Author: Michael

Posted in Album Reviews

First Aid Kit – Ruins (2018)

Posted on by Michael

51zc9URlntL._AA327_QL65_One of the first must check out albums that came out in 2018 was from the Swedish sisters Johanna and Klara Soderberg in First Aid Kit. After their debut in 2010, the sisters continued to grow with their last two albums. 2014’s The Lion’s Roar had several great singles and 2016’s Stay Gold capitalized on that success by making their sound a bit slicker but not quite crossing over to pure pop.

After a relationship break-up, Klara met up with her sister to begin work on Ruins before eventually moving North to Portland in order to work with producer Tucker Martine. Unlike Stray Gold, Ruins dials things back with more a minimal sound. First track “Rebel Heart” brings FAK’s distinctive harmonies to the forefront right away. First single “It’s A Shame” is a standout before the cliché named but pretty early 60s styled ballad “Fireworks” slows things down.

“To Live A Life” is spare with just an acoustic guitar moving most of the track. From there it’s a mix of old style country and folk tunes with the last third of Ruins never particularly breaking any new ground. A good but not great album from First Aid Kit.

6/10

Posted in Album Reviews

Pet Shop Boys – Please/Further Listening 1984-86 (2018)

Posted on by Michael

21wRzvYVqCL._AA327_QL65_British music icons, Pet Shop Boys, have been recording music for more than 30 years together. Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe released their first album Please way back in 1986. Preceded by the single “Opportunities (Let’s Make Lots of Money)” the year before that withered on the charts before disappearing, the duo returned with the classic techno pop single “West End Girls” that went to #1 in both the UK and coveted US market. A grey sky video shows the pair walking around parts of London which captured the eye and ears of this young writer (I was 11 at the time) and may very well have influenced my eventual move to the UK for a couple of years after university.

“West End Girls” is one of the most memorable singles of the 80s and appeared as song one on the band’s first greatest hits compilation, Discography. Three other tracks from Please also made the cut on that album including “Opportunities (Let’s Make Lots of Money)” whose re-released version made it into the top 10 in the US, the sort of ballad “Love Comes Quickly”, and “Suburbia” (presented here without the single’s memorable barking dogs). Superb album track “Tonight Is Forever” appears after this run of singles. It would be hard to keep up the momentum and that is what happens with last four fine but non-essential tracks.

The 2018 Further Listening version comes with an extra disc of remixes, 7”/12” edits, and B-sides. Two versions of “Opportunities (Let’s Make Lots of Money)” are included with the 12” version being the preferred. “West End Girls” appears in a dance mix that ups the percussion ratio to floor filling effect. B-sides include the “Blue Monday” sounding “In The Night”, upbeat “Was That What It Was” that could easily pass as a single and the dance track “Paninaro” presented here in it’s Italian Mix. The Further Listening disc of non-album tracks shows that there was very little drop off in quality from the excellent debut, Please.

Please – 8.5/10
Further Listening – 8.5/10

Posted in Album Reviews

Yo La Tengo – There’s a Riot Going On (2018)

Posted on by Michael

31SlOueYWcL._AA327_QL65_Back in 2013 we called New Jersey’s Yo La Tengo one of the greatest American guitar bands ever. The trio returns with their fifteenth studio album and first set of all originals since that year’s Fade album. While learning how to use Pro Tools, bassist James Mcnew started recording the band’s practice sessions and soundscapes which lead to working on songs for this release.

First single “For You Too” is lo-fi guitars  teamed with heartbreaking lyrics – “but if it’s not too late, if I could protect you… maybe I could be that guy”. Ira Kaplan also takes on the vocals with mumbly goodness in “She May, She Might”. Georgia Hubley’s lead on “Shades of Blue” is surely one of the finest songs ever written about picking out paint colours. Instrumentals “You Are Here” and “Here You Are” do a fine job in bookending the disc.

In between, the album is broken up by three, five minute instrumentals including the atmospheric “Shortwave” and the jazzy “Above The Sound”. Having all three in a row slows the momentum down as the rest of the album is a mix of more instrumentals, song sketches, and subdued material. Only “Esporte Casual” lightens the mood and sounds like the kind of musical interlude that blur used to do so well. Several great Yo La Tengo tracks abound in the first half but the second half of There’s a Riot Going On is not nearly as memorable.

7/10