Muse - Black Holes and Revelations
It's very operatic, in the space sense. Imagine if Buck Rogers and Flash Gordon were surfing on cosmic waves above the Martian landscape and you get a pretty good idea of where this band comes from. Matthew Bellamy's vocals are laced with ethereal lyrics and an intensely razor-thin falsetto, the guitars buzz over the stratosphere, and the rhythms peal along with every track satisfyingly. I think it's a bit of a departure from the arpeggio-laden fare that riddled their two previous efforts and it's definitely a step in a more grand direction, but not a misstep at all. Enjoyable to say the least.
Bloc Party - Weekend in the City
Think of every band of the new wave era and then every band of the last few years that's dredged the sound out from the sewage and you would have a pretty good idea of where Bloc Party came from on their first self-titled record. The follow-up, while strong in its own right, suffers, maybe, from being a departure from the dance-rock flavor they became known for. You think Franz Ferdinand, you think New Order, but Bloc Party has instead gone more U2 and Coldplay. The guitars do not whip around as they did before, but instead cake layer upon layer of sound across every track. I have a feeling it might just be the initial listen, but I'm not liking it as much as the first right out of the gate. It requires more time, I guess, but it's listenable at least.
Tokyo Police Club - Self-titled
These Canadian gentlemen have gotten themselves some nice little reviews in the trades so I figured I'd grab it from the shelves. 7 tracks only, and it's a nice little record. Nothing really blows my socks off initially, but the energy of a young band is terribly impressive. The melodies are more punk than pop, but it certainly wavers in both territories for a bit longer than you'd imagine. It reminds me a lot of the We Are Scientists record as every track really ramps up the tempo but manages to stay together both musically and lyrically. There's no shouting or yelling, but a whole lot of fun. Not bad at all.
It's very operatic, in the space sense. Imagine if Buck Rogers and Flash Gordon were surfing on cosmic waves above the Martian landscape and you get a pretty good idea of where this band comes from. Matthew Bellamy's vocals are laced with ethereal lyrics and an intensely razor-thin falsetto, the guitars buzz over the stratosphere, and the rhythms peal along with every track satisfyingly. I think it's a bit of a departure from the arpeggio-laden fare that riddled their two previous efforts and it's definitely a step in a more grand direction, but not a misstep at all. Enjoyable to say the least.
Bloc Party - Weekend in the City
Think of every band of the new wave era and then every band of the last few years that's dredged the sound out from the sewage and you would have a pretty good idea of where Bloc Party came from on their first self-titled record. The follow-up, while strong in its own right, suffers, maybe, from being a departure from the dance-rock flavor they became known for. You think Franz Ferdinand, you think New Order, but Bloc Party has instead gone more U2 and Coldplay. The guitars do not whip around as they did before, but instead cake layer upon layer of sound across every track. I have a feeling it might just be the initial listen, but I'm not liking it as much as the first right out of the gate. It requires more time, I guess, but it's listenable at least.
Tokyo Police Club - Self-titled
These Canadian gentlemen have gotten themselves some nice little reviews in the trades so I figured I'd grab it from the shelves. 7 tracks only, and it's a nice little record. Nothing really blows my socks off initially, but the energy of a young band is terribly impressive. The melodies are more punk than pop, but it certainly wavers in both territories for a bit longer than you'd imagine. It reminds me a lot of the We Are Scientists record as every track really ramps up the tempo but manages to stay together both musically and lyrically. There's no shouting or yelling, but a whole lot of fun. Not bad at all.
On deck this time: The Good, the Bad, and the Queen. The Shins. Of Montreal .
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