Working on a Top 10 Favorite Florence + the Machine songs list, as well as a Top 15 acts you should catch at Coachella list. Keep a look out for those!
Post-rock group Explosions In the Sky have been around for quite some time-- 1999, to be exact, with their first album being released in 2000. Their sound mirrors that of contemporaries such as Godspeed You! Black Emperor, although EITS contrasts with GY!BE in that the latter has music that relies on samples to create an unsettling atmosphere. EITS is also not quite as heavy, and as of this album, they are more electronic than Godspeed.
I was quite excited for this album, given that I am a fan of beautiful melodies, intricate guitar work, and music that speaks with emotions rather than words. And while this album had most of that, it felt a little disjointed. The electronic elements in this album feel weirdly out of place and poorly-used. Not to say EITS wouldn't ever find success with electronics, but here, they just get in the way rather than actually add anything to it.
Overall: 4.5/10
I was quite excited for this album, given that I am a fan of beautiful melodies, intricate guitar work, and music that speaks with emotions rather than words. And while this album had most of that, it felt a little disjointed. The electronic elements in this album feel weirdly out of place and poorly-used. Not to say EITS wouldn't ever find success with electronics, but here, they just get in the way rather than actually add anything to it.
Overall: 4.5/10
Sheffield, England's The Last Shadow Puppets have returned with their first album in eight years. The band, formed as a supergroup in 2007 by Alex Turner (Arctic Monkeys), Miles Kane (the Rascals), and James Ford (Simian Mobile Disco), with Mini Mansions' Zach Dawes as a session musician. The band had been inactive until it was announced earlier this year that they would be playing the Coachella Music & Arts Festival. Basically, Coachella got not one, but FOUR reunions. How's that for a festival year?
Anyway, TSLP's first album, The Age of the Understatement, os one of my favorite Alex Turner projects along with the Arctic Monkeys' most recent album AM. The album is smooth, sexy, and even a little bluesy, like it could've been a James Bond soundtrack (*hint, hint*). It sounded a bit like a precursor to Dan Auerbach's album Yours, Dreamily with The Arcs.
Flash forward to this album. When listening to Everything You've Come To Expect, I realized that TLSP have found a sound that works for them. They haven't changed it up a whole lot, and with how much I liked their first album, I don't think that's a bad thing. This is a side project for all of these guys, so I'm not going to clamor for some artistic growth. It's still smooth, suave, and you can dance to it out in the desert at Coachella. One track in particular that I really love is the fifth track on the album, "The Element of Surprise", specifically for the danceability of the song. It even sounds a bit like The Arcs' "Outta My Mind".
Overall: 7/10
Favorite songs: Dracula Teeth; The Element Of Surprise; Bad Habits; Used To Be My Girl
Anyway, TSLP's first album, The Age of the Understatement, os one of my favorite Alex Turner projects along with the Arctic Monkeys' most recent album AM. The album is smooth, sexy, and even a little bluesy, like it could've been a James Bond soundtrack (*hint, hint*). It sounded a bit like a precursor to Dan Auerbach's album Yours, Dreamily with The Arcs.
Flash forward to this album. When listening to Everything You've Come To Expect, I realized that TLSP have found a sound that works for them. They haven't changed it up a whole lot, and with how much I liked their first album, I don't think that's a bad thing. This is a side project for all of these guys, so I'm not going to clamor for some artistic growth. It's still smooth, suave, and you can dance to it out in the desert at Coachella. One track in particular that I really love is the fifth track on the album, "The Element of Surprise", specifically for the danceability of the song. It even sounds a bit like The Arcs' "Outta My Mind".
Overall: 7/10
Favorite songs: Dracula Teeth; The Element Of Surprise; Bad Habits; Used To Be My Girl
Now we're talking!
With my love of dance music, I was excited for a new Pet Shop Boys album pretty much from the get-go. Lo and behold, I was not disappointed.
This album is full of pumping synths and bass that we've come to love and expect from the Pet Shop Boys. There are some songs where the synths are a little more subtle, which is good, because subtlety, even in dance music, is good. They go into deep house on "The Pop Kids" and full-on synthpop on "Groovy", and while the latter does tend to wax nostalgic a little bit, it's still fun and... dare I say... grooooovy. This album did for me what the PSB's contemporaries New Order didn't do: It made me wanna dance.
I could go on about how much I loved this album. If you're into synthpop or dance music, stream/buy it right now.
Overall: 8/10
Favorite songs: The Pop Kids; Groovy; Undertow; Burn
With my love of dance music, I was excited for a new Pet Shop Boys album pretty much from the get-go. Lo and behold, I was not disappointed.
This album is full of pumping synths and bass that we've come to love and expect from the Pet Shop Boys. There are some songs where the synths are a little more subtle, which is good, because subtlety, even in dance music, is good. They go into deep house on "The Pop Kids" and full-on synthpop on "Groovy", and while the latter does tend to wax nostalgic a little bit, it's still fun and... dare I say... grooooovy. This album did for me what the PSB's contemporaries New Order didn't do: It made me wanna dance.
I could go on about how much I loved this album. If you're into synthpop or dance music, stream/buy it right now.
Overall: 8/10
Favorite songs: The Pop Kids; Groovy; Undertow; Burn
Weezer is actually the first (and so far only) artist that I've reviewed twice now. My second-ever album review was their 2014 album Everything Will Be Alright In the End, which I thought was sort of okay. I usually only listen to Weezer for fun and never to critically scrutinize their albums.
That being said, there are some truly great songs among their catalog, be it "My Name Is Jonas", "Island In the Sun", or "Buddy Holly". Hardcore fans will sometimes go on about how Weezers output towards the end of the 2000s wasn't that good, in particular citing Ratitude and Hurley. Flash forward four years and we get Everything Will Be Alright In the End, which, as I said, was pretty okay.
In 2016, we get this new album, and it's some of Weezer's best music in years. The track opens with the fun "California Kids", leading into the even more fun and sunny "Wind In Our Sails". The album then leads into "Thank God For Girls", which was the lead single from the album, and whose artwork featured a picture of Pope Francis.
One of my favorites is the song "Do You Wanna Get High?", which is this album's "Island In the Sun", and even has the same general themes.
For being so late (22 years!) into the band's career, The White Album is an absolutely magnificent return to form for the band. Power chords, silly and fun lyrics, and a devil may care attitude are all here.
Overall: 8/10
Favorite tracks: Wind In Our Sail; (Girl We Got A) Good Thing; Do You Wanna Get High?; King Of the World
That being said, there are some truly great songs among their catalog, be it "My Name Is Jonas", "Island In the Sun", or "Buddy Holly". Hardcore fans will sometimes go on about how Weezers output towards the end of the 2000s wasn't that good, in particular citing Ratitude and Hurley. Flash forward four years and we get Everything Will Be Alright In the End, which, as I said, was pretty okay.
In 2016, we get this new album, and it's some of Weezer's best music in years. The track opens with the fun "California Kids", leading into the even more fun and sunny "Wind In Our Sails". The album then leads into "Thank God For Girls", which was the lead single from the album, and whose artwork featured a picture of Pope Francis.
One of my favorites is the song "Do You Wanna Get High?", which is this album's "Island In the Sun", and even has the same general themes.
For being so late (22 years!) into the band's career, The White Album is an absolutely magnificent return to form for the band. Power chords, silly and fun lyrics, and a devil may care attitude are all here.
Overall: 8/10
Favorite tracks: Wind In Our Sail; (Girl We Got A) Good Thing; Do You Wanna Get High?; King Of the World