GMO

So I’m super digging this new Radiohead.

A Review Of Marriah Rodgers’ “the things we got to keep”

Another artist under @flowerpotrecords, Marriah Roders dives into a slow moving full length LP with the opening track “Maps.” The bone chilling keys intro gives the listener a bit of a warning as to what they’re in for. The instrumentation in this track is interesting and Rodgers’ voice sticks to the same melodic lines the entire time. With that said, she makes some juicy choices as far as borrowed notes from other keys. Intentional or not, this is what makes this track worth listening to. 

A typical pop piano playing style opens the following track “Living It All.” This track is the same as the first in that there is little change, making the song about the lyrics. The highlight of this track is what the song is about; Marriah talks about what changes and what doesn't change throughout a person’s life; the people you love, the records you play, et cetera. 

The title track “The Things We Got To Keep” takes the indulgent path via talking about very specific places and actions, which in turn takes the listener on a journey through an imaginary world of emotions and the compromises that hold and break love apart. Marriah’s voice on this track is not what it could be; her focus doesn’t quite match that of the previous tracks. 

“Sabotage” is the exact opposite as far as vocal flexibility goes. Here Marriah shows off more of her head voice. Though at times it is a bit flat, it paints the text well with the single lyric ‘sabotage.’ Unfortunately, the song is so short and doesn’t develop past the initial theme presented.

 “Under My Sun” is a slightly faster moving song with some added melodies, creating a more rounded sound. The best part of this song are the hook-like harmonies on the ‘oooo’ vowel. This is the first time in the album where Rodgers and Meadows gives the listener something to hum to themselves on their drive home. 

“California” is the story of the traveler, and the things they leave behind. What you leave behind feels permanent and as if everyone else is moving on without you. This track has build in the piano and a bit of a climax. Though Rodgers’ voice wanders through the pitches, it still gets the feeling of the track across to the listener.

The track “Uncomfortable” was written by Wes Meadows, Rodgers’ other half on this project, and is a great penultimate track for this album. It creates just a little bit of diversity as far as songwriting goes. 

The final track “Cornerstones And Coffeeshops” tells a story of longing. Rodgers’ talks about searching for someone through different places under different circumstances, all while being reminded of this person by things as little as the smell of a cigarette. This track is a great bookending to the album; it almost ends the way the album begins. 

Overall, this album is good for that long drive home from a place you’ve always wanted to visit, or maybe from the home of that person you’ve been dying to see. This is a contextual album, and makes the most sense depending on the context in which you are listening to it. Rodgers’ and Meadows have proven to be a compatible match musically. 

The vocals and song form are the only two things that can use some work. This is because at times the vocals are out of tune and the forms of the songs are mostly all the same. Perhaps some more variety in the form of each song would help make this album a bit more dynamic. The times where Rodgers’ allows herself to sing higher in her head voice is when she really shines. The chesty heavy low register tends to make her intonation questionable. This is probably because her voice is naturally higher and can sing more freely over the passaggio. 

Music Review

“Fifteen Over Six” by Gregory McKillop 

Also known as the chiptune artist FUUNE, Gregory McKillop is one of the young people of our time making good ol’ folk music. This full length album is a compilation of pre-released music remastered by @flowerpotrecords.

At first, this album strikes the folk chord hard with a 6/8 tune that resembles that of an irish drinking song with “Early Morning Voice.” The second track, “The Put Down” is just the opposite. Though, still in 6/8, it is a much calmer and morose in tone, starting with light humming and strumming. McKillop’s nasally tone resonates with the likes of Andrew Jordan of Matchbook Romance and Isabella Bunny Bennett of Steam Powered Giraffe. 

The album takes a turn with the upbeat “Worcester Song.” Even with the exciting strumming pattern of this track, McKillop’s nasally singing starts up a little too abrasive and later mellows out to a much more listenable tone. The high point of this track is the sudden tempo change about three quarters of the way through. “The Second Best Day Ever” works as a segway back to the slow tempo feel in the beginning of the album. With that said, this song is a bit of educated commentary on people and self analyzation. Lyrics state, “...and everyone can relate to whether or not you’re straight or white or have rent to pay...”

The quick “My New Friend Pat” has some harmonies that make for good variety  of vocal choices. The album continues with the same typical folk tunes with little variation. With that said, it is obvious that one can hear the desperation in McKillop’s voice, keeping the lister’s attention. 

Perhaps the most self-aware moments of the album are McKillop’s lyrics on the track “This Song Is Not About My Emotions, It’s About The American Health Care System.” His lyrics state, “It’s time to let some other punk kid scream about every single thing he believes like it was God...” This, along with other lyrics in past songs regarding whether or not his friends like his music just because they're his friends, informs listeners that McKillop knows where he stands in the music world; he makes it a point to talk about his insecurities, which is an absolute must in this style of music.

The female vocal harmonies on “She Doesn’t Want You To Know That She Is An Inferno” can use a lot of work. The harmonies are flat and the unisons are often not in tune with each other. Again, these are things with which many folk singers can get away. However, if this work wants to be regarded as a decent contender against other folk artists, these vocals will need some attention. The few moments where the female voice sings solo are actually quite nice and should be integrated more throughout McKillop’s work. 

The piano/trumpet intro in “Back Alley Buskar Ballad” are a refreshing change from the tired guitar strums from the previous eleven tracks. This song has the most potential as far as creating a good sound that follows McKillop’s waling voice. 

On the subject of McKillop’s voice, it is perhaps most portrayed on the track “Thanksgiving.” Along with some electric guitar, this song shows McKillop’s versatility with his voice by showing different textures that, though may not be vocally healthy, make a lasting impression among the earlier more tame tracks.

The album ends with tracks “Science” and “Songs So Bad.” The latter of the two is the exact same chord progression as “Gravity” by John Mayer, which unfortunately leaves listeners a little let down. The track “Science” might have been a better way to end the album simply because it introduces an idea, develops it, and climaxes appropriately. 

A review of “Mutuality” by Done

This 6-track EP by Done is a body of work recorded and released by Ohio-based DIY label @flowerpotrecords. 

The EP starts with “Glass Walls,” a slower song with mid-range vocals and harmonies. Though the intonation of said vocals are a bit loose at times, they still achieve the nostalgic tone of early 2000s emo music. When added claps arrive a minute in, the song sets up for a climax that is mostly achieved with crunchy guitar tone; a textbook method in this genre of music.

“Atrophy,” the second track, brings much more energy than that of the preceding “Glass Walls” with a strong bass/drums intro. Steve Reich-like guitar lines also come in strong during the end of the intro into the first verse. In addition to more instrumental energy, this track’s vocals are far more dynamic. With that said, a more prominent and focused melody might have been the only thing that could have made the vocals on this track better. However, the back half of this track redeems itself with more interesting vocals and harmonies, as well as rhythmically interesting instrumentation. 

The beginning of “Dead Cell” has the most interesting intro of the EP. This is because it is not too concentrated, giving sonic space for the lead guitar to ring and leave an impression on the listener. This track is a bit more indulgent, talking about specific places and situations. An example being, “...sitting outside of the art building at 3am.” This type of writing paints a picture for the listener, ultimately making the song more interesting. It is hard to say whether or not vocal harmonies should have arrived in the first verse; they would have made the melody more full, but might have also drawn attention away from the story-like text. As far as vocals go, the high falsetto singing on the words “don’t fall apart” make for a solid vocal ending to this track.

“Take Hold”is the longest track on the EP, and for good reason. The entire first minute has only guitar and vocals, creating a very intimate moment with the listener. When the rest of the band does arrive, a more parlando method is taken with the vocals. This means that the lyrics were sung as if spoken rather than focusing on the melodic notes. With that said, the example in this song was just a little too attached to the downbeats of each measure. Perhaps less hesitation and rushing to reach certain downbeats would have made this choice more effective. As the song builds with pulses, the speech starts to fade, leading to a climactic ending filled with power chords and female vocals. This makes the track a strong finisher.  

Right off, sudden stops in the intro of “Covet” make this track ear catching. This type of articulation makes it certain that this song is in 6/4 rather than 3/4. In addition to this metronomic idea, the guitar lines are thoughtful and make the 6/4 feel much more effective. The vocals on this track are perhaps the least interesting on the EP, but where the track lacks in vocal finesse it makes up tenfold in instrumentation. 

The final track “Restitution” is everything you would expect in an emo EP finale; large bombastic chords with bittersweet undertones.