Ty Segall - "Freedom's Goblin"

Ty Segall is, quite frankly, one of Garage Rock and Psychedelic Rock's most prolific acts and biggest work horses.  I mean, this guy stays busy almost constantly.  Through his solo career, his other bands like Fuzz and GØGGS, split albums with Mikal Cronin and White Fence, Compilations, Live albums and more, Ty has literally released dozens of albums.  Now, getting into Ty is honestly a little overwhelming, mostly because he just has so MUCH material.  So let's chat about Ty's discography, I'll go easy on y'all!  Ty's first solo album, 2008's "Ty Segall", not for nothing, is a little bit sloppy.  Don't get me wrong, there are countless great moments here, like "Don't Do It" and "Untitled" which come off as classic Blues covers, or "You Should Never Have Opened That Door" or "The Drag" which we see Ty perfecting his very jittery, eclectic Garage style.  But there are also moments on here like "Watching You" or "Dating" which seemed a bit rushed and probably should have been saved for one of his later albums.  But overall, this album is a solid start to Ty's career, and "You're Not Me" to this day is one of my favorite Ty tracks.  Ty started making his sound much more sonic and upped the production in a big way on 2009's "Lemons".  Tracks like "Drop Out Boogie" and "Die Tonight" showed Ty beginning to blend genres, bringing in elements of Garage Rock and Psych Rock, as well as Punk and Blues.  Still, though, Ty obviously had a lot of room to grow.  His slower tunes like "Johnny" were painfully boring sadly, but, Ty showed so much promise.  However, with Ty's late 2010 release "Melted", he started to really turn some heads.  The tracks on this album were much more accessible and even melodic in parts.  But Ty did this without really sacrificing any of his loudness or his musical eccentricities.  "Melted" was also a much more polished production, and it sounded like Ty really put so much time into this release.  Now I hope you're buckled up, because Ty's about to do a LOT in a little amount of time.  In 2011 Ty dipped his hat into the Folk Rock sound with his "Goodbye Bread" album, which once again really worked out nicely.  Sure, tracks like "You Make The Sun Fry" and "The Floor" showed that Ty was THE hardest working dude in Psych Rock.   But other tracks here showed that Ty was much more than just some merry prankster.  2012's "Twins" showed Ty returning to his very Jittery Garage-Punk of the past, but with a crunchier sound.  Like, the guitars on tracks like "Who Are You" and "Thank God For The Sinners" are absolutely massive, showing Ty was most certainly still the Garage Rock titan he started as.  2013's "Sleeper" once again showed Ty rolling back the clocks and going for a truly old school Psych Folk sound.  But it didn't end up coming off as dated as all, just the opposite, "Sleeper" was a seriously tasteful throwback Folk record, mostly because it always seemed to me that Ty had plenty of Classic Rock in him.  Then we have Ty's 2014 release "Manipulator".  This album took a while for me to truly enjoy, and trust me I'm not the only one.  The main reasoning behind that is just how glamorous this album is.  The production here is just so flashy, and often makes Ty sound like a totally different artist.  Which of course, lead to some tracks that I still to this day am really not into at all, like "The Singer".  But so much of the rest of the album has grown on me.  I love the hazy Glam Rock of the album's title track, and I love just how bluesy and unhinged Ty sounded on tracks like "Feel" and "The Faker".  Buy for my liking, I love to hear Ty at his weirdest, which is what we got with 2016's "Emotional Mugger".  This album is bizarre, with Ty bringing in ridiculous imagery, as well as a slew of the heaviest tracks that we've gotten from him.  Obviously, Ty has a wide variety of sounds he's worked with.  Ty gave us a little bit of a mixed bag with mix results however with 2017's "Ty Segall".  This album had most of the usual suspects, like the grungy "Break A Guitar", the chaotic "Thank You Mr. K", and the beautiful folk ballad "Take Care (To Comb Your Hair)".  But outside of that, Ty seemed to be a little too much on his best behavior.  These tracks were fine, and Ty was writing much more personal lyrics which was commendable.  But these tracks to me didn't have nearly as much lasting power.  However, Ty is back and he's absolutely on his more experimental side, because these new singles have been completely freakish in the best way.  It's one of my most anticipated album's of the entire year, let's dive deeper.

(A personal favorite of mine from Ty)

This album starts off with “Fanny Dog” and right off the bat, I’m shocked with just how glamorous this is.  Ty has toyed with Glam Rock before in the past, but this is next level, I feel like I’m watching some Garage Rock variety show.  It’s colorful, and the horn section adds a real bulkiness to this track that I can’t get enough of.  Lyrically, it’s just as wild and bizarre as you would expect Ty to be aiming for, always being one for cryptic lyrics.  But this may just be the most epic and gigantic intro track that Ty has ever presented to us.  “Fanny Dog’ is lavish, and at the same time it’s easily just as chaotic and whacked out as everything else he’s been dishing out lately.  Between that, the intense guitar solos, and everything else here, this is wild.  On the other hand, Ty approaches “Rain” a whole lot more delicately, which is something he rarely does.  But I love his Psychedelic lyrics here that just have enough of a dark twist to really make this one stand out.  But to hear Ty really slow down his sound for a ballad, it’s refreshing honesty.  Compared to the intro though, the instrumental pallet on this one is completely different.  The instrumentals on the last track were so lavish and flamboyant.  But “Rain” on the other hand has such a pained and bluesy feel, and Ty’s performance is just as emotional.   Then we have “Every 1’s a Winner”, and the off-kilter funk of this one is immediately an absolute blast.  I mean, Ty here sounds like an absolute madman, even during the verses when he’s focused on doing this very hushed and “sexy” voice.  Obviously, a little disco and funk carried over from the original version of this one by Hot Chocolate.  But Ty makes it work wonderfully, with colorful instrumentals, as well as some truly out there effects.  Needless to say, I absolutely love everything about this one.  Not to mention, the fact that his entire backing band gets to show off how talented they all are is icing on the cake.  Not to mention, this one has such a swagger to it, it’s fantastic. The disco vibes continue on “Despoiler of a Cadaver”, this time being a little more up front and easier to pinpoint.  The funky bass lines however,  just seem to me to practically belong in Ty’s music.  It’s a bizarre track, with Ty going back and forth between a more “sexy” tone and a Frank Zappa “Central Scrutinizer” tone.  But at any rate, this track just makes me want to do more freaky, bizarre Disco pronto.  In a way, this also almost reminds me of something off of Beck’s “Midnite Vultures”.  It’s got some serious humor in the bizarre lyrics, especially with just how aimed every instrumental is on the dancefloor.  Ty’s all out Psych romp between genres continues to have amazing and incredibly entertaining results.  Then we have “When Mommy Kills You”, easily Ty’s most straightforward and edgiest track yet.  And while I do love the Punk attitude of this one, as well as the bizarre vocals, I can’t shake the feeling that this is sort of a sore thumb on the album.  It just sticks out way too much, sounding like a crappy leftover from last year’s “Ty Segall”.  Sadly, “When Mommy Kills You” lacks the personality that the rest of this album does amazing with, and lacks the glossiness as well.  And while if this really is a sort of travel through the years, this is probably his punk phase, but there are other tracks here that do THAT so much better.  

    “My Lady’s On Fire” is up next, and once again we have Ty going for a more ballad tone with this one.  Honestly, though, tracks like this are coming off incredibly emotional and a nice change of pace.  Obviously, this does sort of come off like his Folk Rock and Psych Folk days, but a little shinier and sounding a little nicer.  In general, this track is just so smooth, and the way Ty bounces back and forth constantly on this album between genres has gotten so seamless.  Not to mention, that last soulful sax solo is genuinely stunning.  Now, leading up this album “Alta” was one of my favorite tracks.  I love just how quiet and delicate this one starts off, just for Ty to answer that with this absolute wall of sound for the chorus.  But it’s more than just the usual fuzzy guitar layered 10 times.  It’s keyboard, drums, bass, and plenty more.  Not only is this album a celebration of different genres over the years, this is a celebration of Ty’s genres he’s touched through the years.  “Alta” is absolutely hulking and muscular, but at the same time, Ty is just so passionate within these instrumentals.  What you need to realize is, Ty has evolved so much over the years, from a guy with a love of noise and a guitar who was an outsider, to a full-fledged musician.  And this album may just be his swan song.  Now, I do like a lot of elements to “Meaning”.  I love the much more intense playing and hectic vibe.  But I just feel like the production really took a nosedive on this one.  Plus, the transmission from the very wild interlude to the more chaotic verses is quite frankly a little awkward.  I do think it’s really great to hear Ty’s wife Denée take lead vocals on this one as well, and if you read the whole story behind this one it’s absolutely adorable.  But I just can’t get 100% into this.  I want to hear Ty freak out and play his guitar as much as the next guy, which is here in spades.  But this one is just alright, even structure-wise.  On “Cry Cry Cry” however, Ty once again goes for almost a Blues or Folk Rock feel.  But Ty in his older years has gotten to be so much more of an emotional singer.  I love the very soulful guitar licks on this one, which go so well with Ty’s more downtrodden performance.  But Ty makes it all work wonderfully, as this one easily comes off just as smooth as some of the best tracks here.  However, I will say this, “Cry Cry Cry” is one of the album’s most straightforward tunes, almost coming off like a cover.  On the other hand, “Shoot You Up” has a whole sort of different swagger to it.  This one has some actually bluesy, confident guitars, alongside some of the weirder backing vocals.  I love Ty’s much more sinister, disturbing performance here.  “Shoot You Up” is easily one of the album’s darkest moments, but it really just shows that Ty really can conquer just about any sound.  There’s even almost a Socio-Political aspect to this that Ty handles well.  It’s just the sort of grizzly garage tune that’s totally right up Ty’s alley.  

    “You Say All the Nice Things” is up next, and this one is a whole lot more on the lighter, folkier side.  But it’s tracks like this that once again, really sort of stick out like a sore thumb.  Ty just sounds so out of place, especially in his vocals that just come off a little goofy.  I think there are some really great elements to this, like the sweet melodies and the very smooth instrumentals. But I just feel like Ty has done so much better tracks in this style over the years.  And it’s a shame because I DO really love some of the very soulful and bluesy breakdowns towards the end.  But Ty bounces back, which quite frankly I have no words for, in the best way.  I love hearing Ty at his most freakish and out-of-control, and that’s what this is.  Just, you know, this time Ty is trying to tackle Ragtime.  This track is nothing more than Ty, sitting behind a keyboard, and playing away while rambling.  But it works so well.  It’s hypnotic, outrageous, and sort of comical as Ty completely sounds wasted.  But it seemingly fits completely snug in this very broad, colorful album.  Honestly, I wouldn’t have minded Ty taking “The Last Waltz” further.  “She” however, is the track that I needed to hear.  This one is determined, scruffy, and totally Ty.  He sounds so fierce and determined here, and absolutely completely unhinged in his performance.  But it’s just so great to hear Ty freak out and give us an absolutely raucous rocker.  I love just how bluesy this is as well.  Once again, Ty just seems to be taking elements from all over his illustrious and wild career, but it’s been working wonderfully.  Plus, it’s been so long since we’ve really heard him rip on the guitar.  Obviously, “She” is a welcomed track indeed.  Not to mention, even with a 6 and a half minute run time, this track is a joy. But of all the tunes on here, “Prison” does seem grossly out of place.  It’s a short instrumental, which I’m fine with.  But it doesn’t add anything to the album, especially after that stunning guitar jam.  Not to mention, it’s just seriously ugly.  Ty though bounces back big time with the absolutely bizarre “Talkin 3”.  This track is completely off the rails, from the outrageous and quirky saxophone to Ty’s performance which may be his most manic yet.  As far as an absolute freak-out goes, this is one of the best here.  And while it’s only 2 minutes, it really does pack a wallop.  

    The funk returns in a big way on “The Main Pretender”.  The amount of swagger in this tune, to be frank, is off-the-charts.  Ty’s very sleazy and steamy performance makes this one an absolute blast all around.  But outside of that, this one is just so bluesy and soulful.  It continues to show, however, just how much of a creative streak Ty is on.  Every track here seemingly has its own personality, and they’re all so interesting and different.  It makes this an incredibly exciting album to listen to and makes me wonder where Ty is going to go next. Sadly, I can’t excuse tracks like “I’m Free”.  While the majority of this album is wild and experimental even by Ty’s standards, this one is just bland.  But it’s more than that, this just sounds like a bland rewrite of a track he did years ago, with a little less passion.  Thankfully, the rest of this album is good enough to excuse this.  But with “5 Ft. Tall”, it becomes obvious that Ty still has a TON of energy.  This is his most triumphant and explosive track here yet, maybe in years.  The verses are thunderous, the acoustic guitars are a really nice touch, and Ty’s vocals are passionate as hell.  Everything about this one is just so gigantic, and Ty clearly isn’t playing to any gimmicks.  Not to mention, this is one of the most classic Ty Segall tracks here.  Obviously, you can hear that with just how comfortable and emotional Ty’s performance is.  This easily could have been a single from the sheer fact of how exciting it is.  But it’s more than that, it shows that Ty never slows down until the shows over.  After all of the adventurous turns this album took, Ty seems to finally have come full circle and returned to his own sound.  Now, when I see a 12-minute finale on any album, it worries me.  And when I first heard the intro of “And, Goodnight”, I was worried even more since Ty was working with a much slower ending.  But let me just say, this track is nothing short of a masterpiece.  I’ve never heard Ty work with such a straightforward blues sound.  But dear LORD, can he ever nail it. The guitar solos here are absolutely blistering and hard to keep track of, even though they literally float through the entirety of the 12-minute track.  Also, when I first heard Ty’s vocals here, to be frank, I teared up a bit.  Yes, for all of you Ty enthusiasts, “And, Goodnight” is a disguise for a 12 minute extended version of the title track from Ty’s classic “Sleeper” album.  But I’ve never heard it played with this much passion or emotion.  in an album filled with questionable slow jams, Ty saved his biggest and best for last, and it sort of blows me away each time I listen to it.  

Rating: 8.9/10

Give A Listen To : "Alta", "She", "5 Ft. Tall", "And Goodnight"

Genre: Garage Rock / Psychedelic Rock / Folk Rock / Blues Rock / Indie Rock / This album is all over the place

Overall Thoughts:  This may be Ty's most in depth, out of control, and experimental album yet.  And if you've been following him as I have for years, then you know just how big of a statement that is.  This however, is a little different then your average, yearly album from Ty.  No, this album as it goes on is a celebration of modern music of all sorts.  Ty touches down on Disco, Punk, Rock N Roll, Folk, The Blues, and countless other genres.  But more than that, this is a celebration of Ty, of every sound he's ever touched, and bringing them to the table in a way that I can only describe as some sort of colorful, freaky, Garage Rock variety show.  There are a few moments on here that are a little weak, but for a double album this album flows almost too smoothly. 

No Age - "Snares Like A Haircut"

Now it goes without saying, the early to Mid-2000's was a GIGANTIC time for Noise Rock and Art Rock (and all of the lovely sub-genres that float in between).  Los Angeles's No Age came rocketing on to the scene in 2007 with "Weirdo Rippers" trying to capitalize on that.  And with their debut album, I really thought they were a little late to the party.  The Fuzzy, sort of Surf Rock, with Punk and Noise elements galore, just seemed like it had been done so much better at the time.  At the end of the day, "Weirdo Rippers" sort of came off like you had scored tickets to your Cousin's best friend's Noise Band and had nothing else to do but go see them live.  News flash, they were just alright.  But, I will give "Weirdo Rippers" this though.  Some of the more experimental and Art Rock elements that came in some of the more traditional tracks was a whole lot more interesting and gave me a lot of hope for No Age.  And I wasn't let down because the band did a complete 180 with their next album "Nouns".  This album was the exact opposite of their debut compilation in every way.  Now only did tracks like "Ripped Knees" and "Sleeper Hold" rip with the determination of early Wavves, but also had the melody and the big choruses of a band like Japandroids.  But No Age wasn't OK with being just another Noisy Rock band, because they intertwined all of these banging tunes with a very modern Production that made sure to keep the band's sound dirty as great as it sounded, but also infused that with these very lush and well thought out interludes.  The result was one of the most artfully sound Noise Rock albums you were going to here, period.  I almost enjoyed the band's 2010 album "Everything In Between" even more.  Tracks like "Valley Hump Crash" and "Skinned" were just so determined and showed the band had a seriously unbelievable sound.  Not to mention, they had just come such a long way artistically from their early experimental days.  No Age's next album, 2013's "An Object" however is a weird one, to say the least.  There were some of No Age's most intense and upfront tunes here, like "I Won't Be Your Generator" and "C'mon, Stimmung".  These weren't just great rock tunes, they were first listen classics.  But Most of the rest of the album showed No Age getting increasingly unfocused.  So it's been a few years since we've heard from No Age.  But these new singles have been very VERY impressive and maybe some of No Age's best in years.  I'm excited to dive deeper!

This album starts off with “Cruise Control”, and it’s just the sort of muscular, ripping Noise Rock that I needed to hear.  There are actually a lot of elements of Shoegaze floating through the background, making for this stunning, glistening sound that’s absolutely to die for.  It’s certainly noisy and chaotic.  But at the same time, “Cruise Control” is actually really beautiful.  It’s got a hopeful undertone and some beautiful production.  No Age seriously have a knack for making grungy, dirty Noise Rock comes off as Artsy and hip.  It reminds me honestly of some of the legendary tunes on the first few Japandroids albums.  It’s just melodic enough, but the sheer amount of reverb-soaked guitars and intense drums make this a stunning opener.  Even that last 30 seconds of grimy and hazy ambient noise is somehow beautiful.  “Stuck In The Charger” on the other hand is a little more charged, with some less glamorous production and sing-along verses.  But I love just how noisy this one is, with every instrumental practically bleeding into one another constantly.  And while yes, that sounds horribly messy, it’s actually really beautiful and makes you feel like in some sweaty bar watching No Age live.  Also, I can’t commend them enough for going as far with a backing Shoegaze sound, I mean this track is seriously glistening. The very majestic brand of Noise Rock continues with “Drippy”, armed with twinkling intro notes and the most determined riff we’ve heard yet.   This track to put it bluntly, completely rips, and takes me back to a time where I thought Wavves was going to be the next huge band and Japandroids songs were every day anthems.   “Drippy” is intense and throttling, but it’s also nostalgic and wonderfully catchy.  It plows into the future full force, but also reminds us of the good times, the simpler times, and that’s something special.  Then we have “Send Me” which is obviously, something I figured the boys would handle eventually.  And that my friends, is a much more relaxed tune, with swirling synths as well as plenty of reverb that would make and Shoegaze purist crack a smile.  But even more than that, the performance by Drummer/Vocalist Dean Allen Spunt here is just so passionate and seriously tender.  We don’t hear him usually slow down this much, but this performance is quite frankly inspiring.  Once again, “Send Me” is a very nostalgic performance, taking me back to the early days of this budding genre.  It’s beautiful and passionate, but No Age end up continuing to keep their cool whits about them.  The beer-soaked garage that most of this album was built on is going to have a few tears on the ground after “Send Me”.  

    Up next No Age take a stab at some ambient material, which is something I’m always interested in hearing.  I love how serene “Snares Like A Haircut” is, they really do have a knack for these interludes.  Honestly, I would go as far to say this track is therapeutic, with a tone of very hypnotic sound effects and some distant feedback.  It’s seriously very impressive, so much so that I do sort of wish they maybe threw in another song like this or two.  Some of the sound play here is to die for, and the longer this track goes on the more beautiful it gets.  Is this a raucous rocker?  The furthest thing my friends.  But it doesn’t slow the album down, on the contrary, it makes this album feel more complete.  While that track was a nice change of pace, the distant twinkling guitars, as well as Dean’s very monotonous and visual opening, is downright exciting.  What follows is VERY well needed, as “Tidal” quickly becomes the most intense and muddiest track yet, with Dean’s very passionate vocals soaring above it all.  But the controlled chaos of this album continues to be the main story.  As wild and thunderous every instrumental is here, it all seems to be very under wraps and under control.  “Tidal” is a real thrill ride of a tune, with the listener never knowing whether to expect a sing-along verse or an intense passage.  Which honestly, could be said about a lot of this album, and that excites the hell out of me.  But I’ve spoken too soon, because “Soft Collar Fad” up next is absolutely off the rails in every way.  This one just seems out of control from the word “go”.  From the very brash production, the intense reverb, and the wild performances, “Soft Collar Fad’ is one of the most fun tunes here.  But one thing that hasn’t let up at all, is the triumphant lyrics.  That beer-soaked bar is clearly still in business.   Then we have “Popper” which all around is one of the heaviest tunes here.  I mean, this track is just so gigantic between its thick production and it’s huge riffs.  Hell, the instrumentals get so big here that they start to drown out Dean’s performance.  It’s a fantastic sound for the album though, even though it’s not nearly as pristine and “pretty” as some of the earlier tunes here.  But I can’t help but feel like that this is exactly where No Age should be.  This album so far has easily been their best project since “Nouns”.  Not to mention, it’s these tracks that really give No Age that sound of attitude they once dripped in.  Simply put, this album is VERY good. 

    Now, I hate to say it, but No Age does drop the ball a little with the final third of the album.  First off we have “Secret Swamp” which show No Age bringing in some accosting guitar in the background which is certainly nice.  But of all the tracks here, this is by far the messiest.  Here, a lot of the production doesn’t come off nearly as edgy, it just sounds sloppy.  Not to mention, these are by far some of Dean’s most uninspired vocals.  “Secret Swamp” is a weird one, and doesn’t really even sound like it belongs on this album.  Obviously, this album is still fantastic, but this one doesn’t do anything for me.  “Third Grade Rave” on the other hand is a stark departure from the rest of the album.  This is just so stunning and beautiful, with heavy, and I mean HEAVY Shoegaze elements.  The twinkling guitars in the distance, the almost overwhelming reverb, the intense drums, they’re all here and in full effect.  “Third Grade Rave” is absolutely stunning and beautiful.  And while I don’t know if I want more of this on the album, it’s certainly welcome for a few minutes.  Take note current Rock bands, this is how you do an interlude.  But No Age really do drop the ball with the last few tunes.  “Squashed” right off the bat just sounds ugly, and as it goes on it really doesn’t get much better.  I feel like this was a long-lost demo from “Weirdo Rippers”, it’s that ugly.  And that’s coming from a band that literally have made a career on muddy, intense performances.  But this just sounds like No Age needed one last track and sort of threw this one together.  It’s not even done classy, it just sounds like some college kids jamming attempting to sound like No Age. After “Squashed” I honestly wanted to get a little more of a punchy ending.  Sadly, “Primitive Plus” is on the boring side as well.  I just feel like No Age could have done more with this then some ambient sounds and some half-baked moans from Dean.  Even when some of the beefier instrumentals come in, it doesn’t sound nearly as tight as some of the earlier tunes on the album.

Rating: 8.2/10

Give A Listen To: "Cruise Control", "Drippy", "Tidal", "Soft Collar Fad"

Genre: Noise Rock / Art Punk / Shoegaze / Experimental Rock 

Overall Thoughts:  These are easily a collection of the all-around best No Age tracks since their modern classic “Nouns”.  The first 2/3’s of this album is a non-stop romp between every beer-soaked club No Age have ever played in.  It’s raucous, youthful, anthemic, and every other element that made No Age such a fresh new face in the mid-2000’s.  But there’s also a healthy dose of Art Punk and especially Shoegaze. But for fans of their more artsy side, No Age prove that they really can still master the instrumental interlude.  While No Age does fall off in the ladder half of the album with some questionable tunes, this album overall is an absolute blast. 

Django Django - "Marble Skies"

Django Django is a pretty left field, electronic-based Art Pop band that I've been meaning to check out for a few years now. Now, when it comes to their 2012 self-titled debut, I have a LOT of mixed feelings.  Overall, instrumentally I was really impressed with what these guys were up to.  I just felt like they really overall totally got the concept of starting with one beat and building it up constantly.  Even some of the more rock instrumentation on later tracks was very tasteful and interesting.  But as far as the vocals go, I had a lot less nice things to say. A lot of the time I just felt like they were completely overshadowed, even on softer tunes.  Nothing to me stuck out to them, even though there was an abundance of them in harmony too.  But still, Django Django DO have a very interesting sound that I felt like I wanted to hear more of.  But in 2015 with their next album "Born Under Saturn", I feel like Django Django really threw that all right out the window.  There were some decent Indie Rock tunes here and there.  But there were no grooves in sight, and the vocals weren't nearly as captivating.  However, I do have to say, these new singles, while they aren't the best tunes I've heard from Django Django, do show them getting more creative and wild again, which I like.  Let's chat about this new album!

 This album starts off with “Marble Skies”, and they’re certainly starting out with a sound I can really dig.  I mean, 20 seconds in and this is already more psychedelic and adventurous than anything on the band’s second album.  Also, while the grooves aren’t as strong as they once were from Django Django, I do appreciate that the band is going back in a more electronic direction.  It’s a very breezy, carefree intro that honestly does really stick with you a lot.  The melodies are memorable, and I have to say that in a weird way there’s almost a real old school approach to what Django Django are doing with their electronic elements.  Like, a lot of them sound directly out of the early 80’s.  But the very colorful atmosphere and lively performance makes this one come off as updated.  So far, so good.  But immediately we’re thrown right back into “meh” territory with “Surface to Air”.  This track really doesn’t affect me nearly as much.  As a matter of fact, this track is borderline unlistenable.  I do like the vibrant atmosphere, but this one features vocal duties 100% by Self Esteem, who aren’t nearly as interesting or as melodic or as memorable as anyone singing in Django Django.  The result is one of the most faceless Indie Pop songs I’ve heard in ages.  It’s almost like some bland Indie Pop act teamed up with any number of no-name Dance artists of the mid 90’s.  It’s not catchy and certainly not interesting, and is literally putting me asleep by the minutes.  I don’t know what Django Django were doing with “Surface to Air”, but it’s NOT good.  “Champagne” is up next, and I really don’t know about you, but this is just a little too sweet and sunny for my liking.  I’m down for catchy and colorful pop.  But this to me just comes off so incredibly phone with some shallow appeals for a flashback to the 60’s sound.  I have no problem with this band whatsoever going for a more fleshed out sound as far as their instrumentals go.  As a matter of fact, some late tracks here going for that actually come off really snappy.  But this one for me is just tasteless, even if it is catchy.  While I don’t mind these guys branching out. hearing them get right into “Tic Tac Toe” makes me so damn happy.  This one is much more intense and is a much more straightforward Electronic tune.  It’s still very catchy however, and it still has a more instrumentally vast sound with all of that great drum work throughout.  “Tic Tac Toe” is much more upbeat and likable for Django Django.  On top of that, these are some of the catchiest and most distinct vocals I’ve heard from Django Django in forever, I love how they’re just so free sounding and soaring.  While overall “Tic Tac Toe” isn’t as heavy into the groovy structures of their early recordings, it’s still a GREAT sound for them.  

    Up next we have "Further", and this is a seriously interesting totally different direction for Django Django.  This one has some bizarre Southern Rock elements deep down that are sort of goofy but at the same time totally badass thanks to that awesome bass line.  Not to mention, these are some of the most legitimately cool vocals I've heard from Django Django in ages.  There's almost a swagger to this one that's seriously something to behold.  It's a snappy tune that has some of the more epic moments we've heard here.  I mean, at the end of the day I would really prefer for the guys to stick to a single sound and really run with that.  But this one really brings back those hypnotic grooves Django Django got started with years ago.  Quite frankly, this track rules.  But these slower tunes like "Sundials" continue to not really do as much for me.  For starters, I'm really not into the vocals on this one at all.  I feel like everything that made their vocals stunning and really stand out years ago have just gone downhill.  I will say this though, as this track progresses and gets to be a little more upbeat, "Sundials" becomes a whole lot more tolerable.  But I  just can't get past these very feathery instrumentals.  The very smooth, almost classic rock feeling instrumentals though do come off nice, this one certainly did have potential.  On the other hand, "Beam Me Up" is a ridiculously interesting new sound for Django Django.  In a bizarre way, this song sounds exactly like a Depeche Mode track, early Depeche Mode at that.  I love just how cold and uninviting this one is.  It's got some seriously slick grooves though, and it's just got a Synth Pop sound that we don't get to hear any more.  The music of Django Django is almost always full of life somehow, whether it be through massive grooves or majestic vocals.  But this is the exact opposite, and a sound that I would love to hear them do more with.  Then we have "In Your Beat", which may be the closest thing I've heard to a straightforward tune I've ever heard from Django Django.  They do really nail it though, with bouncy synths that get pretty intense from time to time, as well as a really lush, stunning atmosphere.  There are some pretty wild moments on here that quite frankly I just didn't expect to hear, Django Django certainly does have some surprises.  Plus, it's moments like this that make me totally get why people go absolutely nuts for their vocal style.  I have nothing bad at all to say about "In Your Beat".

    "Real Gone" begins to wind this album down with one of the vastest and wildest sounding atmospheres here so far.  The attention to detail here almost reminds me of something that Com Truise would do.  Not only that, but Django Django are really taking their time to let this one breathe and become one of the bigger tracks here.  I'm totally into the swirling electronic elements and just how wild everything comes off.  And while yes, this is about two seconds away from being EDM, I feel like Django Django hold their own. Even without vocals for over 2 minutes, I'm totally fine with "Real Gone".  Then these very memorable and hypnotic vocals come in that make this even more out there and more bizarre.  Moments like this really help me get the hype behind this band and make me interested to hear more.  "Fountains" on the other hand is a bizarre finale.  The very breezy instrumentals are certainly a joy to listen to.  But as far as everything else goes, man, this one isn't very good at all.  The vocals that are usually such a stand out have become so stagnant and faceless.  Nothing about this is hypnotic, Django Django just sounds desperate for attention in an attempt to try and sound cool.  While I do like the atmosphere here quite a bit, everything else about this finale is a chore. 

Rating: 7.2/10

Give A Listen To: “Marble Skies”, “In Your Beat”, “Further’, “Beam Me Up”

Genre: Electronica / Neo-Psychedelia / Electronic Rock / Psychedelic Rock / Art Rock

Overall Thoughts:  This is easily, SO much better than the last time Django Django released an album.  While the band continues to drift away from their repetitive, groove-centered sound that got them fans in the first place, I feel like they're making some serious steps in the right direction.  The band's return to focusing on more electronic elements is quite frankly a breath of fresh air, and leads to some of their best songs in years.  But there are still a handful of tunes on here that are laughably bad, and even more so, completely faceless.  Django Django started years ago with a very distinct sound, and completely through that out with their last album.  But this album shows them slowly start to recover that.  

King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard - "Gumboot Soup"

How?  How the hell did this band release 5 albums in 2017?  Yes, this review is a MONTH late.  But, I wanted to chat about it anyway. 

This album starts out with “Beginner’s Luck”.  It’s a pretty whimsical start, and honestly it’s sort of throwing me back to the days of ”Paper Mâché Dream Balloon”.  I honestly can’t remember the last time I heard singer Stu Mackenzie this truly Psyched Out and bizarre.  King Gizzard keep it smooth though, and “Beginner’s Luck” remains really sweet to listen to.  I feel like this is always going to be a style that Gizz can easily return to.  There’s obviously a very retro element to this, and I love some of the songwriting here.  We forget between all of the outrageous experimentation that Gizz can write some truly catchy, memorable rock tunes.  But of course, there are wild vocals, wilder guitar solos to bring it all together nicely.  “Beginner’s Luck” is incredibly smooth, and a great intro.   This album however takes a turn for the dark very quickly with “Greenhouse Heat Death”.  This easily sounds like something “Murder of the Universe” or even “I’m In Your Mind Fuzz”.  It’s dark, ominous, and incredibly slow-paced, and in a lot of ways is exactly what I love to hear from King Gizzard.  In a weird way however, I feel like this belonged on one of their massive concept albums.  As good as “Greenhouse Heat Death” is though, it certainly does seem like a complete show out of nowhere.  But King Gizzard make it work, mostly because this track is so THEM, and I absolutely love hearing them in this atmosphere.  Not to mention, it’s just refreshing to hear them tackle a Psych Rock tune that’s more slow paced and ominous.   The Gizz return to their Retro-Psych roots though for “Barefoot Desert”.  I do have to take a second and salute their dedication to writing some much more Pop-Oriented material, because there’s some seriously catchy stuff on this album.  Once again, I am getting a real “Paper Mâché Dream Balloon” feel from this one with those flutes and more stripped down feel in the instrumentals.  It’s a bizarre tune that’s more catchy than anything, even though it’s completely left field.  I’m loving the spacey vibe that’s seemingly always present, but then we have the vocals.  Here, stuff is giving us one of his more bluesy performances, but throwing in all the vocals effects he can find, making for a Space-Blues sound that I would love to hear more of.   On the other hand, “Muddy Water’ sounds like a polished up B-Side from “Flying Microtonal Banana”.  I absolutely love everything about this one, especially the performances here that are just so twisted and almost robotic.  But King Gizzard use that to their advantage almost criminally well.  It’s catchy, weird, but also much more animated and intense than anything else here.   Of all the tracks presented here, “Muddy Water” easily has the most Psychedelic Rock feel.  It’s constantly shifting, and is easily one of the most exciting tracks to listen to here.  But at the same time, King Gizzard haven’t given up on their attempt to write catchier material, as evident in the hypnotizing chorus as well as those wonderful horn solos.  “Muddy Water” has a LOT to offer any fan of King Gizzard. 

Sadly though, this album isn’t all just interesting, seemingly B-Sides.  Because this track is certainly out there, but almost for no reason.  The smooth instrumental is almost a little too stripped down for my liking.  But the weirdest part of this track has to be the vocals.  This doesn’t even sound like Stu between the much less unhinged vocals and the layers of vocal effects that don’t do anything for me this time around.  I’m sorry, but this is seriously just sloppy for King Gizzard, with no purpose in sight.  The only elements to “Superposition” that is sort of enjoyable are these snappy horn solos.  But even those get old quick, and overall this one just doesn’t work for me.  The off-kilter funk of “Down The Sink” really isn’t doing much for me either sadly.  To me, this just comes off as another attempt as a throwback Rock sound.  And that’s totally fine, they usually do that enough by just being themselves.  But honestly, “Down The Sink” is just trying too hard.  It’s certainly funky and catchy and all, and the more Pop-Centered song writing is still working for them in a big way.  But this isn’t a King Gizzard song in the slightest.   Thankfully, Gizz really get their groove back with “The Great Chain of Being”, which is literally the heaviest and most intense song that I’ve heard from King Gizzard from “Nonagon Infinity”.   It’s practically a Metal tune with the sheer force behind this one.  But there’s enough wild performances and enough character to make it sound like this could have easily slipped onto one of their more recent albums.  It’s a slick tune, and I don’t know what they did with the production, but all around this track is heavy.  Hell, this track is heavier than half of the metal I’ve heard in the last year/  Gizz pull it together nicely though, and the result is an absolute mammoth of a tune.  I would honestly LOVE to hear them pull this off for an entire album.  “The Last Oasis” brings back in the lighter, fluffier sound we heard earlier.  But after that monster of a tune, I can use a track like this.  Now, the fact that King Gizzard can go for this light, hazy sound and nail it just as easily is absolutely nuts.  It’s once again going for that sort of stripped down vibe we got on ”Paper Mâché Dream Balloon”, and they can still really nail that.  But more than that, I feel like they’ve updated it with more vocal effects that really bring out some of the weirder aspects of King Gizzard.  It’s the most nightmarish, bizarre Classic Rock worship you’re going to hear this year, but every last drop is lovable.

But after all of these tracks, see mingling running the gauntlet of all of King Gizzard’s sounds, it’s so refreshing to hear “All Is Known”.  This is an all out, no rules Psych Rocker that’s completely off the rails from it’s opening guitar solos.  I mean, once again, I feel like this would have fit nicely on “Flying Microtonal Banana” album, but it’s a little more polished and flashy.  Obviously, a lot of tunes here seem to reach into the vaults of other King Gizzard projects.  But even if you haven’t listened to all of them, I feel like this is still wildly enjoyable.  It’s so great to know King Gizzard can still nail tunes like this.  Then we have “I’m Sleepin’ In”.  Now, as far as a seriously Psychedelic Rock oriented track goes, this one is the most bizarre and out there tune we’ve heard yet.  It’s an alright tune, and I feel like the band actually pulls off the very hazy and dreamy feel of this one really well.  But it’s a little too simple for me, being incredibly repetitive only a minute in.  Not to mention, why is the production here so damn ugly?   “The Wheel” however, ends this album off with a really stark change of pace.  It’s just as Psychedelic and out there, but this one is just so cold and not colorful at all.  To be honest, it’s pretty hulking and heavy too.  But the results are incredible.  It really creates this very swirling, massive atmosphere that I really can’t get enough of.  “The Wheel” is hypnotizing, and blurs the lines between multiple King Gizzard projects, and is a really great way to end such an interesting collection of tracks. 


Rating: 7.9/10

Give A Listen To: “Greenhouse Heat Death”, “Muddy Water”, “The Great Chain Of Being”, “The Last Oasis"

Genre: Psychedelic Rock / Psychedelic Punk / Indie Rock / Garage Rock

Overall Thoughts:  Obviously, I’m pissed that it’s taken me so long to chat about this.  King Gizzard with their fifth and final album of 2017 gave us a broad collection of tracks, seemingly pulling a little something from all of their other projects from this year.  Whether it be the intensity of “Muddy Water”, the absolute mind-blowing power of “Greenhouse Heat Death”, or the very breezy “The Last Oasis”, if you consider yourself a King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard fan, this is a must listen.  I do have to say, this is obviously the album King Gizzard have dropped this year with no real central theme or “gimmick”, which may alienate some.  But for a varied collection of tracks that show King Gizzard focusing much more on songwriting, this is VERY solid. 

The Shins - "The Worm's Heart"

Hey everybody, The Shins are back!  Well, not quite.  You all know The Shins, they're Indie Pop and Indie Rock legends.  James Mercer over the years has given us true classics like "Oh, Inverted World" and "Chutes Too Narrow", as well as some of Indie's biggest snooze-fests like "Wincing The Night Away".  James returned last year with "Heartworms", an album that in all honesty really isn't very good.  There are some truly amazing tunes here like "Half A Million" and "Name For You", but as a whole, The Shins had gone Psych Pop on us in the absolute worst way.  But James just can't seem to let it go.  I don't know what James is thinking this time around because he's taken "Heartworms" flipped the tracklist and has re-recorded EVERY TRACK. And let me tell you, the first songs that have been released from this have been unbearable, in every way.  Let's get this over with.  

(Oh the good ol' days)

    OK so first off, every track title here ends with “(Flipped)”, for your sanity and mine, I’m not going to acknowledge that.  This album starts off with “The Fear”, and this very downtrodden, slow pace is not doing anything for me right off the bat.  I have to say, if “Heartworms” was a weird album for you, this album is going to be downright bizarre.  If you told me The Shine would be reduced to this, I really wouldn’t believe you.  The heavy reverb on James’s voice most of the time really doesn’t do more than make it really hard to make out what he’s saying.  That could be really cool, and there are some tracks on here that James has actually improved.  But for “The Fear”, these effects and this ridiculously dragged out pace is just not doing anything for me.  However, HOWEVER, I do have to say, I get what James was going for, and in the right capacity, it could have been cool.  On the other hand, I actually think the reworked “So Now What” comes off genuinely cool.  James has turned this sweet and hopeful love song into an undead waltz.  It’s actually eerie in parts, and James’s vocals here make it sound like he’s calling out to his love from beyond the grave.  There’s a real sense of innocence to it though, showing that there really isn’t any danger.  One element that is alive and well, however, is that Psych Pop feel of “Heartworms”.  That real zaniness is still there, even if it is stifled ridiculously.  “So Now What” is a sweet tune, and I don’t really mind this reimagining.   Honestly though, one of the tracks that James outdid himself with completely was the title track, “Heartworms”.  The original version of this was one of my least favorite tracks on “Heartworms”.  But the pulsating beats and more upbeat feel to this one actually gives this a little bit.  Not to mention, James’s performance is at his more punchy and fiery in his performance, which is something I really never get to say.  In a case like this, this is a bizarre b-side and I can totally see the point.  And while I’m not into this album as a whole, I certainly can appreciate this.  On the other hand, I didn’t care for “Dead Alive” to begin with, and I don’t really care for this revision.  This very slow, dull, passionless version is doing nothing for me whatsoever.  The strings on this one accompanying James aren’t flattering at all, and quite frankly sound like they were ripped directly out of another tune.  James doesn’t even sound like he’s into this.  And to be honest, this really sounds like it was one of the last revisions made to this album, “flipped’ at the very last minute. Not because he wanted to, but he had to.  Tracks like this, make this project simply put, a novelty. 

    Now, call me nuts, but cheery and almost Reggae vibes on the revision to “Half A Million” honestly comes off fantastic.  It makes this already very snappy tune even catchier in the long run.  James’s performance also comes off a little more tongue-in-cheek, which I totally dig.  Not to mention, the synths actually come off wild and just as “zany” as James really thinks this album is.  The last thing I thought I would think to listen to this was “I’m having fun”, but that’s certainly the case with this one.  But moments like “Rubber Ballz” aren’t fun at all.  On the other hand, tracks like this are a chore to listen to.  All of a sudden, I feel like James really doesn’t have as much control as he lets on.  While some of these alternate versions are interesting at best, “Rubber Ballz” once again sounds like it was thrown together at the very last minute.  It’s not nearly as likable or as catchy as it’s predecessor.  Not to mention, James in cases like this just really doesn’t sound interested.  Now, “Mildenhall” is completely different than it’s original version, and I don’t really mind it at all.  This originally was one of my favorite tunes on “Heartworms”, and it showed James could write a damn good folk tune.  But here, James sounds completely unhinged, dare I say wild.  The atmosphere is a bizarre one, with those backing vocals coming off as cartoonish, and maybe the most bizarre thing about this album.  But, it’s moments like this that make me think this project could have actually been really cool.  James put so much effort into this version of “Mildenhall”, and he really did completely “flip” this one.  If he put as much as an effort as he did into this, he may have come up with an album that’s more than just a novelty.  On the other hand, “Fantasy Island” doesn’t even sound “flipped”.  This just sounds like James desperately grabbing the sound he once mastered on “Chutes Too Narrow”.  Here, he takes a perfectly fine melody from one of “Heartworms” deep cuts, and just makes it ridiculously cheesy and doesn’t make it sound half as nice.  This may not be the worst track here, some of the softer tunes are much worse.  But listening to this, I really just don’t see the point.  This isn’t some radical re-imagining.  This entire project could have been an EP with just a few tunes re-recorded.  No, tracks like “Fantasy Island” sound like they were “flipped” because James had to, not wanted to. 

    Thankfully, the re-recorded “Cherry Hearts” has a little bite to it.  There’s some actually really interesting playing going on with that bluesy riff, and James sounds 100% invested in this.  You can even hear him his performance that this track is just so different for him.  Honestly, I haven’t heard this passion in his voice the entire album.  All of that being said, “Cherry Hearts” remains the sweet sentiment filled with Pop-Sensibility that the original was.  In this case, this is a totally viable re-work, and for a few short minutes, I have nothing bad to say.   It doesn’t last though, because “Painting a Whole” may be the worst re-work here.  I hate to say it, but it really is all of these more mellow, “psychedelic” tunes that end up rubbing me the wrong way.  It’s not exciting, but even more than that, James sounds like he’s mere seconds away from falling asleep.  That’s not to say that he doesn’t have his impressive vocal moments.  But honestly, this just feels like once again James “flipped” this track because he had done it to every other track, not because he wanted to.  And James is so kind, he saved us that absolute worst for last.  He just had to take the best song on “Heartworms”, and one of my favorite singles of last year, and make it the ugliest and most unpleasing tune here.  It’s just not a good re-imagining, that’s all there is to it.  The original version proved that at the end of that day, James Mercer could write a damn fine Pop song.  But this, THIS, makes me want James to stop and never write another one.  The synths are ugly, and James literally sounds like he can care less.  

Rating: 6.2/10

Give A Listen To: “So Now What (Flipped)”, “Heartworms (Flipped)”, “Half a Million (Flipped)”, “Mildenhall (Flipped)”

Genre: Indie Pop from Beyond The Grave / Psychedelic Pop / Post-Alice In Wonderland

Overall Thoughts:  If you thought last year’s “Heartworms” was disappointing, let me tell you, this is even more disappointing.  James Mercer had this concept of sending an album he already recorded and “flipping” it, reversing the track list, making fast songs slow and vice versa.  The only issue with that is, James only really keeps up with that concept for a select few tunes here.  His re-imaginings of tracks like “Mildenhall” and “Half a Million” show that this could have been at the best, an interesting counterpart to “Heartworms”.  But the rest of these tracks show James really dropping the ball in a big way, not “flipping” these tracks for any artistic value, but more than anything seemingly doing it just to fit the concept of this album.  If this was a short EP with a handful of re-works, this could have been really pleasant.  But it just get’s out of control really fast, and James doesn’t sound like he can handle it.  

Tune-Yards - "I can feel you creep into my private life"

Tune-Yards, AKA Merrill Garbus, for the last 10 years or so has become a pretty big player in the world of Indie Pop.  Merrill's first album under the Tune-Yards name, "BiRd-BrAiNs" however, is certainly a tough one to get into.  This is a Low-Fi album of the purest kind, being mostly only just Merrill and her Ukulele for most of this album.  The songs weren't very well produced, and a lot of Merrill's ideas were a little underdeveloped.  Tracks like "Jumping Jack" and "News" both had a lot to enjoy about them.  But still, while this album wasn't absolutely flawless tracks like "Fiya" and "Jamaican" really stuck with me.  While Merrill's craft had still plenty of room to grow, her performances to an extent were immensely captivating.  Now, on Merrill's next album under the Tune-Yards name, 2011's "Whokill", I have absolutely no idea what happened.  But Merrill was all of a sudden this very colorful, creative Pop star with tons of Charisma.  There were elements of Indie Rock, Art Pop, Low-Fi, Noise Pop, Electronic/Dance, World Music, and a WHOLE lot more.  It was a shocking turn for Tune-Yards.  But honestly, one that really worked so well.  Merril's ideas were really coming to fruition wonderfully, and I was actually really excited to see where she would take Tune-Yards next.  The answer is 2014's "Nikki Nack".  This album was filled to the brim with electric performances that were seriously passionate, as well as a slew of Fiery, political lyrics.  Tune-Yards seemed to be bigger and better than ever, with Merrill showing more personality than ever for sure.  Her ideas seemed to be completely nonstop, almost like she had just chugged a few coffees and recorded EVERY result.  This honestly though, made "Nikki Nack" really exciting.   Also, I really loved the electronic elements as well as the Jazzy undertones, even though the music of Tune-Yards remained truly adventurous Pop on its surface.  So it's actually been a few years since we've heard from Tune-Yards.  But these new singles are a bit strange.  They're just as unhinged and FILLED with personality.  But the production and beats aren't nearly as colorful or as punchy.  So I'm curious about how this album holds up overall, let's chat!

    This album starts off with “Heart Attack”.  Now, I don’t know if it’s just me.  But sure, this track is animated and eclectic and all.  But Merrill almost seems reserved to me and not nearly as colorful and vibrant.  Not completely, because there are some really good elements here and there, like that really solid beat, the intense grooves, and the world music flair is just as refreshing.  But I just can’t shake this feeling that Merrill is watering herself down.  As eclectic as this is, Merrill just seems chained down and not nearly as entertaining or as colorful.  It’s not until the last minute of “Heart Attack” or so so that I get into this one a little more.  Outside of that, this one is sadly more obnoxious than anything.  Merrill has always been sort of a love or hate artist, but this track just doesn’t do her any favors.  The more subdued performance on “Coast to Coast” really isn’t what I expected to hear either.  But at the very least, this is actually a cool change of pace for her.  I love the low-key synth grooves and the very gloomy mood, even though this is far from what I expected to hear.  It’s haunting, and lyrically this really packs a punch.  But Merrill remains the star, and her performance is truly commanding and eye-opening.  “Coast to Coast” is a weird track, one on paper that really I wouldn’t usually dig.  To be honest, it’s got nothing that I usually love about Tune-Yards.  But, it’s a solid tune, and it did stick with me.  As this album rolls on with “ABC 123”, it’s getting obvious quickly that this is some of Merrill’s more political work.  It’s something that she’s worked with in the past, but it’s never been this front and center.  It does seem to fit her usual style of music, and I would say that her performance is certainly passionate.  But for me though, I do wish this was a little more flashy and colorful.  It’s a decent tune with some lyrics that are commendable.  But without the usual Tune-Yards sound present, I hate to say it, but this isn’t nearly as interesting.  It may be a catchy Indie Pop tune, but I wish Merrill took this so much further.   I do get that this is supposed to be a much more serious album for serious times.  But Tune-Yards so far have just not been able to really nail the sound they’re going for.  “Now As Then” isn’t fun to listen to, it just really drags along with nothing exciting happening.  Even lyrically, this just sort of comes off as Merrill biting off more than she can chew as depressing as that is.  These are topics that obviously need to be brought up, but the presentation of “Now As Then” is dreadful.  So far, this album is seriously below average. 

    Merrill does slowly get her act together, very slowly.  “Honesty” at the very least comes off a little interesting.  There’s a vibrant, pulsating beat and Merrill just sounds so much more comfortable.  She continues to pack quite a punch lyrically, so she can obviously find a pretty good medium as far as this new sound and her more adventurous side goes.  I love some of the wailing guitars in the back of the glitchy beat pulsating through the track.  Overall, “Honesty” more or less is what I wanted to hear Merrill accomplish here.  Even that last monologue comes off really cool.  But instantly, Merrill throws that away on “Colonizer” and ends up sounding really awkward here.  Once again, instrumentally this is just ugly.  There isn’t anything vibrant here or even energetic.  And sadly, Merrill once again sounds like she’s biting off more than she can chew.  I have no issue whatsoever with Tune-Yards scoping out a more political sound.  But to be performing these charged lyrics over casual dance beats just doesn’t come off as flattering.  I just think Merrill could really have done so much more with this.   But like I said, a lot of these later tracks show Merrill really waking up.  “Look At Your Hands” packs just as much of a punch lyrically as earlier tunes.  But in a surprising twist, this one is actually exciting and interesting.  Merrill’s performance here is so animated, and it’s just so refreshing to hear her dishing out some explosive vocals.  So much so, that I honestly feel like Merrill can handle these charged topics she’s presenting.  “Look At Your Hands” is catchy, artsy, and honestly a little puzzling in the best way, in the way that you question what you’re listing to.  Tune-Yards keep it together for this one and push out the most exciting track here yet.  On the other hand, “Home” is much slower.  In a weird way though, I’m actually totally into just how haunting and striking this one comes off.  Here, Tune-Yards sounds like the ballsy and eclectic pop group that they once were.   But as far as Merrill’s verses go, man is this one ever dull.  I’m totally down with this more atmospheric sound.  But Merrill’s spoken work passaged do nothing for me.  I’ll give “Home” credit because it’s interesting and different, but I still feel like this album overall just hasn’t been a good shift for Tune-Yards.  

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

    “Hammer” is up next, and Merrill does really have a way of playing sounds and giving you something interesting out of nowhere, often reeling you in quick.  And between the Afro-Beat percussion and Merrill’s multi-layered vocals, that’s what happens here.  On the other hand, her very jazzy and classy performance on this one is so freakin’ cool that it gives me chills.  It’s not like Tune-Yards can’t make very focused material obviously.  “Hammer” while it’s much more colorful, it’s still smooth and sweet to listen to.  Tracks like this I really wouldn’t mind listening to another few times, go figure.  By the time we get to “Who Are You, Merrill finally really sounds like she knows that she wants to do with this album.  Yes, this track isn’t nearly as eclectic and colorful. But the more chilled out and spacey production on this one is the real story.  I still think that Merrill is biting off more than she can chew lyrically.  But on “Who Are You”, for a few short minutes, it’s a stunning display.  I love some of the effects on Merrill’s vocals, and some of those backing instrumentals are wild and should be more front and center.  Merrill still does have a lot to offer.  But once again, Merrill ends up sounding scatterbrained on “Private Life”.  The beat is there, as well as the eclectic performance.  But absolutely nothing about this one clicks.  Half the time, Merrill just sounds like she’s playing a completely different tune compared to the instrumentals.  For as long as Merrill has been working on this album, I really feel like so much of this is all over the place.  Not to mention, this album has taken a bizarrely dark turn.  And sadly, this album’s finale “Free” really isn’t that much better.  You would think I would be so much more into Tune-Yards going for a more abrasive sound.  But this one is just so sloppy.  Merrill’s moans are nothing short of obnoxious, and the instrumentals surrounding her almost constantly just sound messier.  I don’t know what Merrill was going for with this album, but outside of a few tracks, this one falls very short.  

Rating: 6.7/10

Give A Listen To: "Coast To Coast", "Honesty", "Look at Your Hands", "Hammer"

Genre: Indie Pop / Indie Rock

Overall Thoughts:  This is easily the biggest mess of a Tune-Yards album from Merrill’s debut of the project years ago.  These are telling times, and there are plenty of topics that need to be discussed more in music.  Merrill’s always had a slight political edge in her music.  But her going all out and trying to accomplish this incredibly political album has resulted in her really biting off more than she can chew.  Not to mention, her performances aren’t nearly as charismatic or eclectic, and the instrumentals are hit and miss. 

First Aid Kit - "Ruins"

First Aid Kit is a Swedish Folk duo of sisters Klara and Johanna Söderberg who have really taken off the last few years in the Indie Folk world.  Now, I've grown to enjoy this duo's music quite a bit. But when it comes to their 2010 debut "The Big Black and the Blue", I wasn't into their style right off the bat.  Personally, I really enjoyed when the duo went for a more Folk Rock sound on their later releases.  But with their debut, First Aid Kit still hadn't found their sound completely.  Now, tracks like the Country infused "Josefin" and the more Folk Rock oriented "Hard Believer" were truly great tunes that really stuck with me.  But tracks like "Sailor Song" and "Heavy Storm" were just so faceless to me.  The duo really turned themselves around really quickly though with their 2012 album "The Lions Roar".  This album was much more Folk Rock sounding and had the sisters not sounding really like any other act.  Their dual vocals were angelic, the instrumentals were charming, and there was just such an old-time beauty to all of this that was addictive.  Tracks like "To A Poet" were just so haunting, and the ladies just so happened to end the album off with a collaboration with Conor Oberst.  First Aid Kit stripped down their sound in a small way on 2014's "Stay Gold".  What I mean is, it is a little more back in that standard Folk direction they started out with, and the duo did sort of float away from the more Southern sounds of their previous album.  But the very Epic choruses and song structures continued to be a real selling point.  Plus, in a way, this album acted as a real return to form for the Folk Rock that dominated the Radio in the 70's.  Tracks like "Heaven Knows" and "Waitress Song" were just such tasteful throwbacks that I couldn't say no.  Now, I was sort of underwhelmed with some of the softer tunes here like "Fleeting One" and "Cedar Lane", but I still would listen to this album than most of what passes for Modern Folk.  So it's been a few years, and First Aid Kit are back with some of their stronger singles I've heard from them in a while.  But more than anything, I feel like they've really been working on their lyrics, not to say that they weren't solid to begin with.  But I digress, let's chat about this new First Aid Kit album.

    This album starts off with “Rebel Heart”, and to be honest it’s the sort of soft, folky intro I really was hoping the duo would avoid. This track is just sort of an OK sound for the duo.  But for me, I’m so much more into their fiery, Folk-Rock centered performances.  However, I do have to give the ladies some credit, i have no idea how but their harmonies have gotten better than ever.  Not to mention, I just lost how personal and tragic these lyrics have become, they’re truly heartbreaking!  But I sort of wish there was a little more oomph in this performance.  Not to mention, where are those amazing song structures they once broke out like it was no big deal?  Like for instance, the last minute and a half or so of “Rebel Heart” is absolutely incredible.  As a whole this intro is painfully average.  But if you’re into Indie Folk you may be much more into this than me.  “It’s A Shame” is up next, and right off the bat I’m able to swallow this so much easier.  I love the more Rock-Instrumentals thrown in with the duo’s Folk sound.  But I just get such a sunny feeling from this, that this is once again such a tasteful throwback to the Radio Rock of the 70’s.  The keyboards are a nice touch, and I couldn’t be happier to heard the duo bringing in their slight country twang.  The harmonies are on point, and even the fiery performances I’ve always loved are really back in full effect in the form of these lyrics.  “It’s A Shame” is a truly charming and powerful Folk ballad.  It’s moments like this that really set First Aid Kit apart from other Folk bands.  On the other hand, “Fireworks’ is once again very light and fluffy.  But little details like the passionate singing as well as those pounding drums and well placed guitar licks make this much more epic.  It’s this sound that honestly made me fall in love with First Aid Kit in the first place.  But it’s also moments like this that make me realize just how far they’ve come.  4 years ago, if they pushed out a tune this slow and patient it wouldn’t have come off nearly as strong.  The ladies performance here is just so heart-wrenching, and their vocals are so unbelievably passionate you can tell this really hits close to home.  And as this one goes on, I feel like some of the crescendos in the instrumentals are insane.  Well done ladies.  But that sort of upbeat, Country vibe is back with a vengeance on “Postcard”.  But the ladies end up pulling it off in such a way that this basically ragtime tune doesn’t come off cheesy at all.  It honestly is heartwarming and totally true to form the genre.  It’s such a sweet and quite frankly adorable love song from the ladies, which is something we haven’t heard here yet.  But the performances from both ladies in their own way continue to come off seriously heartfelt and fiery.  If you’re looking for some classy, throwback Folk Rock, you’re going to eat this album up. 

    It's songs like “To Live A Life” though that sadly don’t affect me nearly as much.  I love the ladies very heartbroken lyrics here as well as their stunning performances.  But these stripped down Folk tunes from First Aid Kit just come off so faceless.  I feel like this could have literally been written by any current Indie Folk singer.  Some of the harmonies are just as stunning, but I can’t help but feel like this is just so incredibly dime-a-dozen compared to some of the rest of the material here.  Now, if First Aid Kit is really interested in sticking with these very stripped down Folk ballads, this is certainly a better sound for them.  At the very least, the instrumentals have some meat on their bones and don’t sound so flimsy behind the ridiculously powerful vocals of First Aid Kit.  However, this one did take some time to grow on me, but it didn’t in a big way.  The pacing on “My Wild Sweet Love” makes it come off in that “Folk-Epic” sort of way that I crave, and the backing strings are a seriously nice touch.  This one is nothing short of beautiful and gigantic.  For my liking though, it’s these Country infused Folk Rockers like “Distant Star” that end up stealing my heart.  Something about these tunes just really brings back the majesty of the duo’s harmonies.  That, alongside with just how absolutely gigantic these instrumentals come off, make this one of the biggest and easily most memorable tracks here.  Not to mention, lyrically, this track is brilliant and it’s easily one of the more visual tunes here.  Obviously, this album is a huge step up from their last, and it does my heart good to know First Aid Kit haven’t lost it all.  Once again though, tracks like “Ruins” almost lose me completely.  Sure, this one continues to show that First Aid Kit are on top of their game lyrically.  But instrumentally, and even as far as the performances go, this sounds like it could have been recorded by any Folk band playing over the loudspeaker at Starbucks.  It’s just such a mediocre track, and outside of the truly passionate lyrics, I feel like even First Aid Kit aren’t as into this one. 

    “Hem of Her Dress” however, shows that First Aid Kit is far from done with us.  This one has such a fire to the performance of both ladies, even though it’s far from the heaviest tune here.  But they really do just sound on top of their game completely.  Not to mention, some of their vocals here are flooring, I love hearing them get a little aggressive.  Not to mention, the group-sung the chorus in the second half accompanied by all of these gigantic horns and other instrumentals, is absolutely euphoric.  What a well done late album track.  But First Aid Kit really do have issues with keeping consistent with their sound.  This album ends off with “Nothing Has To Be True”, and it’s just such a faceless track to end the album off with.  It’s a shame because so much of this album gave me such hope for the future.  But tracks like this really do worry me.  Thankfully, First Aid Kit are so great at pulling together harmonies, so at the very least it’s a pleasant tune.  Not to mention, some of the late moments at the very least bring in some more of those epic elements.  But they need to stick to THAT in their future because THAT is what’s going to set them apart.  

Rating: 7.4/10

Give A Listen To: “It’s a Shame”, “Fireworks”, “Postcard”, “Hem of Her Dress”


Genre: Indie Folk / Folk Rock / Alternative Country 

Overall Thoughts:  This very easily could have been First Aid Kit's best album.  As a matter of fact, in the moments here that are good, are some of the best First Aid Kit song's they've ever written.  All of the usual elements are here in full force, to the Alternative Country flair to the very epic song structures that set First Aid Kit apart so well.  Not to mention, I really feel like lyrically the sisters are on top of their game and writing some of their most personal and powerful tunes.  However, I do have to say some of the more stripped-down tracks here are awful, and really just so un-interesting.  It's moments like that where First Aid Kit are just so faceless, and that's going to be a problem unless they really stay away from tunes like that.  However, I have to stress, the good tracks here are really some of the duo's best.  

Porches - "The Room"

Porches is a New York Synth Pop project, masterminded by Aaron Maine.  Now, when I first heard these guys on their 2013 debut "Slow Dance in the Cosmos", I really didn't know what to think.  There were elements of Dream Pop and TONS of influence in Low-Fi Pop.  But there was this great, almost Mark Kozeleck level of songwriting that really drew me in very nicely.  Obviously, Aaron's very syrupy vocals aren't going to be for everyone, and this album's tone often changes rapidly and out of nowhere.  But for some seriously interesting, artsy Synth Pop, give this album a listen.  Now, 2016's "Pool" was a much MUCH more straightforward album for Porches.  There weren't nearly as many detours this time around, and this was a straightforward Synth-Pop album.  But Aaron's very gloomy breakup lyrics, as well as this almost Chill-Wave style of production, gave this a unique sound for modern Synth-Pop.  "Pool" may be a very synthetic album at its core, but it's also incredibly filled with emotion.  I do have to have to say though, while I enjoyed a great chunk of this album, it's low points like "Pool" and "Hour" are pretty low.  Now, it's been a year or so since Porches have given us new material.  And these new singles have been really interesting, seemingly bringing in more of an Electronic/Dance element than ever.  But Porches still have a very wide, vast sound that I can't wait to see what they do with.  Let's chat about this!

This album starts off with “Leave The House”.  It’s a very haunting intro, between this very ice and un-inviting synth melody, as well as Aarons’s very airy and haunting vocals.  Obviously, Aaron isn’t the most exciting singer in the world.  But he makes up for that with enough good ideas and great lyrics.  This track ends up getting a really solid groove going, but I can’t get over how unnerving this is in a weird way, between those ghoulish backing vocals that are really out there.   It’s a weird intro, but Porches make it work.  Then we have “Find Me”, one of the most telling and immediate tunes here.  I love the sense of Paranoia in Aaron’s lyrics that end up going really well with the very synthetic feel of this one.  But let’s talk about the elephant in the room, just how far Aaron has dipped his hands into the world of Synth Pop.  Porches have been primarily a Synth based project since day one, but never has Aaron got so dangerously close to modern Dance and Electronic music.  I do have to say though, there’s no need to fear because Porches really makes “Find Me” work.  While I wasn’t completely sold on the intro to this album, I’m so much more comfortable with this sound.  It’s catchy, and you’re damn right it has a great Dance groove, but Aaron never sounds out of his comfort zone.  It’s also just as gloomy, which gives this a really interesting flair.  Now, while Aaron really doesn’t have the most stunning voice, it’s moments like “Understanding” that make Porches really click.  I love his very poetic and downright romantic lyrics here, even set among this very bare backdrop.  I love some of the vocal effects he dips into as well, James Blake fans will really catch on to this one.  “Understanding” may only pop in for a minute, but it leaves enough of an impact.  “Now The Water” is up next, and it’s honestly the sound that I was expecting to hear from Porches on this album.  Aaron’s performances on this album so far have been pretty low-key, but I’m totally into his more passionate performances here, even if it is a bit airy.  Obviously, this isn’t as danceable as “Find Me”, but it works for Porches, and I really can’t say enough nice things about Aaron’s passionate performance.  Once again, I feel like Aaron’s very poetic and visual lyrics may not be for everyone.  But I find them seriously romantic and beautiful.  Porches do remain sort of a “love or hate” project, but something about “Now The Water” really warms my heart.  But it’s moments like “Country” on the other hand that worry me about Porches.  Aaron’s performance on a few tracks here, often get close to the realm of boring, and tracks like this are a big problem.  I’m always down for a more low-key instrumental.  But this one is INCREDIBLY dull.  Aaron’s performance while it’s still lyrically satisfying is just so boring.  This was 2 minutes of filler I didn’t need. 

    “By My Side” however overall is so much more in the right direction.  Instantly. this one is much more passionate of an instrumental while it remains on the slower side.  But here, Aaron starts an idea and finishes it nicely.  It’s a weird sort of Synth-Ballad that I can’t stress enough, is probably going to go either way with people.  But I continue to really think Aaron is really on to something with Porches.  I love some of his introspective and thoughtful lyrics, as well as some of the very chilled out production.  In a lot of ways, this reminds me a whole lot of the last Toro Y Moi album.  In a few ways, there almost is a little ChillWave feel here, but Aaron uses it nicely.  However, Porches do need to be incredibly careful with short interludes like “Åkeren”.  Most of these interludes really don’t go anywhere, and sort of just trying to desperately connect some thoughts.  But that’s not what we get on “Åkeren”.  Here, we just get a halfway decent beat that Aaron could have done something more interesting with, and these seemingly French vocals over it that come off incredibly cliche.  Moments like this make me worry about the future of Porches.  Tracks like “Anymore” however take all of those worries away, being the perfect balance of the Porches sound.  I love the synth beat here which is dangerously close to sounding mainstream.  It’s solid though, and I wouldn’t be surprised if Aaron eventually did some production for a more mainstream artist.  Obviously, the use of autotune on “Anymore” is going to alienate some, but I really love the way it gives this track such a lonely sound.  Some of the beat shifts here are seriously wild and exciting, and I can’t remember the last time I heard Porches sounding so colorful.  “Anymore” is a hell of a tune, and is a serious standout of the album.  If you weren’t up and moving with some of the early tunes, you will be after this one.  But Aaron’s consistency remains a problem.  Tracks like “Wobble” come off more awkward and weird than anything.  I have no problem whatsoever with Porches going for a more flushed out instrumental sound, it worked for him years ago on “Slow Dance In The Cosmos”.  But “Wobble” is incredibly boring and painfully cheesy.  The instrumental goes nowhere, and Aaron comes off uninspired.  Not to mention, some of the late instrumentals are just so messy.  “Goodbye” is a slight improvement, with Aaron’s playing at the very least coming off passionate.  But the instrumental as a whole is all over the place, with Aaron trying to so much in.  Eventually, “Goodbye” does come into its own with some very punchy beats and some anthemic keyboards.  It’s an alright tune and all, but I really feel like this one could have been simplified. 

    Some of these later tracks, however, are surprisingly satisfying.  “Swimmer” for one is just so bare, mostly being quiet instrumentals and Aaron’s auto-tuned somber vocals.  But it ends up coming off so strong.  However, why the hell is this track so short?  It’s 50 seconds long, barely being an interlude, but it has better ideas than half of the rest of the album!  The more I listen to this album, the more I feel like I’m listening to a really downtrodden and emotional ChillWave album.  Aaron makes it work though, and his very monotonous and dreary vocals on “W Longing” work really well.  It’s a straightforward tune, but it still has that very vast and emotional sound of Porches.  It’s a dreary tune, and Aaron’s very visual, poetic lyrics bring the mood down even more.  But altogether, “W Longing” is great and it really works well for Porches.  And while yes, this isn’t nearly as genre-bending as some of Porch's early work, it’s still very likable.  Plus, that very jazzy breakdown towards the end is a really nice touch, Aaron.  But once again, Porches has to be seriously careful with some of these softer tunes, like “Ono”.  While originally I sort of dug the way this track branches out into some more Indie Pop sounds, this performance just isn’t as solid all around. Aaron’s performance isn’t nearly as emotional, but it’s times like this that I totally get why people say his singing at times is just so emotionless.  Once again, I do like that pulsating beat int he back, but it’s horribly out of place.  Even when all of that wonky production comes in, I just can’t keep my head up listening to this one.  But, for some of the softer sounds that Porches have to offer, this album’s finale “Anything U Want” has is one of the best here.  Aaron just sounds so damn lonely and distant, and it makes his seemingly romantic lyrics just come off so much more powerful.  It’s a haunting tune, and this is seriously a route I’d love to hear him go down more.  

Rating: 7.9/10




Give A Listen To: “Find Me”, “Now The Water”, “Anymore”, "W Longing"




Genre: Synth Pop / Electronic / Indie Rock / Dream Pop 




Overall Thoughts:  I really wanted to like this album more than I did.  Porches on this album show Aaron and company drifting closer to a straight-up Synth-Pop sound than ever.  And truthfully, it leads to some of the best Porches songs to date.  But the flow of this album isn't nearly as expertly crafted as the last Porches project. Not to mention, Aaron really has to watch himself with both his short interludes and some of his softer tunes, because they honestly don't come off nearly as good as he thinks they do.  Outside of that, this album is still an above average and captivating Synth-Pop album.  It's dreamy, with some really fantastic production as well as some beautifully crafted lyrics.  I just really hope Porches in the future can keep it up and stay consistent.