What starts out as an engaging sonic experiment with some dance rock false starts ends with pure pop rock bliss. You’ll notice a jarring and pleasant transformation at track 8. It seems like it’s two albums in one. The bass player really knows what he is doing on this album– Paul McCartney keeps coming to mind. Duran Duran meets Sonic Youth and an interesting sample looper/knob tweaker.
And Their Refinement of the Decline – Stars of the Lid
Swelling ambient orchestral minimalism. This is not a party album. Listen to this in solitude or with a soul mate while studying nature and the deepest recesses of your soul. Sigur Ros on barbiturates. I love the brass on the first track. It’s like a drunken military call to peace by Vangelis.
No words– just grooves, tasty grooves. The guitar work over the lush grooves brings to mind Brian May harmonizing with himself. It’s as if Brian took over Funkadelic from George Clinton, but they were an indie band.
The guy that does the beats for Postal Service. Apparently he’s not into singing, so an all-star cast of indie pop voices take turns on each song. It’s not all electro-disco-y like you think it’s going to be.
In the Future – Black Mountain
Remember Jefferson Airplane? Now throw in Iron Butterfly with a little Black Sabbath. Psychadelia goes to a dark place. The female voice, Amber Webber, can truly sing. She’s got a Chan Marshall vibe but a little more epic.
‘nough said.
