Fear of Music

...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead, Source Tags & Codes

2009-10-15T19:44:00.001-07:00

...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead, Source Tags & Codes.
8.6

This album really didn't do anything for me until about four-and-a-half minutes in. I was actually annoyed a little bit until Conrad Keely started singing in "It Was There That I Saw You." Something about his vocal melody really tied it together, and it didn't abate into "Another Morning Stoner." In fact, the album as a whole picked up considerably after the weak opening, and as it wore on I grew to appreciate it more and more.

(After doing a bit of research on the album on Wikipedia, I realized that I have the international release, which includes the irritating intro "Invocation," as well as an interlude called "Life is Elsewhere." All this really does is lend credence to my suspicion that Europeans have pretty terrible taste in just about everything).

Source Tags & Codes really is something else though. It's an epic, thoroughly engaging album, one that, while not deserving of Pitchfork's attempts to coronate it as a modern classic, is definitely one of the better albums to worm out of Austin, Texas, in decades.

Albert Hammond, Jr., Yours to Keep.

2009-10-14T20:36:00.001-07:00

Albert Hammond, Jr., Yours to Keep.
5.3

Like most people, Albert Hammond, Jr., has a dad (and like most juniors, his dad's name is roughly the same as his). In 1972, Albert Hammond (Sr.) wrote a song called "It Never Rains in Southern California," which despite being demonstrably untrue, is one of my all-time, top 50, favorite songs. Furthermore, Albert Hammond, Jr., has made a name for himself as the lead guitarist for the Strokes, a band with the curious legacy of having one better-than-average album, one average album, and one below-average album, in quick succession (they embody downwards decline, which is sad).

I was more than a little bit excited to finally listen to this album, and I was wrong to be excited.

There's nothing inherently wrong with the record, per se. It's not necessarily bad; it's just boring. It's an utterly unremarkable set of songs, played with a workmanlike stoicism. "Blue Skies" sounds like a Wilco song with no soul, and the lead riff to "Back to the 101" reminds me of that Hilary Duff song where she wakes up on a Saturday night. It's just a blandly inoffensive little collection, in the absolute worst possible way. The Guided by Voices tune that this shares a name with is better on its own than the totality of this record.

Oh well. At least it never rains in Southern California. There's always that.

Air, Talkie Walkie.

2009-10-14T19:55:00.000-07:00

Air, Talkie Walkie.
8.0

Before I say anything else, I have to say this: Opener "Venus" is one of the most chillingly beautiful songs I've ever heard. There's just something so lavish and languishing about it. It's really, truly gorgeous. If nothing else, go download it.

The album as a whole? It's good. It's a slow-burner, I think. It definitely has the "chill" aspects of Moon Safari, but it's a little more varied and enthusiastic. It's not quite to Pocket Symphony, but it's clearly on its way. The thing is, I honestly can't tell if this is my favorite Air album or not. I suspect that it might be if I spend a little bit more time with it, but as it stands, it's a little underwhelming. I definitely recommend it though; if nothing else, it's a solid, calm album, for those solid, calm days that I'm assuming other people have.

Next week we finally dip our toes into music that isn't made by Air. Who's poppin' that cherry? Albert Hammond, Jr., that's who.

Air, Pocket Symphony.

2009-10-14T04:46:00.000-07:00

Air, Pocket Symphony.
8.2

Well, this is considerably more to my taste. Substantially more active than the somnambulant Moon Safari, there are places on this album where it very nearly grooves. With substantially more varied instrumentation (i.e., sounds other than "swoony synth waves"), Pocket Symphony trounces Moon Safari so hard I almost wanna retcon the latter's rating to something lower, maybe in the 6 range.

The band expanded some for this album too, and it shows. Afrobeat legend (and The Good, The Bad, and The Queen alum) Tony Allen plays drums, which is awesome, and Britpop icon and legendary curmudgeon Jarvis Cocker shows up to shuck and jive all over "One Hell of a Party." The effect improves the band's sound exponentially. They actually sound like they're having fun, which can sometimes be the most helpful, infectious thing an artist can do.

Pocket Symphony is good, y'all. It's really that simple. Listen to it; you'll probably like it.

Next up is Talkie Walkie, which was Air's immediate follow-up to Moon Safari. (Pocket Symphony's from 2007). Huh.

My New Project

2009-10-13T21:42:00.000-07:00

I will never wander the Mediterranean for ten years. I will never have to lash myself to the mast of my own boat, nor can I imagine a set of circumstances in which I will personally offend Poseidon. So, there is this. This is my odyssey.

I am going to listen to every single album on my iPod, once a day, for however long it takes, and do a write-up for it here, for you. This will assuredly take over a year; over a year's worth of daily music reviews for you, and potentially new viewpoints, revelations, and experiences for me (providing I finish, of course). I will write a few paragraphs, assign it a score on the Pitchfork scale (1-10, with decimals), and you can all discuss and pitch in and chat.

It may end up not being daily, ultimately. It may end up not being every album, ultimately. We'll just have to see where it goes.

Ground rules: Only the music on my iPod. I have the Velvet Underground's White Light / White Heat on vinyl, but it's not on my iPod; it doesn't get a write-up. Furthermore, no compilations or EPs, with very few exceptions. It would simply be overwhelming otherwise (more so than it already is). I will go strictly alphabetically; no cheating, even when I'm wading through my relatively thick Beatles and Sonic Youth catalogues (to name only two).

I think those are all the rules. This is gonna be an adventure, gang.

Tomorrow, expect my write-up for Air's Moon Safari. Let's go!