Dutra's self-titled EP Dutra is a Latino dream. It is beautiful, sweet, serene and simple. It reminds me of all of the best times when I used to live in South America. There is no watch to look at and no money to worry about. It is all about the moment and being in it. Seeing the people in front of you and connecting deeply. This EP really emulates that and brings to surface a lot of those emotions unlike any other Latino or Latina inspired music I have heard in a long time.
The first song is called “Solar.” It sheds its golden light down on me and all those that choose to listen to it. Simple one-man guitar and one-man lyricist. There seems to be a slight kazoo or child like instrument in the background and just a steady trusty heart beat drum. The lyrics are gorgeous and tender. I feel softened by the song entirely. It feels like something you would hear in a dream world. It is glittery, soft and magical. The next song “Desamor” makes me have a crush on the EP. The recording, and how raw the sound is, is quite beautiful. There is a woman backup singer too. There is a circus accordion like sound to it. Dashes of drums and infusions of guitar feel sparse but perfect. The true soul can be felt through the chorus of people being built in the track, and the waltzy accordion music. My heart fills to the brim with a childlike wonder and imagination to this one. “O Mundo” is an ode to the world. Mundo, meaning world in Spanish, would usually be depicted as El Mundo, but the O Mundo indicates that it is in fact an ode. It feels more playful and fun, less heartstring pulling. There are more playful guitar riffs luring in the listener by making the track more dense and full of life. It reminds me of a nice flowery afternoon in the summer running around the yard playing in fresh smelling bed sheets hanging off the line. This whole EP feels inspired by a childlike love and sense of adventure. It is truly depicted nicely in these tracks. “Euforia,” which for the faint of Spanish you can already probably guess is euphoria, is a bit on the darker side. Perhaps euphoria is found on the other side of emotional turmoil. I feel the most trudging of emotion in this song. The heartbeat of the drum is tribal and deep. The guitar pinnings are extremely high and lifted toward the heavens. Between the emotional lyrics, the deep purging created by the bass drum and lifted into the heavens through the guitar high-pitched pinnings are glorious. I quite love the woman's voice that accompanies the song later in the track as a solo. It is nice to hear both the man and the woman in a song individually. It brings out the masculine and feminine completely independently, and together. Dutra by Dutra is evolved in its emotional intelligence and ability to captivate its audience with a deep human connection. I enjoyed each song fully and I think it is a beautiful work of art.
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Liver's self-titled album Liver is real and raw. The lyrics of the first song “Comfortable” are "I feel comfortable in your silence/ and I don't know why/and I don't know how." It is an emotion that I think only some people have. I have not heard many songs written about it. When you feel comfortable in someone’s silence, or being silent around someone, it shows great trust and companionship I believe. I like that they have chosen to write a song about this. This song is definitely a bit spooky and experimental. The drums are erratic and electronic. I like the electronic/organic fusion and it makes me feel right at home. I listen to a lot of electronic music so I feel like it definitely brings that updated version of what this song would have been without the electronic drum kit to the table and it feels great. There are some eerie ghostly noises in the background that are powerful and rhythmic in their undulations.
“Muses” touches on another subject I haven't had a chance to get around to. Our little muses in life that just sit and watch us, or laugh at all of our jokes and make us feel at our best. I have many friends that are like this luckily enough. They laugh at my jokes and support my every move I make no matter how ridiculous that may be. “We need poetry, we need sand, we need honesty" is one of my favorite lines not only in the song, but in the album. We need these things to make us feel whole. Although they may be fluffy or meaningless to some, they are really important to the whole of everything and everyone. “Pretending” is pretty heavy and dark and I am not sure what the content is really about, but it definitely surfs the underworld. If you are feeling slick like a snake and you wanna go there, then go for it. I prefer the more heavenly bubbly tracks myself. Call me a mammalian disco queen, but I like happy yeah yeah dance-y songs the most, then folky sexy tracks next. The dungeons and dragons reptilian songs in albums just scare me a bit. Maybe something I should look at with a therapist sometime. The album ends on the song “Lullaby.” It is just that. Sweet, tender and soft. Distorted guitar riffs and eerie vocals. A more ripping guitar solo, if you want to call it that. The guitar solo feels and sounds like a Spanish guitar. Mysterious and broken, this track is backed with the ocean tide coming in and out. The track stops long enough before the end to let its listeners hear the tide. Nothing more lullaby like than that! Liver by Liver is a solid album. I like the idea that I think both the internal organ that cleanses our blood and the double meaning to also be a liver of life to its fullest! Clean our blood and live our lives! This album does that for me. It feels cleansing and ritualistic. You might just get put into a trance at the end of that lullaby track and wake up with a binky in your mouth though; it is on the warning label.
If you are a fan of shoegaze you know that there are a couple things that need for it to happen in order for it to be considered shoegaze. First off the vocals needs to be buried in the mix. They should never sit on top of the music and instead should almost just be another element within the mix. The other thing is there usually needs to be a good amount of white noise - the sort that lets everything bleed together.
I bring this up because the self-titled release Grow House from Grow House aka Rob Fiorenzo pushes these shoegaze criteria to the extreme. Is it possible for shoegaze to get too shoegazey? I’m not sure but if he pushed it any further the music could be considered straight up white noise. Luckily, he doesn’t and even though the songs are hard to discern from one another he finds a frequency of tones and textures that should please die hard fans of the genre. The key to enjoying Grow House is listening to it actively because a lot of the action is happening within the nuances and subtleties. Some of the hidden melodies pop out with repeated listen or simply through a nice pair of headphones. The album starts with “Trace” which begins with a good amount of guitar feedback. I think Fiorenzo starts to sing but it’s so faint that it seems like a ghost of his vocals. It’s a strong song even If I felt that some of the elements like the lead guitar could have been more prominent. As the album progresses “Peel,“ “Siren” and “Drip” all are woven from the same cloth. That being said “Siren” was a personal highlight that reaches some impressive peaks that are hard to deny. The remaining songs are built off slight degrees of separation. “Rye” rocks out fairly hard at points while “Orchids” slowly pours waves of white noise and distortion over you. The first time I heard My Bloody Valentine I hated it. It sounded like a mess to my ears. After my friends insisted I listen again and again I finally got it. It took about three months. The reason I mention this is because if you aren't familiar with the genre Grow House is probably not an album you want to test out the waters with. There may be that person who enjoys this right off the bat but usually people need to ease into this genre. Grow House will have more of an immediate appeal to those of us who have had a steady diet of bands like Ride, Slowdive and My Bloody Valentine.
Owe it To The People brought to us by Albino Rhino is as if Les Claypool and The Red Hot Chili Peppers were to have a baby. They would owe it to the people to come out with a great album if there so happened to be such a baby. The album forges the path with the song “Smile Train.” The singer’s voice is more Weenish than anything else. A bit whiny and nasally and somewhat comical but in a good way. Oil slick guitar riffs lubricate each track and mellow but strong drum parts leads the way.
The next track “Sunday Night” reminds me of that band Dispatch. Something about this album keeps making me think of all these different artists that pop into my head. I am pretty positive that this song was made with a sense of humor fueling it. "The weekend goes way too fast, Can I get through this week this week." This one goes out to all of the Sunday nightclub goers that still want to keep on raging the weekend on, clinking glasses filled with beer and laughing at the fact that we look forward to these three, not even three, but two-and-a-half measly days to enjoy ourselves. The weekend does go way too fast! Simple guitar strumming that is not very differentiated, mostly straightforward and delivering the same chords over and over again. The lyrics beg to ask, "Can you get through this week?" And I say yes. I think you can too. You have made it this far! Next up, “Gato Tranquilo” gets a little Latino vibes into the mix. This one feels sentimental and nostalgic. I enjoy its jazzy guitar finger dancing. Lots of fancy dinnertime like plucking going on with plenty of soft golden cymbal use. The cymbals feel like mini rain showers in my ears. The drums in this song remind me of those rains that come down in Hawaii for approximately two minutes while the sun is out; I actually do believe they call them sun showers. However this song is obviously about a relaxed gator. Perhaps the wild hair in the band is calmed within this track. I can feel that. If the tune “101 (Winter’s song)” is their winter song, they must have a pretty sunny winter or pretty sunny attitudes instead. It is joyous, uplifting and dance-y. I could see this as one of the most danciest songs on the short album. The singer chosen in this song is again, funny and on point. The guitar licks sound like a dusty kickball game. The whole tune does. It feels dusty, playful and dance-y. For sure an action packed track. The song “Klezmer” is different than all the rest. It feels a bit more heart beat like and as if Blondie's track “Heart of Glass” had something to do with it. Some intermittent clapping/snapping in this song mixed with some really dope guitar rhythms make this one a winner. It is all-instrumental which I like a lot. I think they should make more all-instrumental tracks. It is a bit circus-y, light and fun. Overall, Owe It To The People is a great album laced with instrumental tracks and other songs that switch off and on with different singers from the band. It is eclectic, groovy and spontaneous. I highly suggest checking out.
Drew Foisie aka Atropos Mas is one of those renaissance men who don’t need a supporting cast. On his recent release The Other Side of Closed Doors he handles everything including playing all the music, singing and recording. The Other Side of Closed Doors is a solid off-kilter rock album with some impressive production techniques that establishes Foisie as a credible artist. He states on his Bandcamp page that his influences The Cure, Brand New, and Bright Eyes but luckily those influences are readily apparent. Foisie does occasionally sound like Oberst but the music, which contains a lot of synths and white noise is a different beast.
Foisie sounds somewhat tortured as a vocalist but in another good move he also manages to balance that with enthusiasm and exuberance. He has some range and often knows when to push and pull. Musically, Foisie doesn’t exactly push any envelopes but occasionally makes a canvas of sound that is ear candy. The album starts with a minute-long song entitled “Attack of the Fruit Flies.” Youth Lagoon came to mind with this track but it is really more or less just an intro to “Sleepers.” Foisie does an exceptional job combining warm beds of white noise and percussive elements. The song has solid melodies and a good groove. I will say that I wish his vocals were more discernible. It’s extremely hard to make out any of the lyrics and it’s kind of a shame because the lyrics are worth hearing. He sings, “Something’s are clearer from a distance I'll find contentment when the mildew grows over him If this is what it takes to find the best in us, Then place my hands together And I'll meet you under the tide.” “Love” starts with a warbly lead synth but eventually melds with a distorted guitar. It’s another one to put in the column as Foisie implements a surplus of dynamic changes. “The Arsonists” doesn’t have the same impact of his previous song but he gets back on track with songs like “Haunted” and “Biutiful.” The other highlight was the closer “Afterlife.” Foisie is at his best when he veers away from a standard setup of guitar, bass and drums. The highlights like “Sleepers” and “Love” are able to weave in synths and white noise which give those songs a shoegaze vibe that worked well for him. Foisie also sometimes stretches his range a bit too far with vocals where instead of expressing anger, frustration, etc. he ends up just sounding like he can’t hit the notes. The Other Side of Closed Doors is a good effort with more success than failure but still manages to establish a foundation for Foisie to build from. With a little bit of tweaking of the album, he will be well on his way.
Julian Langer is a singer/songwriter from England who recently released an album entitled Forest Floor Pirates. Langer can fit into the category of folk with his main weapons as an acoustic guitar and vocals. Forest Floor Pirates contains an overwhelming twenty-four tracks and is quite a mixed bag of material. Some of it works very well and other things don’t pan out.
Langer’s biggest issue at this point is finding a niche and sticking with it. He takes on different tones with his vocals and also delves into disparate styles such as “Mask of Time” which has a mythical eastern vibe or the avant-garde free jazz piano playing on “Jazz Pianist In Hell.” That really is just the beginning of the random, unconnected styles he attempts. You could easily confuse Forest Floor Pirates with a compilation album if you weren’t confronted by the fact that this is from one guy. There are some inspired moments on Forest Floor Pirates even if they usually end up not connecting to anything else on the album. The album opens with “Through the Door” which is a solid song, which revolves around a soft pad, guitar and vocals. Langer sounds good on this track even if he occasionally pushes his vocals too far. The song went on a bit too long but was still enjoyable. “The Road” is another solid song and contains mantra style singing and other eastern sounds you don’t find too much in the west. “Elements” has some parts in the song that worked very well. Take for instance the guitar fills he implements a minute-and-a-half in. Other parts like when he aggressively is strumming his guitar would have benefited from more elements to support it. Songs like “Evergreen” contains stripped back melancholy that fits Langer. He doesn’t force anything here and sounds good when he isn’t straining his vocals. “Raven” is an acappella ditty that sounds like a traditional Irish song or something you would hear in King Arthur. Langer takes a couple more stabs at eastern sounding modes and tones with “Come Take My Hand/We’ve Been Here Before.” Other tracks like the forty-eight second interlude were utterly baffling as to why they were included. It’s obvious Langer has some talent but he just doesn’t know where to put it. Forest Floor Pirates would have worked better if it were cut up into two or even three albums. He could have at least split some of the eastern influenced songs with the other material he has. Langer is going to want to do some thinking about his style and then some consolidating about what type of music he wants to present to the world.
Every week we mention a couple of artists that are worth your time to check out that were not featured in our weekly reviews.
Artist Album Rating The Major Minus The Major Minus 3.6 William Boquet Endless Expansion 3.3 The Modes Parallels 3.0 Boxenstien Poltergeis 3.7 Gadda Bronze 3.9 Grammond Grand 3.7 The Roving Minstrels The Roving Minstrels 3.8 Mechanical Mouse Organ Get Over It 3.6 The Cultour The Cultour 3.4 Solipsists Incredible Violence 3.2 Benny Hagerty Looking Forward 3.3
If you looking for a no frills, straightforward rock album I don’t think you can go wrong with If It Is To Be by Turk Tresize. Even more to the point if you have a hankering for rock music made before the ‘80s this will really be up your alley. Throughout the fifteen-songs on If It Is to Be you can hear traces of bands like CCR, The Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin and Bruce Springsteen. Some songs are more blues based while others feel that could have come over from the British Invasion. The ironic fact in all this is that Turk Tresize is an Australian based artist who sounds similar to English and American bands.
If It Is to Be is a good listen for a number of reasons. First off the songs are well written and diverse. Amongst the fifteen I did have some favorites but I also didn’t feel like there were any duds. On top of that I enjoyed Tresize’s vocals. Tresize has an emotionally resonant voice that at times sounds a bit like Rod Stewart. The last element that makes If It Is to Be work is the production. The album was recorded at the Bomb Shelter studio in Nashville directly to tape, which gives it that old time feel that a lot of records from the ‘70s had. One thing I will say about If It Is To Be is that it could have very well been a double album. At fifteen songs with no filler you get your money’s worth. That being said this album took a couple of different sessions to embrace all of the material. The album doesn’t waste any time but gets started with “Cold Honey.” It’s a solid, catchy song that jumps into the verse with vocals right away. The song is relatively short and gets your attention. Great choice for an opener. “Cold Honey” is an anthemic song that feels like a sing-along waiting to happen. You can say the same about songs like “Just You” and “Whole Lotta Crazy.” Tresize really knows how to make the chorus pop. The first slight deviation come with “Shanurkski” which is an old swampy blues based number that veers away from an explosive chorus. “101” is a slower song that you could classify as a ballad while “Gravy Train” leads the charge with an acoustic guitar. Does Tresize not sound like Rod Stewart on this song?I’m not going to give it all away but there were some nice, slight surprises as the album progresses. Overall, If It Is To Be is a solid throwback to some of rock’s legends while still establishing Tresize as a force all his own. Recommended.
Van Wolf is an artist from Philadelphia, PA who just released his debut EP entitled Three Feet of Snow. Three Feet of Snow revolves around mostly an acoustic guitar and vocals but luckily Wolf doesn’t sound like a typical singer-songwriter. He still has some way to go to be able to hangout with big boys like The Tallest Man In the World, Sufjan Stevens and Neutral Milk Hotel but he is off to a good start.
The guitar playing is simple enough that any novice could play his songs but I don’t think many people could pull off the sort of enthusiasm he sings with. His exuberance and unbridled almost punk rock-esque singing style is the best thing he has got going for himself right now. The other thing I appreciate about Wolf was his lyrics, which avoid typical clichés and tropes, His lyrics are ambiguous but sometimes follow a very loose narrative. Three Feet of Snow could use a couple of improvements in regards to recording quality. The guitars sounded thin and tinny and his vocals would have benefited from some EQ and compression if applied correctly. Hopefully, on his next EP we can see some improvements in this area. For what Three Feet of Snow lacks in catchy melodies it makes up with attitude and willingness to experiment. Take for instance the title track in which Wolf finds one of his most unique guitar melodies. He sings, “He headed out- out into the snow. With a fire to keep other people warm. I scrubbed the floor- white as bone. So it’s a little cleaner for when you get home.” As the song progresses it sloppily adds bass and some sort of percussion. Wolf finds some success with “The Tide.” He sings about seagulls, ships and sails; painting a fairly established scene with his lyrics. The song also benefits from the lyric “I knew you would leave” which provides an emotional weight in a somewhat ambiguous song. “Bay Breeze” is a solid closer that contains Wolf’s most expensive vocal performance. Wolf is largely a case of wait and see. He has some potential but still needs some tweaking in a number of departments. Overall, this is a worthy first effort that I can recommend.
David LaViola calls his music retropop, which in his own words brings together modern day song structure and emotionally raw lyrical intensity with vintage melodic sensibility. After taking a listen to his three-song EP Keep The Fire I do hear some throwback to ‘50s doo-wop but for the most part the songs could easily fit into a simple modern day pop category. The three are very well written and very catchy. Even the most jaded of hipsters can embrace the immediate infectious nature of these songs.
From an aesthetic perspective, the songs are very well produced and well mixed. They have the type of production you would expect to hear from the radio. I have to say the one aspect that baffled me was that the second song “I Don't Believe In Love” was a good 5 dBs louder than the other songs (something that should have been taken care of in the mastering process). The first song “Just Like Suicide” sounds like a combination of a band like Phoenix and ‘50s doo-wop. It’s a bit dance-y while still being primarily guitar based. LaViola is a good singer who has an attractive tone while having decent range. The song contains a dichotomy between contrasting elements. Take for instance the immediate intensity of the guitars coupled with the soft lead synth. Overall, “Just Like Suicide” crams a lot of good song in its three-and-a-half minutes. The second track “I Don't Believe In Love” is the highlight of the three songs. Laviola sounds great against the orchestral strings as he sings, “and now I know that I don’t believe in love, I’m not afraid to be alone because I don’t believe in love, maybe now I can let you go.” “I Don't Believe In Love” sounds like a mixture of Vampire Weekend and Fountains Of Wayne. The last song “Empty Space” has the least retro sound of the three. Everything from the production to the melody feels modern. Keep the Fire is a solid start for LaViola. I like the fact that his songs feel a little off kilter to standard mainstream pop. If he can push the envelope a little bit further with innovation than his type of music might be the new pop standard.
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May 2024
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