Tuesday, November 13, 2012

Album Review - Red Hot Chili Peppers - I'm With You

The Red Hot Chili Peppers are one of those bands that have done it all. Well, I say one of those bands - it's hard to find many other bands that have released ten studio albums. They've covered very different genres (from the grimy funk that was Uplift Mofo Party Plan to the more relaxed, almost 'alternative pop' feel of much of their double disc Stadium Arcadium), lost and gained band members, had a period of hiatus, and are established musical legends, undeniably. There was a lot of anticipation, therefore, with regards to their last album, I'm With You - would it be following along the same direction that Stadium Arcadium and By the Way seemed to have been pointing them in? Would it be a complete flop of middle-aged mid-life-crisis-esque lyrics about commitment troubles and the loss of Frusciante? The pressure to provide was high. Thankfully, this album is a lot more focused than its predecessor and is also easier listening than their earlier works.
Their (second) loss of Frusciante has clearly had an effect on the band's music in this album. The guitar playing, though tastefully so, is played down and no longer a key structural aspect of the songs. Klinghoffer's replacement of him has of course led to some apprehension (though the songs are clearly of the Chili Peppers, there is an obvious audible difference) from fans, which is allegedly confronted in the lyrics of The Adventures of Rain Dance Maggie, the first single from the album, for example in the line "no one here is on trial, it's just a turnaround". Flea's bass playing is, however, ever-prominent, and the tribal drumming, vocals and lyrics are all up to Chili Pepper standards.
I'm With You is a very conscious return to the musical industry (opening with a warm-up like drum roll and twiddle of guitar, and distant vocals), yet also ties up many loose ends - enough for me to say I would not be surprised if this was intended to potentially be their finale. For example, the closing of the opening track Monarchy of Roses sounds exactly like that of Make You Feel Better, from Stadium Arcadium, the first single has been described as "a collection of memories" (to MTV) by Kiedis (as the song tells us they will "rock you like the 80s" - the decade in which they first formed) and the tour is set to be their largest to date, with every show being available to download. The album includes the lyrics "We've got the wrong girl But not for long, girl, It's in the song girl, 'Cause I'll be gone girl", "Good things come to those who wait, Like an expiration date... Every dog will have its day." although also others that seem more optimistic about the future such as "The light is right, lift here tonight, lets make the right, the song of prize lets play", he does claim he'll lead all our mind games astray, so the album seems to be a call almost to a final celebration - epitomised in the title of the song Goodbye Hooray.
The only drawbacks of this album are that the chorus of Brendan's Death song is boring as (sort it out, Kiedis), and the shouted verses of Even You Brutus? take the listener by surprise. Other than that, there's really not much that can be criticized about this album - it is a work of mature musicians and each song is a tune. The album's also well assembled, with the songs flowing into one another and it ending on the high that is Dance, Dance, Dance, Dance. There's also been musical progress within the band - there's a lot more piano playing than we're used to, and there are some really crunchy harmonies going on (particularly during Happiness Loves Company) as well as more structural variation within the songs, and more variety, than was demonstrated in their last album, despite it being half the size. On the whole, then, an utter success. I only hope it isn't their last album, as there is definitely space in the world for more albums like this. It's nice that such an established, mature band are still evolving.

Thursday, November 8, 2012

Single Review - Dale Goodridge - Swimming After Dark


Dale Goodridge | Swimming After Dark by Dale Goodridge

So, someone follows you on Twitter, meh. But if his bio includes the phrase "Purveyor of Fine Music, Potions and Elixirs!" you suddenly feel like you've made a friend. Thus, the stalking begins. Turns out this Dale Goodridge dude's an Australian singer-songwriter who's just released a single by the name of 'Swimming After Dark' and it's pretty catchy.
Listening into it, the heavy, Radiohead-like feel is quite alluring. The only negative things I'd say are that the drums and lead vocals can at times sound pretty laboured, and that I think I disagree with the decision to have the lead vocal line doubled-up for a lot of it. However, as a solo effort it ain't half bad. I particularly like the harmonies in the interlude, no matter how random an interruption it seems a first.
There is definitely an inspiring dedication to his craft going on with this guy, and some very clean recordings of guitar, bass (beautiful tone) and vocals too, so I'm glad I checked him out because this song is one of a multitude that are worth a listen.

Music Like This:

  • Radiohead - the vocals and organ'y bits are reminiscent of some of the stuff on In Rainbows.
  • Gotye - I don't know why exactly, but I'm feeling the experimental bit in the middle, and the brass and stuff.
  • Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds - similar principle only with a band. Kinda similar sound too, if you changed the singer.

Album Review - Melody's Echo Chamber - Melody's Echo Chamber

Having discovered this album to be totally written by the French Melody Prochter, I was hopeful that this would help form part of a new movement of French musical creation which is en train de shaking off French music's well-deservedly pitiful reputation, and this is definitely better than what we've come to expect from the country over the decades.
Sound-wise, if Starfucker had brought up that girl from The xx and she'd had a kid with Tame Impala (Kevin Parker having produced the album) and the result was brought up an introverted French girl with  one of the Jarman brothersbabysitting, you'd get this.
Some of this album is very promising, in particular the first, fourth and seventh tracks - focused, well produced and vulnerably ethereal in its woozy, psychedelic displays of experimental yet so-laid-back-it's-in-a-deck-chair fusions of Prochter's light croon and scuzzy synthesising. Unfortunately, the haze is lost to itself in about half of the tracks, in particular Bisou Magique and the closing tracks, and you have to have a give-and-take relationship with half of the tracks for your attention to be held.
However, there's a catching sense of vulnerability in this debut which means it's not a loss when it gets vague - the better tracks are spread out so it's fortunately not a case of having half of the CD on repeat and ignoring the rest. It's a beautifully fragile, raw moment of a CD which, with such an experienced producer, could have been lost in favour of a more mature and less naive sound.
Thankfully, Parker has had enough nouse to revel in the art of it rather than be a po-face perfectionist, so you get a lot of Melody, who has enough fresh and interesting about her to make up for the less wonderful aspects of her breathy vocals (as a singer her breath control is only just able to get away with as being classified as 'stylistically flawed') and her hazy, floating composition (there's very little direction in the album - it's very much a tour of the inside of her own head).


Alors...
As an album, therefore, there's a lot that can be improved on. As a debut, however, it makes me look forward to her future creations.