Perfect Pop Song (Part 22)

I've been listening to a lot of 80's synth pop lately so naturally THE PET SHOP BOYS have been in rotation. Am I feeling nostalgic for my youth? Probably, but "One More Chance" is still one of the finest slices of pop music you will ever here:

ExLovers make melancholy joyful

EXLOVERS are like a warm blanket. The London quintet make music that celebrates the joy of twee pop reminiscent of some of the sunnier elements of LUSH in their heyday. The band has just released it's debut album, "Moth", which is awash in shimmering guitars and wispy vocals that are perfect for lazy summer afternoons in the park.

The opening jangle of "Starlight, Starlight" sets the tone as it bounces along with it's skippy drumbeat, all the while pining for lost memories and lyrics about regrets. "This Love Will Lead You On" is a pop confection re-pleat with a big chorus and bigger guitar chords. "Emily" slows the pace down a bit without sacrificing the overall feel of the sound they have cultivated. Elsewhere, the single "Blowing Kisses" capitalizes on the dueling female harmonies to bring the right dose of melancholy to the song. When the band pulls back on the reins their sound is similar to THE SUNDAYS or MAZZY STAR as is the case with "Unlovable". or the boy girl duet "I Wish We'd Never Met". As is the case with most albums these days, the band closes the set with the almost 9 minute opus "The Ruins" which opens with a gentle guitar line and soft female cooing, which fades out before the hidden track, 'Moth-Eaten Memories" closes the set with more shimmering goodness.

I'm not sure where the band goes sound wise from here. The best comparison might be the early work of THE PAINS OF BEING PURE AT HEART, who also travel in this sort of sound, but EXLOVERS have created a collection of wonderful tunes worth spending a day or two with driving around with your hands out the window. If you're summer will be spent pining for lost love or silently aching for the girl or boy next door to notice you, then you have your soundtrack. 

Martin and Vince's Vanity Project

Here's what happens when you become famous. After a while you get bored with the avenue that made you rich and famous and you start looking for new ways to express yourself. Actors will write children's books, authors will attempt to act in movies, musicians start fashion lines. It's inevitable. The problem is that sometimes this can be a good thing, sometimes not so much. There's a reason they weren't famous for this new endeavor, usually because they are not cut out for that work.The ancillary to this condition is the vanity project. An actor may write or direct. An author of adult fiction may try young adult or a comic book. A musician will seek out a new genre of music to dabble in. This is where we meet Martin Gore and Vince Clarke. 

Gore and Clarke are two of the founding members of DEPECHE MODE. Clarke also went on to form YAZ and ERASURE. So clearly both men are credentialed as pop music gods. Both have their roots in the dance/club/rave culture and have chops in creating anthems that move the body. So when I heard they were teaming up to record together, the hair on the back of my neck stood up. I mean these guys are legends, what could they produce that wouldn't be good.

Turns out, pop music wasn't what they were after. Recording under the moniker VCMG the duo have released "SSSS", a collection of techno musings designed to entreat the listener to a club experience through your headphones. They duo reportedly concocted this collection through email exchanges working in separate studios. The offshoot of this working relationship, is music that feels tacked together. With minimal interplay between the two, beats are left to linger on (maybe be design). Each track houses the same basic structure; a 4-4 drum beat with effects washed over the top. Keyboard washes and blips and blops abound. Songs mesh together at a relentless place as the duo by homage to the scene they cut their teeth in. "Spock", the erstwhile single, uses the same keyboard sound as "Just Can't Get Enough" but warps it into a much darker, foreboding tone. only the lead track, "Lonely", spends any time building to the rhythm, the rest of the songs pound away, slaves to the beat. 

This is a vanity project because it in no way resembles their other jobs. Gone are the vocals about love, faith and despair. Replaced by the cold electronic dots and dashes that are designed to be enveloped on the dance floor. I am certain this record was created as a result of two famous guys wanting to shed the shackles of pop music for a fresh challenge. Which is fine, and taken for what it is the record is not half bad. Just don't quite your day jobs.

(mp3) vcmg -- Lowly

Perfect Pop Song (Part 21)

NEW ORDER have a huge catalogue of pop perfection, but "Temptation"  is an underrated gem of a song, From Bernard Sumner's high pitched ooh's to the seemingly innocuous lyrics, it's all a little slice of pop heaven.

I am Not Lefthanded are brilliant...and have a new album

I love watching bands grow. There is something delightful about seeing an artist slowly shape and refine their voice over time, especially when that voice turns out to be something extraordinary. I AM NOT LEFTHANDED are growing up in a really fascinating way. We here at Your Moment of Zen have been obsessed with their work for sometime and now they are poised to take the next leap with their new album "The Fire and the Sigh"

The new songs reach beyond the bedroom quiet of earlier work and expand their sound to a more expansive space. Lead singer Katheryn Williams uses her voice to evoke emotion both good and bad without overtaking the sounds of the band. The opening track, "Brace Brace", sounds as if it taking flight behind the propulsive beat and bass line, which mirrors the fear the author has about jumping into new things. "Return" is closer in sound to their last EP and uses a piano line to drive it's melancholy tale. "Spark" has a creepy bass line and a steady drum fill as the only accompaniment to Williams vocal. By the time the piano comes in you are already deep into the singer's despair, but it's a musically enjoyable moment.  "No Time" plays like a elegy to something lost using a hushed vocal to recall love gone awry. When the band really soars is when it picks up the pace on the propulsive "Late Night Drive" and the closing "Falls to Me" (more on this song in a minute). The band even tackles Therapy's "Screamager" by going 180 degrees in the other direction, turning the punk original into a softer, but more painful folk song.

"Falls to Me" is where I see the grand potential in this band. They probably could have remade "Alone" for another ten songs, but "Falls to Me" shows the band reaching for sheer pop perfection. That is not a bad thing. The sheer joy of a song like this one is the ability to see the band in their rehearsal space as the song was born. The guitar line and bass careening together in a steady groove, followed by the epiphany of the lyrics about seizing the moment and making it your own. I could be totally wrong and for all I know it was a song born out of great frustration, but somehow I doubt it. You do yourself a disservice if you don't immediately champion this band and get on board as they climb to greater heights. I for one will enjoy every step of the journey.

GO BUY THEIR RECORD HERE!!!

Silversun Pickups shoot for the atmosphere

I admit I was a bit late to the part when it comes to SILVERSUN PICKUPS. I had dabbled in their music but I didn't really listen to their last record till it had been out for over a year. Something about their sound just never really grabbed me the way it did for other people. Maybe I was turned off by the comparisons to SMASHING PUMPKINS (which frankly I don't really see).

When I did finally take in "Swoon" I immediately kicked myself for waiting so long. This is a band that makes big, sweeping songs that have hooks to spare. I wore out the record and started building anticipation for the next release. "Neck of the Woods" does not disappoint in it's ability to both replicate and expand on their signature sound.

Lead singer Brian Aubert does not have the greatest of voices. His delivery range is limited and very nasal when he hits the higher register. This is not unlike Billy Corgan who can't really sing either. But his skill as a lyricist and developer of mood overcomes his limited range. On this record, Aubert has accepted his vocal frailty and turned it into another piece of the atmospheric puzzle. on the opening "Skin Graph", Aubert's vocals blend into the swirling guitar and bass lines to create a wall of ominous sound. "Make Believe" takes advantage a nice guitar pick line to set up the darker tone of the record as a whole. It also allows Nikki Monniger's bass to breathe a little more than before and showcases her deft backing vocal ability. The record really soars with the lead single, "Bloody Mary (Never Endings) which combines the keyboard washes made popular by THE CURE with a harder rock influence a la TOOL. What sounds like an odd paring actually works to great effect. "The Pit" dabbles in retro 80's synth sounds, as if DEPECHE MODE or NEW ORDER all of sudden showed up to jam. "Gun Shy Sunshine" revisits more familiar terrain for the band but with a new emphasis on building atmosphere around their sound to heighten the despair.

Silversun Pickups announced their arrival with "Swoon". With "Neck of the Woods" they stake their claim to the alternative rock big time.

(mp3) Silversun Pickups -- Gun Shy Sunshine

Jack White and the search for the perfect sound

Jack White is an elusive creature. In his time with THE WHITE STRIPES his single handedly revived rock music by combing through it's history and repackaging it for the youth masses. He has written modern anthems that are now played at football games. Then he went into savant producer mode and dabbled with side project after side project. All his fans wanted was the great solo record he was always meant to make. Like PRINCE before him, White has excelled at frustrating his fans with glimpses into his limitless creativity. Unlike that other auteur, White has decided to be coy rather than flood the market with every musical thought he has ever had.

So here comes "Blunderbuss", White's proper solo debut. From the opening organ lines of "Missing Pieces", it is clear that ole' Jack means business. His distinctive howl is in fine form on this and the second track "Sixteen Saltines". These are also the closest to traditional White Stripes songs you get on the record. White is not about to recycle his older ideas. This is a record with feet in both the blues and country. There are also hints at Elvis style rockabilly, gospel and folk for good measure. The clashing drum cadence of "Freedom at 21" meshes well with the tale of a rebellious young lady striking out on her own. "Love Interruption" is the highlight of the set, with is plaintive back and forth duet as White at ex-wife Karen Elston recall what they would do for love and what they wanted love to do for them, but ultimately couldn't.

If I have a fault with the record it's that it jumps around stylistically so much that it at times feels disjointed. It's as if White has had all these sounds collected just waiting around to be released from their purgatory. His skill as a multi-instrumentalist is also something of a undoing to a collective theme of sound. The back half of the album evokes the images of a piano playing saloon singer content to play whatever people shout out at request. Say what you want about the album, it's not boring. Each listen gives you new insight into White and his genius.

(mp3) Jack White -- Sixteen Saltines

Yppah delivers the goods

Pandora Radio is a truly remarkable thing. A customizable radio station where you simply plug in a genre or artist and you get a selection of material tailored to your likes at that moment. This approach has led me to find several cool sounds I wouldn't have normally discovered. Such is the case with YPPAH. Falling into the electronic genre doesn't quite do this artist justice but if one must classify it, then electronic it is.

Now comes Yppah's latest record, "81". The overall sound is part MOBY at his height, part early m83, and part shoegazer all wrapped up into one. The opening track, "Blue Schwinn", glides along a drum beat with angelic female vocals recalling THE COCTEAU TWINS. From there singer Antonia Belle lends her voice to the pop techno of "D. Song", which finally morphs into a club banger. The middle section of the record recalls DJ SHADOW'S masterpiece "Endtroducing..." with it's combination of hip hop beats and synthesizer washes. "Never Mess With Sunday" is the standout track on the record, with a plucky acoustic guitar leading into a drum beat frenzy. The groove on this song alone will stick with you for weeks. "Happy To See You" echoes vintage SLOWDIVE in it's ethereal bliss. "Three Portraits" is what I imagine CHAPTERHOUSE would sound like if updated for the 21st century.

This is the hidden beauty of the album. It moves in so many directions. What could have easily been another one note, electronic repetition for over an hour discovers new and fascinating ways to explore sonic landscapes. Each time I listen I find a new sound or combination of instruments that shake me in new ways. This will easily be one of my albums of the year.

(mp3) Yppah -- Never Mess With Sunday

A Gorgeous Cover of a Springsteen Song

Kind of a follow up on the my review of the new BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN, here is a live performance by Scott Huthcinson of FRIGHTENED RABBIT and Neil Pennycook of MERSAULT covering "I'm Goin' Down" in breathtaking fashion.

Track by Track: Bruce Springsteen's "Wrecking Ball"

Bruce Springsteen is back with a new record made significant since it is the first since the death of long time Sax man Clarence Clemmons. It is said this is one of the most overtly political records Springsteen has made in a while. Having said that, here are my thoughts, track by track.

1. We Take Care Of Our Own:  A good start to the record with a traditional Springsteen rocker. All the elements are here; big guitars, piano flourishes, and Bruce at his most earnest. Vocally, there is a definite sense of restraint; a younger Bruce would have screamed the chorus instead here he merely sings it. It could be construed as a bit jingoistic lyrically, but it sets the tone.

2. Easy Money: A country/blues shuffle with a gospel choir paints the picture of what I think is a couple out to commit a crime. Whether it is out of need or the thrill is unclear, the song itself is meant to be an uplifting revival stomper.

3. Shackled and Drawn: Continuing the gospel flavor of the record, this mid tempo track features Bruce in his evangelical preacher guise. It appears the big theme of the record so far is being oppressed and beat down. It's a weird juxtaposition to have such spiritual sounding music with such dark lyrics.

4. Jack Of All Trades: An aching ballad drives the tempo of the record even further. This is the story of a man willing to do anything to get a job and pay the bills (clean storm drains, mow the lawn.) The man if confident his work ethic will see him through, but the coming storm indicates that might not be the case. It marks the first song that would have been a showcase for Clemons, with the traditional sax solo replaced another player.

5. Death To My Hometown: An Irish jig masquerading as a rock song in the vein of THE POGUES, this song is the angry Springsteen in his full force. A song that live will be powerful in it's stripped down basics.

6. This Depression: A plaintive drum beat drives this song as we start to move out of the anger of economic loss and turn to those we love for support. Bruce argues here that the only way we can get through this is with the love and care of others. By the time the guitar solo kicks in, you almost believe him.

7. Wrecking Ball: Springsteen has often cited WOODY GUTHRIE as an influence and here it shows. A folk number that if enhanced with a horns that serves as the core of the record. The protagonist is daring the powers that be to take him down knowing he has the strength to overcome anything. The second half of the song is a triumph of sound.

8. You've Got It: A simple acoustic song (rumor was this record was originally just going to be Springsteen himself playing the songs), explodes into a full bore rock song by the end. One imagines Little Stevie going nuts on this one on stage.

9. Rocky Ground: The inevitable duet with Patti Scialfa shows up at this point. I have never been a fan of her work with the band, but clearly when you are The Boss's wife you get some perks.

10. Land Of Hope And Dreams: This song has been played live for a long time (making it's debut in 1999), but it finally makes it way to recorded form. This has been one of my favorite songs for awhile so I was excited to see it get a proper recording. It doesn't have to thrust the live version does, but it makes for a great juxtaposition to the rest of the darker material on the record. This and the lead track are the clear standouts.

11. We Are Alive: I almost thought it was a U2 song until Springsteen comes in. Another southern gospel track accompanied by a banjo brings the set to a close with references to Martin Luther King's death and other social catastrophes. The sentiment is a nice one of surviving the storms of economic uncertainty and coming out the other side better people.

The final verdict is that it might not be a classic Bruce Springsteen record, and that's okay. Springsteen can experiment with his sound at this stage in his career and we will accept it. Rather than rehash the same sounds he isn't afraid to tinker with gospel, country and other folk sounds. Most of this will never find it's way into the live cannon, but as a work on it's own, it is a quality record worthy of The Boss.

The Cranberries return to form

There are some sounds that immediately recall another time in one's life. I was at the height of my College Radio DJ career when THE CRANBERRIES hit the big time. "Dreams" and "Linger" came along right during the grunge heatwave and provided a respite for those of us who, although adorned in flannel, occasionally preferred less shouting from our music. The combination of Dolores O'Riordan was the spitting image of an Irish pixie with enough vocal chops take on Sinead O'Conner without all the melodrama. The Cranberries exploded with their first record and the subesequent follow up. Then they were gone. It's not that they stopped making records, it just that the public got tired and moved on. Such is the fickle world of pop music. But their sound has always had a warm place in my heart. If THE SUNDAYS took THE SMITHS sound and feminized it, then the Cranberries gave it an Irish brogue and mixed in a heathly dose of U2.

Now O'Riodan and her troop have released a new record entitled "Roses" and damn it all if it isn't really good. They have in no way reinvented their sound, in fact it could almost pass for a rehashing of their first record. Gone is the hard rock attempts like "Zombie" or "Hollywood" settling for mid level pop songs. "Tomorrow" opens with a Bono esque hoot before finding a jangly guitar line and riding it to pop bliss. "Fire and Soul" finds O'Riordan whispering her lyrics to her love as she then soars into the chorus of "I'll wait for you forever, I'll take you to my grave". "Losing My Mind" floats on a singular horn before exploding into a anthemic take on overcoming mental fragility. This is a set of songs about triumph over obstacles. It seems O'Riordan still has some fight left in that voice after all. The band has oftened dabbled in darker tones later in their albums and such is the case with the driving "Show Me The Way", which is the closest thing on this album to a harder edged song. The acoustic "Roses" closes the set with a quiet eulogy rather than a triumphant statement.

I really hope this record is taken seriously and gets some play on its merits. It's a really good album from a collection of musicians who know what they are doing. Take my recommendation and step into that time machine for a return from an accomplished band.

(mp3) The Cranberries -- Show Me The Way

Perfect Pop Song (Part 20)

SCHOOL OF FISH made two really good records. Then they broke up and lead singer JOSH CLAYTON-FELT made a solo record before he passed away. I will always have a fond place in my heart for these guys. Here is their first single and their biggest hit, "Three Strange Days".

Enjoy!!

The Twilight Sad = If The Cure Were Scottish

Bands have to show their influences. This can be done in a subtle way (a guitar line here, a vocal phrasing there) or more overtly (See Interpol and The Editors aping of JOY DIVISION for their entire careers). THE TWILIGHT SAD straddle the middle of their influence showcasing of THE CURE. I'm sure these lads from Scotland didn't set out to ape the kings of doom and gloom as much as they did when they began recording their third album, "No One Can Ever Know", I imagine they were just looking for new ways to express their sound without rehashing their first two records. I'm also not saying its a bad thing that they did. What results is part mimicry, part homage and part ownership of new sound of their own.

The opening "Alphabet" kicks in with an eerie synth line as lead singer James Graham bleeds with a lost love who may or may not be dead. This is followed by "Dead City" which sounds like an outtake from "Wish" right down to the heaving bassline and clanky percussion. "Sick", the current single, exchanges out real drums for a skippy electronic beat and a staccato guitar line. Graham uses his accent to great effect rolling his "r"s with gusto to add to the off putting sound. The song builds to a nice crescendo adding synthesizers washes at the end. "Don't Move" is the closest thing of the record to an out and out CURE rip off, sounding almost beat for beat like "Fascination Street" without Robert Smith's yelping to give it the urgency it needs. "Another Bed" breaks up the pattern with a dance rhythm than when remixed will be an Edinburgh club banger for the rest of the year. At first it is seems out of place but after repeated listens it make sense to lighten the mood a little bit. The ending drone of "Kill It In The Morning" has a KILLING JOKE feel to it but ends with an uplifting chorus that is anthemic in the context of the whole record.

I admit I missed the boat a bit on these guys, I saw them a couple of years ago when they played the US with FRIGHTENED RABBIT and WE WERE PROMISED JETPACKS. If the Rabbits are easily the most commercial of the Scottish acts right now and WWPJ have a punk ethos that drives them, THE TWILIGHT SAD are trying to strike a chord with the more misanthropic youth of the world. This record may just allow them the room to make that happen.

(m4a) The Twilight Sad -- Alphabet  

Perfect Pop Song (Part 19)

Let's start the new year off right with a little U2. Perhaps not one of their greatest songs, but a sweet ode to love and marriage non the less. I think of my wife every time I hear it;

 

IMHO: The Top 20 of 2011

Here is my opinion of the top 20 records of the past year. For a more detailed breakdown of each song visit my new Tumblr page (www.zenmusings.tumblr.com)

1. Death cab for cutie -- codes and keys
2. M83 -- hurry up, we're dreaming
3. Tv on the radio -- nine kinds of light
4. Radiohead -- the king of limbs
5. Found -- Factorycraft
6. Noah and the whale -- last night on earth
7. The decemberists -- the king is dead
8. rem -- collapse into now
9. Friendly fires -- Pala
10. Noel Gallagher -- Noel gallagher's high flying birds
11. Coldplay -- mylo xyloto
12. Bright eyes -- the peoples key
13. Beirut --the rip tide
14. Wilco -- the whole love
15. Black keys -- el camino
16. Cassettes wont listen -- Evinspacey
17. We were promised jetpacks -- in the pit of the stomach
18. The war on drugs -- slave ambient
19. Mogwai -- hardcore will never die, but you will
20. Release the sunbird --release the sunbird

Noel Gallagher goes it alone

The level of acrimony that exists in the Gallagher household must make Christmas an interesting experience. After the very public break-up of OASIS, both Liam and Noel have now released records with new "bands". Where Liam's BEADY EYE was flat out awful, the expectations for NOEL GALLAGHER'S HIGH FLYING BIRDS are much higher. Universally considered the real talent of Oasis, Noel steps to the mic full time with the weight of his career squarely on his shoulders for the first time.

Gallagher has always had a gift for melody and he spares no expense to craft a pop record. The opening majesty of "Everybody's on the Run" sets a tone of classic rock to the set of songs. This is followed by a shuffle and stomp number entitled "Dream On" that echoes some of the early releases of his former band and at the same time details his struggles to keep clean in his new adult life. "If I Had A Gun..." marks the introduction of the "Wonderwall" acoustic sound as the song recalls the sense of longing that has been in his writing since the beginning. "The Death of You and Me" is really the first sign of any divergence from the Beatles inspired manual, with a bit of a country twang to the guitar and an old piano tinkling in the background. You have to wonder if this is a song of lost love or lost brotherly connection. "(I Wanna Live In A Dream In My) Record Machine" is a full on sing along full of epic strings and a soaring vocal performance. It's a highlight of the record for sure. "AKA...What A Life" follows that with a sense of positivity not often found in Noel's lyrical profile. Is his appreciation of life due to the freedom from the Oasis drama? The closing "Stop the Clocks" brings the record to a sweeping conclusion in true Oasis fashion.

It's hard to judge this record without considering Noel's prior band. What if this had been a proper Oasis record? You can imagine what some of these might have sounded like with Liam singing (whose voice has a deeper range to it for sure.) Noel has invested more in this album than the last couple Oasis record for sure. It is certainly a good album but once has to wonder would this have been the next great Oasis record if they could have worked out their family issues?

(mp3) Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds -- (I Wanna Live In A Dream In My) Record Machine

Bjork's Dark Fairy Tale

I'm not sure anyone could have predicted the type of career BJORK has had. From pixieish lead singer of the dance pop band THE SUGARCUBES to solo club diva to leading lady of the electronic music movement, Bjork has used her unique voice and ear for melody to make her both commercially viable and critical darling all at once. Now on her 8th solo record, "Biophilia" finds Bjork continuing to push her own personal and professional boundaries developing new instruments to get the sounds she wants.

The opening track, "Moon", is a lullaby of sorts to nature that features Bjork's voice meshing with the tinkling of a toy piano. "Thunderbolt" washes a muted beat with synths and strings in a track that recalls her classic "Hyberballad". The single "Crystaline" blows the doors off the record with it's cacophony of beats and drum n bass tempo like something from APHEX TWIN. The middle portion of the record is definitely downtempo, with "Dark Matter" serving as the musical equivalent of walking through the woods on a dark and creepy evening. "Hollow" continues that feel with ominous strings taking the listener through the night before a deep bass line grabs the song and blasts it into the future. I get the feeling that in someone else's hands "Virus" would have been a saccharine  pop song but with Bjork in charge, it's more of a baroque torch song. "Sacrifice" replicates "Crystaline's" slow build to beat heaven trick to lesser success, but I'm sure someone will remix the hell out of it. The record comes to a close with the soft acoustic picking of "Solstice", which is like waking from a very dark dream into the morning light.

Bjork has said the this record is about the combination of nature and technology and although the  record is more images than straight ahead thoughts, one can see the connection. The absence of her old pop hooks makes this a tough listen and will not really garner her any new followers. There are no club stompers here, just musings in the classical and jazz senses. I'm not sure I love this record as much as her others, but fans of hers will no doubt continue to place her on her pedestal as one of the most innovative musicians creating music today.

(mp3) Bjork -- Sacrifice

For those who miss the dancy feel of her early work check out this remix of "Virus" which updates it for the club masses.

(mp3) Bjork -- Virus (Them Jeans Remix)

M83 get amibtious about dreams

Ambition is a tricky wicket. We want our musicians to extend themselves beyond their boundaries and explore new sounds. But we also want them to replicate the songs that made us first fall in love with them. We want new music from them on a regular basis but not at the expense of the ability to digest it and appreciate it. RYAN ADAMS and PRINCE have often been accused of musical megalomania by release a ton of stuff without any real regard to the overall quality. GUNS N' ROSES effectively ended their career by releasing a double album when one at a time would have sufficed. THE STONE ROSES couldn't seem to get their shit together to release a second record for over a decade, and when they did the wait made it a disappointment. It's a hard thing to time your ambition just right.

M83 have accomplished such a rare feat. Three years after their last record, the band (essentially one member at this point, Frenchman Anthony Gonzalez), has released a magnum opus entitled "Hurry Up, We're Dreaming". The double record contains 22 songs of sheer brilliance. Culling from the past catalogue of sounds from their early shoegazer material through their most recent forays into 80's synth pop, M83 have recreated and updated their sound at the same time.

Opening with the epic "Intro", it is clear that Gonzalez has opened up the effects panels on his guitar, which frames quest Zola Jesus' vocals nicely. From there the record soars through the anthemic "Midnight City" and "Reunion". "Wait" has a sleep acoustic feel, which is new for M83. "Claudia Lewis" has a retro HOWARD JONES feel to it (don't laugh it's really good). Their are instrumental interludes that serve as resting stops along the journey. Gonzalez has said that the bulk of the record has to do with dreams or a dreaming state. "Soon, My Friend", another acoustic number, is very much a lullaby to a child. M83 have started to fiddle with more straight ahead songs on recent records, but here the size of the record makes that harder to do. There are a lot of short bursts of musical ideas that aren't really fleshed out, and are not meant to be. It's as if you are inside someones dreams as they come and go.

"My Tears Are Becoming A Sea" opens the second disc with a crescendo of drums and strings like your soaring over mountains and out to the ocean. "New Map" roars the record back to life with the more traditional M83 sound. "OK Pal" readdresses the 80's sound of their last record, feeling like something left off a John Hughes soundtrack. "Year One, One UFO" revisits the use of pre-recorded interviews to add to the texture of the song that was so prevalent on the band's early work. By the time you reach the instrumental "Outro", you are ready to wake up, not from exhaustion but from a feeling you have seen all their is and you are ready to tell your friends.

The record could have been trimmed a bit, but I think it would have sacrificed the artist's intent to deliver on his own ambition. I can't imagine where he goes form here, but if his next journey is as good as this one, we are in for a real experience.

(mp3) M83 -- Midnight City

PPP (Part 18)

I've been reminscing a lot about the music of my youth. Not in a melocholy, crap I'm getting old sort of way. More of a wow, that was seem really good stuff sort of way. Even though I missed the boat on the PSYCHEDELIC FURS the first time around, I still enjoy this song quite a bit;

Wilco's "The Whole Love"

Wilco's journey to one of America's premier rock bands has been an unusual one. Rising from the ashes of the seminal alternative country band UNCLE TUPELO, Wilco's Jeff Tweedy has been on a mission to see just how odd and obscure he could make his country twang sound. The first three Wilco records play like more commercial versions of the Tupelo sound. Then came "Yankee Foxtrot Hotel". With "Hotel" Tweedy and his revolving band of musicians began melding the rock sound with spacier elements to create atmospheric epics that featured odd instrumentation and more obscure wordsmithing. This continued with "A Ghost is Born" before a slight return to earth with their last record "Sky Blue Sky."

Wilco's latest record, "The Whole Love" continues to seek a middle ground between the original work and the more grandiose dreams of the more recent output. Opening with the 7 minute clicky "Art of Almost" the listener prepares themselves for another listening foray into the unknown. But Tweedy offers us a curveball with the fuzzy bass driven "I Might" as the second song. "Might" plays off like a vintage 60's rock song. "Sunloathe" seems like something from the BEACH BOYS collection of oddities with it's piano tinkling and soft vocals. "Dawned on Me" revels in it's feedback before settling into a nice rhythm and has the sound of a radio single from the heyday of AM radio. "Black Moon" has a dark acoustic guitar line to lead us through Tweedy's song of searching for truth. "Born Alone" glides along a rat-a-tat drum beat before the guitar picks up the track for the ride. The title track, "The Whole Love", is sunny number about a man who knows he is hard to get along with. "One Sunday Morning (song for Jane Smiley's Boyfriend)", could easily scare a listener off at over 12 minutes but it is well worth the investment. Tweedy sounds like a little Bob Dylan ish here as the song seems to wander around a acoustic guitar until it settles in. The band forsakes any studio trickery and plays it straight. What comes is a jam feeling as if they recorded it on the porch of some old southern home in the last summer.

Wilco's latest doesn't have the ambition of "Hotel" or "Ghost" and in many ways is a nod to their past as Uncle Tupelo. Those hoping for the sonic soundscapes of those records will be a bit disappointed. But those of us who take our music with a sense of authenticity will find the record gaining in stature with every listen.

(mp3) Wilco  -- I Might