Summer is a time to be outside and soak in the sun, go on vacation and of course attend as many music festivals as possible. Oftentimes, big-wig record executives seem to make attempts to perfectly align the release of their artists’ latest material to precede, or occur during these major festivals, especially traveling ones, such as the Vans Warped Tour.
This summer, however, might have been an exception as there were seemingly fewer major releases. What’s worse is that those albums that were released this summer were overall the most mediocre batch in recent memory. Nonetheless, there were a few bright spots in this summer’s pickings which we suggest you acquire using whatever methods suit your fancy.
“Volta” by Bjork
After spending the last decade trying to figure out ways to make her music more experimental and, well, weird, Bjork has taken a step back with “Volta.” Granted the music is still decidedly odd and distinguishably Bjork with songs focused on the topics of love, offspring and aliens (although unfortunately not all of them at the same time, sorry X-Files fans).
The lead single, “Earth Intruders,” is loaded with hooks in everything from its drum line and keyboard lines to the chanting, list-like nature of Bjork’s vocals. Other highlights include the beautiful duets between Bjork and Antony Hegarty (of Antony and the Johnsons) in “The Dull Flame of Desire” and “My Juvenile” and the positive energy that flows through Bjork’s voice through the entirety of “Wanderlust.”
“The Con” by Tegan & Sara
Twins Tegan and Sara Quin’s unique voices work together to create beautiful songs about the darker side of relationships and their expectations when entering them. The songs advocate for a powerful woman in relationships and make it clear that if I want to get in with either Tegan or Sara I best not give them any crap. My crushed dreams aside, the album is beautifully crafted.
Songs such as “I Was Married” and “Soil, Soil” show Tegan & Sara’s soft spot for what’s both romantic and comfortable in relationships. However, the title track and “Dark Come Soon” show their distrust and sometimes distaste for the entire dance of relationships. Overall, Tegan & Sara have written some of their best music to date in an album as beautiful and complicated as I’d like to think they are. Whether you’re infatuated with them or not, this is definitely one of the best albums of the summer.
“New Moon” by Elliott Smith
“New Moon” is the mastered copy of 24 previously unreleased tracks by Elliott Smith and although it is not truly new material it was one of the best releases of the summer. The tracks compiled for “New Moon” were recorded between 1994 and 1998 and on most tracks feature only an acoustic guitar and his voice as instruments.
The album stands on its own as much more than just a collection of unreleased rarities as it easily features some of Elliott Smith’s best songs to ever be released. One highlight on the album is “Looking Over My Shoulder,” which fits in well sonically with all those recorded during the “Either/Or” sessions that it was taken from but contains much more defiant undertones than those songs that made the final listing. Additionally, the solo recording of “Half Right,” a song Elliott did previously with his former band, Heatmeiser, is another fantastic track on the double-disc.
“The Needle, The Space” by Straylight Run
The combination of Straylight Run’s guy/gal vocal duo and slow, often keyboard driven style leads me to describe them with just one unlikely word: tender. There’s something incredibly warm about the way in which they perform their songs. It’s a bit like Stars but a whole lot less heart-wrenching and with far more shallow lyrics. Nonetheless, there’s something to be said for this combo and on “The Needle, The Space” they have seemingly perfected it.
Highlights on the album include the album opener “The Words We Say,” the tender “Cover Your Eyes” and the piano rocker “Take It to Manhattan.” “The Needle, The Space,” while not particularly innovative and by no means the best album of the year is a well performed, easy listen.
“Hiding Inside the Horrible Weather” by My American Heart
Being from San Diego, California, My American Heart shouldn’t have had to spend too much time inside horrible weather. Regardless, they use the weather as an analogy to relate to their turbulent relationships while on tour for their first album, “The Meaning in Makeup.” Is it creative? No. Is it deep? Hell no. But have they used it to create incredibly bouncy, catchy, pop-punk music? You better believe it.
They begin the album with “Boys! Grab Your Guns,” a half-literal calling of arms for My American Heart fans that gets the listener’s attention and sets an exciting tone for the album. “The Shake (Awful Feeling)” has all the bounce, pop and a danceable chorus that one expects in all great pop-punk songs. The title track, “Hiding Inside the Horrible Weather,” has the same pop heard in “The Shake (Awful Feeling)” but with a slowed-down, dramatic chorus that makes inane and hilarious use of the weather analogy. Nonetheless, the song is brilliantly catchy and an instant favorite. Overall, the album is not one of particular genius but is a fun one that is reminiscent of the San Diego, California beach weather, despite being about the “horrible weather” of the Midwest.
“Arrivals and Departures” by Silverstein
To be completely honest I’ve always viewed Silverstein as a mediocre screamo band. Nowhere near as terrible as Hawthorne Heights but also not coming close to the greatness of Scary Kids, Scaring Kids, Saosin or Senses Fail. Their previous albums have been nothing special, but are entertaining when in the right mood and to an extent “Arrivals and Departures” is no different. There’s still nothing particularly special about what they’re saying or how they’re saying it but at least the songs are fun and catchy and Shane Told’s voice has improved enough to not detract from this.
“If You Could See Into My Soul” does a good job of keeping the song’s pace up-tempo the entire time while making the chorus feel bigger and slower than it actually is, one of Silverstein’s strengths. “Worlds Apart” starts slow, Told’s voice virtually the only thing driving the song, when after about twenty-five seconds it explodes into a mess of hardcore guitar, bass, and drum lines. The rest of the album follows accordingly, utilizing Silverstein’s strengths of perfect transitions and massive catchy choruses.
“The Else” by They Might Be Giants
Described by John Flansburgh as, “our best effort from beginning to end,” this album proves to be one of the best albums from start to finish TMBG have released in a long time. “The Mesopotamians,” the final track, easily draws comparisons to “James K Polk” and “Why Does the Sun Shine” as a fun fact-filled, fun sing-a-long. “Bee of the Bird of the Moth,” is heavy on confusing imagery and synth and will surely be a new TMBG classic. The most pleasantly surprising aspect of the album is the inability to easily tell the Johns apart. The use of myriad instruments leads one to hope that the upcoming show at the Pageant will feature just as many, because, let’s face it you have to love a band whose roadies have to haul in a bass clarinet.
The album was pre-released on iTunes and then later in stores with a second disc only to be released in physical form. The second album, “Cast Your Pod to the Wind,” a collection of songs released previously on the TMBG podcast is more classic Giants material. Eclectic and exceedingly odd, it leaves much to be desired but there is no question as to why it wasn’t released on its own. The single highlight is the newest installment in the “Hotel Detective” series, “(She Was A) Hotel Detective in the Future.”
“CexCells” by Black Audio
After the incredible success of “Sing the Sorrow,” AFI members Davey Havok and Jade Puget were forced to put their side project, Blaqk Audio, on hold midway through the song writing process for “CexCells” to write, release and tour for a new AFI album which turned into “Decembeunderground.” However, after fulfilling their contract they went back to writing for Blaqk Audio and have now released “CexCells,” a very different album from any they’ve put out with AFI. There is far more influence from synthesizers as well as a generally slowing-down of the songs’ tempos that works to make “CexCells” have a very sexy and industrial feel.
The album starts out with their first single, “Stiff Kittens,” one of the faster and more danceable tunes which features the less frequently used lower range of Davey Havok’s voice. Other highlights include “Bitter For Sweet,” a slower song which brings Havok’s higher ranges back to the forefront and is pulsed by an infectiously unsteady drum machine beat. Finally, “On a Friday” is driven by the same techno back-beat everyone including even Strongbad seems to want to mock and imitate. Nonetheless, the beat is able to carry many songs and “On a Friday” is no exception. Overall, “CexCells” is a fantastic departure for fans of electronic music who also like Davey Havok’s voice and AFI fans who also enjoy some snyth beats every once in a while.
“Icky Thump” by The White Stripes
The Stripes have always been extremely eclectic for a two piece garage band, but “Icky Thump” is the first time they put all their interests on one album. “Icky Thump” plays like a White Stripes primer all the way from the Zepplinesque title track to the playfully accusatory “Effect and Cause.” They include songs representative of all the styles that have intested them in the past with heavy leanings towards screaming blues riffs and exquisite melodies. They even manage to break new ground utilizing bagpipes for two folky Scottish tracks as well as a blaring Spanish brass section on the standout cover “Conquest”.
The beauty of the album is that most of the techniques are old hat but the sound is more fresh than even their last album, the experimental “Get Behind Me Satan.” It helps that Jack has written some fantastic songs for the record with “You Don’t Know What Love Is” ranking with some of the best pop/rock songs in the past two decades. Without ever changing their style, The White Stripes have grown into a dependable band that remains explosive and exciting. Their recent sell-out show at Madison Square Garden proved that even a band built on sparse instrumentals and old school production can successfully explore their simplicity on a large scale.
Overall, while this was in no way the best summer for music in recent memory, it had some worthwhile releases. The good news is that this fall looks to be an apology for the slim pickings of the summer with releases by the New Pornographers, Rilo Kiley, Talib Kweli, Scary Kids Scaring Kids, Chiodos, Kanye West, Pinback, the Good Life, the Foo Fighters, Jimmy Eat World, Say Anything and Saves the Day. Stay tuned to Cadenza for more on each of these as they approach release.