Fontaines D.C. : "Dopamine Chamber"

 The 5th album by this Irish band finds them returning to the studio with Depeche Mode producer James Ellis Ford who worked ithe band on their previous album. The album wakes up with the atmospheric synths of "Six Shot Morning", it lingers here until the groove creeps in. The lyrics are muttered in a reverbed out stream of consciousness. Then the lead single "Marianne" moves things in a hookier direction with melody at the forefront. Vocalist Grain Chatten wrote the album's lyrics on a trip to Italy, which must have been a very introspective journey for him. Cascading strings draping the background are not a novelty in Brit-pop; they prove effective here. 

"Mimesis" drifts into a moodier and marginally darker sonic space. There is a great deal of pondering going on in this album that takes it in a Cure like direction, though not as dark. Melancholic speculation colors "Happy For You". The vocal melody drifts over the lingering instrumentation beneath it.  Rock guitar crashes in to bring things to a climax and give more dynamic heft. "Demolition" is more overtly Britpop, doing what Oasis attempted better than they did.I did not expect them to be spearheading a Britpop revival but that is what it feels like. 

Going into this review, "Tongue" is my favorite song on this album, as the vocals dance around the droning music beneath them in an infectious way that feels perfect. This songwriting approach is contrasted by the more ambient drift of "One Man". It gains some momentum as it flows into a stoned shuffle. Rosalia joins them on "Where is Gone," the first time they have had a guest on an album. This duet serves as a haunting ballad that works well with their voices. She is basically Italy's Lana Del Rey.

There is a subtle, almost trip-hop groove to "You Miss Me" that helps the vocal and keeps things moving rather than allowing the the already ballad-heavy album to be weighed down.  "Japan" is another ballad that leans into the wistful strum of acoustic guitar; it was the song I was least excited about when it came to the first three songs I heard leading up to this album's release. "Intimate" finds the drone of a more sullen vocal setting the tone amid the ambiance as the groove finds its feet. I will give this album a 10; it's their most thoughtful work, and yet it has a bigger impact on the music scene in its wake. 

TVAM : "Ruins"

This electronic artist from Manchester plays a dark mix of dream-pop that warbles its way into something that is vvitch house adjacent at times. The opening track mesmerizes you with its sound, then the second song finds him proving he can write songs as well, but in such a way that it sets the tone for the rest of the album. "The Words' is more upbeat and comes across like a lo-fi version of early Cold Cave. But it still works, though I hope the rest of the album is not in this direction, but more like the first two songs. I would be more likely to call this cold wave than dark wave as it's not as dark and less dramatic, with the dream pop atmosphere he dips into from time to time softening the mood. 

"Real Life" finds the synths coming more forward, before they really head out to the dance floor on "Power Blue" which is weird enough for me to like it. I can hear Cold Cave comparisons, with his voice being the main thing that separates the two, as it's a more delicate touch than the cavernous croon Wesley employs. The groove darkens on ''Follow Me Home", I can easily hear this fitting into a goth night DJ set. It was pointed out to me that they also might be compared to Drab Majesty, but this is more driving dance music.  

There is a more early Depeche Mode feel to " Love Like Glue". It is another dance floor banger. I think the fact there is a diverse range of sounds on this album rather than just painting himself into a corner."Sweetness and Light" finds them getting into murkier waters as they float into a shoegaze haze. Their darkest. Moment closes the album. If it wasn't for the vocals, this might cross over into gth whih would be the second song to really do so. Just so we are clear, this is not a goth album, but it is adjacent enough to appeal to the cross-section of the fan base that is into the newer indie electronic music. I think it captures a great mood as I am a sucker for hypnotic, drugged-out music, so I wil give it a 9.5.

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Ride : "Interplay"

I really liked "Weather Diaries" the first album of their comeback. This album is both more surreal and more optimistic. I am sure with the last album I mentioned these guys occupying a similar sonic zip code as Stone Roses. Though it sounds like they are smoking more pot than Stone Roses on this album as it carries an alluring swirl. It is wonderfully mixed, though I am giving it the initial listen very loudly through a pair of headphones which is the recommended manner in which this album is best ingested. It was produced in a manner that captured the most pristine sounds possible from the instruments. The bass tone rumbles perfectly. This provides the needed throb to hold together these dreams that they are passing off as songs.  The dynamics are stunning as the intense jam of "Light in a Quiet Room" is pretty stunning. 

"Monaco" sounds like it is a long-lost song from the late 80s. It dances with a radio-ready groove, though today's radio is not ready for it. I like the atmosphere of "I Came to See the Wreck" which gives spaces for the vocals to coast along its smooth grooves. "Stay Free" is the first song to not keep the momentum going as it breaks down to an acoustic strum and drones over the sound haunting it. It works for what it does, I just prefer where they were going for the first five songs. Thanks to the bass line of "Last Night I Went Somewhere to Dream".  Though the arrangement is a little odd, with the section you might expect the chorus to just drift off. It should be mentioned these guys have captured some truly stunning sounds on this album.

I like the vocal production on "Sunrise Chaser". The song is more upbeat than I expected but it works well.  Once again a killer bass line proves to be better than a sturdy guitar riff on "Midnight Rider". "Portland Rocks" drones on its narcotic pulse in a more intense take of what came from the 90s in this vein. Speaking of the 90s they do a really great job of blending electronic elements with their more organic instruments for "Essaouira". Nothing is dynamically complex, it just works off feeling. The syrupy coo of the vocals continues to work for them. This falls more on the dream pop side of shoegaze. The last song is so thick on the ambiance that despite the vocals being the focal point it feels more like an outro rather than a song. I will give this album a 9.5, as aside from the last track it excels at what it set out to do and bridges songwriting with the most lush sonic trippiness they could have captured and still kept these songs in the physical plane of existence. If you are a fan or a fan of the shoe gaze genre this album is a must. 

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IDLES : "TANGK"

 

Working with Radiohead's producer certainly has changed things. The album opens with a very melodic introspective piece before blasting into the first proper IDLES song "Gift Horse". This is supposed to be an album of love songs, but the punchy delivery might make you question that. There is more groove to this. It is more post-punk and less punk, which I prefer. Bloc Party with less Gang of Four influence might be a fair point of reference. 'Pop Pop Pop' almost feels like hip-hop. Joe Talbot navigates these less organic beats with ease. 'Roy" is darker and less dancey. Talbot's voice has really improved over the year and on this album, he is a legit singer. His range might have only marginally improved, but he has a keen sense of where to put his voice and knows his limitations. 

His new improved voice can best be heard in "A Gospel". While I appreciate his performance, the song itself is the kind of ballad that would have been better left for Radiohead, as it does not play to the band's strength. "Dancer" however finds the new direction working more effectively as it takes what they do and expands upon it. The way they have expanded the sonic colors they paint these songs with is impressive. 'Grace' finds them falling back into more electronic balladry. Once again appreciate the effort but it might have been better left to Radiohead. "Hall & Oates' finds the pace picking up and their instruments plugged back in. The middle section has Talbot's vocal performance yet. 

'Jungle" manages to compliment the album's more introspective direction while being dynamic and not falling into balladry that is outside of their wheelhouse. I like the lurking mood of "Gratitude". The thing about experimenting with your sound is some are going to work better than others. This can be heard in the last song, which is less effective in this regard. I will round this up to an 8.5, not album of the year quality, but I respect the growth they made, there are some solid fun songs on here. If you are looking for a punk album this is not it. 

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the Smile : "Wall of Eyes"

 Johnny and Thom are back for their sophomore release with their side project that at first seemed like a one-off release. These songs were written while on tour. It opens with the title track which is a strummed guitar being buried by the ambiance and Yorke's trademark coo. What seemed to work so well on the first album is not being repeated here and instead, we are getting a glut of atmosphere that mired down many of the latter-day Radiohead songs. Things wander more in the second song. I can only think Thom York must be getting high as hell to repeatedly go to this sort of thing as his songwriting default. 

They pull out of this on "Read the Room", which seems a decent compromise, as it has enough groove to stick to your ears, while a fair share of surreal trappings for it to float in on. The vocals feel more purposeful with this backbone from him to sing over. The bass line provides even more meat here. They wander into more proggy goodness with "Under Your Pillow".  It does sound more like the lost Radiohead outtakes. Some of the blame here lies in Yorke's distinct voice. To his credit, it is impressive his falsetto is still this fluid. There is more struggle on this album with the song vs sound situation. They are great musicians so they can capture this sound without a great deal of studio wizardry and just jamming along with their instruments. However, this feels more like jamming than songwriting. The last two minutes of "Under Your Pillow" drowning in ambient noise. 

"Friend of a Friend" adheres more closely to the conventions of songwriting, as it sounds like it could be jazz-rock from the late 70s. They reuse the use of delay on his voice which Yorke has experimented with before, as his lyrics are a stream of consciousness. "I Quit" tries to remember where it was going as it wanders through the clouds. "Bending Hectic' has more substance to it, though it is just a jammed-out version of familiar ground. The final two minutes find them actually rocking out, which was an unexpected turn of events. The opening piano chords to the last song are enough to let me know the previous song, got all the rock out of their system. Yorke's ethereal falsetto slides in to do what he is expected to do at this point. 

This album might be a meandering exercise in indulgence for Yorke and Greenwood, but it is still better than what most indie rock bands are doing. However, I will round it down to an 8.5, as it feels like a great deal of themes are being recycled here.If you are a Radiohead fan you will find this hits the spot without delivering. 

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Pale Waves : " My Mind Makes Noises"

I've been collecting singles from the band leading up to this album. So I've been looking forward to it. While I've  described this band to friends as a mix of Taylor Swift with the Cure. The opener is pretty bubble gum, but well done for what it. You don't get to hear the meat of what they do until "There's a Honey". The hook in the chorus is subtle, but I've woken up at 4 AM with it in my head as I stumble to the bathroom. It's songs like this one that have provided a soundtrack to my summer and navigating the first feelings of new relationships. There is a unhinged vulnerability to her lyrics that resonates with me. The title track has lyrics I can really relate to in regards to where anxiety and neurosis mixes with the initial burst of chemicals that comes with fluttering stomachs. Heather's voice alone can induce some fluttering, as since this is an album review I'l just letting the pictures do the talking in regards to her other key selling points.


"Came in Close" is a more upbeat dance song. I feel pretty positive when I hear it, though it is moments likes these that puts them very close to Chrvches zip code. "Loveless Girl" is moodier though with pop slick production. Like many of these songs the strength lies in the honesty of the lyrical narrative, which makes what would other wise sound like smart pop, even sharper.  There are hints of the 80s, one of the biggest influences seems to be Cyndi Lauper. "Drive" shows how Heather can throw her voice around as needed. The guitar is often mixed against the synths pretty closely so until there is distortion on them like in this song it can be hard to make out where they begin and keyboards end. Production wise the album is immaculate it one of the best vocal mixes I have heard since Taylor Swift's album. "When Did I Lose It All" goes into a chorus that makes me think of if the Cocteau Twins were a pop band instead of ethereal elf songs. This might be the strongest song that was not a single.

"She" is an atmospheric ballad that has a teenage jealousy to it that I don't relate to as much. There is an actual guitar solo on this one. "One More Time" is a bouncy break up song. It's anthem like chorus doesn't work as well for me as the verses. "Television Romance" is one of the more 80s sounding singles, but it's also a great fucking song. The guitar riffs sound like Prince while her voice has a quirk that really works. "Red" is more guitar driven that the bulk of the album, and proves the band does have a more organic side. Lyrically it could be a Tay Tay b-side, it's also the first song where she admits to being a vixen. The guitar is what really brings this one home and sets them apart from radio pop. "Kiss" might be my favorite song from these guys, though the lyrics factor into this. "Black" is another love gone wrong song. It's her voice that really sells it though more guitar in the verses doesn't hurt anything. It gets stripped way down to an acoustic guitar on "Karl". It's raw vulnerability that really sells this song. This band proves Brit pop doesn't have to have anything to do with the Beatles. I'll round this one up to a 10.

Ride : "Weather Diaries"

Robert Smith once refused to play a festival unless this band was added to the bill. One of the forefathers of shoe gaze, they proved to be more versatile than other bands in the genre.The guitar tones on this album are incredible. The breathy vocals you are used to hearing on shoe gaze albums, come in but stronger than some of the breathy moans as they are able to harmonize and ride the groove with confidence. After bringing you in with a dreamy groove the second song feels like British garage rock.. The production is very different. The vocals sit behind the reverb heavy guitar. It borders on being too upbeat and happy for me, but after I gave the album a few listens I didn't really mind it. Weird ping pong delay is put on the vocals that are used more as a effect to open "All I Want". The vocals have more of an Oasis feel, which is no mistake as Andy Bell played bass for Oasis at one point. They also hover in the same psychedelic air as Stone Roses. The hooky vocal melodies being one of the strong points.

"Home is a Feeling" finds the guitar more strummed and the vocal harmonies carrying more of a Pink Floyd ambiance. Like most of Pink Floyd's albums this would be a great one to smoke pot to. If you do drugs of any flavor I would highly recommend this. Which is a decision that is easily made even when you are only on the fourth song.The title track a little more melancholy and benefits from a smooth groove where every thing falls in place for the relaxed vocals to add to the mood. It all feels pretty effortless here. The lyrics "it's too perfect something's gotta give" could be more appropriate to describe the music.This song is seven minutes but it breezes by in a way that stops time. It sounds at one point like the song is getting sucked into a David Lynch movie when things begin to get weird.

The weird continues as the first half of "Rocket Sliver Symphony" is atmosphere before busting into lush Brit Pop.  A 90's alt-rock bass lines propels the more driving "Lateral Alice" . "Cali" works off a similar formula but is more relaxed. The atmosphere is laid on even thicker  for "Integration Tape" making it more of an interlude than a song. "Impermanence" is the first song that really adhere's to today's definition of what we have come to think of as Shoe-gaze. There is a much more grandiose tone to "White Sands" that closes the album. It weaves a very dynamic path in the arrangement and makes me think of what it might sound like if Brian Wilson wrote a song for Radiohead.  It's pretty easy to round this album up to  10 as it's easy on the ears and is a testament to their songwriting prowess. Good to have these guys back.

Radiohead : "A Moon Shaped Pool"

The rule of thumb for Radiohead after "OK Computer" has been when the bar is high, then it's time to get weird. Expect more electronic than anything coming close to "the Bends".  Piano paves the way for ethereal trickle of "Daydreaming", which going for a ballad on the second song is dialing it way back. Sure Thom Yorke has a great voice. He is still able to sing in a fragile tenor that borders his head voice in order to convey an emotional vulnerability that makes him one of music most unique voices. Not sure any one else aside from maybe Robert Smith or David Bowie could have really pulled this song off. There is another minimal atmospheric drift anchored only by the vocals on "Decks Dark". It is the first song where I begin to hear hints of guitar. The guitar picks up the groove and makes a very subtle entrance. Acoustic Guitar starts off "Desert Island Disk" has has an almost Led Zeppelin like feel to it. Don't hold your breath waiting to rock out. Like the bulk of their catalogue this would sound great on chemicals and it's hard to imagine them writing "Ful Stop' without being high. It does build up nicely, but weird wise it's on the dark side of the spoon.


The lines between Radiohead and Sigur Rios, become more blurred by the time you get into "Glass Eyes" and it's really Yorke's voice that makes that distinction. The bulk of the album's weight really rests on Yorke's voice which is what sells" Indentikit". Guitar finally finds it's way into the song , but the show has already been stolen by the crystal pipes of Mr. Yorke. The songs are all fairly to the point with the five and a half minute "the Numbers" being one of the album's more ambitious moments and another point where the ghosts of classic rock past come to haunt them. It's like ghostly gospel in some places. "Present Tense" doesn't find them breaking any new ground, but doing a variation of what they have given us on previous albums. It continues to be well done and is hard to arguing against if this is their version of re-hashing. There is a slight country feel to it. By country it's been shot past the milky way and landed in a crop circle out side of Nashville.

There is less holding "Tinker Tailor Soldier Sailor..." together. When people say they don't like Rush because of Geddy Lee, I can understand. When some one says they don't like Thom Yorke this song and the one that follows "True Love Waits" are good arguments against him, though his voice is also the glue that holds the best of these songs together. This album is not as good as "In Rainbows", and Radiohead fans will try to convince themselves tis is even though it is closer to the being the band's "the Final Cut". Every Radiohead album should be a 10, but this one is sadly only a 7.5, as high as some bands can aspire to climb, but this is a band who made perfect albums and is now dialing in these lullabies, so perhaps the band took down all their social network sites so the backlash of snoring to come would not be felt by this snooze fest.

Skunk Anansie : "Anarchytecture"

If you aren't familiar with this band, you are more than likely American or born after 1990. In the States, the brushes with mainstream came from Skin lending her voice to a Deftones song and Kevin Bacon singing along to them in the car in the movie "Hollow Man".The opener is smooth electro rock with a cool vocal hook that made me forget the harder rock elements of "Post Orgasmic Chill" are still intact, and this is perhaps more along the lines of the Gathering's current state of the union. Electronica has always been an influence; they have just made more of a transition. The guitar that is present is hardly overdriven until the second verse of "Victim". It all is riding on Skin's voice, which is a good place to hedge your bets from. She isn't flexing her pipes in the quite as dramatic a manner as she once did , but she still has the goods.

The pop rock of "Beauty is Your Curse" might be better than most of the new rock music that surfaces on the radio. "Death to the Lovers" is an effective pop ballad that is sugar free and well done. The next song that really grabs me like their earlier work is "In the Back Room" that plays of a disco like tension similar to "Edge of Seventeen". The thick bass line to "Bullets" gives the song a more Nine Inch Nails like thump. There is a more punk strut to "That Sinking Feeling" that finds her voice going up from her more sultry mid range into her upper register. The riff reminds me of something Hole might have done, Skin's voice give it much more bite than the likes of Courtney Love could every muster.

Things drop back down into a more introspective and minimalist electro with her capable voice bared until the chorus, when it builds up into something more akin to A Perfect Circle. The bass joins her on the second verse, and they add sonic layers from there. The beat gets harder for the more 90s alternative styled interlude "Suckers!" that finds them with a more fuzzed out stoner rock guitar tone. They stay in this harder rock mode for "We Are the Flames," which seethes with a slow build. The way into goes into the chorus seems like they have been taking notes from Muse. They close the album with the more ballad-like "I'll Let You Down". While her voice sounds great here, I'm waiting for the song as a whole to congeal into something tangible. I'll give this one a 9.5 and see how songs like this last one grow on me, no question this is more of a return to form for them, even if they have mellowed with age.

The Libertines : " Anthems For Doomed Youth"

 They got the band back together, after Doherty's tabloid worthy battle with addiction. I am not sure why I have never really given the band a shot until, now but what appeals to me is their admiration for the Smiths and Morrissey, which their sound winks at but is not dominated by. There is some crooning, but obviously they make no attempts to touch Morrissey...and really how could they?  Their is a driving punk edge still retained on the opener. The vocals are emotive and raw, but still sung. The guitar has a jangle to it at times. " Gunga Din" the first single off this album as a more drugged out swagger which would otherwise sound like the Clash. The lyrics to this are autobiographical.



The dandy turn they take on "Fame and Fortune" is a little too happy. It sounds like something little English boys clean their bum's too, not unlike Spinal Tap's "Cups  and Cakes" the kind of song that shows they had way too much time in the studio. The do achieve the 60s sound they were going for. Mike drops into more of a croon on the title track. His voice sound good on this one, it is somewhat poppy, but well handled. I get a little hesitant when they pull out the piano for "You're My Waterloo", but for a ballad things are pretty decent.  The Smiths thing surface , most notably in the bass line on 'Belly of the Beast". Like the Smiths they are able to incorporate varied styles into their sound almost building up into a gospel cadence. Things back down into the slower strum of "Iceman" , the ballad is hesitantly played. It's not until the drums and re-verb heavy guitar colors the background that it really feels like a more fully formed song. In the final minute the chorus builds into something more substantial.

They catch a more solid groove thanks to their bass player on "Heart of the Matter" . They begin to steer clear of the ballad with  the more ballsy rocking strut of 'Fury of Chonburi" . This returns to their older garage rock sound. While it might not launch them into their more punk sound"The Milkman's Horse" finds a better balance between their more melodic side , but with out killing the momentum and slowing into a sappy ballad. That punk side is indulged on "Glasgow Coma Scale Blues" . The piano returns on "Dead For Love" .  I can appreciate the emotion put into these moments , but it is not their. strongest side. Overall this album is pretty damn good I'll round it up to a 9, so the strong moments are pretty on point.

Muse: "Drones"

While the harmony vocals that sweep in to greet you from the album's onset, feel like  Def Leppard taking a dip into dance music, you can't deny Matt Bellamy's voice and the rest of the band's talent. I once was a big fan of the band earlier in their career, but some of their pop antics began to turn me off to them, but I have always respected them and adhere to the fact they are one of the few decent bands on modern rock radio.Here the idea's are being spread thinner like 80s Cheap Trick, as it seems like you have almost already heard them play the kind of groove that moves "Psycho". Little tricks on the chorus sound like something Queens of the Stoneage would do.


Fuzzed out bass throw against piano and Bellamy's pleading vocal is nothing new for the band, they do pull it off with more gusto than some like Coldplay can. "Mercy" has a big chorus, but not enough meat on it's bone to support it.  They wait til "Reapers " to rock out which opens with Van Halen shredding and goes into a Police like funk set against more 80s rock. I like the balance of their new electronic side with the rock of old on "The Handler". Bellamy's voice sounds great here and the song has a dark current flowing in between the lines. The keep rocking on "Defector". The break down on the second verse is as formulaic as the chorus , but even when they are working of formula it still works out better than most bands good days. There is still an element to the melodies and lyrics that feel a little dialed in. The vocal line to the opening verse of "Revolt" sounds more genuine. Unfortunately the chorus doesn't live up to the initial tone set. The vocals are well produced and the entire album has an immaculate mix, its just dumbed down radio fodder.

The ease into the ballad like "Aftermath". The vocals continue to excel, but he doesn't give himself anything interesting to do and plays it too safe. The guitar is smooth and tasteful, but it's typical power ballad. In someways it reminds me of something that would be on one of Brain May's solo albums. The guitar tone on "the Globalist" is cool and reverb heavy. But this turns into another U2 like ballad, until the heavier section bursts out midway through. This doesn't come as a dynamic surprise as the bass line really telegraphs it.  The Bohemian Rhapsody like ebb back to the piano at the end of the song really doesn't feel like it is adding a helluva a lot.

They wrap things out with the choral title track, that finds overdubbed harmonies wrapping around one another. While an impressive display of vocal power, if I wanted that sort of thing I would have listened to something by composer John Adams. I'll give it a 7 as it has its moments as a sonic spectacle even at its worst and at best there are a few songs I like but don't feel the need to have them on the old iPod.