Michael

Franz Ferdinand – Right Thoughts, Right Words, Right Actions (2013)

Posted on December 1, 2013July 20, 2014 by Michael

Back in 2003/04 the British music press hyperbole machine was in full throttle mode. Most likely buoyed by flagging magazine sales, weekly articles wrote lovingly of a Britpop renaissance. The leaders of this new school were undoubtedly a four piece from Glasgow named after the Archduke of Austria, Franz Ferdinand. Their 2004 Wire indebted debut featured the breakout hit “Take Me Out” that formed a formidable one-two punch for rock along with The White Stripes “Seven Nation Army”. Two more good but uneven albums followed and now four years on since their last release; Right Words, Right Thoughts, Right Actions see the once mighty foursome reappear.

Lead off track “Right Action” gets things started with toe tapping brilliance. Surely one of the ridiculously catchy songs of the year leads into “Evil Eye” which would have fit in nicely on their self-titled debut – all spiky guitars and shouty slogans. Things don’t slow down until towards the end with the semi-electronic pulses of “The Universe Expanded”.

Back in 2004 Franz perfectly nailed angular indie rock and they have been trying to catch up ever since. On past releases the band had expanded their sound to include bedsit ballads (“The Sound of You Walking Away”) and electronic freak-outs (“Lucid Dreams”), Right Words contains none of those. What you get is back to basics Franz Ferdinand on an album that is unlikely to win new fans and will give doubters plenty of ammunition, but it is one that long term admirers will rejoice in.

8/10

Album Reviews

Baths – Obsidian (2013)

Posted on September 25, 2013July 20, 2014 by Michael

If you could draft indie rock bands like fantasy football, Will Wisenfeld (aka Baths) would be the very definition of a sleeper. His debut album, the understated Cerulean, was picked by several websites as an honourable mention for album of the year and as one of the “best albums you didn’t hear”. Lumped in with the chillwave phenomena, Cerulean was a decidedly warmer affair than that label would suggest.

New album, Obsidian has a similar sound but is more direct and adds a whole new level of despair that was not present on the 2010 debut. Wisenfeld battled the E Coli virus that left him bedridden for months and heavily influenced the often bleak themes explored on this third release (Pop Music/Failed B-Sides was quietly released in 2011). “Where is God when you hate him the most” (“Worsening”) and “I have no eyes, I have no love, I have no home” (“No Eyes”) are typical of the thoughts throughout.

While the mood is similar, the clattering rhythms and melodic synth lines on tracks such as “Miasma Sky” and “Phaedra” add a glitch pop shot into the equation. Obsidian can be stark and hopelessly introspective at times but the more focused approach makes for a more compelling experience than the often hazy and vague feel of the debut.

7/10

Review also found at UMFM.com

Album Reviews

Phosphorescent – Muchacho (2013)

Posted on September 25, 2013July 20, 2014 by Michael

Matthew Houck has released six albums as Phosphorescent but it was the last one, 2010’s Here’s to Taking it Easy, that gained the project more widespread attention. Originally from Alabama, Houck now makes his home in the very trendy Brooklyn borough. While he fits in well with the NY hipsters fashion wise, musically Houck has far more in common with Willie Nelson whom he paid tribute to with an album of covers in 2009 with To Willie.

Born out of a failed relationship and losing his home in the aftermath of the last tour, new album Muchacho wears those scars on its sleeve. After a Beatlesque “Sun King” like introduction, “Song for Zula” shows where Houck’s head when he intones that “I saw love disfigure me”. You can practically feel a lump form in your throat when the horns come in on “Muchacho’s Tune” while the raucous chorus of “A Charm/A Blade” is an absolute joy.

There is definitely some truth to the knowing line in “Down to Go” when Houck sings, “you say, ‘oh, you’ll spin your heartache into gold’”. For several albums in a row, Phosphorescent has done just that. 2013 has seen many great albums released and Muchacho is definitely one of the highlights.

8.5/10

Songs Going Steady

Lana Del Rey – Radio

Posted on August 28, 2013February 8, 2024 by Michael

My Dad once accused me of spending more time picking out music to listen to while working than actually doing the work itself. I couldn’t argue with that, he was right… but he didn’t know how important it was to find just the right thing to blank out to.

Every month at the day job means another round of mindless data entry for new customer orders. The repetition of the work seems to bring with it a need for repetition in the musical accompaniment. Last year I listened to Grimes’ “Oblivion” endlessly during these times. While its well over a year old, this year that has been replaced with Lana Del Rey’s “Radio”.

Upon release, many critics were blinded by the image Lana was presenting rather than the music. While not the most ground breaking of work, Born to Die had quite a few gems. I find that instead of the several brilliant singles, I keep coming back to the sublime “Radio” instead. “Now my life is sweet like cinnamon, like a fucking dream I’m living in” and the ever knowing, “baby love me cause I’m playing on the radio (how do you like me now?)” are words that never get old. And you know what? I like it quite a bit, Lana.

Album Reviews

Austra – Olympia (2013)

Posted on August 13, 2013July 20, 2014 by Michael

In 2011, Austra garnered critical acclaim for their debut album; Feel It Break which featured the operatic charged single “Lose It” as well as the darker edged “Beat and the Pulse”. In the early summer, Austra’s second album came out on Toronto’s Paper Bag Records. Recorded mainly in Michigan, Olympia was more of a collaborative effort between the three core band members (along with co-lyricist Sari Lightman) than the mainly bedroom project of their debut.

Like Feel it Break before it, the most striking aspect of Olympia is lead singer Katie Stelmanis’ classically trained voice. This adds an extra layer of vulnerability to early standout “Forgive Me” where she pleads, “What do I have to do to make you forgive me?” and lends further intrigue to the single “Painful Like”. While retaining the iciness of the debut, Austra has added live instrumentation to tracks such as “Home” and the excellent “We Become” which brings a more human element to their sound.

There may be a lack of punchy singles that propelled Feel It Break but ultimately Olympia feels like a step up in songwriting as highlighted on stark album closer “Hurt Me Now”. You can see for yourself when Austra return to Winnipeg with a highly anticipated show at the Garrick Centre on October 5th.

7.5/10

Review also found at UMFM.com