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.

Cage the Elephant – Cage the Elephant

            Part of the reason I decided to start this blog was so that I could expose myself to more recent music.  Since this band has been getting a lot of airplay lately, I decided to listen to their 2009 debut (interestingly enough the album was actually released ten months earlier in the UK).  The first track is a noisy, high-energy rocker.  Lead singer Matt Shultz spits out his vocals with attitude, however, upon closer inspection the lyrics seem somewhat trite and rather unimpressive.  Still, this music could be enjoyable under the right circumstances.  Two is James Brown, and is quite similar in style to the first one.  Again, the lyrics are average at best (though not from lack of effort).  This band does have an ability to write high-energy songs with somewhat catchy hooks.  At times they almost sound like a lesser version of Franz Ferdinand.  Track three, probably the band’s best known song, is “Ain’t no Rest for the Wicked.”  The first time I heard this song, it’s vocal rhythm and slide guitar reminded me of the Beck’s hit “Loser.”  Though the songs are too similar, it’s an enjoyable track nonetheless.  As the saying goes, if it ain’t broke don’t fix it (or in this case, if it sounded good in ’93, it’ll still sound good 15 years later).

             

            Four is more of the bland, generic rock that is quickly becoming a hallmark of this album.  As this track continues, however, it does start to become more intriguing.  In fact, towards the end, it actually starts to go somewhere.  Track five sounds like a sub par attempt to mimic the Chili Peppers.  I get the feeling that this band genuinely tries to be deep, lyrically as well as musically.  Sometimes they almost get there; but, unfortunately, a lot of times they don’t.  The sixth song is “Back Against the Wall.”  As I listen to the mind-numbingly simple chorus, I hear a group that can’t wait to get back into the same (safe) groove.  I don’t know if I would go as far as to say this song is boring, but it is certainly inoffensive.  At least there’s a retro guitar sound to provide something of interest.  Track seven is more of the same.  At this point, the songs are starting to blend together into one, consistent groove.  With lines like, “Here we stand at this fork in the road”, the lyrics haven’t gotten any better either.  The only saving grace for this indistinguishable track is its brevity.  Judas is a better song with the band continuing to straddle the line of mediocrity; at brief points rising above it and at others falling below.  I did enjoy the throwback nature of this song as well. 

            Track nine is a welcome surprise.  Titled “Back Stabbin’ Betty”, this track proves that when Cage the Elephant are at their best, they are capable of writing decent music.  Ten unfortunately, is a return to their same, monotonous groove.  If anything, the music is at least slightly better than the lyrics.  Eleven is the last track and proves to be a decent closing number.  It is a bit more raucous in nature providing a free-jam feel to the finale of the album.  In general, the songs range from pedestrian to B minus level rock.  There are about three to four tracks on this album that are worth listening to again.  The rest, however, are not.  One thing this band does not lack however, is energy and, to a lesser extent, attitude.  This makes me curious to see if they might be a decent live band.  Some groups have a charisma that can never be entirely captured in the studio and this could be one of them.  This recording however, is one that struggles to rise above mediocrity.           

 

The Diary of Alicia Keys – Alicia Keys

            As popular as she is, commercially as well critically, I should not be able to say I haven’t listened to an Alicia Keys album.  Subsequently, I am reviewing her second studio album from 2003.  The album starts off with enjoyable, almost classical sounding piano runs.  This soon gives way to a beat more indicative of hip-hop music.  Over this Keys delivers her short, spoken-word intro.  Track two, begins with a different, yet equally enjoyable sting introduction.  Once, again a hip-hop beat comes in confirming the songs genre.  The background vocals are great, but what I really enjoy about this track is the repetitive, middle-eastern sounding (defiantly modal) violin loop, which plays throughout.  Three is more of a filler piece, mindless dance club music at best.  Even so, Keys has an ability to draw from a multitude of genres from hip-hop to R&B to soul.  Also, she sings with great confidence that almost borders on attitude similar to artists such as Mary J. Blige or Missy Elliot.  Track four is definitely more urban sounding in nature.  It’s because of this kind of diversity that she appeals to such a wide audience.  Again she does a fantastic job of wearing her emotions on her sleeve and really putting her passion into the music.  I enjoyed the background vocals on this song as well.  Though this track isn’t an original, it’s a solid arrangement.  Five starts out with a retro beat immediately invocative of Marvin Gaye.  Again, she employs a nice, slow-jam groove reminiscent of one of the group she covered on the previous track.  The song also had excellent background vocals not to mention a nice multi-octave, chromatic piano run.  Two thirds of the way into the track she goes into a spoken word segment.  This starts out okay, but ends up being entirely too long and almost laughably over the top.  She redeems herself with her McCartney-esque string outro, however, and this ends up being one of my favorite tracks!

            Track six begins with a nice, slow shuffle.  Most of the songs on this album are self-written which is always respectable.  As the track begins to reach it’s chorus, I suddenly recognize it.  This is another one of my favorite tracks.  Keys is proficient at a style I can only call modern soul and in a way I am sad that I didn’t listen to this music earlier.  Seven is a little bland, sounding more like filler material.  It employs a circular piano melody, which is almost hypnotic in nature.  I noticed in the liner notes that Keys produced this album.  This impressive given the fact that this is only her second release.  Eight starts off with what sounds like the opening theme to The People’s Court.  This introduction gives way to what some may refer to as ‘baby-making’ music.  This song goes on a bit too long, lacking the material necessary to maintain interest for four and a half minutes.  Track nine opens up with a retro string intro, which is quite enjoyable.  I liked this track with its ahh-oop background vocals and slightly laid-back sound.  By contrast, ten is once again more urban in nature.  It is more, progressive as well, using a sped-up vocal sample. Additional vocals fill out the remaining space in between.  Consequently, I liked this track even better than the last.  

            Track eleven sees Keys, once again, employing a relaxed 6/8 shuffle.  At this point she seems to be consistently volleying between smooth R&B and up-tempo hip-hop.  Unfortunately, this song isn’t one of her stronger ones.  Even so, her talent as a pianist, vocalist, and songwriter is undeniable.  The following track was possibly my favorite.  Acting as a interlude to the album’s final three tracks, it is only about two minutes long.  The song utilizes only a few synthesizes and vocals to create an outstanding sonic texture.  It is a short, sweet, soulful piece that is Alicia Keys at her best!  On the thirteenth track, she goes back to her smooth R&B sound.  Like some of her other tracks, this one isn’t very remarkable lyrically or musically.  Fourteen employs an acoustic, upright bass and has a tinge of Latin American flavor.  I enjoyed it’s title (Samsonite Man) as well as the song’s background vocals.  Not one of my favorites, but a solid track.  The fifteenth and final track on the other hand, is one I very much enjoied.  It evokes Marvin Gaye once again and employs an interesting chord progression.  What is perhaps the bast part of this shorter track however, is the first time appearance of saxophone.  Overall, I found this to be an enjoyable album.  It isn’t anything legendary, but it is worth a listen.  Still, I would have to say Ms. Keys gets more credit than she deserves.  Her music is decent and well-written, but it is nothing that hasn’t already been done.  I would buy one of her first two albums or a greatest hits collection, but beyond that, save your time and money.  Out of five stars?  I’d give it three and a half. 

The Union – Elton John and Leon Russell

            I had heard that this album had received rave reviews so I decided to check it out.  Though I was interested in discovering who Leon Russell was as well as his music, I especially wanted to hear Elton John’s latest release. 

            An old-time piano immediately takes the listener back in time along with soulful background vocals that indicate this isn’t going to be a typical pop-rock record.  Elton and Leon’s voices work well together as they sing in harmony.  There isn’t anything groundbreaking about this song, but it’s a solid track.  Two is classic Bernie Taupin/Elton John.  Elton’s vocals are great and the song reveals him to be the consummate songwriter, always able to craft a decent song.  Taupin’s lyrics are intriguing to say the least.  Together, they prove that they can still out-write most of their contemporaries.  Track three recalls some of the darker numbers on their more recent albums such as ‘And the House Fall Down’ and ‘The Wasteland’.  A decent enough background choir as well as a soloist helps to give the song its soulful feel.  The ending is decent as well.  Like the first two tracks of the album, it seems to be just the right length.  Four, is titled ‘Gone to Shiloh’.  I particularly enjoyed the short musical introduction as well as the strong thumping bass employed throughout the song.  I seem to be enjoying the Elton John/Bernie Taupin-written numbers more so far.  Russell’s playing is almost as strong however.  He, like Elton in more recent years, posses a raspier, almost withered voice, which is perfectly suited for this particular style.  The lyrics are decent as well, recalling the rustic theme of the civil war.  I was pleasantly shocked, although I don’t know why I would be given his voice, when Neil Young appeared on the track.  Equally enjoyable was the somber brass, which comes in toward the end.  This is, so far, the standout track on the album.   Song five is ‘Jimmie Roger’s Dream’.  This enjoyable Elton John/Bernie Taupin tune has a bit of a country twinge to it apropos of its title.  It seems that this songwriting pair have dug into their Honky Château Roots on their last couple of albums.  There’s No Tomorrow, surprisingly, was one of the darkest songs on the album.  This whole album has a heavier feel to it.  This song however, overdoes it, feeling almost like a dirge.  By contrast, track seven has a more up-tempo, boogie-woogie feel.  As I scan the extensive liner notes, I can see that Elton, surprisingly, does not use his regular back up band.  Later I learned that this was the first time in over thirty years that they didn’t play on an Elton John record.  Taupin’s lyrics are intense and at eleven people, the background vocalists sound more like a choir. 

            The second half of the album starts with another Elton John-Bernie Taupin number.  This one, however, is more trite in nature; sounding too much like the stuff they have already done in recent years.  This song definitely isn’t essential.  I do like the fact that Elton and Russell both sing on each other’s tracks.  In fact, this album consists of an entire variety of song writing combinations.  In some tracks Elton and Russell write together, in others the producer will write with Elton and Bernie, and in one, Russell and Taupin even write together.  Nine is ‘A Dream Come True’.  This is a decent, up-tempo number, which employs a funky, honky-tonk riff.  Like the track before it, however, the ending was a little too repetitive.  Track ten, like four, contained a surprise guest.  This time it was Brian Wilson and although I couldn’t hear him singing on background vocals, I enjoyed his arrangement of them.  Russell’s voice almost reminds me of Willie Nelson at times.  I enjoyed this somber-natured track.  Eleven took a while to grow on me.  The primary problem was the fact that it was the third track in a row written in a very similar style.  Eventually, however, I became fond of this track.  Track twelve is a Leon Russell number.  I can definitely hear the way in which he influenced Elton John.  It’s a solid number in a honky-tonk style (resulting in part from the decent background vocals and horns).  As reflected in the artwork, this album certainly has an ‘Old West’ feel to it.  Thirteen is reminiscent of ‘This Train Don’t Stop Here Any More’ in Elton’s weary-old-man portrayal.  Elton’s voice is excellent and everyone else’s performance is strong as well.   In addition, the end is strong, making this one of my favorite tracks on the album.  The fourteenth and final song on the album is a Leon Russell number titled ‘In the Hands of Angels’.  This song has a gospel feel from the title itself to the organ intro and the return of the chorus-like background vocals.  This return provides a nice unification for the album.  As for the song as a whole, I feel that they could have picked a stronger track to end the album with.  It not a terrible song, but it certainly isn’t one of the stronger ones either. 

            For being more than sixty minutes long, this album actually goes by fairly quickly.  This is a good sign.  I have always felt that regardless of physical length, the only time an album sounds like it’s too long is when it’s uninteresting and poorly written. As this album reveals, sometimes the story of how a work comes into being is almost as important as the work itself.  Fortunately, Elton provides liner notes, which address this subject giving the listener a better perspective and providing a better context into which they can place this work.  By now, Elton John legacy as a composer is legendary.  Throughout five decades, he has produced commercially successful as well as critically acclaimed classics at a prolificacy that is nothing short of astounding.  Sometimes it takes the form of a musical, other times it’s an album, but it’s always done with a passion and a craftsmanship that is virtually unparalleled.  Because of this, anyone who listens to this album will undoubtedly find it to be a decent work.  While the average listener or Elton John novice might find it to be more average in nature, dark and somewhat redundant throughout; devotees as well as those who take the time to do their homework (i.e. learning about and understanding the album’s history) and appreciate Elton (as well as the other collaborators) for the outstanding artisan that he is, this has the potential to be a very rewarding listen.               

The Reminder – Feist

            I have wanted to listen to an album by Feist since I first heard her featured in that iPod nano commercial from 2007.  This album starts off with a smoother sound that could almost be characterized as ‘jazz-lite’.  With its acoustic bass and smooth percussion, I find this track to be solid, but an interesting choice for an opener.  Track two is definitely more single material.  The only way I can describe her sound is by using the word alternative; a term which has grown far too broad and vague over time.  Regardless, it’s delightfully catchy. I like the vocals as well.  I wouldn’t want to hear her voice on a regular basis, but it works well for this particular style.  Three is My Moon, My Man.  I particularly enjoyed the background vocals, which come in towards the end of this one.  I also appreciated the sounds effects that enter after the fade out and lead directly into track number four.  The Park is a track that is more stripped down and barer in nature.  It almost has the feel of a folk or country ballad.  It builds slowly until by the end, her voice is a raw, emotional wail.  Track five starts with a slow, jazzy intro that reminds me of Fiona Apple.  Naturally, I like everything about this track from the upright bass to the more relaxed sound to the lyrics themselves.  Six is what sounds like an African choir with an electric synthesizer.  Needless to say, I was taken aback by this abrupt shift in style.  Later in the track, she even starts to rock a little bit, which provided a nice change of pace.  Apparently, the song is based on an African children’s chant, the lyrics to which are quite interesting.  Track Seven is called Past in Present and has a down right country feel to it.  There is definitely an element of diversity to this album and Feist should be commended for that.  Even if not every song is a complete success, substantial variety can go a long way.  No matter the genre however, it’s clear she enjoys using handclaps as this is the third time she does so. 

            The second half of the album starts off with The Limit to Your Love.  This track changes the pace yet again, and I enjoy it’s almost Motown feel complete with flute, piano, and sleek string arrangements.  The vocals on this track remind me a little bit of Florence and the Machine.  Nine is 1234.  Obviously, I’m most familiar with this song as I have known it the longest.  Even having heard it many times before, I am picking out new surprises like the banjo that comes in half way through.  Its things like these that make this album so enjoyable.  The horns that enter towards the end of the song are enjoyably reminiscent of the ones at the end of All You Need is Love.  The tenth track, Brandy Alexander, is a solid song as well.  This time, it was the lyrics that caught my attention.  In this song she uses Brandy Alexander as a metaphor when describing her relationship to great effect.  Actually, Fiest is pretty solid throughout the album lyrically speaking.  I also enjoyed the end of this track as well.  Eleven is Intuition.  This track is softer and more relaxed in nature.  I actually found it vaguely reminiscent of Nick Drake.  While Drake stays subdued however, Feist brings in a chorus chant toward the end of this song.  I can’t yet decide weather or not I agree with this decision.  Either way, it’s nice to know that there is a contemporary artist out there who doesn’t mind going with a softer, more acoustic sound a couple of times on an album.  Sometimes less is indeed more.  Twelve changes the sonic direction yet again.  This song is a difficult one to describe through written word.  Her background vocals as well as a harp like sound provide a kind of rhythmic pattern over which she sings.  Her lyrics are intriguing as well, describing a woman seeking her lover. Track thirteen is the final song.  Feist’s vocals are once again reminiscent of Apple’s. Eirik Glambek Bøe makes a surprise guest vocal appearance on this number, providing a nice contrast to Feist’s higher voice.  Overall, this track provides a nice finish to this album.  Though How My Heart Behaves is quieter in nature, it works as a concluding track because of the somewhat reserved nature of this album. 

              I would say this album exceeded the already decent expectations I had for it.  It shows a great diversity not only in instrumentation and dynamic, but in style as well.  Feist shows promise in her ability as a writer lyrically and musically as well as her fearlessness for trying things new.  She maybe no Fiona, but she may well be on her way.

Pink Moon - Nick Drake

            I recognized Pink Moon by its Dali-esque cover and wanted to review an album from a little further back so I decided on this 1972 classic by Nick Drake.  Pink Moon is the third and final album from this English singer-songwriter who, by all accounts, was pretty much of a recluse.  Because of this, none of his albums sold more than a few thousand copies when he was alive.  Since his death however, he has been acclaimed as one of the most influential English artists of the last half a century.  This is quite impressive as he only released three albums, his first at just 21 years old. 

            Pink Moon starts of with a nice acoustic guitar sound.  The style is defiantly folk, utilizing simpler yet beautiful melodies and a more stripped-down production.  In fact, the only instruments that can be heard are his voice, guitar, and just a hint of piano.  This refreshing DIY approach sounds as if he could have recorded it in his bedroom, in one take.  The result is an especially intimate sounding album.  Track two continues this sound with a sparse, quiet instrumentation.  It’s worth noting that Pink Moon was completed during the “folk-renaissance” of the early 1970’s.  This was a time period when every one from Cat Stevens and Joni Mitchell to James Taylor and Carol King were writing legendary folk albums of their own.  Something I found to be intriguing about this album in particular is that it contains absolutely no liner notes.  Also, it is quite short, lasting less than 29 minutes.  This is brief even by folk standards (especially as it was released after the mid 60s!).  Three is a track called Road.  Like the first two songs, this one has a straightforward sound that is especially listenable.  Because of the album’s brevity, the songs themselves are short, averaging around two and a half minutes each.  This requires a different, more focused approach to listening as the songs pass by so quickly.  Hearing tracks this short took some getting used to after having listened to hour-long albums with tracks over five minutes.  Track four is titled Which Will.  This track was decent as well.  Because the instrumentation and style of this album is similar throughout, it took some time for the individual nature of the tracks to develop as well.  It was at least a couple of listens before I could identify different tracks by their distinctive characteristics and recognize their specific melodies.  Five is Horn, one of the shortest songs at less than 80 seconds long.  This track is one of the least essential, consisting of a single, repetitive line played by a single guitar.  Six is Things Behind the Sun.  This longer track, along with perhaps the first, is my favorite on the album so far!  Not only is the music excellent, the lyrics are meaningful making them fantastic as well.

            Track seven is okay.  Like number five, it is shorter with a repetitive groove.  Number eight is the longest track at a whopping three and a half minutes!  It is also perhaps, my favorite song on the album.  There are several reasons for this.  Not only are the lyrics admirable, it is sonically memorable as well.  Also, it has a chord progression that almost sounds like it could be off of the White Album, which doesn’t hurt either!  Track nine is Ride.  I enjoyed this song as well.  This is defiantly an album where the more I listen to it, the more tracks I start to like.  Song number ten is the shortest at sixty seconds long.  Since I have been listening to longer tracks on other albums, sixty seconds seems really short.  Yet, because I had been listening to shorter tracks on this album, I was surprised at how much Drake was able to pack into such a brief time period.  Track ten is one of those songs I knew immediately, though I wouldn’t have recognized it by its title.  Unfortunately, because of the time and place in which I live, I had originally become familiar with it in an AT&T commercial just this past year.*  I have always found this to be a beautiful song.  So much so, I even considered looking it up when I had originally heard it.  If nothing else, I’m glad I got this album as I discovered this song!

            Overall, I would say this is a very solid album.  Because it’s softer and the songs go by quickly, it was a little harder to get into.  With repeated listens however, more and more songs make themselves apparent for the gems that they are.  I would have liked a bit more of variety, sonically speaking.  I don’t think I appreciate this album yet for the level of acclaim it gets.  I’m certainly more than willing to keep listening to it to see if I will!   

*Interestingly enough, I later learned that the title track was used in a commercial as well.  When it was featured in a successful ad campaign by Volkswagen in 1999, Drake posthumously sold more albums in one week than the entire time he was alive.