100 words, two listens: the visceral reaction this sort of project seeks. Like so many side projects before, Discovery has its moments of utter brilliance, teasing one to the edge of ecstasy. But, just then, fits of overindulgence and half-baked ideas creep, pulling back from the precipice. Nowhere is this better epitomized than on "So Insane" which is riding that Japanese train towards transcendence but ultimately can't keep its momentum. Still, you can't shake the impression that everything here is exactly as intended: free in ways their regular gigs don't afford, Wes and Rostam's joy is palpable. And, often, contagious. [...]
So Insane - Discovery / YSI Read Our Word 100 Album Review Here...
So Insane - Discovery / YSI Read Our Word 100 Album Review Here...
100 words, two listens: the visceral reaction this sort of project seeks. Like so many side projects before, Discovery has its moments of utter brilliance, teasing one to the edge of ecstasy. But, just then, fits of overindulgence and half-baked ideas creep, pulling back from the precipice. Nowhere is this better epitomized than on "So Insane" which is riding that Japanese train towards transcendence but ultimately can't keep its momentum. Still, you can't shake the impression that everything here is exactly as intended: free in ways their regular gigs don't afford, Wes and Rostam's joy is palpable. And, often, contagious. [...]
On 'Bitte Orca', Dave Longstreth and co craft a glimmering weave of soundscapes, effortlessly fusing soaring orchestral ambition with a refreshingly simple idea of pop music. The result is something close to a master class. It's not Longstreth's ability to make the superficially mundane sound like a hymn, nor is it fluttering golden harmonies of Coffman and Deradoorian that make 'Bitte Orca' so special, in the end its real talent is making DP's musical genius understandable and reachable rather than shutting you out. Dirty Projectors shoot for the big time and make it with astounding ease. [...]
Easy Star's reimagining of Sgt Pepper is faithful to the style and quirks of the original, perhaps occasionally to the point of hurting half-hearted listenability. These aren't resort-style reggae covers, all breezy and fluff. But after only a couple listens, you realize it's even more fun because of that. There's novelty in the familiarity, but these renditions stand on their own. Admittedly, the song that likely goes down the easiest is my favorite, like it is on SPLHCB : "With A Little Help From My Friends" is sunny and perfect and uplifting in ways that not even the [...]
With A Little Help From My Friends (Feat. Luciano) - Easy Star All-Stars / YSI Read Our WORD 100 Album Review Here...
With A Little Help From My Friends (Feat. Luciano) - Easy Star All-Stars / YSI Read Our WORD 100 Album Review Here...
Dealing in the eccentric pop sensibilities of groups like Peter Bjorn and John and Stars, Miike Snow combines seemingly disparate parts into something coherent and inherently likeable. Tracks like "Animal" and "Song for No One" demand recognizance immediately, but having been built on a mixing up of styles with perpetually changing vocal textures and effects the record stays interesting throughout. Miike Snow takes the chances their most famous collaborators won't (or can't). The results may not always be pure pop bliss, but repeated listens continue to disclose new nuance. 7.3 [...]
Dealing in the eccentric pop sensibilities of groups like Peter Bjorn and John and Stars, Miike Snow combines seemingly disparate parts into something coherent and inherently likeable. Tracks like "Animal" and "Song for No One" demand recognizance immediately, but having been built on a mixing up of styles with perpetually changing vocal textures and effects the record stays interesting throughout. Miike Snow takes the chances their most famous collaborators won't (or can't). The results may not always be pure pop bliss, but repeated listens continue to disclose new nuance. 7.3 [...]
Animal - Miike Snow / YSI Read Our WORD 100 Album Review Here...
Said simply, we've found a record I'll be asking you to put on at barbeques and parties all summer long. And like a long summer night spent on the patio with good friends, WAP is one that can be appreciated as its happening, at first listen. The depth comes in its familiarity, the way it builds and evokes memories even before they happen, the inescapable feeling that something wonderful this way comes. It's not all bubblegum and rainbows, but then it shouldn't be; the weather will change again, but that's no reason to overlook this life as it happens. [...]
1901 - Phoenix / YSI Read Our WORD 100 Album Review Here...
We can all breathe easy. Manners, more mature, unhurried and self-assured than it should be, won't cause hyperventilation nor will it suck the air out of the already-overcrowded room. Again proving to be beyond the mythmaking, Passion Pit has crafted a debut that feels understated despite a more heavily 80s-influenced sound replete with Michael's falsetto, multiple layers, and a children's choir. Perhaps the greatest compliment I can give is that despite listening for a few weeks, my friends and I still haven't discussed the record; it's sinuous and refuses to sediment, which is both [...]
After getting past my initial disappointment at hearing shots at the same now-outdated and too-easy targets on Relapse, I realized that the things I first liked Eminem for are still there on songs like "Hello" and "Same Song & Dance." He can still put songs together in ways that make sense, with a sense of narrative and real emotion ("Déjà Vu") that too many rappers blatantly disregard. Not to mention his flow is undiminished. Unfortunately, those skills can't overshadow gross-outs like "Insane" or mindless drivel like "We Made You." Ultimately, there's just not enough I want to hold onto. [...]
Same Song & Dance - Eminem / YSI Read Our WORD 100 Album review Here...
Rules is straightforward, simple, slightly understated, and totally likeable disco-pop. For those reasons, I thought it would be forgettable. But after a few weeks in my collection, I still find myself coming back to it and enjoying it more with each listen. Perhaps because it never beats you over the head in any way, it remains listenable, revealing more with each play. Or maybe I'm just in the mood for music I can put on at work and unknowingly vibe out to, only later realizing that my feet have been moving the whole time. 7.6 [...]
Keep A Secret - The Whitest Boy Alive / YSI Read Our WORD 100 Album Review Here...
Quite where this album came from is a question many won't be able to answer. The Horrors might tell you they always had it in them and we'd have no choice but to take them on their word. Primary Colours sweeps the band from middling rock group to the giddy stratospheres of blinding brilliance. Laden with sonic textures so rough they rub your face off and golden fuzzing guitars that wrap a coil round your brain, this album is perilously seductive. A shock masterpiece that feeds on all that's great about Joy Division, Sonic Youth and My Bloody Valentine. [...]
Who Can Say - The Horrors / YSI Read Our Word 100 Album Review Here...
The Mix Tape
Watch: Trailer for Dave Grohl’s documentary, Sound City
Conchord On Composing Music For Muppets
Webcast: The Kills’ 10th anniversary concert
