Leonard Cohen- You Want It Darker
In an
interview, Leonard Cohen was quoted as saying that he is ready to die. Leonard
Cohen doesn’t fuck around. He names his album You Want It Darker. You better
believe the album is going to be dark.
To preface,
I LOVE Leonard Cohen. When it comes to my top favorite artists of all time, he
is easily in the top 10. In his 50 years of actively releasing music, I’d say
he only has two weak albums out of 14 releases. That is very impressive. He has
had a very successful career for someone with a limited vocal range. His
lyricism and his knack for composition has made his work timeless. I can’t
imagine an open mic night without someone doing Hallelujah (and mistakenly
attribute it to the wrong person).
I actually
find myself not knowing exactly how to talk about this album. Casual music
listeners are probably not going to give it a chance once they hear the deathly
baritone, the slow, bare waltz that sounds like incantations, and dismiss it as
being boring or old fashioned. I see the album as a last testament, the final
words of a sage, preaching to us all is dark, all comes to an end, from
religion to love to peace, leaving us with the comfort of knowing that while it
all will disappear, it is all okay. We will “leave the table” someday and, like
he has, we will learn to accept it.
Songs to
Listen To: You Want it Darker, Treaty, If I Didn’t Have Your Love
Rating: A
powerful piece of work that should be essential listening. 9/10
Wilco- Schmilco
Listening to Schmilco reminded me
of eating caramel corn. You can eat a whole lot of caramel corn without
realizing you have, while at the same time being ambivalent about whether you
actually like it; I’ve listened to this album probably upwards of 10 times and
haven’t retained any of it. Sometimes I even forget that I’m listening to it.
If I focus on the words, I recognize that the lyrics can be sometimes sweet,
sad, reassuring, such as the quote, “happiness depends on who you blame.” The
music, midtempo and calming, lulls the listener into what I’m sure the band is
feeling at this point in their career: contentment. They’ve accomplished so
much. At one point, they were the faces of 2000’s alternative. This is why I’m
pretty okay with an album that isn’t necessarily pushing the bill, instead
being a batch of insightful, reflecting tunes, out of time with today’s
attention-grubbing artists.
Out of the blue, I get a text from
my friend that says, “Wilco naming their new album Schmilco is actually pretty
funny.” It’s one of those dad jokes that isn’t really funny in the clever way
but is charming and recalls a generational inside joke (Harry Nilsson’s Nilsson
Schmilsson). Schmilco isn’t postmodern or experimental or anything like that,
but it’s earnest, tried-and-true, and warm like any good father is.
Songs to
Listen to: If I Ever Was a Child, Quarters
Rating:
Unmemorable, yet humble enough to be drawn in. 6/10
Band of Horses- Why Are You Okay
Let me start
by saying that Cease to Begin was one of my favorite albums of all time. If you
sit and just listen to Is There a Ghost, I swear you’ll feel a chill down your
spine, be it from the emotional nature of the song or the haunted house you’re
sitting in, I don’t know, but you’ll feel something. However, I’d say they’ve
dropped off from that album on their following releases. Less so on Infinite
Arms, but a lot on Mirage Rock. I have a signed copy of Mirage Rock and it’s
always on the chopping block for clutter. If I can be bold, this album was kind
of make it or break it for them, in terms of whether or not any future Band of
Horses releases would be worth the listen. Their legacy could end up being
defined by 2 great albums and a smattering of okay ones. Did they pull out a
winner? Yeah, kind of.
WAYO isn’t
a classic. It is, however, a really, to the nth degree, good album. They sound
revitalized, motivated. If they came to town off their last album, I wouldn’t
have gone. I would stay home because I wouldn’t care to sit through what would
probably be a setlist consisting of the new songs. They will be in town next
week and can’t wait to hear these songs in concert. I’m even breaking my rule
and going to The Rave for it. Casual Party, the legit radio single, will be
great to see live just to soak in the atmosphere of the happy crowd. Whatever,
Wherever is one of my favorite songs of the year. The very modern sounding
Solemn Oath provide that break before the chorus that a live audience loves.
Honestly, this is a joy to listen to. My biggest problems with Why Are You Okay
is it’s a little more polished than I like my albums (personal preference) and
I have no idea why they started the album with an almost 7 minute slow burn.
Songs to
Check Out: Whatever Whenever, Casual Party, Throw My Mess, Barrel House
Rating: A great commercial release that a populist crowd will love 7/10
Lisa Prank- Adult Teen
Like it’s
namesake, Lisa Prank sounds bright and colorful and made for young “punker’s”
school folders. I can definitely see “Luv is Dumb” written atop of a cartoon
drawing of a mohawked young lady riding a rainbow to buy cigarettes. To a
certain respect, punk is a form of music that is more naturally radio ready
than a lot of the mainstream music. Tell me The Ramones weren’t the most
commercial sounding band ever. In the same vein, Lisa Prank has what makes that
lower middle tier of punk rock good; they’re fast, sugary, easy to understand,
and, occasionally, clever. The biggest downside of this album is that her
vocals get a little whiney after 11 songs. Not a huge negative considering
nasally is usually the status quo of punk.
Songs to Listen
to: Luv is Dumb, Why Can’t We Just Dance, Take it All.
Rating: Fun
album. I didn’t really connect to it as a grumpy 24 year old though. 5/10
The Cactus Blossoms- You’re Dreaming
Everything
about this album is aw shucks. A shout out to the early days of country, You’re
Dreaming is the perfect album for when your parents have a flashback. Made by
two hodunk Brando hunk brothers, The Cactus Blossoms are the modern day Everly
Brothers. Two brothers singing in harmony with each other about love, these
guys are the actual embodiment of “dreamboats.” It’s not all love-struck
ballads though, they can hot step too, like on their song, Clown Collector.
All modern
cynicism aside, I actually find this album to be a hidden gem. The instrumentation
is minimal and the brothers sound as sincere as one can be. There’s a doe-eyed innocence
about them that is really inviting. How can you not love a group that goes
against what is currently popular in music and replicate something they
obviously love? I feel in this day and age we are attracted to these classic
sounding acts because it connects us to a time that we couldn’t have the chance
to be a part of. It lets us escape from the problems of today and live in this
romanticized version of the past where people couldn’t wait to get to hand
holding level with their steady partner. A simpler and purer time, if only in
our heads.
Songs to
listen to: Stoplight Kisses, Clown Collector, Adios Maria
Rating: If you’re one of those
self-conscious music listeners that answer the question, “do you like country,”
with, “I like old country,” this is the album for you. 6.5/10
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