So, I managed to get my paws on a copy of Asobi Seksu's newest album, Hush. (Fret not, I'm going to buy a copy when they play here in March, I've already booked my tickets.) After the initial shock of "Uhh, dude? Like, where did the guitars go?!", I'm warming up to the album. Maybe the copy I've got is not the final mix, so there is always that as well. However, I've been listening to it quite a bit and I'm reminded of Slowdive's Souvlaki album. Souvlaki is very pretty, lotsa chimey guitars, although they are sorta pushed to the back by the slick production. The drums and bass sound big, like really big, on both albums. The rest sounds sorta, I dunno, muted? It's very different from the last album, that's for sure. It's very polished and almost too pretty. Where Citrus was perhaps more shoegazey, Hush might be more in the neighborhood of dreamy, jangly pop. But that's just my amateur opinion, listen for yourself.
OMG! New Neko Case album in March! March 3rd, to be exact. And the new single, People Got A Lotta Nerve, is available for download at the ANTI records site. The album cover is pretty cool, too. Is that a Barracuda? Initial thoughts on the song: Predictably, I love it. Especially the middle part where her voice just climbs up and up. Heavenly. I doubt she could do anything wrong to my ears. I'm also liking the animal theme. I can't wait for the album!
So this came up elsewhere on the interweb a week or two ago. Basically, someone compared the Lali Puna version of Together In Electric Dreams to the original Human League version. Personally, I like them both but I prefer the Lali Puna take. Another person said that the LP track fails to recreate the euphoria of the original track. Maybe I could kinda see that, but to me they are two different songs. To me, the Human League version is meant to be sung by church choirs on the tops of mountains or buildings, or maybe in a stadium full of people. It's a pretty cool song, even in its 80s Giorgio Moroder inspired cheesiness. I feel like the Lali Puna version is like a whispered promise between two lovers who are wrapped up in darkness. It's the same song, yeah, but I feel like LP twisted it and went in the opposite direction. But, that's just my take on it.
Hope everyone is having a good start to the year. I think I'm finally recovered from my west coast road trip.
Fever Ray is the project of Karin Andersson, whom you may know as one half of The Knife. The Fever Ray album drops in March here in the U.S., I'm quite excited about it. This is the new single/video, If I Had A Heart. I'm liking it a lot. It's very ominous and heavy with atmosphere, and the video is creepy. It's sorta like a Knife song minus the beats. Very cool.
So, I managed to get my paws on a copy of Asobi Seksu's newest album, Hush. (Fret not, I'm going to buy a copy when they play here in March, I've already booked my tickets.) After the initial shock of "Uhh, dude? Like, where did the guitars go?!", I'm warming up to the album. Maybe the copy I've got is not the final mix, so there is always that as well. However, I've been listening to it quite a bit and I'm reminded of Slowdive's Souvlaki album. Souvlaki is very pretty, lotsa chimey guitars, although they are sorta pushed to the back by the slick production. The drums and bass sound big, like really big, on both albums. The rest sounds sorta, I dunno, muted? It's very different from the last album, that's for sure. It's very polished and almost too pretty. Where Citrus was perhaps more shoegazey, Hush might be more in the neighborhood of dreamy, jangly pop. But that's just my amateur opinion, listen for yourself.
