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Broken Social Scene - Forgiveness Rock Record
For the duration of my whole life my father has been my minister. Which aside from a few good Dusty Springfield jokes, the situation has yielded some strange results in my life. When I was three, our family transfered to Guelph, Ontario, 100 km west of Toronto. I cheered for the Blue Jays during their two title runs (which, as a true fan of Ohio sports, will probably be the only championships I'll see for a while). I lost my tonsils there. I even learned the metric system, which messed me up pretty bad when we moved back to the States.
So, if pressed, I would say my true formative years were spent while I had dual citizenship in two countries. At the risk of sounding narcissistic, I even received my Social Security number in Toronto. Which is to say that I received my identity in and from Canada.
And when God transferred us back to Ohio, I still stubbornly clung to a sense of Canadian pride, although I no longer held citizenship. My teenage years I spent cheering for the Toronto Raptors and the '95-96 Rookie of the Year, Damon Stoudemire. So, in 2003, when I read a Rolling Stone article about a Toronto band who had a song called 'Late Nineties Bedroom Rock for the Missionaries', I had to have the album. It took a little searching but I finally located a copy and fell in love at first listen. I had You Forgot It In People playing when I moved into my first apartment. I rode a bike over six miles in the summer heat just to hear Broken Social Scene and the supplemental EP, To Be You & Me.
So when I was finally able to snag a copy of Forgiveness Rock Record, I couldn't help but feel a little disappointed. It's a record full of turmoil, and what happens when you try to move past it. Transitions and compromises can be full of bumps along the way. It's only natural. And FRR finds BSS trimmed down from a rollicking collective to a more subdued three or four guitarist jam band. It's not a suit the band wears consistently well.
The record kicks off with 'World Sick', and it's only real offense is the nearly 2+ minutes of noodling that serves as the outro. 'Chase Scene' wouldn't sound out of place in and 80's thriller, and it also doubles as one of two song titles that references movies in one way or another. The other song, 'Art House Director' ranks among the worst BSS songs ever. Andrew Whiteman follows his Eats Darkness streak and delivers another clunker that wouldn't sound out of place in the early No Doubt oeuvre. It comes off as unapologetically trite and carefree and sounds too much like ska for it's own good. Whiteman would do better to stay away the tropical music he has been producing lately (see Apostle of Hustle's embarrassing blue-eyed reggae dud, 'Perfect Fit').
But Andrew is not the only offender here. 'Meet Me In The Basement' locks into a fairly simple and repetitive riff that just stands around, merely gaining traction. It's three and a half minutes of going nowhere in particular. Brendan Canning also turns in nothing but harebrained jams. 'Water in Hell' is only a salvageable repeat listen because of the spectacular breakdown, reminiscent of the solo in 'Major Label Debut (Fast)'. 'Highway Slipper Jam' is a lazy, although inoffensive, country farce. Unfortunately Brendan fails to bring much to the table this time, which some might credit to his move from bass to guitar (Sam Goldberg has been subbed in his place). Thank God for Kevin Drew then.
Drew turns in the some of the best songs on the album, 'Sweetest Kill', 'Ungrateful Little Father' & 'Forced to Love', the latter which seems to somewhat be a commentary on the state of the band post Broken Social Scene. Emily Haines & Amy Millan lends their pipes to yet another vocal powerhouse from the fringes, 'Sentimental X's'. And while Lisa Lobsinger's turn in 'All to All' fairs well, I can't help but wonder how the song would have taken off under Feist's unearthly coos. Most of the album is conspicuously (and unfortunately) vacant of poor Leslie.
But that's the story of BSS. Outsized ambitions, a nearly incestuous musical scene, and a trying third album led to band infighting, grudges and the dissolution of relationships (both friendly and romantic). Hence Forgivness Rock Record. After spending time crafting two meticulously layered and epic albums, the band opted for a less is more, drastically restrained & focused record this time around. You can't blame them for wanting to simplify, but Forgiveness Rock Record turns out to be a case of less just simply being less.
Despite all that, I still ordered the EP.
Review: Annabel - Each and Everyone
No offense to Count your Lucky Stars Records, but could someone please explain to me why Kent, Ohio natives Annabel are not rockin' it out on a much larger indie label. The band has released their first official full length record Each and Everyone and I must say this stuff is good. And by good I mean really good.
Dear Record Industry, stop signing on these bands that sound the same on the simple fact that you know their albums will sell to all the wristcutting hopeless youth out there that will jump for joy and make you lots of money. Instead take a risk with a poppy, effective, musically tight, not to mention charming trio like Annabel. Dissapointment will be the least of your worries and you may gain the respect of people that actually enjoy to listen to some great music.
Over the last two decades Kent, Ohio has had alot of exceptional artists to call it home. Harriet the Spy. Party of Helicopters. Six Part Seven. I can sincerely now add Annabel to that list. Each and Everyone has a multitude of killer tunes from the title track "Sleeping Lions" to the catchy 'As It Happened' to my personal fav "Parade Rest" which will have you chanting the chorus long after the record has left your player. Music wise, the tightest track on the album comes in the form of "Window Party" a tune which leaves you wanting more after a beautifully crafted second half.
Quite honestly, there really isn't a bad apple in the entire bunch. Its a shame really that most of the great labels that helped bands like this reach a wider audience back in the day just don't release the same talent as they used to anymore and its a damn shame.
Review: City of Ships - Live Free or Don't Tour
I was unfamiliar with City of Ships until my boy Chuck Daley of Beartrap PR hooked me up with their latest release, Live Free or Don't Tour, a compilation which combines both their Live Free or Don't EP and their latest Tour EP on one lovely vinyl. The band's obviously influence can be determined from the very start of the record - Planes Mistaken For Stars. Normally I would be crying foul for anyone who even remotely attempts to unseat Gared and the rest of those abrasive motherfuckers from Denver, but that is not at all what City of Ships is trying to unsettle. These guys keep far enough away from blanantly ripping them off and instead rely on expanding on their unique sound.
A year in-between these two recordings really show immense about of growth and maturity music wise. A more layered and complex sound can be heard comparing early tracks such as 'Evidence-Based Medicine' and 'Hold Tight' of Side B (taken from the 2007 release Live Free or Don't) with later recordings found on Side A (songs from the Tour EP released in 2008) like 'Critical Vulture' wihich delves more into a experimental hardcore sound remenscent of the days of Killsadie. No matter which way you look at it, these guys are a band that is truly one to be reckoned with.
City of Ships' Live Free of Don't Tour is currently available on a beautiful yellow and black splashed vinyl from the fine folks at Forcefield Records. I recommend you seek this beast out now.
Review: Say Hi's Oohs & Aahs
Similar to the previous record, The Wishes And The Glitch, but a bit mightier in scope, the latest album from Say Hi, Oohs & Aahs, has all the workings of a great listener. And indeed it is. This beast, I can say will most definitely make it to my top albums of 2009. For starters, the bastard is catchy as hell. You often times find yourself bobbing your head from side to side singing the chorus as you perfectly vibe with the music.
The record starts great with a stellar lead-in 'Eloise' before kicking in to track number two, 'Hallie And Henry', which happens to be one of my personal favorites from the record. Songs like 'Oh Oh Oh Oh Oh Oh Oh Oh' and 'Dramatic Irony' successfully incorporate the use of horns and are uncannily infectious without ever being annoying creating a casual ease of this album to your senses. Another insanely admirable track comes just four tracks in with 'November Was White, December Was Grey' a tune that is just quite simply heartwarming in its lyrical presence. Even things that are typically found distracting on a record such as hand clapping fits perfectly as a elegant substitute for a musical instrument on the track 'One, Two ... One'. Really there is nothing to dislike here as the album comes to a close with the incredible strong 'Sallie's Heart Is Stone'.
I don't know what it is about the album others than it just grabs you and forces you to enjoy it. Its just a catchy, mellow, lovefest of music. Honestly, I can't recommend the album enough. Say Hi's Oohs & Aahs is available now directly from Barsuk Records or at your local retailer.
Lotus Plaza - The Floodlight Collective
The Verdict - 9.2 out of 10
Deerhunter's guitarist, Lockett Pundt, has delivered an awesomely woozy, dreamy, ambient solo album, The Floodlight Collective, reminiscent of Bradford Cox's Atlas Sound. Both show what they brought to the table for the majestic Microcastle (one of my favorites from last year). So I can admit that there is a bit of an upward curve, but truly, this album is beautiful to behold.
Just as wrapped up in etherality and atmospherics as the phenomal release from Bradford Cox, Let The Blind Leads Those Who Cannot See, The Floodlight Collective may sound purposely thin at first but after multiple listens it delights with hidden sonic hiccups at just every single right moment.
If you have ears, you will surely enjoy it.
