Liars - "TFCF"

Let me tell you, in the early 2000's, the underground Post Punk Revival scene in good old NYC was pretty damn exciting.  Bands like Yeah Yeah Yeah's and of course Liars made names for themselves with wild shows and daring performances.  Liars made their debut in 2001 with "The Threw Us All In A trench and Stuck a Monument on Top", and let me tell you this album was WILD.  Fan favorites like "Mr. Your on Fire Mr" and deep cuts like the explosive "We Live NE of Compton" and half hour monolith "This Dust Makes Mud" just made this such a forceful debut.  But it also showed that artistically, Liars were just so ahead of the curve.  In 2004 though, Liars took a ballsy move and released the very noisy "They Were Wrong So We Drowned".  This album was so far from their debut in just about everywhere.  Gone were the dance punk vibes and wild performances, and they were replaced with noisy drones and monotonous performances.  There were still very intense moments, but man, this really wasn't for me overall.  Liars would return in 2006 with the much more acceptable "Drums Not Dead".  Now, while this was still a far cry from the Post Punk that got them started in the past, this was still very striking and interesting.  Liars on this one continued much more the Noise Rock and Experimental music world.  But it was much rawer and in the moment sounding, not to mention seriously exciting.  Liars showed to go back in the Post Punk direction with their 2007 self-titled album.  However, they were approaching it with a whole lot more drones and Noise Rock influence.  While this album started off a little slow, tracks like "Freak Out" and "What Would They Know" made this an album that seriously rewarded patience.  So far in Liars discography, I've never known what to truly expect from them.  Take for example 2010's "Sisterworld".  This album was a seriously bizarre turn for Liars, as on here they took their stab at truly off kilter Indie Rock.  While the end result was stunning and had me questioning a lot of what I was hearing, it wasn't all necessarily in the best way.  But because I never know what to expect from Liars, I absolutely loved 2012's "Wixiw".  This was once again a Low-Key attempt at making some less abrasive music.  But here, their weirder sounds came out which made for a Soft, Dark experimental album that I actually thought was really well done.  Then we have 2014's polarizing "Mess" album.  I certainly understand what people wouldn't like about this album, as Liars new found curiosity with Electronic's was very different for the band.  But the sheer intensity of tracks like "Pro Anti Anti" just swept me away, and I ended up loving what Liars were doing here.  So now, it's been a few years.  And these singles have been all over the damn place, but that doesn't mean anything, I may end up loving this knowing Liars.  Let's dive deeper!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=afE6YXI2DIU

(The one track that got me interested in Liars)

This album starts off with “The Grand Delusional”, and to be honest, I never really know what to expect from a Liars intro.  But I certainly wasn’t expecting to hear frontman Angus humming softly over acoustic strumming.  To be honest, though, it’s actually doing a hell of a job at creating an atmosphere.  His vocals just sound so bruised and hurt, which is something we don’t often hear from him.  Overall, this is an intro I really didn’t expect to hear.  But It’s far from bad, I think it sets the very hurt tone of this album very well.  Not to mention, just hearing Angus in this very bare environment is something I’m not used to at all.  Even when those drums and that beat come in, this is seriously hypnotic.  Then we have “Cliché Suite”, which is literally a complete 360.  I don’t think I’ve honestly heard a more cheery and peppy track from Liars.  It’s very vibrant sounding and almost comes off as some royal march of sorts.  But it’s certainly very triumphant, with some Indie Rock inflections thrown in here and there.  But Angus’s very dreary performance that he’s perfected over the years brings this down a couple of pegs to say the very least.  It’s a really bizarre track that I honestly wasn’t expecting to hear.   But what can one ever truly expect from a Liars album?  Don't you worry though, the second half of this track is a noisy and experimental house of horrors just like Liars have given us plenty of times.  While I certainly dig “Cliché Suite”, it’s out there man.  Then we have “Staring At Zero”, and one thing I do continue to appreciate is the grooves.  This one has a very late 90’s Nine Inch Nails vibe to this.  Just hearing such a nice groove on a Liars track is nice enough in my book.  But sadly, overall I’m really not into Angus’s performance on this one.  To be honest, I actually sort of sells himself a little short on this one, even lyrically.  But I do still sort of enjoy this one, mostly due to the very dreary and industrial vies to this, and that wonderful pacing.  Not to mention, those very haunting vocals in the background come off music more than Liars intended, I’m sure of it.  “Staring At Zero” isn’t bad, but I wish Angus’s performance was just a little more interesting.  Then we have “No Help Pamphlet”, which once again brings in more live instrumentation and more of an Indie Vibe.  This honestly sounds like Neutral Milk Hotel or some other late 90’s Psych Folk band if they were put through a trash compactor.  To be honest, though, I actually sort of love it.  Angus’s very bizarre vocals actually work really well with this Freaky Folk jam.  There’s a bizarre mysticism to this all, that honestly really shouldn’t work.  But it doesn't, and it’s great, and honestly, it gives this track a human feel.  And as “No Help Pamphlet” goes on and those backing instrumentals pop in, things just get bigger.  While this is a brilliant track for Liars, that last monologue is just a bit depressing guys, sorry.  

    As the album moves on things get much more abrasive and experimental with “Face to Face With My Face”.  The atmosphere on this one is just so massive and in your face.  Instantly, we’re thrown right back to some of Liars’ more noisy moments from over the years.  And I’m sure Liars fans are going to be so happy to hear this one.  But for me, this is just a sound that they’ve outgrown.  It’s not nearly as frantic and explosive as some of their early work, and it’s not as interestingly structured either.  “Face To Face With My Face” just ends up being a gloopy mess.  It has potential in that great atmosphere, but overall this just doesn’t cut it for me.  The absolutely hulking atmosphere of this album continues onto “Emblems of Another Story”, with the intro of this one being painfully quiet and filled with ambient sounds.  To be honest, as far as THAT goes, Liars do a great job with this.  But then those sort of goofy keyboards come in and I’d be lying if I said I had any clue what Angus was going for.  This atmosphere, however, remains untouchable.  But I continue to be really confused by “Emblems Of Another Story”  That half-assed, sluggish synth tune over everything isn’t doing anyone any favors.  Honestly, I would have so much rather heard Angus alone in this atmosphere, because this track certainly has a strong base to it.  For example, when those later instrumentals come in and make this track meatier, it’s not just Angus Vs. Synth anymore and things improve massively.  Hell, things get so much better that I end up not completely hating this overall.  But “Emblems of Another Story” could have easily been shortened and cut out that entire opening phase.  But Liars continue to throw us curveballs with “No Tree No Branch”.  As soon as this one hits, I’m blown away.  This track is once again very upbeat, with some elements of Indie Rock as well as some Folk in those fiery plucking’s.  “No Tree No Branch” is totally different than the last few tracks with some of Angus’s more coherent lyrics as well as a peppy atmosphere.  It’s also one of the most Post-Punk tracks that we’ve heard so far.  It’s intense, it’s sort of goofy, and it’s a real shock to anyone who thinks Liars are totally out of ideas.  It’s also strangely catchy, which we don’t get to say too much about Liars.  Then we have “Cred Woes” which takes us back to the noisier and Post Punk sound of Liars.  Now, any fan of their “Mess” album will instantly be into this.  The booming bass and the abrasive atmosphere of this is the stuff that got Liars famous, to begin with.  And as far as that goes, I can certainly appreciate that.  But the vocals again sort of bring this down for me.  And while I’m well aware that Angus has made a career out of these very monotonous vocals, I just wish these were a little more lively.  However, for an aggressive tune from Liars, this is certainly not as bad as it could have been, and it’s nice to hear them in such an angry environment.  

    Now, for my money, if you’re going to go for a more aggressive and wild track here, go for “Coins In My Caged Fist”.  This track is so twisted and abrasive sounding that you can barely tell what’s even hitting you.  And honestly, it’s those elements that drew me to Liars in the early years.  It’s just so intense between this very eclectic beat and this much more will performance from Angus.  I also love just how swirling and outrageous some of this atmosphere, as it attacks you from all sides.  As far as this side of Liars goes, there’s nothing but great things to say about this track.  But every time I feel like Angus gets in a groove, he gets overwhelmed by this very melancholy mood. that we really haven’t heard from Liars in a while.  That’s exactly what we get on “Ripe Ripe Rot”.  As far as the atmosphere on this one goes, there’s nothing wrong with this tune at all.  Just the opposite actually, I can't help but get sucked in and feel Angus’s pain.  But this is certainly going to alienate a LOT of Liars fans the way that this is just such a dreary and sad album.  And then we have “Crying Fountain”, our finale here.  It’s barely even a song, it’s more of a sound collage.  Once again, I actually think Liars are really onto something though with this atmosphere, because this one is seriously twisted and almost beautiful.  As far as I’m concerned, this is a decent Liars album.  But it could have been so much better if it was a little longer and stayed in one particular mood. 

Rating: 7.5/10

Give A Listen To: “The Grand Delusional”, “No Help Pamphlet”, “No Tree No Branch”, “Coins In My Caged Fists”

Genre: Experimental / Post Punk / Art Rock

If You Dig This, Check Out: Xiu Xiu - “Forget”, Liars - Basically their entire Discography, it’s all over the place, Viet Cong - “Viet Cong”

Overall Thoughts:  This is actually a pretty decent release from Liars, considering this is basically a one man show at this point.  However, I feel like as a whole this album has almost a personality disorder.  There are seriously somber moments with great atmospheres, and there are upbeat and sort of Indie tunes thrown in as well.  And of coursse, some noisy post punk tunes that have made Liars famous for years.  However, I feel like this is almost done to a fault.  This album switches up it's mood so much that it comes off a little sloppy, and there were plenty of times where I wish that one certain emotion would stick around for longer.  

The War On Drugs - "A Deeper Understanding"

Philadelphia's own The War on Drugs in the past few years have gone from Americana Folk Rockers to modern Indie legends.  And to be honest, it's really not hard to see why.  On their 2008 debut "Wagonwheel Blues", the band quickly showed off their great songwriting abilities as well as their love and appreciation of classic folk projects.  This album had some serious Bob Dylan vibes, as The War On Drugs picked their way through all sorts of Low-Fi sounds.  But to be honest, while I loved the performances and lyrics and their dedication to the sound, the production irked me a little.  I just couldn't help thinking that The War on Drugs had such a BIG sound, and they weren't taking advantage of it all.  However, in 2011 The War On Drugs upgraded their sound big time with "Slave Ambient".  This album was just so much more gigantic.  The atmospheres were vast, the new electronic elements gave this album such a huge sound.  But what I always loved about The War On Drugs, was their ability to sound both retro and very current.  However, it was on 2014's "Lost In The Dream" that The War On Drugs truly perfected their sound.  It was the first time I truly loved one of their album's from start to finish.  This album was absolutely gorgeous, filled with standard Indie Rock jams like "Red Eyes" as well as more atmospheric journeys like "Disappearing".  It's been a few years since we've heard from The War On Drugs.  And let me tell you, they've been too kind with these teaser singles, dropping 5 massive tracks.  Some of them, are just as epic as you would imagine.  But one or two of them didn't really hit me hard either.  Let's talk about this new War on Drugs album.

( A classic from The War on Drugs)

This album starts off with “Up All Night’, and to a T this is what I expected to hear from an intro to a War on Drugs album.  The synths are very warm and the vocals are even warmer, all backed up by this almost retro Piano Rock.  Now, to be honest, this one took me the longest to appreciate of all of the early singles.  But it has grown on me, and I certainly think this works as an opening.  I can’t stress enough how warm and inviting “Up All Night” is.  Now, Adam Granduciel is known for meticulous production and ridiculous details in song structure, and here is no different.  Some of the details here are so simple, yet so mind boggling.  For example, just listening to the tones on those guitar solos are absolutely chilling.  But as far as the electronic elements go, they’ve actually grown to be an even bigger part of The War on Drugs’ music, giving this track almost a funk.  “Up All Night” is smokey, gigantic and one hell of an opener.  I’m also really impressed with how intense some of these moments here are, with solo after solo sounding nearly impossible.  But just like a lot of earlier War on Drugs tracks, this is going to take some patience.  Hell, this album as a whole is going to take some patience, with almost every track here over 6 minutes.  But it’s worth it.  Now, one thing I do have to say about The War on Drugs is that the atmospheres in their music have become completely flawless over the years.  “Pain” is up next, which contains elements of Folk and Indie Rock, but it’s presented in such a vast and starry atmosphere that it’s gigantic.  Overall, this track is just an absolutely stunning performance.  Adam’s lyrics on this one easily rank among some of his best, to the point where it’s pretty damn mind blowing.  As far as the instrumentals go, there are certainly a whole lot of really great things about this as well.  The guitar hooks during the verses also make this one easier to digest.  The solo’s come off just as sonically gigantic as well.  So far, this has been a seriously stunning album.  And that final guitar solo is epic enough to truly tug at your heart strings.  Now, any fan of the last War on Drugs album will be able to appreciate “Holding On” right from its opening notes.  As far as that Americana sound that they’ve been working with for years goes,  it really doesn’t get any better than this.  I love Adam’s very smoky and moody vocals.  It’s gotten to the point where there’s just so much going on within the vast instrumentals in War on Drugs’ music that it’s almost overwhelming to take it all in at once. But one thing is for sure, this is some of the most heartfelt material I’ve heard from Adam ever, and that’s saying something.  The upbeat synths and rhythms on “Holding On” are a really nice touch as well, which is what really drew me into tracks like “Red Eyed” in the past.  It all remains very smooth, however, and even with all these instrumentals, the production remains almost oddly perfect.   Then we have tracks like “Strangest Thing” which continues to blow my mind.  The amount of power in these instrumentals is staggering, and it’s certainly nice to hear The War on Drugs in a slower and more Folky atmosphere. This is by far the most somber tone here and Adam’s very deep and personal performance on this one stealing the show.  But it’s the little production tricks here and there that continue to keep me on the edge of my seat.  Just the way The War on Drugs throws in small synths in the back or other distant instrumentals makes this sound like some of the biggest Indie music that I’ve ever heard.  It all pays off wonderfully too, with the explosion of instrumentals making up the hooks are nothing but pure joy to listen to.  Once again though, I have to talk about these solos which are absolutely massive.  To be honest, I can’t remember the last time they were such a huge factor in the War on Drugs music.  Needless to say, this album continues to be breathtaking.  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J9LgHNf2Qy0

    “Knocked Down” on the other hand is a completely different animal on the other hand.  It’s soft and somber, but this one is just plain quiet all around.  However, it remains just as stunning, mostly due to the incredible songwriting on this one and just how pained some of the distant instrumentals sound.  I feel like overall, this is Adam’s most personal and inviting album yet as far as his lyrics go.  But it gives this album a very human feel to it.  Outside of that, this track is easily the least to talk about.  It’s by far the shortest track here.  But I wouldn’t say that makes it bad at all, I actually still think it comes off seriously memorable.  Not to mention, those piano melodies are incredible.  Then we have “Nothing To Find”, which is a serious wake-up call.  And to be honest, I really did need a little bit of a pick me up.  Not to mention, I’m always going to be the kind of guy who loves to hear The War on Drugs in this very upbeat atmosphere.  They sound so determined here, and these almost heavier instrumentals come off so wonderful.  Also, like I said earlier, its upbeat moments like this in which the band’s Americana side really comes out massively.  But it’s also moments like this that set The War On Drugs apart from every other Indie Band who are trying to write these life changing songs.  The War on Drugs, however, are easily doing that sound more justice than just about any other band in Indie right now anyway.  Also, once again, kudos on that solo man because that is SHARP.  So far, this album may just be the finest work in The War on Drugs discography.  But this album had to get a little winded at one point, and that point is “Thinking of a Place”.  This one has all of the usual suspects as far as War on Drugs tunes go.  The Folky backbone is there, the Americana spirit, the glistening atmosphere are all here on display.  But first off, let me just say this literally sounds like a damn song off of what Kurt Vile was doing on his “Wakin’ On A Pretty Daze” album.  Now, that’s not necessarily bad, especially when you consider that Kurt was an original member of The War on Drugs.  But overall, this track really doesn’t hook me at all.  Adam’s performance isn’t nearly as heartfelt or emotional here.  And that’s a real shame because, to be honest, when I heard this track early on I almost lost hope for this album completely.  There are a handful of elements I enjoy though, like the guitar that continues to be exceptional.  Even the atmosphere here continues to be glistening as any other great War on Drugs track should be.  However, why in the world is this track 11 minutes long?  If this was only 5 minutes long, I wouldn’t have nearly as many lukewarm things to say about this.  Because after that 5-minute mark things just continuously get more and more drawn out and full of itself.  Some of the later instrumentals, like the harmonica, are just so likable, so it’s a real shame this one is so bland.  But with how stunning this album has been so far, I can deal with this one being a snoozer.  On the other hand, “In Chains” is very pleasant, and I’m instantly so much more into the atmosphere.  As a matter of fact, the atmosphere on this track may be one of the coolest on the entire album.  I love the very subtle strings and strong bass on this one.  Once again, “In Chains” just comes off sounding gigantic, and brings me right back to that overwhelming sense of staring directly into these atmospheres.  The little details remain meticulous, and thinking about every instrumental that went into this one is actually really overwhelming.  To be honest, as far as pacing goes, this is the sort of medium that I love hearing War on Drugs in, that very starry eyed medium between their slower folk stuff and their more upbeat indie stuff.  But this one is just jaw dropping as it rolls on.  These instrumentals and small breakdowns are so huge, and Adam belting out that chorus is seriously eye opening. Like I said earlier, these tracks take patience, with “In Chains” once again being well over 7 minutes long.   But so far, for the most part, these tracks have totally justified their length.  Not to mention, those group vocals in the last 2 minutes are seriously heartwarming and epic.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PuLRcBZedkc

    Then we have “Clean Living” which is the quietest and dreariest track we’ve heard yet.  It’s almost to the point where this doesn’t even sound like a War on Drugs track.  Yes, Adam’s performance certainly livens things up a little.  But as far as a ballad goes, I’ve just heard so many better tunes from The War on Drugs.  The atmosphere isn’t as interesting on this track.  However, I do have to say, around the 2-minute mark when those heavier instrumentals pop in things certainly get better.  Hell, it almost sounds like an entirely different track.  But overall I still feel like The War on Drugs aren’t playing on all cylinders on “Clean Living”.  There are still some nice moments and pretty instrumentals.  But compared to the earlier material on the album, this really doesn’t hold up.  This album ends off with “You Don’t Have to Go”.  While this may not be as energetic and as upbeat as other tracks here, as far as a smooth finale goes, this one works great.  At the very least, this one sounds like The Way on Drugs.  I love just how some of the instrumentals come off.  Listening to them, I can easily just picture looking out over the Philadelphia skyline at night.  Adam’s performance once again is at its bluesiest and smoothest, and his lyrics couldn’t be more introspective and interesting.  And while this really doesn’t bring in any outrageously new ideas to the formula of this album, I think it’s just a really enjoyable and sweet finale.  I also love just how warm some of the backing vocals are.  The production is glistening, and the atmosphere is as inviting as ever. “You Don’t Have to Go” is a wonderful finale.


Rating: 8.4/10

Give A Listen To: “Pain”, “Holding On”, “Strangest Thing”, “Nothing To Find”

Genre: Indie Rock / Americana / Heartland Rock

If You Dig This, Check Out: The War On Drugs - “Lost In The Dream”, Future Islands - "Singles", Kurt Vile - "Wakin' On A Pretty Daze"

Overall Thoughts:  You know, I was really pleasantly surprised with this album.  I knew that The War on Drugs had something special up thier sleeves listening to the singles that were teased.  But the overall pristine sound of this album is just stunning.  I'm not entirely sure if I prefer this over their last album, but this album is just as meticulous and well thought out as you would expect.  However, like I've said, most of these tracks are 6-8 minutes, so you best go into this album with tons of patience.  

A Giant Dog - "Toy"

A Giant Dog are a Punk Rock group that I've been wanting to talk about for a while.  When I first heard their 2012 debut "Fight", I can't tell you how happy I was.  This was vicious, brutal Punk tinged indie rock, but a few things really stood out to me.  Firstly, I loved just how vibrant and gruesome the lyrical performance was.  But I think what really blew my mind the most was just how catchy some of this material was.  However vicious or Punk it got, A Giant Dog seemed to respect and know just how to write the perfect hook to bring it all together.  2013's "Bone" I was iffy on at first, mostly because I heard "All I Wanted" in advance and thought it was just an awful track.  But holy hell, the rest of this album is just so damn solid.  A Giant Dog proved they could stay just as aggressive and explosive.  But my lord, it was the writing that won me over here.  I honestly found myself singing every hook on here, and couldn't get enough of A Giant Dog's blend of modern Indie and Punk Rock.  Then we have 2016's "Pile", which showed A Giant Dog bringing in tons of Rock & Roll and Garage Rock influences.  Not so shockingly, it was a blast and just another triumph for this Punk Band.  So needless to say I was pretty excited to hear this album.  And the singles leading up to this have been honestly, some of the best I've heard from A Giant Dog so far.  Let's dive deeper people!

This album starts off with “Get Away”, and to be honest this really is the intro I was expecting to hear from A Giant Dog.  It’s certainly not bad at all though.  They’ve always had elements of Indie Rock buried deep in their music, and when they embrace it things get good real quick.  As far as the vocal harmonies go, there are tons to love here as well.  I honestly feel like when vocalist’s Sabrina Ellis and Andrew Cashen do their whole dual vocals thing, it makes the already fun music of A Giant Dog that much more fun.  So no, “Get Away” isn’t the punch and explosive intro I was expecting.  But it certainly breaks down the roots of A Giant Dog’s sound really well.  Not to mention, I feel like this sort of has a 90’s Alt Rock sound that the band hasn't touched down on yet.  So this isn’t a bad intro at all.  Up next is “Fake Plastic Trees”, and part of me sort of wanted this to be a Radiohead cover.  But mere moments in and it’s clearly not that.  Instantly we’re thrown back into the very “Spit in your face” attitude of A Giant Dog.  But to be honest, as far as their sound goes, I really don’t think this does it that much justice.  All of the opening verses seem to be building up to some huge chorus, but there’s virtually no payoff.  I just feel like at the end of the day A Giant Dog have written so much more anthemic and aggressive material.  Then we have those strings and backing vocals, which honestly are bizarre and sound like something off of Depeche Mode’s “Music For The Masses”.  So “Fake Plastic Trees” doesn’t cut it for me, I kinda wish it WAS a Radiohead cover.  Thankfully, A Giant Dog brings in their A-Game VERY quickly with “Bendover”.  This track is absolutely brilliant from start to finish.  I love Andrew’s almost Goth vocals here, with Sabrina’s usual wail backing him up wonderfully.  But the sheer intensity and most importantly just how fun this track is makes everything so much better.  At the end of the day, this is exactly what I want to hear from A Giant Dog.  These verses are explosive and rebellious, and the chorus here is brilliant and catchy.  Everything about this track is what brought me to love A Giant Dog, to begin with.  There are still certainly elements of Indie Rock, but when we have those explosive breakdowns that always make me smile.  “Bendover” is one hell of a track.  One A Giant Dog is on their A Game, it’s really tough to get them off it.   “Toy Gun” is up next, and I love the inclusion on this one of the horns which give A Giant Dog’s sound so much more depth.  But don’t worry, this is far from Ska, this is still straight up rebellious Punk.  As far as a heavy tune goes, this is easily the crunchiest track so far.  But at the same time, it’s so much slower of a tune than I expected.  That being said, it’s still a damn good tune.  I feel like some of the wild backing vocals help bring this to the “Over the Top” status that I love to hear these guys at.  Not to mention, this is the first time we’re really hearing Sabrina have the spotlight here, and it’s nice to hear.  Then we have “Lucky Ponderosa”, which is easily the most upbeat and aggressive track that I’ve heard here so far.  But to be honest, this one really doesn’t hit me that hard at all.  The verses here are strangely sluggish, even though they’re still packed with attitude and great lyrics.  Even a lot of the chorus is just sort of alright.  But this one sounds like such an afterthought for the band.  At the very least, the strings on this track sound like they at least a good job of building up some tension.  I also really dig that solo at the end of the track, as well as the great energy of that last chorus.  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7_iHc_z-G8I

    Thankfully though, A Giant Dog never stay down for long.  “Photograph” instantly grabs me, with A Giant Dog sounding so comfortable in their sound.  The band certainly sound unified which is nice.  But the shocking thing about “Photograph” is just how well it’s written.  I mean, I shouldn't be that shocked, I’ve always praised A Giant Dog for writing great tunes.  But in their own “Tongue In Cheek” way, A Giant Dog on “Photograph” have wrote the sweetest Punk Rock love song I’ve heard in ages.  It’s kind of hilarious, but it’s also really genuine, and I can’t remember the last time I’ve said that about a Punk tune.  The majority of this track is just so fun, With Sabrina and Andrew’s shared vocal duties actually coming off genuinely sweet.  Overall, I love this track.  Even instrumentally, this is exactly where I love hearing A Giant Dog, with wild solos and upbeat drums.  But then we have “Roller Coaster”, which when I heard this I almost skipped this album entirely.  A Giant Dog have always had a sort of Indie edge to them.  But this is just one of the most sluggish tracks I’ve ever heard from these guys. The performances all around here sound like they were literally dragged out of the band.  Instrumentally, it’s bland and there isn’t anything remotely enjoyable going on.  Even some of the heavier moments later in the track come off plain awkward.  But every time A Giant Dog sort of let me down with a track, they pull out a track like “Angst In My Pants”, which is easily one of the album’s most shining moments.  I actually really dig the feel of that thick synthesizer in the background, and I feel like A Giant Dog can capitalize on it more.  The performance on this one isn’t as wild as usual, but it makes up for that with passionate performances from everyone.  But once again, it’s the songwriting that really makes this one stand out for me.  Not only is this “Angst In My Pants” packed with hilarious one liners, A Giant Dog are writing seriously catchy hooks that stick with you.  Sadly though, A Giant Dog continue to have a slight issue with continuity with “Tongue Tied”.  This track confuses the hell out of me.  A Giant Dog started out their career with these brilliant and upbeat exciting Punk jams are once again working with a much slower and sludgier sound.  Now, thankfully this one does straighten up and get as exciting as some of other tracks.  But even their performance on this one is a little more stiff and by the books.  While this is upbeat and aggressive, the vocals really don’t end up reflecting that at all.  Outside of that though, this one certainly isn’t terrible.  A Giant Dog however answer that with “Hero For The Weekend”, which is easily the harshest and most aggressive thing here.  I absolutely love the dual vocals here, which play off the instrumentals wonderfully.  And while the performances on “Hero for the Weekend” are a little less wild, I think the darker tone to this one is a nice change of pace for the band.  There are still just so many hilarious and completely ridiculous lines, like that one about the Vagina made of glass.  It’s moments like this that make me want to race out and tell everyone I know about A Giant Dog.  

    A Giant Dog, for the most part, does end this album off pretty well.  “Making Movies” brings in a sort of jolly and positive sound that I haven’t heard from A Giant Dog.  But they honestly pull it off really well.  This track has some serious swagger to its verses.  It’s even innocent sounding, even though it’s far from that.  “Making Movies” is the sort of fun, peppy song that I wanted to hear from A Giant Dog.  Plus, that slide guitar in the background is a seriously nice touch.  Then we have “Night Terror”, and the dark undertones on this one are all over the place.  To be honest, I think if they did an album going in a darker direction it would work out well because here the dark aspects just make this track surprisingly heavier.  But the campiness of this one is what draws me to it.  Those synths are corny and sort of goofy, but go with the sound of this track so damn well.  Plus, one again this gives Sabrina a real nice time to shine.  Some of her more theatrical vocals actually really come off fantastic.  Overall, “Night Terror” works out great, but all I can think about after is how much I want them to go dark.  This album ends off with “Survive”, and sadly it’s really not that good.  Once again, I’m confused on what they were even thinking about with this.  This track is such a drag, even though lyrically I don’t mind this at all and Sabrina sounds fine.  But it’s just the overall thought behind this track that rubs me the wrong way.  “Survive” is just so delicate sounding, even pretty.  Which should be an interesting idea from A Giant Dog.  But at the end of this day, this track was really poorly put together.  In the future, if A Giant Dog wants to continue to blend Indie Rock with their usual aggressive style, there has to be a better way.  However, I do have to say the last minute or so here is loads better when the more epic instrumentals roll in. 

Rating: 7.6/10

Give A Listen To: "Bendover", "Photograph", "Angst In My Pants", "Hero for the Weekend"

Genre: Punk Rock, Indie Rock

If You Dig This, Check Out: A Giant Dog - "Fight", Downtown Boys - "Full Communism", White Lung - "Sorry"

Overall Thoughts:  For the most part, this is a really decent album from A Giant Dog.  But I think what really sort of soured me on a few tracks were a few really awkward journeys into a more indie sound.  Which on paper has worked for them in the past, and even works on a few tracks here.  But it also leads to some of the blandest and most awkward moments of the album.  Still A Giant Dog remain one of the most exciting bands in modern punk.

Oh Sees - "Orc"

Oh Sees, FKA Thee Oh Sees and about 20 other names, are a California based Garage Rock band led by the genius John Dwyer.  Now, if I had to choose one genre that I've always considered to be "my" genre, it would be Garage/Garage Punk/Garage Psych.  Bands like The Black Lips and artists like Ty Segall have always been mainstays in my collection.  Oh Sees, however, have always had a very special place.  I've always thought Oh Sees to be like, the ultimate B-List Horror Movie, mostly due to their debut album "The Masters Bedroom Is Worth Spending A Night In".  This album was freakish and exciting, with plenty of Low-Fi guitar solos as well as wild performances.  But this album went the extra mile almost constantly.  You could practically feel the drugs seeping out of this album, and some of the more twisted moments seemed legitimately evil.  But at the same time, Dwyer and company were writing seriously catchy hooks, making this all strangely inviting.Oh Sees cleaned up their act a little bit on 2009's "Help".  This album was a little more cleanly produced and a little catchy, it also showed that Dwyer had seriously been working on his songwriting.  But most importantly, it showed Thee Oh Sees starting to incorporate more classic Psych Pop elements.  These very classic elements continued on to their next album, the very stripped down and equally as Psyched Out and Fuzzy "Dog Poison".  This was easily the scratchiest and least polished material Thee Oh Sees had given us to date, but it was certainly still interesting and solid.  Now, for the most part, I feel like the majority of Thee Oh Sees work is pretty flawless.  But for some reason, I've never gotten into 2010's "Warm Slime" at all.   It's alright and all, but nothing about it really sticks out with me.  Thankfully though, the ever prolific Oh Sees quickly followed that up with 2011's "Castlemania".  This album was LOADS better, with Dwyer diving head first into the sounds of the 60's in his own freakish way.  Tracks like "AA Warm Breeze" and "I Need Seed" were instant classics, and not for nothing, that album art is awesome.  By the time 2011 came around, Thee Oh Sees clearly knew what they were doing.  2011's "Carrion Crawler/The Dream" was the band's first true masterpiece.  This album was packed with upbeat and truly wild Psychedelic Rock trips.  But Dwyer's brilliant songwriting and the intense and loud instrumentals just made this one a must listen.  Thee Oh Sees would go on to next release the criminally underrated "Putrifiers II".  This album showed Dwyer and Thee Oh Sees going for a sound that saluted bands like Velvet Underground and plenty of other Classic bands.  But they did it with such an appreciation for that era and cleaned up their sound just enough for it to come off nicely.  2013's "Floating Coffin" was actually my first Oh Sees album, and for the most part, I feel like it's decent.  While it's not as wild, and while Dwyer's songwriting is as solid, it's still a very fun and decent Garage Psych album.  Also, what's up with the production on this album? it's seriously not NEARLY as interesting as some of Thee Oh Sees earlier work.  Thee Oh Sees continued their very prolific run with 2014's "Drop", which saw the band take a slight step back in the much weirder direction of their early years.  Sadly though, I really just didn't think there was anything too memorable here either.  On the other hand, 2015's "Mutilator Defeated At Last" was VERY memorable.  It showed Dwyer going for a much more stripped back sound that reminded me of "Putrifiers II", but most importantly Thee Oh Sees were just having fun.  There were no gimmicks here, and overall Thee Oh Sees sounded like themselves in the best way.  Back on their creative streak, Thee Oh Sees released one of their most exciting and wild albums in years, 2016's "A Weird Exits".  This album was an over-the-top, wild, and completely ridiculous Sci-Fi/Horror masterpiece filled with blood guts and everything in between.  But outside of that, once again John Dwyer just seemed to be having an all out blast.  The always prolific Oh Sees are back, (With a slight name change) sounding just as out of control as ever, let's talk about this album.

(Classic Oh Sees right here!)

This album starts off with “The Static God”, and let me just say, this album takes absolutely no time in throwing you deep into the sick and twisted world of John Dwyer.  Only 30 seconds in and this album is already noisy, abrasive and colorful.  But after all these years, I love how John Dwyer still has the ability to put harmonies and melodies in from time to time.  There aren’t too many here, but when they do show up it is nice  But the story on “The Static God” is the sheer intensity, my friends.  I can’t for the life of me remember the last time I heard Oh Sees sounding so unhinged and out of control.  Dwyer’s seemingly constant guitar solos and hypnotic verses make this one a seriously wild ride.  And while I do with this was a little more melodic in parts, this is a damn fine opener.  It reminds us that Dwyer is and always will be the absolutely unhinged kind of Psychedelic Garage Rock.  Plus, the production on this track is brilliant, sounding wild and in the moment but also sounding oddly clear.  Then we have “Nite Expo”, which in so many ways is the exact opposite.  It’s a smooth, upbeat and wonderfully crafted Garage Rock tune.  The heavy use of the synthesizer here actually really brings me back to the band’s last album.  But it brings in this sort of Sci Fi element that I’m always happy to hear from Oh Sees.  Don’t you worry though, there are plenty of aggressive guitars and freakish performances on “Nite Expo” as well.  Dwyer’s performance on this one actually does a lot for me.  For my money, I love to hear Dwyer at his weirdest and most over the top, which is exactly what we get here.  This track is twisted and bizarre, but also shows how the Oh Sees incredibly focused.  For an under 3 minute track, this one rules.  As this album goes on, I have to commend Oh Sees for just how heavy this album is.  “Animated Violence” in particular sounds absolutely massive, without this track being too heavy stylistically interestingly enough.  But even Dwyer’s strangely crushing performance here seems to show just how brutal this track is.  In a weird way, “Animated Violence” is Oh Sees take at completely overblown metal.   Call me nuts, but I feel like it actually works with the sounds of this album quite well.  It continues to be seriously vibrant and outrageously colorful.  In a way, this actually really reminds me of some of the stuff Ty Segall did last year on his “Emotional Mugger” album.  And that goes double for when those very sinister synths pop in.  Overall, “Animated Violence” really works really well for Oh Sees.  It’s the kind of completely wild and ridiculous performance I need when dealing with these guys.  But what’s really interesting to me about this track, the is extended sort of jam towards the end.  For me, this actually a whole lot more engaging than some of the instrumental jams that popped up on the band’s last album.  So hell yes, “Animated Violence” is a big thumbs up from me.  Not to mention, that super noisy outdo is just what the doctor ordered.  Then we have “Keys To The Castle”, which is much more easy on the ears and to be honest, a little more along the lines of what I expected to hear.  Don't worry, I mean that in the best way.  I love the more upbeat and peppy performances here, which doesn't go easy on us in the slightest way as far as heaviness goes.  “Keys To The Castle” is easily one of my favorites here.  I love the more guitar driven sound as well as the freakish guitar performances.   But once again, the real star here is just how well Oh Sees are working with these lengthy jams, which is honestly something I was really worried about here.  But on this track, Oh Sees take the massive jam and make it into something truly special.  My issue with Oh Sees jams has always been that I felt that if they would be so much better in a live environment.  But the jam on “Keys To The Castle”, which goes on for over 5 minutes, is done expertly.  This may be some one of the most interesting atmospheres’s that Dwyer has put together period.  It’s eye opening, it’s relaxing, it’s psychedelic and most of all really interesting.  Listening to this track I just can’t help getting sucked up in this track.  But one thing’s for sure, this time last year an 8 minute Oh Sees track would have been a little sloppier.  “Keys To The Castle” however ends up being one of the album’s most defining moments.  

    “Jettison” to be honest is the first track on here I’m not completely head over heels for.  But there is still a bunch of aspects to this one that I do enjoy.   Some of the early breakdowns and intense passages are actually some of the best on the album.  The sheer ferociousness of the hooks here are actually really lovable as well.  But the verses on “Jettison” are just so plain and sort of boring.  I like Dwyer’s usual blend of violent and animated lyrics, but his performance on this one barely sounds like something Oh Sees would even touch.  And the band have done tons of softer tunes before and I’ve dug them.  But this one just seems like a little too much of a stretch for me.  But the most intense and noisy passage do at the very least make this passable.  Then we have “Cadaver Dog”, which is once again much more focused on atmosphere with some slightly goofy synths and plodding bass.  It’s certainly a change of pace for Oh Sees though.  Once again, this certainly reminds me of some of the closing moments on “A Weird Exits”, but it still is coming off a little more focused than that.  But on “Cadaver Dog”, Dwyer’s vocals are once again burrowed deep into their lowest register, and I have mixed feelings on that.  On one hand, I feel like it certainly adds to the campiness that I crave when listening to Oh Sees music.  However, I feel like there have been too many times in Oh Sees career that Dwyer didn’t sound like he was forcing himself this much.  So I’m just sort of torn on “Cadaver Dog”.  This track is far from bad, and I do love the very slow burning instrumental building up in the background.  But one thing I did realize at this point, is that one thing I certainly miss about “A Weird Exits” is the cohesive direction of everything.  Thankfully, Oh Sees bounce back strong with “Paranoise”.  I seriously love a whole lot of the funk here, as well as some of the jazzy undertones.  This is honestly where I love hearing Oh Sees the most, taking very conventional and seemingly normal styles of much and contorting them into something that just sounds off kilter.  The funk here in undeniably strong in that bass, and I love the twangy and vibrant guitars.  As an instrumental, this one is overall really well put together.  Listening to this I feel like I’m watching some disturbing and animated movie and watching something that confuses the hell out of me.  But if I’m being honest with you guys, this is miles better than some of the instrumentals they threw at us on the last Oh Sees album.  When Dwyer really sits down to take on this atmosphere, he can really go places.  It’s honestly really impressive, and shows Oh Sees are always maturing.  Not to mention, it makes me a whole lot less worried about the band’s future.  Plus, some of those electric guitars that pop in towards the last minute are some of the coolest instrumentals I’ve heard here by far.  Then we have “Cooling Tower” which at first I really didn’t know how to take.  But as I’ve listened to it more, this is totally in Oh Sees playbook.  It has that sort of Sunshine Pop flair to it that almost comes off as tongue in cheek.  But of course, there are the usual twangy guitars that sort of usher in Oh Sees sound.  My only real issue with “Cooling Tower” though, is that I don’t feel like John Dwyer took this one far enough.  I love just how zany and weird this one in.  But it’s practically the shortest track here.  I would have loved Dwyer to make this one maybe a minute longer and used that time to make the atmosphere even bigger.  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=55pVd0iCANA

    Oh Sees aren’t done with us yet.  “Drowned Beast” literally sounds like a long lost tune from the “A Weird Exits” album.  The production on this track is just so thick, and the Sci Fi influences are all over the place.  To be honest, though, I love it.  Oh Sees are always a little hit and miss with their slower tunes.  But this is the slower paced track that I’ve been dying to hear from them.  Dwyer’s whisper quiet vocals are just so twisted and bizarre sounding, especially with his usual outlandish lyrics.  The lone strings in the background also give this such a tight atmosphere, and the vocal performance all around is just so freakish. For a sluggish track clocking in at over 5 minutes, “Drowned Beast” is brilliant.  This album ends off with “Raw Optics”, which is the funky and off kilter outdo that I honestly wasn’t expecting to hear.  The grooves here are certainly strong and instrumentally Oh Sees are sounding as unified as ever.  But to me, this doesn’t come off as a finale to me.  To be honest, it honestly sounds like Oh Sees are just gearing up to get going.  There are a lot of great sound effects used here to give this a seriously far out sound, and they do succeed.  But this just wasn’t the finale that I was looking for.  It’s good and all, but it gives me little to no sense of closure.  But overall, this is still another great Oh Sees album. 

Rating: 7.9/10

Give A Listen To: "The Static God", "Nite Expo", "Keys To The Castle" "Paranoise"

Genre: Garage Rock, Psychedelic Rock, Garage Punk

If You Dig This, Check Out: Thee Oh Sees - "A Weird Exits", King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard - "I'm In Your Mind Fuzz", Ty Segall - "Melted"

Overall Thoughts:  At the end of this day, this is just another pretty damn awesome John Dwyer creation.  Oh Sees here took the few things I wasn't too sure about listening to their last album, and really fixed some of the bigger mistakes.  The guitars are out of control and John Dwyer's performance are their usual eclectic blasts of energy.  However, my only slight issue is I sort of wish this album was a little more concepual.  

Queens Of The Stone Age - "Villains"

Queens Of The Stone Age, for those of you who know me, are my all time favorite band.  Way back in 1998 QOTSA made their self-titled debut.  Now, this was coming shortly after the demise of legendary Stoner Rock/Sludge Metal act Kyuss, who contained original Queens members, Josh Homme and Nick Oliveri.  QOTSA's debut album was dark and moody, focusing heavy on grooves and extended Psychedelic Jams.  But at the end of all the Jamming and sweaty/sexy riffs, this was a major Garage Rock masterpiece.  Josh's guitar playing and sultry singing was just so fresh in the rock world, and tracks like "Regular John" and "You Can't Quit Me, Baby" quickly became legendary tracks.  With 2000's "Rated R", QOTSA certainly cleaned up their production but didn't clean up their act.  This album was so much more pristine and started bringing in more classic rock Influence ("Auto Pilot) as well as Alternative Metal ("Feel Good Hit of The Summer").  However, QOTSA's mission remained the same, to create some of the sleaziest, grooviest Rock & Roll on the planet, all while bringing back in a sense of serious danger.  And they succeeded, with Psychedelic trips like "Leg of Lamb", and never ending Guitar journeys like "Better Living Through Chemistry".   In 2002 however, Queens of the Stone Age put the Alternative Rock world on notice with their epic "Songs For The Deaf".  This album is a stone cold classic and is simply put one of the most successful albums of the 2000's.  This album had it all, between radio friendly guitar jams like "No One Knows" and "Go With The Flow", and tremendous deep cuts like "First It Giveth" and "Song For The Deaf".  It was just an album that had so much for everyone, and still remains the starting point for anyone who hasn't listened to QOTSA.  However, my first and all time favorite QOTSA release will always be the incredible "Lullabies To Paralyze".  This album is just so damn dark and dreary.  It remains bluesy and centered on a very classic rock sound.  But it also is just so damn QOTSA.  It's violent, it's sleazy, it's sexy, and a modern Guitar classic album.  Queens of the Stone Age up next, however, took a turn for the weird with "Era Vulgaris" album.  This album was so much much stiffer sounding and often had Queens going for some bizarre Robot Rock vibe.  The result is some of their sloppiest to date by far.  It would be quite some time until we heard from Queens Of The Stone Age again.  In 2014, QOTSA released "...: Like Clockwork", an album that took me some time to adjust to.  But once I did, I obsessed over it.  Josh Homme on this album learned the blues and wrote some of his dreariest and somber songs ever.  It has a star studded cast, it has fantastic reunions, it's totally worth a listen.  And here we are, 4 years later with a new Queens of the Stone Age album.  These singles have been seriously brilliant, and I can't wait for a second longer to talk about the rest of this.

(The one song that started my obsession)

This album starts off with “Feet Don’t Fail Me”.  A very twisted sounding intro, but it’s where I like to hear Queens the most.  But then again, looking at this album cover, thesis certainly to be expected.  I love the very dark synths that pulsate through this very groovy opening riff.  But what’s most interesting here is the atmosphere.  The very dreary tone to this track is a cross between the dark fantasy tone of “Lullabies To Paralyze” and the true agony of “…Like Clockwork:.  But then we have the groove that slowly builds up in this track, ushering in the main riff.  As soon as it hits, you can’t deny the straight up funk behind this track.  To me, the sound of “Feet Don’t Fail Me” is what the band was going for on “Era Vulgaris”.  But this is a thousand time more likable.  It’s sexy and sleek, and totally encompasses everything about the leather wearing Josh Homme we’ve been seeing lately.  “Feet Don’t Fail Me” is honestly just the intro I wanted to hear from QOTSA, with a series of intense grooves and bluesy hooks.  This track is everything I could have wanted to hear, to the point where I actually needed a moment to come down after hearing it the first time.  Not to mention, Josh on vocals sounds absolutely wild.  Up next we have the lead single from this album, “The Way You Used To Do”.  Now honestly, the first time I heard this track I really didn’t know what to think.  At first, I sort of thought this was nothing more than Josh just doing a sort of awkward Billy Gibbons impression.   But this track is just so inescapable, and it’s just so much fun that I’ve learned to love it.  While we’re on the subject of “fun”, this is easily the most fun I’ve heard Josh and the boys having in years.  The grooves continue to be strong, and Josh’s bluesy performance stays strong even up against this more upbeat and dare I say, “Danceable” rhythm.  The guitar solo is snappy and peppy, and reminiscent of some of the more radio friendly tunes on “Songs For The Deaf”.  And not to mention, it remains very sleazy and sexy sounding, which is obviously something Josh has toyed with practically forever.  But I haven’t heard it come off this solid in years.  So far, this album is honestly, everything I what I wanted to hear.   Now, I never know what I’m going to hear going into a Queens of the Stone Age album.  But “Domesticated Animals” is one track I really wasn’t expecting to hear, and that is a return to the sounds of “…Like Clockwork”.  The riff here is straight up classic Garage Rock sounding, and Josh’s very soulful vocals come off so well here.  Also, this is easily the most hypnotic track the album has to offer, with some of Josh’s more monotonous vocals going right through me.  But overall, hell yes this works for Queens.  The guitar solos are bluesy and sound like some of Josh’s best.  But it’s the pacing on this one that really sends this one home for me.  It’s something about the very uneasy pace matched up with Josh’s very villainous delivery that hits me the right way about this one.  Not to mention, that guitar hook on the chorus is guitar heaven as far as I’m concerned.  So while this album so far isn’t as punchy or as ear grabbing, so far it’s been by the books QOTSA.  

    The very haunting atmosphere continues on with “Fortress”, and the pacing continues to be very well done as well.  But to me, this is the first track here that sort of falls flat.  To me, this one comes off as a “…Like Clockwork” track but deflated and with a lot of the energy taken out of Josh’s performance.  I do still think there are some pretty decent elements to this track, like the pacing, as Josh’s vocals which while they are less energetic are still soulful and groovy.  But in a weird way, does anyone else feel like “Fortress” comes off as too sweet of a sentiment for a QOTSA track?  Don’t get me wrong, it’s certainly pleasant to hear and all.  But it just breaks up this long string of mystifying and Semi-Sinister tracks.  Plus, why is this track on an album called “Villains”?  QOTSA come back though with “Head Like A Haunted House”, which is a nothing fancy balls out rocker that fans of “Songs For The Deaf” will probably love instantly.  Josh here sounds at his bluesiest, and the band around sound at their most unhinged.  But even outside of how wild and crazy this track comes off, I actually think this one has a ton of great writing.  I love a lot of the wordplay here, as well as some of the wild sounding ad-libs as well.  But for me, I sort of wish this was fleshed out a little bit more.  In a track list of very beefy and complicated tracks, this is shockingly straightforward.  But don’t you worry, the very cautious and dreary tone returns with a vengeance on “Un-Reborn Again”.  Josh on this one is at his darkest, talking about all of these very deformed and twisted sounding individuals.  As I listen to tracks like this though, I can’t help thinking that this track and others are seriously going to go under-appreciated.  The atmosphere on “Un-Reborn Again” is to die for.  It’s just so smooth and creepy, sort of the way that was introduced on “Lullabies to Paralyze”.  Not to mention, the very music and almost Dark-Fantasy elements have returned for a few minutes.  Now, I know a lot of people are going to think this is a little drawn out, and I certainly get that.  But between the gloomy grooves and Josh’s more passionate vocals, I feel like this one is a real gem.  It’s great to hear Queens working with elements like strings and that lone saxophone.  Plus, for a more hook and harmony oriented Queens track, it works surprisingly well.  

    The strong grooves continue with “Hideaway”, which some more of Josh’s much more blues oriented work.  To be honest, the most shocking thing about this album so far has been just how much Queens have taken from their “…Like Clockwork” album.  It’s not nearly as strong, but it’s still very busy and pained sounding.  For me though, “Hideaway” could have been a little punchier.  There’s a solid hook and all, and I really love some of the elements like those sinister synths.  But there’s no meat to this whatsoever.  And while there’s a catchy hook, there’s almost nothing else going on underneath.  Even the atmosphere on this one seems so flakey and limp.  Plus, that acoustic strumming is going to haunt me in my sleep.  But fear not ladies and gentlemen, because “The Evil Has Landed” packs enough of a punch to save this album from meandering off.  So far this album has been pretty groove-centered.  But this is the most intense that it’s gotten yet.  In a way, this once again reminds me of something the band would have done years ago with “Era Vulgaris”.  But I have to hand it to Mark Ronson of all people on the production who really nailed it.  The grooves here are intense, and not for nothing, this may be the most psychedelic track here by far.  But it gives Josh the time to shine he’s needed for quite a while.  His solo is stunning, his vocals are bluesy, and all in all this track really works amazingly for QOTSA.  But outside of that, even the rest of the band sound pretty incredible here.  This is easily their most tightly wound and intense performance.  Even that last minute which picks up quite a bit just comes off so old school and reminds me of everything I fell in love with about QOTSA many years ago.  This album ends off with “Villains of Circumstance”, and let me tell you it’s just about the dreariest thing we’ve heard here so far.  As a matter of fact, this track could have easily popped up on “…Like Clockwork”.  But while other moments on here kind of sounded like Josh was trying way too hard for that sound, here once again Josh sounds legitimately tortured.  And the way that this one builds into a pretty standard Queens track is actually really elegant.   I do have to say though, the second verse here doesn’t come off nearly as effective.  Overall, I think this track rounds off the album really nicely. 

Rating: 8.0/10

Give A Listen To: “Feet Don’t Fail Me”, “The Way You Used To Do”, “Un-Reborn Again”, “The Evil Has Landed”

Genre: Hard Rock, Alternative Metal, Blues Rock, Stoner Metal, Psychedelic Rock 

If You Dig This, Check Out: Queens Of The Stone Age: "...Like Clockwork", Arctic Monkeys - "AM", Them Crooked Vultures - "Them Crooked Vultures", Royal Blood - "How Did We Get So Dark?"

Overall Thoughts:  Going into this album, I didn't really know what to expect.  But then again, I really never know what to expect from the legendary Queens Of The Stone Age.  This isn't nearly as groundbreaking as "Rated R".  This isn't nearly as tortured as "...Like Clockwork" either.  But at the end of the day, this is still a very decent rock album.  Yes, some of the tracks overstay their welcome, and some of Josh's performances aren't as strong.  But still, the grooves are heavy, the solo's are spot on, and this is just Queens being themselves.  

Brand New - "Science Fiction"

Oh.....oh well would you look at that.  Out of nowhere Brand New has a new album.  I'm not gonna go through the discography in this intro, because honestly what hasn't already been said about Brand New that hasn't been said already?   I grew up with Brand New's music being a Long Island man, and they've always just meant so damn much to me.  Honestly, this album sneaked up on me.  Hell, it sneaked up on the world, so I'm gonna dive in headfirst.

This album starts off with "Lit Me Up", and it's certainly a very dreary and dark tone.  I mean, if you take the darkness of "Daisy" and multiplied it by a ton, that's what this is.  Like, "Daisy" was dark and all, but "Lit Me Up" is damn near satanic.  And the recordings Bran New have placed in the background are just making it more and more twisted.  We're talking pretty simple tricks here, but they certainly work.  Now, while this one does take about 2 minutes to get going, it's certainly worth it.  The tension here is nearly ridiculous, and I love the way front man Jesse Lacey's very hazy and dreary lyrics blend in.  Jesse sounds more disconnected than ever, which if you know anything about the dude, that's certainly saying something.  Not to mention, his vocals are sounding even more tormented with this very dense and suffocating production.  Hell, it almost sounds like Brand New are performing underwater.  Overall, this is one hell of an intro.  Being the first Brand New material in years, however, the band is taking their time and understandably so.  it's worth it though and sets a seriously unforgettable tone.  Then we have "Can't Get It Out", which is much more direct and to be honest sounds like something off of the band's "The Devil and God..." album.  There are elements of Indie Rock here, and it's just sort of nice to actually hear Brand New in not such a murky environment.  It has so many of the classic Brand New elements, like the constantly building riff leading up to that gigantic chorus.  And let me tell you, this chorus is big enough to go toe to toe with any of the band's older material.  Not to mention, over the years Brand New have constantly brought in more and more elements of Post Hardcore. Not so much of a surprise, it's once again seriously on display here.  But it's moments like this that have me wondering why the hell Brand New are breaking up.  They sound unbelievable, to be honest.  And so far, "Science Fiction" is worth the wait.  A nice loud scream starts up the next track, "Waste".  Now, as far as the vocals go, I really feel like everything on this one is actually right where it needs to be.  But instrumentally this one doesn't pack quite as much of a punch.  Mostly, my issue with this is that the instrumentals don't suck me in like they did on some of the band's early releases.  That is at least, until the chorus, because then things pick up to just fine levels.  But overall, I'm really not that much into this track.  I'm not as sold on the noisy production matched up with Jesse's acoustic guitar.  Outside of that, this isn't necessarily bad.  But "Waste" certainly doesn't have the atmosphere I'm looking for.  But then we have "Could Never Be Heaven", which is even more of a straight up acoustic track.  Once again, this one really doesn't hit me too hard instrumentally.  However, I'm seriously digging Jesse's vocals and lyrics here.  And in a way, it is a nice throwback to the time of "Deja Entendu".  I do enjoy parts of "Could Never Be Heaven".  But instrumentally, I keep almost falling asleep.  It's not like Brand New haven't done soft tunes in the past, I don't know why this one was just so bland for me.  Thankfully.  Brand New still have so many tricks up their sleeves. 

 

    "Same Logic/Teeth" while it's on the softer side, immediately reels me in.  I love how Brand New bring in a slew of old school Emo influence on this one, 90's emo that is.  But I can't help but be stunned at how much Jesse brought his A-Game on this one, with his usual very visceral and striking lyrics and performances.  This one is just so patient, so slow, but it's the sort of emotional power that I've been dying to hear in the last few tracks.  Some of the more screamed and yelled vocals on the verses here are seriously on point, they don't overstay their welcome either.  Instrumentally, this one is all over the place between the horns and the almost Celtic sounding folk licks.  "Same Logic/Teeth? just has so much depth overall. Hell, even the last stripped down minute or so comes off so well.  Then we have another sort of dreary, murky tune in the form of "137".  As a matter of fact, it's so hazy that I wouldn't have been surprised to hear this turn up on the band's "Daisy" album.  But to be honest, I'm really digging a whole lot of the vocals.  As far as that goes, Brand New's harmonies have actually hit an all time high.  So far, I do have to say this was worth the wait.  The guitar melodies are almost hypnotic on this one, and while earlier I had some issues getting into some of these slower tunes, Brand New have certainly upped their game.  Not to mention, while some of these recordings in the background have sort of just been alright on other tracks here.  But on "137", they honestly sound right at home.  I have nothing bad to say about this one at all, especially with that last minute of wild solos and great breakdowns.  "Out Of Mana" up next has so much more of an aggressive sound, once again pushing further towards the classic "The Devil And God..." territory.  But sadly, I don't feel like Jesse's near whisper quiet vocals do this track enough justice, at least during the verses.  As far as the chorus goes, it actually ends up coming off of some of the more memorable material here.  Overall, this tune is solid.  I do like a lot of the breakdowns in the second half, and I’m seriously into a lot of Jesse’s wilder vocal moments.  Then we have “In The Water”, and at first I really wasn’t feeling this because of how slow and dragged out it sounds from the intro.  But to be honest, the almost southern sounding guitars and keyboards give this the sort of big sound that I’ve been craving to hear more of.  In a way, this track is almost a little positive sounding, which is sure as hell foreign to me as far as Brand New’s music is concerned.  Overall, the pacing on this track is done wonderfully, and this track overall is so brilliant.  Does that justify it being practically 7 minutes long?  That’s debatable.  But for one final rodeo, you have to give it to Brand New for branching out.  

    Brand New still have quite a few tricks up their sleeve.  We have “Desert” which takes us right back to that very murky and dark sound that we've been working with for most of the album.  You would think that Jesse after all these years has sort of started to run out of things to say, but that’s far from the case.  I actually continue to really love the vocals on this one as well.  But instrumentally, I feel like this one is a real disconnect.  The twangy guitars are here which are a Brand New staple, but outside of that, to me, this really doesn't feel like a Brand New track at all.  The pacing on this one is also sort of weird.  And those high pitched vocals on the chorus Jesse?  No thank you, sir.  On the other hand, “No Control” is much more in Brand New’s territory.  Sure, there are some sluggish areas.  But at the end of the day, Brand New at least sound like themselves.  But it’s more than just that.  “No Control” actually comes off as one of the more mature tunes Jesse Lacey has penned in his older age.  It’s sort of refreshing to hear and gives me an enormous sense of closure listening to this IF it truly is the last Brand New album.  Not to mention, that last minute or so is some of the most intense moments on this entire album, even though it’s not a complete track.  Then we have “451”, which with this serious groove sounds like something out of the playbook of Queens Of The Stone Age.  As a matter of fact, a whole lot of this track has a real QOTSA vibe.  Even the backing vocals have this very sinister vibe that I really love.  I have no idea where this track is even coming from, but this is the furthest thing I’ve heard from a Brand New track here.  But it’s done so well that I’m seriously craving more.  It’s dark, groovy and sort of sexy in a weird way.  I don’t even know what I’m listening to anymore, to be honest.  Those hard, almost southern guitars are back, taking care of everything in their path, and I love every second of it.  This album ends with “Batter Up”.  Now, I’m going to be brutally honest, this is the sort of track where I least like to hear Brand New.  Instrumentally, this is just such a damn bore that it isn’t even funny.  Thankfully, Jesse does come back with some really nice vocals and lyrics.  But does anyone really get any closure from this?  Because I certainly don’t.  To be honest, this sounds like a mid album cut from “Deja Entendu”, and that’s about all.  I like moments of “Batter Up”, like the drums in the later moments that actually end up making this album pretty epic.  I just wish this was bigger and more exploratory as some of the other tracks here.  But still, this album was certainly worth the wait.  

Rating: 8.1/10

Give A Listen To: "Lit Me Up", "Can't Get It Out", "451", "In The Water"

Genre: Post Hardcore / Emo / Some Indie Rock (Don't Deny It)

If you dig this, check out:  Brand New - "The Devil and God Are Raging Inside Me"

Overall Thoughts:  This album really threw me off guard.  I saw Brand New last September around the time where they first announced they were breaking up.   But to be honest, I really never thought I would be here talking about it.   This album is massive, and while some of the softer tunes don't really hit me that hard, the majority of this album is brilliant.  Brand New here for one last time are branching out into sounds I never would have thought I would hear from them.  And overall, this just serves as a reminder at how great of a rock band Brand New truly are.  

King GIzzard & The Lizard Wizard - "Sketches Of Brunswick East"

Ok so when King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard late last year revealed we were going to be getting FIVE ALBUMS from them this year, I honestly didn't think it was happening.  Yet, here we are, in late August, about to discuss their 3rd of the year.  Not only that, but it's featuring members of Mild High Club.  We've been already here a few times this year, so I'm going to skip the usual intro.  But obviously, I'm a huge fan of these guys.  I've seen them live twice, and as far as I'm concerned they're probably the most exciting Psychedelic Rock band in the world right now.  Let's not waste any more time!

(One of so many great King Gizzard Tracks)

This surprise album starts off with “Sketches of Brunswick East 1”.  It’s a very Low-Fi intro, with a lot of the material here sounding like it was sort of just jammed out by the band alongside their guests Mild High Club.  It’s not necessarily bad though at all, this comes out like it was recorded live in one take.  It’s oddly smooth though and reminds me a lot of the band’s Paper Mache Dream Balloon” days.   The airy flute is on point and the breezy atmosphere works great.  Overall, while there isn’t a ton to this intro, it’s sweet.  Now, one thing that I certainly didn’t think I would hear this year from King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard this year is low down and sleazy 70’s funk.  But that’s exactly what we get on “Countdown”, and to be honest it actually goes really nicely with the atmosphere.  But for my liking, I really don’t feel like they didn’t push this sound far enough.  This one isn’t nearly as psychedelic or even as catchy as I would have expected to hear.  So sadly, I kind of have to give this one a thumbs down.  “Countdown” is alright and all, but it’s seriously not engaging me.  Plus, these vocals which are usually a huge plus for me end up doing a whole lot of nothing for me here.  They just sort of end up coming off sounding baked out of their mind (which I’m sure they are).  However, one thing I do have to give credit to is the Jazzy undertones to all of this.  There’s a lot of Jazz elements to this album, and it all starts right here with that wild bass solo.  On the other hand “D-Day” is a totally cool interlude from King Gizzard.  While this one is totally quiet in nature, it has a whole lot of underlying intensity to this that I can’t deny.  It’s short and all, but some of these instrumentals are seriously nasty.  The guitar solos are killer, and the keyboards are hypnotizing.  But I can’t get over the fact that this is so short.  Like, I would have loved this to be a 4-minute jam, but it’s over so quickly.   The first track that I have absolutely no issues with is “Tezeta”.  This is exactly what I wanted to hear from the band.  I love their usual, Psychedelic sounds thrown in with all of these Jazzy undertones, which come out in a big way on this track.    “Tezeta” completely soars as it moves forward.  I love how seriously on point the instrumentals and the solos are, and the very haunting layered vocals add some seriously cool elements as well.  And correct me if I’m wrong, but that IS the voice of Han-Tyumi from their “Murder of the Universe” album thrown in there as well.  But I think what makes this track comes off so well, is that King Gizzard seem to show such an appreciation for Jazz and Jazz Fusion.  The horn inclusions are so sweet and well put together.  Not to mention, these tracks continue to have a very “In The Moments” feel to them, which could very well make or break this album for you.  But that totally adds to King Gizzard’s always adventurous attitude.  Overall, “Tezeta” works great for the band.  Then we have the massive return of Funk in “Cranes, Planes, Migraines”.  Now there are some seriously weird, almost disco elements in this groove.  It’s a solid track and all, but once again, why the hell is this track a minute long.  Why couldn’t this have been fleshed out?  It’s small mistakes like this that keep me from obsessing over this album.  

    By the time “The Spider and Me” rolls around, we’re really starting to get into more spacier and far out material.  And to be honest, that’s exactly where I want to hear this album.  It still has a ton of really Jazzy and hip tones to it, especially in a whole lot of these funky guitar licks and smooth keyboards.  At the end of the day, it’s just so nice to hear King Gizzard back to a more stripped back sound and working with no gimmicks.  Some of the ad-libs in the background are amusing and give this a more Psychedelic sound.  Not to mention, even though this all has such a free sound to it, King Gizzard remain completely in control of their smooth sound. It’s a great tune.  As this album rolls on, things just continue to get more and more out there and certainly more Jazzy.  “Sketches of Brunswick East II” brings in a sort of cosmic sense that actually compliments the band wonderfully.  As for these instrumental interludes, this is much more like it.  It has a purpose, it has structure, and actually feels so much more than just a transition.  I actually really love the very laid back and warm sound of this one.  The keyboards are hip, the horns are solid, and the atmosphere is easily the best we’ve heard here by far.  Hell, I wouldn’t have minded for this one to go on longer.  Then we have “Dusk To Dawn on Lygon Street”, and I’m honestly blown away with just how much jazz influence there is here.  The ambient sounds really add quite a bit, and I love the sort of retro Pop sounding vocals.  The vocals actually to me sound like something out of the book of Ariel Pink.  I actually think as far as a softer and sweeter tune goes, “Dusk To Dawn on Lygon Street” is actually a home run for King Gizzard.  It’s not nearly as Psychedelic and experimental, and to be honest I could see this maybe getting some Indie Radio airplay.  Then we have “The Book” which on the other hand is good in a completely different way.  For anyone who just showed up to see King Gizzard at their weirdest and most bizarre, get on this track over here.  This one has a lot of the World Music influences that showed up on their “Flying Microtonal Banana” album, but also has the quirkiness of “Murder Of The Universe”.  The deadpan vocals are twisted, she of the sound effects make for a totally bizarre atmosphere, and all of this comes together wonderfully.  What this all has to do with Brunswick East is beyond me, but I’m into it.  Then out of nowhere, we get “A Journey To (S)hell”, and I mean this REALLY comes out of nowhere.  The title of this one says it all because this is by far the most intense and dark thing we’ve heard here yet by far.   The drums are heavy, and the backing vocals are at their most twisted.  But sadly, it doesn’t do nearly as much for me as I would hope.  I don’t really feel like this fits with the rest of the album at all.  And while it certainly woke me up, I’m still not sure why it’s here.  

    Thankfully, King Gizzard get back on track quickly with “Rolling Stoned”.  Now as far as the atmosphere goes, this is where I love to hear King Gizzard.  The horns here are heavenly, and I love the laid back tone of this one that makes for a stunning atmosphere.  It’s hip, but it also has a great retro vibe.  But it goes deeper than that.  Once again, “Rolling Stone” shows King Gizzard respecting these sounds as well.  Also, not to mention, the more cosmic sections of this come off seriously well.  For an instrumental, this track absolutely rules.  Then we have “You Can Be Your Silhouette”, which is a sort of quaint and much more relaxed track.  I don’t completely hate this track, but in this case, I sort of wish King Gizzard would have gone a little further with this sound.  It’s very sweet and airy and all, but I don’t feel like this is a King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard track.  Hell, this literally sounds like their attempt at elevator music.  So no, it’s not bad, but it doesn’t completely fit honestly.  “Sketches of Brunswick East III” is our finale here, which is honestly not really what I wanted to hear as an album closer.  The sluggish riff and dreary atmosphere here is far from what I expected to hear from a King Gizzard track.  I like the flutes and all, but outside of that, there isn’t too much going on here.  That all being said, this album is still very interesting and creative.  

Rating: 7.7/10

Give A Listen To: "Tezeta", 'The Spider and Me", "Sketches If Brunswick East II", "Dusk To Darn on Lygon Street"

Genre: Psychedelic Rock / Jazz Fusion

 

If You Dig This, Check Out:  King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard - "Paper Mache Dream Baloon", Thee Oh Sees - "Putrifiers II", Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti - "Before Today”

Overall Thoughts:  Overall, this is another really decent King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard album.  I still have my reservations about loving it completely though.  There are still a lot of really bizarre interludes that really don't need to be there to be honest.  Or in other cases, these interludes are really good, but end after a criminally short period of time.  But overall, I think this stripped down King Gizzard sound blended with elements of Jazz is actually something I would love to hear more of in the future.  But for now, this is certainly decent.  

Grizzly Bear - Painted Ruins

Grizzly Bear are a band that I've been wanting to talk about for a long, long time.  They're a band that sometimes move me with just how haunting and beautiful they can be, but also have been a little confusing from time to time as well.  In 2004, they made their debut with "Horn Of Plenty".  Now, for the most part, this was a solo project of singer Ed Droste, and you can easily tell it.  This album had a very D.I.Y. feel to it, and more times than not had a tendency to be a bit messy.  But it also had a very strange charm to it, especially in seriously amazing tracks such as "Disappearing Act" that just stuck with you.  Grizzly Bear however really quickly came into their own with 2006's absolutely jaw dropping "Yellow House" album.  As far as a Psychedelic Folk album goes, this album is game changing.  The tracks on here are so incredibly lush and beautiful and seem to constantly change right in front of us.  The vocals are mind blowing, and some of these crescendos are seriously staggering.  If you haven't heard Grizzly Bear's stuff yet, "Yellow House" is the place to start.  2009's "Veckatimest" on the other hand, took me years to truly appreciate.  Listening to this album the first time, I felt like Grizzly Bear straight up slapped me right in the face with vibrant production, off kilter riffs, and absolutely stunning performances.  This is certainly an album you need to sit with to really appreciate.  But once you really get what's happening around you, it's actually really quite stunning.  On the other hand, 2012's "Shields" was much more inviting.  It was equally as stunning and quite bizarre at parts, but it seemed just so much more straightforward while remaining seriously beautiful.  Now, to be honest, I don't really know how to feel about these new singles.  Yes, they're stunning, and for the most part, I do really enjoy them.  But I don't get the same overwhelming feeling listening to any of them so far.  Hopefully, they'll do that more in context with the album!  Let's talk about this!  

(The song that got me and probably a whole lot of people into Grizzly Bear)

“Wasted Acres” starts this album off.  Only seconds in, and it’s clear that Grizzly Bear are working with the absolute most electronic sound they’ve ever worked with.  But honestly, I think they pull it off really well.  I love how Daniel Rossen’s voice is just so smooth and dreary over this very slow paced tune.  To be honest, I think the pacing on this one is actually really perfect and introduces us to the much more electronic sound of Grizzly Bear.  It’s also sadly not nearly as stunning as some of their previous material, which can either be a good thing or a bad thing.  In a way, it’s easier to swallow and doesn’t require as many listens.  But on the other hand, it also makes you think a whole lot less about what it is that you’re listening to.  Either way, I think “Wasted Acres” is a totally fine and enjoyable start.  Then we have “Mourning Sound”, and the very easily digestible and very straightforward sound that Grizzly Bear are going for continues.  There’s still a very strong sense of electronic music in those synths, however.  Ed’s very dreary tone on this one has a much more intriguing sound.  But overall, I certainly am digging this.  Grizzly Bear has always had such a way in taking a simple Indie Tune and making is something so much more with a vast atmosphere.  Also, I seriously am into the back and forth vocals between Daniel and Ed.  While “Mourning Sound” continues to be straightforward, I’m into it.  Now call me crazy, but “Four Cypresses” is a little too straightforward for my liking.  I would usually be totally fine with a much more and synthetic and robotic sounding indie tune.  But to be honest, this just really doesn’t do anything for me.  It sounds like any old synth based Indie Band doing an impression of Grizzly Bear’s sound, to be honest.  And while Daniel’s vocals are certainly stunning and beautiful, they’re not enough to give this one any life at all.  It’s just so damn sluggish, even when the heavier and more aggressive instrumentals come in.  Overall, I’m used to just hearing so much more from Grizzly Bear.  Even when the more Baroque elements come in, it just seems tame for Grizzly Bear.  Then we have “Three Rings”, and as the album rolls on, I can’t tell you how shocked I am to hear just how prominent the synthesizer is.  This one continues to be on the slower side of things.  But at the very least, this one has plenty going on instrumentally to make it come off as vibrant and interesting.  Plus, I feel like in some ways Ed’s more dreary performance goes a little more with these slower paced tunes than Daniel’s vocals.  Overall, this tune is the sort of vast, beautiful track that I’ve been wanting to hear for a while from Grizzly Bear.  I love the melodies, I love the breezy atmosphere, there’s nothing wrong with this one at all.  Plus, some of the synth parts in the last minute or so are seriously some of the most stunning moments I’ve heard so far.  

    Up next we have “Losing All Sense”, and to be honest this is easily the track I’ve heard here that sounds the most like classic Grizzly Bear.  Overall, this is actually one of my favorite tunes here.  I love how quaint and much more in the Indie Pop direction this one is.  It’s just so damn snappy, and I love to hear Grizzly Bear working with this more upbeat sound, even if it’s not THAT upbeat.  There’s a serious Singer/Songwriter vibe to this, and the synth is barely even a factor.  So far, however, this album has just been alright.  The songs are decent enough, but nothing about this seriously has taken me away to where I want to go when listening to Grizzly Bear material.  But this track to me sounds really fresh and easily the most interesting thing they’ve done all album.  “Aquarian” is next, and this one being so damn hard to place and experimental that it actually gives me some hope.  The atmosphere on this one is just so eclectic, it feels like everything is just rushing right past you.  But to be honest, I don’t find it all that flattering in the long run.  I like Daniel’s vocals and all, and hearing them in this almost freakish atmosphere almost seems natural.  But sadly, I’m not buying it.  I just really feel like while they may have not completely outgrown this sound, It’s far from the best example of it.  It’s tough, however, because a lot of the instrumentals here are certainly likable.  Now on the other hand, “Cut-Out” is so much more of a better example of the Grizzly Bear style.  This one is just so much more off kilter and interesting.  And with Ed’s very dreary vocals returning, I feel like this is much more under the band's control.  Hell, even when Daniel’s vocals come in, I feel like this one continues to be seriously solid and stunning.  The backing vocals on this one just make it sound so huge and gorgeous sounding, and some of the heavier instrumentals come off really well too.  So it’s not like Grizzly Bear have totally lost their touch.  But it’s certainly seeming a lot harder to get into their usual groove.  Then we have “Glass Hillside”, easily the dreariest and most somber tune yet by far.  I actually think Daniel’s vocals here sound exhausted and completely worn out.  I like a whole lot of the elements here, to be honest, and as far as an off kilter, slower jam goes, this is pretty fantastic.  But I feel like for as decent as this is, it could have gone so much further.  This easily could have been a whole lot more eclectic and more beautiful.  However, little details here and there make “Glass Hillside” a whole lot easier to stomach.  Plus, Ed’s very haunting backing vocals are a really fantastic touch.  

    Thankfully, Grizzly Bear does end off the album on a pretty decent note with a couple of decent tracks. First, we have “Neighbors”, which honestly sounds like an unused track from one of their more concrete albums.  I absolutely love the very whimsical sound of the atmosphere and swirling instrumentals.  Everything about this one just comes off so brilliant, and almost has a folktronica sound thanks to the continued addition of that synth.  But to be honest, it really comes off magnificently. These are some of Ed’s most chilling and interesting vocals yet by far, and some of his dual vocals with Daniel are some of the most haunting moments of this entire album.  “Neighbors” is one hell of a track.  Then we have “Systole”, which is certainly Daniel’s time to shine.  His vocals do sound very pure and all.  And I honestly thought his vocals would have been a little more haunting considering the stillness of the track.  But I still think this is decent since I do enjoy the very off kilter vibe to this one.  But while a lot of this track is decent, it’s not gripping me completely, much like this entire album.  Thankfully, this album’s finale “Sky Took Hold” grips me immediately.  This track, while it’s slow, is ridiculously tense.  I actually think that Ed pulls off this very epic and seriously dark sounding track very well.  The instrumentals are immense and patient, and some of the vocals are done so well.  “Sky Took Hold” makes for one hell of an ending.  

Rating: 7.5/10

Give A Listen To:  “Mourning Sound”, “Three Rings”, Losing All Sense”, "Neighbors"

Genre: Baroque Folk / FolkTronica / Indie Rock / Baroque Folk / Art Rock

If You Dig This, Check Out:  Grizzly Bear - “Veckitamist”, The Books - “The Lemon of Pink”, Beach House “Bloom”

Overall Thoughts:  This certainly isn't a horrible Grizzly Bear project, far from it to be honest.  But there are just so many momnets on here that I really don't think that they've got this new, more electronic sound completely under wraps.  Some times their classic, Psychedelic Folk sound comes out in droves, however, and that makes this album much easier to swallow.  Overall, this is decent, but I expected a little more.