Andrew Bird
“Break It Yourself”
Bella Union/Mom and Pop Records
4/5 Stars
Personally, I’ve never thought it would be possible to go wrong with any Andrew Bird album, and this is no exception. His sixth solo album, Break It Yourself, is as clever and brilliant as the last five.
Bird’s laidback yet profound sound warrants attention from listeners of all musical preferences. His music blends folk, classical, jazz, blues, and alternative rock genres into one style that is uniquely and unmistakably his own. A variety of string instruments such as the violin, glockenspiel, and guitar, along with polished vocals and signature melodic whistling, work together to create the masterwork that is Break It Yourself. The shifts in tempo and instrumental buildups that Bird produces in this album appear strategic, making for a completely cohesive and fluid journey from the first to the final track.
What has always caught my attention about Bird’s music is his lyrical creativity. This most recent release yet again displays his clever choices of plays on words, puns, and rhymes. Reminiscent of the tongue twister within the song “Anonanimal” off of his 2009 album, Noble Beast, Bird wittily plays with the lyrics in Break It Yourself’s first single, “Eyeoneye,” with back-to-back terms “ionize” and “eye on eye” in somewhat of a lyrical conundrum. Another instance, though the song is instrumental, is in the title of the album’s second track, “Polynation.” Bird also makes an effort in this album to tie in lyrical selections from past albums.
Break It Yourself is great for longtime Andrew Bird fans and newcomers alike. His music has always been my top choice for studying, so with finals just around the corner, I don’t think there’s a better time to give this album a listen.
-Michelle Tremblay
The Shins
“Port of Morrow”
Columbia/Aural Apothecary Records
4.5/5 Stars
The Shins are back with Port of Morrow, their first album since 2007’s “Wincing the Night Away.” Well…this isn’t really the same Shins. James Mercer is still there, so at face value things are the same, but what some may not know is that this is a band that has undergone an almost complete overhaul. On Port of Morrow Mercer showcases some of the best, most interesting songs he’s ever penned, and as for the new members, they’re fitting in just fine.
The Shins seem to have found new life on Port of Morrow and their excitement is evident right from the beginning. The album opens with the fast paced, electro-fueled “The Rifle’s Spiral,” a cluster of synthesizers, tom-tom beats, and phased vocals. “You’re not invisible now,” Mercer’s effect-laden, echoing voice sings in the middle of the song, “you just don’t exist.”
The album keeps right on moving with the second track, the album’s single, “Simple Song.” A triumphant staccato guitar riff, dizzying synthesizers, and epic-sounding background vocals characterize this awesome track. Mercer, at different points in the song explores both the peaks and depths of his vocal range. And lyrically, he is at the top of his game too. “You sure must be strong, when you feel like an ocean being warmed by the sun,” he sings.
After “Simple Song,” things slow down decidedly, and we see the mellower side of the Shins, to which fans may be a little more accustomed. The quintessentially Shins-y fifth track, “September,” shows a return to the band’s Oh, Inverted World form.
The rest of the album shows off the Shins’ endless ability to create mellow indie pop gold. The peppy “No Way Down,” the melancholy “For a Fool,” and the falsetto vocal delivery of the jazzy, Middle-Eastern-sounding closing track Port of Morrow, are among the album’s other highlights.
On the long list of the highly anticipated albums of 2012, the Shins are the first to produce. And they didn’t disappoint. --Jake DeSchuiteneer
Frankie Rose
“Interstellar”
Slumberland Records
4.5/5 Stars
This was my first time listening to anything by Frankie Rose, outside of her work in Vivian Girls, so I approached her newest album, Interstellar, with hopeful optimism, but no real expectations. It wouldn’t have mattered if I had brought expectations though; this remarkable album would have instantly shattered them.
Formerly of the bands Dum Dum Girls and Vivian Girls, Rose released her first album with the self-titled Frankie Rose and the Outs in 2009, but now she’s simply performing as a solo artist. Interstellar features just over a half hour of music on 10 tracks, all with a captivating 80s vibe.
The album begins with the title track, “Interstellar,” which starts out with an ambient tone before picking up midway with a catchy drum track, and slick synthesizer work. Rose softly sings of traveling across the universe, “travelling faster than the light / faster than the light / is the only way to be;” Rose’s lyrics hint at the mystical experience to come.
The next track, the featured single, “Know Me,” begins with a steady drum beat before a light guitar track kicks in, backed by the synthesizers, with Rose singing “…don’t know me, / I hear what they said / It doesn’t hurt me I rather be deaf,” which possibly alludes to the new direction her music has taken away from garage rock.
Other favorite tracks include “Daylight Sky,” “Pair of Wings,” “Had We Had It,” and “Night Swim.”
Interstellar is a peaceful, revitalizing musical journey by an upcoming alternative artist whose progress should be monitored closely over the next few years. If you need a calming escape from the stress of finals, look no further than this album.
-Travis Harsin
Perfume Genius
“Put Your Back N 2 It”
Matador Records
3.5/5 stars
Seattle’s Mike Hadreas, known to the music world as Perfume Genius, has a serious knack for crafting sad, sad music. On his new album, Put Your Back N 2 It, Perfume Genius has put together a collection of some of the dreariest songs you’ll ever hear. At points, this highly emotional effort resonates in very strong, meaningful ways. At others, that emotion gets lost amidst murky fits of self-pity.
The album opens with the beautiful, piano driven “Awol Marine.” “Turn toward the camera,” Hadreas sings through waves of reverb. The delicate main piano motif that runs through the song is like the sound of teardrops falling into the ocean of vocals and resonant instrumentation that Hadreas creates.
The album’s opener being the true highlight here, there are several other songs that work quite well on Put Your Back N 2 It. The album’s second track, “Normal Song” is a folk-guitar centric gem. “Hold my hand,” sings Hadreas, “I am afraid.” “No Tear” features one of the more interesting and engaging vocal performances on the album, as Hadreas’ voice is accompanied by mysterious deep backup singing in the chorus.
“Dark Parts” may be the happiest (Actually, happy may be the wrong word. We’ll go with celebratory or hopeful instead) song on the album. The song contains quick moving piano chords, and a chorus of subtle triumph. “He’ll never break you baby,” sings Hadreas before entering into a chant of “Whoa’s” and “Oh’s.”
There isn’t so much that is “bad” about this album, as there is just not so much about it that is “great.” The best moments on the album are purely and utterly beautiful, and Hadreas proves to be a very talented songwriter in a number of these songs. At other points, however, his wallowing becomes a little bit too much to stomach. This is not necessarily because that wallowing is annoying, but because it isn’t always backed up with interesting melodies or instrumentations that would make it worthwhile to listen to.
-Jake DeSchuiteneer
