The Hold Steady-Stay Positive
The pressure seemed to be on The Hold Steady since their last album because 2006’s Boys and Girls in America ended up on a lot of critics best of list at the end of the year. While their 2006 release was mostly riff heavy and was usually compared with the aesthetics of classic rock, their new album is a, well, pretty much the same thing.
That is not necessarily bad and I bet this album will be on many critics best of lists at the end of this year as well even if they have a couple slow songs that aren’t really my thing. Make no mistake this band basically writes songs that make almost every critic cream their pants because they are new enough for the kids to love and have enough components of classic rock to make the old folks happy, plus they do make very enjoyable music that for the most part does rock.
The album starts off with a bang with Constructive Summer which has a propulsive guitar riff kicking things off with more interesting guitar work in-between the gang shouted chorus to make for an excellent album opener which signifies to the listener that they have not missed a beat since their last release. The lyrics are about the endless summer nights were the memories of drinking with your mates and avoiding responsibility and growing up make for a truly memorable song.
The next song Sequestered in Memphis has a cool piano line but the chorus lacks any energy or bite. The next song One For the Cutters is one of the better songs on the album; while not as riff heavy as what they are known for tells an interesting story through the lyrics about no matter how pretty a city or town might be there are always the seedy underbellies that you won’t see in those tour books.
Navy Sheets and the title track Stay Positive with its Ohhh Ohhh Ohhh’s and lyrics about the legacy of the music they listened to when they were young and hopefully their music has the same effect on people. The last song is a slow burner that I find to be an effective way to end the album.
Though not as strong as their last release I would recommend the album but would recommend picking up Boys and Girls in America first. 3 ½ Stars out of Four.
Vampire Weekend – Self Titled
Vampire Weekend is one of these bands that the blogosphere built up before they even released their album, sort of like the Arcade Fire and the Arctic Monkeys. This is a trend that has been worrying me for some time and I plan on writing about it at a later date. Like the before mentioned album I am sure this album will be on a lot of the critics best of lists at the end of the year. The album has been out for a while now and the hype has slowly faded away so let’s see if the album lives up to the hype.
The album starts out with Mansard Roof. It has what makes all Vampire Weekend songs highly recognizable. A hint of Latin and Afro pop instrumentation, reggae influences, and the singer’s sedated voice. It is a good song and is followed by two other great songs, Oxford Comma, which might be the best song on the album, and A-Punk, which is one of the faster and louder songs on the album which admittedly isn’t that loud or fast.
The next couple songs come on strong as well but the problem is that they start to blend together. It also seems that they have the same guitar lines in a bunch of their songs which becomes repetitive and cheapens the album a little especially if you listen to it all the way through. The last two songs break up the monogamy of the rest of the album with its tonal shift in styles. Walcott is a piano driven song that is hummable and extremely catchy but is missing a killer chorus. The last song The Kids Don’t Stand a chance is almost a straight up reggae song but a hell of a lot catchier and better than any reggae song I’ve heard.
I wish this review didn’t seem so negative because this is really a strong album from a promising new band. It is an album that will make you smile but I would understand if there were stretches of it you would skip over since most of it blends together after a while. The songs all seem to have the same basic structure and for the most part don’t try anything exciting. I don’t know if the Vampire Weekend album would translate well live but it is a rather strong release from a fairly new band.
Three Thumbs Up Out of Four.
The pressure seemed to be on The Hold Steady since their last album because 2006’s Boys and Girls in America ended up on a lot of critics best of list at the end of the year. While their 2006 release was mostly riff heavy and was usually compared with the aesthetics of classic rock, their new album is a, well, pretty much the same thing.
That is not necessarily bad and I bet this album will be on many critics best of lists at the end of this year as well even if they have a couple slow songs that aren’t really my thing. Make no mistake this band basically writes songs that make almost every critic cream their pants because they are new enough for the kids to love and have enough components of classic rock to make the old folks happy, plus they do make very enjoyable music that for the most part does rock.
The album starts off with a bang with Constructive Summer which has a propulsive guitar riff kicking things off with more interesting guitar work in-between the gang shouted chorus to make for an excellent album opener which signifies to the listener that they have not missed a beat since their last release. The lyrics are about the endless summer nights were the memories of drinking with your mates and avoiding responsibility and growing up make for a truly memorable song.
The next song Sequestered in Memphis has a cool piano line but the chorus lacks any energy or bite. The next song One For the Cutters is one of the better songs on the album; while not as riff heavy as what they are known for tells an interesting story through the lyrics about no matter how pretty a city or town might be there are always the seedy underbellies that you won’t see in those tour books.
Navy Sheets and the title track Stay Positive with its Ohhh Ohhh Ohhh’s and lyrics about the legacy of the music they listened to when they were young and hopefully their music has the same effect on people. The last song is a slow burner that I find to be an effective way to end the album.
Though not as strong as their last release I would recommend the album but would recommend picking up Boys and Girls in America first. 3 ½ Stars out of Four.
Vampire Weekend – Self Titled
Vampire Weekend is one of these bands that the blogosphere built up before they even released their album, sort of like the Arcade Fire and the Arctic Monkeys. This is a trend that has been worrying me for some time and I plan on writing about it at a later date. Like the before mentioned album I am sure this album will be on a lot of the critics best of lists at the end of the year. The album has been out for a while now and the hype has slowly faded away so let’s see if the album lives up to the hype.
The album starts out with Mansard Roof. It has what makes all Vampire Weekend songs highly recognizable. A hint of Latin and Afro pop instrumentation, reggae influences, and the singer’s sedated voice. It is a good song and is followed by two other great songs, Oxford Comma, which might be the best song on the album, and A-Punk, which is one of the faster and louder songs on the album which admittedly isn’t that loud or fast.
The next couple songs come on strong as well but the problem is that they start to blend together. It also seems that they have the same guitar lines in a bunch of their songs which becomes repetitive and cheapens the album a little especially if you listen to it all the way through. The last two songs break up the monogamy of the rest of the album with its tonal shift in styles. Walcott is a piano driven song that is hummable and extremely catchy but is missing a killer chorus. The last song The Kids Don’t Stand a chance is almost a straight up reggae song but a hell of a lot catchier and better than any reggae song I’ve heard.
I wish this review didn’t seem so negative because this is really a strong album from a promising new band. It is an album that will make you smile but I would understand if there were stretches of it you would skip over since most of it blends together after a while. The songs all seem to have the same basic structure and for the most part don’t try anything exciting. I don’t know if the Vampire Weekend album would translate well live but it is a rather strong release from a fairly new band.
Three Thumbs Up Out of Four.
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