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Album Review: Foxygen - We Are The 21st Century Ambassadors Of Peace And Magic

Foxygen - We Are The 21st Century Ambassadors Of Peace And Magic

8.5

It’s always refreshing to find a new band that expertly synthesizes elements from its many esteemed influences to create memorable music, and that’s exactly what Foxygen have done on their second album. It’s easy to play spot-the-influence and find parts taken from The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, and other 60s greats. What’s harder to do, and what makes this band special, is being able to pull off these sounds to stand tall on their own. There’s enough variety on here from French pop breezy tracks to gentle folk and sprawling psych rock freakouts that all come together to make a great breakthrough album that is perfect record for lazy Sunday afternoon, your drive to work, or any other occasion where you just want to kick back and jam some 60s inspired tunes.

The influences are all over the album, yet they never overpower Foxygen or keep them in the shadow of their icons. They wouldn’t be nearly as successful if opener “In The Darkness” didn’t have the great hooks or driving keyboards to match the Sgt. Pepper’s level of fanfare with the horns. “San Francisco” wouldn’t be as memorable if it weren’t for the wit and humor that matches the jangly French Ye-Ye pop, kitschy AM radio sounds, and allusions to classic staples. They can switch adeptly from Dylan inspired slacker anthems on the fantastic “No Destruction” straight into the John Lennon psych freak out of “Black Mountain”, an epic track full of biblical references that move impressively from satire to pure gospel.

The second half of the album keeps the hits coming, especially with the garage pop interlude of “Bowling Trophies” straight into the ultra catchy “Shuggie”, a song with a hook you won’t be able to get out of your head for days. The hits keep coming with the soulful “Oh Yeah”, a delightful slice of R&B that has a few Motown elements that groove along. They finish the album off by showing off their excellent range, from the garage rock sprawl of the title track to the dark and epic rock opera like jam of the closer “Oh No 2”. Overall, Foxygen’s second album is a master class in lesson in how to pay homage to the legends without ripping them off, and showing versatility by having enough range to not get pigeonholed into a 60s soundalike band. We Are the 21^st Century Ambassadors of Peace And Magic holds up extremely well over multiple listens due to its wit, humor, excellent writing, and timelessness. Foxygen have put out an amazing album that will soon become on of your personal favorites. All you have to do is put the needle on and be amazed.   

- David Sackllah

Album Review: Toro Y Moi - Anything In Return

Toro Y Moi

7.0

I have a dark confession to make, and that is I’ve never been the biggest fan of Toro Y Moi. I greatly enjoyed Underneath The Pine, but personally found that it was overshadowed in 2011 by two better albums by the chillwave pioneers Neon Indian and Washed Out. It’s almost strange to think that those three artists were often mentioned in the same breath now, as each has formed their own fairly unique identity. Toro Y Moi’s is largely defined by 80s funk and groovy jams which he repeats on his third album, Anything In Return.

The incorporation of soul is what helps set Toro Y Moi apart from his peers, and Anything In Return emphasizes that a lot, delivering with a collection of fun tracks that often lean a little closer to the dance floor than before, especially on early cuts like “Rose Quartz”. Part of the problem of this album is the length and sequencing. Most of the better tracks front-load the album, making it nearly impossible to match the groovy funk of “So That” and “Harm In Change”, two excellent tracks that open the album. Lead single “So Many Details” comes next, and is a solid track that doesn’t quite stack up to the two preceding ones. Not every song is destined for the club, as tracks near the middle of the album like “Cola” slow things down to bring some of the dreamy sounds Chaz Bundick is best known for.

The biggest problem with the album isn’t that it’s bad, but at over 50 minutes long the tracks become slightly tiring, and a run of middling tracks that open up the second half of the album don’t really do much to draw the listener in. This begins with “Studies”, which continues the slow almost drugged out state where early detractors of the chillwave scene might find some ammo for their argument with tracks that feel slightly thin, lacking depth and substance. There is a run of slightly more forgettable tracks on the second side of this album, but they still are distinctly Toro Y Moi and make for enjoyable tunes that you will like if you enjoy is older work.

In all, Anything in Return is a step away from the more upbeat soul and funk of Underneath the Pine back to some of the hazy and muted sounds that made Toro Y Moi a sensation on Causers Of This. Anything In Return is a good album and an interesting step for Toro, but it doesn’t come across as inviting or as memorable as his most recent work. 

Album Review: Parquet Courts - Light Up Gold

Parquet Courts - Light Up Gold

8.1

The latest album from Parquet Courts formally came out last year, but was given a wider release two weeks ago via What’s Your Rupture. The band hails from Brooklyn now, but most of the members are originally from Denton. Light Up Gold is a short record that expertly synthesizes plenty of influences such as the short running time and pop sensibilities of early Guided By Voices, the jazz-punk hybrid of The Minutemen, and some of the noisier stoner jams of early Dinosaur Jr. Parquet Courts owe a lot to the 80s/90s punk and underground scene, but their music isn’t weighted down by a spot-the-influence game. Instead, Light Up Gold stands on its own as a great indie rock album full of explosive energy and clever wordplay.

The opener sets the tone for the album, as “Master Of My Craft” plows through lo-fi punk, sharp guitars, sung/spoken lyrics about not wanting to waste time, and topped off with the brilliant philosophical musing that “Socrates died in a fucking gutter!” It’s a downright refreshing take on a familiar sound that they pull of greatly. The album works through other great sounds like the start and stop anthems that make up “Borrowed Time”, which uses a repetitive song structure to convey the feeling of being trapped by a sense of uselessness. They can expertly craft hooks in under a minute and a half as they do on the title track and “Caster of Worthless Spells”, which recall how Robert Pollard could pull off such memorable melodies in such little space. The band comes close to sludge and noise rock on the epic “Stoned and Starving”, the mission statement of the ultimate slackers who’s biggest quest is to decide whether to eat Swedish fish or roasted peanuts.

It’s not all about getting high and being lazy, as they manage to get political in “Careers In Combat”, an track that bemuses the lack of jobs for the youth, except for the high demand for soldiers. The album is full of nostalgia and imagery that sticks out, like “Storm chasing hippies at a shopping mall”, in which you wonder if these are the kind of songs Stephen Malkmus should have written in the 90s. Light Up Gold is great because it incorporates a wide array of great influences while never copying them, and Parquet Courts prove that they can stand tall on their own by making an album that achieves the honor of sounding familiar and instantly memorable at the first listen.

- David Sackllah

Album Review: Christopher Owens - Lysandre

Christopher Owens – Lysandre

6.7

I became a huge fan of Girls a couple years ago, as they were an excellent band, one responsible for the best album of 2011, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. That is why it was incredibly depressing news this past summer when Christopher Owens announced that the band had ended. After reading interviews with Owens, it became clear why he decided to call it quits, and Lysandre marks his first step towards a post-Girls career. The album was written a few years back on his first big tour with Girls, and tells a pretty straightforward story of him falling in love with a girl and encountering other hardships on tour. Fans of Girls should know up front that while this album is good, it is a different beast that ventures more into 70s AM radio sounds in the vein of Ariel Pink or Destroyer rather than the classic rock vibes that Girls expertly explored over the course of two albums and an EP.

Lysandre plays as a short suite complete with a theme that gets repeated in some variation or another in nearly every track on the album. The album indulges in the jangly pop of the 60s, and while Girls were always great at making traditionally cheesy sounds work with the music, Owens definitely pushes the limit here throughout, from overly earnest lyrics about love to flute solos and an album cover Joanna Newsom would be proud of. For the most part, Lysandre plays as a very low stakes affair, with the most memorable tracks like “Here We Go” and “Part Of Me” arriving as quiet, almost acoustic simple songs about love. He can do pleasant jazzy rock jams well enough on “New York City”, but some tracks tread a little too deeply into the lounge atmosphere later on in the record. Other times, he invokes a slight country styling into “Love Is In The Ear Of Listener”, one of the few songs that sufferes from being a bit too on-the-nose. The more you listen, the more clear it becomes that this album would not have worked as a Girls record.

All this criticism isn’t meant to slight Owens as a songwriter, or say that Lysandre isn’t a good record.It’s main problem is that it doesn’t stack as well compared to Owens’ older work, which is some of the best rock music of the past five years. He still knows how to write a great song, a facet he shows off many times on this record. The best part is knowing that a lesser record by Owens still eclipses the high points of many of his contemporaries’ discographies. 

Album Review: FIDLAR - FIDLAR

FIDLAR - FIDLAR

7.7

Fuck it dog, life’s a risk. In case you were wondering, that’s what the acronym that makes up the band’s name and album title stands for. The album is a collection of trashy punk songs, full of youthful abandon, like a nosier, dirtier version of Wavves who don’t care about anything besides drinking cheap beer and doing other kinds of drugs. Not exactly the messages you want to promote to your kids. FIDLAR’s debut album is low stakes fun punk music. The songs are messy, reminiscent of a bunch of bratty kids trying to play Iggy Pop songs in their garage. It may not be the best or most original, but damn if this isn’t one of the most fun you’ll have listening to a punk album.

They blow the doors open at the beginning with the explosive single “Cheap Beer”, one of the best tracks to come out last year. How can you not love a fast-paced punk song where the chorus is some kid yelling, “ I drink cheap beer! So what! Fuck you!” The song is one of the best slacker anthems ever, serving as a rallying cry for every college student or twenty something or overgrown child in an adult’s body who just wants to have a good time getting drunk off cheap beer. The closest they get to the high energy of the opener is the extremely catchy “No Waves”, which has a great guitar solo and catchy hooks throughout that make for a great track. There’s plenty of references to smoking, from “Wake Bake Skate”, “Stoned and Broke” and the rousing chorus of “I smoke two packs a day” on the skuzzy surf rock jam “Max Can’t Surf”.

FIDLAR’s debut is full of yelling, loud guitars playing power chords, and just an overall sense of recklessness. There’s elements of surf rock, garage rock, and some 60s sounds that come together for a bunch of short and fast-paced punk. They finish the album with the sprawling “Cocaine” which is heavier than the rest of the album and recalls some of the fuzz from Ty Segall Band’s latest album. Overall, FIDLAR is a great introduction to a talented band that may not be very original, but they know how to hit you in the face with a good old fashioned punk song. Sometimes, that’s all you need. 

- David Sackllah

Album Review: Yo La Tengo - Fade

Yo La Tengo  - Fade

8.2

It becomes easy to forget, but Yo La Tengo has an output that is incredibly impressive. With 1997’s I Can Hear The Heart Beating As One and 2000’s And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside Out, the band is responsible for putting out one of the greatest records of two decades, something only Radiohead, Modest Mouse, and The Flaming Lips can also say. Ira Kaplan, his wife Georgia Hubley, and their friend James Mcnew have consistently been putting out great albums for decades now, proving that not all bands need a large amount of drama or hype to be deemed incredible. Now no one is disputing Yo La Tengo’s legacy, but what is even more impressive is that in 2013, 28 years after their first 7”, the group have created one of their best records to date, a beautiful endeavor that reminds fans what brought them into the fold in the first place, and should also bring in even more new converts to the wonderful world of Yo La Tengo.

Part of what makes Fade so special is that these are beautiful and tender love songs about a relationship that has been around for over three decades, full of wisdom and tender affections that only experience can bring. It’s their shortest album in almost 20 years, one that has zero covers, sticking to slight variations of what has come to be known as Yo Le Tengo’s signature sound. You have the crunchy pop and sprawling guitar solos of the comparatively raucous opener “Ohm”, the quiet and tender love song “Is That Enough”, and the classic 60s pop sounds of “Well You Better”. These first three songs give you a taste of the album as a whole and show each of the main sides of this wonderful group.

There are plenty of highlights throughout this album, especially the beautiful “Stupid Things” and the softer reflective “I’ll Be Around”, which serve as indications that Fade is one of the softer records in this band’s expansive discography. The album may not have a lot of variety, but it makes up for that with expert writing. You get the tender ballad from Georgia in “Cornelia and Jane” which Ira answers back with “The Point of It” before it all comes together in the triumphant closer “Before We Run”, which adds horns that lift the track to resounding heights. There’s nothing flashy on Fade, but it works well as proof of how a band can age gracefully, still putting out wonderful albums after decades together. Yo La Tengo have a firm grasp on their sound, and Fade is a great reminder of why they’re considered one of the best bands around, even if it won’t be the most celebrated album in their repertoire.

- David Sackllah

Album Review: Ra Ra Riot - Beta Love

Ra Ra Riot - Beta Love

6.5

For Ra Ra Riot’s third album, their first since the departure of cellist Alexandra Lawn, the group decided to alter their sound for their latest record, the electronically infused Beta Love. Ra Ra Riot have always been an emotional band, sort of a Death Cab For Cutie for college kids who wear cardigans and wear glasses (is that redundant?), but now they seem to want to join Passion Pit in the realm of making melancholy R&B using synths and beats rather than traditional instruments. Beta Love makes for an interesting experiment, but it isn’t quite a success.

It shouldn’t be a surprise that Ra Ra Riot are attracted to making electronic music, especially when you take into account Wes Miles’ Postal Service style project Discovery, the fun album he recorded with Vampire Weekend’s Rotsam, (When I met Miles two years ago, he indicated there were no plans for a follow up sadly). After listening to Beta Love, I have to say that the band it sounds like Ra Ra Riot is trying to emulate the most is Hot Chip, given the way they combine R&B with electronic music to make great dance songs. Hot Chip makes great music you can dance to, which brings the problem that Ra Ra Riot have on Beta Love. You can’t dance to these songs. I’m not saying you can’t evoke strong emotions like depression through dance music, but some of these songs are just bummers, and the sentiments don’t match up with the skittish beats accompanying them. Beta Love isn’t a bad record, it has plenty of good songs, especially the single “When I Dream”, a moody cut that expertly fits into a sense of melancholy and loneliness, as Miles stretches is falsetto to Angelakos levels of soul. However, the second half of the record drags on as the songs start to become largely forgettable. There are  brief moments of catchy hooks and strong melodies, but for the most part, Beta Love is an above-average album that finds the band heading in new directions yet without really clicking. I hate to say they haven’t made a really good album since The Rhumb Line, but it’s really true. 

- David Sackllah

Album Review: A$AP Rocky - Long Live A$AP

A$AP Rocky - Long Live A$AP

8.5

A$AP Rocky is not a particularly great rapper, nor will he ever be considered one. What he is though, is a talented individual with a knack for creating great Houston-rap inspired party songs. He also has a penchant for picking extremely talented artists to collaborate with, and then expertly incorporating his style to match with those artists. In 2011, he released the stellar mixtape Live Love A$AP, a murky collection of songs anchored by hit singles like “Peso” and “Bass”, and on his first major label album, he manages to avoid the trap similar artists like Big K.R.I.T. or Dac Racist fell into by surpassing the quality of his buzz-worthy mixtape on nearly every level. While it may not be an all time classic like Kendrick’s latest, Long Live A$AP is one of the better rap albums to come around in a while, mixing a near perfect blend of Rocky’s rapping, heavyweight guest stars, and some truly memorable production.

A$AP Rocky’s previous work has been largely defined by the skilled producers who provide beats for him, and they serve as an important factor throughout this album. There are only two Clams Casino tracks on this album, yet each of them is great. “LVL” excels with its hazy undertones that never get too in your face, and then “Hell” incorporates a smooth chorus by Santigold that flows perfectly with the almost triumphant waves of sound that layer over Rocky’s solid raps. Clams Casino has proven that his beats can stand on their own without rappers, but Rocky does help bring these tracks to another level.

The next superstar producer to add to this album is Hit-Boy, who delivers with his bombastic beats to the already hit single “Goldie”, the ultimate party track that has been circulating the blogs and campus parties since early last year. He brings it again on the excellent “1 Train”, a who’s who of talented young rappers such as Kendrick Lamar, Danny Brown, Joey Badass, Action Bronson, Big K.R.I.T., and Yelawolf”. Each of them provides a great verse as they all bring their “A” game to try and steal the track. Rocky may have the least personality of any of these rappers, but he serves as the glue that holds this track, and the album as a whole, together. In fact, it’s a smart move to team up with these more talented rappers rather than the A$AP Mob. We all know how bland their most recent mixtape was. There are some surprising producers on this album, Danger Mouse on the low key bluesy “Phoenix” and Skrillex on the reggae inspired, glitch-filled, and schizophrenic “Wild For The Night”, a track that works way better than anyone thought it should. Rocky proves he can excel at making his own beats too on the great closer “Suddenly”, a song that works wonders in building tension without ever dropping.

He is known for his party songs, and this album is full of them. “PMW” is another great Schoolboy Q team up, and “Fashion Killa” is pretty much Rocky just goin on about all the designer clothes he wears. It may not be easy to relate to, but it’s not bad to jam out to. Of course, there are also the two singles of “Fuckin Problem” and the title track. The former is already extremely memorable from 2 Chainz’s rousing chorus to Drake’s catchy hooks and Kendrick’s amazing raps to the point that Rocky almost gets overshadowed on his own track. It doesn’t matter though, because the track is just so exciting. Perhaps his biggest statement is from the title track, in where he kicks off the album with electrifying verses that almost seem to tell his story as he boasts, brags, and challenges death. It’s a great leadoff track to a great album, already one of the best of the year. It doesn’t matter if A$AP Rocky isn’t necessarily a great rapper, because he’s making some of the best music around. 

- David Sackllah

EP Review: Solange - True

Solange - True

7.6

Solange Knowles is more commonly known as Beyonce’s trendy younger sister, but after listening to her latest release, it becomes evident that she can confidently stand out of the shadow of her famous sister as a talented artist of her own accomplishments. She caught the attention of the indie world with duets with the Dirty Projectors and Of Montreal over the years, but became the latest sensation with the spectacular single “Losing You”. As a collaboration with Blood Orange’s Dev Hynes, Solange found her voice in an excellent hit single that comes off initially as carefree before exposing layers of depths underneath. The song, which after countless listens is still unclear whether it’s a triumphant or melancholy track, kicks off this enjoyable EP, which shows how the young Knowles has a lot of promise.

Nothing else on the EP matches the heights of the opener, but she brings dramatic vibes to the beat-heavy “Some Things Never Seem To Fucking Work” or the soaring vintage R&B sounds of the also great “Lovers In the Parking Lot”.  While not as fully formed as contemporaries such as Jessie Ware or her sister, Solange shows bursts of greatness throughout these seven tracks. She shows off her soulful side often over sparse arrangements that work to her benefit, sometimes resembling her friends the Dirty Projector’s Amber Coffman. True really snuck up on me over the weeks, and I went from being initially underwhelmed to really connecting with the relaxing vibes that came with this release. It’s definitely one of the best EPs from 2012 and worth checking out. 

- David Sackllah

EP Review: Blink 182 - Dogs Eating Dogs

Blink 182 - Dogs Eating Dogs

3.5

After hearing reports from the band on Twitter about their upcoming EP, I allowed myself to get excited for Dogs Eating Dogs even after the disappointing Neighborhoods. Mark and Tom talked a lot about how they recorded this new EP in the same room together instead of doing their parts separately like they did the last time around. Even Travis said this EP was going to be 100 times better than the last album. It took about 40 seconds on the new EP before my expectations were let down 100%. The problems are all evident in the first song, which sonically sounds just like an Angels and Airwaves song with a bit more distortion and Mark singing backup vocals. Lyrically, it exemplifies all the problems with the reunited Blink, heightened teen melodrama without any of the sincerity, self-awareness, or humor that made the band so great.

In fact, the whole release sounds like three broken parts trying to sound as one cohesive unit when they are clearly separate. The title track sounds too much like a mediocre Plus 44 song featuring lyrics that Tom might have penned in his diary after he read a negative review about one of his records. Things don’t get any better on the boring melodrama of “Boxing Day”, which uses electronic beats and acoustic guitars, two things Blink was never good at incorporating, to sound like a slightly older Owl City, as my buddy Jay likes to put it. Finally, the last song, which starts off as bad as the rest, gets even worse with the awkward inclusion of a Yelawolf with a verse that doesn’t fit at all on the track, seeming like just a strange way for Travis Barker to get merge his hip-hop leanings with the music of the band. It doesn’t work at all. Neither does this EP. 

- David Sackllah