Moroni's Retro-Review of Elliott Smith's "Either/ Or"

Elliott Smith

I had never even heard about Elliott Smith until his untimely death in 2003.  At that point, I went and checked out his music, which I found haunting and achingly beautiful.  His tale is one that is all too common - the tortured artist haunted by drugs and depression, capable of making exquisite music, and then taken from us when they are too young.  Jim Morrison.  Tim Buckley.  Nick Drake.  Jeff Buckley.  And of course, Elliott Smith.  All of them were gone before their time.  None of them received the appreciation they deserved until they were gone.  All of them were a huge influence on artists that followed.  Elliott Smith is an admittedly huge influence on one of my favorite bands, Silversun Pickups.

Previous to this, the only music I had from Elliott Smith was the soundtrack to "Good Will Hunting".  And of course, "Needle in the Hay" from "The Royal Tenenbaums", which was set ironically to an attempted suicide scene.  I always had the intention of exploring his music further, but I always had other music that I wanted to get.  Being laid up in bed after leg surgery this summer, I was reviewing EW's July issue of "100 Greatest Albums of All Time".  In my boredom, I was cataloging how many I owned or had owned.  (I think I scored around 40.)  Elliott Smith's third album, released in 1997 - "Either/ Or" - was included on that list.  That very day, I decided to download it.

Coming out of the post-grunge era, this album is considered by many to be the quintessential Elliott Smith album.  Stripped down to mostly just an acoustic guitar, Smith whispers his intelligent lyrics with a soft voice.  The album is somber and contemplative.  It is hard to imagine that - with just a guitar and his voice - that a person can evoke such feeling with songs like "Between the Bars" and "Angeles", which is my favorite song on the album.  Then there are songs like "Pictures of Me" that show a definite Beatles' influence, and "Cupids Trick" that almost rocks hard.

This album is a very good place to introduce yourself to Elliott Smith's music.  I am looking forward to exploring more of his music, which is the legacy of a musical genius, haunted by his inner demons and taken from us too soon.

Moroni's Review of Kitten's "Like A Stranger"

Kitten

Every music lover needs to have a friend like my awesome friend, Nikki, my tattooed Mormon mom friend who has great taste in music.  I would have never heard of Kitten if it had not been for her.  Truthfully, this band is new.  "Like A Stranger" is their third EP, and their debut album won't even come out until next year.

So other than Nikki's raves about them, I knew nothing about them.  I started the music, and my wife Martha immediately observed, "This sounds like '80s."  And their first song does.  It is so '80s that Nu Shooz would be proud.  But that is not altogether a bad thing.  It is catchy.

The next song is "Yesterday", and it continues with the '80s obsession.  The drum beat is lifted from Prince, and the guitar riffs have an uncanny resemblance to the Fixx.  The whole album continues like this.  "Doubt" is a sythpop gem that evokes Camoflauge, and the EP finishes out beautifully with shoegaze distortion on "King of Kings" that would make Jesus & Mary Chain hang their mop heads in approval.

This album is catchy and infectious.  Each of the six songs will have you grooving incessantly, even though it is a throwback to days when things were prettier in pink - and in leg warmers.  It will be interesting what mysteries their new album holds.

Moroni's Review of Frankie Rose's "Interstellar"

Frankie Rose

I have a theory that most of the '80s alternative acts were influenced largely by music of the '60s.  R.E.M. took a page from the Byrds, and Joy Division admittedly worshiped the Doors.  Furthermore, most of the alternative acts today find their roots in the music of the '80s.

I first downloaded Frankie Rose's solo album, "Interstellar", when a friend posted a link to one of her videos on my Facebook page.  One of the comments described her as "post modern + Cocteau Twins".  So I took a listen.  Sure enough, like most shoegaze acts that have ever existed, Cocteau Twins - who are probably  my favorite band ever - are a huge inspiration to this music.  This is especially true with Frankie Rose.  Her vocals on songs like "Know Me" and "Had We Had It" evoke Elizabeth Fraser's distinct vocal style and layering.  There are the swirly guitars, the dreamy sound, and ambient arrangements.  On "Daylight Sky" and "Moon In My Mind", there is even a bass solo that could be Will Heggie, from Cocteau Twin's early days.

Cocteau Twins were always known to have a unique sound that people could not classify, and yet they were even influenced by acts like Kate Bush, as well as '60s acts like the Shangri-Las.

I had never heard of Frankie Rose, and so I did a little research.  She had been in such acts like Crystal Stilts, Dum Dums, and Vivian Girls.  When I checked out the music of these bands, I was surprised to learn that all of them had a faux '60s vibes - mimicking girl bands from the '60s like the Shangri-Las.

It has never bugged me when music is influenced by music from another era.  Everything is influenced by something.  For me, I like it.  It is a reminder that my tastes are still relevant, and it stirs up nostalgia for other days.  I am certain that this album will be nostalgic for me someday.

This whole album is very good.  It has a very ethereal quality to it and is richly textured.  My favorite song is probably "Night Swim".  If you don't check out the whole album, at least listen to this one song.  It would make any playlist that much more diverse.  In the meantime, this whole album is on heavy rotation on my playlist.  Enjoy.

Moroni's Review of Avenged Sevenfold's "Hail To The King"

I have already talked about here about how Avenged Sevenfold is one of my favorite bands.  I have greatly anticipated their sixth record, "Hail to the King".

In December of 2009, the tragic and untimely death of drummer James "The Rev" Sullivan was a huge blow to me.  There was a part of me that thought, "Man, this band is finished!"

The Rev was one of the principal songwriters.  His influence on the band was undeniable.  Arguably, he was the creative force that made it all work.  All of my favorite songs - like the dark and quirky "A Little Piece of Heaven" - were written by the Rev.  So I wondered how they were going to survive.  I have seen it with other bands - their songwriter dies, their creative muse dies, and the band withers, like with Gin Blossoms.

Avenged Sevenfold went into the studio without the Rev and finished their fifth album, "Nightmare", recruiting the Rev's favorite drummer, Mike Portnoy from Dream Theater, (also one of my favorite bands), as a session and touring drummer.  They have since added Arin Ilejay as their new drummer.  "Nightmare" was a great album, but it still was dominated with songs written by the Rev.  This included the final track, a eleven-minute opus called "Save Me", written just days before his death and containing an  uncanny prediction.  The last lyrics of the song contain the haunting refrain:

Tonight we all die young

So "Hail to the King" is the first album totally written and recorded without the input of the Rev.  I'm going to be honest - I miss his contribution.  I miss his background vocals and his distinct impression on the group.  Frankly, this album does not grab me as firmly as "Nightmare" or their eponymous record, or any of their other albums, for that matter.

There.  Now that I have said that, I can say - regardless, this album rawks!  They have shown that - without the Rev - they can still craft good rock songs.  At the moment I write this, this album is the #1 album on the USA Billboard charts, and there is a reason for it.  From the first song - "Shepherd of Fire" - you can immediately tell that this is a different sound for A7X.  On this record, the band has scrolled back from the screamo in favor of an old school metal grind - not quite Black Sabbath, maybe more like Dio.  Absent is the Iron Maiden "gallop" that usually pushes their music at a break-neck speed.  This one has a slow and heavy inevitability like a glacier sliding across the landscape, a more adult adult sound for a band that has been making us headbang for more than a decade.

James "The Rev" Sullivan - R.I.P.

Arguably, the best song is the title track, "Hail to the King", suspended effortlessly by Matt Shadows's growl and Synyster Gates flawless guitar-picking.  "Doing Time" and "This Is War" hit you hard and heavy.  "Requiem" and "Acid Rain" display the band's penchant for the dramatic.  The former starts with a chorale arrangement that would make Mozart proud before crunching down into a fist-pumping rhythm.  The latter is a progressive piece dominated by the piano.

Every heavy metal album needs a ballad, and "Crimson Day" fits the bill nicely.  "Heretic" and "Coming Day" are among my favorite songs.  If you are going to download this album, make sure you download the version that has the bonus track, "St. James", which is one of the best songs on the album.  It is the only track to feature the vocal harmonies that are prominent on their other records.

All in all, I am pleased with this album.  I am glad that they found a way to survive the tragedy of losing their friend.  It is a good way to honor his memory.  I hope that they will be around for a long time.

Moroni's Review of Phoenix's "Bankrupt!"

Previous to purchasing their new album "Bankrupt!", I had never really listened to French group, Phoenix.  I did own a copy of their fourth album, "Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix" released in 2009, but I had only downloaded that album for their single "1901".  That was a catchy pop song, and it went really well with the playlist that I developed for when I was working the fair circuits.  The song just grabs you and makes you want to dance.  It stayed on my playlist for two seasons straight.  I don't know why I didn't listen to the rest of the album.  Too busy, I guess.

So when I first listened to "Bankrupt!", I hated it.  Absolutely hated it.  It was too jazzy, to disco-y - something that seems common with a lot of French pop music, and something I dislike.  The whole album was too sappy, too... happy.

I think I posted something about this earlier - that many bands today have a nauseatingly giddy sound - fun., Passion Pit, etc.

But like Passion Pit, the more I listened to it, the more I came to like it.  There are still some aspects that are fairly annoying to me, but it is actually a pretty good listen.

The album begins with "Entertainment", and the first sound you hear are grating Chopsticks keyboards.  But if you wait for a few moments, you will see that these guys don't just produce mindless pop.  There is actually some well-crafted songwriting here.

This is no more visible than on the seven minute opus "Bankrupt!" which focuses on making synthesizer-driven sonic landscapes that would make Pink Floyd proud, a piece much like "Love Is Like A Sunset, Parts I & II" on their previous album.  These songs showcase their writing abilities, just like the song "Chloroform", which seems like a nod to the Beatles like many of their other songs.

There are some other upbeat pop gems here like "The Real Thing", "S.O.S. in Bel Air", and "Drakkar Noir".  My favorite song is the piano-heavy "Oblique City" where they seem to be channeling Elton John.

This album is a proof that one should not judge a book by the cover, or an album by the first listen.  There are actually several finger-tapping moments here.

Moroni's Review of Eisley's "Currents"

Previous to purchasing "Current", I had not heard much by Eisley - a group from Tyler, Texas that consists of four siblings and one cousin.  Around 2007, I had a friend who gifted me one of their songs on a mix CD, saying that they sounded a bit like Throwing Muses.  And they do.  They also remind me of other '80s and '90s acts like the Sundays, Belly, and the little-remembered Downey Mildew.

So I have this little OCD thing.  If I purchase a download, I will put it on queue on my phone until I have a chance to listen to it.  And I won't listen to it until I have a chance to sit and listen to it in its entirety.  Many times I keep the music on rotate.  Periodically, I would come across a song by Eisley, and, being the stubborn individual that I am, I would skip the song.  But what I heard gave hints to me that this would become one of my favorite albums.

And it has.

With a name like "Currents", this record has many marine references.  It is soft and languid like lolling on blue-green waves on weathered dinghy.

The album starts out with the title track, "Currents", which starts out with Stacy King's quavering voice and a dulcid piano waltz, and then bleeds into a bridge with a textured lead guitar, and then changes again into a catchy melody, its rhythm driven by an acoustic guitar.

This whole record is piano-driven, interlaced with the beautiful harmonies of the three sisters.  There are several songs that are reminiscent of Tori Amos, especially from her "Scarlet's Walk" album.  These songs include "Blue Fish", "Drink the Water", "Real World", and especially "The Night Comes".  The latter song consists of haunting vocals, an acoustic guitar, and a chamber orchestra.  It is so beautiful it makes the heart ache.  Most of this album is like this.  My favorite song is "Save My Soul" - another song carried by the vocal arrangements.  This song is the closest they come to rocking hard.

I know that I have drawn many comparisons to other artists.  But, really, this band owns their own sound.  They are breathtakingly original, and this album will go down as one of my favorite records of this year, of all time, maybe.  These melodies will captivate you, and, if you let them, they will wrap you in nostalgia.  For me, it will remind me that - during a difficult time of my life - there was some beauty.  I can't wait to explore their back catalog.

Moroni's Review of Blue October's "Sway" and "Debris" EP

Okay, anything I could say to express how much I have looked forward to this album would be a severe understatement.  Blue October ranks up there among my top five favorite bands, which also include (in no particular order) Cocteau Twins, Dead Can Dance, Muse, the Pixies, and Silversun Pickups.  So to say that Blue October is coming out with a new album is a really huge deal to me!

I stumbled on this band quite by accident, shortly before they started hitting the airwaves.  I saw their name in a magazine and ordered their fourth album "Foiled" just because I liked the name of the band.   I remember getting the CD in the mail in early 2006.  I popped it in, and, the first moment I heard Justin Furstenfeld's growl on "You Make Me Smile", I was hooked.  The sheer poetry and power of his words, the bizarre juxtaposition of soft music and lyrics about disposing corpses was nearly titillating.  One song would be mournful with an equally morose violin, and the next would be raw and angry, accented by Justin's painful roar and buzzsaw guitars.  This album soon became a favorite of mine, but not just me.  My wives and children also fell in love with this album,  Soon after, the singles "Hate Me" and "Into the Ocean" dominated the radio, and then everyone knew who Blue October was, much to my chagrin.

Since then, I have been able to enjoy their back catalog, as well as live and acoustic releases.  Then have come out with a couple of albums since then - "Approaching Normal", which is one of my favorites, and "Every Man In America", which was an angry album that even shocked many fans.  (Still good, though.)

But in my mind, none of these releases matched the artistry, cohesion, and the emotionally gripping intensity of "Foiled".  Until the new album "Sway".  This is Blue October's 7th album!  Most bands seem to lose their artistic integrity after a few albums.  How is it that a band can release that many good albums, and then years later release one that is even better?  It boggles my mind.  Do you know how rare that is?  It is well known that Furstenfeld suffers from mental issues.  Maybe there is a proverbial method to the diagnosed madness.  Maybe the cliche is true that from pain comes beauty.  Because this album is beautiful.  It is fresh and raw and there is none of the tiredness that seems to settle on bands that have been around a long time.  Blue October will be around a long time.  Hopefully.

Along with the many Blue fans I have acquired over the years, I started hearing whispers of the new album earlier this year.  One of my closest Blue friends, Becca, told me that the album even reminded her of Cocteau Twins.  I was one of those people who sat and pathetically listened to every song preview on Amazon before the release of the album.  Upon listening to the previews, I could see what Becca was talking about.  It was definitely a different sound for Blue October.  It was less edgy with a more textured and swirly vibe.  I liked what I was hearing.

Last week, the album was released, and I was able to download the new album, along with its accompanying acoustic EP, "Debris".  Luckily, I had a short road trip planned, and I got to drive through the vivid landscapes of Northern Arizona while listening to the new album.

The album starts languidly, beautifully with an acoustic guitar and violin, starting with Justin's soft voice, whispering:

How did he make the waves crash over?

The song is called "Breathe, It's Over", and this piece is short and wafting with the reverb that seemed to dominate this album.  It is a great way to start the album.  Then it blends into "Sway", the title track.  The song is simple, driven mainly by a pounding bassline and stripped down lead guitar, and cemented by an infectious drum beat.  The song reminds me of something either by The Cure or early New Order, if it was sung by Peter Gabriel.  It finishes out with a haunting violin solo by Ryan Delahoussaye.

The following track is "Angels In Everything", which is an anthem that is worthy of Blue October.  I don't want to say that Blue October has a "sound", because their pieces are very eclectic.  But this song does have their signature.  "Bleed Out"  is one of my favorites.  It starts out with a plaintive piano, and then explodes into a chorus with Justin begging:

Hear my plea!

The next song, "Debris", is probably my favorite.  Which surprises me, because it was not one of the song that grabbed me on the first listen.  The song is subdued and soft, like an early morning drive, sustained by Justin's hoarse whisper.  It reminds me vaguely of something by Placebo.  Then the song builds up until it finishes with a wash of guitar that would make Robin Guthrie (of Cocteau Twins) proud.

The album has a few soft ballads that are pleasant to listen to - "Fear" (which has a chorus at the end that reminds me of Of Monsters and Men), "Things We Don't Know About", "Light You Up", and "Not Broken Anymore".  The thing I notice about Justin's lyrics - they resonate with a lot of people.  One thing I hear from many of my friends is, "It's almost like Justin wrote that song just for me."  And I am no exception.

There are only two tracks that I really don't like - and even then, they are not that bad.  "Hard Candy" sounds like a bad rendition of '80s hair metal, and "Put It In", which is not a bad song, a bit like something by Collective Soul, but it doesn't really seem to fit the concept of the whole album, like it's out of place.

One of my favorite is "Things We Do At Night" which is the song that song that sounds like it could be from "Foiled".  Justin's stacatto vocals are offset by the ghost-like voice of Ashleigh Stone.  The album finishes out the way it started - with soft violins on "To Be".

This album is fantastic, and I recommend it to anyone.  I foresee this becoming one of my all-time favorite records.  While I was listening to this, many of my family members would walk by and say, "This doesn't sound like Blue October."  In fact, some of my Blue friends were a bit put off by the new sounds.  But change is good, right?  Especially if there is no compromise in artistic integrity.  This change of sound does not reflect "selling out", or trying to create a more marketable milieu.  This album represents a creative attempt to hone one's craft.

And if this album was not enough, there is a companion EP called "Debris" which features many acoustic versions from the new album like "Sway", "Angels In Everything", "Bleed", "Fear", and "Debris".  There is also "Sorry Hearts", which is an unreleased 5591 release (5591 being the number assigned to Justin when he was in a mental hospital and the alias he uses when he performs solo acoustic sets.)  Blue October's strength is their live performances, and many of their shows have been acoustic.  This EP represents the raw and stripped-down essence of their music.  I have enjoyed this EP as much as I have the new album.

I told both my friends Becca and Nikki, "I need music that I can fall in love with."  And that's not just because I grow sick of my collection.  I need music that will be in my head when I wake up, that vitalizes me, that will heal me, that makes me want to walk...

I got what I wished for.  Justin Furstenfeld, you're a frikkin' genius.