White Blood Cells - The White Stripes

White Blood Cells is the third release from this influential alternative rock duo.  Having enjoyed their follow up, Elephant, I decided that this one would be a solid choice.  The album is a whirlwind trip of 16 tracks in just over forty minutes.  As a result, I will be reviewing it in terms of music, lyrics, and concept, rather than track by track.  This will allow me to give a better overall impression of the album. 

The album begins with a brief pause before crashing into the old school, garage band rock that makes up the foundation for the band’s hallmark sound.  As this is their third release, the group is already well versed in this DIY alternative style.  Few things are as satisfying as hearing a solid rock group at the top of their game, which is exactly what White Blood Cells is.  Unlike other groups in this genre such as The Strokes, I enjoy The White Stripes particular brand of stripped down, bare bones rock.  The primary question is whether or not their sound is unique and innovative enough to be considered something distinctly new.  This is the chief criterion that separates respectable albums from classic ones.  When the album’s age (ten years and counting) and historical context are taken in to account, White Blood Cells falls solidly into the latter category.  The White Stripes were pioneers in a garage rock renaissance that swept the rock scene at the turn of the century.  Indeed, groups such as Cage The Elephant, Artic Monkeys, and even The Strokes are much indebted to the Stripes in terms of sound and style not to mention attitude.  What makes White Blood Cells even better is that it captures The Stripes at their peak.  The result is a concise album consisting of fast paced, well written songs that pack one punch after the and refuses to let up.  Just as one outstanding track hits you, another excellent number follows it giving no time in between for a breath to be caught.  In fact,  the pace is so fast, it sometimes becomes difficult to find enough time to digest or reflect on a particular song before the subsequent one takes it’s place.  One criticism I would make is that the album does tend to get a bit redundant and repetitive especially into the second half.  Also, there are times when it sounds a little too simple to provide substantial interest.  These moments and/or songs are few and far between however.  Most of the album is a head spinning trip of diversity spanning form the acoustic, elementary play of “We’re Going to be Friends” to the hard rock thrash of “Aluminum”.  The level of immense musical variety only makes an already fantastic album that much better!

As solid as the music is on this album, the lyrics stand up on their own accord.  Throughout the album they vary from the straightforward to the ambiguous.  “I Can Learn” for example is a candid, nostalgic look at the innocence of young love.  “The Union Forever” however, contains lyrics that are more open to interpretation.  Then there are songs like “This Protector” which sound so esoteric the listener has no clear idea of the subject matter.  There is also a contrast in the style/emotion of the lyrics on this album with some songs coming off as dark and sinister and others warmly childlike.  In this regard, the White Stripes display a penchant for diversity not only musically but lyrically as well.  It should be noted that the album art for this work is admirable as well.  Utilizing their by now iconic black, white, and red imagery; the cover portrays the feelings of a group now trapped under the microscope of public and professional scrutiny.  The booklet art is solid as well, depicting a variety of different artistic images composed of different media, some more easily discernable than others.

This is a fantastic album from concept to art to lyrics as well as the music itself.  Blossoming around the turn of the 21^st century, this group was essential to the 60’s garage rock revival that took hold of the music industry and the public eye.  Unlike their peers however, The White Stripes have the total package including visuals and conceptual meaning.  Even so, they never loose sight of what’s most important.  At the heart of their artistic concept is their ability to craft well-written songs.  When all is said and done, this is the most important criterion.  It is at the heart of what makes any album from Rubber Soul to Rumours so fantastic.  And it is exactly what makes this album so outstanding.  Above all, White Blood Cells is a collection of solid, admirably crafted songs.  

Public Enemy – It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back

            

            It’s a little intimidating anytime you review an album of this tremendous a magnitude.  Public Enemy’s second release is considered by the vast majority of critics to be one of the most important albums of all time.  Even if you don’t take much stock in the opinions of various music critics (and in some cases, understandably so) most reader’s polls and surveys hold this album in equally high regard.  Though it’s widely considered a monumental cornerstone, I will attempt to review this legendary work, track by track, from beginning to end.

            The album kicks off with the group being introduced to a London crowd over the sound of an air raid siren.  This short, but interesting opening was recorded while Public Enemy was on their first UK tour.  Their first song, “Bring the Noise,” hits the ground running; with jam-packed versus and clever hooks.  Emcee Chuck D raps with speed and fury, afraid he might not get in everything he has to say.  This is all done of course in his assured, harder-than-it-looks style, complete with interesting word play and lyrical turnarounds.  Though the track starts to fade, Chuck keeps rapping as if there is more to be said than the song can contain.  The next number, “Don’t Believe the Hype” is enjoyable as well, containing more of Chuck D’s creative rhymes in addition to some great sample work form other members of the group and a catchy hook.  This is certainly the first memorable song on the album and an obvious single.  I enjoy the complexity of this song as a result of the group’s collaborative nature of the group.  I’m not sure, however, of Flava Flav’s role.  He never really adds any rhymes, but merely introduces Chuck D and adds in various short vocal fills along the way.  In this sense, he comes off less as an equal member of the group, and more like an annoying kid brother looking for a place to fit in.  As if in response to this criticism, the next track, “Flavor Flav Cold Lampin’” features the emcee himself.  I have to be honest, Flav really proves himself with this one.  While his rhymes certainly aren’t as political, he does have a good flow.  Still, I have to wonder how solid he would be without the rest of the group to support him.  Also, certain lines such as “Flavor Flav is in everything you eat” leave something to be desired.  Track five is “Terminator X To The Edge Of Panic.”  Just as track four featured Flavor Flav, this one features DJ Terminator X.  The lyrics of this song focus more on the group’s critical reception and the music is more sample based.  This would have certainly been a hasher, and more jarring when it first came out in ’88.  One of my favorite things about Public Enemy is that their music sometimes deals with controversial, real life subject matter.  This is a refreshing change from the current all too common practice of using graphic, violent language to manufacture controversy in order to sell records (for example, Eminem).  The sixth track is titled “Mind Terrorist.”  This is a short interlude the purpose of which appears to be mostly transitional.  This is definitely a fast paced, high-energy album that shows no signs of letting up. 

“Louder Than A Bomb” is a showcase of Public Enemy doing what they do best.  Lyrically, the tone is political in nature (ala Rage Against the Machine).  Though their political views are, at times, a little too conspiratorial for me (I don’t believe the CIA had Dr. King or Malcolm X assassinated), I do agree with their over all message about the power of free speech and the government’s fear of it.  As I listen to this album, I can’t help but notice the cohesiveness of this group.  Unlike a lot of hip-hop acts, Public Enemy has more of a collaborative band-like feel to their music.  Rather than featuring only the emcee, this group has various tracks throughout the album that showcase a variety of different members as well as full-group numbers.  Track eight is “Caught, Can We Get a Witness?”  This number has a live feel similar to the album’s opener and discusses the plagiarism lawsuits faced by the group as a result of their sampling.  This not only poses the philosophical question of what constitutes a new, original work; but also serves as a poignant reminder of the history of rap music which is all to often overlooked or forgotten altogether.  Though the group tries hard to make a convincing case, it’s difficult to buy into their ‘don’t beat up on little ol’ me’ mentality, when they begin their first half of their album with so much pompous, self-indulgent swagger.  The next track is a sample-based number that features no rap and is one of the group’s most popular songs.  Indeed, “Show Em’ What You Got” is an impressive display of the trail blazed by the group in the early days of hip-hop.  While I love the sax sample used, I cringe every time I hear the one of Flavor Flav.  I can’t help but find him to be the least substantial, most annoying member of the group.  Ten is “She Watch Channel Zero?!”  I find this track to be one of the album’s least essential.  It attempts to make a point about the harmful nature of over exposure to television, one that I find to be trivial in comparison to the other concepts on this album.  Again Flav proves that his shining moment is, by far, his featured piece.  “Night Of the Living Baseheads” is a track that reminds me of just how much I enjoy decent ‘old-school’ hip-hop.  This song also resonates with my love of message driven music.  Interestingly enough, this song’s lyrics takes aim at the rampant crack use, which exploded in the 1980s.  This is an interesting stand for a hip-hop group to take on the issue at that time it was written.  Track twelve begins with a return, once again, to the London live sound prevalent throughout this album.  I like this device, as it’s one of the things that give this work a more cohesive feel.  Titled “Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos,” this number sees a return to a more political theme and contains some of the darkest, most disturbing lyrics on the album.  Chuck D’s flow is great (as usual), his rap seeming as if it could go on forever.  I’m not sure, however, if I entirely understand, let alone agree with, this lyrics for this one. 

Like several of other tracks on this album, “Security of the First Word” features a specific part of Public Enemy.  Often abbreviated as S1W, this group of people are more militant and political in their views.  I don’t understand the purpose of this track, which consists of a lone, simple, beat and is less than 90 seconds in length.  Overall, I found its inclusion on the album puzzling, as it was uninteresting and pointless, adding nothing to the work.  “Rebel Without a Pause” on the other hand, is another great example of Public Enemy at their peak.  This track features emcee Chuck D who always has good rhymes and a great flow.  In addition, Terminator X adds his trademark style and remarkable ability to make an intricate instrumental sound bed entirely from samples.  Among the samples used is a recurrent scratch reminiscent of the one heard in track five.  Terminator X has a considerable ability make catchy hooks out of sounds that would be almost unbearable in any other context.  Chuck D and Terminator X combine their respective abilities to create a fast-paced, enjoyable number that ends far too soon.  Track fifteen, “Prophets of Rage” is another fantastic, sample-based piece.  This time, a sample from “Pickin’ Up the Pieces” is used, to great effect.  The lyrics are, once again, more political in nature.  Indeed lines that rhyme Mandela with cell dwella are not common on most hip-hop LPs.  In fact, I would argue that this lyrically focused music has more in common with Dylan than most of stuff being release by Public Enemy’s peers at the time.  I enjoyed the message of this piece as well as its strong ending.  The final rack on the album is titled “Party for Your Right to Fight”, an interesting jibe perhaps at the less-significant concerns of The Beastie Boys.  The track creatively employs a Bob Marley sample and sounds far ahead of its time, musically.  Lyrically, however, it leaves something to be desired.  Again the chief problem stems from the conspiratorial nature of Chuck D’s rap.  No matter how hard I try, I just can’t buy into the fact that J. Edgar Hoover set up Dr. King and Malcolm X.  Also, the lyrics seem to tie religion into their racial philosophy, with the citation of figures such as Louis Farrakhan and the prophet Muhammad.  Maybe these references are more tongue and cheek and not to be taken as seriously, but I don’t understand their purpose or agree entirely with their viewpoint.  Nevertheless, the track is musically solid and places the subject matter of the Beastie Boy’s lyrics into their proper context.  This is an effective closer on a watershed album for a legendary group who knew they were in their prime; ending prophetically with the line from which the album takes it’s title.

            Like with Björk, I had a vague familiarity with Public Enemy’s sound, but no real idea of what the album would be like.  For the most part, I was surprised at just how ‘old school’ this album sounded.  It’s hard to believe how far the hip-hop genre has come in the 22 years since this album’s release.  With this work, Public Enemy prove themselves as pioneers that they are; forging a new style that combines creative sample use with sharp, intelligent rap.  Though I’m not entirely on board when it comes to the lyrical content on the album, it’s overall theme as well as it’s creative execution more than makes up for any concepts with which I don’t completely agree.  To put it in the simplest terms, Public Enemy has combined creative music with outstanding lyrics to create a fantastic album.  Whether or not it deserves its masterpiece status is still open for debate.

Björk – Debut

            Though actually her second release, Debut is commonly recognized as Björk’s first official album (the first having been a pop recording made at age 11).  It is also the most acclaimed from this widely influential singer.

            The album begins with a fairly normal percussion groove.  Then Björk begins to sing.  This is a sound that can’t really be described to anyone who hasn’t heard her sung-spoken wail.  While most people would have a hard time getting past this sound, it is of little aesthetic consequence to me given the kind of music that I typically listen to.  One thing’s for sure: it would definitely have turned heads back in 1993.  Given the avant-garde nature of her vocals, her lyrics were far less esoteric than one might expect.  The second track starts off with a groovy bass line.  This is followed by live percussion as well as electronic beats; forming a nice fusion-styled dance track.  I like the contrast added by the smooth, melodic percussion.  I could easily hear this song at a dance club.  Track three is another dance club-friendly tune and one of the album’s singles.  The type of percussion used gives the piece a more exotic feel.  Björk’s singing is so tame on this number, I almost forget it’s her singing.  The fourth track on this album would be a completely normal sounding dance number… if it weren’t recorded in a bathroom stall inside of a dance club.  Still, I have to give her credit for at least being experimental (save the creepy shit she does about a minute and a half into the song).  Track five provides a sharp contrast to the fourth in a number of ways.  Stylistically, it is a tender ballad consisting of only voice and harp.  The harmonies are perfectly consonant (unless you live in the 17^th century) and her singing is actually gentle and soft… well as gentle and soft as Björk can be on the ears.  Let me put it this way: this is the closest thing to an aesthetically beautiful song as you’re going to get from Björk.  The sixth track sees a return, once again, to the dance club.  Again this track is surprising in it’s straightforward nature.  In fact, if Björk didn’t sing, it would be little more than an unremarkable dance number.  It is actually for this reason that I don’t care much for this number.  Seven is an electronic/dance track as well, albeit a more intriguing one.  This one contains more appealing synthesizer lines and effects that are more exciting.  The bottom line is: more experimentation + same level of catchiness = a more interesting track. 

There is what seems to be a brief pause before a saxophone quartet gently wanders into the musical landscape, beginning track eight.  This is followed by the entrance of Björk’s vocals.  The Saxes then join her (sounding like an off-kilter jazz combo) as do various jungle sound effects.  There is a nice little break in this song, which features what sounds like African-influenced percussion.  I like this song because not only is she experimental, she is so in a way that’s listenable (even enjoyable).  If the vocals on the ninth track on this album were removed, you might place it as being from the album Moon Safari.  Indeed, with its nice smooth strings and deeply hypnotic electronica, this track sounds like a cut from the Air album that wouldn’t be released for another five years!  It’s also worth noting that Björk’s voice is particularly well suited for this style of music.  In the beginning, track ten sounds like it might be more experimental in nature utilizing only Björk’s vocals.  Soon however, a synthesizer starts creeping in fallowed by a predictable dance beat.  Again I could easily hear this track being played at a dance club.  Musically, it is undistinguishable it from any of the myriad dance tunes.  Once again, it is for this reason that I don’t really care for this track.  In the eleventh and final song on the album, Björk brings back the sax quartet for the win.  Unlike the eighth track however, this one contains only the sound of the quartet and Björk’s voice.  Throughout the song, the quartet provides short, harmonic punctuations to Björk’s sung-spoken poetry.  This is one of the most experimental as well as aesthetically beautiful tracks.  It is this crucial combination that also makes this track my favorite. 

Before listening to this album, I really had no idea what to expect.  I had listened to Björk a few times, but never an entire album.  As I listened to it, I was surprised to hear music that wasn’t based in the avant-garde or experimental, but techno.  This isn’t to take anything away from an impressive album ahead of its time, but rather to point out how listenable Björk’s music really is.  In fact, if not told the artist, I would bet most people who ‘despise’ her music would actually find it to be quite enjoyable or at the very least inoffensive.  Regardless of weather or not you find her voice or even her music to be esthetically pleasing, it’s nice to know that someone is out there pushing the boundaries of musical expression and taste.             

Garbage – Garbage

            This 1995 album is Garbage’s well-acclaimed debut.  After hearing about this band for so long, I thought it was time for me to actually hear one of their albums.  Admittedly it took me a couple of listens to get into this one.  There were some things that I liked immediately such as the slap-in-the-face opener or the delightful closing track.  Most of the songs in between, however, took longer to appreciate.  The album’s sound is definitely post-grunge, a genre about which I have mixed feelings.  Though it’s similar to grunge, the post-grunge genre has a more commercially refined quality to it.  As a result, it is sometimes unconvincing in its angst.  Some songs like “Only Happy When it Rains,” sound too much like the material of a predictable (if not corporately required) single.  Others such as “Not my Idea” are boarder line generic containing only brief moments of interest.  On the other hand, there were songs that were more enjoyable.  “A Stroke of Luck” for example, pulls the listener in with its slower, more understated sound.  Utilizing a smoother, heavier, urban beat; this track is more a fusion of different styles rather than straight rock.  “Fix me Now” continues in this fusion vein as well providing greater interest.  In addition, lead singer Shirley Manson is dynamic; able to provide a sweet and feminine sound one minute and an angry wail the next.  What separates this album from the classics, however, are all of the songs that fall into the middle category of mediocrity.  Tracks like “As Heaven is Wide” and “Dog New Tricks” are okay for mid 90’s rock.  That being said, they don’t exactly push the envelope; containing very little, if any, interesting sonic experimentation.  In order to garner the reviews that this album has received, I would have expected more of a breaking away from convention.  More than fifteen years on, this album sounds too much a product of the time period in which it was created. 

              While my opinion about the album’s music is mixed, my opinion about the lyrics is anything but.  Most of the songs contain over the top, angst-ridden lyrics reminiscent of The Cure.  In fact, it’s the lyrics that give this album its overwhelmingly melodramatic feel.  Like The Cure (on Pornography at least), they seemed to be written more for the purposes of garnering attention rather than portraying a personal story or providing any insight.  As a result, they come off as being less than genuine and I have a hard time sympathizing with the there author.  Take “As Heaven is Wide”, for example.  Some lines come off as trite and predictable.  Others contain graphic exaggeration.  “If flesh could crawl, My skin would fall, From off my bones, And run away from here” Robert Smith would be proud.  Unlike The Cure, however, Garbage’s sound is more mainstream pop making the lyrics even less believable.  “Not my Idea” for instance sounds like such a bouncy, jangly, up-tempo pop rock tune that I have a hard time believing Manson when she claims, “I’m right here burning down your house”.  She doesn’t even sound credible let alone menacing.  I love plenty of angst-ridden mid 90’s albums from The Bands to Jagged Little Pill.  However, where as those works sound like genuinely creative products from their respective artists, Garbage sounds like the kind of project that was put together by a board of record company execs eager to creatively capitalize on the new grunge sound by mainstreaming it to a large audience.  If the lyrics on this album could be magically separated from the music and erased, I might be able to consider it a reasonable effort.  They can’t however, making Garbage a trite sounding exercise in generic rock, fine for its era, but not much else.   

Pornography – The Cure

            I have wanted to listen to The Cure for a while now and thought that this 1982 album would be a good start.  One of the most intriguing things about this work is the extreme disparity in its reviews.  For example, Blender gives it five out of five stars while Rolling Stone gives it just one and a half.  Needless to say, I was eager to find out where my own opinion fell on the analytical continuum.   

            To put it mildly, this album’s lyrics murkily wind there way through a dark and twisted hell.  At least that’s the impression angst ridden if not, melodramatic lead singer Robert Smith would like you to have.  The Cure provides a virtually endless amount of morbid lines about death and life’s futilely ripe for the teenage picking.  Unfortunately, Smith’s excessive as well as overly grotesque usage of these phrases is indicative of someone who is trying far too hard for attention.  This is especially observable in light of his unconvincing performance.  To be fair, some of the lyrics which appear trite become less so when the album’s age is taken into consideration.  After all, Pornography was released almost thirty years ago and long before the advent of emo when a lot of these all-too-common phrases were original.  Another favorable quality can be seen in songs such as “The Hanging Garden” and “Siamese Twins,” which contain lyrics that are ambiguous at best leaving their lyrics open to interpretation.  This shows a higher level of skill compared to the litany of rock groups who write shallow, obvious, lyrics that are far too restrictive in their scope.  Smith’s voice is iconic as well, something quite crucial for any rock group trying to form a unique sound while remaining distinctly identifiable.   

         Musically, I found this album a lot harder to take.  For the most part, the sound and style of the songs on this album are far to similar.  In addition to this lack of diversity, the tracks come off as ordinary and unmemorable as well.  As a result, it was hard to distinguish individual tracks or remember the ‘different’ melody lines even after repeated listens making for a fairly bland and repetitive album.  Because of the morose nature of this album, the listener really needs to be in a precise mood before hearing it.  Some classify this sound as gothic rock.  With this much angst and pretension they come off more like the fathers of emo.  This album does provide a few moments of musical interest.  For instance the cello intro that kicks off “Cold” (played by Smith no less) or the collage of manipulated voices that begin the album’s title track.  Indeed these short but unexpected instances make this album at least listenable.  One thing that I didn’t notice until my second listen is how eminent a role the percussion plays.  Most of the songs in the first half of the work start off with drums.  In fact, the album itself starts off this way.  On the second half, a heavy 80’s drum sound can be heard on numbers like “A Strange Day” and “Cold.”  Even in the final track the percussion plays a vital role, building up tension with its thumping, heartbeat like sound.  One things for sure, this certainly doesn’t sound like the group that brought you “Friday I’m in Love” or “Just Like Heaven.”

            The prevalent theme to this album is angst ridden macabre.  While there is nothing wrong with a darker album (some of my favorites are down right miserable), The Cure goes out of their way, musically, lyrically, and otherwise, to go over the top with this theme.  As a result, they sometimes come off as being less then genuine.  At some points the theatrics become so much and the substance so little, that Smith comes off sounding like nothing more than a whiny little bitch.  I realize that some people will be disdainful as well as incredulous, claiming that I just don’t ‘understand’ this album.  And they’re right.  I don’t.  All I hear is forty-three and a half minutes of morose monotony, one overly gloomy song nearly indistinguishable from the next.  Which, for me, is depressing on multiple levels.   

   

Raising Sand – Robert Plant & Alison Krauss

            I will be going back to the track-by-track format for this review as I feel that it better suites this particular album.  I have wanted to listen to Raising Sand since hearing of the acclaim it garnered upon its release.  As I scan through the CD jacket, I notice, interestingly enough, that it’s produced by T. Bone Burnett, the same person who worked with Elton John and Leon Russell on The Union.  Unlike with The Union however, most of theses songs are re-recordings of tunes penned by a variety of composers in different decades.  For example, I notice that almost half of the albums thirteen tracks were originally written in the 1960s. 

Raising Sand stars off with “Rich Woman”, a mellower, more subdued sounding track that sets the tone for the album.  While this 1950’s tune is pleasant enough, it certainly isn’t remarkable.  Number two, “Killing the Blues”, has just a bit more country twang, but it’s in the same laid back, relaxed style.  If anything, it’s too tranquil coming off as slow moving and repetitive.  The song’s greatest quality is Robert Plant’s vocals.  Though he doesn’t typically sing in this style, it suits his voice well.  “Sister Rosetta Goes Before Us” is the third track; an Alison Krauss-dominant tune.  This song is surprisingly modal sounding.  Its sparse nature gives it a folk-like quality.  I like this tune because of its more adventurous nature.  Its atypicality reminds me a little bit of Kate Bush.  Remarkably, the fourth track is even slower than the first three.  This might be okay, on a more up-tempo album, but on this one it drags on like a dirge.  This album could definitely benefit from some more energy.  Once again, the most redeemable quality of the track is Plant’s vocals.  As legendary as he has become, he has never before sounded like this.  Krauss’s singing is solid also and their two voices work well together.  Despite this, the track falls short because its potential is never fully developed.

“Gone Gone Gone” is a rockabilly-type tune originally written in 1964.  The Krauss-Plant rendition stays fairly true to this mid sixties sound.  Still, it’s mediocre at best.  If anything good can be said, at least it’s more up-tempo than the songs that precede it.  The next track is “Through the Morning, Through the Night”, another slow ballad (surprise, surprise).  Again, nothing about this song is different or remarkable in any way and it doesn’t add anything to the album.  The song itself is okay, but it’s one of many slow ballads on this album and should have been cut.  “Please Read The Letter” provides a glimmer of interest to this blander work.  Plant’s vocals have been consistently good and this track is no exception.  He even rocks out a little bit, adlibbing various vocalizations at the end of the song.  While it’s not amazing, this song is certainly a step in the right direction for this album.  Track eight is “Trampled Rose” another more exotic sounding piece once again sung by Krauss.  I love the wailing effect in the background that she produces with her voice.  Though it’s a slower number, it is quite unusual in its sound and undoubtedly one of the strongest tracks on the album.  By contrast, “Fortune Teller” is a heavier song.  While the lyrics aren’t tremendous, I enjoy Plant’s singing and Krauss’ background vocals even more.  You can certainly hear the 60’s rock feel of this Allen Toussaint penned tune.  There was even a guitar solo, something virtually unheard of on this album!

Track ten is the same bland, filler that is far too pervasive on this album.  The chord progression and lyrics are predictable making this track one of the safer ones (which is saying something for this album).  “Nothin’” on the other hand, is probably one of my favorite tracks.  I’m starting to notice a definite demarcation between the Plant based tracks (such as this one) and the Krauss based ones.  This song provides interest with its fusion of multiple styles.  Krauss’ violin provides an enjoyable contrast to the track’s crunching guitars.  This intriguing number is one of the best on the album.  Twelve is a honky-tonk sounding number vaguely reminiscent of The Allman Brothers.  This track is with out a doubt the most country sounding.  This Krauss sung tune is alright, but nothing extraordinary.  The most interesting part about this tune is the fact that Krauss sings it with the male author’s original pronouns.  The result is her singing lines like “I once had myself a good woman, but I just didn’t treat her right”.  Why she chose to do this, I don’t know.  The last track of the album is, “Your Long Journey.”  This piece utilizes mandolin giving it a folksy, mountain music effect, which I enjoyed.  The vocal harmonies in this piece are pleasant as well.  I find it reminiscent of “Down to the River to Prey” from O’ Brother Where Art Thou.  This track isn’t the greatest, but it does provide the album with a bit of diversity proving to be an acceptable closer. 

I found this album to be somewhere just above mediocrity especially considering the people involved and their respective capabilities.  It has far too many slow tracks, which drag it down.  Also, it is often times too safe resulting in sound that’s bland and uninteresting.  Part of what makes an album great is a certain element of risk is taken: sonically, lyrically, etc.  Even though there are times when an artist might try something that fails (Madonna for example), greatness is never achieved without some level of risk taking (Madonna once again).  Most of these arrangements take none at all resulting in an album that is flat sounding and boring.  With so many better releases in 2007 (In Rainbows, Sound of Silver) I can only assume that Raising Sand won the album of the year because of who was on it.  It certainly isn’t because of the music, as it doesn’t even come close.  The concept was good however, and with a little more creativity and risk, not to mention energy, it could have been fantastic record.  Unfortunately, the only thing this album’s mediocrity has in common with In Rainbows is that they both leave you wanting more.   

The Suburbs – Arcade Fire

            I’m going to be testing out a different format for this review.  Rather than going on a track-by-track basis, I will separate this review into three distinct categories: music, lyrics, and concept.  This will allow me more flexibility as opposed to reviewing in a strictly chronological fashion.  If this new configuration works out better, I’ll keep it.  If not, then I’ll return to my original format.

            The Suburbs is the third full-length release from Arcade Fire.  This album was different than their previous one, in a variety of ways including musically.  For starters, the first couple of songs sounded far more like pop tunes when compared to their usual fare.  Arcade Fire isn’t the most esoteric of rock groups, but they’re songs are not usually this straight forward.  Other tracks, such as “Rococo” and “Half Light I” have the more sweeping, anthemic sound the band is known for.  I also hear references to past musical eras throughout this album as well.  “City with No Children” for example, sounds like a psychedelic rock tune from the 60s.  “Half Light II” is laden with 80’s style new wave synthesizers.  But perhaps the strongest throwback of all has to be the penultimate track, “Sprawl II.”  This track’s a disco beat as well as the cadence of its melody line makes it reminiscent of the Blondie tune “Heart of Glass.”  Overall, there was a good diversity of musical styles throughout this album; more so than on their last.  Though I enjoy some of the tracks more than others, my various opinions of the individual tracks will undoubtedly change as I give this album the repeated listens that it merits.

            If this album merits repeated listens musically, lyrically it requires it.  It’s a concept album that centers on some of the band members’ suburban Houston upbringing.  Most of the songs seem almost nostalgic, involving concepts such as loss of innocence, coming of age, and self-discovery; all set against the backdrop of suburbia.  Since the members of this band average around 30 years old, the time period in which this story takes place, is most likely the early to mid 90s.  I feel a greater connection to this album, as I’m sure any Gen Y-er does, because I too grew up during this time period.  Like the music on this album, lyrics are wide ranging, portraying a variety of different emotions from childlike exhilaration to skepticism of authority.  The most prevalent emotion by far, however, is nostalgia.  Not just for the past itself, but for the innocence that’s lost with the end of childhood as well as the carefree nature of youth experienced before the onset of adult responsibility.  The band does a good job of portraying this bittersweet nostalgic theme with out being redundant or going over the top (except for maybe in a couple of instances).  Arcade Fire is certainly not the first group to look longingly to the past as a more innocent and carefree time (Brian Wilson is still doing it).  What makes them unique, however is that they are one of the first bands of the modern era devote an entire album to the subject matter.  This isn’t baby boomer Don Henley singing about the boys of summer or The Smashing Pumpkins reflecting on 1979.  This is the voice of a new generation singing about what it was like to come of age in the 90’s. 

            I feel a strong affinity for this album’s concept because it relates to a time and place with which I’m very familiar.  And that is precisely what makes this album so widely successful.  It deals with universal themes in a time and place that almost everyone can relate to.  For one thing, it’s set in the 90s, a time most people are quite familiar with given its relative recentness.  To make a larger point, however, this album centers on a place that most people are familiar with.  This touches on a concept that I myself have more recently reflected upon.  More Americans live in suburbs than in any single city in the country.  While suburbia isn’t a specific geographic location such as New York City or Los Angeles, it is a specific place with it’s own uniquely homogenized culture, style, and even mentality.  Anyone who has traveled from the suburbs of Dallas to greater Seattle or the surrounding neighborhoods of Chicago can tell you, it’s the same place.  One that’s easily recognizable by it’s endless sprawl of chain restaurants, shopping malls, and super-centers as well as its neighborhoods containing endless rows of houses and manicured lawns.  In fact, if someone were randomly placed in a suburban town, they would likely be hard pressed to identify the metropolis with out consulting a newspaper or turning on the radio.  It is this reason that suburbia can be thought of as a single place containing the majority of Americans and it is in this distinctive atmosphere that this album takes place.  Almost everyone can identify with 90’s suburbia as well as the widespread themes that this album is comprised of.  By adding music that is intriguing, yet accessible, Arcade Fire has created an album that is universally resounding in its impact.