Thao & Mirah | A Review of Their Self-Titled Album

Thao Nguyen and Mirah Zeitlyn have teamed up for a Self-Titled album set to be released in late April of 2011. The two paired up to do this collaboration after touring together with their respective bands; Thoa and the Get Down Stay Down and (just) Mirah. Thao and her band came out with a critically well received album not to long ago called, We Brave Bee Stings and All. It was a well crafted indie folk rock album that was reminiscent of Feist’s later work. As for the collaboration between Thao and Mirah, one might be hard pressed to find something negative to say about it. The two singers share the vocal duties on this album and they also manage to pull out some truly amazing harmonies. Their voices blend in a way that would make Simon and Garfunkel envious.

The album itself has a distinct grass roots vibe to it, some tracks even boarder on country. The real standout track on the album is Folks, which leans heavily on the vocals of Thao more so than Mirah, but it’s the horns that make this track subtle and sweet. Thao & Mirah’s album is loaded with tracks of a high caliber that are worth multiple listens.   

Let's Fucking Wrestle Again | A Review of the Latest Let’s Wrestle Album Nursing Home

London based band Let’s Wrestle is set to release their second album Nursing Home in May of this year.   For those who appreciated the band’s debut album a follow-up was felt like a long time coming, even though it has only been two years. Their debut album, In The Court of the Wrestling Let’s was one of the most impressive and fully formed freshmen album released in 2009. Their musical style is a somewhat stripped down rock with minor detuned harmonies that permeate the band’s sound. The music of Let’s Wrestle is best suited for gritty little bastards who have problems with authority but none with women.  The boys of Let’s Wrestle Wesley Patrick Gonzalez, Darkus Bishop and Sam Pillayl have always had a touch of smugness to their lyrics that speaks to the listeners more sardonic sensibilities. You know those feelings. The ones that make you smirk and roll your eyes at sappy platitudes and aphorisms and also at people with overly developed vocabularies.       

Nursing Home starts off with In Dreams Part II, a tip of the hat to one of the band’s previously released songs. The new album starts off with a rattle and hum tracks, which is not totally unexpected from Let’s Wrestle. The track In The Suburbs feels like it’s paying homage to Arcade Fire’s last album of a similar title. But instead of being an introspective piece about the seemingly endless cycle of growing up, fleeing from and then not wanting to die in The Suburbs, Let’s Wrestle takes a more practical approach and focuses on the niceties. This track might have some of the familiar elements in it, but doesn’t take on that dismissive tone characterized in the band’s first album. In The Suburbs is just a bit too sweet.  By the middle of the album you start to wonder, where are the My Schedule and We Are The Men You'll Grow To Love Soon sort of songs on Nursing Home? Luckily the album shifts gears after the endearing, if not slightly depressing, track For My Mother, which recounts the passing of a loved one beat for beat. The tone of the album becomes more recognizable as that of Let’s Wrestle when the track I’m So Lazy turn arrives on the album’s queue. I’m So Lazy is an anthem for the post-modern stackers among us, those who are brutally self-aware of their own apathy and don’t really give a shit about it.

How does Nursing Home stack up against In The Court of the Wrestling Let’s?  The number of memorable tracks of the new album is far fewer than that of their first, but in the end Nursing Home turns out to be a solid follow up to Let’s Wrestle’s fantastic debut album.      

Release Date May 17^th

Let's Wrestle - I'm So Lazy from Welcome To The West on Vimeo.

Fleet Foxes | Is Helplessness Blues A Good Album?

Unlike Fleet Foxes Self-Titled freshmen album, which was almost an unfettered explosion of melancholic emotion, Haplessness Blues has that same harrowing sense but goes even further exploring the anger side of the Starbucks friendly band. The Seattle based folk band made a sizable impact on the music scene when they came out with their Self-Title debut back in 2008. They were everywhere and on every movie and television soundtrack that was in need of a moment with a hint of longing to it. And even though it was the band’s first album, Fleet Foxes were in their rightful place with an album that had a level of quality that spoke for itself. Their popularity spurred on a host of other bands that tried to make their own mark on the indie folk scene. The amount of pressure on Fleet Foxes must have been immense, given the success they had right out of the gates.

Helplessness Blues does not tout a massive shift of style for Fleet Foxes. No, their brand of harmony riddled vocals and acoustic guitar portions, that would make any fan of the first album tingle with joy, permeate Helplessness Blues. One clear difference between this album and their last is a distinct aggression and angst imbedded in the lyrics. The track Battery Kinzie off of the new album is particularly interesting because of how its lyrics recount an obvious and surreal anxiety dream that would put the fear of god into any musician, the line goes: “I woke up one morning, all my fingers rotten.” The rest of the track continues in the same abstract direction, and makes for one of the strongest songs on the entire album. There is still sweetness in the music of Fleet Foxes, if you are a listener who is looking for more of an Oliver James kind of track, you will find it in Lorelai.

It turns out that Helplessness Blues is a great album and a solid follow up to the band’s first album.

           

Timber Timbre | A Review of Creep On Creepin On

Timber Timbre, a band out of Toronto Ontario, has been making some indie waves over the past few years. The band has put out three other albums, 2006's Cedar Shakes and 2007's Medicinals and a Self-Titled album in 2009. Their latest effort is called Creep On Creepin On, which is a bit of a continuation of their third album, with its dark and consoling distinctive musical flavour. Lead singer of the band, Taylor Kirk possesses a distinct vocal aptitude when singing and is able to reflect both an understated strength and overwhelming unease.

Timber Timbre takes its influences from a host of genres and eras, what results is a style of music that is getting harder and harder to place. One thing is for certain though, Creep On Creepin On should be listened to now, by anyone looking for something a bit Grimm in their musical library.

However, when comparing Creep On Creepin On to Timber Timbre’s Self-Titled album their latest album is without a doubt less somber than the last. A gently played piano fills the backdrop of the entire album, accompanied by the Kirk’s voice, there is a certain atmosphere created, one that Billie Holiday could call home.  The album will drop on April 5^th 2011. 

Dumbo Gets Mad | Elephants At The Door A Review

Originally from somewhere in Italy the unknown artist behind Dumbo Gets Mad is now based out of Los Angeles. His debut album Elephants At The Door has garnered critical praise due to its timeless musical feel and overall quality. Dumbo Gets Mad is essentially a throwback psychedelic album, something that would lift the hearts of The Grateful Dead and Frank Zappa fans alike. The album’s tracks play out like scenes from ‘60s Fellini films, very abstract and engrossing.

There have been a number of good psychedelic albums to come out in recent memory. Dr. Dog, Sunset Rubdown and anything with Jim James in it are some of the more noteworthy contributors to this musical revival. Any band that takes on this diverse style of music needs to accomplish one thing, and that is creating music that is both unpredictable and entrancing. Dumbo Get Mad is hazy and dreamlike throughout its first album and manages to take the listener to interesting places. This vintage feel only becomes more endearing as the album runs through its ten tracks. Elephants At The Door is not perfect though, the track Sleeping Over has some of the most undesirable vocal portions you will ever hear. Besides this one misstep, the freshmen effort of Dumbo Get Man is one that any fan of psychedelic music should listen to.