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Music reviews 3/23
12 years ago
General
Scooter- Music for a Big Night Out: In case you're unfamiliar with them, Scooter have been THE name for rave and hard club tracks for close to two decades now, and now I feel old. They start this one off in weird form, with a rave version of Beck's "Loser". But after that, they're back in form... until track 7, which is maybe one of the strangest things I have ever heard out them. It's like 8-bit carnival music and it unfortunately breaks the album in half. So, not their best record, but they've got so many, it almost doesn't matter. Also, they do a mean cover of "Black Betty". 6.5/10
Local H- Hallelujah! I'm a Bum: Here's a name I haven't seen in forever. These guys had a really really minor alt rock hit back in the mid-90's, and that's about all I can say for them. Well, they've definitely grown up a lot since "Bound for the Floor", which I suppose shouldn't be too surprising. Unfortunately, they just sort of sound like every alt-rock band ever, mildly stripped-down and generally angry. There are a couple intriguing songs, but I'm definitely not feeling this overall. It's too unpolished. 5.5/10
Deftones- Koi no Yokan: The Deftones are another "I've never liked them but they did one song I like so I have to follow them" band. This is not what I expected the Deftones to sound like, however. The closest comparison I'm coming up with is "Coheed and Cambria crossed with Godsmack", a heavy nu-metal sound with distinct progressive movements. The harsh vocals I expected show up in the third track, but everything before that is surprising. Ultimately, that first impression doesn't define the album, though, and I end up not liking this. 6/10
Soundgarden- King Animal: I feel like it's been a while since I heard Chris Cornell in his original band. Everything he's done lately has been solo or Audioslave. I do appreciate that the first track is called "Been Away Too Long". But while this starts out good, everything blends together after a while. I was never really a huge Soundgarden fan, and beyond the fact that I like Chris Cornell's voice, well, this just sounds like a Soundgarden album. 5.5/10
Lifehouse- Almeria: At the start, I'd thought they were trying to capture the current indie-folk sound pervading radio rock, but it turns out this album is all over the place, covering that, their more familiar sound, stadium rock, and even blues. I really have no idea what they're thinking, other than throwing everything they can to see what sticks. Their next album might be surprising, but this one's a mess. 5/10
Green Day
¡Uno!: In the second half of 2012, Green Day released a trio of albums, starting (unsurprisingly) with this one. And from the opening chords of "Nuclear Family", it's like stepping back in time to the Green Day of last century. In fact, after hard-hitting, big-issue albums American Idiot and 21st Century Breakdown, this can easily be called "lighthearted". But, despite the return to their hooky pop punk roots, I'm not finding myself swept up in this. Of course, Green Day is one of the bands who've never put out an album I liked beyond their greatest hits, so that's really nothing too surprising. I do find myself enjoying songs like "Let Yourself Go" despite the simple, repetitive chorus and slightly less than enthralling verses. But, a return to form is always nice, especially when it's so well executed. 6.5/10
¡Dos!: This is apparently highly influenced by their work as Foxboro Hot Tubs, so I'm not expecting the same old thing. From the get-go, it sounds more stripped-down, less energetic, and all-around less punk. Compared to the last album, it one has a much more mature sound. This is a very different Green Day from what most people will be used to hearing, with lots of garage rock and a little, dare I say it, rap. Not quite as cohesive as Uno, it's nevertheless far more interesting. 6.5/10
¡Tre!: I do love the joke with the title here. This album is something even more different from the other two, and yet the same. It starts off slow, which is unspeakably weird for Green Day. From there, it kind of goes all over the place. "X-Kid" really sounds like classic Green Day, I'm talking pre-Dookie. This ends with a piano ballad, when does that ever happen? It's something of a smooth ride from new and weird to tried and true, at least, but this is definitely the least cohesive of the three albums, and overall my least favorite. I will commend them for trying new stuff, though. 5.5/10
Adam Ant Is the Blueblack Hussar In: Marrying the Gunner's Daughter: The comeback no one saw coming. This starts off strangely Dylan-esque, by which I mean it sounds like Adam Ant is doing his best Dylan impression. I don't know, I haven't listened to him in a while. I really only know him from "Goody Two-Shoes", which admittedly is a pretty fun 80's song, and I guess "Stand and Deliver", which is what I was expecting from this. The title-ish track delivers some of that, but this is very not good, to the point of some of the vocals being off-beat. This is dull and plodding. It lacks any kind of energy outside of "Marrying the Gunner's Daughter" and feels tired, like he just couldn't muster the effort to do any better. Some of these songs sound like they were composed on a Casio and posted on Youtube. I think we can call this "the comeback no one needed". 3/10 (Amusingly, the one song I liked is called "Bullshit".)
The Music Is You: A Tribute to John Denver: I was so incredibly stoked when I heard about this, you have no idea. Unfortunately, it starts with My Morning Jacket butchering "Leaving on a Jet Plane". I'm not kidding, this is a really awful cover and it totally killed my excitement for the rest of the album. Dave Matthews thankfully comes in with a cover of a song I'm not familiar with, but boy, there sure do seem to be a lot of really slow, mournful songs at the start of this. Train does a good job with "Sunshine on My Shoulders". And I suppose I shouldn't complain about country artists covering songs by an artist who was, technically, also country, but I am. Between that and the dreary indie rockers, there just isn't a lot to like about this. I mean, you've got Allen Stone doing a lovely version of "Rocky Mountain High" followed by a horrendous rendition of "Annie's Song", one of my favorite John Denver songs, by Brett Dennen and Milow. If the music is me, then I must be suffering from clinical depression, because this is a real downer of an album and it's absolutely not the John Denver tribute I was hoping for. 4.5/10
Local H- Hallelujah! I'm a Bum: Here's a name I haven't seen in forever. These guys had a really really minor alt rock hit back in the mid-90's, and that's about all I can say for them. Well, they've definitely grown up a lot since "Bound for the Floor", which I suppose shouldn't be too surprising. Unfortunately, they just sort of sound like every alt-rock band ever, mildly stripped-down and generally angry. There are a couple intriguing songs, but I'm definitely not feeling this overall. It's too unpolished. 5.5/10
Deftones- Koi no Yokan: The Deftones are another "I've never liked them but they did one song I like so I have to follow them" band. This is not what I expected the Deftones to sound like, however. The closest comparison I'm coming up with is "Coheed and Cambria crossed with Godsmack", a heavy nu-metal sound with distinct progressive movements. The harsh vocals I expected show up in the third track, but everything before that is surprising. Ultimately, that first impression doesn't define the album, though, and I end up not liking this. 6/10
Soundgarden- King Animal: I feel like it's been a while since I heard Chris Cornell in his original band. Everything he's done lately has been solo or Audioslave. I do appreciate that the first track is called "Been Away Too Long". But while this starts out good, everything blends together after a while. I was never really a huge Soundgarden fan, and beyond the fact that I like Chris Cornell's voice, well, this just sounds like a Soundgarden album. 5.5/10
Lifehouse- Almeria: At the start, I'd thought they were trying to capture the current indie-folk sound pervading radio rock, but it turns out this album is all over the place, covering that, their more familiar sound, stadium rock, and even blues. I really have no idea what they're thinking, other than throwing everything they can to see what sticks. Their next album might be surprising, but this one's a mess. 5/10
Green Day
¡Uno!: In the second half of 2012, Green Day released a trio of albums, starting (unsurprisingly) with this one. And from the opening chords of "Nuclear Family", it's like stepping back in time to the Green Day of last century. In fact, after hard-hitting, big-issue albums American Idiot and 21st Century Breakdown, this can easily be called "lighthearted". But, despite the return to their hooky pop punk roots, I'm not finding myself swept up in this. Of course, Green Day is one of the bands who've never put out an album I liked beyond their greatest hits, so that's really nothing too surprising. I do find myself enjoying songs like "Let Yourself Go" despite the simple, repetitive chorus and slightly less than enthralling verses. But, a return to form is always nice, especially when it's so well executed. 6.5/10
¡Dos!: This is apparently highly influenced by their work as Foxboro Hot Tubs, so I'm not expecting the same old thing. From the get-go, it sounds more stripped-down, less energetic, and all-around less punk. Compared to the last album, it one has a much more mature sound. This is a very different Green Day from what most people will be used to hearing, with lots of garage rock and a little, dare I say it, rap. Not quite as cohesive as Uno, it's nevertheless far more interesting. 6.5/10
¡Tre!: I do love the joke with the title here. This album is something even more different from the other two, and yet the same. It starts off slow, which is unspeakably weird for Green Day. From there, it kind of goes all over the place. "X-Kid" really sounds like classic Green Day, I'm talking pre-Dookie. This ends with a piano ballad, when does that ever happen? It's something of a smooth ride from new and weird to tried and true, at least, but this is definitely the least cohesive of the three albums, and overall my least favorite. I will commend them for trying new stuff, though. 5.5/10
Adam Ant Is the Blueblack Hussar In: Marrying the Gunner's Daughter: The comeback no one saw coming. This starts off strangely Dylan-esque, by which I mean it sounds like Adam Ant is doing his best Dylan impression. I don't know, I haven't listened to him in a while. I really only know him from "Goody Two-Shoes", which admittedly is a pretty fun 80's song, and I guess "Stand and Deliver", which is what I was expecting from this. The title-ish track delivers some of that, but this is very not good, to the point of some of the vocals being off-beat. This is dull and plodding. It lacks any kind of energy outside of "Marrying the Gunner's Daughter" and feels tired, like he just couldn't muster the effort to do any better. Some of these songs sound like they were composed on a Casio and posted on Youtube. I think we can call this "the comeback no one needed". 3/10 (Amusingly, the one song I liked is called "Bullshit".)
The Music Is You: A Tribute to John Denver: I was so incredibly stoked when I heard about this, you have no idea. Unfortunately, it starts with My Morning Jacket butchering "Leaving on a Jet Plane". I'm not kidding, this is a really awful cover and it totally killed my excitement for the rest of the album. Dave Matthews thankfully comes in with a cover of a song I'm not familiar with, but boy, there sure do seem to be a lot of really slow, mournful songs at the start of this. Train does a good job with "Sunshine on My Shoulders". And I suppose I shouldn't complain about country artists covering songs by an artist who was, technically, also country, but I am. Between that and the dreary indie rockers, there just isn't a lot to like about this. I mean, you've got Allen Stone doing a lovely version of "Rocky Mountain High" followed by a horrendous rendition of "Annie's Song", one of my favorite John Denver songs, by Brett Dennen and Milow. If the music is me, then I must be suffering from clinical depression, because this is a real downer of an album and it's absolutely not the John Denver tribute I was hoping for. 4.5/10
