Music Reviews: Belle & Sebastian, Aqualung, etc.

Here we are again for another segment. Fewer artists this time, but multiple albums for some.

Broken Social Scene - "Feel Good Lost": Simply put, Canadian electronic music. Although the band does do vocals, this is an album of instrumentals. Good thing because the iTunes samples of their vocals didn't appeal so much. ;) This CD is laid back and easy to listen to. Great background for studying! In fact they're playing right now as I struggle through Karl Barth on the Eternity and Glory of God in "The Perfections of the Divine Freedom." :) Every track made the study playlist. Um.. except for The Stomach Song. Way too much going on to study to. :( Thumbs up for this one.

Belle & Sebastian - "The Boy With The Arab Strap" (TBWTAS) & "Dear Catastrophe Waitress" (DCW): Well, what to say about this band? My, oh my. They sure are odd. :) Had I known they were from Glasgow, I would've stopped in to say hi when I was there! I'm sure they wouldn't have minded. Their music is so quirky and easy and poppy and accessible, I'm sure they are, too. ;)

They have the weirdest names for their songs, and such crazy lyrics. And sometimes they just sort of talk to the music, telling a story. Then other times they are catchy and very singable. All over the place musically! Kind of fun. But there's also a lot of songs I would never listen to more than once, they're just so strange.

So, favorite tracks? Not many from TBWTAS: only the title track, Ease Your Feet In The Sea, and The Rollercoaster Ride. From DCW, though, many more: Asleep On A Sunbeam, Wrapped Up in Books, Step Into My Office, Baby, I'm A Cuckoo, Roy Walker", If She Wants Me, If You Find Yourself Caught In Love (the last two are really nice songs; I even get what the lyrics mean!)

One thumb up on TBWTAS, two thumbs up on DCW. :) Based on this, I think I'll go out and download a few from their very first CD, "Tigermilk", with review to follow - if I remember.

Aqualung - "Strange & Beautiful" & "Memory Man": No, not the Aqualung of Jethro Tull fame (those of you over 45 may recall that album; it was my favorite for a while in High School. Made me ill when I first heard the title track piped into an elevator. ewww.), they just took the cool name. :)

iTunes compares the lead singer of this group, Matt Hales, to Rufus Wainwright, and to Thom Yorke (Radiohead), and I can see it. "Strange & Beautiful" could be described as "all love songs, all the time", described from every angle, but... darn it - they're good songs! :) Really good. So who cares if the focus is kind of narrow, if it's well done? Favorites: Another Little Hole, Breaking My Heart, Extra Ordinary Thing, If I Fall, Brighter Than Sunshine.

I liked this CD so much I picked up "Memory Man", which was released this year, off of iTunes. It's harder-hitting, less acoustic, but it still backs off enough to give Hales the chance to vocally emote, which he does so well. Favorite tracks: Something To Believe In, Pressure Suit, Glimmer, Vapour Trail, The Lake, Outside, Garden of Love.

Also, a few of tracks off the EP "Still Life - 1" are really good: Just For A Moment, 7 Keys, and Can't Get You Out Of My Mind. Hope this guy puts out a lot more. I'm hooked. :)