by Kira Cappello | Aug 12, 2019 | albums, review
All at once natural, manmade, and the product of a dream: With Fuwa Fuwa Music, Miki Moondrops guides listeners through an ethereal world that hums, glitters, and bleeds with vivid watercolors. The allure of Fuwa Fuwa Music lies in its fantastical nature – this album breezily transports listeners to an enchanted forest that is part organic, part machine, and always breathtaking.
The second studio release from Miki Moondrops, the finely layered production of Fuwa Fuwa Musicbubbles over with enthusiasm and curiosity. The group is comprised of Miki Masuda Jarvis, on bass and vocals, and David Lord on guitar, synths, and glockenspiel (for this record, they are joined by William Erickson on drums and Ben Snook on electronic percussion). The work as a whole is peppered with clicks, whistles, and cartoonish bounciness that serve as markers for the passing of time, as they weave in and out of earshot, brightly punctuating spells of haziness. Airy synths paint a permanent sunset as the backdrop for hearty drums, psychedelic guitar loops, and unrolling spools of abstract lyricism. While each track carries an individual theme all its own, the zeitgeist provided by Fuwa Fuwa Music is consistently sunny – even through spasms of chaos or harsher distortion.
Listening to Fuwa Fuwa Music feels brand new and yet somehow deeply instinctual. For example, characterizing features of track “Bumblebee House” include the faint buzzing of honeybees alongside a fuzzy distortion, reminiscent of the stuttering twitch of insects’ wings. On “Ants”, Miki Moondrops shrinks us down to microscopic size and into a glittery, glitching realm that could only thrive hidden beneath the earth. Rapid, perforating melodies from vocals and guitar plucking alike read like an ancient language, paired with more “known” elements of electronica. “Dragonfly Wings” is another play at perspective: listening to it inspires contemplation of whether we are watching a dragonfly as it flickers and jerks in and out of the sonic frame; or if we are the creature itself, ascending ceremonially before lilting back down to earth, settling like fog.
Woven snippets of found sound and electronically produced noise are essential to Fuwa Fuwa Music. At times, these elements drive the song’s direction, like on “Orange to Pink, Mushroom to Turtle”; while at other points, they flit in and out of the mix and of frontal attention, providing space to appreciate Jarvis’s drifty vocals humming with reverb – see “When You See the Eyebrow, You Will See the Gnome”. At the top of opening track “Shells”, at least three psychedelic guitar loops and reverses take the stage, weaving through each other and the Jarvis’s vocal melody like ribbons in the wind.
The last two tracks from Fuwa Fuwa Music serve more as mood suggestions than as landscapes. In just a fleeting 1 minute 19 seconds, “Glassy Eyes” wisps the faint chirping of birds and gentle harmonies knit together by the melody of a lullaby. Final track “It Is Glowing” feels more anthemic than illustrative or inviting. Its undulating electronic percussion, ensnared by subtle guitar strokes, provides a groove that satisfies Miki Moondrops’ quota for psychedelic rock.
TRACKLISTING
- Shells
- Orange to Pink, Mushroom to Turtle
- When You See the Eyebrow, You Will See the Gnome
- Ants
- Dragonfly Wings
- Bumblebee House
- Glassy Eyes
- It Is Glowing
You can follow Miki Moondrops here.
by Kira Cappello | Aug 2, 2019 | albums, review
Corey Harper’s newest EP
Barely Put Together hones in on young adulthood, deftly blending moods colored with snug optimism, taut despondence, and wistful recollection. The five-track EP exhibits Harper’s talent for constructing songs that deliver the immediacy of a live performance; some with the resounding power of a stadium anthem, and others, the gentle intimacy of an acoustic set.
Opening track “Blind” is warm, woody, and feels hopeful despite the fretting lyrics, dealing with the questionable aspects of an unstable relationship. Minute details produce an endearing familiarity, as well as contribute to the feel of a live performance: A close listen reveals the clicks and scratches of Harper’s fingers along the acoustic as he plays, and the generous reverb on his vocals ghost behind as if echoing across a stadium.
Moody, syncopated chords on second song “Don’t Hate Me” are reminiscent of the biggest hits of Justin Bieber and Shawn Mendes, as Harper evokes vulnerability following a tenuous relationship. He begs his significant other for a diplomatic split: “If we’re breaking up, we’re breaking up, just don’t hate me / That’s the only thing I couldn’t live with, baby”. A resounding anthemic club beat punctuates the severity of the chorus here, emphasizing the lyrics’ unabashed heartache. After the first chorus, a hidden gem in the form of a bluesy electric riff sneaks by, a segue to Harper’s bare vocals bolstered by a deeply funky bass line. His mercury-smooth vocal runs contribute the perfect dash of R&B freshness. Of all the tracks on the EP, this song welcomes the widest range of elements spanning several genres.
What follows exhibits confidence, defiance, and acceptance that life doesn’t always make perfect sense. Track 3 from Barely Put Together is titled “Better”, and carries the easy-breezy swagger of a California boulevard, as the chorus declares: “I like it better knowing I don’t have it all together.” Harper’s soaring falsetto complements the peppered lead guitar riff, giving listeners plenty of sunny texture to look forward to.
Track “Dried Blood” is a dip in atmosphere and stripped down in comparison, the acoustic picking pensive and cautious. This song’s lyrical melody is beautifully melancholy, but the strumming patterns are never dark; offering a versatile intimacy that could flourish within the walls of a solitary bedroom or floating alongside a each breeze. Harper faces the difficulties of healing from past failures, and casts out his doubts about the future in a fluttering falsetto: “Waiting for the waves to crash, [I’m] too far out to make it back.” Comparable to the scratching guitar strings from “Blind” is the slightest rustling noise in the background during the verses of “Dried Blood” – it suggests Harper is shifting positions in his seat as he plays. These “imperfections” cast a spell that is enthralling because it is realistic, as listeners are able to visualize Harper playing the music live.
Harper is at his most raw and desperate for the final track of Barely Put Together: “Best of Me” is an anthem best characterized by its rising anticipation and stadium earnestness. The first chorus offers a head-turning twist, as the muted beat and strumming actually shift to the back of the mix, granting Harper an open stage allow his vocal presence to take precedence. Electronica-style vocals layer behind the clear belting and gripping rasp, weaving a crowd of voices that proclaim Harper’s drift from heartache: “You’ll never get the best of me.”
Tracklisting
01. Blind
02. Don’t Hate Me
03. Better
04. Dried Blood
05. Best of Me
Follow Corey Harper here:
by Kira Cappello | Jun 27, 2019 | albums, review
For fans of Hayley Kiyoko, Sia, Carly Rae Jepsen, Dua Lipa, Charli XCX
Punchy, deliberate, and honest: On 6-track EP Uni-Fi, we meet many sides of X. ARI. Never holding back from her truth, X. ARI tells stories of her most confident and vulnerable moments alike over glittery soundscapes full of synth, undulating basslines and pounding club beats. The work covers a handful of essential topics for young people today: mental health, gender and sexuality, and of course, heartache.
Early on in the EP, X. ARI characterizes her “I don’t give a f—“ attitude that many, many artists have learned to embody over the years as a means of making a name in pop. This declaration, paired with a glicthy chorus peppered with onomatopoeic vocals, blast X. ARI through her own video-game-sounding world on track two titled La La La
ARI is well known as a fierce advocate for mental health, and this EP addresses her daily battles directly; specifically on tracksBreak-Point, Uni-Fi (ft. IRA X.), and Yin Yang (ft. IRA X.) The first track, Break-Point, is an effective invitation for listeners to dive into an alt-pop experience that could be characterized as an interpretive dancer’s dream come true.
Title track Uni-Fi feels wistful and hopeful, both sonically and lyrically. X. ARI explains her feelings of displacement, confessing, “I’m a little bit damaged…I’m together in fragments, a mosaic I’m trapped in”; but the tone of this song is optimistic, especially through the resounding chorus. While IRA X.’s contributions on the EP aren’t necessarily overwhelming, they complement X. ARI’s vocals nicely; adding dimension and even more synth, as well as highlighting notions of living in a gendered world. She divulges, “I’ll tell you a story of a girl and a boy trapped in the same body, just fighting for some space”.
The most telling narrative of X. ARI’s personal journey with mental health has got to be Yin Yang, also featuring IRA X. Considering how sensitive and emotional of a topic this must have been for X. ARI to write, one is almost left wishing that the song’s dynamic conveyed just a little bit more of those extremes than it does. That said, sometimes the pen is mightier than the- well, synth, and X. ARI scores a 10 for the vulnerability of Yin-Yang’s lyrics.
Perhaps one of the most enticing melodies on the EP lie in the token heartbreak track of the work, titled Everywhere. Contrasting the thrust of her alt-pop anthems, X. ARI uses a slightly softer vocal inflection and a floaty, oscillating hook that mates perfectly with the twinkly, echoing backdrop. The track is punctuated by muted, reverberating beats that could be a slowing heartbeat, or an explosion off in the distance. The most expressive song by far, it seems that on Everywhere, X. ARI is experiencing the feeling of both.
You can keep up with X. ARI on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram below.
http://www.xariofficial.com/
www.facebook.com/xariofficial
www.instagram.com/xariofficial
www.twitter.com/xariofficial
by Meredith Schneider | Jun 7, 2019 | albums, review
Brooklyn-based folk roots musician W.C. Beck recently released 10-track album First Flight. There is a warmth about the work in its entirety , from the first lines of initial track “Steel Bird” can attest to that, though if you listen through “Colosseum” and the slow, gorgeous demeanor of “The Long Way Home”, you just may come to agree with us. “Unknown Bust” speeds things up quite a bit, and could easily be the soundtrack to a sunny-day montage with all of your loved ones, while “A Place to Land” is more vulnerable, both lyrically and sonically.
“Powder Blue” is inspirational and uplifting in its disposition, and while we “turn it around” after listening, “Grey” brings us to a slow, simplified track that is just as melancholic and beautiful as the color itself can be. “(Holding on” To a Coast” has a glittering, summer country soul vibe to it, and it has us salivating over our next BBQ soundtrack. But “Among the Waves” is the true beach day staple, as you can truly imagine walking over the dunes to the waves in slow motion to this gem of a track. Beck rounds it all out with a layered, crawling beaut of a track called “Cathy Jo” that seems to be the most introspective and lovely track of the bunch. By the end, we feel relaxed and admire the adventure Beck was able to carve for us sonically.
01. Steel Bird
02. Colosseum
03. The Long Way Home
04. Unknown Bust
05. A Place to Land
06. Powder Blue
07. Grey
08. (Holding On) To a Coast
09. Among the Waves
10. Cathy Jo
Keep up with W.C. Beck here.
by Meredith Schneider | Jun 3, 2019 | albums, review
As you woke this morning and slowly blinked your eyes, I bet you were wondering just as much as we were. “Is it Sunday morning? Wait, is this the weekend that I’m blessed with or the dreaded Monday morning that my Sunday scaries highlight every week?” And here we are, surviving another solidly difficult and also incredibly wonderful Monday!
But if you truly want to celebrate in style, I’d consider checking out Sara Lew‘s new full-length, Sunday Morning. Comprised of nine tracks that pack a punch, she begins bass-heavy with “Does Anybody Listen” (No, they do not), which segues quite nicely into the deep sounds of the title track. “Same Old People” slows it down, beautiful percussion slowly building on top of the electric guitar chords. “Every Moment” has an almost haunting sound to it, while “Leave the Shed” gives more of a slow burn to its sound, and reminds the listener – as if they could forget – of Lew’s deep vocal range.
“Deep End” feels poetic in its existence, drawing a feeling of melancholy with it, while you get the distinct notion that the instrumentals are trying to lift you out of the melancholy. It’s distractingly beautiful, though the same can be said – perhaps, to a different degree – about the album in its entirety. While “The Balcony” is soft and plays a little more with dissonance than its predecessors, “You Said” picks up the pace and is perhaps the track we can see ourselves dancing most wildly to by an outdoor stage this summer, though each track on Sunday Morning is equally vibe-able. The “Sunday Morning” radio edit rounds it out, and leaves a taste so sweet that we can’t wait for more.
Keep up with Sara Lew here.
by Ian Schneider | May 10, 2019 | albums, review
Punk in every sense of the word, the Zig Zags’ new album They’ll Never Take Us Alive rings out loud and proud with electric guitars and metal riffs. From its lead off track “Punk Fucking Metal”, the Zig Zags let it be known that they are not messing around with their fourth album.
You can physically feel the metal influences in every single note and lyric sung. This listener appreciates the constant appearance of the galloping electric guitar, accompanied by fast kick pedals. Like something straight out of a Guitar Hero video game, the ever present guitar solo will have you wanting to do anything requiring physical energy, let’s just say, I don’t know, run head first into a roaring mosh pit. With all this speed metal talk, it is hard to look pastZig Zag’s ability to also slow it down, in a very punk rock way. Their track “Fallout” brings the tempo down just a hair, almost reminiscent of Dio’s “Holy Diver”. But, the consistent theme across the board is the methodical gallop of the electric guitar that will be ringing in your ears for days to come after listening to this album.
Zig Zags have been an ever evolving force in the punk rock landscape for years now, and their fourth album really puts on display their growth, in the most punk way possible. They’ll Never Take Us Alive is available now, and make sure to keep up with ZigZags here.
by Meredith Schneider | Feb 22, 2019 | albums, review
Following in our nostalgic-tinged soundscape-leaning pattern, noir pop duo 8MM – Juliette Beavan and Sean Beavan – we hear a little 90s pop woven in with their quintessential sound in “Self-Inflicted Heartache”, the first track off their new released Heart-Shaped Hell. As you may have guessed, the soundscape twists and turns after that, a bit more edge to “Supercrush” before leading into a true pop single with the title track, somehow delivered with an eery twist. “Bring It On” is the most moody of them all, the second half growing powerful with the added male vocals. The pair round it out nicely with “Move With Me” and its accompanying radio edit, slower paced, but filled with emotional range to keep you on a sort of edge regardless.
Stay on edge with Heart-Shaped Hell. It’s a wonderful experience.
Keep up with 8MM here.
by Ian Schneider | Feb 11, 2019 | albums, review
Tommy Bazarian’s, known by his musical space Lampland, debut album No Mood is debuting with a thunderous wave of emotion and sounds that will make you sway. Bazarian utilized his day job of being a radio producer to form the album’s lyrics, and his past formed the stories that are portrayed with drum loops, synths, and even a dash of some trumpets.
Bazarian’s vocals remind this listener faintly of The Smashing Pumpkins front man Billy Corgan. The whispering-moody feeling is definitely present throughout, but Bazarian makes it his own with his ability to compose unique music that is not like that of the loose comparison I have made.
This description on Lampland’s website, which you can find here, perfectly encapsulates what this debut album brings to the table sonically:
“In the spirit of Paul Simon’s solo albums, No Mood features almost as many genres as tracks. Alt-country rockers sit next to Elliott Smith four-track recordings, followed by dramatic full band arrangements. It’s all held together by Bazarian’s distinctive voice, by his vivid lyrics, and by his restless energy. Which, by the end of the album, he’s come to accept. ‘I know that you don’t blink insanely’, he sings. ‘Well, I do.'”
You can find more information on Lampland and No Mood at https://www.lamplandband.com/.
by Meredith Schneider | Feb 8, 2019 | albums, review
Italian shoegaze musical act Be Forest – comprised of Costanza Delle Rose (Bass and vocals), Nicola Lampredi (Guitar), and Erica Terenzi (Drum, synths and vocals) – released their new full-length today, a swirling and intense collection of songs titled Knocturne. Beginning with the moody instrumental track “Atto I”, the soundscape doesn’t vary too much heading into “Empty Space”, though additional background vocals and reverb are layered in. By third track “Gemini”, you realize the soundscapes are all strikingly similar, and that you’re truly on an instrumental adventure that could not have been laid out – and taken as successfully – any other way. “K’ is most notable for its quirky percussion amidst the same whirring guitars and intense disposition as its predecessors.
“Sigfrido”, somehow, brings us into an even darker soundscape, making this work of art much moodier than Earthbeat, which came before it in 2014. This song belongs in a transformational film, and we’re backing that idea 100%. “Atto II” has the clear markings of its first, though definitely begins in a more mysterious place, eventually exploding into a cacophony of ominous sound.
“Bengala” has a much more noticeable 80s influence, the beginning bringing the mood back up slightly. It doesn’t altogether abandon the darkness, as there are guitar parts that simply belong on the Warped stage and iron out any feelings of overwhelming lightness we may have shifted into. We wonder most about the inspiration behind the track “Fragment”, as it is packed with finesse and strength, leading us perfectly into last track “You, Nothing” which simplifies the instrumental pace slightly, allowing us to really enjoy Costanza’s vocals.
Keep up with Be Forest here.
