Jam of the Day P!nk - "What About Us"

A lovely melody and gorgeous vocals propel this new track from P!nk from her upcoming recording, out in October.

Album Review: Phantogram - Voices

Phantogram
Voices
Rating: Grrrr

New York duo Phantogram's debut record, 2009's Eyelid Movies, was almost a perfect amalgam of electronica, trip-hop, and synthpop, with hints of hip-hop inflected rhythms. Relentless touring and rabid word of mouth increased their popularity but made them wary of coming out too soon with their sophomore record. While they whet appetites with two well received EPs, including, for me, their best work on Nightlife, and collaborations with Flaming Lips and Big Boi, they still only teased out when the new record would emerge. Finally, after much anticipation, they release their major label debutVoices, produced by John Hill (P!nk, Rihanna, Santigold). While the rough edges of Eyelid Movies are jettisoned in favor of a bigger, more high glossed sound, Voices still retains the edgy charm that works so well for the band.

Voices starts off with a triple punch of hot singles. "Nothing But Trouble" pulses and throbs with dense, buzzy synths, brittle guitars, punchy drum programming, and the inimitable coo of singer Sarah Barthel.



"Black Out Days," which was also included on their recent self-titled EP, is another dark, synth-heavy track that is enlivened by Barthal's delirious "eh eh eh"'s in the chorus.



And the hip-hop inspired beats of new single "Fall In Love" speak to their collaborations with Big Boi on his last record Vicious Lies and Dangerous Rumors.



While Josh Carter is a brilliant guitarist on Phantogram's records, his voice still remains the band's one weakness. Another holdover from their last EP, "Never Going Home," resurfaces here and still flounders with a limp melody and bland vocal turn. However, Carter redeems himself handily on the gorgeous track "I Don't Blame You," his wavering voice perfectly suited for the love gone wrong track. His quivering delivery of the last lines "I should have stayed in bed/I should have took your call" resonates long after the track ends.



Wisely, Carter lets Barthel do most of the heavy lifting vocal-wise on Voices, and she is more than up for the task. Whether she is showing restraint, as on the masterful, slow-burning closing track "My Only Friend,"



charging forward on the rushing swirls of synths and guitars on "Celebrating Nothing,"



or scaling things back to an almost whisper on the mournful "Bill Murray,"



Barthel is always in complete control.

The long wait in between albums was well worth it for Phantogram fans as Voices takes from Eyelid Movies and makes things bigger, glossier, and punchier. While some may bemoan the lack of edgier tracks like Eyelid Movies' tracks like "Bloody Palms" and "Running From The Cops," there is more consistency and purpose here on these tracks. Phantogram still puts out some killer singles, but they all work together on Voices for the greater good.

Rating Scale:

Chilfos: masterpiece; coolest thing I've heard in ages.

Woof Daddy: excellent; just a hair away from being a masterpiece.

Grrrr: very good; will definitely be considered for my top releases of the year.

Yeah Daddy Make Me Want It: good; definitely invites further listens and piques one's interest for more material.

Meh: not horrible, but certainly not great; could have either been polished, trimmed, or re-thought.

Jeez Lady: what the hell happened? Just plain bad. They should hang their heads in shame and be forced to listen to Lady Gaga ad nauseam as penance.

Tragicistani: so bad, armed villagers with pitchforks and torches should run the artist out of the country for inflicting this abomination on the human race.

Album Review: Tegan And Sara - Heartthrob

Tegan And Sara
Heartthrob
Rating: Grrrr

I will admit that I have never really listened much to Tegan and Sara's other albums. I think I had breezed through a couple of their last records and just never felt any connection to them or desire to listen to them again. It was mostly acoustic/indie folk rock that had some interesting lyrics, but was practically indistinguishable from most similar acts. With the release of their seventh studio album Heartthrob, I was not prepared in the least for their 180 degree change in direction. Enlisting producers Greg Kurstin (Santigold, Pink), Justin Meldal-Johnsen (Paramore, M83), and Mike Elizondo (Dr. Dre, Eminem) the duo have crafted one of the most aggressively pop records of the year, polishing their sound within an inch of its life, eschewing their more traditional guitar based songs for glitzy synth based confections. The 80s are definitely the touchstone with Heartthrob, with a lot of the tracks borrowing from artists like Cyndi Lauper, Prince, & Heart at their most hook laden and catchy. I have a feeling this complete change in sound and direction will irk a lot of their fanbase, and I am sure more than a few people will claim they have sold out. I suppose those claims will be somewhat valid, but seeing as I was not a huge fan to begin with, this change in direction, for me, is a positive thing. Hearthrob is a glossy, well-produced record that is extremely catchy. It is exactly what it is needs to be, a pure pop experience.

You definitely know you are not in the same territory right off the bat with first track and single "Closer," with its bouncy synths and slick drums and what seems, on the surface at least, to be typical Top 40 ready lyrics which contain a subtle edge, with lines like "All you think of lately is getting underneath me/All I’m dreaming lately is how to get you underneath me."



From there, it is a speedy journey through a pop landscape that you are either going to fall head over heels for or run screaming from. It took me a couple of listens but finally I had to give into it. It's just so damn catchy. From the sugar rush of "Goodbye, Goodbye,"



clever update of Heart-like balladry on "I Was A Fool,"



to the shimmery guitar gloss of "I'm Not A Hero,"



Heartthrob is packed to the gills with enough hits to make most current pop acts seethe with jealousy. While most of the songs seem very tame lyrically, when they are examined a little closer there are many instances where things take a darker turn. "How Come You Don't Want Me" is a particularly desperate song from the point of view of a dumped lover,



"Now I'm All Messed Up" is a haunted breakup track with lyrics like "Stay/You'll leave me in the morning anyway/My heart/You'll cut it out, you never liked me anyway,"



and closing track, the amazingly strong "Shock To The System" is a plea for a friend to get out of their relationship funk.



But overall, there is an easy, fun vibe to the whole record, from the 80s synth blasts of "Drove Me Wild," bouncy keyboards and thumping drums of "I Couldn't Be Your Friend," and gorgeous harmonies of "Love They Say." Heartthrob is just a pleasant surprise for me. Yes, based on most of the music I tend to like, it is very odd that I should like a record like this, but honestly, as long as the track is catchy and well done, I can like it just as much as something more experimental. So, into the second month of 2013, I think I have found my pure pop album crush of the year so far. You other pop princesses better bring your A game.

Rating Scale:

Chilfos: masterpiece; coolest thing I've heard in ages.

Woof Daddy: excellent; just a hair away from being a masterpiece.

Grrrr: very good; will definitely be considered for my top releases of the year.

Yeah Daddy Make Me Want It: good; definitely invites further listens and piques one's interest for more material.

Meh: not horrible, but certainly not great; could have either been polished, trimmed, or re-thought.

Jeez Lady: what the hell happened? Just plain bad. They should hang their heads in shame and be forced to listen to Lady Gaga ad nauseam as penance.

Tragicistani: so bad, armed villagers with pitchforks and torches should run the artist out of the country for inflicting this abomination on the human race.

Jam of the Day: Four Tet - "Lion (Jamie xx Remix)"

Skeletal and ghostly remix of one of the stellar tracks off of Four Tet's latest release, Pink.



Here is the original track for comparison.

Jam of the Day: Pink - "Blow Me (One Last Kiss)"

Just an insanely catchy song from Pink. I am digging the sort of Two Door Cinema Club indie-pop vibe during the verses, and the pop punk fuzzy chorus.

Album Review: Pink - The Truth About Love

Pink
The Truth About Love
Rating: Yeah Daddy Make Me Want It

I've always liked Pink. She has just the right amount of attitude and pop smarts, but there is always that pull with her between wanting to be a pop star and her wanting to remain somewhat edgy. For the most part, this tension creates some amazing music, but far often than not, she gets timid and retreats back into tired and worn pop constructions that don't play to her strengths. Her latest record The Truth About Love doesn't really solve this conundrum with her though, and still has no idea what to do with her most of the time. There are no shortage of golden pop hits here, mixing her mainstream likability with punk-pop hooks, but she is still mining the same territory of being the woman scorned, and it can get a little tired at times. And more alarming is the penchant for trying to force her into way more mainstream direction than she can pull off, and it comes across as clumsy and ill-conceived.

But the good thing is that there are plenty of radio-friendly pop punk hits off this record that make up for any poor judgments in trajectory. "Slut Like You" is another infectious tongue-firmly-in-cheek track that only Pink seems to be able get away with.



Crunchy guitars and spiky attitude coupled with a wicked sense of humor mark "Walk of Shame."



Sort of a new tack for Pink is the almost Two Door Cinema Club-esque "Blow Me (One Last Kiss)" which is a more poppier sound for her, but still has a slight edge to it, and is one of her most potent tracks.



Other tracks that either stretch or stick within her wheel well are the grinding opener "Are Well All We Are,"



hooky "Truelove,"



and the quirky strut of title track "The Truth About Love."



But there are too many tracks that come across as dated or just not right for Pink's outsized persona. Biggest misstep is "Here Comes The Weekend" with some rap verses from Eminem, that would have been more cool about 10 years ago but just comes across sludgy and tired.



Her producers also try to shoe horn her into more ballad and mid-tempo territory that ends up making her sound generic and slow the album down to a crawl. Mid tempo number "Try" feels like a Kelly Clarkson B-side,



"Just Give Me A Reason," a duet with fun.'s Nate Ruess is about as shlocky a ballad out there right now,



and treacly closer "The Great Escape" does highlight Pink's softer side, but ultimately ends things too subtly.



So really what we end up with her on The Truth About Love is another good Pink record with lots of infectious and hooky tracks, but also saddled with a lot of filler that seems calculated to pander to the widest demographics out there. It's records like this that frustrate me because you can see where the artist's strengths lie, but there are those record label/high profile producer cords that keep pulling them in another direction. Some day, I hope Pink allows some edgier producer to just take her under their wings and let her really shine.

Rating Scale:

Chilfos: masterpiece; coolest thing I've heard in ages.

Woof Daddy: excellent; just a hair away from being a masterpiece.

Grrrr: very good; will definitely be considered for my top releases of the year.

Yeah Daddy Make Me Want It: good; definitely invites further listens and piques one's interest for more material.

Meh: not horrible, but certainly not great; could have either been polished, trimmed, or re-thought.

Jeez Lady: what the hell happened? Just plain bad. They should hang their heads in shame and be forced to listen to Lady Gaga ad nauseam as penance.

Tragicistani: so bad, armed villagers with pitchforks and torches should run the artist out of the country for inflicting this abomination on the human race.

Album Review: Four Tet - Pink

Four Tet
Pink
Rating: Grrrr

With a blistering pace, Kieran Hebden, under his Four Tet moniker, puts out enough material to make most musicians dizzy. Always restless and seeking to push his sound in new directions, there is nothing that can be defined specifically as being Four Tet-esque, but amazingly, all of his work seems to flow together in some cohesive form. His last full length, 2010's There Is Love In You, was by far his most fully realized work, every foray into a different electronic genre was bound together by a seamless weaving of melodies and themes. It was a serious record that demanded, and received your full attention.

In the interim, Hebden has been busy touring, remixing, and working with artists like Thom Yorke and Burial on a whole host of tracks. He has also released over the past couple of years a series of vinyl only singles that are now collected here, along with two new tracks, as his latest album Pink. The most noticeable aspect of this collection of tracks is how different each of them are, and yet, how they still work together. Again, Hebden is not sitting quietly rehashing same exercises over and over again, flitting from deep house, pastoral IDM, to almost folktronica, never looking back or referencing anyone else. Easing out of the gate with the vaguely tribal-funk of "Locked," Pink starts with a sort of bait and switch as it doesn't sound quite like anything else on the record. Shuffling drums, buzzing synths, and trails of drowsy cascading guitars mesh and merge into a low-key, head-bobbing mix.



Which is all up-ended by the dense tech house of "Lion" which builds over a four to the floor beat a rising bed of droning synth tones and a variety of odd samples including dogs barking, before descending into more broken beats.



Album highlight is the gorgeous analog bubblebath of "Jupiters" which begins with a stellar intro of sparkling synths, dropping out the coming back in over a pulsing, throbbing bed of 808s.



"Ocoras" speeds things up under a futuristic rush of trance-like beats, sneaking in a lovely interplay of keyboard melodies and electronic burbles.



Likewise, under thumping beats and a cacophony of different cut up vocal samples, "Pyramid" brings your ass out to the dancefloor.



"Pinnacles" returns to the more organic side of Four Tet, adding some jazzy basslines and stark piano chords to the driving beats.



The only real missteps, and not really missteps, but just tracks that don't leave as lingering an impression are the drawn out pastoral IDM of "Peach For Earth" and "128 Harps" which slightly recalls some of his earlier work.



Considering most of the works on Pink have been recorded and released over a long span of time, it is amazing how such disparate sounds can coalesce into something this assured. It speaks highly to Hebden's amazing talent that he can dip his toes into so many different sounds and genres and never lose his own personality. While not the thematic masterpiece that was There Is Love In You, Pink is by far Hebden's most accomplished record so far.

Rating Scale:

Chilfos: masterpiece; coolest thing I've heard in ages.

Woof Daddy: excellent; just a hair away from being a masterpiece.

Grrrr: very good; will definitely be considered for my top releases of the year.

Yeah Daddy Make Me Want It: good; definitely invites further listens and piques one's interest for more material.

Meh: not horrible, but certainly not great; could have either been polished, trimmed, or re-thought.

Jeez Lady: what the hell happened? Just plain bad. They should hang their heads in shame and be forced to listen to Lady Gaga ad nauseam as penance.

Tragicistani: so bad, armed villagers with pitchforks and torches should run the artist out of the country for inflicting this abomination on the human race.

Jam of the Day: Four Tet - "Jupiters"

Delicious slab of Black Dog referencing IDM from his upcoming record Pink.