#open tracks

Combining sounds reminiscent of M83, Daft Punk and Coldplay, Utah artist Nightspring released his full debut album, The Winter House. Encompassing a wide variety of sounds ranging from rhythmic electronic dance to catchy pop songs to mellow ballads, The Winter House features a good balance of sound and style. The album’s title offers a thematic framework to making the music album oriented. The use of atmospheric sounds and synths put the listener into an environment that although is cold and wintery, has a celebratory and joyous quality, giving a nice contrast to the typical deadness of the winter. Opening the album up with “The Winter House” the listener is thrown into a party, perhaps as the second track “Housewarming Party” suggests. Being rhythmically heavy with grooving basslines and electronic dance beats, these songs are easy to like, making you want to dance along and join said party. One track that stands out as being an easy favorite is “To Denver”, a rhythmic heavy song, which is well arranged and has a strong bassline. The track has a cold atmosphere to it that the ambient background sounds and footsteps bring the listener into the depth of winter; but as the bass and drums enter, the song becomes grounded. The drums and bass stop in the middle of the song, leaving wintery electronic piano and new-wave synths, which are soon after reunited with the drums and bass again, tying the song together nicely. As the album continues we dive into more pop sounding songs that show the influence of Coldplay with songs like “New Horizons” and “North Star”, and also M83 influenced songs like “The Beauty Void” and “Rocky Mountain Moonlight”. The songs are sonically accessible however the delicate vocals combined with the popish instrumentation, make moments in the songs sound slightly cheesy at times, yet it still continues in being celebratory and positive.

Thematically wise, up until this point of the album, the general mood of The Winter House has been upbeat, joyous and dance-filled, bringing lightness to the dead of winter. Unfortunately as the album slowly comes to an end it seems that Nighspring has succumbed to the cold, dark and dreariness often associated with the winter. Such change in mood begins with “Cabin Fever”, a song beginning with a single piano that as it slowly mixes in layer upon later, adds more tension, thus bringing the of feeling helplessness. As the song climaxes and reaches the end of its downward spiral we are brought to the song “Balm”, which is the most introspective and honest song off the album. The simplicity of the piano combined with the harmonized vocals brings out the trueness of the song, giving perspective into the mind of Nightspring. Despite being so positive throughout The Winter House it seems that “Balm” gives a needed balance providing the yin to the album’s yang. By being so introspective in having “hindrances that would not make sense to you” and being haunted by “time (which) is so unforgiving”, it’s a moment we can all relate to; reflecting and subsequently striving for something more deep and fulfilling in life. To finish off The Winter House, it seems that making the effort to change has been realized in knowing “why I’m here” and “why I’m not there”. Having this realization fits perfectly alongside the album closer “Spring Thaw”, signifying a sense rebirth and starting a new. With a sense of cleansing and the subsequent blooming of life from the sounds of chirping birds and flowing streams of water, the album comes to a full circle and is brought to a close.

The Winter House is not only easy to like from its melodic vocal melodies and rhythmic heavy basslines, but also is arranged well, and has meaningful lyrics that are very relatable. All of this combined together keeps the listener involved and interested throughout its duration and for a debut album it is a solid release, worthy of listening to again.

You can listen to The Winter House here: http://nightspring.bandcamp.com/album/the-winter-house-2 or on Spotify.

Season 38 starts tonight on PBS with Radiohead! Be sure to tune in!

                            When not working as the frontman for Radiohead, Thom Yorke is quite a busy man, tackling a variety of projects ranging from DJing to being an activist for the environment. Not limiting himself to the confines of Radiohead, recently Yorke posted a link to a song by his side band Atoms for Peace. Along with producer Nigel Godrich, Red Hot Chili Pepper’s bassist Flea, Joey Waronker and Mauro Refosco, Atoms for Peace played a handful of shows in 2010, and is set to release an album next year.

The new song called “Default” picks up where The Eraser left off, evoking a similar dark and mysterious mood to the 2006 album, yet lyrically feels more positive. By being “completely free” and “laugh(ing) now”, it seems that Yorke has moved past the depression and fear that haunted his music for a while. At the same time he makes it clear that his journey has not been an easy one and that his “will is strong, but flesh is weak”.

In terms of arrangement, “Default” sounds more like solo song with minimal or nonexistent contributions from other band members. One feels almost cheated with this being labeled an Atoms for Peace release since the larger variety of instruments and arrangements that appeared at the live shows in 2010 are missing. However after seeing the transformation of the songs from The Eraser, it is exciting to imagine how “Default” will sound in a live setting, once the other members are playing.

Overall “Default” may not be the most groundbreaking song Yorke has written, but like all of his songs it shows his strength and consistency in writing rhythmic, melodic and lyrical songs. From listening to “Default” as well as other songs Yorke has shown in his DJ sets, the new Atoms for Peace album is something to get excited about for next year.

You can listen to "Default" here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yxWBd840E9g

                                 After three years since their last album, Metric is back with a new single “Youth Without Youth”, taken from their upcoming album “Synthetica”. Being driven by bass and drums, the punk sounding arrangement of the song works well alongside the rebellious lyrics that discuss losing your innocence and youth while growing up. “Youth Without Youth” is a very straightforward song, having little to no changes within the melody or arrangement, leaving few reasons to return for a second listen. In trying to understand and digest the song, after a few listens it becomes a bit boring and slightly annoying, with the melody of the verses sounding like some childish taunt. As the excitement was built up for a new Metric song over the past few days, listening to this mediocre track left has me a bit disappointed and under whelmed. As a stand alone single I don’t feel that “Youth Without Youth” was a good choice in signaling the return of Metric, however in the context of “Synthetica” perhaps the song will make more sense when the album is released.

You can listen to “Youth Without Youth” below:

With a synthesized drone and other electronic noises turning on, The Shins return, further pushing their sound into new directions. Lyrically and musically, The Shins sound a shade darker on the driving opener, “The Rifle’s Spiral.” The guitars and drums have an entrancing depth and heaviness to them, Mercer’s iconic vocals sound quite serious, and lyrics like “Dead land’s collided / You pour your life down the rifle’s spiral,” loom large on an opening track. Each instrument here has a compelling, discernable sound, while they all work together to pulse the song along with intensity. Synthesizers weave in and out as a perfect counterpoint, opening and closing the track. It is a flawless opener, as it tugs at you with anticipation for what is to come.

In 2009, former Shins members Marty Crandall and Jesse Sandoval exited the band, and front man James Mercer replaced them with a slew of new members. As well, in 2011, Mercer released a self-titled album for the side project, Broken Bells, with acclaimed producer/musician Danger Mouse. On Port of Morrow, Mercer and these new Shins channel some of Broken Bells’ tone, with a spacier, more grandiose sound. Although The Shins sound different with the new members, based on the evolution of their sound and following 2007’s Wincing the Night Away, the progression feels natural.

The second track and the album’s first single “Simple Song” pulses with rock pop joyfulness. If listeners were afraid that The Shins’ iconic sound had disappeared, they need only to wait until the chorus as Mercer passionately wails, “I know that things can really get rough, when you go it alone.” Mercer’s remarkably high range jumps up and down with such Shins-y familiarity, one can’t help but be taken by its charm. The mix is littered with frenetic guitar riffs, sweeping harmonies and punchy drums, which all make “Simple Song” the perfect response to the grandeur of “The Rifle’s Spiral.”

Clocking in around 40 minutes, 10 songs in total, Port of Morrow is paced well, like previous Shins records. “Bait and Switch” grooves along, with a catchy little chorus and guitar solos that hearken back to early Shins material. “September” wonderfully pulls back, driven by Mercer’s acoustic guitar and vocals; it is reminiscent of “Young Pilgrims” off 2003’s Chutes Too Narrow, though the lush harmonies and reverb-rich guitars give it a much fuller sound.

In terms of production, The Shins sound particularly clean and crisp. The vocals, guitars and drums are all very polished, more so than on any other Shins record. Although, this doesn’t always work in their favor, as tracks like “No Way Down,” bounces along unoriginally, sounding a little too clean. The first half of the album is stronger than the latter; though Port of Morrow’s title track closes the album effectively with a slow psychedelic jam, as Mercer’s vocals evoke a bit of Thom Yorke and David Bowie.

                                   Song covers are typically a make or break scenario, either making the cover their own or staying close to the original. Recently Beck did a cover of “I Only Have Eyes For You”, made most famous by The Flamingos. From the arrangement and trademark “she-bop, she-bop”, Beck stays true to The Flamingos version making it feel as though he was transported back into the late 1950′s. His voice fits well into the song, ranging from being delicate  and soft to dire and pleading, giving light Beck’s psyche and personality. Being a sucker for vocal harmonies, the ones during the chorus are perfect with their warm tone, channeling harmonies from Franki Valli & the Four Seasons or The Beach Boys. The cover of “I Only Have Eyes for You” by Beck is an excellent tribute to The Flamingos version, and after listening to it, it makes you nostalgic to visit the 50′s where life seemed much more simpler.

You can listen to Beck’s cover of “I Only Have Eyes for You” here:

Being a newly celebrated event, Record Store Day is a way to pay homage to all the small independant record stores around the world. To push people to visit these stores artists will typically release an exclusive single in their support. This year Beach House is one of the artists participating in Record Store Day with the release of the single “Lazuli”. Being the generous people they are, “Lazuli” was posted on their youtube channel, giving fans a chance to listen to the song a few days before the official release.

As with many Beach House songs “Lazuli” is filled with melodic hooks making it very easy to like. The song starts off sounding like music to a videogame or childs toy, but soon changes when the it opens up revealing the airy and spacious vocals of Victoria Legrand. The arrangement and mood is very typical of Beach House; being very laid back with the openness of sounds, yet active enough to make you want to dance along. From listening to “Myth” and “Lazuli” it seems that “Bloom” will use the same tricks of arrangement and mood as previous material. What feels different is the songs have more layers (especially vocally), making you want to you dive back in to listen for a second time. With that said bring on the release of “Bloom”!

You can listen to “Lazuli” below: