Author: Michael
Beach House – 7 (2018)
Since 2015, the release schedule for the band Beach House has been many. Depression Cherry and Thank Your Lucky Stars appeared within a few weeks of each in 2015 and this was followed up with a B-side and rarities collection last year. 7 is the Baltimore band’s latest release. For this listener, having those two 2015 releases come out so quickly muddied the waters and it was hard to commit to either.
In March, the band released their best song in years, “Dive”. Atmospheric at first before giving way to a driving guitar that blows all the clouds away, this is one of the singles of the year thus far. “Pay No Mind” is BH at their most straightforward but also most effecting. The vocals are more upfront so you can hear the sweet chorus more easily. First single “Lemon Glow” is darker with an insistent hi-hat that gives a slight witch house feel throughout. The electronic influenced “Black Car” recalls Ladytron without the icy vocals whereas acoustic guitar nicely warms up the otherwise melancholy “Lose Your Smile”.
Throughout 7, the duo of Victoria Legrand and Alex Scally move from strength to strength. The varied styles all flow together and make it an easy album to listen to on repeat. Time to go back and give a re-listen to those albums from 2015 that didn’t immediately hit the first time around. This also marks the first ever streamed album review for this website. Our 40 year old listening habits are evolving along with the Beach House sound.
8.5/10
…say it in your sleep…
…where space originates…
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers – Greatest Hits (2008)
On October 2nd, 2017 the world was saddened to learn that American rocker Tom Petty had passed away due to an accidental overdose of prescription pain medication. The surprising news came as Petty and the Heartbreakers had just wrapped up tour of the US that ended a week before his death. In recent years there have been two remastered vinyl box sets released of the band’s music but none of this on CD. With the first set hovering in the $300 range, to tide us over before investigating the early Petty records to add to our meagre Petty collection, we instead opted for the more economical Greatest Hits set.
Comprised of 18 tracks, the Greatest Hits runs in chronological order and covers all the major singles from 1976 to 1993. First half highlights include “American Girl”, “Refugee”, and “Don’t Do Me Like That” with “Don’t Come Around Here No More”, “I Won’t Back Down”, “Into the Great Wide Open” and “Mary Jane’s Last Dance” appearing in the second half. “Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around” sung with Stevie Nicks is a welcome addition to the original track listing and appears as the last track. The set also features lesser hits like “Here Comes My Girl” with it’s cascading piano in the chorus, the synth driven “You Got Lucky” and “The Waiting” whose chorus has been lodged in this writer’s head for days.
This remastered version was released in 2008 and while I’m not an audiophile by any stretch, the sound can be a bit tinny with not much in the way of bottom end. Musically, if there is any knock on it, the album at times suffers from over familiarity. Listen to any rock station in North America, a lot of these songs will appear within a few hours. It’s the sound most of us have heard throughout our lives and has been the soundtrack to high school proms, long car rides, days at the beach and drinking beers on patios. As noted many times at his death, Tom Petty was beloved by all. Leaving a lot to still discover in his back catalogue as well as latter day tracks not represented here, Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers’ Greatest Hits is a brilliant introduction to many of the band’s best tracks.
10/10
The Light Appears 