The Carpenter by The Avett Brothers

The Carpenter by The Avett Brothers

The Avett Brothers’ mostly new album, The Carpenter, is a much sadder affair than the Avett boys have done in the past, with a lot more emphasis on life, death, and meaning, considerably less energy, and noticeable lack of the Avett Brothers’ usual fun and optimism.

                  This does not by any means make it a bad album. It does make it, at least at times, an incredibly boring one.

                  “The Once and Future Carpenter,” the first song on the album, is insanely depressing while still managing an attempt at being uplifting. This is a theme that carries throughout the album; it always sounds like the lead singer is trying to convince himself that he isn’t actually as sad as he feels. “If I live the life I’m given / I won’t be scared to die.”

                  “Live and Die” is in a similar, if slightly happier, vein. The Kermit the Frog-esque banjo line that plays throughout gives it a kind of plucky, heartfelt vibe from the start, a warm feeling which is immediately curb stomped into non-being by Scott Avett’s depressing ****ing voice. And the crazy thing is, the song is still really, really good.

                  The next three songs irritate me. “Winter in my Heart” is cheesy, like “The Ballad of Love and Hate,” only unlike the same, it’s uninteresting. “Pretty Girl From Michigan” sounds old and unoriginal, and while I like “I Never Knew You,” it’s also one of the few instances where Scott Avett’s voice (or is it Seth Avett? I get them confused.) truly annoys me.

                  “February Seven,” “Through My Prayers,” and “A Father’s First Spring” are all very similar in that they are slow songs with a lot of beautiful guitar, violin, and banjo work going on in the background, but again, sad. I don’t know how anyone could ever listen to this album all the way through and not inflict bodily harm on themselves. If you’ve still managed not to kill yourself, “Down With the Shine” and “Paul Newman Vs. The Demons” brings back some of that old Avett flavor, albeit in slightly different ways, and doesn’t quite manage to resurrect it fully. On the other hand, the brutally short “Geraldine” is exactly the kind of song I was originally looking forward to this album so much for. It has an excellent amount of energy and a fairly simple chord pattern that the band just goes crazy with.

                  The album concludes with “Life,” and I don’t think it could have been given a better name. After having almost an entire album deal directly with the preparation for, getting closer to, and the effects of death, this song finally manages some of that uplifting spirit that a few of that first songs tried and failed for. Damned if I know how it does it, because it’s still by all accounts a quiet, sad song. If I had to guess, I’d say that it sounds less like someone struggling to understand and accept death, and more like someone who’s finally moved on and is able to live his life.

                  Like I said, the album is not incredible. It breaks almost no new ground, in my opinion, and there are lots of songs that just plain annoy me, and the ones that don’t, for the most part, just depress me. Even so, I liked most of this album, and there are a few songs I’d even say that I love. If you’re an Avett fan expecting more loud, awesome craziness, stick to the older stuff. But if you’re in a sad or introspective mood, or even if you’re not, you might enjoy hearing someone else coming to terms with a lot of the things you’re probably thinking right now. There’s no doubt at all that this is an intensely personal album.

                  That being said, please, Avett Brothers, I beg you. On the next album, bring back the crazy

                                                                              6.2 / 10 
Ryan S. Morris

Shields by Grizzly Bear

Shields by Grizzly Bear

             First of all, a disclaimer: Grizzly Bear isn't for everyone. Shields isn't for everyone. Some of you will be bored by it. Some of you will be confused by it. Some of you won't see the appeal. If you don't like it now, I do suggest that you come back to it later. Maybe you'll see it differently.

            All that out of the way, this album is amazing.

            The opening track, “Sleeping Ute,” is a brilliant hook that showcases Grizzly Bear at their best. The guitars are prominent and jagged, with a background of undulating synths. The lyrics are vague and dark (“If I could find peace/If this night bleeds/But I can't help myself”) and Ed Droste's voice croons over it all. The whole song has a sort of compelling, restless energy.

            Throughout the album, Grizzly Bear creates a constantly shifting canvas of psychedelic folk that's easy to get lost in. Droste's lyrics are more verbose than previous albums, and tends towards abstract imagery; however, on “A Simple Answer” he turns to a more concrete topic, saying “No wrong or right/just do whatever you like” and “tell me it's all just a lie,” imploring his listener to convince him of moral and existential relativism. At times like this, the vocals and lyrics are central and seem to carry the music. There are other times on the album, such as near the end of “Half-Gate”, where the music seems to overwhelm the vocals completely, as though Droste's voice is adrift in a massive storm at sea, pulled hither and thither by the music. All in all, these features make this album not only fascinating to listen to but also mentally stimulating, provoking reflection and self-examination.

            The closing number, “Sun In Your Eyes”, is a massive song that begins with Ed Droste's voice and only the hint of other instruments that builds to a climax; Droste's voice swells to epic proportions along with the music behind him. There's an interlude that follows this, minimalist notes playing at intervals, which then slowly builds back up again like the ebb and flow of the tide. The repeated mantra of the song is “The look on your face, the burdens on your back, the sun is in your eye,” as the imagery of a nomadic traveler; it switches to first person, then, with the words “I'm never coming back.”  Grizzly Bear, I agree. Never go back. I like where you are, and where you're going.

4.6 out of 5
Kent Vashaw

Love This Giant by David Byrne & St. Vincent

Love This Giant by David Byrne & St. Vincent

Love This Giant,” the collaboration between an experimental artist of last generation, David Byrne of the Talking Heads, and experimental artist at the height of her career, Annie Clark of St. Vincent, is an extremely interesting idea.

            The first song, “Who”, begins with a catchy horn intro that immediately hooks. This dance provoking number weaves the vocals of Clark and Byrne together into a compelling duet, alternating lines in a way that compliments both of them.

            Prominent horns as well as the rest of an 8 piece brass section most prominently constitute the background and basis of the album, and their notes are bouncy and catchy in a memorable way. Guitars are much less prominent by comparison (perhaps a surprise, given that Byrne and Clark are both primarily guitarists).

            Clark and Byrne alternate vocals throughout the album, singing their quirky lyrics back and forth; Clark's voice sounds warm amidst the brass, while Byrne hasn't lost any of his energy or enthusiasm with age. While Byrne provides the impetus and drive behind the tracks, it is Clark's voice that really fleshes out the emotional appeal of each song, perhaps leading listeners wondering why she wasn't a little more prominently featured. When she sings “It's such a shame?/To see you this way, freezing it out/Your own little ice age” in “Ice Age” her voice is thick with regret and ache, and when the song picks up her voice soars high above the filled out musical landscape of horn and guitar.

            Some of the horn arrangements are a bit simplistic, and can feel repetitive and tiring after a while; nowhere is this more apparent that during the majority of “The Forest Awakes”, although this song redeems itself somewhat with a memorable and original ending as a precocious guitar joins the horns in changing it up.

            The final song, “Outside of Space and Time” closes out the album as a wistful look at love. “Where we will meet tonight/Spiraling out of sight/Outside of space and time,” Byrne sings, sounding both lost and enlightened at the same time.

            “Love This Giant”'s weaknesses are fairly obvious; there isn't a lot of variety in the musical styles, and, as to be expected on this kind of collaboration, where Byrne and Clark are mixed together so thoroughly, even at its best and most emotional moments it fails to be truly personal. Despite this, “Love This Giant” succeeds at what it attempts: to entertain, surely, but also to encourage the listener to look at life through a slightly different lens.

7.0/10

Reviewed by Kent Vashaw

Coexist by The xx

Coexist by The xx

With hushed tones, beautiful duets, and an uncanny knack for innovation, the xx is back and gently seducing its listeners in a manner that anyone who has heard their first LP has missed since 2009. After xx, their immensely popular and critically acclaimed debut album, the band shot onto the indie scene. The xx avoids the sophomore slump by stripping their songs down to their fundamental elements; staying true to their original sounds while still continuing their evolution as an indie powerhouse.

                  The record kicks off with a quiet love song that’s emotionally engaging and still musically interesting. Whispered vocals immediately command attention in a way that is difficult to describe. Instead of the swinging guitars that you can’t help but sway in time to, this album replaces them with reverb-drenched guitars that fill the room.

                  The main theme of the record is love found and love lost and the different manners in which it affects the person involved. Their first record was very direct and focused more on sex, but this record takes on a broader approach of the subject, which I think helps it appeal to more audiences without diminishing the value of the music. The xx have an undeniable beauty in their minimalism; not a note is out of place. Their instrument choices, timing, and structure are impeccable. The album is wispy, beautiful, and catchy, an odd but brilliant combination that everyone can enjoy.

                  “Reunion” is another super catchy track that has one slight flaw, which is their incongruous use of a steel drum. Tonally it fits after much equalization, but sadly the instrument itself is too piercing for such a smooth record, but if one of the few critiques I can think of is that the band is experimenting with new instruments and it only half worked, then that is an excellent sign.

“Tides” is one of the standout tracks on the album based almost solely on its delicate duet contrasted against a background of what appears to be industrial noise as the song develops into a much catchier tune. That’s what great bands do; they take an already good song and make it so indelible that you just have to hit repeat, and the xx have nailed that target.

                  “Swept Away” continues the beauty of the album, however cheesy the lyrics may be (“I get swept away/ When I think of you/Take me to that place/Where it’s control I lose”). Unfortunately, this lack of lyrical depth is exactly what keeps the album from being brilliant. Its lyrics are adequate, but disappointing. From such a stellar album, you expect more compelling and well thought out lyrics. Those here left me a bit underwhelmed and well, again, disappointed.

This sophomore LP is wonderful, but still has its faults.       

  8.2/10

Reviewed by Merrick Marquie