Mayer Hawthorne: “A Strange Arrangement”
Click here to listen to a preview of Mayer Hawthorne's “A Strange Arrangement” album
At first listen, you would think that I must have reviewed an album released back in the ‘70s. However, Mayer Hawthorne’s “A Strange Arrangement” hit the shelves just weeks ago, and it is truly amazing how this immaculate debut feels both old and new.
Textured, worn melodies spin over brassy horns and pattering tom snaps bring in the essence of old, but it is Hawthornes’ velvety vocals that not only brings “A Strange Arrangement” further into antiquity, but also simultaneously lifts this mummy to life.
The album jives with the soulful delivery of Curtis Mayfield and Isaac Hayes, but he isn’t merely imitating them. Hawthorne is more than capable of crooning with the best of him. His voice is immensely rich and silky, and the vocals just pop with life.
And just like James Brown, Hawthorne’s melodies are bound to get you dancing. When he rips into more lively jaunts, like “The Ills,” you’ll be shimmying in no time.
He seems even more at ease with lovely, dripping ballads, like “Just Ain’t Gonna Work Out,” though. Hawthorne uses these opportunities to flex his range and croon to the point of irresistibility. “Maybe So, Maybe No,” snaps with a punchy beat will swirls of piano cascades and vocal gushes and will quickly have you wondering how a 29-year-old could be this good at soul music.
The lively “Your Easy Lovin’ Ain’t Pleasin’ Nothin’” boasts nearly as much joyfulness as there are apostrophes as he blends the balladry and dancing to perfection, making for great shower-singing fodder.
All in all, “A Strange Arrangement” becomes a wonderful treasure dug up at Goodwill. Charming in its timelessness, inspiring with its freshness, it effortlessly wins you over as you discover a new jewel you love just as much as the person it belonged to before.
Division Day: “Visitation”
Click here to listen to a preview of Division Day's “Visitation” album
With one of the most markedly different sounds around, it’s hard to tell what exactly it is that inspires Division Day. Every moment marks a shift from what you had pinpointed them as being. You hear elements of metal, grime, alternative, and just plain ol’ rock, and when those come together, the product is quite remarkable.
Division Day eventually comes across as a more artsy though accessible version of gothic-rock. They present themselves in a way that comes across very dark and mysterious, and the music follows this mostly, though there is a very intimate, romantic detail to it all.
Songs like “Azalean” feel like falling in love with an equally broody counterpart in an abandoned Hot Topic. It’s a sort of moodiness that quickly falls into a fascinating vulnerability.
Even in the more brash moments, such as in the scratchy thud of “Reservoir,” there is still that trail of vulnerability, and when that weakness is exposed even more, the result is somehow stronger, as “Planchette” shows with a gentle sweep of piano and strings that eventually soars into a pitch black sky of crashing cymbals and deep key strokes.
There is an almost techno element to “Chalklines,” a song that has the band at its most catchy with squiggles of guitar and cavernous synth calls that bend over the pressure of straightforward bass punches and fuzzy riffs.
“Visitiation” certainly does feel like a visit to a brand new place. It screams of a darker, icy place made less frightening by the tight grip of your companion’s hand. Vulnerability doesn’t necessarily have to be a bad thing after all.
You can catch Division Day this Saturday at the Conservatory.
Early Day Miners: “The Treatment”
Click here to listen to a preview of Early Day Miners's “The Treatment” album
Early Day Miners, a band that started off casually playing on porches and back decks, certainly feels as relaxed as their beginnings. The music feels like warm summer nights made a little cooler with the glint of the moon and slight breeze whizzing through. There is also a clear Midwestern twang in some of the moments that bring Wilco to mind.
However, those moments tend to be buried a bit too deep.
Early Day Miners certainly like to draw things out as long as possible. It is a storyteller with a good story, but tends to milk things out a bit too long. Nearly all the songs are pressed past the four-minute mark, often times closer to five.
Songs like “So Slowly” and “The Surface Of Things” are stunningly gorgeous with a nice contrast of fast and slow, hard and soft, but are stretched to a length that will have you wondering when they are going to end.
There is a nice spicy flair to “Spaces,” with its shaky shutters and guitar pangs, but it feels tired far before its expiration.
The one song that does work at its length is “How To Fall,” a leisurely stroll of echoing bass lulls and pleasantly fuzzy guitar twitches with earnestly winning vocals.
“The Zip” follows a darting path of a private investigator with its daring bass line and murky guitar whine, but gets a bit winded before catching the target.
Tracking “Becloud” with a fast forward button, it’s disappointing that nearly every moment sounds identical, especially unforgiving considering its eight-minute length.
“The Treatment” quickly becomes an all too dense novel with not enough action to keep you reading until the good parts. There are certainly many good ideas, but you begin to wonder if it’s worth the time leading up to them.
The album title even sounds like a Grisham novel, though they seem to favor the legal dribble to actual gripping moments. Less courtroom procedures and more murderin’ would suit them well.
There is certainly promise to this sound; they are just in need of a better editor.
Volcano Choir: “Unmap”
Click here to listen to a preview of Volcano Choir's “Unmap” album
Volcano Choir, mostly the brainchild of Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon, is a fascinatingly hazy experiment that drifts between all sorts of inspirations and whimsies, rarely resembles any sort of typical song/album format and, more than anything, sounds surprisingly fun.
Justin Vernon brings along a few more friends than he did with Bon Iver’s “For Emma, Forever Ago,” an album he recorded almost entirely by himself in a remote cabin in northwestern Wisconsin. While that album was immensely intimate and soul-baring, “Unmap” sounds like friends just having a good time, playing around with music and seeing what can come out of it.
“Husks and Shells” is simply gorgeous minimalist-folk, while “Seeplymouth” sort of hops awake with tapping thumps and bouncy brass.
The chilly “Dote” glows like an icicle with its distant synth chants, while the immediately following “And Gather” beams in like sunshine with warm strings and handclaps. I can’t help but smile hearing them toy around with Autotune in “Still.”
Perhaps the most interesting moment is that of “Cool Knowledge.” It resembles nothing you’ve ever heard before, clocks in at a little over a minute, and nearly sounds like Justin Vernon is about to hop into a freestyle rap flow before cutting out abruptly.
The perfect blend of musicianship and playfulness culminates in “Island, IS,” a lighthearted shower of stuttering guitar and synth shimmers that becomes a beach covered in snow.
It’s nice to hear Justin Vernon cut loose, and if I can get another “Unmap” as a result, I’d be perfectly fine with him goofing around with his friends anytime.
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awesome_face 2 years, 8 months ago
I'm sure these are fine bands, but is it a sin to get more variety? Or have two people post about music? I'm all about learning about new things, but has little popular "mainstream" music come out to write one review about?