Filed under: reviews | Tags: 42, chris martin, coldplay, death and all his friends, lovers in japan, reign of love, viva la vida
I’m one of… probably none, who didn’t like the album X&Y. It was good… definitely above average when stacked against other mainstream artists… but against the other Coldplay albums? I did not like X&Y. It was far too layered and deep for its own good. Tons of instruments didn’t sound like tons of instruments- it all felt like one pad. While the cd definitely was amazing in its own right… I just about never listen to it anymore. And I haven’t for awhile. However, my love of Coldplay has been rightly rekindled with their latest release, “Viva La Vida”. Coldplay is one of the best mainstream bands out there- and with good reason.
The cd opens up with Life In Technicolour. It’s probably one of the biggest disappointments in music history because it seriously sounds like it could be the greatest song on the planet… yet it doesn’t push 3 minutes and its potential is never fully met and its pretty much just a short instrumental. It makes me wanna cry, really. Then we’re lead into Cemetaries of London. While musically it’s not very impressive, lyrically we see Chris Martin at the top of his game. On Lost! we’re now given the great music. When track 4, “42″ comes in, we see the latest Coldplay music come full circle: amazing lyrics meet amazing music. From there its a wonderful ride you pretty much never want to end. My only beef with this latest album is how short it is. Uhm… at 45 minutes I still find it short. I want certain instrumental parts to last forever and various vocal melodies to go so much longer. I suppose it’s cool to see that I’m always craving more… but it also pisses me off!
Another thing I can’t stand about Viva La Vida is how a bunch of the songs have some of the most wonderful beats I’ve ever heard in my whole life… but they never really go anywhere. The same beat goes on for four minutes and you’re just wishing something new might happen. Well, no, no you don’t. You’re completely content with the fact it doesn’t go anywhere… it’s still incredibly beautiful and awe-inspiring… but a part of you knows that this album will never reach perfection because of it. Viva La Vida is an incredible album… but so far from perfect… and sadly, I have to criticize it so harshly because it really could have been the greatest album ever made… Shit I’m tired. This is going nowhere either!
Basically, Viva La Vida could have been the greatest album ever made. But repetition and a lack of expansion keep it from reaching its highest potential. Nevertheless, it’s an album you need to own… featuring tunes you need to experience. I have not a clue what Chris is saying on “Reign of Love” but it’s still one of the most soothing songs I’ve ever heard. And tunes like, Yes, Lovers In Japan, and Death & All His Friends are jaw-dropping.
8/10.
Filed under: reviews | Tags: alexisonfire, black lungs, dallas green, foo fighters, music reviews, rollingstone
I’ve come to realize that writing reviews for music is pointless… because the reviews will always be rushed. Here I am, months later after the release of Echoes, Silence, Patience, and Grace by the Foo Fighters and am now prepared to say this easily is one of my favorite Foo albums to listen to. Back when I first got it though, I never would have said that. And when I tried to write about Dallas Green’s album, I waited almost two weeks before I could comprehend what I really wanted to say, to do the music justice. So it just seems that like, when people rate music for websites or magazines, their words just can’t be trusted because they’re probably listening to the cd only a few times and writing all their thoughts and feelings down within a span of a week or something. That’s totally not fair to music. Foo Fighters got like, two and a half stars in Rollingstone for their latest album… and gosh. That is absolutely a crying shame. However, the month afterwards, under the list of cds “You Must Buy Now”, the Foos were on there. It’s practically evidenced right there that although it rated kinda low, people in the office were saying, “Hey, this is totally worth owning.”
Another thing about rating music too is the fact that like… everyone has different tastes. No one’s music tastes can be predicted either. Just because I like the Honorary Title doesn’t mean I’m gonna like another band who sounds just like them. Or just because I like Alexisonfire doesn’t mean I’m gonna like Black Lungs. Id give the new Foo album a nice 4/5, but rollingstone gave it 2 1/2. So someone who reads Rollingstone might not pick up the cd… but someone who read a review of mine might… yet that person who bought the cd because of me might be disappointed.
I dunno, yet again. The words I want to say just aren’t coming out nearly as well as I want them to/need them to.
Reviewing music is a hard thing.
Filed under: reviews | Tags: bring me your love, cd reviews, city & colour, dallas green, the girl
Let’s do this.
City & Colour review.
Right now.
It would appear Dallas Green has created a perfect album. It’s devoid of any bad tracks and never once does the subject material of his songs grow tiresome. They’re all so varied and often times thought-provoking/deep. It’s an honest album, too, that’s for certain. Some of the things said make you realize that Dallas is well aware of who he is and the world he’s living in. Maybe things aren’t always perfect… but clarity amidst turmoil is better than being blind. This theme alone for the album is a great lesson to be learned.
The main thing I picked out from listening to Bring Me Your Love is that it’s a more full experience. The first City & Colour album felt cold and desolate. It was just one, two, maybe three acoustic guitars with some nice reverb on them for each song going and Dallas singing. It’s was a bare bones album, but still beautiful nonetheless. That same beauty is captured yet again… only it’s amplified to a mind-bending degree. The vocal harmonies are better/more frequent, the number of instruments on each track is increased, and the song-writing just feels so much more developed. I see this album as Dallas really breaking out and creating a real solid solo project. The first time around was an experiment/for fun… this is more serious and experiments yet again with a fuller sound… and I think on his third album (assuming he makes one) Dallas might just change the shape of the earth with his confidence in this new, big sound.
That’s really all there is to say. If you know Dallas, you know that he’s got one of the most amazing voices ever. Take that voice and set it to incredible music and you’ve got City & Colour’s album Bring Me Your Love. Every track is exceptional in its own right. Even the slower, minimal songs still pack a certain punch. There are a lot of subtle surprises lying throughout the album that will excite you and by the time the cd ends, you’re left thinking, “Wow, I need to listen to that again.”
This is a crappy review,
but Bring Me Your Love deserves a 10/10.
This is a wonderful album that never once disappoints and has so much heart, talent, and soul attached to it. This is so much more than music. This is Dallas having a conversation with you. His thoughts and feelings are on this cd and the music just gets his points across that much more intensely.
If you download one song, get The Girl. Every time I hear it I wanna cry from pure joy because it’s so beautiful and gets so far under my skin.
Filed under: reviews | Tags: bring me your love, city & colour, dallas green
Every now and again an album will come across that just sweeps you off your feet. It gets into your soul and refuses to rest anywhere else. Sure, you may buy a cd and think it’s really great and some songs may totally blow you away, even move you. But there’s a difference from those amazing cds… and the ones that really inspire. Dallas Green’s latest effort is the latter. Under the name City & Colour, Dallas released his latest album, “Bring Me Your Love” on Vagrant records last Tuesday and I have yet to stop listening. It’s a work of beauty that I recommend to anyone who desires a bit of rejuvenation in their life.
Okay. I gotta admit. It’s really hard to write about this cd. It’s still too early for me to do a write-up. I’m still too esctatic over it. All my thoughts just collide into one another and I can’t really convey what I want to say. So… yeah. As of right now, if you’re even considering purchasing Bring Me Your Love- DO IT. A review will be up as soon as I can comprehend the fact the Dallas created such an incredible album. Which… could be a while.
Filed under: reviews | Tags: angel, enemy, jack johnson, sleep through the static, what you thought you need
The laidback, summer vibes of Jack Johnson came at a perfect time… right in the dead of winter! (Please note the sarcasm) When I picked up this album last week upon its release, I was eager as ever, dying to hear some music I was definitely craving. In Between Dreams was a beautiful escape I’d never witnessed before on a music cd and I was hoping Sleep Through the Static might find a way to trump the masterpiece, especially since Zach Gill’s presence has now been officialized (he’s the amazing singer/pianist that was featured on In Between Dreams and played big parts at his concerts ever since).
When I first popped in the cd, I was skeptical. Things started off really slow… almost in a bad way. But then halfway through the song you realized that it was actually a near-perfect tune that brought you in so wonderfully. So once I accepted Jack’s slowed down nature, I unwinded in my bed and made my ears attentive. What would ensue would no doubt be a pleasurable experience, but one that falls short of greatness.
The first song, All At Once reels you in, and Sleep Through the Static follows which continues things in one nice, fluid segway. The immediate thing about JJ is that he never compromises his style for no one. When you want mellowed out tunes to relax to, Jack will always be available. But I suppose that’s where his downfall is… While listening to this album, I always wanted to go and lie out in my hammock. Sadly, it’s a frozen paradise outside and I can’t do any such thing. So the full amazinginess of this album may never be realized until it can be warm out and the aesthetics of nature can enhance the listening experienced.
That’s not to say Sleep Through the Static isn’t awesome though.
While maybe Sleep Through the Static came out at the wrong time of year (at least for those of us who have to deal with, uhm, cold weather), it still has a lot to offer and is totally worth the $10 it might cost you.
There are two songs that kinda go together, Angel and Enemy that knocked me off my feet. Angel contains some of the most romantic lyrics I’ve ever heard in a song and Enemy is a very, very cool stand-out song. Then another song, What You Thought You Need was another tune I heard and had to listen to again because I thought, “Wait, did I really just hear something that awesome?”
After listening to the album in full, there were a couple of tracks that bored me… and I was kind of upset at this. But when I thought about it, Jack has never made a flawless album in my opinion. There are always a handful of tunes I don’t like- In Between Dreams was the first and only cd of his where the whole package interested me. And on this album, there’s only like, 2 or 3 songs that I could have done without. So after analyzing it, Sleep Through the Static is my second favorite Jack album, but is totally necessary for any Jack Johnson fan. There are some songs on here too good to pass up.
The verdict? 8/10.
It’s not perfect. But it’s still better than anything you’re listening to right now (except Dallas Green’s new album: expect a review very soon). and let’s face it, we all need more laidback grooves in our life.
