Album Reviews (Page 70)

Owl City – “Ocean Eyes”Republic-Out now It has all the elements necessary for it to succeed: plenty of echo, saccharine hooks, auto-pitched vocals and a catchy pop beat. But what “Ocean Eyes” seems to lack is the element of sui generis that it needs to distinguish its upbeat songs from other pop acts, such as Motion City Soundtrack and the more electronic PlayRadioPlay! Here you’ll find pleasant enough songs, almost nauseatingly so, that stick the first few plays. However, there is little depth in songwriting, which seems solely intent on utilizing the “in crowd” of musical effects (see above), and likewise little depth in lyricRead More →

The Fiery Furnaces – “I’m Going Away”Thrill Jockey– Out now The Furnaces, brother and sister combo Matthew and Eleanor Friedberger, have been known to frustrate typical music aesthetics, as well as the occasional listener, throughout their impressively fruitful six-year career. Their eighth album hearkens to their tradition of bizarre song construction and melody with the two opening tracks, the aggressively avant-garde title track and lull “Drive to Dallas.” While these tracks are more abrasive than amusing, the rest of “I’m Going Away” is filled with strangely satisfying songs, such as the uplifting lilt of “Even in the Rain” and feel-good pop of “Lost at Sea.”Read More →

Band of Skulls – “Baby Darling Doll Face Honey”Artist First-due out July 28 We’ve come to expect a lot from the Brits: funny accents, crooked teeth, and their famous cultural restraint. Band of Skulls is a bit more reminiscent of White Stripes in their harder indie-stylings, and they yield some results: “I Know What I Am,” which almost has a classic-rock straightforward grind, and “Honest,” which diverges from the rest of the album with a beautiful acoustic solemnity.Yet, in their music, there is some restraint keeping them from out-and-out jam and instrumental breakouts, which seems appropriate at several points throughout the album (the otherwise solidRead More →