Jam of the Day: Alice Glass - "White Lies"

From former Crystal Castles' singer Alice Glass' debut EP comes this industrial-tinged track that effortlessly balances the harsh with the beautiful.

Album Review: Sun Airway - Soft Fall

Sun Airway
Soft Fall
Rating: Woof Daddy

I saw the Philadelphia-based duo Sun Airway open for White Lies and Asobi Seksu in spring of last year and their brand of heavenly synthpop was refreshing but ultimately seemed lacking in a lot of substance. Upon listening to their debut album Nocturne of Exploded Crystal Chandelier, nothing much changed my initial impression of their sound. The album was a very competent collection of dreamy, chillwave inspired laptop/bedroom pop that never seemed to reach out for anything daring or out of the norm. In this day and age, however, I am always willing to give a band that is remotely listenable a second chance, as the racks are littered with bands that have really mediocre debuts that come back with something completely amazing second time around (Radiohead springs to mind). Not that I am throwing Soft Fall in the same pile as The Bends, but in the realm of major leaps in sound and quality, Sun Airway's sophomore album is a complete gem.

Strangely, there is really not much different from their debut. They are still moving in a netherworld between Animal Collective's dense sonic explorations and the softer chillwave vibes of bands like Washed Out and Active Child, but here, instead of sounding wispy and fey, there is more complexity to their music, adding needed weight. it helps that songs all work together cohesively, making a much stronger statement. With that said, I will admit that initially Soft Fall comes across as insubstantial, and only after many listens does the brilliance of these tracks surface. But give it the time in needs, and you will not be able to stop listening to it.

Within the lush, gorgeous banks of synths on display here, there is a elegant strain of melancholy that snakes through these 11 songs. In this tattered, fragile world relationships are tortured and full of obstacles. First single "Close" is one of the saddest songs about inequality in a relationship and how one partner will always love the other one more. The narrator imploring: "you say you've never known love like this before/I say I've never known loneliness like this/you've never known loneliness before/because you've never been alone with my love."



Under the swirling synths and strings of "Wild Palms" he laments that "I dagger through the deep blue/to reach your wild palms/mostly I just feel lost."



Title track "Soft Fall" throbs under synth pulses and mournful vocal delivery, while elegant "Laketop Swimmers" unfolds like a elegiac longing for the past.



While it sounds like the album is a dour affair, it is mainly lyrically and not musically. Almost every track shimmers and bursts with bright airy keyboards that keep it moving swiftly along. From the rush of Cure like keyboards on "Black Noise" or the gorgeous waves crashing upon you on closer "Over My Head,"



Soft Fall shows that the duo knows how to artfully craft some of the most intoxicating synth pop out there. Intricately sculpted and sequenced, Soft Fall is measured out by several beautiful instrumentals that act as signposts along the way, taking the listener on an impeccable journey through one of the best albums of the year.

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.

Videos of the Week

Finally my three weeks of working hell are over, and I can actually look forward to having a nice, relaxing weekend. Here are the videos this week that glittered and shined.



Two of my favorite ladies, Robyn and Rye Rye, team up for this redo of the Robyn song.



Very bizarre clip for the new White Lies single, "Holy Ghost."



Must have been the week for weird videos. Although I am not a huge fan of the new album, this track from Bon Iver is pretty fantastic.



I guess this would be considered the Lady Gaga of Iceland.



Fantastic song off the new album from Friendly Fires.



Great track off the free release from Frank Ocean.

White Lies: Ritual

White Lies
Ritual
Rating: Yeah Daddy Make Me Want It

White Lies is a complete pain in my side. Kurt and Dan raved about them when their first album To Lose My Life came out and, on paper at any rate, it sounded like a foregone conclusion that I would enjoy them as well. I genuinely tried about 1000 times to listen to it and like it, but there was something off putting to me about the way singer/guitarist Harry McVeigh's voice; it just got on my nerves. It didn't help that the lyrics were quite frequently histrionic and over the top, to the point where I thought it was possibly a joke. The music also was a tired rehash of in the moment bands like Editors and Interpol, and did nothing to make them stand out in an already crowded field. So, needless to say, I conveniently forgot about them, until their second album Ritual came out, and I sat there staring at it, dreading having to listen to it.

Right out of the gate the same elements were there, McVeigh's baritone deeply intoning his overwrought lyrics. But something had changed a little bit, the music was slightly different. Focusing more on electronics and driving beats, the songs had a sense of urgency that was lacking on their debut. I found myself returning again and again to the album, really caught up in all the hooks.

First single "Bigger Than Us," has a killer chorus and brilliant sense of drama:



"Strangers," rushes through on a dense bed of synths:



The band, although not completely toning things down, does tend to operate in a subtler way, favoring texture over beating you over the head. "Peace and Quiet," is a lovely midtempo ballad, that has hints of early Tears for Fears:



"Turn the Bells," builds on a bed of pulsing, droning keyboards, adding the right contrast to McVeigh's voice, working with it and not against it. The chorus is completely gorgeous:



"Come Down," with hints of Ultravox and Heaven 17, is a dramatic end to the album with icy keyboards and murky electronic percussion:



There are a few tracks that fall back into what made To Lose My Life such a slog for me. "The Power and the Glory," plods along with a weak melody and more ridiculously pompous lyrics:



and "Bad Love," never really catches fire, and almost sounds like a power ballad from the 80s that Whitesnake would do:



Aside from a few grievances, Ritual is a vastly superior album to their debut. They still have a way to go in order to make their sound their own, and not sound quite so derivative, but if they keep making music this hook-filled and catchy, I have every hope they will come into their own soon. File this under supremely addictive guilty pleasure.

Rating Guide

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 albums 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 trimmed or polished.

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.

Videos of Last Week

Ok ok, I got lazy last week with the holiday, so sue me. Here is a delayed posting of the videos from last week that made my turkey moist.



Live video from a past Combichrist show. I saw them with Kurt, Dan, Janis and Ian last week. Was a good show. Nice energy and fantastic light show.



Gorgeous song and video from singer Jamie Woon. He used to be a standard singer/songwriter until he fell in love with dubstep (of the Burial mold, not the wonky, wobbly sort that Kurt loves). Somehow he actually convinced Burial to work with him on his debut album that comes out in the Spring.



New single from Brit post punk band White Lies. The song really sounds like it could be straight off their first cd, but it is pleasant enough. Looks like they spent a fortune on this video though. ET as a candy bar.



Charming cover of the xx's "Crystalized," from Damon Albarn's Gorillaz.



Beautiful song and video from Iceland's Olof Arnalds, featuring Bjork on backing vocals.



So glad that Florence and the Machine are getting the recognition they deserve. Amazing performance from Saturday Night Live.



I got a new tattoo a couple of weeks ago and got incessant questions as to what it was. It is the Aphex Twin logo which is featuring throughout the video for his song "Windowlicker." The video is NSFW.