My day job isn’t running this blog, it’s being the editor of my college newspaper. In that job, I have to make a point to keep any and all biases I might have out. Readers, with this blog I have no such duty to avoid bias, and what I have to say about this album comes from a strong bias I have.
I suppose I should explain this bias I have towards this album. It’s an AA Bias if you will. I’m one of those people who will actually tell you an album changed their life. I’m not sure how it found it’s way to my iTunes library, probably from a music swap with friends, but one day Bondy’s softmore album When the Devils Loose started playing. I think I just hit accidentally hit play on my keyboard, and since A.A. is at the top of my iTunes, it started it. I listened all the way through the album.
It was a rainy day in October, I was pretty stressed out and well… the rest is history. From Mightiest of Guns to The Coal Hits The Fire, I really felt the album. I was transported from my dorm room in Edmond, OK to a Scott Bondy’s living room on a Mississippi night.
Music tastes different after you have yourself a nice big bowl of Bondy. He’s so peaceful, and the musicians he brings with him on his albums compliment him well.
So, needless to say, the idea of another album is pretty exciting. I haven’t forgotten about American Hearts, Bondy’s first album on his own, but it didn’t connect with my the way Devils Loose did. Besides, I wasn’t looking for a prequel; I was looking for a sequel.
Believers is the sequel I’ve been searching for.
The album starts strong. The Heart is Willing is one of the strongest tracks I’ve ever heard from Bondy, and it set a tone for the album that my heart understood a couple miles before my head did (I’m measuring that in miles because I since I do most of my “processing” in my car, it makes more sense to track it in terms of distance than minutes).
The ethereal ending to Heart is Willing goes quite before it leads off into Down in a Fire (Lost Sea). The opening riffs of this song are very Explosions in the Sky-ish, not only in sound but also mood. The song is very somber, very reminiscent of a Sunday evening in November after DST has ended. The track ends with about 45 seconds of delay and feedback effects. A bit different from what I’d expect, but it holds the mood and feels alright.
Skull and Bones is the first track I had to go back and listen to again. I normally like to do my first listen to an album all the way through, but I knew I had missed some stuff about the track and had to go back. The sound of the wind whispering, the harmonizing vocals, the light sounds of brushes on drum heads. The song is very cold. Cold like the first day in September when you should have brought a jacket, but you didn’t because technically it’s still Summer and well the low was only going to be 59, cold. It gave me goosebumps.
But here comes the turning point for the album. Bondy gives us a short break with 123 Dupoy Street and then he lays it on us with Surfer King, and boy does he lay it on thick. When the music swells in at about 3:05, you just ride the wave of sweet, sweet guitary goodness like a surfer king (see what I did there?). This is my favorite track on the album, by far. If you haven’t heard it, go listen to it right now over at NPR. It’s okay, I’ll wait.
After the strong swells and high tides, Bondy takes us on the road for Hiway/Fevers. When I close my eyes I imagine being a passanger in a car, hearing sirens, passing cars and just listening to the sounds of the road at night. Close your eyes, open your ears and free your mind. I have to be careful because it kind of feels like I’m going to be sucked into the song.
It’s not a surprise that the song Drmz has some of the most prominent percussion on the album. The song is a lot lower: in tempo, in tonality and in lyrics. Look at this line, “And if I said I believed in you / We still know what you would do/ Through the door into the blue, it burns.” It’s a dark look at life, and it pulls me down a bit, so I’m just going to go to the next song.
The Twist has a very different sound. It sounds more like a hybrid of his older stuff and the softer stuff he did as a part of Verbena. I felt broadsided by this track the first time it came on. It was like a different album started playing. It’s a good track, but it doesn’t feel like a part of this album.
I always get nervous when I hit the title track of an album. What if it sucks? To me, I always assume that an album’s title track is the artist’s favorite song, otherwise why would they call it that? Rt. 28/Believers might be Bondy’s favorite song on the album. I don’t know, I didn’t send him or his representation an email to find. If it is however, it’s a great choice. All the qualities that made The Twist feel weird to me are resolved in Rt. 28/Believers, which is great since Bondy gives us seven glorious minutes of slide guitar and soft drums.
Silly name, serious music. Scenes From A Circus wraps up a brilliant third album. I think Rt. 28/Believers is a good ending in itself, but the gapless nature of these two tracks put together just makes it even better. So what I said a few lines ago about seven minutes of glorious wonder ends up being more like 11. The tempo slows, the end feels close. Bondy gives us a few last lyrics, and then its cue the 17 second fade.
This album is good, real good. I mean The Twist is a bit of a “twist” in terms of how the album feels start to finish, but it’s not a ruiner. It feels like it’s either in the wrong place in the lineup more than it feels out of place for the album itself. Either way, I guess I could say I’m a believer now. An AA Believer. #pleasedontbecomeatrendingtopic #whyamiwritinginhashtags
All that said, it is with strong personal bias that I recommend you should stop reading this article right now and go listen to Believers on NPR, or buy it on Amazon (MP3 / CD / Vinyl) or iTunes.
If you’re interested in hearing the album that “changed my life,” When the Devils Loose is on Amazon, iTunes and Spotify.
There’s plenty of folks on the blogosphere who have been anticipating the release of Zonoscope by Cut Copy, but nobody at IHYEB has been anticipating it more than me.
I’ve been a big fan of Cut Copy’s signature sound since the release of Bright Like Neon Love back in 2004. One of my first posts here on IHYEB was a review of the Melbourne electronic rocker’s second album In Ghost Colours. I wish I could have linked that post, but it was lost with a crash back in 2008. Regardless, I love both albums a lot, as well as the countless remixes I’ve shared with you in the last few years. Next time I go back home I’ll be framing my Vinyl LP of In Ghost Colours in an album frame. So again, to say that I was excited for this album is a bit of an understatement.
Without further ado, let me recount my first hearing of Zonoscope.
The album kicks off with the song “Need You Now.” I really like the way it feels at 0:37 in the player below, just after the intro dies off. The song isn’t perfect, and for the exact reason I’m not exactly sure. I guess I could say that it feels like it hits way too late in the song. Let me explain, at 3:30 the song builds up, and then drops back to the semi-boring verse. I like the lyrics, but in an audial way, it stays pretty static most of the time. The song finally does “drop” closer to the 5:30 mark, but it left me feeling unfulfilled. I’m listening to the song at max volume on my system in my room and I didn’t get the feeling of euphoria when it dropped like I’d hope for it to. “Need You Now” was the one single I’d not heard before the album came out, and I was kind of sad that I started the album wanting more from one of the banner tracks.
Track 2 is the second single, “Take Me Over.” I feel like I bought this single about two months ago, and on the whole I was unimpressed with it. I’m still unimpressed with it, but don’t worry, the album is not even close to its climax. If anything this song has great remix potential, and some are already starting to make appearances.
Track 3, “Where I’m Going,” I previewed a few months ago. I wrote that I felt it had a vibe akin to that of The Avalanches, Melbourne, Australia electronic sampling kings, and now I don’t feel that way so much. The song is so all over the place in terms of style, so much so that I can’t say it mimics one artist or another. It’s not my favorite track of the album. At this point, I’m concerned. I’m three tracks in, all singles, and not one has grabbed me yet.
Thankfully, the album gets progressively better. I feel like the album hits the reset button with “Pharaohs & Pyramids”. The first three tracks are almost like trailers for a movie, but here’s when I begin to like this album. Lots of retro synth and tight reverb. It made me feel like a wallflower because I wasn’t dancing, but this all a good way to feel. This album, especially the middle part of it doesn’t sound like it was meant to be experienced sitting down. “Blink and You’ll Miss a Revolution” has one of my favorite moments on the album. The hook has a brilliant composition of sound, so much so that when I hear, ”Baby baby can’t you see / oh take it from me, oh take it from me /we’re on a path to eternity/ oh take it from me, oh take it from me,” I just start to feel like I’m in a club having a good time. I’ve seen youtube videos of the song live, and it doesn’t have quite the magic. I understand part of that is the fact that I was watching a video shot on an iPhone, but “Blink and You’ll Miss a Revolution” has so much complex sound that performing it live does sound like it would be hard to replicate the album feel.
“Strange Nostalgia for the Future” isn’t really a “song”, but it’s part of Cut Copy’s signature style. These short transition tracks make the world of difference in calculating the overall feel of an album. It makes a group of singles feel like a whole composition. So when it brings in my favorite song of the album, “This is All We’ve Got”, I know that the album is about to hit it’s prime. The song winds down and gaplessly turns into “Alisa”. This song has as similar feel to Bright Like Neon Love with less electronic feel and more instrumentation.
While there’s other tracks on the album I haven’t discussed I’m just going to skip them and go right into the album’s 15 minute long outro called “Sun God”. This is undoubtably the track that deserves the most attention, and definitely the most words. Now, I say that it deserves the most attention and the most of my review, but while listening to it, all I can think to do is sit back in my chair and stare at the ceiling in awe. This is by-far the best track on the album, and it’s a shame. What makes “Sun God” so good is that it is one big release at the end of the album. It covers the album’s climax, resolution, and denouement all in one track. I tried listening to it by itself, and it felt wrong. It felt like I cheated. If you want to watch a movie, you don’t skip to the good part, you have to wade through all of the building up, and that’s what the rest of the album is. We have to remember that track numbers and divisions are a convenience, not necessarily the way an album was meant to be listened to. So my plea to you, the reader, is that if and when you get a chance, enjoy Zonoscope in its entirety. Then, and only then, do I think you’ll get a full grasp of “Sun God”. (Extra Note: The editors of IHYEB do not condone drug use, but I’m pretty sure if you listened to “Sun God” while high your head might just explode.)
Now, let me wrap it all up. I’ll admit, it took me some time to warm up to In Ghost Colours, but as of right now I’m not ready to award Zonoscope the title of “My Favorite Cut Copy Album”. It’s good, and it will be considered among the best of the year’s electronic albums, but I have a special place in my heart for their previous work and I’ll just have to keep listening to Zonoscope for a while longer. Still, it’s worth picking up if you’re a fan of their previous works, or a fan of modern electronica.
Zonoscope is available wherever fine electronic music is sold (Amazon (CD $9.99+S&H)/ Amazon MP3 (MP3 $5.99) / iTunes (AAC $7.99) / Modular People Deluxe CD/Vinyl $30+S&H), and as a nice little bonus Cut Copy has put up an hour-long mixtape. The mixtape is also a part of a contest, and if you are one of the first 5 people to name the tracklist of the mixtape you could win sweet prizes.
From CutCopy.net We also have physical CDs available for the first 5 people who can guess the correct tracklisting. Send all attempts to info@punkdafunk.com. The first correct entry will also win a pair of tickets to the Cut Copy headline show nearest their hometown (Sorry, festivals are not included in this offer).
So Cutters get cracking if you want to win! The mix was posted yesterday and plenty of people have a headstart on the mix.
I hope your ears bleed while zoning out to Zonoscope. Ω
So, I thought I’d put together a little list of my favorite albums of the year. I never feel quite right about where I cut off the list, so to cope with my feelings, this year I’ve made an honorable mention consisting of…
Connect the Dots by Stacy Clark was an incredibly fun singer/songwriter album that crept up on my play counts. The Suburbs by The Arcade Fire had some standout tracks, but I couldn’t completely connect to the alt rock ensemble’s overdone anthem. Teen Dream by Beach House was at times truly haunting, Down the Way by folksters Angus & Julia Stone was charming, and undoubtedly Contra by Vampire Weekend was a strong effort for the indie-pop troupe. EyelidMovies by Phantogram had more sultry angst, catchy beats, and hooks than nearly any other album. And, folk mainstays Josh Rouse, Rocky Votolato, and Josh Ritter each put out respectable albums. Lastly, my number 11, just outside the magnificent 10, was Go by Jonsi. This album explores emotional highs and lows as well as the best Sigur Ros albums, and come quite hook laden to boot.
10. GoodOldWar – Good Old War. This folksy Philly trio reminds me a lot of a lighter-hearted Fleet Foxes. Their harmonies are tight and their story-telling is captivating. Check out my favorite track “That’s Some Dream”
9. Treats – Sleigh Bells. There’s no getting around the fact that this album is weird. But, I found its uniqueness refreshing and after letting it grow on me (substancially, I might add), I ended up really getting into the hardcore + beats + girl with beautiful voice combo. Standout track “Riot Rhythm” brings it home.
8. BrokenBells – Broken Bells. I’ve always been a fan of James Mercer when I came across his team up with Danger Mouse man Brian Burton, I fell in love – quickly. The album borrows bits and piece from The Shins sound, yet making its own and keeping it interesting. It has impressive highs and lows and sufficiently enigmatic lyrics to warrant a spot in my top ten. My favorite track has to be “Ghost Inside”.
7. GorillaManor – Local Natives. I was introduced to Local Natives through a free download of ”Sun Hands” early in the year. I enjoyed the song, but didn’t see a need to investigate much further. Throughout the year, though, I kept seeing their name crop around LA (their hometown as well) with shows and eventually my interest was peaked enough to get GorillaManor. I definitely do not regret it. They are an indie rock outfit with hints of folk scattered here and there, which I love. Both catchy and smart, it’s a find.
6. HalcyonDigest – Deerhunter. It’s the dark mystique of Deerhunter that keeps me coming back. One of the artists of which I never tire and really connect. No song is overdone or skimped on. What impresses me is the album as a piece with just the right amount of ambience to tie it all together. They’re subtly inventive and never overwhelming.
5. ForeignTapes – Parades. This album had me hooked from the beginning. The male/female paired vocal, ranging delicate to powerful guitars, and creative drumming did it. Really a captivating album with tons going for it. I’m surprised I haven’t heard more about this group. “Marigold” is a gem and really caps a well jelled album. With many favorites it was hard to chose, but enjoy another take-away – “Past Lives.”
4. Age of Adz – Sufjan Stevens. I’m a Sufjan fan and always look forward to how he’s morphed. His innovation is admirable and if it weren’t for his beliefs I think reviewers would be slobbering over him at every turn. When you consider Age of Adz in combination with All Delighted People, this guy did work this year. Truly a hero of the singer/songwriter, he, yet again, doesn’t disappoint. The album finishes especially well, and since “Impossible Soul” was too big to attach, enjoy “I Want to Be Well.”
3. Tourist History – Two Door Cinema Club. This was my indie pop mainstay album this year. A definite “go-to” for a pick me up. The Irish Trio falls somewhere between the Arctic Monkeys and Passion Pit for me. This album is quick, smart, and energetic. No dull points, and no throw-aways. Really a great debut. “Something Good Can Work” is one of my favorite songs of the year.
2. The Wild Hunt – The Tallest Man on Earth. One of greatest song writers of not only today but all time. At one point I actually found myself looking up what “cadejo” are. (It’s actually pretty interesting!) He’s a master of the story and a master of conveying emotion. His voice is raw, yet beautiful. I had the pleasure of seeing him live earlier this year and the experience really solidified it all for me. This will be an album I play for a long time. If you love Bon Iver, folk music, or just story telling, The Wild Hunt is a must.
1. HighViolet – The National. Brilliant, moody alt rock. Few bands relay the human experience better than The National. It seems that with every album since Alligator, The National has been ebbing its way closer to my favorite of all time. Though the body of work doesn’t yet merit replacing Radiohead, if they have another decade keeping with this trend I don’t know if I could deny them the honor. It may take you a while to “get” The National, but the rewards are worth the wait. High Violet is about as real as it gets. I could honestly pick any song to put on here, and it took me a while to settle on “Anyone’s Ghost.” I truly do hope you enjoy.
There is a young singer/songwriter that I want to introduce you to. Currently he is just a student at John Brown University, writing and playing music for his friends and family. I have a feeling that it won’t be long before his words and music are being heard by much larger audiences. There is a very raw power in his voice that reminds me of the likes of Damien Rice. He may not have the most soothing or pleasing voice, but he sure knows how to use it. Like Rice, his voice is one of his best instruments and he uses it stir up emotions in you that you didn’t even know were there. His debut album, Shadows & Shapes, is a piano driven record that explores one of man’s greatest fears: of being alone. It’s a very introspective and heartfelt record that I think shows a lot of potential of great things to come from.
Take a listen to a few of my favorite tracks from Shadows & Shapes. You can find the album on Emusic, Amazon, or iTunes. It’s a great record, through and through, and hopefully this album is merely the tip of the iceberg.
I had the opportunity to interview Howard recently.Here are some of his thoughts on the album and what is to come.
IHYEB: Did you record this album yourself?
Adam: Yes and I played all of the music, except for the upright bass and cello throughout the album and the electric guitar on the whisper track.
IHYEB: Where did you do the recording?
Adam: Various places…mostly places at JBU and around Tulsa. I think I used six or seven different pianos with the intent of capturing the character of the song in the character of the piano itself (that was the intent anyway).
IHYEB: How long have you been playing the piano? Did you teach yourself?
Adam: I started playing the piano mid-way into my senior year of high-school. I borrowed a digital piano from a friend so that I could learn to play in order that I might be able to play at my grandmother’s wedding reception. So, yeah I taught myself.
IHYEB: Have you ever had any formal musical training?
Adam: Not really…I had adrum lessons in the sixth grade (but I didn’t really learn how to play the drums until like 9th grade). I also played the violin in my middle-school and high-school orchestras. I don’t really do well with formal music, mainly because I can’t read music. I could probably learn if I applied myself, but I guess I never valued it enough (even though I am quite envious of people who formally understand music, especially of those who can sight read music really easily).
IHYEB: What was your inspiration for the record?
Adam: Life, I suppose was my inspiration…the dark side. It is about going to sleep at night and facing your fears and dreams and hopes and failures. It is about the figurative shadows and shapes in life, that may not be what we take them for…like the album cover, seeing the shadow of a lamp and thinking that it’s a ghost.
IHYEB: So what’s next for Adam Howard?
Adam: Well I sort of rushed this album because I told myself that I would release an album or EP by the end of last semester. So I rushed it in order to keep the promise I made to myself. But I have another album I am already working on that I am not going to rush. I’ll finish it when I figure out how to record in a manner that meets my liking.
My day job isn’t running this blog, it’s being the editor of my college newspaper. In that job, I have to make a point to keep any and all biases I might have out. Readers, with this blog I have no such duty to avoid bias, and what I have to say about this album comes from a strong bias I have.
