Seven hours behind the wheel (each way) gives you a chance to listen to quite a bit of music. :) There are 3 real gems in this batch of five CDs (the first three.)
Snow Patrol - "Eyes Open": Alright, so I'm emo. Unapologetically so. (they used to just call it being a romantic.) ;) So, I can't help but love this record. I wondered if there was anything to it beyond the smash hit "Chasing Cars", and.. is there ever! The lead singer's voice is great to listen to, and the songs are emotive but with some good power playing underneath. And with lyrics like this, how can you miss?
It's not as easy as willing it all to be right
Gotta be more than hoping it's right
I wanna hear you laugh like you really mean it
Collapse into me, tired with joy
Yeah. :) I'd be good with that.
It's a really appealing CD with several good tracks: Chasing Cars, Hands Open (quoted above), Shut Your Eyes, Make This Go On Forever, It's Beginning To Get To Me, You Could Be Happy, and more. I immediately went to the library to get my hands on the previous album, "Final Straw", which is not as strong, but does have some good cuts on it - Run, Chocolate, Grazed Knees, Somewhere a Clock is Ticking, others. :)
Rinôçérôse - (self titled): What are these guys trying to be? Electronic? Rock? Jazz? Funk? This CD (which is a compilation of their three prior ones) has all these styles and - wow. Done well, too. They are versatile. They even do a little screaming on "Cubicle", but it's not gratuitous screaming. ;) Not screaming for the sake of screaming, I mean. It actually fits the plot.. um, I mean the lyrics.
Speaking of lyrics, there's one song on this CD that could have been left off and eliminated the explicit tag. But even that one is a solid rock song. Just.. not very positive. :( Same for Get Ready Now. Not the most positive song, but a solid rock track, performed well.
Cubicle's a great track, as is Dead Flowers (a jazz-funk instrumental), Le Triangle (a 60's tambourine-shaking one), and Music Kills Me, which sounds like some veteran rocker with a mature late 60's voice who got his vocal looped and amped up. Excellent CD, with only the one aforementioned flaw.
Skye - "Mind How You Go": Formerly with Morcheeba, this singer's solo album is wonderful. Soothing ballads with often jazzy electronic synth-heavy arrangements underneath. Her voice reminds me a lot of Emiliana Torrini or Kate Havnevik. No real favorites on this CD, I like them all. :) She put out an EP of remixes of one song, "What's Wrong With Me?", most of which are pretty good, too. She is so nice to listen to, chill to. Great CD. Two thumbs up.
Stephen Malkmus - (self titled): Eh. I don't get the appeal. Odd lyrics, crazy guitar playing, dissonance, unappealing melodies, weak vocals. One pass through was enough for me. Oh, okay... Pink India is not a bad track. I'll give him that. :)
Sondre Lerche - "Faces Down": Better. Not a ton better, but better. Sometimes his guitars go berserk like Malkmus, but the vocals are easier to listen to, songs are more approachable. It doesn't rise to the level of, say, a Matt Pond PA or a Maritime or an Aqualung for male vocals, though. Not bad.. just.. not great.
Still, Modern Nature is a cute duet about low expectations. You Know So Well is a nice one about people who know each other well, but still talk past each other. :( Sleeping on Needles is pretty good, too, as is On and Off Again. If I could have made an EP of it with about half the songs.. it would have gotten two thumbs up instead of one.
Snow Patrol, Rinocerose and Skye sure made the return trip from KC easy, though. Good stuff. Examples posted soon in the lyrics department of this blog. :)
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