In this month's That's Entertainment we'll be taking a closer look at the three albums that are most deserving of the "Album of the Month" distinction for March.
“Sisterworld”, the fifth Liars album, unfolds like a well-made thriller,
the tension building up track by track until its anticipated but still
startling violent release. The noisy outbursts of “Scarecrows On A
Killer Slant” and “The Overachievers” are two of the album’s
highlights, along with the opening “Scissor” (which has the feel
of an early Polanski film) and the hypnotic, kraut-rockin’ mantra
of “Proud Evolution”, the album’s majestic centerpiece. Highly
recommended is the special edition of the album that comes with a second
cd of remixes/reinterpretations of all its tracks by artists like Alan
Vega, Kazu Makino, Tunde Adebimpe, Thom Yorke,
Devendra Banhart, Melvins or Atlas Sound. The
results may vary here, but it’s still very interesting to hear, for
example, how a Liars song would sound if it was turned into a
bangin’ rap tune (“Scissor” as remade by Pink Dollaz, Lance
Whitaker & Transformation Surprise).
“High Places vs. Mankind”, the sophomore High Places
album, finds the experimental duo of Rob Barber and Mary
Pearson relocated from Brooklyn to Los Angeles and exploring darker
lyrical themes than their more optimistic, nature-loving self-titled
debut. The band moves away from the lo-fi, home-made sound of its
earlier work and into a more melodic, dance floor friendly direction, a
luscious sound hinted at by their debut’s closing track, the exquisite “From
Stardust To Sentience”. The music still relies on dense layers of
synthie sounds, unusual samples and polyrhythmic beats but guitars play a
bigger part in the creative process this time, giving the album a
richer sound. Mary Pearson’s ethereal vocals remain High Place’s
most potent sonic weapon, giving an otherworldly beauty to the dreamy
electronic pop of “High Places vs. Mankind”. The album’s only
flaw, apart from a couple of nondescript instrumentals (why sideline
your most valuable music instrument, i.e. Mary’s voice), is the
omission of last year’s excellent single “I Was Born”, although
there are several tracks here that match its quality, most notably “The
Longest Shadows”, “On Giving Up”, “On A Hill In A Bed On A
Road In A House” and “When It Comes”, one of the most
uplifting songs about death I’ve ever heard.
And while we are one the subject of beautiful female voices, here comes Dee
Dee, aka Kristin Gundred, with her Dum Dum Girls.
I’ve already
raved about the garage pop slice of heaven that is the single “Jail
La La”, now I’m happy to report that “I Will Be”, the L.A.
band’s debut on Sub Pop, is everything that an indiepop or garage
rock fan could hope for. Gorgeous vocals in a ’60s girl group style,
strong pop melodies, buzzing guitars and urgent drum beats combine to
create a delicious half-hour treat that draws inspiration from the holy
trinity of ’60s garage, ’70s punk and ’80s new wave and noisepop. The
album is over before you realize it and the only option left to the
stunned listener is to hit the repeat button again and again.
“Sisterworld”, the fifth Liars album, unfolds like a well-made thriller,
the tension building up track by track until its anticipated but still
startling violent release. The noisy outbursts of “Scarecrows On A
Killer Slant” and “The Overachievers” are two of the album’s
highlights, along with the opening “Scissor” (which has the feel
of an early Polanski film) and the hypnotic, kraut-rockin’ mantra
of “Proud Evolution”, the album’s majestic centerpiece. Highly
recommended is the special edition of the album that comes with a second
cd of remixes/reinterpretations of all its tracks by artists like Alan
Vega, Kazu Makino, Tunde Adebimpe, Thom Yorke,
Devendra Banhart, Melvins or Atlas Sound. The
results may vary here, but it’s still very interesting to hear, for
example, how a Liars song would sound if it was turned into a
bangin’ rap tune (“Scissor” as remade by Pink Dollaz, Lance
Whitaker & Transformation Surprise). “High Places vs. Mankind”, the sophomore High Places
album, finds the experimental duo of Rob Barber and Mary
Pearson relocated from Brooklyn to Los Angeles and exploring darker
lyrical themes than their more optimistic, nature-loving self-titled
debut. The band moves away from the lo-fi, home-made sound of its
earlier work and into a more melodic, dance floor friendly direction, a
luscious sound hinted at by their debut’s closing track, the exquisite “From
Stardust To Sentience”. The music still relies on dense layers of
synthie sounds, unusual samples and polyrhythmic beats but guitars play a
bigger part in the creative process this time, giving the album a
richer sound. Mary Pearson’s ethereal vocals remain High Place’s
most potent sonic weapon, giving an otherworldly beauty to the dreamy
electronic pop of “High Places vs. Mankind”. The album’s only
flaw, apart from a couple of nondescript instrumentals (why sideline
your most valuable music instrument, i.e. Mary’s voice), is the
omission of last year’s excellent single “I Was Born”, although
there are several tracks here that match its quality, most notably “The
Longest Shadows”, “On Giving Up”, “On A Hill In A Bed On A
Road In A House” and “When It Comes”, one of the most
uplifting songs about death I’ve ever heard. And while we are one the subject of beautiful female voices, here comes Dee
Dee, aka Kristin Gundred, with her Dum Dum Girls.
I’ve already
raved about the garage pop slice of heaven that is the single “Jail
La La”, now I’m happy to report that “I Will Be”, the L.A.
band’s debut on Sub Pop, is everything that an indiepop or garage
rock fan could hope for. Gorgeous vocals in a ’60s girl group style,
strong pop melodies, buzzing guitars and urgent drum beats combine to
create a delicious half-hour treat that draws inspiration from the holy
trinity of ’60s garage, ’70s punk and ’80s new wave and noisepop. The
album is over before you realize it and the only option left to the
stunned listener is to hit the repeat button again and again. Top 10 Albums
1. Sisterworld - LIARS
2. High Places vs. Mankind - HIGH PLACES
3. I Will Be - DUM DUM GIRLS
4. The Soft Pack - THE SOFT PACK
5. Big Sexy Noise - BIG SEXY NOISE
6. Odd Blood - YEASAYER
7. Broken Bells - BROKEN BELLS
8. The Golden Archipelago - SHEARWATER
9. American Gong - QUASI
10. Plastic Beach - GORILLAZ
Top 20 Tracks
1. The Longest Shadows - HIGH PLACES
2. Proud Evolution - LIARS
3. It Only Takes One Night - DUM DUM GIRLS
4. Bloodbuzz Ohio - THE NATIONAL
5. Latin America - HOLY FUCK
6. Glitter Freeze - GORILLAZ feat. MARK E SMITH
7. Pull Out - THE SOFT PACK
8. Baby Faced Killer - BIG SEXY NOISE
9. Skinny Little Bitch - HOLE
10. Repulsion - QUASI
11. Landscape At Speed - SHEARWATER
12. Mongrel Heart - BROKEN BELLS
13. Flash Delirium - MGMT
14. Tremel - GLASSER
15. Apparent Horizon - TRANS AM
16. Madder Red - YEASAYER
17. Baby Lee - TEENAGE FANCLUB
18. Found Love In A Graveyard - VERONICA FALLS
19. It Feels Alright - WOVEN BONES
20. Pillow Talk - DOUBLE DAGGER
The Longest Shadows - High Places
Jail La La - Dum Dum Girls
Jail La La - Dum Dum Girls
Relevant article