EMA - Past Life Martyred Saints

By looking at this album cover, what kind of music would you guess it garners? Well, maybe you have a better guess than I did, but in seeing this cover I imagined something along the lines of dance pop, party sort of music. I think it's the necklace that does it. However this album is certainly far removed from dance music of any sort.

Erika M. Anderson (aka EMA) is a singer/songwriter from the midwest that used to be in a band called Gowns, which I haven't listened to but I've heard described as "freak folk" or "noise folk". I suppose you could put this album in the same category. What you have here are acoustics, EMA's raw, emotional, sometimes shaky vocals, and a lot of filters put through. There are times in this album where the instruments are swelled to a wall of sound, not unlike noise rock, and there are times where it sounds much more singer/songwriter-ish. And the album flip flops between them in a way that actually makes it pretty appealing. EMA always has very abrasive lyrics here, but very honest, not unlike most singer/songwriter's. And she doesn't try to sound pretty when she sings, not at all. Her voice can almost be brooding at times with her half-singing half-talking, and it can get pretty powerful when things start getting noisy

The mood of this album is definitely not on the positive side. It isn't the most depressing or angry album I've ever heard, but it's what could be described as a "bedroom album". Something you listen to on a Friday night when you're home alone and sick of the world. The lyrics sound like the kind of things you'd write in your journal as a stream of conscious, you're not paying attention to any sort of rhyme scheme or the words flowing through together, but when they're sung here EMA's approach to vocals only compliments it and makes them feel like they could be something from your own personal journal. In some songs she sounds very angry and negative (California), going on about the things she can't stand, and in others she's more vulnerable (Marked), and she switches between the two like most people with emotional problems do. I think everyone can relate to that feeling of not being able to control your emotional swings like that. And reading the lyrics along with listening can add another layer to the experience. So this album is cathartic, to say the least.

Yet despite all these compliments, I'm still not totally loving this album. I definitely like, but it's not completely blowing me away like it is some people. I really really like the honesty I get from this album, which is what attracts me to most singer/songwriter music. However the main problem this album suffers from is having it's best song being the first on the album. Now this isn't always a problem, I know a ton of albums that have their best song as the first, being the thing that draws you in and sets the mood and tone for the rest of the experience. Here it seems like it would be a much more appropriate closing track. I know it sound like I'm nit picking, and I suppose I am, but after the opening song it seems like nothing else quite adds up to it. Not to mention that the first track is the most "accessible" song, so it's very possible that it could leave the wrong impression. On this album there are a few songs that I really really enjoy, only one being in the second half and even then just barely. There are only nine songs on this album, and the last three or so in my opinion fall really flat and just don't close the album like it should. Others might feel different but since I got this album it's been the kind where I go in, listen to my favorite songs off of it, then usually turn it off at that point. So while there are a lot of things I like here, and there are songs I could say I love, as a whole it just doesn't quite hold up like I think it should. 

I will say that I'm excited to see what's next for EMA and where she'll go next, and hope that her next album fixes the issues I had with this one. I'd suggest this album for those that like their singer/songwriters to be female, and more on the experimental side. And also for those that are looking for some more sad and emotional 2011 albums. But if you don't like singer/songwriter or "sadcore" music, then you won't like this. Check it out and see what you think of what a lot of people are calling one of their favorites of the year.

3/5

Favorites: The Grey Ship, Anteroom, Marked.

Listen: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8FP5IIPcnNI

Wild Beasts - Smother

This is one of those occasions where I feel like I'm really late on the bandwagon. Wild Beasts are a four-piece "indie" group from England that have been causing a bit of a buzz lately. I didn't hear of them until this album, but apparently they've been around since about 2002. However this is only their third full length LP, following two very well received predecessors from 2008 and 2009. And although this is my first time hearing one of their albums in their entirety, I've heard some of their earlier works for the sake of this review and their sound has definitely been evolving.
Smother isn't too much of a departure from their sound, but I'd say it's definitely a departure in mood. Their first two albums seemed much more playful, where as this one seems almost sinister, but in a very sexual way. Just about every song and all the lyrics on this album are about sexual desire. And normally for me that would get boring after a bit. Don't get me wrong, I like my sexy songs, but unless you change it up and manage to keep it genuine or put an interesting twist on it I will get sick of it. But thankfully this album steers from that, in my opinion. The music itself and the way it's presented is itself seductive, but strange. When the first song "Lion's Share" comes on (if you're not familiar with Wild Beasts) it will no doubt seem strange to you, the vocals and lyrics in particularly and probably even put you off. However as things go on it quickly is very appealing and very addicting, and the second you let your guard down it just grabs you. For me it was a very fitting experience with the context of the album. Because that's just how seduction works. It takes you by surprise and, if it's tricks work, you're sucked in and you're stuck. Within the first couple songs it's performing it's mating dance for you, and then you either stay excited and wanting more, or leaving annoyed and put off. And if you stay wanting more, I can tell you you'll be quite satisfied with what you get.
I had a bit of trouble on how to tag the genres of this album. It has elements of indie, I suppose, and it's influenced by quite a bit of electronics, but I really don't like putting it under either of those blanket terms. A lot of people are calling it "dream pop", which I've had little experience in, so I'm not too sure if that's what you'd call it or not. But it is very dream like, and it does have pop moments, so why not. However I think production wise this probably doesn't fit in with any of those. The production is very clean, little to no reverb whatsoever, which in my opinion is refreshing because sooooo many lately have just been drowning themselves in reverb, no matter what genre they are. I like reverb sometimes but lately I've been getting so sick of it that this is incredibly refreshing. However this album, the vocals in particular, can be kind of hard to swallow. There are two vocalists, Hayden Thorpe, and Tom Fleming. The former singing in a falsetto that seems almost alien like vocals, that can be really off putting at first but you either grow used to it and start to love it very quickly or you'll go in the entirely opposite direction just as fast. The latter however, while being by no means a baritone, has a deeper voice and sings in his own strange way that sounds almost... throatless? I have no idea how else to describe it. Kind of how you sound after you've finally gotten over a terrible cold you had for like a week and your nasal passages are clean for the first time in so long. Something like that. Anyways, in my opinion Tom's vocals don't bring as much to the plate as Hayden's do, and the tracks where he's leading are probably my least favorites, but at the same time I think that without that dynamic there this album wouldn't be quite as appealing. As for the instrumentation, it's incredibly cerebral. There's a lot of percussion going on, and very beat orientated tracks with the vocals leading the way most of the time. And while there are lots of guitar and bass things going on their less in the foreground than you'd maybe expect. Then with the production there are a lot of subtleties going on that compliment the instrumentation and give it more of that other worldly feeling. None of these songs are particularly upbeat either, but not sad either. They fit the content of the song meanings very well though, and on songs like "Plaything" and "Lion's Share" they are appropriately inviting, but in almost a suspicious way. And songs like "Bed of Nails" and "Albatross" give almost a feeling of yearning, just like the songs. Like a desire you can't have, or desiring something that you used to have.
I don't have any particularly big gripes with this album, honestly. However I can say there are some short, rare moments where I might lose interest in the song, although it's usually very brief. It's just there are a few songs in here that at times feel they start to kind of lose themselves and you want it to have some sort of major shift to grab you back. For me these moments mainly occur on the tracks that Tom is taking the lead vocals, which might be my main problem. Others might find his additions more interesting than I do, but this gripe is really the only one that I have and other than that I can say this album has got me completely addicted to it's ethereal take on desire. This album has quite a few tracks that I absolutely love and the rest fall just under that.
I would suggest this to anyone that likes some odd music, or seductive music. However if you're really picky on your vocals, or really cynical about them, you probably will be put off. But I highly recommend you listen to a song or two, because that should immediately tell you whether or not this is your thing. What do you have to lose besides a few minutes? I can see some people really not liking this sort of thing, but those that do will likely fall in love with it. Give it a shot.

4.5/5

Favorites: Bed of Nails, Albatross, Plaything
Listen: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qUJYqhKZrwA

Death Cab For Cutie - Codes and Keys

 

You could call me a casual Death Cab For Cutie fan. A few years ago I grabbed a few albums, namely Transatlanticism, Something About Airplanes, and We Have the Facts and We're Voting Yes. I really enjoy those albums, as a lot of people do.  But as I said, I'm a pretty casual Death Cab fan. When I looked into their songs from other albums - mostly the two most recent other than this album I'll be reviewing - I was pretty disappointed. So I never bothered to go further than that.
If you somehow don't know, Death Cab For Cutie is a band formed in the late 90's that exploded on the indie scene with their first four albums. After this they signed to a major label and that's when a lot of people fell out with them. I'm not the type to scream "sell out" when a previously independent band goes mainstream, but I do wonder how much their signing to Atlantic had to do with the fall out with some of their fans. Regardless, they certainly still have fans. But Death Cab has always been one of those love them or hate them bands on principal, and a lot of people will continue to just love or hate them on principal with this album.
I listened to this album mostly out of curiosity. As I said, I have a few of their albums but the most recent album I really bothered to give a full listen with them came out in 2003. I wanted to see how their sound had evolved - or not evolved - in those years. Honestly I expected to be pretty underwhelmed by this album. And that's true, partially. On my first listen I remember getting very easily distracted and I stopped it about half way through and barely remembered what I'd heard. However the next day I gave it a more earnest shot, focused more on the music and turned it up a bit and was more pleasantly surprised. And with each listen I found myself getting more and more into it, if only by a bit. But there's nothing ground breaking going on here though, that's for sure. While the Death Cab albums I'm used to were quite depressing and good to listen to on a rainy day with the feeling of heartache, this album has a complete mood change from that. Here I get a big feeling of optimism. Not sure if I'd use the word "upbeat", but definitely optimistic. While older albums were mostly about heartbreak, lost loves, loves that never were and the like, this one is more about the start of a relationship and romantic optimism. This could obviously be linked with the head of the band getting married recently, but I digress. However this still definitely sounds like a Death Cab album, and I'm certainly not going to crucify them for changing their mood, but for casual fans like me and fans of their earlier albums are going to be caught off guard at first. But I say good for them not trying to stick to a niche that's proved to help them get popular. There is a track in here that really reminds me of Transatlanticism though, and that's Unobstructed View, which is definitely my favorite track on the album. Probably just for that reason, it sounds like the Death Cab I love. It's the only track that really takes me back, and while they haven't changed their sound a lot it just seems almost like it's trying too hard to be what it is. It really wants you to like it and is waiting for you to give it compliments. That's how I felt, anyways. It might be because there's quite a bit more production going on here than in previous albums, which a lot of times can give off that "phoney" feeling. There are a lot more subtle electronic manipulations going on here that aren't totally in your face but still seem pretty obvious.
Overall the album is pretty decent. I was expecting to not really like it, but I actually found myself enjoying many moments much more than I thought I would. With that said, I gotta say it still did underwhelm me a bit. While it's pretty enjoyable while you listen, it barely leaves an impression. There are catchy hooks and melodies but once they're gone, they're gone. They won't get stuck in your head and when the album is over you'll likely move on to something else and soon forget about it, but what it does it does pretty well and it's a nice optimistic album I can see being played in cars on people's way to work. And who knows, maybe it will stick with you more than me.

If you like Death Cab, this album at least deserves you give it a shot. I can see a lot of people hating this album though, but I can also see some being pleasantly surprised as I was. If you like or love these guys, while it has it's differences it is still definitely a Death Cab album. And if you hate Death Cab For Cutie on principle, this isn't going to change your opinion. The few that have never heard one of their albums I'd encourage to give the album a listen. Just take it for what it is, forget about how they "sold out". You might end up digging it. Also it's probably worth repeating that I didn't start to enjoy the album at all until my second listen, so it might be the same for you.

3/5

Favorite tracks: Codes and Keys, Doors Unlocked and Open, Unobstructed Views