Every Teardrop is a Waterfall EP – Coldplay

Rating 8/10

Okay, so this is labeled as an EP but its nothing more than a glorified single, featuring only three songs, so I think its best to do this on a track by track basis:

“Every Teardrop is a Waterfall” features thick fuzz like keys that are wrapped in a piercing fast paced lead guitar and finely juxtaposed to an acoustic rhythm. Chris Martin’s vocals provide a steady yet driving motion throughout the song with the expected emotionally engaging lyrics. As the first single off an upcoming album this track makes a great first impression into the direction of the next LP. The worst part about this song is its title.   8

“Major Minus” is more rhythmically based with the hook lying in an acoustic rhythm guitar with the vocals following its progression. The percussion incorporates what sounds like rim hits that give the track a nice texture. While the track is infectious it gives the impression of a b-side and seems like the results of lingering ideas and experimentations from the bands previous album Viva la Vida.                     7

“Moving to Mars” finds Coldplay in a classic territory as slow, delicately moving keys remind you of the Parachute days. This track weighs heavy on the heart strings if for nothing more than the seemingly nostalgic impression that it gives. Sweetly sung vocals in a dream like state make for a wonderful end to this little EP.           9

If Not Now, When? – Incubus

Rating 6/10

Over the past few years I’ve gotten the sense that Incubus has become one of those bands that still makes new music only to have it compared to their climactically good old days. After all, at the turn of the century Incubus had created a trifecta of albums that even today seem unparalleled and inspired. Now with a new album entitled If Not Now, When?, Incubus has completed a new trilogy that has been severely underwhelming in comparison.

Listening to this new album is like grabbing at wet sand; just when you think you’ve got a hold on a groove or a melody it slips wistfully away. While it is immediately apparent that If Not Now, When? is a slower paced album, I do not feel as though it is the source of its shortcomings.  After all, many of Incubus’s most successful moments have been slower laid back songs like “Stellar”, “Wish You Were Here”, “Here in My Room”, and “Oil and Water”. In fact, the songwriting approach is actually the most appealing aspect of this album and it is in the vocals where I lose interest. Front man Brandon Boyd comes off, not as a poor singer, but as an uninspired songwriter.

Three of the best tracks on this album are given upfront; a slow building climactic opener that features unique instrumentation such as timpani, a pop oriented radio single, and a slow moving ballad that will give “Wish You Were Here” a run for its money with the ladies. It’s on the fourth track “Theives” were the album begins to take a dive. Surprisingly, the track starts off with an engaging oriental inspired lick only to be butchered by Boyd’s cringe worthy lyrics “When will I get mine or must I be a God fearing white American”. Such is the case with a majority of the album. While the rest of the tracks don’t suffer as much as “Thieves” they often come off as intangible and static; moving slowly without any captivating moments.

It is doubtful that this new album will bring Incubus any new attention that they didn’t already have. Luckily, I recognized a while ago that Incubus is a band that has already paid their dues and will most likely never write albums the same way again. With this I find myself content in a few phenomenal tracks and simply dismiss the rest.

Album Highlights: If Not Now, When? , Promises, Promises, Friends and Lovers, Adolescents

Album Low Points: Thieves, Switchblade

Gold Cobra - Limp Bizkit

Rating 7/10

As a Jacksonville native, and a teenager at the turn of the century, my early musical tastes were greatly influenced by Limp Bizkit. With that in mind I completely recognize that Limp Bizkit is a polarizing force; you either love them or you hate them. So, if you think Fred Durst is an arrogant prick and everything Limp Bizkit has ever done is garbage then this album is not for you. However, if you’ve been waiting for the past ten years to have something that could blow your face off the way Starfish, Significant Other, and Three Dollar Bill did, then I am pleased to inform you that Limp Bizkit is back.

Following a string of unsuccessful albums and an extended hiatus it finally seems as though Limp Bizkit has realized what side their bread is buttered on. Front man Fred Durst has abandoned the spoken word political candor, which ruined a musically phenomenal EP, and has returned to the classic hip hop rapping with occasional brutal screams. Also, with lyrics like “Waking up aggravated, stupid shit, man I hate it, bitches lying bitches crying”  and “ Everybody jumps from the sound of a shotgun. In my neighborhood everybody got one” it is safe to say that this album isn’t trying to say anything profound.  In fact Durst has completely retracted back to his threatening and careless attitude mixed with teen angst vocal styling’s; which is perfectly acceptable because it’s fun and completely self-aware.

            In a classic Limp Bizkit tradition, Gold Cobra starts with a short pointless intro track. Following that the album really takes off with “Bring it Back”, a track that takes guitar influences from Slayer and features Durst mimicking a Lil Jon type of “What” at the beginning. From there the album really keeps up the momentum with a majority of tracks that showcase guitarist Wes Borland’s chunky metal riffs. There are times where the band slows it down in reverb and delay soaked tracks that seem quite reminiscent of earlier work such as “Boiler”. Musically, most of the hip hop influence is gone as you will not find any tracks resembling “Getcha Groove On” or “N 2 Gether Now”, which seems to be a wise decision for now but one which shouldn’t be completely enforced in future endeavors. After all there is a DJ in the band, which doesn’t get much say in this album, and hip hop was a solid foundation for Limp Bizkit in the past and very well could be again in the future.

While this album isn’t perfect, it is certainly a step back in the right direction. After ten years it is nice to finally have an album the feels like a proper predecessor to Chocolate Starfish.

Album High Points: Bring it Back, Gold Cobra, Shotgun, Walking Away

Album Low Points: Douche Bag, 90.2.10, Killer in You

Bon Iver - Bon Iver

Rating 9/10

A sophomore album for a band that has a successful debut album is often a huge obstacle and a career defying moment. If the album is too similar to the debut album then the artist can be seen as a one trick type of band and fans can become disinterested. If the album departs too much from the original sound a band can be deemed too experimental and drive away fans that were attracted to the original sound. Such was the predicament for the Wisconsin band Bon Iver following their critically acclaimed debut album For Emma, Forever Ago in 2008. Now three years later Bon Iver has released a magnificent self titled album that further solidifies front man Justin Vernon’s ability to write consistently great songs.

Opening track “Perth” has been very appropriately described as a “Civil War-sounding heavy metal song” not necessarily because it is heavy but because it incorporates heavy elements such as rolling snares and double bass over hauntingly repetitive guitars. While the tracks differ amongst one another it is clear less than halfway through that Bon Iver has developed a shadowy type of album; featuring music that has a cold ethereal feel and the signature ghostly falsetto vocals of Justin Vernon, much like For Emma, Forever Ago. However, Bon Iver is certainly not a simple recreation of the first album. Instead the musical styling seems to have greatly matured and built itself off of the solid foundation that was laid in the debut. The songs have a much thicker feel to them, abandoning the raw stripped down sound of the previous album. Instead, Vernon incorporates various instrumentations such as horns, synth, and rhythmic bass and drums, and production elements such as auto tune. The new songs also seem to take inspirations from other artists with resemblances to a darker Dave Matthews on track “Minnesota WI” and even a retro influence that could be compared to artists like Phil Collins on “Beth/Rest”.

One of the appealing aesthetic choices that Vernon included on this album is the songs titles, which mostly feature names of places such as Minnesota WI, Hinnom TX, and Lisbon OH. This makes Bon Iver much more enjoyable for the fact that Vernon also includes visual images in his lyrics, like in the song Holocene “Strayed above the highway aisle jagged vacance, thick with ice, but I could see for miles, miles, miles”. This allows the listener to not only feel the location through the chilling music, but to see it through the lyrics, and to identify it through the title as well. Because Vernon keeps this theme consistent throughout Bon Iver, the album seems to borderline on a concept album which documents Vernon’s travels.

The only let down of this album is the length totaling ten tracks; including one instrumental. However, Vernon makes up for this with the fact that not a second of this album is wasted because there is absolutely no filler. Each track carries its own influences and creates its own atmosphere while still keeping the core Bon Iver sound with each track flowing effortlessly into the next; making this album wonderfully constructed.

            If you are a fan of the debut album then it only takes one listen to reveal that Bon Iver has given us an absolutely beautiful sophomore album. If you are new to this band I can assure you Bon Iver is a must have album for this year that is so easy to fall in love with.

Album High Points: Perth, Minnesota WI, Hinnom TX, Beth/Rest

Album Low Points:

Leisure Seizure – Tom Vek

Rating: 6/10

Taking six years in between albums is a risky move in the music world, especially if it’s only your second record. For a while it seemed as though Tom Vek had pulled a Gregg Alexander; dropping a unique album and then simply disappearing into the great unknown. Luckily, Vek is back with a sophomore album, Leisure Seizure that picks up right where he left off six years ago. If you are familiar with Vek’s We Have Sound you will notice that Leisure Seizure offers a production that comes off much more polished, but the lull off key vocals of Vek are still pretty much intact. If you are unfamiliar with Vek you may just assume you are listening to the newest venture by Beck.

The album opener “Hold Your Hand” starts with a choppy mid tempo electro beat that has a feel reminiscent of Animal Collective and Kenna. The track is slow to build and excessively repetitive leaving an underwhelming first impression. Luckily the second track “Aroused” brings the album into full swing with a much more groove oriented beat and holds that momentum over the next few tracks. It becomes clear about halfway through that Leisure Seizure fluctuates in quality; diving into droning apathy only to pick itself back up into infectious hooks. The biggest factor seems to lie in how tactful Vek is in his lazily delivered vocals. For the amount of songs that work with Vek’s monotone approach there is an equal amount that fall flat. Regardless of the vocals though, most of these songs will have you at least shaking your hips.

The lyrics off this album come off loose and dethatched occasionally saying something engaging such as “What you perceive of life is no more than a chore” off the lead single “A Chore” . But Leisure Seizure doesn’t strike me as an album that trying to say anything profound but merely uses words for their sounds and affects more than their actual meanings.

So are the best songs off this album enough to carry it along? The bottom line is there are phenomenal songs on this album that deserve their rightful dues; it’s just a matter of sifting through the clutter.

Album High Points: Aroused, A Chore, A.P.O.L.O.G.Y., Someone Loves You

Album Low Points: Hold Your Hand, World of Doubt

England Keep My Bones – Frank Turner

Rating 8/10

In 2005 Frank Turner traded in his hardcore band, Million Dead, for an acoustic guitar and a solo career and has been better for it ever since. Now he has released his fourth studio album in four years and England Keep My Bones stands to prove that Frank Turner has matured significantly as a singer songwriter since his debut release.

Upon diving into the album one thing becomes immediately clear; Frank Turner is still a man who sings with conviction. Lyrically, Turner covers a variety of subjects on this album touching on heritage, religion, identity, music, and love. With the opening track “Eulogy” we find Turner in very familiar territory, merely justifying his own existence, as he belts out “Well I haven't always been a perfect person and I haven't done what mom and dad had dreamed but on the day I die I'll say, at least I fucking tried, that's the only eulogy I need”. Even the seemingly awkward lyrics of the album closer “Glory Hallelujah” “There is no God so clap your hands together” are made addictive by Turner’s sing along song approach that will leave these words and melodies etched into your mind for days.

            England Keep My Bones treads on familiar territories musically, sticking with the core acoustic folk punk sound heard in previous albums. However, there are some songs on this album that seem to pull influence from other places. One song that particularly sticks out is lead single “Peggy Sang the Blues” which could easily be mistaken for a top forties pop song from the late nineties. Another pleasant surprise comes from “English Curse” which features an A cappella Turner singing traditional English folklore “If you steal the land of an Englishman then you will know this curse. Your first born son's warm blood will run upon the English earth”.

            Dynamically, England Keep My Bones stays comfortably in the middle without much variance. There are a couple exceptions such as “One Foot Before the Other”, a track that showcases a heavier side to Turner’s song writing ability, and the enchanting “Nights Become Days” a slower ballad of sorts. However, the lack of musical rollercoaster doesn’t seem to hurt the album but provides it with a more consistent and encompassing sound.

By taking a bit more time to write and record, it seems as though Turner has been able to really flourish in his own element, constructing an album where each track holds its own. The release of England Keep My Bones finds Turner moving on from just a cult following to a much more influential role in British music.

Album Highlights: Peggy Sang the Blues, English Curse, One Foot Before the Other, Nights Become Days

Album Low Points:

With Shivering Hearts We Wait – Blindside

Rating 4/10

Blindside began building nationwide popularity with their single “Pitiful” in 2002. This is of course the same year that singles were released by bands such as The Strokes, The Vines, The White Stripes, and Queens of the Stone Age. With this in mind I believe it’s fair to say the Blindside had the times on their side regarding their popularity as mainstream rock music began to pull away from the Nu Metal genre and branch into different sounds. Furthermore, Blindside had Christ on their side, in a sense, as the sub culture of Christian rock music gave new attention to bands such P.O.D. who would ultimately take Blindside under their wing. Now, nearly ten years later, Blindside has released a new album entitled With Shivering Hearts We Wait to a music scene that is quite different then the one they left behind.

After a four year hiatus, Blindside once again teamed up with producer Howard Benson with whom they had worked with on two previous albums; their most commercially successful ones to date. This decision reflects heavily on the sound of the album as the production influences a significant amount of appeal at the core of the songs themselves. This is evident in the opening track “There Must Be Something in the Water”, as the song closes with dramatically orchestrated strings that will only leave a live version of this track sounding empty and lacking. While these tactics are used often and plentiful throughout the album, they tend to just come off as gimmicky like in the closing track “There Must Be Something in the Wind” as the rock song simply fades into a random techno beat and then once again into orchestrated strings to end the album.

Musically the album always seems to be grasping at something more than just the typical post-hardcore licks that Blindside has been known for. This is evident on the track “My Heart Escapes” with bouncy verses that feature guitars that sound heavily influenced by a post-punk sound. However, the potential of something more musically developed always fades as the songs progress. Vocally and lyrically is where the album seems to be lacking the most. For the most part the vocals are simply static, producing a style that seems expected, but there are a few tracks in which the lyrics are just too corny. “Monster on the Radio” seems to be the bands attempt to actually create another radio single with an ironic line “I’ll give everything I have and more to be a monster on the radio” and then there’s the track “Bloodstained Hollywood Ending” which features a cliché chorus of “I crossed my heart and hoped to die”.

There is a point on the album where everything seems to fall into place showcasing Blindside’s ability to write great songs “Our Love Saves Us” is where the potential really manifests itself and you can see what Blindside was trying to accomplish with this album by utilizing synth effects to create an airier atmosphere and emotionally engaging vocals that move the listener.

The overall impression of With Shivering Hearts We Wait is a post-hardcore album that has simply been repackaged with a less appealing turn around. Ultimately, Blindside has created an album that isn’t terrible but is easily forgettable.

Album Highlights: Our Love Saves Us, There Must Be Something in the Wind

Album Low Points: Monster on the Radio, Bloodstained Hollywood Ending

Suck It and See – Arctic Monkeys

Rating 8/10

It is nearly impossible to go into a new Arctic Monkeys album without expectations, but at the same time it is difficult to know what to expect. Fortunately, it doesn’t seem as though the Monkeys are interested in making the same album twice. This is not to say that any of the previous albums were lacking, but the Monkeys had begun to build a reputation for moving into seemingly darker territories with each new release. This left fans wondering if the band would dive into murkier waters after the release of their third album Humbug. In fact, Suck It and See provides a wonderful juxtaposition to the dark psychedelic sound of Humbug with songs that are refreshing, breezy, and light-hearted.

The album begins with opening track “She’s Thunderstorms”; a dreamy mellow pop song that sets the tone for the majority of the album. As the album progresses it becomes clear that the album not only carries a much more mellow tone than previous albums, but a distinct vintage tone as well. This is illustrated in the third track “Brick by Brick”, who’s foundation is built on crunchy California rock guitars that sound as if they’re straight from the 60’s. This change in style seems to be at least partially influenced by the fact that the Arctic Monkeys recorded the album entirely in Los Angeles.

Of course one of the most signature attributes of any Monkey’s album is the exceedingly clever and poetic lyrics by front man Alex Turner. Turner fails to disappoint on Suck It and See with some romanticized storytelling and great one liners such as, “I took the batteries out my mysticism and put them in my thinking cap”, “I’ve tried to ask you this in some daydreams that I’ve had but you’re always busy being make believe”, and “that’s not a skirt girl that’s a sawn off shotgun and I can only hope you’ve got it aimed at me”.

The most difficult thing to swallow about Suck It and See is the pacing, which is due largely to the arrangement of the songs. It’s not as though the album lacks punch, with songs like “All My Own Stunts” and “Library Pictures” adding in the fast paced gritty rock sounds the band developed during their ventures in Humbug and Favourite Worst Nightmare. Rather the issue lies in the fact that the last half of the album tends to blur into a single love crooning ballad. Unfortunately, each one of these songs, on their own, stand out as some of the albums strongest and more memorable songs. Even the seemingly recycled “Piledriver Waltz”, a song that was released on Turner’s solo EP just three months ago, meshes will with overall vintage sound of the album. However, the album’s closer, “That’s Where Your Wrong”, is certainly worth the wait as wispy guitars and alluring vocals build into a signature climactically closing track that wraps up the album nicely.

Despite this minor setback of a seemingly unbalanced album, Suck It and See is certainly one of the year’s biggest highlights in music and is most certainly a wonderful addition to the Arctic Monkey’s already impressive portfolio. With an appropriate summer release, Suck It and See will be the perfect soundtrack to a tall glass of lemonade, a convertible cruise amidst a setting sun, and a starry-eyed summer romance.

Album Highlights: Black Treacle, The Hellcat Spangled Shalalala, All My Own Stunts, That’s Where Your Wrong

Album Low Points: Piledriver Waltz