Pop 'stache

It may or may not be in the Guinness Book of World Records, but Robert Pollard of Guided By Voices is commonly believed to be the most prolific songwriter ever, at least among the indie rock cognoscenti. Rock critic Jim DeRogatis famously diagnosed Pollard with a case of “songwriting diarrhea,” and for some of what the man has recorded, the label of “songs” would be a stretch.

Having said that, Pollard and company, most notably his George Harrison, Tobin Sprout, have produced at least 50 of the greatest indie rock songs ever, if not the best rock songs since The Who. But Pollard in particular has published over 1,600 songs with Guided By Voices, as a solo artist, and as the driving force behind many creatively named musical projects, according to BMI. As a batting percentage, a .320 would be pretty impressive, but almost 70 percent of the time, the songs of Guided By Voices are ideas never fully developed, just passable melodic snippets. The Dayton, Ohio-born group, formerly lo-fi by necessity, has an impressive amount of unlistenable, experimental dreck in its back catalog.

Pollard was, in fact, a pitcher in school and played the first no-hitter in the history of Wright State University. Now, he’s pulled another no-hitter with English Little League. Considering that this is the fourth record the “classic line-up” (featuring Sprout, Greg Demos, Kevin Fennell, and Mitch Mitchell) has released in the span of a little over one year, all on its own private label, English Little League is an even more painful listen.

Previous releases Let’s Go Eat The Factory, Class Clown Spots A UFO, and The Bears For Lunch were all solid overall (Guided by Voices has yet to release a perfect record—even the classic Bee Thousand has its soft spots) and should be characterized as “base hits.” Had this new record come close to the previous three’s quality, Guided by Voices would have hit the proverbial “grand slam.”

But compared to GBV’s recent energetic output of shiny rocking hooks and intellectual whimsy, English Little League is a dour affair, submerged in lo-fi murk, full of barely-baked ideas without satisfying conclusions.

There are a few glimpses of the group’s ’60s-inspired riff-rock greatness, like “Flunky Minnows” and the kick-off cut, “Xeno Pariah.” “Noble Insect” sounds like a Donovan B-side, and along similar lines, Sprout’s skewed psychedelic contributions, “Islands (She Talks In Rainbows)” and “The Sudden Death of Epstein’s Ways” are bright spots, if mellow. The former sounds like it was recorded under a whirlpool of lysergic acid.

A few of Pollard’s numbers start out promisingly enough, like “Crybaby 4 Star Hotel” and “Know Me As Heavy,” before the typically surreal lyrics veer into cringe-worthy territory (i.e., rhyming “hotel” with “Zero Mostel”) and his baritone goes wildly out of tune, and not in a charmingly amateurish way.

Perhaps the 21^st century model of releasing records through one’s own label has its downside—you don’t have to wait until a label can fit you into its release schedule (to “market” it properly), and there’s no “head honcho” or “A&R” person at the label to tell you which songs are “hits” and which are “strike-outs.”

But over 20 years after Guided By Voices became more than just a collection of basement recordings and beer-fueled local shows injected with the former fourth grade teacher’s genius, anything with the GBV name on it has a built-in fan base. As far as loyalists are concerned, the group almost has a license to print its own money. Pollard’s philosophy on that topic can be gleaned from the title The Kids Eat It Up (The Best Of Robert Pollard 2010-2011). That record compiled 28 of his favorite songs from the ten albums he released in that two year span as a solo artist and the driving force behind Boston Spaceships, Circus Devils, Lifeguards, and Mars Classroom.

If, as Pollard puts it, “the kids eat it up,” then why bother with quality control?

Not only does GBV have its own label, but Pollard now has his own home studio, so there’s even one less barrier to stem his prolific output. Given that the group hasn’t worked with a producer since the reformation of the “classic line-up,” there’s yet another potential filter removed. Guided By Voices’ albums at their best have always been stellar mixtape material—it’s just that English Little League features such a dearth of possible “must have” songs.

The GBV diehards used to stick to the motto “In Bob We Trust,” but it’s hard not to have that trust shaken at this point. It’s like Pollard is trapped in the “Taciturn Cave” he’s singing about. Perhaps the title is a euphemism for the home studio which has given him even less of a reason to hire a Ric Ocasek type to tell him when his shit stinks.

Even after repeated spins, English Little League sounds like the perfect illustration of the law of diminishing returns—it’s C grade Guided By Voices at best. At this point, it seems like there’s no cure for Robert Pollard’s “songwriting diarrhea,” and this record may be the band’s Montezuma’s Revenge.

Guided by Voices – English Little League tracklist:

1. “Xeno Pariah”
2. “Know Me As Heavy”
3. “Islands (She Talks in Rainbows)”
4. “Trash Can Full Of Nails”
5. “Send To Celeste (and the Cosmic Athletes)”
6. “Quiet Game”
7. “Noble Insect”
8. “Sir Garlic Breath”
9. “Crybaby 4-Star Hotel”
10. “Biographer Seahorse”
11. “Flunky Minnows”
12. “Birds”
13. “The Sudden Death of Epstein’s Ways”
14. “Reflections in a Metal Whistle”
15. “Taciturn Caves”
16. “A Burning Glass”
17. “W/Glass In Foot”

London-based indie-pop band Noah and the Whale released its fourth studio album, Heart of Nowhere, this May via Mercury Records. With its followup to 2011’s Last Night on Earth, Noah and the Whale exhibits a mature, developed sound but rarely takes risks.

Charlie Fink leads the band on guitar and vocals once again, delivering deeply self-reflective lyrics in a hollow drone. He’s backed by Matt Owens on bass, Tom Hobden on violin and keys, Fred Abbott on guitar and keys, and Michael Petulla on drums. And while their playing has moments of great energy, it most often fades into the background.

The introduction is a gentle pulse of xylophone, clarinet, bassoon, and violin. The ambiance swells, grows full and pensive, then settles into the pop drumming of the title track, “Heart of Nowhere.” Charlie Fink’s vocals are a rich monotone, comparable to The National’s Tom Berninger.  He sings, “Do you wanna live? You want to try? You hear the whisper of the world outside.“ Guest-vocalist Anna Calvi leads the bridge, and her colorful voice is a welcomed contrast to Fink’s melancholy. The title track is a strong opener overall, confident in voice and formula. 

The tracks on the first half of the album tend to blend with one another.  Each is written in verse-chorus-verse, Fink’s vocals are always at the forefront, and the drum beats are nearly identical.

The strongest of this cluster is “Lifetime,” featuring reverent violin melodies and Fink’s vocals steeped in childhood nostalgia: “We were young, that was then, and I have the feeling it’s never coming back again.” Overall, “Lifetime” is a rare shift in sound that temporarily revives the album.

The closer, “Not Too Late,” has a country charm. Egg shaker and acoustic guitar support Fink as he sings, “I want to fight in a war, don’t want to raise my hand, I want to find my own way to be a man.” The bridges are doused in warm synth waves and wandering electric guitar, lulling listeners into a sleepy trance. This is a gentle, relaxed closer, but ultimately lacks energy and originality.

Heart of Nowhere, while pleasantly subdued and mildly introspective, breaks no ground. The thrill of the music dies after track one and continues in monotony to the end. Noah and the Whale hardly ever changes its formula, its style, or its sound, and thus the music is flat and predictable. Beyond its technical faults, there’s no edge to the music—no drive, tension, or anxiety. Overall, the music feels manicured to be as clean and unobtrusive as possible.

Noah and the Whale – Heart of Nowhere tracklist:

1. “Introduction”
2. “Heart of Nowhere”
3. “All Through the Night”
4. “Lifetime”
5. “Silver and Gold”
6. “One More Night”
7. “Still After All These Years”
8. “There Will Come a Time”
9. “Now is Exactly the Time”
10. “Not Too Late”

Columbia College Chicago’s very own record label, AEMMP Records, released Audiences and Apollo House, a split EP by two bands well known in their root-city, Chicago. Obviously, the affair has stirred excitement among the music-loving community in the Windy City.

Audiences and Apollo House don’t disappoint, especially in the opening track, “Missouri.” The vocals are outstandingly piercing, almost yodel-like, in timbre. This, combined with Audiences’ garage rock feel, has married two genres that one would only think possible during the apocalypse. It would appear that a little folk, even in garage-noise, never hurt.

 A homegrown group ought to have a natural, homegrown sound. It’s a fact of life, a law of science, divine commandment from the Muses, and common sense.

However, the folly of many artists is committed numerous times on the split. For the most part, all six of the tracks open well: they hook the listener, the lines flow nicely, and the punctuation from the heavy bass line and the wailing of the guitar mix almost flawlessly in a well-spiced gumbo of sound. Yet, the tracks are laboriously long and end up repeating a drum rhythm loop with an uninspired guitar solo. The antics that Audiences revels in are tired, but the devotion to its influences from the past merits respect.

Audiences can play it slow, too. “Sisters” and “No More” highlight the group’s ability to maintain that heavy noise-cloud, but let the listener take a breather from the rush that typically characterizes the genre. The latter track even features a funk groove in the bass line that demonstrates Audiences’ versatility and talent and adds another facet to this small musical gem.

Unfortunately, the EP can only give a glimpse of the raw velocity and sheer power of Apollo House. It may just be imagination, but tracks like “Fugitive” and “Wolf in Sheep Skin” could only logically become awe-inspiring power ballads of intense force in a live venue.

Even from small speakers, the two tracks make you want to rock hard. There’s nothing like the animal-like rush that comes from head-banging too hard (if there is such a thing) to a song that elegantly kicks ass. Apollo House commands harsher energy and has crafted its half of the split in a way that seamlessly combines with Audiences, but brings the EP a few more hairs on the ‘stache rating with its more succinct sound and greater grasp on the noise rock vibe.

Audiences and Apollo House may both appeal to small group of the music community. The often overbearing sound infuses so many genres of musical influence and appeals to each person’s sense of authenticity. You may not listen to it every day, or even more than once or twice a year, but these little bands from big ol’ Chicago pack a punch.

Audiences and Apollo House – Split EP tracklist:

1. Audiences – “Missouri”
2. Audiences – “Tell Me”
3. Audiences – “Sisters”
4. Apollo House – “Fugitive”
5. Apollo House – “No More”
6. Apollo House – “Wolf in Sheep Skin”

Somewhere along the journey from an actress typecast solely as a Manic Pixie Dream Girl to a starring TV role in Fox’s “New Girl,” between multiple endorsements for beauty products and Golden Globe, Emmy, and other award nominations, Zooey Deschanel has retained some indie cred as the female lead in She & Him.

With the addition of “Him,” guitarist/vocalist M. Ward, the duo’s latest efforts culminate in 11 original and 3 cover tracks on Volume 3. It appears to start with more of the same cheesy lightheartedness prevalent on the group’s  2008 debut, Volume 1, and its successor, released in 2010. Deschanel opens the leading track, “I’ve Got Your Number, Son,” with her signature swirly, ‘60s pop vocals.

Somehow, She & Him seems like the only group on the planet to take an emotionally ridden situation of heartbreak and torn relationships and make them seem like a sunny-day sidewalk stroll complete with a trip to the candy store.

Give Deschanel’s lyrics a closer listen. As a woman several magazine interviewers have described as a non-stop ball of energy who love, love, loves her work, the recently divorced Deschanel croons in “…Son” that a man is hardly the most important of her priorities: “I sacrifice myself at the altar of someone else’s love for me/No, that doesn’t comfort me.”  (As an aside, Deschanel’s ex, Death Cab for Cutie’s Ben Gibbard, recently resumed his side project The Postal Service after an eight-year hiatus.)

It’s a theme that is repeated on the second track and first album single, “Never Wanted Your Love.”  But the tone mellows out by “Turn to White,” easily the album’s biggest treat, with slower guitar strums and softer percussion. Deschanel’s vocals aren’t overpowering, for a change, as she sings of a love so fleeting that all that remains of it is in a photograph, and even that is fading.

Listeners shouldn’t be surprised to find themselves checking the tracklist mid-album when “Together” comes on, seeing if albums or artists accidentally were switched—such is the contrast between it and the rest of the album. Like all dutiful hipsters, She & Him is inspired by vintage, but “Together” still sounds a decade apart from the rest of Volume 3. Dancing shoes are required on the ‘70s-infused, disco-reminiscent track that offers pure soul in the chorus: “And we all go through it together/But we all go at it alone.”

It hardly seems coincidental that all three She & Him volumes to date were released in spring months. As the songs melt away the icy feeling of a winter blues-infused breakup, optimism lies in warmer weather and the sense of freedom that summer often brings. But, as with previous Deschanel-Ward releases, the music’s narrator struggles with a balance between being alone and professing her love. It’s no wonder Ward’s standout guitar strums feel like country music back when it was, well, still real country.

Much of the same appears to be in store for She & Him fans within 10 minutes of Volume 3, but hold on. Allow the album to run its course, and it’ll prove true that five years in, the group is growing stronger—not burning out with Deschanel’s new-found fame and recognition.

She & Him – Volume 3 tracklist:

1. “I’ve Got Your Number, Son”
2. “Never Wanted Your Love”
3. “Baby”
4. “I Could’ve Been Your Girl”
5. “Turn to White”
6. “Somebody Sweet to Talk To”
7. “Something’s Haunting You”
8. “Together”
9. “Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me”
10. “Snow Queen”
11. “Sunday Girl”
12. “London”
13. “Shadow of Love”
14. “Reprise (I Could’ve Been Your Girl)”

London-based band, The Boxer Rebellion, has been playing music together for over 10 years, and its newest release, Promises, is a testament to its musical maturity.

Nathan Nicholson leads The Boxer Rebellion on vocals, guitar, and keys. He’s joined by Todd Howe on lead guitar, Adam Harrison on bass, and Piers Hewitt on the drums. Promises is the group’s fourth release, and exhibits a sound both confident in voice and complacent in formula.

The opener, “Diamonds,” feels strangely defeated for the beginning of an album. The beat is heavy on the snare and the synth strikes long, drawn out chords, while vocals serve as the centerpiece. Nicholson sings, “I’m no good next to diamonds/when I’m too close and start to fade/are you angry with me now/angry because I’m to blame?”

Despite its brooding vocals and hazy melodies, the music manages to be danceable, which is its only selling point. “Diamonds,” engaging though it may be, belongs deeper within the album.

It doesn’t accomplish its purpose as an opener, which is to hook the audience, rather than lull them into premature contemplation.

Meanwhile, the center of Promises is a pleasant static. There’s dance drumming and a searing synth line heard on “Always,” and a lush violin section supporting the pleading lyrics of “Low.” Yet these tracks, when placed next to one another, are difficult to distinguish. That is, the music ultimately refuses to change. These tracks recycle sounds heard early in the album and place them within a predictable structure. In this way, the album continues to lose its momentum, its creative spark, and its edge.

Track nine, “You Belong to Me,” convinces listeners they’re in for a long, teary-eyed piano ballad, then shifts direction with a jazzy, disoriented drum beat and a synth drone buzzing beneath the music. The lyrics, while powerful, blend with the surrounding atmosphere, acting more as an instrument than a primary focus. The refrain returns the track to its origins as Nicholson quietly sings, “You belong to me” over light piano chords. This track, with its highly personal and enigmatic nature, is one of Promises‘ stronger tracks.

The closer and title track aims to engage listeners with smooth, interlocking guitar melodies and anxious drumming. The chorus is a release of pent up emotion, headed by Nicholson singing, “We could make promises!” in a dramatic falsetto.

The strongest feature of “Promises” is its ability to heighten anticipation, then deliver an awe-inspired, soul-cleansing resolution—an appropriate ending to an album lost in dashed hopes and bitter regrets.

Promises is loud when it needs to be and melancholy in between. At its best, the music bathes listeners in expansive textures and triumphant vocals. At its worst, it grows boring and predictable.

Admittedly, this is a difficult album to sit through. The recording style is appropriate for what the band is looking to accomplish, but ultimately cannot capture the entirety of its emotional breadth. In other words, it’s music better heard live than through headphones.

This is not a critique on The Boxer Rebellion, and, in fact, speaks highly of their potential to wow an audience. However, when it comes to owning, loving, and listening to Promises over and over again, the album simply falls short.

The Boxer Rebellion – Promises tracklist:

1. “Diamonds”
2. “Fragile”
3. “Always”
4. “Take Me Back”
5. “Low”
6. “Keep Moving”
7. “New York”
8. “Safe House”
9. “You Belong to Me”
10. “Dream”
11. “Promises”

Welcoming the warm spring weather are the mellow synths and nostalgic lyrics of Young Galaxy’s Ultramarine.

The band was formed in 2005 in Vancouver, Canada. It originated as a duo comprised of Stephen Ramsay and Catherine McCandless, but currently includes Mathew Shapiro on keys, Stephen Kamp on bass, and Andrea Silver on drums.

Ultramarine is Young Galaxy’s fourth studio album, produced by Swedish musician Dan Lissvik. The resulting sound is diverse in musical influence, but fails to make a statement.

The opening track, “Pretty Boy,” is light and dreamlike. McCandless sings defiantly, “We have no way/misfit and strayed/living beyond both means and pity.” The drums are a quiet tap beneath heavy piano chords that ring throughout the stereo field.

While the music is catchy, it doesn’t have guts. Its energy is drawn from its use of delay and reverb, not from the music itself.

The tracks that follow draw from a diverse musical background. “Fall for You,” for example, draws on afro-beat with its polyrythmic djembe drumming, while “Fever” pulls from ’80s pop bands like Talking Heads with McCandless singing in a low, David Byrne-like drawl. Yet the music lacks energy and drive. It’s music to be absorbed only passively.

There are points in the album, namely track six, “What We Want,” that hold more energy. The drumming is more prominent; the bass is choppy and funky. The vocals have gusto as McCandless sings, “I don’t need no reflection to see what I’ve become.” This track stands out, with its greater voice and fuller sound.

The back half of the album also has moments of brilliance. “In Fire” has brooding synth textures and whispered, seductive vocals, while “Privileged Poor” boasts a playful chorus with densely harmonized vocals and contrapuntal synth melodies.

On the other hand, “Out the Gate Backwards” has a jazz-pop piano line that whines above the bridges and chorus along with a ghostly synth, but on the whole, the track fails to speak with authority to its audience.

The closer, “Sleepwalk With Me,” is a slow ballad. McCandless sings expressively, “Look, here comes the sunrise/ come sleepwalk with me.”  The drums and bass are subdued, while the synth is reminiscent of Toto’s “Africa.” And while these elements are pleasant, they rarely shift. The song is nearly the same from start to finish, lulling its listeners into a numbed hypnosis.

The object of Ultramarine isn’t to entertain; it’s to entrance. Listeners are subjected to pleasant, inoffensive sounds from beginning to end.

The vocals are the strongest element of the music, but McCandless rarely lets loose or says anything deeply important. The drums, bass, and keys blend together into a nameless sound.

Young Galaxy doesn’t need to be a pop band. The music it’s making could easily be turned into something more exciting, a little less friendly and easy to digest.

A quick fix: Change the recording style. The band could choose to record in a lo-fi setting, or be concerned less with absolute cleanliness in general. This music could have an edge if it wanted one. While Ultramarine falls short of the mark, Young Galaxy could easily come back with a great record.

Young Galaxy – Ultramarine tracklist:

1. “Pretty Boy”
2. “Fall for You”
3. “New Summer:
4. “Fever”
5. “Hard to Tell”
6. “What We Want”
7. “Out the Gate Backwards”
8. “In Fire”
9. “Privileged Poor”
10. “Sleepwalk With Me”

On its self-titled debut album, The Postelles captured the unbridled enthusiasm of falling into the arms of love.

Now, two years wiser and with heartbreak in tow, the New York foursome again dips into a bevy of pop staples—happy-go-lucky choruses, shimmering guitar melodies, and boundless harmonies—to guide its sophomore release, …And It Shook Me.

It’s a record meant for summer listening; every song is a catchy and up-tempo affair fronted by singer Daniel Balk’s effervescent vocals. The album’s highlight, “Sweet Water,” leaves a charming aftertaste. “Heavy Eyes” is a sunny ditty chaperoned by bouncy guitars, and “Waiting By Your Window” succeeds with its charming, whistle-worthy melody.

Beneath the jovial major chords lies the bittersweet realization that love can suck. Just ask Balk, whose reflective lyrics offer simple commentary on rocky relationships and the messiness that comes after a split. “’Cause I won’t go if you won’t go/and I won’t ebb if you don’t flow,” Balk sings on “Sweet Water.” Okay, so he’s not Michael Stipe, but Balk is still a young songwriter projecting from a limited point of view.

There’s no question The Postelles craft melodies with scrupulous affection, but they’re like a pitcher who constantly relies on a fastball to throw strikes. The band writes songs with predictable simplicity and tiresome, showy guitar riffs.

But you could say the same thing about The Strokes, whose imprints are all over …And It Shook Me. Guitarist Albert Hammond, Jr. co-produced The Postelles’ first album with the same stripped down, melodic garage-rock mentality The Strokes fostered on Is This It?

The Postelles throw a changeup and veer slightly from its go-to formula with the restrained support of a synthesizer on the early Strokes-influenced “Parallel Love.” Balk sings, “Many days we laid around/filled up the lost and found with hopeless feelings.”

…And It Shook Me also profits from the vocal interplay between Balk and guest Alex Winston. On “Running Red Lights,” Winston’s sassy voice props up Balk’s bubbling accounts of self-woe. The track would sound at home in any small, hometown pub.

The pair really shines when dissecting romantic mistakes on “Pretend It’s Love.” It’s a treat to hear the duo riff off each other on the refrain, “Run away from it all/because we lost it all,” as pianos and bouncy guitars swirl around them.

That’s one of the few highlights for a band whose power pop convictions are as light and measured as a summer breeze.

The Postelles –…And It Shook Me tracklist:

1. “…And It Shook Me”
2. “Pretend It’s Love (feat. Alex Winston)”
3. “Sweet Water”
4. “You Got Me Beat”
5. “Heavy Eyes”
6. “Oh My Luck”
7. “Caught By Surprise”
8. “Parallel Love”
9. “Waiting By Your Window”
10. “Running Red Lights”
11. “Tidal Wave”
12. “You Know I Won’t”

London-based band Still Corners has crafted diaphanous dream pop on its second effort, Strange Pleasures. Singer Tessa Murray’s voice is soft and airy, much like the legion of other female indie singers rising to popularity, including Grimes and Kazu Makino of Blonde Redhead. But Murray’s voice is more of a sensual whisper, lending the music to themes of loneliness and longing, all set to the soundtrack of a midnight drive. It’s M83, but less urgent.

Still Corners is following what seems to work for a number of other successful indie bands: female lead singers with tissue-thin voices singing romantic ballads that are labeled by others as “dream pop.” It’s one of the many sub-genres of music where everything in the category generally sounds the same, but differs subtly with each group. Still Corners is essentially dream pop, but with a romantic ’80s vibe.

Much like with its previous work, Creatures of an Hour, the band has continued to create its own John Hughes paradise, spilling beautiful melodies and synth pop rhythms over Murray’s breathy vocals. The lead single “Fireflies,” for example, is a delightfully catchy ode to mimicking pretty insects, providing the score for everyone’s inner Manic Pixie Dream Girl (or Guy).

Strange Pleasures is comprised mostly of synth anthems with a slow pace. However, Still Corners breaks out the acoustic guitar on what may be the saddest track of the album, “Going Back to Strange,” where Murray sings of “going back before it’s too late.” With added drowsy atmosphere just like the rest of the tracks, Murray effortlessly conveys heartbreak and deep emotion.

Shining as a true gem on the album is “I Can’t Sleep.” Murray sings over a minimal drum machine awash in atmospheric haze and melancholy as she longs for her lover, wondering whether she can slumber alone. It sympathizes with the lonely, but is still nearly as catchy as “Fireflies.”

The only thing that could potentially make Strange Pleasures  seem lackluster is its repetitiveness. Twelve tracks come and go, but nothing really changes.

Besides the use of an acoustic guitar on “Going Back to Strange,” the band employs a pretty general structure: the quiet/loud aesthetic famously used by the Pixies, a non-threatening synthesizer, strings on a few occasions, and paper thin vocals. Besides “Future Age,” which is probably the busiest song on an album filled with overt simplicity, Still Corners doesn’t seem reliant on too much left field-ness, preferring to keep up its predictable bliss.

“Beatcity” has the feel of a romantic midnight drive, which serves as the theme for the album, rife with romance, loneliness, and freedom. Still Corners seems to encourage the life code of being as liberated and happy as possible.

It’s a beautiful album; the music is lush and the vocals are breathtaking. The London-based band has successfully managed its own version of what American indie bands have easily attained in the dream pop genre. While the album certainly has potential with its sound, it lacks the little elements that push boundaries and keep it from being too stale.

Unfortunately, Strange Pleasures doesn’t contain a sound unique enough to distinguish it from other bands in the genre. It simply falls in line with the rest.

Still Corners – Strange Pleasures tracklist:

1. “The Trip”
2. “Beginning to Blue”
3. “I Can’t Sleep”
4. “All I Know”
5. “Fireflies”
6. “Berlin Lovers”
7. “Future Age”
8. “Going Back to Strange”
9. “Beatcity”
10. “Midnight Drive”
11. “We Killed the Moonlight”
12. “Strange Pleasures”

For some, The Flaming Lips represent a sonic optimism, an enthusiasm for life. The fans come again and again for the circus where animals dance to loud, happy music and Wayne Coyne wears his suit, rolls on the crowd inside a giant inflatable ball, and tells them how great they are again and again. Diametrically, the Lips’ latest release, The Terror, has been tagged as “morbid” or “disturbing.”

It was even before The Terror that a change was occurring for The Flaming Lips. Despite taking flak for working on a collaborative album with Ke$ha entitled Lip$ha, bumping heads with Eryka Badu, and gaining negative attention over Coyne’s personal affairs, the band has pushed itself to evolve past the old Flaming Lips formula.

A choppy chunk of static and synth reminiscent of a spaceship repeats as the drums build into the bulk of “Look… the Sun is Rising,” the first track on The Terror.

Coyne sings about surveillance craft flying overhead from the old government program MK Ultra, an operation that was shut down for its illegal surveillance and abhorrent practices.

While the 2002 single “Do You Realize??” said the setting sun, along with your problems, is only an illusion, “Look… the Sun is Rising” calls out that we’ve stopped looking toward the sun altogether and have become wrapped in paranoia.

On “You Lust,” the choppy static returns and ticks away each second with white fuzz. Coyne holds onto these grounds of deeply personal defense as he sings, “You’ve got a lot of nerve to fuck with me/because you know you’re just like me.” This could serve as a wake-up call for his critics. They too follow a “lust to succeed,” words which Coyne maliciously whispers over bizarre breaks in music that bring the song into avante-territory akin to The Residents.

Seeing as Ke$ha has been spotted wearing a t-shirt for The Residents’ album Duck Stab/Buster Glen, hopefully something great is in the works for Lip$ha, which could expose her commercially versed fandom to inspiring and experimental music, and vice-versa for the Lips’ fan base.

Throughout The Terror, ethereal atmospheres rise from the ashes of each song, and the same sounds keep coming back, though the sonic context gives them new light each time. Shimmering synths bubble up from below over and over, while samples of something like tiny motors hum in the background.

These audio motifs take the forefront on “You Are Alone,” and quick introductions are made by brass samples that slide in almost unrecognizably. An electric signal pings again and again while the ambient shimmers collide with 8-bit grumbles, a shining example of what attention to texture brings to a song.

The same shimmers and hums shroud “Turning Violent,” only for a jolt from a distorted and effect-soaked guitar to jolt in, similar to the jarring riffs found on 2009’s Embryonic.

The final track of The Terror is “Always There in Our Hearts.” Fittingly, the song is an exploration of the quintessential fear of humanity: the fear of death.

“Always There in Our Hearts” is the most upbeat track on the album, yet highlights the driving suspense that we all transform into purpose, as well as competitive strife that overwhelms true progress and joy.

“What is the Light?” from the Lips’ The Soft Bulletin (1999) was alternatively dubbed “An Untested Hypothesis Suggesting That the Chemical [In Our Brains] by Which We Are Able to Experience the Sensation of Being in Love Is the Same Chemical That Caused the “Big Bang” That Was the Birth of the Accelerating Universe.”

The Terror comes off as a testing of that hypothesis by exploring the unpleasant and bridging the borderline into nihilistic ideas. Despite the change, which may be disturbing for some, The Flaming Lips has pushed itself in creative and ideological ways, and The Terror is another beautiful album in its catalog.

The Flaming Lips – The Terror tracklist:

1. “Look… The Sun is Rising”
2. “Be Free, A Way”
3. “Try to Explain”
4. “You Lust”
5. “The Terror”
6. “You Are Alone”
7. “Butterfly, How Long it Takes to Die”
8. “Turning Violent”
9. “Always There in Our Hearts”

Akron/Family has been chucking out albums with startling consistency since its 2005 debut, and Sub Verses is the newest addition to its arsenal. From acid-burned rock numbers to playful folk tunes, the trio seems to have tripped right into equilibrium with its sixth studio release.

Lauded with assaulting, verbose artist statements flung by lead singer Miles Singer and former label boss (and Swans’) Michael Gira, Akron/Family had plenty of not-so-concrete goals to achieve with this album (key words include “Shamanic hypno-mantras” and “Lynchian doo wop”).

While the trio don’t quite disappoint, Akron/Family seems to be fumbling through what could have become a catalog cornerstone.

A seven-minute stretch, “No-Room” kicks off the album with a lead-footed drum line and hellfire funk. The insistently free-spirited piece sets a precedent for what the folk-fancying Family has in store with the next nine tracks. Eerily distant vocals and rich percussion create an air of mysticism that runs rampant throughout the record. The track bleeds into “Way Up,” a five-minute prog guzzler that ails on for a few too many droning verses.

“Until the Morning” treads into tribal territory with trimmings of Afropop and an unshakable barrage of “ooh’s and whoo’s.” In a formula that could have produced a comically cute shadow of Akron/Family’s early experimental efforts, the West coast trio exercised some calculated restraint. The L.A. group holds its home city close to its heart with sun-bleached vocals and beachcomber melodies.

Akron/Family continues on its ambient-progressive bender with trilling strings and demented chants on “Sometimes.” But the mind-fucking fun doesn’t end there—”Holy Boredom” is a wheezing rock number that embodies what shredding shoe-gazers The War On Drugs could have been given some liquid courage and a reverb-heavy backbone.

“Samurai,” the well-paced closer, coasts through Singer’s falsetto and throws in some slide guitar for good measure. The finale, as wrenchingly pretty as it is, feels like an illogical cap to such a relentlessly off-kilter album.

A familiar criticism for the band, Akron/Family often succumbs to a tendency of sounding tightly wound—squelching its songs rather than singing them. The trio thankfully swallowed that long-craved chill pill, but not without a struggle.

Akron/Family flaunted a willingness to experiment with this new release; willingness that bordered on desperation. Metal licks glimmer with a little too much iron-pressed showiness to stomach and the rootsy folk melodies approach laziness.

As unexpected as it is comforting, Sub Verses is 10 tracks of Akron/Family in its element. Though occasionally murky and convoluted by dead-end tangents and circuital riffs, the album stands as a logical step from Akron/Family’s flower-crowned catalog.

Akron/Family – Sub Verses tracklist:

1. “No-Room”
2. “Way Up”
3. “Until the Morning”
4. “Sand Talk”
5. “Sometimes I”
6. “Holy Boredom”
7. “Sand Time”
8. “Whole World is Watching”
9. “When I Was Young”
10. “Samurai”