by Elizabeth Schneider | Sep 12, 2017 | wolf tracks
The notorious rock collective Kings of Leon dropped their new album Walls last fall. Being a massive fan of the band myself, I needed help getting more objective opinions on the piece. So, in the dimly lit dining room of my parents’ house after a dinner of fried chicken, my immediate family (and grandmother) sat down to add our two cents about the work. (This is one of my favorite posts from my Impose days.)
The first track of the album, “Waste a Moment”, allows swirling guitar to bring in a good little melody. It’s the uptempo single you may have heard on the radio, lending itself to the typical sound Kings of Leon is known for. But after that first track, the band seems to have attempted to deviate from their norm, nabbing bits and pieces from different genres to make the album into a diverse, warm body of tracks to feast your ears on. For example, when second track “Reverend” begins, you immediately notice the vintage 70’s feel to the keys, a mid-tempo track that starts slower as lead singer Caleb Followill reaches for octaves we didn’t realize were in his range, providing a hazy, more ethereal sound to his vocals during entire stretches of the song.
While “Around the World” may begin with a lightweight guitar riff, there is a solo that is borderline earth shattering awaiting your ears. It definitely makes us want to pack our bags and escape to a place unknown. “Find Me” comes in deeper, and gets straight to the point. 44 seconds in, Caleb starts to sing and the song loses some of its momentum by reducing the instrumentals for his vocals. The song gives off the impression that he is singing while he’s driving a car, and the momentum picks back up during the chorus. “Over” has a darker feel to it with the deep, consistent guitar riff. Sounds like The Killersblended with some David Bowie, something my entire family picked up on. (I will note that my grandma claimed it had a Phantom of the Opera feel to it.) We all agreed that Caleb’s vocals sound blatantly different on this track, although no less beautiful.
The song “Muchacho” proves the notion that when you add castanets to a song, it automatically becomes more vibey. Slightly reminiscent of some of our favorite R.E.M. tracks, Caleb’s voice is delivered at an even deeper range, if that’s possible. It’s slower, with a very tropical disposition and a tempo that reminds us of Bruce Springsteen‘s “Brilliant Disguise”. (Which was a brilliant move on their part.) Percussion leads in to “Conversation Piece” slowly, with lyrics like “take me back to california, to those crystal neon signs” allowing the listener to reminisce on days past. The song is low key, like the majority of the album, and could easily be played in the background of a back road drive with your significant other during the autumn months.
“Eyes On You” brings the tempo back up, the instrumentals noticeably reminiscent of some of our favorite Weezer tracks. The song deviates to a punk spectrum, although the way the melody is composed is actually very beautiful and works perfectly with Caleb’s scratchy bravado. “Wild” brings the album back to a warmer instrumental composition, and we’re led to a place of relaxation. The album rounds out with its title track, which sets in at a glacial – but incredible gorgeous – pace. Simple instrumentals allow the vocals to be highlighted moreso than its predecessors. Lyrics like “I can’t get there on my own / You can’t leave me here alone / I’m just trying to do what’s right / A man ain’t a man unless he’s fought the fight” make this a very introspective and personal piece. It’s a delicate way to end the album, and slows your heart rate down immensely. “Walls” can be summed up as an existential piece that leaves you questioning life, love, and your own pursuit of happiness.
As you may have noted, our evening included quite the roundtable discussion. As fleeting as it was, we all maintained the opinion that the album is experimentation at its finest.
Walls is available now.
**This review was written with the help of:
Elizabeth & Stephen Schneider
Patricia Streng
Erin & Tim Zimmerman
by Meredith Schneider | Sep 11, 2017 | wolf tracks
For those of you living under a rock, America’s favorite groove/soul/genre-blending indie collective Portugal. The Man put out a stunning release with their album Woodstock earlier this year, from which their well received single “Feel It Still” comes to their admiring public. With all of the madness surrounding the release, Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival was actually able to play host as a platform for the new album, as they performed there and even a small album listening party congregated in the hot hot heat of the weekend. Now Woodstock is available to the general public, and we definitely have some thoughts.
Like the lead track “Number One”, which features Richie Havens and Son Little. Beginning with a bit of b-roll white noise with a crowd talking, the track actually sets up with a hard beat and more of an 80’s soulful groove. Second track “Easy Tiger” actually explodes with synth – but in a contemporary pop way – before the sound kind of shatters into a crackling, frantic song with its layers of sound effects and high energy. Third track “Live In The Moment” is driven by its percussion, framing personal anecdotes in its lyrics. It’s definitely the anthemic type of song, providing an energy that encourages pursuing your dreams. It almost feels like you can’t get better than that, as your ears are enveloped in this positive, fun sound. And then, of course, they one up it all with “Feel It Still”, which we FEEL doesn’t necessitate an explanation. Just wow.
The rough guitar that brings “Rich Friends” into the fold really provides an edge the album hasn’t previously explored. References to “wonderwall” and lines like “livin’ life like we’re the only ones that know we’re famous” provide a commentary on living life like a rockstar. “Keep On” is an upbeat track, but its lyrics further confirm the struggle between persistence for the sake of it to maintain momentum and acting out of actual passion. “So Young” takes on a different feel than its predecessors, a moderate tempo track that really exudes a matter-of-fact, sit back and relax vibe. (Something Portugal. The Man isn’t averse to doing, thankfully. These tracks are smooth like butter and – in our opinion – standouts in their previous work as well.)
Eighth track “Mr Lonely” (ft. Fat Lip) maintains a similar tempo and instrumental vibe to “So Young”, though they continue in a similar vein to prior social commentary tracks, with lyrics like “There’s glitter falling/and a banner that says/Welcome to Hell/Make yourself at home/Leave behind free will/Can you feel me now?” Haunting and conversation-inducing, this is the outstanding beauty that Portugal. The Man is known for.
But they’re not done yet.
“Tidal Wave”‘s composition screams “SUMMER!”, especially with the vision of a wave in your mind. But it’s so much more than that if you delve into the lyrics, really focusing more on “the aftershock,” highlighting that “the rest of you’s born to lose… worst of you’d born to lose/Bet on the winners,” which comes right back around to societal expectations. (But we’re always betting on this band, if anyone’s wondering.) They round it all out expertly with tenth track “Noise Pollution” (ft. Mary Elizabeth Winstead and Zoe Manville), a song that echoes the title’s sentiment. Layers of instrumentals create this frenzied feeling, but somehow it all blends perfectly into this sound that perfectly defines what the band is all about.: the energy, the social awareness, the experience.
Woodstock is available now. Run, don’t walk. (Or speed type your CC into that order form!)
**Originally posted to Impose.
by Meredith Schneider | Sep 8, 2017 | wolf tracks
Hailing from Dublin, electro indie/pop trio Sleep Thieves is coming at ya – hard – with their single “Is This Ready?” Hard bass hits as the intro to the track, getting us into the dark, brooding soundscape they’ve become known for on their international travels. Haunting, deep vocals join in, almost chanting “Is this ready?/It already is” repeatedly. Ethereal vocals enter in direct and stark contrast to the others, bringing the song into the “floating” realm they speak of. It will chill you to the bones, but it’s absolutely beautiful.
Lyrics: Is This Ready?
Is this ready?
It already is.
I’ve a fever, burning, tearing me apart
I can feel the beating of my external heart
I am floating, floating overhead
I am fever burning, burning up.
Is this ready?
It already is.
I am creeping, seething, flowing from the walls
I am angel, demon, owner of it all
I am darkness, lightness and in between
I am fever burning between the sheets.
Is this ready?
It already is.
Keep up with Sleep Thieves here.
**Originally published to Impose.
by Meredith Schneider | Sep 6, 2017 | wolf tracks
Allston, MA is home to Black Lodge which is an underground punk club that houses two favorite bands: Nice Guys and Black Beach. Now, the two bands have created a new album Nice Guys/BlackBeach Split 7”. The album, released later this month, will have a limited press of 250 copies, half of which will be in a Coke bottle green vinyl, the other half in black vinyl.
Black Beach – whose members are Ben Semeta, Steve Instasi, and Ryan Nicholson – made a name for themselves throughout 2016. They played the Boston Calling Music Festival and debuted their first full-length album Shallow Creatures, which led to touring dates. Their music is self-described as “loud, dirty, rock n’ roll”. Their two cuts on the split, “Poor Posture” and “Fever Dreamin” have an angst ridden sixties feel to them (not Summer of Love sixties) with a punk crescendo that is not to be denied. Black Beach recorded their part of the split at Converse’s Rubber Tracks Boston studio by Paul Kolderie.
Nice Guys – Alex Aronson, Jake Gilbertson, Matt Garlick, and Pete Bayko – have also achieved notoriety in the Allston area. The past five years have brought several releases, including splits with bands like Free Pizza, Miami Doritos and The Fagettes. Nice Guys have also been steadily touring. The four tracks from Nice Guys, “Grodello”, “Pissing Dirty”, “Condos” and “$94”, were recorded at Love Magnet Studios in Roxbury, MA by Ian Doerr. Their music is pure punk with delirious rhythms and tireless lyrics. This is music at home in any punk club in the world.
Tracklist:
- Grodello by Nice Guys
- Pissing Dirty by Nice Guys
- Condos by Nice guys
- $94 by Nice Guys
- Poor Posture by Black Beach
- Fever Dreaming by Black Beach
NiceGuys/Black Beach 7″ is available to order now. Keep up with Black Beach here and Nice Guys here.
**Originally posted on Impose Magazine.
by Meredith Schneider | Sep 5, 2017 | snapshot
In late July, Shells unleashed a debut album unto the world. In celebration of its release, they performed on the patio stage at Kansas City’s Riot Room with support from local talent Jake Wells and Slowdive. The ethereal set added a breezy feel to the otherwise sweltering day. Here are a few photos from the event.
Keep up with Shells here.
by Meredith Schneider | Sep 4, 2017 | wolf tracks
Youngblood Hawke has officially released the lyric video for their upbeat single “Robbers”, an indie pop track driven by electronic sound into a strangely haunting and beautiful sound. With an upbeat tempo, chorus of unique vocals, and fast-paced clapping, this song just does not stop.
The video tends to slow it down for us a bit.
Not that the video has a pace or a tone to set. The music does that for us. But the majority of the video consists of overlays of color – almost like splatter paint – in deep, gorgeous colors contrasted with black. There are moments in the video where (slightly terrifying, but beautiful) cartoon drawings pop up and take shape.
“Robbers” is an experience. And after all, isn’t that what Youngblood Hawke is all about? Keep up with them here.
**Reposted with permission from the author.
