1YRON

BEACH HOUSE
BLOOM

ORIGINAL RELEASE DATE: MAY 14TH 2012
1YRON’S TOP 52 RECORDS OF 2012 RANKING: #22

Much of the divisive attitude towards Beach House’s fourth record “Bloom” centred around the question of just how much longer a band could keep pushing a sound that effectively remains unaltered not just throughout the whole record in question but across all their previous records. For some, this ‘lack of progression’ from such a singular record as 2010’s “Teen Dream” would’ve been forgiven were it not for the massive critical and commercial gushing that it acquired upon its release. Hype, it seems, works very well for this Baltimore duo. What gives both sides to these arguments actual weight is the sound of the music to an uninitiated, outside source. There’s vocalist Victoria Legrand’s vocals which can be taken as soulful and caressing or downright bland and waning. Then there’s the music, a concoction of looped synths and shimmering guitars that ruminate in the most circular of fashions, intent on conjuring an internal tornado from the thick layers of sound so lovingly sculpted by their two creators. To some, this is even more unbearable than Legrand’s vocals. Believe me when I say that in the past year since Beach House truly broke big, I’ve heard as many compliments as I have disses.

As is often the case I can see both sides of the argument. “Bloom” gets off to a winning start with lead single “Myth” and the even more spectacular “Wild.” Whether you’re delving into expansive, wall-of-noise epics such as “10 Mile Stereo” or the domestic lullabies of “Holy Dances” and “Wedding Bell,” Beach House have always sounded best through headphones. “Bloom” is no different and for all its failings, these guys have succeeded in sculpting another sound world through which you can enter and quite safely become absorbed in. “Quite safely” is the key phrase in that sentence, since “Bloom” quickly descends into a place where everything begins to sound like something we have already heard before. “The Hours” and “New Year” remain the standout tracks on the middle-latter part of the album yet are surrounded by songs that seem to meander aimlessly. The problem with “Bloom” is that, while sounding great on that initial play, repeated listens actually do nothing to warrant an extended interest. Unlike some who have suggested that more time spent with “Bloom” reveals its layers, that it essentially ‘blooms,’ I found myself overwhelmingly enthralled this time last year only to quickly lose interest when I realised that many of these songs don’t really go anywhere.

Perhaps I’m being a little too critical of a band who have found a brilliant formula within the dream-pop landscape and who are essentially mining it for all it’s worth. Within that landscape there is no doubt that Beach House are the progenitors. Dream-pop as we’ve come to know it is a sound that encompasses a wide range of bands from all over the world and from all different backgrounds, yet no one has had quite as much crossover appeal as Beach House. One issue I have with Beach House is that they can quickly put me on a downer. As beautiful and ethereal as this music is, there’s something inherently despairing in Legrand’s vocals that came about with the release of “Teen Dream”. On “Devotion,” she radiated warmth with a compassion that compelled us to grab a cup of coffee and curl up by the fire as snow fell outside the window. It was romantic on a number of levels. On “Teen Dream” and “Bloom,” she’s out there in the snow and it’s an often inhospitable place to experience for the listener, too. I personally found more to explore in Wild Nothing’s superb “Nocturne,” released towards the end of the year, a record that delivers a similar dream-pop sound to Beach House but with more focus on melody and rhythm. Jana Hunter, lead vocalist of Lower Dens (another Baltimore based group), sounds similar to Legrand but is pushing her vocals into much more interesting places. Last year’s excellent sophomore album “Nootropics” is evidence of her ability to distort time passing with her subliminal phrasings. Beach House are generally excellent at what they do. It’s just that what they do now needs some serious fine-tuning.

6 days ago 3 notes

LOWER DENS
NOOTROPICS

ORIGINAL RELEASE DATE: APRIL 30TH 2012
1YRON’S TOP 52 RECORDS OF 2012 RANKING: #29

Baltimore based rock outfit Lower Dens are curious about the idea of transhumanism. It’s a popular interest in their immediate social circle and it informed many of the recording processes surrounding their second album “Nootropics.” Transhumanism is defined by attempts made to improve the human condition by developing widely available technologies to enhance our intellectual and physical capabilities. The mistake that some people have made when placing this in context with “Nootropics” is that the record is wholly about transhumanism. Lead singer and band frontwoman Jana Hunter has been quick to dispel these myths, choosing to equate the record’s themes with conversations surrounding society in general and how our primal instincts co-exist with our modern day technological embraces. It’s perhaps not surprising that latching on to a key idea such as transhumanism became the basis for most people’s understanding of the music on the album. In the same way Paul Thomas Anderson’s “The Master” became known in wider circles as ‘that Scientology movie’, it’s possible that we feel more comfortable in reducing complex, multi-faceted (and subsequently less familiar) concepts and notions down to their base components. “Nootropics” works in a similar way. The music here is elusive and incredibly far-reaching, going that extra mile to expand the band’s sonic palette by some distance. It’s a dark and often menacing album inspired by art rock from decades gone by which should find a home amongst the record collections of those drawn to the more brooding elements of rock.

The eerie underworld sprawl of opener “Alphabet Song” bestows unfettered percussion and is laced with rich vocals that sets a precedent from which one might envisage it hard for the band to top, yet of course this is followed by “Brains,” the band’s defining moment thus far. With its heady synths and slow, carnal build of tension which it sustains and releases towards its climactic outro, “Brains” almost renders everything else inconsequential. It’s propelled by elements of krautrock and is the most fully-realised song they’ve ever knocked out. Wisely, it segues smoothly into “Stem,” a two minute instrumental that retains the momentum of what’s gone before whilst introducing waves of curling guitar lines. Elsewhere, the five minute wonder “Propagation” slowly concocts swirling vocal melodies into one giant rotating system. There’s a gradual tension building here, yet it’s subtleties prevent it from ever becoming ostentatious. “Lamb,” meanwhile, could very well be deemed ostentatious with its towering vocal performance from Hunter were it not for its deft control and considered balancing act. She’s a dead ringer for Beach House’s Victoria Legrand, yet the sounds she sings on top of are less dream-pop and more goth-pop. There’s a level of despair here that Beach House, even in their darkest moments, cannot communicate. Of course the two bands are wildly different beasts and with Lower Dens, that darkness is clearly one of their greatest strengths. “Nootropics” is proof of a band going from strength to strength, making wise decisions about the direction that their vehicle moves in. Not only does “Nootropics” act as a continuation of the bold, dead-of-night soundscapes on “Twin Hand Movement,” it signals a sort of second coming, one that sees them reborn. Where they go from here is anyone’s guess, but the potential for a true work of genius is well within reach.

2 weeks ago 2 notes

SANTIGOLD
MASTER OF MY MAKE-BELIEVE

ORIGINAL RELEASE DATE: APRIL 23RD 2012
1YRON’S TOP 52 RECORDS OF 2012 RANKING: #47

One thing that comes to mind when listening to Santigold’s second album “Master Of My Make-Believe” is how quickly and ruthlessly the pop market changes. Her self-titled debut “Santogold” (as she was then known) was released in 2008 and signalled the emergence of a fresh new talent, one whose rise to stardom was almost wholly fuelled by internet word-of-mouth. Across 2008 and well into 2009, “Santogold” acquired a sort of ubiquity. Not only was this record fresh and exciting, it actually had the production chops and songwriting craft to back up its position as a cross-culture, genre-hopping behemoth. There’s a popular opinion that Lady GaGa changed everything upon her arrival a few months later. Suddenly, every major female pop start of the previous twenty years (and I’ll reluctantly include Madonna in that category) was rendered out of fashion and behind the times. Fast forward four years and Santigold finds herself in a similar position. Where once she enjoyed a dual urban and mainstream popularity akin to that of M.I.A., Santi White is now somewhat spectacularly out of fashion. “Master Of My Make-Believe” is actually a great album, it’s just not the right album for the current pop climate. Continually perceiving the outside world with blinkers firmly placed, the world of pop is a narrow and extremely fickle business. The tried and tested formula goes something like this: it doesn’t matter how accomplished White’s follow-up is, she simply took too long to get it out there.

This is a sad fact. “…Make-Believe” was met with mixed reviews, some praising it for its maturity and further exploration of the sounds initiated on her debut, whilst others criticised its apparent cold and calculated attempts to flog a dead horse. Personally, I find that this album holds up even better after one year than it did upon initial release. Every single track boasts a memorable hook or melody and not a single one feels contrived. Opener “Go!” is the album’s only faltering moment, feature a guest spot from Karen O which leads us to believe that everything that follows will be more of the same. Nothing could be further from the truth, and lead single “Disparate Youth” is a clearer indicator of the album’s sincerity and poignancy. With its anthemic rousing chorus, “Disparate Youth” is the album’s high water mark. The ominous tone induced here spreads across the whole album and its most affecting moments arrive on songs like “This Isn’t Our Parade” and “The Riot’s Gone.” Similar in style and approach, this couplet represent the beating heart of the record. “God From The Machine” and “The Keepers” perpetuate this trend of placing emotions and sentiment before beats. It’s a sign of maturity. Suddenly, it’s clear why White took four years to release it.

The razor sharp sounds for which Santigold became known are still present, however. They’ve been tamed slightly, but songs like the superb “Fame” and “Pirate In The Water” are all the proof needed that White maintains her talent for spinning ear-wormy hooks out of the most expertly-produced beats. “Look At These Hoes” and “Big Mouth” concoct a dual finale and round out the album in a way that recalls the best moments of “Santogold.” The frenetic energy of the former recalls “Creator” whilst the latter builds tribal drums into a whirling cacophony that is utterly mesmerising. Overall, “…Make-Believe” may well be a greater accomplishment than its predecessor and it’s a shame that the world really forgot Santigold in her four year absence. “Santogold” paved the way for more offbeat female artists to take the floor. Nicki Minaj and GaGa would’ve found it perhaps a little more difficult to ingratiate themselves with international markets had Santi White not made her move the year prior. Let’s not forgot that this ‘breed’ of pop music is most popular among youths who are incredibly adept at navigating social networks, blogging platforms and music forum panels. Santigold’s emergence in those arenas was significant at the time, perhaps more so than anyone realised at the time. “…Make-Believe” makes it obvious enough, it’s just a shame no one realises since half of those who were paying attention four years ago have long forgotten and moved onto something else.

3 weeks ago 3 notes

ACTRESS
R.I.P

ORIGINAL RELEASE DATE: APRIL 23RD 2012
1YRON’S TOP 52 RECORDS OF 2012 RANKING: #6

London-based producer Darren Cunningham (aka Actress) has always revelled in the unexpected, his previous forays into experimental techno reaping bountiful rewards with “Hazyville” and the 2010 breakthrough set “Splaszh.” “R.I.P” takes a complete left turn by veering toward a thorough examination of innovative sounds and abstract beats. It is a bold, difficult and challenging listening experience. Words like ‘brave’ and ‘courageous’ even come to mind, simply because there aren’t any other producers out there that are, first of all, making music this dynamic or invigorating and, secondly, pulling it off with such a level of success where it feels as though the rule book is being completely rewritten in the process. Attempting to describe the textures and shades of “R.I.P” will eventually lead one to refer to other such artists as Burial or Zomby. Both are incredibly talented musicians in their own right yet somewhat closer in vein to traditional expectations of dub or electronica. The ambient works of Aphex Twin and Oneohtrix Point Never are perhaps a more accurate comparison, yet “R.I.P” works on a number of very different levels. Cunningham has crafted an album around a particular theme, that of life and death and its associations with the mythological and perhaps even the ancient historical. With titles like “Holy Water,” “Tree Of Knowledge” and “Caves Of Paradise,” “R.I.P” transforms its exploration of new sonic worlds into something deeper and more life-altering, perhaps even spiritual.

“R.I.P” is not a beat-driven album, nor does it bestow any vocals across its fifteen tracks. To obtain the most from “R.I.P” requires headphones and a patient ear that is prepared to experience it in the intended sequence without breaks or shuffling. Indeed, part of what makes it such a challenging listen is that nothing much appears to be happening. Seemingly devoid of beats, there is little to cling onto for those hoping for a quick fix. When the residue of a beat actually does emerge, or a vestige of a looping motif presents itself like a flicker of sunlight through the dark recesses of an underground cave, these simply move in sparse, often frustrating half-patterns. “Marble Plexus” appears like a bouncing mirage as shuffling bass slithers along its belly, all the while steel drums caress a sassy fuzz-bass in a warm embrace. “Shadow From Tartarus” takes a similar approach with its crushing fuzz-bass line from which a gleaming synth progression emerges. These elements are bristling with life and a wisdom that seems to almost pre-date the written word. “Jardin” and “Serpent” are both strategically placed, each informing the other and ruminating on a single motif. Where “Plexus” and “Tartarus” weave a complex web of intrigue and mystery by way of layered textures, “Jardin” and “Serpent” are transparent and crystalline. The former feels lost, constantly trying to establish itself a more rhythmic foundation and communicating itself as a child-like, almost infantile object surrounded by older, more dominant soundscapes. “Raven” feels like that natural progression; the child has evolved into something more concrete, not complete by any means yet well on its way to fruition through creeping algorithms and a sort of hissing static.

“R.I.P” saves many of its greatest surprises until the end, and it could be argued that its final third section is its strongest. On “Caves Of Paradise,” a pendulum drops and maintains a swinging momentum as clicks, beeps and muffled grunts navigate uncharted territory. It’s here that “R.I.P” is at its most exploratory, pushing forward with a pace that Cunningham has previously (and wisely) avoided. “The Lord’s Graffiti” takes this progression and transforms it into the album’s only true club banger as a spectacular prism of light emerges from the dim. It’s over before we’re given chance to nestle into its translucent groove, but it’s replaced with the gorgeous “N.E.W.” as subtle tones and rising chimes recall Boards Of Canada or perhaps Brian Eno. Here though, it feels more like a spiritual successor to “Ascending,” a much earlier “R.I.P” highlight that mimics a brisk underwater synth dive, swishing around through all manner of permutations revealing craters of negative space. Those negative pauses are brief, but they feel as though they could be synced precisely with “N.E.W.” to reveal a cohesive whole. Not only is “R.I.P” the kind of album that demands to be heard with attentive ears, it’s one which feels a lot more physical than the majority of electronic/techno/ambient/dub/post-whatever albums that have been doing the rounds of late. At once complex and shockingly graceful, one almost feels compelled to cast it high in the air only to freeze it, explode its components and thoroughly examine every single cog and wheel that went into the formation of such a beautiful piece of work.

3 weeks ago

JACK WHITE
BLUNDERBUSS

ORIGINAL RELEASE DATE: APRIL 23RD 2012
1YRON’S TOP 52 RECORDS OF 2012 RANKING: #20

It’s a well known fact that Jack White is one of the most productive musicians around. So whilst it’s hardly surprising that he would eventually release a solo album, what is surprising is just how complete “Blunderbuss” feels from the word go. Considering his work with the Raconteurs, Dead Weather, Third Man Records and all manner of other collaborations, it seems unfathomable how he found the time to schedule this album. The result is the kind of sound one would expect having closely followed the stratospheric career trajectory of The White Stripes over the course of their six albums between 1999 and 2007. The key infusions of blues, folk and R&B are here in abundance that it feels like the Stripes’ unrecorded seventh album. If “Blunderbuss” recalls the sound of any one White Stripes album it would be 2005’s ‘experimental’ “Get Behind Me Satan,” their penultimate release and (funnily enough) their most divisive amongst fans and critics alike. Trading guitars for pianos for at least half the album was a step in the right direction on “…Satan,” and it’s a choice that works well on “Blunderbuss,” too.

At its heart “Blunderbuss” is a break-up record, but not in the vein of the traditional singer-songwriter. Across thirteen tracks White charts the inevitable rise and fall of past relationships, scrutinising and dissecting every element with a knowing eye and a tongue in cheek. This album comes with a warning sticker: a warning about how brutal and destructive love can be, yet the message we seem to be inspired to take from that warning is how much it fucks our own lives up. In true selfish fashion, the other person in the relationship is cast aside as a demon, vilified for their part in the break-up. What’s perhaps noteworthy is that there’s true pain here in the lyrics, but it passes through like a summer breeze on some of the tightest, most beautiful music White has ever committed to tape. Remaining as theatrical and eccentric as ever, he wisely surrounds himself with a bunch of really great musicians to take care of bulking out these impressive cuts. Centrepiece numbers like “Hypocritical Kiss” and “Weep Themselves To Sleep” are built around gorgeous piano riffs that rise and tumble over crashing drum and guitar segments, while the title track weaves blues and folk tones across sliding guitar in one of the most poignant songs here.

The screaming riffs of “Sixteen Saltines” recall vintage White Stripes but the interplay between the lyrics and the melodies has improved. Likewise, “Freedom At 21” protracts a brilliant guitar solo and teases it out along a tightrope one minute in. The violence and vitriol of “Love Interruption” is counteracted by an almost comic vocal delivery, and closer “Take Me With You When You Go” shifts between a waltzing introduction before turning on its heels and shuffling out the door with insistent guitar riffs that provide a memorable ending. An overarching aim of The White Stripes seemed to be constructing a wall of sound from the most minimal use of instruments possible. In that respect, “Blunderbuss” is a busier record yet retains a sense of simplicity that allows these songs to slowly unfold with a patience that was missing from the youthful fervour of his work a decade prior. It’s also a sign of the times. White is older now and approaching middle age. It’s hard not to wonder what he will be like in thirty or forty years time and how the bitter disappointments of years gone by will shift his perception. Perhaps it’s inevitable but throughout “Blunderbuss” one gets the sense that White is paying more attention to the details. It’s doubtful that those unimpressed with The White Stripes will find anything new to love here. Those who fell out of love with White’s forays into other avenues in the past six or seven years (but who perhaps remain stalwart to his early work with Meg) should find their passion rekindled here. “Blunderbuss” plays like an embarrassment of riches, discharging memorable hooks and riffs at every available opportunity. In some sense it feels like the record he was always destined to make, the inevitable course of action after disbanding from one of the most exciting and significant rock bands of the past twenty years.

3 weeks ago 2 notes

SPIRITUALIZED
SWEET HEART SWEET LIGHT

ORIGINAL RELEASE DATE: APRIL 16TH 2012
1YRON’S TOP 52 RECORDS OF 2012 RANKING: #34

Ever since I first heard it one year ago, Spiritualized’s “Sweet Heart Sweet Light” has felt like that all too rare cathartic experience in contemporary rock. Imagine being close to the end, on your death bed, as the curious and distant white light draws ever closer. That’s what this album sounds like to my ears. That imagery probably has a lot to do with Jason Pierce’s decade-long physical ailments which include a double case of pneumonia and liver disease to name a few. That he managed to muster the physical strength to complete “Sweet Heart Sweet Light” is no mean feat. Given its extraordinary scope and ambitious run time, it feels like a full on Heaven-sent gift. Whilst it’s true that it doesn’t quite hit the emotional peaks of “Songs In A & E” or “Ladies And Gentlemen, We Are Floating In Space,” this latest release contains more than enough oomph to warrant its belated appearance.

In retrospect, “Sweet Heart Sweet Light” could’ve done with a little shuffling in terms of sequencing. It’s generally a front-loaded record with the spectacular “Hey Jane” sweeping in straight after a minute-long instrumental intro. Basking in the splendour of this nine minute epic feels like an all too guilty pleasure, and the rest of the record, as a result, sort of struggles to live up in comparison. Still, the romantic pop of “Little Girl” and the wallowing ballad “Freedom” bestow some of Pierce’s most irresistible vocals to date. “Get What You Deserve” and “Headin’ For The Top Now” channel the spirit of Velvet Underground with the swagger and attitude of LCD Soundsystem by way of protracted feedback and distortion whilst the rousing “Too Late” introduces sumptuous strings as a basis for the album’s melancholy. The despondency of “Too Late” almost feels like a blueprint for Pierce’s outlook through the album. Even on the more upbeat numbers here there remains an element of tragedy that is both endearing and fascinating. “Sweet Heart Sweet Light” ends with the beautiful “So Long You Pretty Thing,” around which Pierce is lifted from the murk and elevated to a sort of higher plane. As an arm-raising finale, it’s rendered perfectly and comes at just the right moment. It also feels essential, a joyous climax that places the rest of the album in perspective. Constantly searching for an unfathomable truth in the world and itself, “Sweet Heart Sweet Light” is that kind of album that observes with old, tired eyes yet feels with the soul of a child.

1 month ago 1 note

LOTUS PLAZA
SPOOKY ACTION AT A DISTANCE

ORIGINAL RELEASE DATE: APRIL 2ND 2012
1YRON’S TOP 52 RECORDS OF 2012 RANKING: #17

Fans of Deerhunter’s brilliant fourth record, 2010’s “Halcyon Digest,” will likely struggle to make a case for a definitive highlight. “Earthquake?” “Sailing?” “Helicopter?” “He Would Have Laughed?” It’s one of the most cohesive indie rock records of the past ten years and its strengths are rooted in an unfathomable spirit, talented musicians and a visionary frontman in Bradford Cox. Yet for these ears, the juggernaut centrepiece “Desire Lines” just pips everything else to the post. Built around a hypnotic guitar riff that builds from humble beginnings into a sort of strict machine, it journeys to the ends of the earth before inevitably fading into obscurity. Locket Pundt’s guitar work defines “Halcyon Digest,” for me, on a personal level and a substantial aspect of that is due to the ambitious “Desire Lines.” Lotus Plaza is Pundt’s own Deerhunter, his project away from home and one that remains somewhat in the shadow of Cox’s but, perhaps, not for much longer. “The Floodlight Collective” was Lotus Plaza’s debut and was released to very little fanfare in the first half of 2009. Emerging from the overwhelming positive reviews throughout Deerhunter’s career as a whole, it could be said that the only way Lotus Plaza could realistically get off the ground is by being overly ambitious. “The Floodlight Collective” fulfilled these ambitious but its aesthetic could’ve done with some fine tuning in order to really appeal to as wide an audience as possible.

That fine tuning rarely happens overnight but Lotus Plaza’s follow-up is all the proof needed that Pundt is capable of stepping out of Cox’s shadow and securing his own place in the spotlight. “Spooky Action At A Distance” builds on that which came before it in a way that is impressive and demands to be heard. It’s unsettling, then, that after a year of general release it feels largely forgotten about by the masses in a way that “Halycon Digest” wasn’t (namely, end of year best-of lists). To my mind 2012 wasn’t the strongest year for indie music and “Spooky Action…,” whilst not the most groundbreaking release in recent memory by any means, was certainly (no debate here) one of the most enduring. Funnily enough, Deerhunter aren’t the first port of call when drawing likely reference points for “Spooky Action…”: recent releases from Real Estate and The War On Drugs ascribe to an impression of records written on the road, to be heard on the road. Feelings associated with the history of American rock and roll imbue these records to a point where they feel almost like unofficial national anthems. “Days” and “Slave Ambient” are both records that rely heavily on instrumentation. “Your Love Is Calling My Name” from the latter, for example, is a six minute highway sojourn with drums and guitar rolling ever forward. That momentum never falters, as though we’re viewing a still figure surrounded by all manner of movement and changes in field. As on “Spooky Action…”, the movement is internal; we can’t see it but we know it’s there. “Jet Out Of The Tundra” and “Eveningness” achieve this balance most perfectly by engaging the same guitar chords, the former descending into a chasm of feedback across seven minutes whilst the latter toys with a springy, back-and-forth rhythm section before ending abruptly as though waking from a dream.

“Spooky Action…” is a warm, inviting record that translates as the internal workings of Pundt, the kind of sound he envisages playing out. “Remember Our Days” is positively romantic and imbued with the kind of yearning desires which have soundtracked a thousand sunsets. “Dusty Rhodes” is built around earthy acoustic guitar fragments that shift from major to minor. The space between those minor parts grow more endearing every time I hear them, representing a sort of unexpected subtlety on a record that is built around defined structure and building-block components almost mathematical in their precision. Bolstering that feeling that it was designed for the open road, “Spooky Action…” is bookended by two towering pillars. “Untitled” opens the record with swirling ambience, descending from high above and making its landing well-defined with the opening chords of “Strangers.” “Black Buzz,” meanwhile, closes the album by way of gentle acoustic guitar, juxtaposed with a far-flung ambient drone that fades ever so slowly as though it were taking flight. This alters the ‘weight’ of the record. Indeed, it becomes clear that this is not a heavy record in any aspect and that Pundt’s breezy approach reveals a confidence in himself as a singer and songwriter that is rare in this day and age. With the much-anticipated follow up to “Halcyon Digest” a mere month away, it will be interesting to see how the triumph of “Spooky Action…” has affected Pundt’s performance as a guitarist.

1 month ago 16 notes

CHROMATICS
KILL FOR LOVE

ORIGINAL RELEASE DATE: MARCH 26TH 2012
1YRON’S TOP 52 RECORDS OF 2012 RANKING: #5

“Kill For Love” has come to represent one of those rare, early moments in a band’s career where its every aspect comes together at one perfect, finely-tuned point. A year since its release, you’d be hard-pressed to find someone who’s experienced “Kill For Love” in all its astonishing, unabridged glory to disagree. Craft is a word which works well when describing its polished exterior. These are songs that have been nurtured, given the required care and attention that they deserve in order to truly sparkle. It should come as no surprise to anyone previously acquainted with Chromatics’ work that Johnny Jewel is at the helm as producer on “Kill For Love.” As co-founder of the Italians Do It Better label, Jewel has spearheaded a return to the dark and dreamy side of noir-disco, replete with gorgeous synth and vocoder effects that embellished pop music at the onset of the Eighties. Yet “Kill For Love” goes one better. It’s simply not enough to just mine the back catalogues of every hot shot producer from three decades ago: Jewel incorporates the all-encompassing dread and grit of urban decay, the ominous feeling that everything is just about to fall off the edge of a ledge. Into what, we’re never quite sure.

“Night Drive,” the somewhat less ambitious though no less enthralling predecessor to “Kill For Love,” laid the foundations for Chromatics’ newly streamlined sound. Released in 2007, it wasn’t until the 2011 thriller movie Drive that Chromatics truly came to prominence and “Night Drive“‘s epic closing track “Tick Of The Clock” became the embodiment of the film’s examination of a downtown corrupt underbelly. Across cinematic panning shots of Los Angeles at night, “Tick Of The Clock” expanded to fill every alley way and side street down which who knows what may be lurking. The unhurried directorial style of Nicolas Winding Refn and the production qualities of Jewel seemed to be a match made in heaven. Does Drive take its name from the second word of Chromatics’ previous record? Well, no, but it’s nice to think that it could be the case. Even the pace of Drive is incredibly languid: the extended silences and longing stares between Ryan Gosling’s Driver and Carey Mulligan’s Irene are intentional. For a movie that barely passes the one hundred minute mark, Drive feels awfully longer. “Kill For Love,” by comparison, is a mere nine minutes short of Drive’s length. This is an incredible fact, that a record so gorgeous and wonderfully expansive is, by definition of its sound palette, a movie-length feature in and of itself.

Part of what makes “Kill For Love” so rewarding to return to over and over again is its play on dark and light, and the tonal qualities that result from the dense shadows it casts. This is no more apparent than on its middle section, where production values take on a murkier vibe. The numbing effect created by the vocoder treatment on “Running For The Sun” with its galloping drums and resuscitating piano notes feels like a moment caught in time, an apocalyptic sunrise through a stained glass window perhaps. It’s a crushing experience which is bolstered by its even more devastating sister number “Birds Of Paradise,” perhaps the most accurate example of Chromatics’ ability to fill voids of silence with a sort of static that is undercut by an ominous uncertainty and dangerous foreboding. Opening track “Into The Black” (a cover of Neil Young’s “Hey Hey, My My (Into The Black)”) is wonderfully restrained and sets the tone for the mixture of synth pop perfection and the atmosphere of dread that will take root over the next ninety minutes. What immediately follows is a quadruple onslaught of pop perfection, the title track leading the way with its breezy synths and crashing cymbals before slightly more ambivalent tones take over. On “Back From The Grave,” “The Page” and “Lady,” lead vocalist Ruth Radelet gives us her most effective vocal deliveries to date. Hers is a sort of yearning that takes time to truly appreciate, devoid of showy theatrics and bombast.

There’s a slight return to this pop take over towards the end of “Kill For Love” once its seedy middle section passes: the psychotic twitch of “A Matter Of Time” and the celestial pin-pricks of “At Your Door” represent a total dual knockout, evidence that Jewel is concerned very much with placement and composition. The spectacular “These Streets Will Never Look The Same” unfolds itself out across eight rhythmic minutes as it morphs from a pining ballad core to pounding bass electro beats and back again. At its midpoint it becomes apparent that this is a record that will not compromise its artistic intentions to suit an audience’s frequently impatient ear. There are many other wonderful moments on “Kill For Love,” too frequent to mention here given their volume. For a record that sounds so complete and resolute, it’s funny to remember that this is a record that was mastered right up until the final day before being submitted to iTunes for release, appearing a mere three days later for official public consumption. Jewel worked relentlessly on it and would have no doubt continued to do so until someone forced him to stop. It’s tempting to think what it could sound like if he had continued to tinker, yet I can’t help but feel grateful for the result that exists now. “Kill For Love” is a colossal achievement that contains enough substance to keep even the most trained musical ears occupied.

1 month ago 1 note

FRANKIE ROSE
INTERSTELLAR

ORIGINAL RELEASE DATE: MARCH 19TH 2012
1YRON’S TOP 52 RECORDS OF 2012 RANKING: #38

Frankie Rose released her self-titled debut album under the moniker Frankie Rose & The Outs in 2010. Two years later, she dropped The Outs and has decided to go simply by her own name. This rebranding feels like a noteworthy necessity given the overcrowded market she’d been essentially drowning in previously. Second album “Interstellar” feels like a true arrival of sorts, an artistic mission statement designed to carve a space out for the musician in question that is all her own. Prior to “Interstellar,” Rose was best known for her drumming work for Vivian Girls and also her notable work for Dum Dum Girls and Crystal Stilts. Now, given the success of “Interstellar” and one particular lead single, we find her at the beginning of what could hopefully be a long and bright career as a solo artist. To achieve this degree of separation from her past works yet remain relevant in the current market, Rose has mined the vaults of 1980s synth chart pop to showcase a sound that is dreamy and billowing, large open spaces that demand deep breathing, as though one were filling their lungs with bucketfuls of fresh air.

Made up of ten tracks and clocking in at a shy thirty two minutes, “Interstellar” can fly by in no time, making it an easy listening experience for first timers. The self-title opening track sets the tone with glacial synths and a cascading drum section that tumbles forth on Rose’s layered vocals. Lead single “Know Me” floats above clouds of synth moans as both drums and guitar dance in unison on the catchiest choruses that “Interstellar” has to offer. “Gospel/Grace” is aided by its galloping drum sections and rising instrumental song craft, where at one point (near the end of the song) it reaches a lofty ledge and teeters on a precipice before tumbling into a ravine in spectacular fashion. “Pair Of Wings” is arguably the highlight of “Interstellar,” a beautiful centrepiece ballad that showcases Rose’s versatility and restraint. Akin to watching fireworks explode in slow motion, it reaches a glorious, understated climax that feels as though it could go on forever. Rose doesn’t always maintain this high standard and songs such as “Daylight Sky” and “Moon In My Mind” falter for not pushing themselves into bolder directions. Given that Rose’s biggest obstacle for “Interstellar” was to make herself stand out from the crowd, it’s rather wonderful how well this record holds up after one year. There will be time to perfect this formula on forthcoming releases.

2 months ago

THE SHINS
PORT OF MORROW

ORIGINAL RELEASE DATE: MARCH 19TH 2012
1YRON’S TOP 52 RECORDS OF 2012 RANKING: #36

The announcement of new material from The Shins is always welcome news and the release of the band’s fourth album, “Port Of Morrow,” continued this trend. Frontman James Mercer has carefully cultivated his band’s sound over the past decade and honed it into something of a slick, tried and tested formula. I say this not as a negative (given the unlikely associations to the term ‘formulaic’) but more as a response to the effortless way that the The Shins can draw certain emotions from their listeners, specific emotions that are stirred when listening to only their music. The mixture of Mercer’s honest, wisdom-inflected vocals with his lyrics of longing and yearning make for a powerful combination that has served as the band’s main strength since they first broke with their 2001 debut “Oh, Inverted World.” There will be some listeners out there who might agree with the term ‘formulaic’ in those negative ways, however. No longer wide-eyed wanderers in search of bigger and better acknowledgements, The Shins are now an internationally popular act on level with bands like Arcade Fire. Many journalists salivated over the meteoric rise of independent rock music in 2007 when Arcade Fire’s “Neon Bible” and The Shins’ “Wincing The Night Away” both debuted at No.2 on the Billboard 200 chart within a few months of one another. Herein lies a minor problem: Arcade Fire and The Shins have an army of fans who will continue to support their future releases and - perhaps more so for Arcade Fire - flock to their live shows in their thousands. Their finances are, probably, rather abundant.

My point is that with surplus cash and access to recording facilities that would otherwise elude struggling musicians, Mercer can now record what he wants, when he wants, and quibble over any little aspect of that forty first second on the second minute in that track where… you get the idea. It seems that “Port Of Morrow” was lauded as much as it was reviled, praised by some for its logical progression of The Shins sound yet criticised by long time fans for its polished gleam and radio-friendly appeal that felt worlds away from the band’s brilliant second album “Chutes Too Narrow.” As is often the case, there are valid points to both sides of the argument, but when “Port Of Morrow” really excels, it does so with a force that ranks as some of the band’s finest moments. The stunning lead single “Simple Song” glides along smashing drums and soaring backing vocals. Mercer himself is at his most passionate, fed by a sort of nostalgic glee that transforms the song into a sort of high school anthem for the kids of today. Opening track “The Rifle’s Spiral” follows a similar style yet with a greater sense of urgency. One of the album’s highlights remains “Bait And Switch” and after a year of repeated listens it could well be my favourite song here. This is radio pop in the best sense of the word with superb verses that are followed by gorgeous, swaying bridges and a brief but necessary instrumental break. It’s moments like this where The Shins make you feel like nothing else is worth listening to.

Taken in the right way, there really isn’t a weak link on the whole of “Port Of Morrow” since every song adopts a similar sound and open-ended aesthetic. Perhaps more importantly, they blend seamlessly into a cohesive whole that makes its middle half best listened to in an entire single sitting. The beautiful acoustic ballad “September” moves perfectly into “No Way Down” and the languid romancing of “For A Fool” sets a solid base for the rousing choruses of “Fall Of ‘82” with its glossy horn section. “40 Mark Strasse” and the title track round out the album and introduce a sort of strange, kooky soundscape that weirdly fits in perfectly with everything that came before. Mercer’s haunted, ghostly vocals on the latter become a sort of mantra, carried out on a fade of stuttering percussion. That kind of slowly evolving atmosphere occurs with great frequency throughout “Port Of Morrow.” By all accounts this is the kind of record that is best obsessing over for a full week or two. This was my initial experience with it on a particularly warm, sunny week off work last March spent walking up Hampstead Heath and Primrose Hill on what turned out to be the first true signs of spring after a bloody cold winter. The Shins have always soundtracked moments in their listeners lives. My own personal experience with “Port Of Morrow” was fortuitous, although from time to time I’d like to think that it wasn’t.

2 months ago 6 notes

JULIA HOLTER
EKSTASIS

ORIGINAL RELEASE DATE: MARCH 6TH 2012
1YRON’S TOP 52 RECORDS OF 2012 RANKING: #7

Julia Holter is a classically trained pianist and graduated from CalArts a few years ago. These are facts that one feels they may like to know before they attempt their first initiation with “Ekstasis,” the composer’s second release. Holter shares much in common with a number of other (for now) more successful, better-known contemporary female artists such as Joanna Newsom, Annie Clark and Julianna Barwick. There are elements of all three of these artists within Holter’s already remarkably defined sound palette, whether it be the poetry of her lyrics or the layering of vocals, or even the ambience of her production or electronic manipulation of fairly commonplace instruments. “Tragedy,” Holter’s first release, made some pretty large ripples in small circles, suggesting nothing of the anticipation that would otherwise be placed upon a sophomore release. This worked incredibly to “Ekstasis’” advantage, released to a largely unfamiliar audience and a BNM tag from Pitchfork to boot. In the space of a few weeks, Holter effectively tripled her listener base with a record that pulls from just the right level of avant-garde and baroque pop stylings to be deemed accessible.

“Ekstasis” is packed with a vast array of unusual sounds and arrangements, ranging from classical and electronic to drone and world music. There are moments where Holter’s successful treatment of studio trickery feel truly universal. “Boy In The Moon” could soundtrack Bladerunner: along a rising synth drone and layered vocals, Holter sculpts an eight and half minute epic out of barely nothing. Somehow it would sound incredible anywhere in the world, from India to Egypt to Japan or Sweden to Alaska. Towards the end of “Our Sorrow” (by all accounts a song that opens with a sort of momentum and a goal to reach a finite conclusion), Holter removes nearly all instrumentation, stripping its canvas bare with the exception of a hissing synth line that bubbles underneath her chanting, hymnal resolution. It floats hereon, aimlessly, caught in a sort of limbo, perhaps unsure of where to go next. The spectacular “Four Gardens” is arguably “Ekstasis’” finest moment as Far Eastern synths sparkle like stars in a night sky and a rubbery vocal line rips its central core in two. These compositions can prove challenging to the uninitiated or those less willing to explore all that Holter’s strange and fantastical world has to offer.

There are more immediate moments here, however. “In The Same Room” literally rolls forward like a giant bouncing ball caught in slow motion whilst “Für Felix” feels like it was composed to soundtrack the inner cog-mechanism of town hall clocks from two hundred years ago. “Moni Mon Amie” is sumptuous and gorgeous and devastatingly romantic all at once; opener “Marienbad” shifts pace on multiple ocassions, as though it were travelling back through time at breakneck speed with rolling drums and a cacophony of multilayered vocal harmonies. One could single out “Boy In The Moon” as the key example of how to most successfully derive enjoyment through “Ekstasis.” Seemingly aimless in its attempts to carve out a single moment in time, it quickly reaps its rewards through the state of simply being patient. In order to appreciate what a masterful world Holter has created requires a patient ear, yes, but also an imagination that is prepared to go the distance. This is pop music in the least literal sense of the word. Holter is also prepared to give herself over to you, but she’s not going to hold your hand until you get there. For those who made it to the other side, “Ekstasis” is a ceaseless revelation.

2 months ago 2 notes

THE MEN
OPEN YOUR HEART

ORIGINAL RELEASE DATE: MARCH 6TH 2012
1YRON’S TOP 52 RECORDS OF 2012 RANKING: #12

“Open Your Heart” seems destined to remain something of an undiscovered gem, which is all the more frustrating given the buzz that surrounded its release one year ago. If The Men are spearheading a sort of punk-rock revival of sorts, then “Open Your Heart” seemed like the perfect record to capture that moment. Whether that moment has already been and gone remains to be seen, yet it’s difficult to see how such a brilliant record as this fell by the wayside in what turned out to be a somewhat anticlimactic year for independent music. “New Moon” is the soon-to-be released successor to “Open Your Heart,” a relatively swift follow-up record, but perhaps not so for a punk band determined to observe a keen shift in the way their music is perceived culturally. “Open Your Heart” marks a distinct move away from the chaos-inflected mixture of shoegaze and punk that dominated its predecessor (“Leave Home,” released a mere nine months prior) whilst also introducing country rock as a key element that (supposedly) is expanded upon substantially throughout “New Moon.”

That element of country rock scans as a series of brief flirtations throughout “Open Your Heart,” yet could come to be looked back on as the introduction of something more important with the release of “New Moon.” Therefore, it seems logical to assume that “Open Your Heart” will remain The Men’s defining record for quite some time, a sort of gateway piece, one which also saw them truly break through and acquire a following that should remain loyal however far they fall off the hype radar. Instrumental number “Country Song” is perhaps the most obvious introduction of country rock here, which serves as a bracing foundation for the alarming seven minute sprawl of “Oscillation.” With its building riffs and spoken middle section, “Oscillation” acts as a sort of mash up of that country rock aesthetic and the edgier two-part demolition of opening tracks “Turn It Around” and “Animal.” The sequencing on “Open Your Heart” is of particular admirability and you’ll be hard pressed to find a recent rock record that truly kicks off with such breathtaking momentum and actually maintain it.

The beauty of the record when listened to all the way through with no interruptions is how succinct it remains. It’s a fun record to listen to and never gets weighed down by any sort of self-important preoccupations in spite of being a very meticulous, crafted piece of work. These aren’t merely simple, thoughtless melodies or riffs. They are frequently complex and dense, and The Men prove themselves more than capable of handling more and more ambitious frameworks. That level of confidence is admirable and warrants your undivided attention. “Candy” is the most stripped back song here, a beautiful acoustic pop number that interrupts the frantic pace of the record and causes the listener to reassess what they thought they could safely assume was standard practice on an album by The Men. In a way that’s all any of us can surely hope for. It makes sense for these guys to keep it fresh, to shake it up with every record. Maybe that’s why it feels like so much is riding on “New Moon.” Once again, something tells me they’ll hit the ball right out of the park.

2 months ago

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