is great.... A fantastic way to explain the hollow desires and hopeless, overly high expectations that love and lust brings... Good job, Jenkins. Good job.
4/5
Track Nine: Water Landing
Techno-y... But, a nice highlight of his voice and his words... These guys are a lot like 1,2,3Crows... It's more about the words... When this one breaks down, it kinda goes meh... But, oh, well, it's okay.
3/5
Track Ten: Dao of St. Paul
This is as great as Summer Town and Sharp Knife... The chaos in the middle is fabulous.
5/5
Track Eleven: Monotov's Private Opera
What the hell type of name?.... Oh, well, let's see how this goes... You know what, this is a really good one, too... Third Eye Blind's almost better slowed down.... Every time...
4/5
Track Twelve: Carnival Barker
Once again.... What sort of title?... It sounds dreamy/strained/filtered/disjointed/calming.... Nice instrumental finale.... wish it was a little bit longer...
5/5
Well, good job 3EB... You're still relevant, even when you seem to be trying really hard to do so, and you're just as honest and moving as y'all've always been... The hooks are still strong and work just as good as they did back in '97, '99.... And so on.
Wish I could've saw y'all on y'all's H-Town stop...
she shattered because no one loved her
Okay. So, as mentioned a few blogs back, I purchased some stuff from GCR. What did I purchase? Why, the 2004 effort from Last Conservative, On to the Next One, that's what! Why did I get this one? Well, because I'd been wanting it for a while (not quite the five years it's been out, but long enough), yet I'd just... Never had gotten it, y'all know? And, get this, it came with a sample of Klear's work, so... Two-fer-One! Woot.
Y'all know what this means! Time for another one of Jess' dirt cheap, .02 reviews!
Artist: Last Conservative
Album: On to the Next One
Released: 2004
All right. Very quickly, LC is an alt-rock band out of Buffalo, signed to GCR. Basically, they're one of Takac's babies. Their frontman, TJ, from what I've heard, is charismatic and quite a prolific songwriter. And, fun fact: ex-Gooey sideclowns and the one and only Miyoko are guest musicians on this disc.
So, without further adieu, LC's OttNO...
Song One: On to the Next One
Alright, so we're starting out with the title track? I can dig it. Rough, loud guitars, and a little scream? Cool start, and then it all drifts when the vocals kick in. Oooh, and what nice vocals... It's pained enough, but not weak... It's strongly vulnerable! (Shush, I know I'm throwing out contradictions...) I really like this song - it's a fantastic opener. My slight complaint is that... There seems to be these extra little... Sound effects that seem just a wee-bit distracting. But, it's all good, because this is great. If the rest of the album's like this, I'm gonna be very happy.
4/5
Song Two: Can't Get Away From You
Okay, the topic's tried and true - thematically, there's nothing new here, but in the delivery of said theme, there's some lyrical diamonds. And, this is probably gonna be an ongoing thing with this band... Awesome, soul-felt lyrics... Delivered from a talented and earnest song-writer, built up with good pop rock music... (Gee... Sounds like another Buffalonian band....) This song's pop-ier, but it's definitely hooky and catchy.
3/5
Song Three: Over My Head
This song is also called 'Come On'.... Okay, smart-ass-ness aside... Like the previous, we're continuing more into straight-up pop territory, and it's just as catchy, if not catchier... But, the lyrics are a bit meh. He seems to string along a few cliches, but it still somehow works. I know, I can't explain it... Shush. I just dig it. The music's awesome, and the little effect on his voice half-way through is just enough bite for this sugar-sweet song.
3/5
Song Four: FourFive
Okay, and we're rocking again! Yay. Okay, this one just rocks. I mean, that's really the only way I can put it. Sorry I'm being vague on this one.
4/5
Song Five: Anything But Goodbye
I'm sort of liking the keyboards... Oh, they go quickly, okay. His vocals sound a little clearer on this one... And... I really like it. I like the balance between good 'ol pop rock and... Pop... There's... ... There's an all-over-the-place feel to it, but IN A GOOD WAY. Like... there's... So much going on, but...Each and every little musical element shines through... I guess that's good mixing? (Remember, I'm a music-retard.)
5/5
Song Six: Hope and Pray
Once again.... Just more rock. ....It's that.... Fast/slow style the Dolls do so well, and these guys do it well, too. One again, lots of different noises coming into play, but each having their chance to shine... God...
Okay. BRUTAL HONESTY TIME. ....Every time I want to bitch about the possibility that this seems overproduced.... The mixing's awesomeness shuts me up. Amazing...
Oh, and despite what I just said.... Cool echoing.
4/5
Song Seven: Car Alarm
....starts off with a car beeping. Alright. Clever. But, then, thankfully, it drops the gimmicks and just ROCKS. Once again... It's all I can say, unless I just start repeating what I've been saying: his kickass voice, the great mixing, etc... Well, I can say that I think I've found a favorite song. :-)
5/5
Song Eight: Come Down
.............
I was wondering if there'd be a ballad on here, and sure enough, burried between massive amounts of ROCK, here it is.
And, it's impressive. (or I'm just a sucker for men that scream... or write about darkness/light metaphors.)
5/5
Song Nine: Keep Your Promises
Their music's really kick ass.... Sorry, just felt like reminding all of y'all of that.
Hmmm.... I really, really like the sound of this one... A whole lot.
That voice I'm really starting to love is a little drowned out on this one, but... Yet again.... Despite the loudness... I can hear it ALL, so clearly... WHO MIXED THIS?!
Oh, fuck me....
Um... Well, GOOD JOB, ROBBY! Mixing is fantastic....
Anyway..... *blink*
Uh... Where was I?
Oh, right..... Um, scratch what I said earlier.... THIS is my favorite.
5/5, easily.
Song Ten: Hey Hey
....Cover of a Neil Young song?.....
Nope.
Okay, well..... Let's see: A song about the effects of love... That sounds like a perfect pop summer song: a lot of fun, and very single-ish.
3/5
Song Eleven: Irish
.............................................................................................
I just don't like this one. Sorry, LC.....
1/5
Song Twelve: I Know You Know I Know
(or IKYKIK -prounounced: Icky Kick, hihi)
Yeah, this is much better than Irish... Awesome lyrics this time around, perhaps more metaphorical than the rest of the album, and he sounds just as good as ever, and IT ROCKS! like the rest of the album... Another solid song.
4/5
Song Thirteen: Mary
Alright. Last song... How's it gonna go down?
Static? Okay.... I get it, this band and their producer (oh....fuck, same Doll.) like sound effects. Okay. A little like EC does, too... I can finally go along with it and stop twitching. Congrats, y'all've won me over....
OH SHIT, THERE'S STRINGS.
aaaaand, I'm done for.
....Omg... So many different sounds... I swear I hear accordion and ... Some sort of brass, too. Well, rock on... It SO WORKS.
Man, this would be a great encore song.
5/5
....While I was listening to this, I was half-assed talking to another Goober, and we both had the same wondering: could you tell if something was produced by Rzez vs. Tak, and... Yeah, I think it could be differentiated, possibly pretty easily. I'm not sure why I'm bringing this up, but, there ya go.
Anyway... This album got better as it went on, except for the minor mistep toward the end with Irish. It's a great pop rock effort, and I can see it being my new driving cd when I'm going back and forth between H-Ville and H-Town. I'm diggin'.
And, I was going to review the Klear sampler, but I'll save that for later... Don't wanna burn through all my new music in one week, y'all know?
the kings and the queens are all powerless now
Okay. So, as y'all know, Better than Ezra's newest album, Paper Empire, came out a few weeks ago, and I didn't get mine right away, because I ordered it from the band. Well, it appeared in my mailbox, waiting for me, when I got back from my little vacation down in H-Town. Yay!
Truth be told, I haven't really heard anything one way or another about this album. Then again, I'm an Ezralite, but not to the extent that I'm a Goober, y'all know? So, it makes a sort of sense that I wouldn't have heard anything so far about it, good or bad.
So, I guess what I'm trying to also say, in a semi-subtle way, is that... Although I'm not a hardcore Ezralite, I'm not really a casual, either.
True, I've never seen them in concert, though that doesn't say I haven't tried to, and I've never met them, and I don't actually have all their albums... I'm missing their Greatest Hits, another album called Closer , and their live work... But, I know their songs beyond "Good", "Desperately Wanting", and "Lifetime", y'all know? I'm somewhere in between a casual and a hardcore is the key summation here.
My favorite song is probably "One More Murder" tied with "Under You", though I also love "Teenager" and "Happy Endings". Overall, my favorite album is probably How Does Your Garden Grow? And, I'm laying all this out in case any other Ezralite stumbles upon this review and wonders what sort of fan wrote it.
So, without further aideu, the newest album from >Ezra, wlecomming their new drummer: Paper Empire.
Song One: Absolutely Still
From what I know, this was chosen as the albums lead-in single, so it makes since that it's the first track. Overall, it's deffinitely keeping the poprock vibe of Before the Robots. In fact, it reminds me, somewhat, of "Lifetime". Griffin's vocals are great and clear... He sounds fantastic, and the lyrics are full of love and longing... Classic >Ezra content. The beat's good, the chorus is powerful enough... and I'm shocked this song hasn't done better as a single... It sounds like it'd be great on the radio.
3/5
Song Two: Turn Up the Bright Lights
This one starts out a little more.... Toned down than the first... And, stays that way. It seems to have this lovely undulating quality to it; like waves, not like a rollercoaster. And the lyrics are great: "She moves like music, but in a moment she'll be gone". Pure poetry. If there's anything Griffin does well... He's a great lyricist... Anyway... This song is great. I'm digging it more than AbStill, a lot more. It's a love letter to some lucky woman and some magical locale.
4/5
Song Three: Just One Day
Ooohhhh. I'm feeling some... HDYGG? vibes here, especially with the strings... And then Griffin's vocals come in, a little toned down, more like he's coaxing you than singing to you, and oh, it works..... And then the chorus kicks in, which is the right amount of uplifting and powerful. The song's got a classic theme: What would you do if you could change things, if everyone you love came back for one day, if you could just make your life better, etc... And, that's a tired theme, I know, but >Ezra pulls it off perfectly with this song: they leave it open and accessible, just presenting scenarios that are universal enough to illicit a response of self-reflection in their listeners. Good work. This could be a single.
4/5
Song Four: The Loveless
Judging by the title, I figured this would be some slow, sad ballad. It's not... It's just as up-beat *sounding* as the rest of the album so far. There's a good tempo, and accompanying strings... And, the lyrics aren't exactly bright and shiny, but... Well, they pull a GGD: it should depress you, but it doesn't! It's a good song. I especially love the music break, and, as always, strings.
3/5
Song Five: All In
Ooooh, okay.... Here's the jangly pop.... And crowd-singing! Oh, wow. This one's gonna just be fun... Yeah, this is fun... Almost as fun as, say, 3EB's "Non-Dairy Creamer". That's all I've got to say... Just fun pop rock. The opening verse is exceptionally great. And, this is just catchy as hell... "The bottom of the line is to have a bit of fun." Fuck, I love it. I'd give it a perfect, but the over-done, distorted synth is a little grating.
4/5
Song Six: Fit
I'm just curious as to what this is going to sound- Okay, it sounds... Really epic, and slow... Okay, with a title like this, I'd expect it to sound like the last song, but... After the somewhat bombastic intro... In come Griffin's heart-felt vocals, and... OH! It's a love song, about how people fit together... Wow, I'm an idiot. The lyrics are gorgeous, and Griffin totally delivers, as he always does, especially when he pours out his heart, but... The music's... Almost TOO MUCH.
3/5
Song Seven: Hell No!
Starting with organs?... Riffy guitars...? WOAH, WHAT IS UP WITH THE VOICE FILTER?! Oh, wow.... Peter Frampton would be proud... This rocks... It's about the apocalypse, and it couldn't be more upbeat. Rock on, >Ezra. This is great... Nice guitar work, especially.
4/5
Song Eight: Hey Love
Okay... I think I'm catching a re-occurring trend with this album... Beautiful, wonderful, heartfelt lyrics, delivered by Griffin's absolutely fantastic voice... But it's all *almost* drowned out by the music, especially when the chorus hits. I mena, I know the chorus is usually loud (duh), but... Man... Anyway, the lyrics completely bump this one's score, as does the bridge when you can pretty much JUST HEAR HIM.
4/5
Song Nine: Nightclubbing
....Okay. Techno in MY >Ezra?.... All right. Rock on. Okay, just like All In... I can't really say much except that it's awesome; just purely awesome... When >Ezra decides to POP, they pop. Man, this song is great.... His grating voice, out of nowhere, and SAXOPHONE! And, boy, is this album turning bi-polar...
5/5
Song Ten: Black Light
Hmmm... Okay, I'm not exactly digging this one... The quick speaking (rather than real singing) is kind of... Not working for me, and the music really isn't working.... Until the chorus kicks in, and that helps a little, but... Yeah, I'm not feeling this one. Even the cool synth noise that's in the background of the chorus isn't coaxing me.
2/5
Song Eleven: Wounded
Hey, 3EB has a song called this! Uh, anyway... ooh, I like the haunting-ish way this starts, and... The overall seriousness to it... It sounds almost eerie. Oooh... I really like this. Griffin's asking for answers, answers he'll never get, concerning the state of humanity; pleading for better days...... And, I'm hearing the pain in his vocals, and there's some sweet bass and synthed noises... And... Oh, man. I think I've found a favorite track!
5/5, easily.
Song Twelve: I Just Knew
Aaaand, I almost knew we'd finish with a slow song. I got very slight "Happy Endings" vibes... Guitar and piano... And his wonderful voice. It's a great one to follow "Wounded", lead us out of the trance-like state that one puts us in, and serenade us about the beauty of 'we're-meant-for-each-other' love... Fuck, this is gorgeous and sweet and so genuine. If Griffin's in love, or if he's gotten married, or whatever.... Then, THIS is how it should be done... Not... Not claiming songs are about something, when they're really about love... Not making a WHOLE ALBUM about love... Just a few love songs, and one truly beautiful one to top it off.
5/5
Okay. There you have it. Overall, as I mentioned a little bit earlier... The album seems a wee bit bi-polar, but it's okay, because it's >Ezra. And... If you're not already a fan... This could snag you, unless, of course, you don't dig Griffin's voice. It's very unique, and it's a deal-maker/breaker for attaining fans. So... Check "Absolutely Still" out on y_tube, and if you dig the vocals... That song's a decent representation of the pop rock side of the album, and find "Wounded" and/or "All In" to see representations of the rest.
As usual, it's a good, solid effort. It didn't overthrow HDYGG? as my favorite album, but I definitely prefer it over Before the Robots.
every dream came real
Okay. So, we all know I'm happily apart from people, yeah? Right, well, okay, so... Let's say that, for once, I actually want to talk to someone, anyone... Just someone who cares enough to listen to my unintelligible rants for just a little while until I pull it the fuck together and stop crying, okay? Right... Well, so I call, and I call, and no one answers... No one.
Not the guy who said he hoped to see me today, nor the best-friend, nor the other best-friend, nor the Goober who texted me twice with Gooey nonsense, while I'm supposed to be in the classroom... Not them. Not even parents... Except, for Dad. He answered....
And he heard it all...
In vastly more important news... Yesterday, the 14th, was the release of Silversun Pickups' sophomore album, Swoon. About two months ago, I pre-ordered it on Amazon. Also yesterday, I started the last fourth of my Honors seminar: Dance, and the release of that album was the only thing I was looking forward to the whole day. Imagine my extreme disappointment when it was NOT in my mailbox when I checked, two times. Thankfully, Michael saved me from the disappointment, while openly criticizing my music taste, as only he can. Then, my mother helped in her own way, letting me know that in July, we're going to go see Aerosmith and ZZ Top at the Woodlands. Oh, and I also joined Inner Machine, finally. It was actually a decent day.
Then today came and almost went, until a bright little blip of musical bliss pulled me out of the dregs. Swoon had appeared in my mailbox, when I half-expected emptiness. Moral of the story...? Always think the glass is half empty, that way happiness is more easily accessible if the glass gets filled up. Tahdah, easy road to happiness.
So, without further adieu, my review of Swoon:
Song 1: There's No Secrets This Year
Hooray for long titles... You know, I don't really remember Carnavas having titles like that, except for, WTOT.... That's about the only one that was longer and semi-awkwar- Oh! Right, the song... Okay, wow... Aubert's singing a little quicker than normal. It's unexpected, but it's a neat surprise that somehow works with the lyrics. It's a good, strong opener: a little rockier than the fare found on Carnavas.
However, one slight complaint, and yeah I know it's the chorus and all, but... It seems like the song relies on it a little too much, which isn't like them, imo... Oh, well, it's still solid, especially when it breaks down at roughly 4:30, and we're given a peak into the album's title.
4/5
Song 2: The Royal We
The guitars sound great with the slight strings... I love the combination of strings and rock; always have, always will. In fact, I think this combines the two as good as, say, GGD's Iris, or Black Balloon, but just in a different way.
Okay, this one seems more verse-based... I like it a lot so far; Aubert's vocals seem angrier and more urgent. But, still, they can slow down and pull you in without scaring you off. This one has a great driving beat to it... It really rocks, comparatively. And his vacillation between quiet and loud is really nice. I like that he's making a point to show off his volume and range, and Monninger's backing vocals are perfect.
5/5
Song 3: Growing Old is Getting Old
The first few notes, for whatever reason, make me think of Modest Mouse, which is good in my book. Anyway, loving the simple beat, and the ghostiness to his vocals at first. Oooh, it's nice how the guitars kick in, and the drums, about half-way, too, bringing us out of a haze... Hmm... I really like the bridge and chorus to this one, too: We sing, fight, we cry. / we slide, slide, we slide into the light / Maybe we're sealed in silence / And maybe we feel a guidance. This one is really good... Ends very strong.
5/5
Song 4: It's Nice to Know You Work Alone
Okay, first few notes, and I'm NOT DIGGING... But, this is SSPU, so I'll keep going. Okay, once those notes fade out, the song gets instantly better. I guess it's just a weak opening hook. The grinding, rough guitar is good, gives the sensitive-seeming song an edge. It's good, but I think it's the weakest track so far.
3/5
Song 5: Panic Switch
Well, this is the opening single for Swoon, so it should be awesome, right? Oh, it IS awesome... This, I think, might be their loudest song yet, and it's kickass. I think it's a fantastic pick for the lead single, and I think it'll do well. It gets played a lot on MTVU...
5/5
Song 6: Draining
Starting off soft, after such a loud song.... Makes sense. I'm digging this one a lot, a nice, dreamy trip through aether; a perfect relaxation after Panic Switch.
5/5
Song 7: Sort Of
This MIGHT be my favorite song on the album. Aubert's vocalization, going all up and down.... It's really hypnotizing. Plus, the psychadelic guitars as great... This is just a fantastic song... Like, it could have been a bonus on Carnavaz, I think.
5/5, easily.
Song 8: Substitution
This one seems to be the most straightforward rock song, not as dreamy/experimental/ambient as their typical work. It almost sounds surreal: that type of music with Aubert's vocals.... But, I really love this one, too.... It's a great follow-up to Sort Of.
5/5
Song 9: Catch and Release
A song about love and sex and romance.... It's very sexual, but it's very beautiful, too... I really love the strings, and the one line: "Who knows / how this feeling grows?" Super simple, but really poignant...
5/5
Song 10: Surrounded (or spiraling)
Back to the distortion and flatter vocals, and breathiness... I'm diggin', but not quite as much as some of the other songs. However, the lyrics are very strong, as usual. "Are you dancing / or stumbling beside me?" etc.... And, points for them ending with a 4:44 minute song...
4/5
Conclusion:
I'm assuming that they, perhaps, made a conscious decision to ROCK more on this album, so I don't want to say they should stick with surreal/dreamy music, because I feel that they're competent in both styles. Yet, and this is mostly just because of my personal taste, I think they're a little stronger with THAT style, versus rockier/heavier music. Aubert's vocals are beautiful, in a raspy, nasally, whiny sort of way, and I love them... And, I think they might fit a little more with the dreamy music, but they're still a wonderful addition to the heavier side. All in all, this was deffinitely worth the two and a half years since Carnavas, and I'm very happy with it. I'm not sure if it was as Earth-Shattering as Starsailor's All the Plans, but... It's damn good.
New music 2009 continues, next time.... With >Ezra! Until then...... There'll be teasing snippets of in-progress Goo to tide me over! (Or not, if it all ends up vaguely reminding me of LLI.)
animate my body without my soul
