Moroni's Review of Joshua James's "Willamette Mountain"

When I first listened to Joshua James's third album, "Willamette Mountain", for some reason, it brought to my mind the song from a short film I watched in Film Studies in college - "An Occurence At Owl Creek Bridge", a film that takes place in the Civil War. Many of the songs off this album have that feel of yesterday, of generations past, and music that is at once timeless and can fit in any era.

I am no stranger to folk music.  My interest in the genre developed at the age of 17 when some of my favorite rocks band - R.E.M., 10,000 Maniacs, Hugo Largo, Innocence Mission, etc. - relied heavily on folk music for their sound.  Soon, I began getting into Sixties music to expand my appreciation.  In my college days, I went to coffee shops often for live folk music - Sixth Street in Austin, Fiddler's Dream in Phoenix, and Bandaloops in Salt Lake City.

So it comes as no surprise that Joshua James comes from some of the same beautiful landscapes where I come from.  He hails from Provo, Utah - the town where I was born, set against the majestic Mount Timpanogos.

Joshua James creates some beautiful and ethereal landscapes with his music.  To tell you the truth, I didn't know very much about the guy when I downloaded the album.  But this music will grab a hold of you and haunt you.

The album starts out with a warm song called "Mystic" that reminds me of a morning sunrise, and he evokes some Utah landmarks in this song.  The next song "Queen of the City" is a gritty and raw song, yet at the same time it evokes some deep emotions - kind of in the same way that "Under the Milky Way" by the Church does for me.  James's voice sounds much older than he really is.  I was surprised to see he is a young man.  There is a weight and experience in his voice that transcends his years, sounding a little like James Taylor, also a little like Bernard Fanning.  "Surrender" is a waltz played on a bar room piano.  "Doctor, Oh Doctor" and "Wolves" are some straight up folk songs.  "Holly, Halej" and "Feel the Same" are also folk songs, but they have some other instrumentation woven  in that gives the songs a lovely billowing effect.  The title track - "Willamette Mountain" - starts out with a simple acoustic guitar, but ends with a tremendous crescendo.

My favorite songs are "So Did I", "Ghost in the Town", and "Sister".  These songs speak to me on such a personal level.  Do you ever hear a song and know that it will always remind you of a certain time in your life?  That - no matter how many years go by- you will hear these songs and be overcome with nostalgia and a wistful feeling for that time?  I know that this will be case with these songs.

This album is definitely worth a listen.

Moroni's Review of Neon Trees' "Picture Show"

What do you say about a band from the town where I was born - Provo, Utah?  And what do you say about a band that is all Mormon, like me?

Well, first of all, Utah has always had an unhealthy obsession with the '80s.  At first, it was because lack of things like internet as well as the isolation of its majestic mountains keeping the latest trends and fashions from entering Utah's fat valleys.  It always seemed to me that Utah was always behind the times by about three years.  Even though I was born in Utah, I was mostly raised in Arizona - which, someone pointed out to me, is not exactly a cultural mecca.  But we do somewhat bask in the distant lights of L.A.

In 1990, when I moved back to Salt Lake City to go to college, '80s fixtures like Depeche Mode and the Cure were all the rage, even though I had already outgrown that years ago.  In a way, the '80s never went out of style in Utah.

Of course, Utah is not so provincial anymore.  Not only has it enjoyed one of the largest economic booms in the last ten years, along with a growing computer industry, but it has produced some pretty cool bands - like the Used and Neon Trees.

Yes, Neon Trees is a very cool band.  They were discovered in 2008 by the Killers (and Killers' frontman Brandon Flowers is also a Mormon).  That said, this is a band that I have wanted to get into  - but just can't.  I have to admit - in 2010, when I started hearing the hype about this band, I downloaded their first album "Habits" (along with its overplayed hit "Animal") as soon as it came out, but it was an entire year before I listened to the whole album.  I just could not get into it.  It wasn't bad.  It just didn't grab me.

And I feel the same way about their sophmore effort, "Picture Show".  (I just love saying the word "sophmore".)  It is catchy.  It is all glittery.  But it lacks substance.

My whole '80's diatribe is about this - just about every song by Neon Trees has an undeniable '80s vibe.  Neon Trees does not only have an influence, sometimes it is just a plain rip-off.  "Moving in the Dark" could be Tears For Fears.  (And is it me, or does the opening verse sound just like Gaga's "Born This Way"?)  "Mad Love" is a really, really, really, really (to quote the song) great song, but it sounds JUST LIKE older New Order.  And "Trust" sounds frighteningly similar to "Everything Counts" by Depeche Mode.

There are some excellent gems on this album - "Teenage Sounds" rocks with a new wave splendor.  "Lessons In Love" and "Close to You" have hooks galore.  My favorite songs are "Hooray For Hollywood" and "I Am the D.J."

The main single is "Everbody Talks", which - not only sounds exactly like "Animal" - but it is so overplayed that I can't stand hearing it anymore.  One funny thing about this song - my three year-old Avery laughs really hard every time he hears the guy clear his throat at the beginning of the song.  It doesn't matter how many time he hears it, he laughs.

So this is an okay album.  It is catchy - even though Neon Trees sounds just like Anberlin, a band I really respect.  But it is unlikely this album will undergo heavy rotation in my car, on my phone - anywhere.

STAND BY TOMORROW FOR MY REVIEW OF THE NEW ALBUM BY SILVERSUN PICKUPS, WHICH I AM DOWNLOADING AT 12:01AM TOMORROW - SOOOO EXCITED!!!