Not cool. Not cool at all. A concept album...recorded as one continuous piece of music....about a couple of starcrossed lovers and a shape-shifting beast...with musical echoes of 70s prog, Queen at their most bombastic and the musicals of Andrew Lloyd-Webber...in 2009?? Got to be a load of old rubbish, right?
Well, you'd think so, wouldn't you? Instead, the Decemberists' new album is the most joyful, cinematic and rich musical experience of the year so far. It is so brilliant it has left T&G open-mouthed, thinking EVERYTHING WE KNOW IS WRONG.
Lets get the story out of the way first. Get used to the fact that it is going to take you several (and I mean more than 10) listens and a few reads of the lyric sheet before you work out what on Earth is going on. Its all quite complicated and it doesn't help matters that Colin Meloy sings more than one of the record's 'characters'. Put simply, The Hazards Of Love tells the tale of a woman named Margaret who is ravaged by a shape-shifting animal; her lover, William; a forest queen; and a cold-blooded, lascivious rake. After that, to be honest, its anyone's guess. There are some unpleasant incidents, some pretty moments and a clearly defined ending (which I won't spoil here for anyone who plans on following the story like a film arc) but since few people (apart from our shape-shifting readers) are likely to relate to much of it, you can treat the record as an hour of pure escapism, a dazzling symphony.
Along the way, you'll find tender love songs like the exquisite 'Isn't It A Lovely Night?', complex 'Paranoid Android' style epics like 'The Wanting Comes in Waves' and almost heavy-metal style rockers like 'The Queen's Rebuke'. A special mention has to go to 'The Rake's Song', a hedonistic blast with some hilarious lyrics which Meloy sings with relish and glee. This is one long piece of music though, so it makes countless twists and turns with key melodies recurring. Almost every instrument known to man (or shape-shifter) is played, with swooning strings, weaving acoustic guitar and some monumental electric guitar riffs.
This is a lot of fun and pretty addictive. Anyone who had a prog-rock phase when they were younger, or once dabbled with 'A Night At the Opera'....or secretly loves 'The Phantom of The Opera' is going to get a kick out of 'The Hazards Of Love'. This is beautiful, well written and perfectly played music too. It doesn't get much better than this...except perhaps seeing them perform the whole thing from start to finish in concert. Which is precisely what they are doing across the U.S at the moment. Roll on, UK dates.
Let yourself love this. Album of the year so far!
9.4
['The Hazards of Love' is out now on cd/lp/digital]
Monday, 30 March 2009
Saturday, 28 March 2009
apologies for lack of updates
will write more soon but am currently utterly obsessed with the new Decemberists LP...
Monday, 23 March 2009
Broken Family Band 'Please and Thank You'
I've obtained a promo of the new Broken Family Band album and have been playing it into submission for the last week, desperately trying to love it. I've enjoyed pretty much everything the BFB have recorded thus far, especially the first few albums which contained a mix of the graceful and the powerful; stargazing ballads and enjoyable, humorous rockers. They were a bit of alt.country and a bit of rock'n'roll and it worked perfectly.
Here, they pretty much abandon the slower songs in favour of an album's worth of rocky numbers. It is really hard going. Musically there is almost no break from the loud drums/guitar sound that the album opens with, little in the way of piano or accordion etc to lighten the mood. This of course would not matter too much if the songs were good.
Occasionally, they are. 'Cinema vs House' is an enjoyable enough song about early-relationship dating issues, 'Old Wounds' is the one poignant country-ish ballad about burying the hatchet and 'The Girls In This Town' has some nice bluesy guitar.
How though did BFB manage to write a song as horrible as 'St Albans'...sample lyric "You're only in St Albans cos you thought you were having sex...no-one in St Albans wants to fuck you"? Just tired, dirgy and unpleasant. 'Please Yourself' is similarly bitter and humourless and neither song either has the saving grace of having a good tune.
Listening to this album again and again, I just found it depressing and sad. I can understand a band wanting to change direction but previous albums have sounded so full of life, whereas this one sounds tired, devoid of ideas and desperate to shock.
Boring.
4.8
['Please and Thank You' is out in April on Cooking Vinyl]
Here, they pretty much abandon the slower songs in favour of an album's worth of rocky numbers. It is really hard going. Musically there is almost no break from the loud drums/guitar sound that the album opens with, little in the way of piano or accordion etc to lighten the mood. This of course would not matter too much if the songs were good.
Occasionally, they are. 'Cinema vs House' is an enjoyable enough song about early-relationship dating issues, 'Old Wounds' is the one poignant country-ish ballad about burying the hatchet and 'The Girls In This Town' has some nice bluesy guitar.
How though did BFB manage to write a song as horrible as 'St Albans'...sample lyric "You're only in St Albans cos you thought you were having sex...no-one in St Albans wants to fuck you"? Just tired, dirgy and unpleasant. 'Please Yourself' is similarly bitter and humourless and neither song either has the saving grace of having a good tune.
Listening to this album again and again, I just found it depressing and sad. I can understand a band wanting to change direction but previous albums have sounded so full of life, whereas this one sounds tired, devoid of ideas and desperate to shock.
Boring.
4.8
['Please and Thank You' is out in April on Cooking Vinyl]
Dickon Hinchliffe soundtrack album
Anyone missing the sound of Dickon Hinchliffe's violin and string arrangements from the last tindersticks album and tour should check out the soundtrack to BBC TV series 'Red Riding'.
Dickon contributes 13 pieces of music to the soundtrack and while I am not a huge fan of instrumental, incidental music (apart from Jonny Greenwood's glorious 'There Will Be Blood' score this is all dark, brooding and brings to mind Tindersticks of old. Fans of the band should be particularly interested in 'Christmas' as it is an instrumental version of 'Waiting For The Moon'.
Only available on itunes as far as I can make out, but recommended.
Dickon contributes 13 pieces of music to the soundtrack and while I am not a huge fan of instrumental, incidental music (apart from Jonny Greenwood's glorious 'There Will Be Blood' score this is all dark, brooding and brings to mind Tindersticks of old. Fans of the band should be particularly interested in 'Christmas' as it is an instrumental version of 'Waiting For The Moon'.
Only available on itunes as far as I can make out, but recommended.
Friday, 20 March 2009
Bill Callahan 'Eid Ma Clack Shaw'
At last, TracksandGigs has heard some genuinely touching and inspired new music. Perhaps the song of the year so far.
Drag City has posted a free taster mp3 from the new Bill Callahan album and it is quite incredible. Musically rich with piano and strings, it is the writing and the singing that has floored me. Callahan sings of trying to forget the memories that are "fucking me down" and of trying to find a way to move on from them, he then dreams the perfect song, scribbles it down and then sings it. The twist is that "the perfect song" is complete meaningless gibberish, albeit sung beautifully and with feeling.
Callahan sounds like he did on 'Supper' or 'Knock Knock' era-Smog here. Absolutely superb. Cannot wait for the album.
You can download the mp3 for free at www.dragcity.com
Drag City has posted a free taster mp3 from the new Bill Callahan album and it is quite incredible. Musically rich with piano and strings, it is the writing and the singing that has floored me. Callahan sings of trying to forget the memories that are "fucking me down" and of trying to find a way to move on from them, he then dreams the perfect song, scribbles it down and then sings it. The twist is that "the perfect song" is complete meaningless gibberish, albeit sung beautifully and with feeling.
Callahan sounds like he did on 'Supper' or 'Knock Knock' era-Smog here. Absolutely superb. Cannot wait for the album.
You can download the mp3 for free at www.dragcity.com
Thursday, 19 March 2009
Julie Doiron 'I Can Wonder What You Did With Your Day'
Why do I buy albums? Thats what I'm wondering at the moment.
Obviously I have favourite artists and I will always buy new releases from them come what may. But March has been a pretty lean month so far, Bonnie 'Prince' Billy excepting, and there haven't even been many albums by bands who I don't know but sound like the sort of bands I might like. I think it is times like this that cause me to buy albums like this one and the Shaky Hands album. Records that sound OK but I wouldn't necessary buy at times when there are a lot of new releases around. Perhaps I need to be more frugal or something.
This is not meant to be a savage criticism of Julie Doiron's new album because it is entirely the sort of record that doesn't warrant savage criticism. It's fine! A nice enough listen whilst walking around town at lunchtime on a sunny day like today.
Doiron is a Canadian singer-songwriter whose work has escaped me so far, apart from a split-EP with Okkervil River. This record is a collection of short songs mainly concerned with matters of the heart. There are quiet acoustic songs with pretty lyrics which remind me of a less twee Kimya Dawson. There are also louder songs with a reverb-heavy electric guitar and generally angrier lyrics. The pick of the songs and the one to listen to if you wanted to try before you buy (ha!)....if it is on Spotify that is.....is 'Consolation Prize', a post-split hymn to bitterness that is rather entertaining and very sing-along. Meanwhile, 'Nice To Come Home' has a pleasant lullaby-ish vibe.
The whole album has a warm, fuzzy feel which may well wear off after repeated listens. It is, however, nice enough and has interesting lyrics. Do I sound bored? Maybe I am a bit bored at the moment. I would like to hear a new record that leaves me reeling, dumb-struck, ecstatic, moved etc etc. Any suggestions?
6.0
['I Could Wonder What You Did With Your Day' is out now on cd/vinyl/download on Jagjaguwar]
Obviously I have favourite artists and I will always buy new releases from them come what may. But March has been a pretty lean month so far, Bonnie 'Prince' Billy excepting, and there haven't even been many albums by bands who I don't know but sound like the sort of bands I might like. I think it is times like this that cause me to buy albums like this one and the Shaky Hands album. Records that sound OK but I wouldn't necessary buy at times when there are a lot of new releases around. Perhaps I need to be more frugal or something.
This is not meant to be a savage criticism of Julie Doiron's new album because it is entirely the sort of record that doesn't warrant savage criticism. It's fine! A nice enough listen whilst walking around town at lunchtime on a sunny day like today.
Doiron is a Canadian singer-songwriter whose work has escaped me so far, apart from a split-EP with Okkervil River. This record is a collection of short songs mainly concerned with matters of the heart. There are quiet acoustic songs with pretty lyrics which remind me of a less twee Kimya Dawson. There are also louder songs with a reverb-heavy electric guitar and generally angrier lyrics. The pick of the songs and the one to listen to if you wanted to try before you buy (ha!)....if it is on Spotify that is.....is 'Consolation Prize', a post-split hymn to bitterness that is rather entertaining and very sing-along. Meanwhile, 'Nice To Come Home' has a pleasant lullaby-ish vibe.
The whole album has a warm, fuzzy feel which may well wear off after repeated listens. It is, however, nice enough and has interesting lyrics. Do I sound bored? Maybe I am a bit bored at the moment. I would like to hear a new record that leaves me reeling, dumb-struck, ecstatic, moved etc etc. Any suggestions?
6.0
['I Could Wonder What You Did With Your Day' is out now on cd/vinyl/download on Jagjaguwar]
Wednesday, 18 March 2009
EMI/ Radiohead yet again...
Radiohead 'OK Computer' and 'The Bends' 2cd reissues
EMI are at it again. Since they split with Radiohead, not only have the band made one of their greatest albums to date but their ex-label have shown themselves to be money-grabbing, corporate unpleasant-types by re-issuing and re-packaging like mad. A box set, a 'best of', a memory stick thing....and now the first three Radiohead albums are being re-released as 2cd/dvd packages with extra tracks etc. Please don't buy these! The input from the band is non-existent, these are not lovingly created re-issues with sleeve notes and thought behind them, like say the tindersticks reissues. These are 'how can we milk a bit more money out of the band?' cobbled together things that YOU DO NOT NEED.
There are no new discoveries here, no outtakes from 'OK Computer' that we haven't heard before. Nothing. What you get are the b sides from both albums, which you will already have if you bought the singles or the 'Airbag' and 'My Iron Lung' EPs and a whole lot of sessions and live tracks none of which are essential. If you want to listen to the b sides (and the likes of 'Polyethylene' and 'A Reminder' would not have sounded out of place on 'OK Computer') you can listen to them all on Spotify. EMI is not a small record company trumpeting great new bands that need your money...if they find themselves in financial troubles it is largely because of them making stupid decisions in giving pots of money to artists the likes of whom I need not mention on here.
Listening to these albums again and actually thinking about them (sometimes music becomes so familiar that you listen on auto-pilot and don't notice things anymore) takes me back to knowing and loving them back in the 90s. 'The Bends' still sounds like just a great rock album and both an attack on and a reaction to all the Britpop rubbish that was going on at the time.."this is our new song/ just like the last one..a total waste of time". At the same time it is soaring, celebratory music, somehow feelgood, despite the lyrics, not difficult listening just a great album.
'OK Computer' though....I remember buying 'Paranoid Android' when it was released and being absolutely staggered by just how incredible it was. Then, and now, one of the greatest single pieces of music I have known. The 'rain down one me' section, the guitar break at the end that seems to clear your head and ears out for you...everything, just a song that perfectly reflected the time we were living in. The album can't all be as good as this, I thought. I remember that for some reason a Japanese import of 'OK Computer' turned up at my local record shop weeks ahead of its UK release. It was extortionately priced but I bought it anyway, and listened that evening. I knew straight away that I was hearing an album that would be with me for my whole life. Glorious music, perfectly sequenced, so much going on sonically, so twitchy, edgy and unsettling. 'Let Down' still sounds like one of the greatest builds into a chorus ever, 'Exit Music' is still the perfect 'us against the world' ballad and 'No Surprises' and 'Fitter, Happier' still make me cry.
Amazing records then, that we should be glad to own and proud to have been around when they were released. But we don't need to buy tacky record company re-issues, now do we?
EMI are at it again. Since they split with Radiohead, not only have the band made one of their greatest albums to date but their ex-label have shown themselves to be money-grabbing, corporate unpleasant-types by re-issuing and re-packaging like mad. A box set, a 'best of', a memory stick thing....and now the first three Radiohead albums are being re-released as 2cd/dvd packages with extra tracks etc. Please don't buy these! The input from the band is non-existent, these are not lovingly created re-issues with sleeve notes and thought behind them, like say the tindersticks reissues. These are 'how can we milk a bit more money out of the band?' cobbled together things that YOU DO NOT NEED.
There are no new discoveries here, no outtakes from 'OK Computer' that we haven't heard before. Nothing. What you get are the b sides from both albums, which you will already have if you bought the singles or the 'Airbag' and 'My Iron Lung' EPs and a whole lot of sessions and live tracks none of which are essential. If you want to listen to the b sides (and the likes of 'Polyethylene' and 'A Reminder' would not have sounded out of place on 'OK Computer') you can listen to them all on Spotify. EMI is not a small record company trumpeting great new bands that need your money...if they find themselves in financial troubles it is largely because of them making stupid decisions in giving pots of money to artists the likes of whom I need not mention on here.
Listening to these albums again and actually thinking about them (sometimes music becomes so familiar that you listen on auto-pilot and don't notice things anymore) takes me back to knowing and loving them back in the 90s. 'The Bends' still sounds like just a great rock album and both an attack on and a reaction to all the Britpop rubbish that was going on at the time.."this is our new song/ just like the last one..a total waste of time". At the same time it is soaring, celebratory music, somehow feelgood, despite the lyrics, not difficult listening just a great album.
'OK Computer' though....I remember buying 'Paranoid Android' when it was released and being absolutely staggered by just how incredible it was. Then, and now, one of the greatest single pieces of music I have known. The 'rain down one me' section, the guitar break at the end that seems to clear your head and ears out for you...everything, just a song that perfectly reflected the time we were living in. The album can't all be as good as this, I thought. I remember that for some reason a Japanese import of 'OK Computer' turned up at my local record shop weeks ahead of its UK release. It was extortionately priced but I bought it anyway, and listened that evening. I knew straight away that I was hearing an album that would be with me for my whole life. Glorious music, perfectly sequenced, so much going on sonically, so twitchy, edgy and unsettling. 'Let Down' still sounds like one of the greatest builds into a chorus ever, 'Exit Music' is still the perfect 'us against the world' ballad and 'No Surprises' and 'Fitter, Happier' still make me cry.
Amazing records then, that we should be glad to own and proud to have been around when they were released. But we don't need to buy tacky record company re-issues, now do we?
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