Pitch Perfect
  • Pitch Perfect
  • Indie Music Album Reviews
  • About
  • Submissions
  • Top albums
  • Features
  • Contact

JOhn talabot - fin

2/7/2012

0 Comments

 
Picture
John Talabot

fin
Permanent Vacation; 2012

4 out of 5
John Talabot is a mysterious fella... and John Talabot is not even his real name. It's actually Oriol Riverola (he's also been recording under the D.A.R.Y.L. alias). Riverola came on the scene in 2009, with My Old School 12″ on München (Germany) based Permanent Vacation label. But it was his fourth EP, Families (2011), which got picked up by Young Turks that finally caught my attention. This London-based label, by the way, has been home to a few of my favorite artists, such as SBTRKT and The XX which is why, I suppose, I finally picked it up. The very latest, IN, is Riverola's debut full length album, this time back on the label he started with. The LP has caused a bit of stir in the indie community, especially amongst the followers of Four Tet, Booka Shade and Caribou.

Barcelona-based John Talabot produces the kind of house meets disco meets indie-pop, which at first made me take a double take and wonder how to properly categorize the style. Upon my third and fourth and consecutively fifth listen I started to get completely hooked on his infectious sound. There's a sense of mystery surrounding the swooshing synths, sporadic organic rhythms over the tribal housy beat and soft gliding sonic pads. IN is the kind of record you wished you found in the 80s, when the world obsessed with pop and MTV started to dramatically separate itself from the underground cassette scene. At the end I decided against genrefication and leave the record to speak for itself. It's no wonder that fans of electronic movement within the indie scene have developed a thirst for the quality-produced revived sound.

The music on IN maintains the kind of easygoing nonchalant atmosphere which at first makes you mistake it for the loop-driven sample-based simplicity. The record's confidence begins to shine through upon further rotations, and now the multiple layers begin to reveal themselves throughout eleven uplifting tracks. I can totally close my eyes and picture myself dancing long into the late night to these contagious beats, which is precisely what I'll be doing at the upcoming Decibel Festival in Seattle, where John Talabot will be performing alongside vocalist and producer Pional (who also appears on the record) at the dB Finale. If you dig this, there's also a IN Remixes Vol 1 featuring remixes by Bullion, Pachanga Boys and Kenton Slash Demon.
0 Comments

windy and cARL - WE WILL ALWAYS BE

2/6/2012

0 Comments

 
Picture
Windy and carl

We will always be

3.5 out 5

Kranky; 2012
9th release since 1994 from married Michigan duo. Quietly compassionate, subtle & gorgeous shifts in the celestial atmosphere--as if the heavens open up and radiate a calming, peaceful ambience over the earth. Minimalist repetition in a gentle evolution through mesmerizing space drone. Electronic soundscapes for meditation. Somewhere among Steve Reich, Brian Eno, My Bloody Valentine, Labradford.
0 Comments

LANA DEL Rey - born to die

2/1/2012

0 Comments

 
Picture
Lana Del Rey

Born to Die

2 out 5

Interscope; 2012
Lana Del Rey was 2012's it girl well before the release of her debut record, "Born to Die," all thanks to the lead single "Video Games." Coming in at number twelve on my list of the best tracks of 2011, Del Rey's beautiful yet dry delivery on "Video Games" seemed to provide a unique commentary on today's society.

Backed by a lush orchestration, the song took the world by storm and earned millions of plays on sites like YouTube months before the album's release. Del Rey even became the first artist to perform on Saturday Night Live before the release of their debut album since Natalie Imbruglia in 1998.

Lana Del Rey has two key vocal styles; a deep, soulful voice and a high-pitched whisper worthy of bubblegum pop. Before "Born to Die" hit the shelves, three singles were released on the internet, "Video Games," "Blue Jeans," and the title track "Born to Die," which each displayed an equal balance of both of these styles. Combined with her natural physical beauty, she painted the perfect picture of a marketable artist.

To say that "Born to Die" was a highly anticipated record would be an understatement, but the real question became whether or not the album could live up to the hype.

Unfortunately, the answer is no.

The three singles already familiar to early fans are easily the three best songs on Del Rey's 12-track debut. In fact, there isn't another song that comes close. Suddenly Del Rey's apparent honesty is replaced with a blatant materialistic mindset. "National Anthem" sheds the light on Del Rey's real driving force: Money.

Once Lana Del Rey gets her quality material out of the way, she dives into a sea of tracks that seem to repeat "I'll love you forever even though I know it's a bad idea" in as many different ways as possible. "Diet Mountain Dew" laughably repeats this motif. By the time "This is What Makes Us Girls" seems to imply that skipping school, drinking Pabst Blue Ribbon, and stealing police cars while always looking her best is really who she is, Del Rey has lost every ounce of credibility she had originally earned.

It is truly a shame when an artist with as much potential as Lana Del Rey falls this short of expectations, but "Born to Die" mostly takes away from the lasting impact of the music we've already heard. "Video Games" is still a phenomenal recording worthy of continued praise and both "Summertime Sadness" and "Dark Paradise" do offer glimpses of future potential, but fans expecting an album of the year contender will likely be greatly disappointed.

0 Comments

       Critique/insight

    We are dedicated to informing the public about the different types of independent  music that is available for your listening pleasure as well as giving the artist a professional critique from a seasoned music geek. We critique a wide variety of niche genres like experimental, IDM, electronic, ambient, shoegaze and much more.

    Tweets by pitchperfect158
    Are you one of our faithful visitors who enjoys our website? Like us on Facebook


    Archives

    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012

Company

About
Contributors

Newsletter

Newsletter
© Pitch Perfect 2022. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
  • Pitch Perfect
  • Indie Music Album Reviews
  • About
  • Submissions
  • Top albums
  • Features
  • Contact