Vampire Weekend - "Mary Boone"

All of the songs released so far from Vampire Weekend's upcoming album Only God Was Above Us have been excellent, which gives me high hopes it will be another classic. The most recent teaser track "Mary Boone" is my favorite. It starts as a stark, piano/strings-based ballad until the beats (sampled from Soul II Soul's 1989 hit song "Back To Life (However Do You Want Me).") kick in. 

Album Review: Jessie Ware - Devotion

Jessie Ware
Devotion
Rating: Woof Daddy

Jessie Ware's back story reads like a 50's musical, backup singer plucked out of obscurity on the strength of her voice and pushed into the spotlight. What's different about Ware is how she has taken all of this in stride, seeing it all as a lark, that she is somehow playing a role, and none of this should be taken all that seriously. While her self-deprecating view of being a pop star keeps her grounded, there is nothing in her music that shows her not taking her craft seriously. Devotion is one of the best debut releases in ages, and is quite simply the best pop album of the year so far.

Ware was noticed first singing on several EDM and UK bass singles from producers SBTRKT, Sampha, and Joker, her earthy voice the calm center around all the swirling electronics. It was fear at first that her solo material would stay too close to this type of track and that her voice would be lost within too much production overload. Instead, Ware chose to work with producers Dave Okumu (of UK art-rockers The Invisible), Julio Bashmore, and Kid Harpoon (who worked with Florence and the Machine on their sophomore album Ceremonials) and has put together a collection of tracks that put all the focus on Ware's amazingly supple voice, which can veer sharply from a Sade-like coo to a full on Whitney Houston rafter raiser in a split second. Main producer Okumu's touch is felt the most on the album, providing a subtle, and minimal backing but not providing merely aural wallpaper; the music works with Ware rather than overpowering.

Leading off with the title track, "Devotion" eases into the record, Ware's voice almost a hushed whisper as atmospheric guitars and keyboards guide and push her along, providing a modern update to Sade's elegant R&B sound.



Of course, Ware is not going to be satisfied just gliding along each song. New single and album standout "Wildest Moments" perfectly encapsulates her wonderful voice in all its facets. Under booming drums and stark piano chords, Ware bites her teeth into a meaty melody, singing about a doomed relationship where "maybe in our wildest moments/we could be the worst of all":



From there, Devotion provides a diverse and varied set of tracks that run from pop ballads, R&B funk workouts, and more atmospheric pop singles. In all, Ware's voice provides the guiding force. There is not one track on here that is a throwaway or inferior to the next; it all works seamlessly together. Highlights for me are the Soul II Soul referencing "No To Love," early single "110%" which puts Ware's voice against skittering beats and UK bass backing,



and gorgeous album closer "Something Inside," where Ware's voice, hushed and lovely at the beginning, drops out just before the chorus, rising into the heavens.

There is something for just about everyone on this record, from beautiful pop tracks like "Running" which picks up the beats a little more, and lets Ware explore her wide range,



to mid-section album duo "Night Light" and "Swan Song," two mid-tempo numbers that again showcase Ware's elastic voice,



to sweet pop numbers like the jazzy "Sweet Talk," finding Ware in a kittenish mood.



Devotion is a brilliant debut that really gives a true sense of who Ware is as an artist. She doesn't take herself seriously, but she takes her music very seriously. She could easily have let her producers take control of her sound and direction, and also could have just released 10 electronic tracks with her vocals on them, but instead, she worked closely with her producers to come up with something that was truer to herself. Devotion is a must have record.

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.

The 2 Bears: Be Strong - Album Review

The 2 Bears
Be Strong
Rating: Grrrr

The 2 Bears, the side project of Hot Chip's Joe Goddard and Raf Rundell, is an homage to both gay subculture (Goddard and Rundell, who are both straight, fit the "bear" description) and to the classic house music that has influenced and inspired them. Be Strong is a strong collection of house and two-step anthems that sometimes oversteps its bounds into kitsch territory, but otherwise holds its own among its peers owing to its creators' obvious affection for their influences. Through its 12 tracks, the album takes stops in Chicago, Detroit, and the Caribbean, and is a statement about the healing/loving/positive nature of dance music. But first and foremost it is a fun, frisky record. While still a side project, this is no off-the-cuff throwaway. You can feel the tenderness and affection put into each track.

The album begins with a bit of a bait and switch, with the sunny, Caribbean rhythms of "The Birds & The Bees," floating under a bed of xylophones, horns, and chirpy electronics. Its slow build getting more and more insistent as the track progresses. The subtlety of the track becomes a bit of head scratcher once it fades into the brilliant triad of "Be Strong," "Bear Hug," and "Work." "Be Strong," about the healing power of music, is a glorious mash of pounding drums and whirring synths, and Goddard's deadpan baritone playing against Rundell's deep bass.



And yes, "Bear Hug" has some of the silliest lyrics I have heard in awhile, but it's such a infectious slab of fun it is easy to overlook and just give into the beat.



"Work" uses old school house piano rolls, disco percussion, and rising strings, all coming to a head with a Detroit techno breakdown at the end.



Be Strong could have been just one house track after another, bleeding into each other, and having no real pacing or variety, however, Goddard and Rundell are smart enough to structure the album more like a pop record, allowing for palate cleansers between the house bangers, like the breezy Soul II Soul-esque track "Warm & Easy," acoustic guitar driven "Time In Mind," and the reggae tinged 2-step of "Heart of the Congos."



But of course, the focus of the album is the dance floor, and it is virtually impossible to stop yourself from bobbing your head, shaking your ass, or tapping your feet to these tracks. From the driving house of "Get Together,"



horn punctuated disco fury of "Ghosts & Zombies,"



and the throbbing pulse of "Take A Look Around," Be Strong gets the blood pumping and heart rate thumping.



Be Strong just made me smile; its party-vibe is too infectious not to. You can tell Goddard and Rundell had a blast making these tracks, and the love and care given to them is very evident. Sometimes an album doesn't have to be profound or genre-busting, it can just be a well-constructed set of songs that does what it sets out to do. Be Strong does this in spades.

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 peaks 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.