Album Review: Weekend by The Sounds, written by Nick Way

The Ferris wheel image that graces the cover for The Sounds’ latest album, Weekend, is synonymous with the thrill and excitement that one feels when listening to the record contained inside. The Sounds, originally based in Sweden, have been churning out synthesizer-laden pop music since 1999. They cultivated their main fan base in the music-forward countries of Europe but alas, have not made their big splash in the United States' music spectrum. Since the early 2000’s, Maja Ivarsson’s sweeping lead vocals have always held a special place in the hearts and minds of the well-versed pop/punk fanatics. Maja’s voice kicks the door down on the recent release with the song titled, "Shake Shake Shake." Drummer, Fredrik Blond, comes crashing in with a 'punkish' methodology in each drum hit that constructs the emotional mood of the song. Thirty seconds in, one can’t help but grin as a melodic fire is ignited from the convolution of catchy vocal pop lines and boisterous synth chords. The best way to summarize this pop and punk anthem is, "ear-candy," with its sweet and addictive melodies emitting from start to finish. Steady, yet chunky bass and guitar rhythms come from the punk based musicians Félix Rodríguez and Johan Bengtsson, who truly shine through with their styles on the song "Hurt the Ones I Love," and the titular track "Weekend." Finally, it would be irresponsible for any listener to overlook the contribution of Jesper Anderberg, on keyboard/synth, who provides the epic synthesizer lines that could possibly be the quintessential aspect to the sound and statement on this release. The synth-pads simultaneously battle and homogenize with Ivarsson’s vocal cords almost flawlessly on the song "Panic," which is an auditory-paradigm that should not be neglected. The artistic approach to The Sounds' work is reminiscent of bands like Blondie or Franz Ferdinand, but do not be fooled by that comparison, these are not your run-of-the-mill musicians. The Sounds are seasoned veterans of pop/punk anthems. Unfortunatly, while entranced in The Sounds' pop-hypnotism, my smile starts to fade as I come to the realization that within marketable and commercial pop music, a unique album like this is a musical rarity. Weekend was released on October 29th of 2013 and will hopefully garner more popularity before their North American tour in April of ’14. Somehow the leading radio stations of the U.S. haven't shower the airwaves with this release, or the band. This cooperate-radio decision is beyond the comprehension of any listener with a music repertoire that surpasses Billboard's Top 100 songs. The Sounds might have generated their name to pay ode to the narrow channel between Sweden and the Danish island of Zealand, but to their fans they are exactly what this album provides, the sounds.

by Nick Way
the-sounds.com

Review: "More Than Me" by Eliphino

   Eliphino has a decorous and methodical sound that encompasses the flawless style only a consummate producer would have the ability to conjure up. Tom Wrankmore, a Leeds-native, who has recently fashioned a life in the moldy and sterile basement of an abandoned warehouse residing in London. Wrankmore a.k.a Eliphino, painstakingly pursues a creation of mesmerizing arrangements that verge on styles of Future House and Garage. Tom had begun his venture as a turntableist and producer in his early years of adolescence. Later, some kind of mythological planetary alignment had wrenched Wrankmore into a position as a definitive leading figure of the seclusive UK House scene. Initially, in 2010, the fundamentally electronic based label, Some Think Sounds, had debuted his first official EP entitled, “Undivided Whole EP.”  Eliphino’s highly anticipated follow up release would come precisely a year later in October of 2011, cunningly dubbed, “More Than Me.” An album that inimitably resides in the confines of dimly lit lounges full of cigarette smoking aficionados that pretentiously sip their finely crafted cocktails. “More Than Me” incorporates auditory elements that are chic and contemporary, but also giving the nightclub dwellers their bass driven anthem that causes the whole crowd to groove in synchronicity. The EP launches out of the cannon with the track aforementioned, “More Than Me.” A track consisting of stabbing synth lines, repetitious and filtered vocal-hooks, crisp high-hats, and a 4/4 sub-bass that is round enough to bounce from your chest cavity, to the brainstem. Eliphino has a mesmerizing way to keep a recurrent flow that will metamorphosize into an even more engaging hook that causes the audience to twist and shake their bodies harder than before. Wrankmore customizes the second track, “No More,” to percolate a down-tempo style of the previous banger to elude a sense of shrewd restraint that also hails from notable electronic artists such as Jacques Greene, or Joy Orbison. Fuzzy background synth-pads and curiously comprised tonal intonations slowly dispatch a memo to our synapses to initiate an introverted mental-meditation. As soon as we fall out of this vogue actuated trance, the deep-house colored jam, titled, “I Played,” rolls in, unapologetically, with its metallic percussive beat that attracts the attention of any coherent listener confined within the seedy club setting. This progressive ‘builder’ just keeps magnetizing supplementary intricacies that add more and more depth after each vibrating minute. Elegantly, Wrankmore seamlessly leads the listener to the end of the 4-track EP with the two-step banger, “Devoted.” An ending that will not allow any individual to leave without an austere memory of oscillating lights and asphyxiating bass that gets planted deep in the grooves of their brain. Instantaneously, the bass drops into the mix like an electronic poltergeist. We are forced into movement with, or without our consent, but for some clinical reason we are euphorically captivated by the saccharine female vocals and melodies. The minimal drums go into overdrive and suddenly engage into a rhythmic ‘assault mode’. Abruptly the fourth track of Eliphino’s EP comes to a cooling end as if the lights of the warehouse party came on and catapulted our sense of reality from the glamorous, back into the monotonous. Through some melodic curse, Eliphino stains our mind with catchy house beats and edgy synthesizer sequencers that follow us all the back into our human habitation. Considering this is only the second technical release by Wrankmore, it is easy to admire the amount of observable maturity found within his sound and reverberant production methods. It is gratifying to see an artist that truly lives up to his title: “purveyor of the finest vibrations.”  It’s not before long we engage our pathetic speakers in an attempt to recreate the sound of Eliphino’s “More Than Me” EP, but fail despondently, because this is a mix that is best opened up within the walls of house parties and clubs where the sub-bass can be heard for miles.

by Phoenix Carlton

Review: Cupid Deluxe by Blood Orange, written by Nick Way

              Dev Hynes is a musician who is hemorrhaging creativity from every artery. The surplus of talent is more than one project to bare, thus this causes him to have two musical ventures. Hynes’ two separate mellifluous exposés, Lightspeed Champion and Blood Orange, have provided soundtracks to the movie that could encompass any person’s existence. Naturally gravitating towards Blood Orange, the album “Cupid Deluxe,” which was debuted in November of 2013, has transcended into the staple album in my repertoire of musicians and artists. An auditory adventure that consistently keep my headphones glued to my ears throughout the grind of my day-to-day life. Categorizing “Cupid Deluxe” under generalized genres of chillwave or R&B is inundating this truly artistic expression, which is simply a crime in itself, because there are so many clear influences that have come from such a long evolution of music cornerstones. Specifying a genre to lay claim to Devonte’s work within Blood Orange is inequitable. “Cupid Deluxe” has a truistic composition contained within its sound, but at first glance might be mistakenly cliché, repeat, mistakenly so. Haynes proves to be unlike anything most music aficionados have ever had the privilege of listening to. The second track, “You’re Not Good Enough,” has the listener questioning whether or not they should work out in neon colored leggings or write down their introverted emotional distresses in a diary. The style on the album makes some clear nods to Daft Punk or ballad driven soft rock consisting of sax melodies that are undeniably East Coast influenced. Coincidentally, Dev even notes work from the mid 80’s to 90’s, while still maintaining a modernized rhythm that is appropriate and applicable for this day and age. Track five, “It Is What It Is,” is a prime example of what the prototypical sound Blood Orange is striving for. The dual harmony vocal lines provided by Caroline Polachek of the group Chairlift, will leave you in a trance while the beat picks up and transforms itself in to something stunning and fictitious. The angst in Hynes’ voice as well as the sheer passion that finds its way through the haunting melodies is what really stands out to anyone that allows this auditory flower to unfold. Throughout “Cupid Deluxe,” you will notice horns, drums, guitar, and a touch of hip hop. Other contributors to this collaboration are the omnipresent artists such as Friends' Samantha Urbani, Dirty Projectors' David Longstreth, Clams Casino, and Despot, who kills the mic with his lyrical flow in the track “Clipped On.” Without a hitch, Dev Hynes even includes sexually alluring French accented women speaking ever so effervescently, which is mixed in like a fresh class of champagne after a seductive one-night-stand. “Cupid Deluxe” is an album that may or may not hit the charts in this day in age, which is no indication of the unadulterated brilliance within this musical exhibition. There is absolutely no questioning of Hynes’ ability to create something truly imaginative and unique. "Cupid Deluxe" is in fact something to fall in love with, but never fearing it to be unrequited. 

by Nick Way

http://bloodorangeforever.tumblr.com/

Review: Stand By, Stay Calm by Ursus Colossus

The album “Stand By, Stay Calm,” by Ursus Colossus, reflects the endlessness of the Arizona desert it was conceived in. This multidimensional 7 track album breaches on cultish styles of post-rock and experimental space-rock. Ursus Colossus keeps a consistent headstrong hypnotism with their melodies at the forefront, while relaying emotional undertones of capricious nostalgia in the back of your skull. Each track has the cathartic reverberation of purposeful plucks of guitar strings by Roddy Nikpour and committed drum rhythms by Austin Reeves.  Commencing the album is the cerebral track dubbed “Letters to Years Later” which perfectly depicts the moody light-headedness that is delivered throughout the entirety of this discerning auditory statement. A beginning to an artistic adventure that lures the listener in rather than making an imposing declaration. Other brilliantly denominated tracks like, “I Only Speak in Accents and Monologues,” and “Eidolon” definitely brink the threshold of the audience’s ability of vigorous head-nodding. This graceful arc of imbricated tracks is a quintessential trademark of any great band. Without difficulty, they coax you in, tie you down, and play whatever torturous games they want with your eardrums.  The cohesive and lush bass tones by Thomas Boss complete the trifecta of noteworthy guitar riffs and methodically punctuated drum patterns that hold the foundation for each encompassing aspect on the record. This trio really puts the reoccurring question in mind as to how this full sounding album was delivered by only three band members. As soon as “Stand By, Stay Calm” began, it somehow finds a way to release you of its emotional grasp by the manumission of the track “don’t come find me.” As the audio cuts out, you are left with the feeling that Ursus Colossus handed back the money you paid for your overpriced headphones by baptizing each speaker with the pungent instrumental tones that they were designed to ooze. By that, we as an audience, thank you.

by Phoenix Carlton
http://ursuscolossus.bandcamp.com/album/stand-by-stay-calm