Pop 'stache

For a band lacking any social media outlets, the buzz surrounding Ceremony’s Zoo is impressive. The switch from the small, yet respected, Bridge9 Records to Matador’s roster seemed odd but encouraging after the stellar Rohnert Park LP. The jump raised questions and speculation among fans, especially given vocalist Ross Farrar’s growing sickness on Rohnert Park. Farrar was sick; sick of everything, really, including hardcore, life in America, telephones and even whoever was listening to his album at that moment.

So what does a band like Ceremony do after such a huge shift? On first listen, it seems the answer is whatever it wanted, and none of what was expected. Gone are the days of Farrar’s chewed-glass growl over thrash-tastic blasts of sound. In its place is a middle-finger inflected, monotone skate punk that encapsulates a tired, accepted rage: the natural progression from the spastic, violent sounds that erupted from the bands previous efforts. Even as the single “Adult” indicates, “We have to give up the things we love,” and the new phase in Ceremony’s style is one of weathered complacency.

In an uncommon blurb from Farrar on the band’s official website, he offers: “There are songs on the record that sound fast, slow, eerie, full or abrupt, each one different, but at the same time very similar. This is what reviewers call ‘comprehensive.’ I suppose this record is our first sort of comprehensive sounding record in that each song binds to one another better than we’ve done in the past.” What fans are going to have to accept is that they bind to each in the way molasses drips from a spoon, and not the fist-to-the-face melding of the past.

The droning vocals, the surf-guitar noodling, the straightforward early 1970s/’80s blues-based punk sound: it should feel alien and isolating given Ceremony’s catalog. Rather than sounding like a man bouncing around a white, padded cell, Farrar’s vocals occasionally sound reposeful. Absent is the in-your-face energy and emotion fans have grown to expect, and when listening to tracks “Nosebleed” and “Hotel,” it’s half expected that at any moment he could become comatose.

Yet it’s the lackadaisical, removed delivery that gives Zoo something that displays frustration in a new way. If the album‘s concept is that society is stuck in a self-built cage of adulthood and duty, then Zoo’s sound is reflective of its circumstances. We’re rattling against bars we installed ourselves, bottling our frustrations. We’re exhausting ourselves to the breaking point, “Repeating the circle … ,” as Farrar mumbles over a chilled, Orange County groove.This attitude of creeping, withdrawn insanity is further solidified on the track “Ordinary People,” where the lines, “Work is our water and we drink, drink, drink,” and, “Ordinary people, we do ordinary things,” are executed in an almost taunting way. It’s a lengthier, self-indulgent delve into the same gray torture that was so strongly presented on “The Doldrum’s (Friendly City)” from Rohnert Park. What the hell is left to do other than roll over and glumly accept our imprisonment, biding our time till someone lets the animals out of the zoo?

Ceremony – Zoo tracklist:

1. “Hysteria”
2. “Citizen”
3. “Repeating the Circle”
4. “World Blue”
5. “Quarantine”
6. “Brace Yourself”
7. “Adult”
8. “Hotel”
9. “Ordinary People”
10. “Nosebleed”
11. “Community Service”
12. “Video”

With their past two albums, Heartless Bastards carried with them a sense of being lost in a dog race of complacency. After half a decade of muddling through several half-hearted blues-rock albums, lead singer Erika Wennerstrom has had enough of mediocrity. Back in 2011, Wennerstrom gutted the band in its blues-rock form, and recreated The Bastards as a heavy-rocking quintet.

The band’s latest album, Arrow, is the fruit of that labor. There are a couple of interesting songs, and overall better production, but their efforts do not go far enough. Placing their best foot forward, the album is a top-heavy work that topples in its concluding moments.

Listening to Arrow, it is apparent that Heartless Bastards have benefited immeasurably from Jim Eno’s (Spoon) production involvement, as they have achieved a quality of sound which simply wasn’t there on their previous releases. This increased focus on better studio techniques has allowed for Wennerstrom’s beautifully mournful vocals to shrine through—the opening tracks of “Marathon” and “Parted Ways” are great examples of what Heartless Bastards are capable of when placed in the right condition under proper studio guidance.

Speaking of “Parted Ways,” Wennerstrom’s aspirations for a newfound lyrical expression is clear as she sings, “I need a little bit of whiskey and a little bit of time to ease my troubled mind.” Her lower vocal register hits a chord with a listener, as she is speaking from a place of emotional honesty in spite of the demands which the world placed upon her shoulders.

The song, “Got to Have Rock and Roll” shines as an example of Heartless Bastards’ interest in reviving a similar sound made popular by the likes of Deep Purple. “Got to Have Rock and Roll”’s overdriven guitar sound, simple chord structure and Wennerstrom’s double-tracked vocals demand to be played at a rough dive bar populated with bikers and the women who love them. Any red-blooded American who has spent time growing up in the Heartland and listening to Led Zeppelin will unquestionably rock out to this track on their air guitar.

Despite the promises of a new musical reinvention, Heartless Bastards quickly lose their newly obtained Eno charm. By the sixth track, “Skin and Bone,” the band reverts back to the comforts of their largely underwhelming back catalog: middle-of-the-road rock ‘n’ roll. This step backward is much to the detriment of the overall enjoyment of Arrow; what the band achieves in the second half of the album is a mostly tedious experience.

Wennerstrom put her faith in Eno with Arrow in hopes that he would lead Heartless Bastards toward the promised land. Sadly, while the band was able to achieve a new sound with its first couple of tracks on this album, this newfound musical identity doesn’t last throughout the album: by the second half, band members succumb to their reactionary musical doubts. It’s a shame; Wennerstrom’s vocals, like the music of her band, continue to wander in search of a place to settle. Arrow doesn’t meet its aspirations, but it does hint at a brighter future.

Heartless Bastards – Arrow tracklist:

1. “Marathon”
2. “Parted Ways”
3. “Got to Have Rock and Roll”
4. “Only for You”
5. “Simple Feeling”
6. “Skin and Bone”
7. “The Arrow Killed the Beast”
8. “Late in the Night”
9. “Low Low Low”
10. “Down in the Canyon”

School of Seven Bells is an up-and-coming dream-pop band from New York City. Sometimes called SVIIB, formerly featuring identical twins as singers, and named after a mythical school for pickpockets, the band has just enough generic, “quirky” hipster-cred to make it to the big time. Unfortunately, that generic attitude also sometimes applies to their music as well, which is pleasant, oftentimes even beautiful, but unfortunately also somewhat forgettable.

Their newest record, Ghostory, is the School of Seven Bells’ third full album, and while it certainly has its charms, it just isn’t engaging enough to pull the audience in the way it needs to.

Part of the problem here lies with the departure of former dual-lead singer Claudia Deheza. Before, her vocals, matched with her twin sisters’, would create a sort of signature echo-y hollow chanting sort of sound. That creepy vibe worked well for the band; it gave them a sort of edge that drew listeners in and told them that this music was something different, dangerous and worth investing in. Now with her departure, the band’s overall sound is much more clean, smooth and refined, and while that might be nice for some, the record as a whole loses a lot of punch.

Still, it is a pretty solid, poppy sound. Just from listening to the album, you’d never guess that School of Seven Bells was just a two-person outfit. Arrangements are lush, building a great dynamic contrast between clean synths and rough guitars. Drums are kept mostly simple, and vocals are very, very smooth and shiny. And while all these elements work as they should, it’s still all too squeaky-clean and spotless to be truly gripping.

On the plus side, there are absolutely no bad songs on this record. The whole thing was designed with a sort of singular aesthetic, and each of its nine tracks pull together nicely around it. Highlights include album opener “The Night” and the slower, atmospheric “Reappear,” among others.

Ghostory is a very difficult album to assign a rating to because some people out there are absolutely going to love it. They will revel in its beauty and bask in its sweeping, multilayered tracks. But almost just as many others won’t get it; they’ll want something with more bite, more edge or more hooks. Both opinions are equally valid, but whether you love Ghostory or just think that it’s just OK will depend on the sort of listener you are and what you hope to gain from your listening experience.

School of Seven Bells – Ghostory tracklist:

1. “The Night”
2. “Love Play”
3. “Lafaye”
4. “Low Times”
5. “Reappear”
6. “Show Me Love”
7. “Scavenger”
8. “White Wind”
9. “When You Sing”
10. “Unnature”

Andrew Bird might be the best-dressed man in indie pop with a sophisticated sound to match. His croon is like a pillow in your eardrum, and his whistle can sweep the most unsuspected listeners off their feet. His unique use of plucking and looping his violin is encouraging to all school band and orchestra players wondering what they could possibly do with their skills after they graduate. Even in today’s surge of classical instrumentation in popular music, he’s found a way to take a simple foundation and make it all his own.

Noble Beast saw Bird play with the formula a bit, writing songs with a more rustic feel, but also adding a little more sound manipulation. While a good album in its own right, Bird seeks to do fans one better with his latest, Break It Yourself, taking from a larger pallet and bumping up the production value even more.

The album opens on a high note with “Desperation Breeds … .” Under a lo-fi haze comes Bird’s trademark violin, plucked among volume swells and hushed vocals, giving way to typically gorgeous guitar and singing, with those airy vocals still looming around back. It appears that Bird took a page out of Chris Taylor’s book. The song develops perfectly, adding soft drums and bouncy but subdued bass. It may very well be his best opening track to date.

By the end of the opener and into “Danse Carribe,” it’s easy to notice that Bird is becoming more comfortable with showing off his virtuosity on record. Here, he starts with a traditional country-folk vibe, evolving into an uptempo ditty. This, of course, lends itself to a fiddle solo, which Bird performs with great aplomb.

“I didn’t know that your love was a commodity,” Bird sings alongside awesome interplay between upright bass and fast-plucked violin on “Give It Away.” The fun ends when a strain of sadness peers through on “Lazy Projector.” Coming in as the first ballad of the album, the sarcasm yields to a serious plead he seems to be making, saying, “I can’t see the sense in us breaking up at all.” The beautiful tune even includes a lyrical callback to “Armchairs.”

Elsewhere, we see Annie Clark appear on the nice “Lusitania.” Fans may have seen the two  perform this one live when they toured together a couple of years back. It’s nice to hear Clark’s voice over softer music.

As on his past couple of albums, Bird includes a longer tune (for him, more than seven minutes), this one is “Hole in the Ocean Floor,” the first to break eight minutes. It has a very soft and slow development, with a typically beautiful melody. Bird also takes the time to flex his virtuoso muscles on this one, but he constantly emotes on his instrument, serving as a reminder that it is still possible to solo tastefully. The piece never explodes, it’s just a mood-setting sort of piece that is nothing short of lovely.

It’s so easy to fall in love with the sound of Bird’s music that sometimes it’s hard to actually notice the songs themselves. The good thing is that he really does bring the goods time in and time out. Still, one can’t help but get the feeling that, at 60 minutes, the album runs a tad too long. But which songs could have been left out? It’s tough to say because all the tracks are on a similar level of quality. Perhaps it’s that the dynamic first half was met with a more mellow second half. In any case, Break It Yourself is yet another welcome addition to Bird’s catalog, and one can only imagine how nicely these tracks will translate on stage.

Andrew Bird – Break It Yourself tracklist:

1. “Desperation Breeds … “
2. “Polynation”
3. “Danse Carribe”
4. “Give It Away”
5. “Eyeoneye”
6. “Lazy Projector”
7. “Near Death Experience Experience”
8. “Things Behind the Barn”
9. “Lusitania”
10. “Orpheo Looks Back”
11. “Sifters”
12. “Fatal Shore”
13. “Hole in the Ocean Floor”
14. “Belles”

Would the idea of critiquing every Bruce Springsteen record in any publication, print or online, feel necessary if not for Nebraska? Springsteen’s pop legacy is certainly more storied, but Nebraska has found new life as a way for mustachioed fixie riders to hedge their affection for the man or as a genuine reference point for more significant rock artists (Arcade Fire, most predominantly), enough so that people mostly forget it could’ve just as easily been a full E Street Band record.

Nebraska’s resurgence begs the question: what do we want from a modern Springsteen album? Never one to be doggedly experimental, Springsteen’s post-The Rising fare could be graciously referred to as uneven: the poignant Devil’s & Dust, the limp-wristed and pat Working on a Dream. And while every pandering profile has indicated that “[insert album title] is his angriest yet],” Wrecking Ball at least has the title to support the notion. It certainly isn’t punk, but it’s not Magic levels of tossed-off sameness. Here we have some forays into gospel and roots flourishes, along with a tangible desire to sound immediate.

That immediacy is often punctuated by percussion that’s higher in the mix than anything Springsteen has done since “Born in the USA,” which seems logical after listening to “We Take Care of Our Own,” a modern update on the too-sly-for-politics critique of America. The song makes much more of an effort to make Springsteen seem a troubled plebeian, but at least it’s working on a number of different levels, not just the obvious one. Better is the title track, which takes its time building to a ribald and rousing conclusion. Both tracks, and much of the roots-based fare here addresses the very Springsteenian topic of getting up after being gut-punched. Every victory is temporary (“All our little victories and glories/ Have turned into parking lots”), every loss redeemable (“Hold tight to your anger/Don’t fall to your fears/Bring on your wrecking ball”). “Wrecking Ball” is classic E Street, from the string flairs to the trumpet subbing in for the irreplaceable Big Man (RIP), and while every working man anthem Springsteen manages to turn out these days is coated in faux-authenticity, everything seems a bit more real, more tangible. Springsteen, perhaps, is a man for these times.

For once, however, Wrecking Ball doesn’t settle totally for the classic. “Easy Money” is a roughshod Bonnie & Clyde story, replete with gospel choir backing and a rip torn lead guitar. Villains and the disenfranchised are all over Wrecking Ball, and their presence frequently livens up the proceedings. Nowhere is this more apparent than “Death to My Hometown,” a blustery growl of a war anthem for a bulletless war popping with Irish tinwhistle, a consistent backing vocal and gigantic drums. Everything here seems dirty and real—if you’re listening close enough, you might even hear a little brogue when Springsteen makes his final cannon call against “greedy thieves.”

But in a musical age where artifice has to be over the top or nonexistent, Wrecking Ball fits in about as well as the last four Springsteen albums. For every swirling rager, there are two sadly unenthusiastic toss-offs. “You’ve Got It” reinforces the damnation that Springsteen has lost his ability to write love songs; “Shackled and Drawn” plays far more fake coming after “Easy Money.” The gospel tinges don’t work as well as they should, either. “Rocky Ground” sounds like a b-side from The Rising, and for anger’s sake, we shouldn’t mention “Land of Hope and Dreams.” In the same breath of progress made to update the E Street formula is the sad realization that Springsteen is, at his core, a rock star.

A good foil for Springsteen has always been Paul McCartney. The pop genius is one of the few other songwriters still releasing LPs from their age, and it’s worth noting that McCartney’s new album Kisses on the Bottom, finally seems to have dated him. While that record will, at points, point to Macca’s insignificance to the modern pop charts, it also speaks to his bravery to go his own way. One wouldn’t accuse Springsteen of being a corporate shill, but most of Wrecking Ball indicates that he’s still subsisting on updates of former glories. There’s positives here, to be sure. And unlike most website commenters, we’re not asking for another Nebraska. But instead of pandering to a national depression that seems overworked at best, cloying at worst, The Boss could’ve at least loaded his rifle with a full clip of new bullets.

Bruce Springsteen – Wrecking Ball tracklist:

1. “We Take Care of Our Own”
2. “Easy Money”
3. “Shackled and Drawn”
4. “Jack of All Trades”
5. “Death to My Hometown”
6. “This Depression”
7. “Wrecking Ball”
8. “You Got It”
9. “Rocky Ground”
10. “Land of Hopes and Dreams”
11. “We Are Alive”

Chiddy Bang – amongst others – broke the boundary between indie rock and hip hop. Sampling from pop-infused acts like MGMT, Sufjan Stevens and Passion Pit, Chiddy Bang successfully attracted an audience that might normally not be into hip hop. In 2010, The Preview officially introduced duo Chidera “Chiddy” Anamege and Noah “Xaphoon” Jones Beresin. After an EP and mini-mixtape, Philadelphia natives concocted an album with enough pop personality for airplay without neglecting the Philly street style. The latest effort and first full-length album, Breakfast has the same intentions but falls short in the second half of the record.

Title song, “Breakfast” is energetic and showcases the clever lyricism of Anamege – also known as the “Longest Rap Freestyle” Guinness World Record holder. Flooded with afro-beats and hard-hitting electro loops, this track is the highest peak of the album. The infusion of Jazz and 1990s hip hop creates a gritty aftertaste, but Breakfast unfortunately dwindles from here.

Electro-pop beats smother “Handclaps & Guitars” in dance worthy rhythms. This is one of only a few tracks that Chiddy Bang tries to mimic their previous formula. Pulsating samples weave through bubbly distortion, and the its harsh contrast of Anamege’s vocals resemble tracks like “Truth.”

First single, “Ray Charles” features gospel back-up singers and an arguably offensive chorus line – “ooh boy open your eyes a girl like me ain’t waiting all night.” It’s catchy, though. It’s a snap the fingers type of tune, and the piano-lead instrumentals lend a jazzy undertone. It’s apparent the title and lyrics are used in an admirable tone, but the track ends without creativity and lacks the witticism seen in other songs – “you’re too blind to see it. Ray Charles.”

Similar to KiD CuDi’s transformation from “Pursuit of Happiness” to “Erase Me,” Chiddy Bang took their highly-infectious but widely marketable sound to a predictable top 40 level. Breakfast earnestly tries to defy odds again, but Anamege’s free styling has become minimized and replaced with looped beats and chant-worthy lines. Heavily processed tune “Whatever We Want” is likely to be a spring-break anthem to bikini clad partiers, but that seems to be the goal.

Where The Preview shines, Breakfast is lackluster. Chiddy Bang produced catchy tunes to attract an audience spanning between college and audiophile’s parties, but the substance has dissipated in Breakfast. A few glimmers of light peak through the otherwise decent tracks on this album in “Breakfast” and “Handclaps & Guitars,” but it’s unfortunate to see a step backwards in creative quality.

Chiddy Bang – Breakfast tracklist:

1. “Intro”
2. “Breakfast”
3. “Handclaps & Guitars”
4. “Mind Your Manners”
5. “Ray Charles”
6. “Does She Love Me?”
7. “Run It Back”
8. “Out 2 Space”
9. “Whatever We Want”
10. “Interlude”
11. “Talking to Myself”
12. “Happening”
13. “Baby Roulette”
14. “4^th Quarter”

There’s something curious about the young ladies behind First Aid Kit. Maybe it’s their clairvoyant voices, their piercing innocence or their prodigious songwriting. Or perhaps it’s just their incorporation of the pedal steel guitar. This Swedish duo sustains a much-needed niche in the music world: folk prevailed by female vocals.

Coming from Sweden, sisters Johanna and Klara Söderberg have produced a sophomore effort, The Lion’s Roar, that far exceeds their debut album from 2010 (The Big Black and the Blue). As they are just about out of their teen years, their voices, confidence and lyrics have noticeably matured. Through their skilled word-smithing, the sisters cleverly weave in bits of Swedish and American culture in their lyrics, giving many of the songs an old-soul feeling. The whole album is an elegant balance of ballads and upbeat songs.

Any possible pitfalls of the album are immediately forgiven by the song “Emmylou,” the second single. Whereas a couple of the album’s songs by comparison aren’t nearly as fetching (i.e., “Dance to Another Tune”), “Emmylou” draws on the pedal steel and gentle drum beat in the background to embrace the most lovable characteristics of folk music. With the elder sister, Johanna, on keyboards and Klara in harmony on guitar, the ladies sing, “I’ll be your Emmylou and I’ll be your June/If you’ll be my Gram and my Johnny, too/No, I’m not asking much of you/Just sing little darling, sing with me.” As if their vocal and composition skills weren’t impressive enough, their Americana allusions (Emmylou Harris, June Carter, Gram Parsons and Johnny Cash) gain the girls even more depth and credibility.

Title track, “The Lion’s Roar,” has a slow, melodic pace, opening with vocals accompanied by a strumming guitar. The music video, which is worth checking out mostly for its visual artistry, complements their haunting accord, with the girls searching and wandering through dark, foggy woods. They sing, “And I’m a goddamn coward, but then again so are you/And the lion’s roar, the lion’s roar/Has me evading and hollering for you/And I never really knew what to do.”

The young duo has caught the attention of more than just a homeland audience, as the pair will be making their way to New Zealand, Australia and the United States for a number of shows this spring. Bright Eyes champions Conor Oberst and Mike Mogis also have taken interest. Oberst makes an appearance on closing song “King of the World.” The toe-tapping tune definitely is Oberst-esque—the visit from his quivering voice aside, it has an unexpected poppy beat, plenty of percussion and a trumpet. Mogis has made a significant impact on the duo, going as far as producing the entire album.

What Johanna and Klara have created in The Lion’s Roar gives the rest of us hope that teenagers/20-somethings still can produce worthwhile music. The Miley Cyruses, Selena Gomezes and Justin Biebers of the world should take note here. The Söderbergs have not only put out a beautiful album, they are also well-versed songwriters and  talented musicians.

First Aid Kit – The Lion’s Roar tracklist:

1. “Emmylou”
2. “In the Hearts of Men”
3. “Blue”
4. “This Old Routine”
5. “To a Poet”
6. “I Found a Way”
7. “Dance to Another Tune”
8. “New Year’s Eve”
9. “King of the World”

Upon high school graduation, former Dum Dum Girl Frankie Rose may have been voted least likely to take listeners on a trip to Interstellar space, but that’s where she’s going on her new solo release. Perhaps she’s been reading up on her science fiction. Rose has also left the Outs behind on her launch pad and is zipping past the starlings of the slipstream, forging a galactic path of guitar and synth-driven spaciousness. Having said that, this isn’t the crazed lurching forward velocity of Pink Floyd’s “Interstellar Overdrive”; in fact, it’s more like Interstellar is in neutral, but that doesn’t mean she has not created a wonderful space to explore.

The title track and kick-off cut nicely synthesizes a summary of the lyrical and musical themes that recur throughout the record, from its sprawling orchestration to its soaring vocals and synthesizer bed. “Daylight Sky” begins in media res with a very New Order/OMD moment, but quickly mines the ex-Viv Girls girl-group vibe with a Peter Gabriel-esque vamping vibe, and “Apples for the Sun” adds high Beach Boys-style harmonies to even further smooth down the groove; it seems less a song than an ambient meditation.

Whereas “Daylight Sky” crafted an electro vibe reminiscent of Gary Numan’s “Cars,” the next track, “Pair of Wings” merges Zooey Deschanel with David Bowie, as the wide-eyed, unaffected innocence of Deschanel meets the stellar grandiloquence of the Ziggy Stardust-era output of the Thin White Duke. Although the language is rooted and “perched upon the city on a pair of power lines,” the music creates such an ambiance of longing for escape that it fairly slips “the surly bonds of earth.” It does so to such a great extent, in fact, that the song seems to have no rock anchor; it’s hard to say whether it’s more reminiscent of the downbeat vibe of 10cc’s “I’m Not in Love” or the ethereal journey of A Flock of Seagulls’ “Space Age Love Song.”

Rose furthers the 1980s vibe by echoing the guitar parts of Pat Benatar’s “Love Is a Battlefield,” on “Know Me,” although it sounds like it’s played by Vampire Weekend (who themselves cribbed significantly from early MTV one-hit wonders Haircut 100). “The Fall” presents a noodling guitar meditation with an airy backing and first single “Gospel/Grace” echoes the chord progression from Duran Duran’s post-fame “Ordinary World” single but in the end sounds like an organic Stereolab doing a Velvet Underground song. In retrospect, it’s not that much of a reach, and it’s surprising no one else has done this, at least not as well.

On “Night Swim” more than any of the other tracks, it’s clear that she’s a graduate of the schools of Crystal Stilts and Vivian Girls, with its 1950s-’60s girl-group harmonies and reverb-soaked electric guitar lightning strikes interspersed throughout. The gorgeously melodic “Moon in My Mind” more than makes up for it—it sounds like a merger between the washed out sounds of M83 and Beach House.

Rose has created an interesting vision of a space voyage on Interstellar, and it’s an entertaining listen, but it’s a shame that it seems like an early ’80s new-wave vision of space as opposed to something that’s totally new and different. In the 1953 3D movie “It Came From Outer Space,” the aliens were so ugly that those that saw them literally passed out from the shock and disgust—the original screenplay was penned by science fiction author Ray Bradbury. Regrettably, there’s nothing here that makes the listener that uncomfortable; in other words, it’s not a very challenging listen, but it’s a pleasant journey nonetheless.

Frankie Rose — Interstellar tracklist:

1. “Interstellar”
2. “Know Me”
3. “Gospel/Grace”
4. “Daylight Sky”
5. “Pair of Wings”
6. “Had We Had It”
7. “Night Swim”
8. “Apples for the Sun”
9. “Moon in My Mind”
10. “The Fall”

Northern Brittan is home to quartet, Field Music. It’s fairly apparent as well. Their pop sensibility and psych-tinged melodies are ambitiously constructed with vintage themes. Having found a balance between progressive art rock and funky theatrical beats, Field Music’s fifth full-length studio effort Plumb is pleasantly catchy. Core members and brothers, Peter and David Brewis thematically produced this album with the idea of poking fun at the English language, something any lit-nerd can appreciate. Brewed from the hilarity, and confusion, of homophones, Plumb has a plum colored vinyl and album text.

In their 2010 release, Measure, Field Music approached a straightforward style of pop-rock through bouncing guitar riffs and standard song structure. Generally, all of their previous releases have gone through a fine tooth comb of art rock aesthetic. In Plumb, though, a sprinkle of whimsical melodies and funk-infused beats adds a colorful overtone.

“Start the Day Right” is finished with falsetto harmonies and distorted guitar blends. Right off the bat, this album has a slight resemblance of Magical Mystery Tour. The psychedelic glaze over true rock composition is part of it. Another part is the sporadic drum beats in “It’s Okay to Change” and vocal arrangement in “Sorry Again, Mate.” Throughout the entirety of this album, Field Music finds a way to merge the right amount of Beatles influence with original configuration. But it’s hard to deny these Brits’ source of inspiration.

The composition of this album is theatrical and dramatic. Some tracks don’t even reach the minute mark acting as an interlude into the next scene. The second half of Plumb especially plays out a scene in each track. Climactic strings are the backbone of “From Hide and Seek to Heartbreak,” playing out a tantalizing love story. Ending in with soft piano, the track quickly dissolves into a capella “How Many More Times?” Counteracting the lack of instrumentation, “Ce Soir” is an orchestral production with minimal vocals. These three songs act as one complete scene in the album. The short snip-it tracks jump to and from emotions with sensory details and scenic production.

But then, the last two tracks stand by themselves. Going back to the styling of their previous releases, Field Music seems to just drop the drama and re-formulate into a rock band. It’s odd, actually because “Just Like Everyone Else” and “(I Keep Thinking About) A New Thing” are standardized and although good, don’t blend well. Then again, it makes the rest of the whimsical album seem like an adventurous dream.

Plumb has multiple personalities. At times, it may seem a bit jumbled but the entire collection is a flowing format from top to bottom and listening to it otherwise may not make too much sense. Some tracks are obviously transcending into one other, but others are slightly more subliminal. All together, though, Field Music has found their niche and successfully broke away from clear-cut art rock.

Field Music – Plumb tracklist

1. “Start the Day Right”
2. “It’s Okay to Change”
3. “Sorry Again, Mate”
4. “A New Town”
5. “Choosing Sides”
6. “A Prelude to Pilgrim Street”
7. “Guillotine”
8. “Who’ll Pay the Bills?”
9. “So Long Then”
10. “Is This the Picture?”
11. “From Hide and Seek to Heartache”
12. “How Many More Times?”
13. “Ce Soir”
14. “Just Like Everyone Else”
15. “(I Keep Thinking About) A New Thing

One way of framing fun.’s style in general is to note that the mid-20s persona in you is rolling their eyes, but the fourteen-year-old in yourself is singing along into a hairbrush. fun.’s work is clearly aimed at a teenage audience because of its morals and youthful presence as a band. It’ll resonate with people who are going through a tough time, especially in the perils of adolescence.

This is the difficult juxtaposition of themes surrounding fun.’s character. They reach terrific heights in their greatest moments but remain terribly juvenile in their lyrical work. It’s a difficult balance of maturity that is hard to get past when listening. Take note as you listen. This paradox is ridiculously prevalent.

Some Nights ignites into a film-like sequence with “Some Nights Intro,” telling a story with musical narrative, offering part one to the “Some Nights” interludes. The first is piano-driven while the second has heavy beats. Its intro finishes with applause while the second drives vocals to exciting heights within the first verse, inspiring and even concluding with a sexy guitar solo. Even within the first two songs, fun. entertains greatly.

The album quickly spins into the upbeat and poppy recognizable hit “We Are Young” which features Janelle Monáe. The baffling part about the song is Monáe never gets a solo or a verse. We’re not completely sure where she even fits into the song at all, but we’re not complaining.

There are a number of highlights as the album chugs onward. “Why Am I The One” especially radiates the pick-you-up-when-you’re-down vibes. Hooks like “Go on, go on, go on/like the worst is yet to come” reek of emotion that writhes in its own pain, which is the epitome of adolescence for most people. It may also be the most completely developed song on the album next to the solemn “All Alone.”

It’s not to say that you’re too old to enjoy fun. You can still have fun whilst listening to fun., but you might have to take it in moderation.

“It Gets Better” might sound unbearable to you, but this is pure joy and golden spinning reality for fun.’s fan base. They’re the Simple Plan of 2012. There’s no escaping their reign, so it might as well be embraced. Just know that some songs (i.e. “All Right” and “One Foot”) need to be taken with this grain of salt.

The band cites Kanye West’s My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy as part of their inspiration in putting together Some Nights. It’s prevalent only in their outro verse on final track “Stars” when the music trails off and leaves the layered vocal to close out the album. Otherwise, all work sounds completely original.

fun.’s anchor is their unprecedentedly unique sound. No other band chooses beats, rhythms or vocal riffs the way they do, and they’re lucky to have coined such a patented sound so early on in their careers.

But to be frank, at times vocalist Nate Ruess’s noises are, well, noisy. He often yells in order to get his point across, which is never fully necessary. They even don auto-tuning in parts, including closer track “Stars,” which is always a no-no.

Some Nights clocks in at only forty-five minutes but is jam packed with content and lyrical quality that is unique to the industry and today’s music scene. fun. defines up-and-coming meanwhile stapling indie pop to their vests and/or suspenders. They deserve a chance, even if just one, to be recognized in your music library­–simply because they try so hard to get so far.

fun. – Some Nights tracklist:

1. “Some Nights Intro”
2. “Some Nights”
3. “We Are Young” (feat. Janelle Monáe)
4. “Carry On”
5. “It Gets Better”
6. “Why Am I the One”
7. “All Alone”
8. “All Right”
9. “One Foot”
10. “Stars”
11. “Out on the Town” (Bonus Track)

Formed in 1986, Lambchop has been producing music together for well over two decades, resulting in 11 full length albums. The eleventh and most recent of those albums is called Mr. M, and while the album is not a game changer for the band, it is a very solid, quiet album that many will immediately appreciate and one that clearly took a lot of love and dedication to make.

Mr. M is a very laid-back, lounge music influenced record, so those looking to rock may want to check elsewhere. Those looking for something introspective, melancholic, and a bit pastoral will find that Lambchop’s newest is just what they need.

The music is driven by the vocals, but they remain understated, never fully sung, but kept simple and relaxed. Accompanying the vocals are some light drums, violins and a grand piano, which set the mood but never dominate the scene. The music is never lyrically dense, but it is not obvious or stupid either, just right for a casual listen.

A few songs capture the mood best, like the crooning “If Not I’ll Just Die,” and the semi-titular track “Mr. Met,” which starts with trudging vocals that beat alongside spurts of instrumentation, and slowly builds over its seven minute run time into a satisfying but not overly dramatic climax.

The few songs that really break from this mold are refreshing changes of pace. The slightly more upbeat “The Good Life (Is Wasted)” and instrumental-only “Gar” change things up just a little bit, which is nice. Also cool is the sixth track, “Nice Without Mercy,” which starts with an unexpected and creepy sample that loops quietly in the background for much of the song.

A lot works for the album, but Mr. M has a few downsides, too. The largest of these being that it runs perhaps just a bit too long. Many of the album’s 11 songs stretch past the five minute mark, and while that can occasionally be okay, the album’s very slow, methodical, dreary style might leave listeners weary by the time the last song has run its course.

The album as a whole probably could’ve used some slight trimming. The only other minor complaint that can be levied against the record is that it doesn’t shake things up enough. While the aforementioned “Gar” and “Nice Without Mercy” are noticeably different, in some ways they aren’t different enough.

Most of the songs follow a very similar tempo and mood, and while it makes for a cohesive whole, there are times that you might want the album to be a little more shocking or unexpected.

Still, those few flaws don’t really hold a lot of water when compared to the powerful ambience and emotion that Mr. M captures, and shouldn’t turn listeners away; Mr. M is a good album. It has a style and sort of laid-back sadness that has been done to death in the past, but its emotions are so genuine, so real and approachable that it overcomes all that. Music listeners looking for something slow and sad to put on and relax (or perhaps slowly waltz) to should give Mr. M a try; they’ll be pleasantly surprised.

Lambchop – Mr. M tracklist:

1. “If Not I’ll Just Die”
2. “2B2”
3. “Gone Tomorrow”
4. “Mr. Met”
5. “Gar”
6. “Nice Without Mercy”
7. “Buttons”
8. “The Good Life (Is Wasted)”
9. “Kind Of”
10. “Betty’s Overture”
11. “Never My Love”

On its first album So Long, Soggy Dog, Cleveland, Ohio’s the Sidekicks bore a mark reminiscent of the Lawrence Arms and Against Me!. It was pop-punk with a slight folk lean, and it was just rough enough to draw in fans of Hot Water Music as well. Soggy Dog was a solid – yet slightly derivative – debut, but as time went on the band’s influences, and its sound, diversified.

On 2009’s Weight of Air, the Sidekicks embraced the folk influence that was hinted at on Soggy Dog – as well as on the stunning Sam 7-inch – while simultaneously moving in a power pop direction. Vocalist/guitarist Steve Ciolek dropped the gruff vocals, allowing his off-kilter approach to help define the band’s new sound.

It’s third full-length Awkward Breeds takes the influences seen on Weight of Air and pushes them even further. Where Weight of Air could still be considered a punk record because of songs such as “Almost the Same” and “Like the Tides,” Awkward Breeds puts its best indie-rock foot forward and never looks back.

Awkward Breeds opens with “DMT” and “Grace,” two tracks that pick up logically where the group’s split 7-inch with Tigers Jaw left off. The songs are high-energy, but more subdued than anything on Soggy Dog. Yet it still retains an energetic aura, making it ambitious, forward-thinking power pop.

The Tigers Jaw split saw the Sidekicks cover Elvis Costello’s “(Angels Wanna Wear My) Red Shoes,” and it makes sense as the Sidekicks have quickly become punk rock’s answer to Mr. Costello. There are sweet melodies, infectious hooks, and just enough of a snarl to maintain edginess. Awkward Breeds is as exhilarating as anything else in the Sidekicks canon, only with a lighter, poppier touch.

Ciolek’s added confidence in his voice allows for tracks such as “Grace” to truly pop, and on “1940’s Fighter Jet” his talent is on full display. The song spends most of its time showcasing Ciolek’s distinct vocals with only light guitar accompaniment. When he sings, “Standing in line for bread and wine/ They told you just how to receive it/ Don’t you see it?” it brings the song into a new realm that is completely invigorating.

The Sidekicks have never released an album this defined. While its past work was always enjoyable, Awkward Breeds never missteps. Even on “The Whale and Jonah” – the group’s longest and most ambitious song to date – there is not a piece that doesn’t work. The guitars bounce off one another allowing for smooth vocal melodies to be placed atop, and even though the rhythm section has slowed its tempos, it still shows all the enthusiasm it had previously.

Awkward Breeds is, by far, the Sidekicks best album to date – and it is a strong contender for one of the year’s best. It’s the album that the Sidekicks have been working toward for years, and it could finally bring it the recognition outside of the punk scene it so rightfully deserves.

The Sidekicks – Awkward Breeds tracklist:

1. “DMT”
2. “Grace”
3. “Peacock”
4. “Incandescent Days”
5. “1940’s Fighter Jet”
6. “Diamond Eyes”
7. “The Whale and Jonah”
8. “The 9^th Piece”
9. “Looker”
10. “Baby, Baby”
11. “Daisy”