Kill Rock Music

It was a relatively exciting week for music this one last. I entered the local HMV, along with one or two other grandfatherly-types who have not yet gone whole hog MP3, to gaze upon the exciting new releases. This week saw output from Arctic Monkeys, Mew and Athlete, as reported last week. Here’s a quick review of each release, with the needed caveat that I haven’t spent a lot of time with these albums.

Arctic Monkeys – Humbug

I’ve had a hard time with this album. I do like it, and it has some good songs on it. It’s evolved enough from their Dancefloor days but is still clearly an Arctic Monkeys release. It has some nice, affecting ballads and some really crunchy rock songs. Still, it hasn’t quite grabbed my attention yet, and I can’t even give a good reason why it hasn’t. It just seems to lack that je ne sais quois that albums need to vault them from the competent to the divine.

As an album, Humbug holds up pretty well. Musically, it combines the Arctics rock antics with some of the Bond-ish stylistics evident in singer Alex Turner’s side project Last of the Shadow Puppets. Queens of the Stone Age’s Josh Homme’s production presence is noticeable (especially on tracks such as Potion Approaching) but not overpowering. The songs are given a bit of a downtuned, psychedelic vibe while still retaining their essential monkey-ness. All in all, this is a very good album, but it leaves music critics with a quandary. Do you rate it based on overall quality in the midst of all pop mediocrity (where it would score very good) or on a basis of what the Arctics can and should do (where this does less well)? Ultimately, it’s worth picking up, but I still feel a bit disappointed. The band sounds a bit tired and like they’re going through the motions. Granted, the motions they go through are really quite good, but I was just hoping for something that made me want to punch the air. Humbug just makes me nod my head.

Mew – No More Stories…

This release is my favourite of the week. I first got onto Mew with their 2003 release Frengers. That album, still their high-water mark in my opinion, had some incredible tunes that took a huge, layered production and combined it with an ear for melody and arrangements that were different enough to catch the ear but not so different as to be off-putting. Lead-singer Jonas Bjerre’s helium voice, rather than being annoying, managed to convey more emotion to songs that already tugged at the feelings. Follow-up And the Glass Handed Kites was also pretty good, but lacked the sheer catchiness of Frengers. It was still a worthwhile endeavour, as it felt more like a cohesive whole than its predecessor. No More Stories bridges the gap between the two, presenting some memorable songs in a package that feels like a real experience, rather than just a random collection of songs. The arrangements remain over the top, recalling prog-rock greats like Genesis, in bombast if not wanky instrumentation. The album plays for nearly an hour and holds together in a satisfying manner, starting strong, slackening off a bit, then gradually building up to a nice climax and, in gorgeous closer Reprise, dénouement. This album is worth a listen, and I fully expect it to grow on me even further over subsequent listens.

Athlete – Black Swan

This album, for the most part, is a pleasant surprise. As I wrote last week, I have a soft spot for Athlete as a slightly goofy band who write heartfelt, if a little cheesy, songs. Unfortunately, over the last few albums they forgot how to have fun and, even worse, forgot to write memorable songs. Their first album, Vehicles & Animals was a bit off-kilter but, in its essence, just presented a bunch of great pop songs. Follow-up Tourist kept the song craft but took itself a bit too seriously. Beyond the Neighbourhood started to make me regret ever liking the band. Happily, on Black Swan they mostly find their feet again. The songs are all strong and moving, and played with verve and a feeling of…life, which wasn’t present on Beyond the Neighbourhood. Apart from opener Superhuman Touch, they still lack some of the stylistic quirks (where’s the excessive theremin?) that helped to differentiate them from the pack. Truthfully, this still sounds (and I cringe to admit it) somewhat like try-too-hard Coldplay enthusiasts, but at least it’s…well…enthusiastic this time out. The album is worth buying, for sure, and it gives me hope for LP number four. I hope that the confidence they show in Black Swan can then be combined with their off-beat and fun nature that made me love them in the first place.

Grizzly Bear – Veckatimest

When I did the post a few weeks ago on popular bands I just don’t understand, I forgot this indie rock darling of the year, whose Veckatimest is seen by some (but definitely not me) as the best album of the year so far. Really, this falls into the same pretty-but-empty camp I put Dirty Projectors and Animal Collective in. I see what they’re trying to do, it’s dense and complex music, but to me it just sounds like Brian Wilson came around in 2009 instead of the 1960s. I’m sure there’s many layers and what have you that I’m not getting, but I just find it pleasant, but surely not gut-punchingly moving, as music should be. See you next week!

Arctic Monkeys - Potion Approaching

Mew - Cartoons & Macrame Wounds

Athlete - Superhuman Touch

Grizzly Bear - Cheerleader