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.

Moroni's Review of Nico Vega's "Fury Oh Fury"

Nico Vega (the name of a band, not a person) is living proof that a band can find a success through MySpace.  They had released a clutch of EPs, and one album - released on MySpace records.  And they are proof that a MySpace band can cause waves and reach people's ears.  The proof is that their tune "Beast" is ubiquitous and has been featured in several commercials.  

Their latest EP, "Fury Oh Fury", is a prime example of their diverse sounds.  (Although it is the only selection from their catalog that I can find on Amazon.)  There are only six songs, but each one is quite different from the other, showcasing a talent of a broad musical range.

The EP opens up with grinding distortion and wailing vocals that would do Janis Joplin proud.  The two opening tracks - the title song "Fury Oh Fury" and the aforementioned "Beast" - sound like they could be White Stripes' songs.  "Easier" and "We Are the Art" are keyboard drive songs with a funky vibe.  I was listening to "Lightning", and my wife overheard it and mistook it for a song by the Cranberries.  I wouldn't have noticed it, but she is totally right.  The final song - "Lead to Light" - is a catchy song, a new wave piece reminiscent of Metric.

All in all, this is a pretty good listen.  I will have to check out their back catalog, and I am curious to see if they will develop past MySpace.  After all, I did...

My Desert Island Top 10

There was a beautiful Tower Records store in Tempe right next to Arizona State University.  (Remember Tower Records??)  I sunk many a dollar there.  Every time you made a purchase, you were allowed to take a free issue of their in-store magazine - Pulse.  Every month, there was a section where readers picked their Desert Island Top 10.

The premise is this - if you were stuck on a desert island, but you had a chance to have with you ten albums, which albums would you pick?

This is always a tough one for me, because my top 10 invariably becomes my top 30.  I made a rule for myself that I could not list any band that I have previously reviewed on my blog.  So albums like Pixies' "Doolittle", anything by Cocteau Twins or Dead Can Dance will obviously not be on this list.

I also invite YOU to post your top 10.  You can know a lot about a person by the music that they like.  It is always interesting to see what music people like.

So here it goes, in no particular order:

1.  Avenged Sevenfold "Avenged Sevenfold" - This album represented to me a return to metal.  I belonged to a hotel renovation crew that worked all over the country, and, during our cross-country drives, we would always settled on Sirius's Octane station.  This was when I was first introduced to this band.  My daughter bought me this album for Christmas in 2007, and my next job took me to Albuquerque.  It was a cold January, and this album was on constant rotation on my mp3 player.  I have since acquired their entire catalog.  I think the thing that I have always liked about this band is that they remind me of one of my early favorites - Iron Maiden.  Just like Iron Maiden, this band has a flare for the theatrical - with their music ranging from Bible quotes to evoking Hunter S Thompson.  This album is no different.  From the Spaghetti Western "Gunslinger" (which reminds me of an episode of "Firefly") to the country twang of "Dear God".  My favorite track is the "A Little Piece of Heaven" which is obviously an homage to Danny Elfman.  It is a twisted piece complete with nightmarish orchestra that tells of a man who murders his woman.  Her corpse comes to life and exacts revenge, they forgive each other, and had a wedding in hell.  It was written by the Rev, the band's drummer who died tragically in 2009.  A7X is releasing a new album next month (which I will review).  It will be their first album written without the aid of the Rev.  It will be interesting to see how this album will emerge.

2.  The Church "Starfish" - The Church is one of several psychedelic, '60s-influenced jangle-pop bands that came out in the '80s.  But they are one of the bands that has had lasting influence on me.  This entire album is nostalgic, and, in particular, "Under the Milkyway", which is still a sort of personal theme to me.  The entire album is good, and the opening track, "Destination" is haunting, the lyrics having special meaning to me.  "Reptile" is an excellent guitar-driven song.  This whole album was written with nostalgia in mind.  Steve Kilbey wrote a poem that was included in the liner notes.  Here a part of it that sums up how I feel about this album:

Good, now and forever music reach and awakens

Swimming in the shallow end, down, down, remember

A need, a gnawing longing for what?

3.  Coldplay "X&Y" - Yes, I like Coldplay.  Thanks to "The 40 Year-Old Virgin", I must defend my heterosexuality every time I say that I like them.  Actually, I don't know how anyone could not like them.  Their songs are beautifully crafted and deliciously layered.  This is a band that I hope keeps putting out great albums, because every release has been spectacular.  I owned "Rush of Blood to the Head", but it was "X&Y" that sealed the proverbial deal, for me.  It was Father's Day in 2005, and my wives gifted me this album.  I took it with me to San Diego to do a particularly stressful hotel job.  This album was my only reprieve, parking at Ocean Beach, listening to this album over and over.  I love it all - the emotive ballads "What If" and "Fix You", the R.E.M.-inspired "The Hardest Part", and multi-faceted "Talk".  I can still listen to this album and not get sick of it.

4.  System of a Down "Mezmerize", "Hypnotize" -  Okay, this is cheating, because it's really two albums.  But they were released six months apart and are part of the same concept.  This is a band that I loved from the first time I heard them, and they have remained a favorite.  They are part Dead Kennedys, part Frank Zappa, and part Armenian folk music - and this is about the best and most accurate description I could give them.  Hard-driving guitars interspersed with the the quavering voices of Serj Tankian and Daron Malakian ("Killing Rock N Roll", "Stealing Society", and "Revenga") mixed with political satire (B.Y.O.B.", "Violent Pornography", "Sad Statue"), the absurd ("This Cocaine Makes Me Feel Like I'm On This Song", "Vicinity of Obscenity"), the obscene ("Cigarro"), the sad and contemplative ("Holy Mountain", "Lonely Day", "Soldier Side") as well as my favorites - "Radio/ Video" with its bridge of nothing but Armenian music, and the beautifully crafted "Lost in Hollywood".  This is not just a heavy metal band.  These are artists, and these two albums always stay on my phone in their entirety.

5.  Blue October "Foiled" - This is a band that will always be special to me.  They, also, will have a new release next month that I will review.  Temple, the mother of three of my boys, gave the best description of this band - soft violins combined with Justin Furstenfeld's growling vocals creates a pleasant effect, as in the plaintive "Let It Go".  This album is proof that beauty can indeed come from pain.  Furstenfeld has admitted to having mental illness, and this produces some starkly beautiful lyrics - the softly melodic "She's My Ride Home" about disposing of dead bodies on the way home, and "Drilled a Wire Through My Cheek" about torture.  My other favorites are "You Make Me Smile" with its Pixies-like tune and beautiful poetry, the hard-rocking "What If We Could", the Depeche Mode-ish "X Amount of Words", and the romantic "Sound of Pulling Heaven Down".  I accidentally stumbled upon this band in 2006, and they have become one of my favorites.  I have made some online friends who love this band just as much as I do, if not more.  (Hi, Becca!)

6:  Heather Nova "Oyster" - My brother, Tony, introduced me to this album around 1996.  I had just moved to my ranch.  I had no electricity, no power - the only way I could listen to this was in the car.  I gravitated to it.  It represented, in my twenties, a hope of things to come as my life unfolded in front of me - in contrast to now, where I have a sense that my life is essentially over.  Heather Nova wasn't just a beautiful hippie chick with a guitar - although I really like beautiful hippie chicks with guitars.  Her songs were wistful, sung in a deliciously breathy voice, sad, plaintive, and sometimes angry.  "Walk the World" could be an anthem to me - not in the sense of its sexual metaphors, but my true desire to walk this world again.  "Light Years" and "Verona" show that this hippie chick can rock.  "Heal", "Walking Higher", and "Doubled Up" demonstrate how much she can do with just a guitar and her voice.  My favorite song is "Island", which is about escaping your problems to a remote island.  It has a trudging pace, offset by her haunting melody and a cello.  There was a time in the '90s where this album was mostly what I listened to.  It still stands the test of time.

7.  The Hush Sound "Like Vines" - What do you get when you combine a rock guitarist (Bob Morris) with a classical pianist (Greta Salpeter)?  You get an awesome band like the Hush Sound, who were probably ahead of their time.  With their ragtime piano, vocal styles (both his and hers) that sound like they come from the Prohibition Era, they would fit right in with today's steampunk motif, taking a note from the Dresden Dolls.  Produced by Patrick Stump (of Fallout Boy) this album also has a Danny Elfman feel, like in the circus-themes "Lion's Roar".  Many of the songs are just dulcid - "Sweet Tangerine" and "Magnolia".  Some are haunting like the piano melody, "Lighthouse".  My favorite is "Wine Red" which is a funky piece driven by the piano and vivid lyrics:

The sea is wine red

This is the death of beauty

The doves have died

The lovers have lied

The Hush Sound broke up in 2008, but they recently reformed with talks of a new album.  I am excited.

8.  Dream Theater "Metropolis Pt 2: Scenes From a Memory" -   When I was in high school, all of the and geeks were into Rush, who admired their technical precision.  Dream Theater - one of the last surviving hair metal bands - are one of those precise bands who seem more like jazz than metal.  What I mean by this -  long, extended jam sessions where each musician in the band gets some time to showcase their unique ability.  "Metropolis Pt. 1" was a part of a previous album, and the second part encompasses an entire concept album.  On the surface, this album could seem pretentious - written and divided into scenes and overtures and movements.  But it works.  The album tells the story of a man obsessed with a love triangle in the 1920s that ended in a murder.  This is progressive music at its best - ranging from hard and heavy to sounding like a Broadway musical.  As it should.  This album needs to go onto Broadway.  James LaBrie sings all of the roles, but this is definitely a theatrical piece.  Almost fifteen years later, I break out this album and still enjoy it.  It is such a concept that one song does not sit well by itself.  You have to listen to whole album.

9.  Modest Mouse "Good News For People Who Love Bad News" -   Around 2004, I was hearing a lot about Modest Mouse in magazines, and such.  So I decided to see what the big deal was, so I bought their album "The Moon & Antarctica".  I hated it.  Over the next couple of years, I would periodically pull it out and listen to it, only to have the same low opinion of it.  Then, I remember, it suddenly made sense.  I finally "got" it, and I loved it.  By then, "Good News For People Who Love Bad News" had come out, and it was much more palatable than their previous releases.  The catchy "Float On" and "Ocean Breathes Salty" reminded me so much of Wolfgang Press, but it is nice to see bands that are influenced by the same music I grew up listening to.  This band has a delightful penchant for the discordant as in "Bury Me With It" and "Dance Hall".  "The Devil's Workday" is a jazz song from hell played on brass.  My favorites are the songs that feature the stand-up bass and banjo - "Bukowski" and "Satin in a Cofin".  The album ends with a guest appearance from Wayne Coyne (from the Flaming Lips).  I have loved everything this band has done since, but this album is the one that stands out to me.

10.  Tears For Fears "The Hurting" - For my last album, I have to say - I am not a Tears For Fears fan.  In fact, they kind of annoy me.  No "Songs from the Big Chair" for me, no "Shout, shout let it all out", no "Sowing the seeds of love"...  I only like this album, and that's it.  This album is enough to establish them as musical geniuses in my book.  It is dark.  It is moody.  And that was enough for me when I was a teen.  This album encapsulated every heartache I experienced back then.  But it really is an original album.  "Mad World", with its infectious rhythm, has been covered ad nauseum.  But the original version is really the best.  Of course, everyone recognizes the early MTV staple, "Change".  "Pale Shelter" and "Watch Me Bleed" are unique, because in the days when electronica was new, they combined acoustic guitars with keyboards, something that other dark wave bands like Clan of Xymox later imitated.  "Memories Fade" and "Start of the Breakdown"are just dripping with angst, just what I needed as a surly 15 year-old.  I think this album stands the test of time.  It is an ingenious arrangement of piano, keyboards, and percussion.

So that's my list.  Now tell me yours...

Moroni's Review of Yeah Yeah Yeah's "Mosquito"

When I downloaded the Yeah Yeah Yeah's album "Mosquito", I really didn't know much about the band.  They were a band that I had heard of for the last ten years, but really hadn't listened to.  I wanted to listen to something new.  Then, on a whim, I decided to check my laptop to see if I had any more of their music.  Lo and behold, I had their entire catalog already there.  I don't know where I get this stuff.  So I was fortunate to be able to acquaint myself with their music a bit before I did this review.

I will admit - they will never be one of my favorite bands.  They are "alright", but this particular album - "Mosquito" - is by far their best, production-wise and creatively.  There are several songs on this album that will remain on rotation on my phone.

They originate from the New York and Los Angeles art-rock scene at the beginning of the last decade that included bands like the Strokes, White Stripes, OK Go, and Metric.  All of these bands seem to have a similar vibe. 

The album starts out beautifully with the infectious "Sacrilege", which is the main single.  The rhythm - driven by percussion and a funky bassline - wants to pull you unwillingly to your feet and dance.   Karen O's voice is breathy, and her falsetto flits around the lead guitar.  The song ends with a gospel chorus.

The next song is perhaps one of my favorite tunes.  To me, it displays the artistic sensibility of this band.  It is called "Subway".  The song is soft, with subdued guitar and bass.  Karen O whispers the lyrics, and the percussion mimics the sound of a subway car going over the tracks in a hypnotic beat.  I close my eyes with this song, and I can see New York in the wee hours of the morning.

The next song is the title track of the album, "Mosquito".  And just like the insect the song is named after, the song is annoying and aggravating with it's jackhammer riveting, and the screamed lyrics of "I'll suck your blood!"  If you can get past the annoying first half of this song, the second half is actually really cool, but only the last minute of the song.

In fact, there are several songs on here that are shrill and annoying - "These Paths", "Area 52", and "Despair".

But then there are some awesome songs that I swear I am listening to Siouxsie and the Banshees - "Under the Earth", Slave" (which is my favorite song), and "Buried Alive" (with a cool guest rap by Dr. Octagon).  There is an unmistakable influence, with the scratchy, gothic guitar sound of "my" decade.  But not all unpleasant.

So Yeah Yeah Yeah's - nice to finally meet you.  I have heard a lot about you.  Not a bad sound on this album.  We'll see what you come up with next

Moroni's Retro Review of The Mission's "God's Own Medicine"

This is another review of a selection of music that I haven't owned since the days when I owned cassettes...

Released in 1986, The Mission's (formerly known as The Mission UK) debut album "God's Own Medicine" was an iconic album for me.

The album starts out with lead singer, Wayne Hussey, spitting out a bitter statement:  "I still believe in God, but God no longer believes in me."

This intro was always significant to me.  Wayne Hussey was raised in Great Britain as a Mormon.  Rumor has it that his parents wanted him to serve a mission for the LDS Church, but instead he formed a rock band and called them The Mission.  (There is also an amusing urban legend that Wayne Hussey met Donny Osmond, and the wholesome Utah singer said, "I've heard of you."  And Hussey answered, "Yeah, I've heard of you, too.  Wanna beer?")

Hussey's intro was significant, because it was evident to me that his Mormon upbringing was an issue that he was struggling with.  He still believed, but doubted in himself.  Also, their lyrics seemed full of Mormonism.  Take "Severina", for example:

She believes in angels

She believes in the will of the gods

As an adult, I read Hussey's lyrics, and I see more Celtic paganism than I do Mormonism.  But their lyrics are still beautiful.

There is no doubt that The Mission had a huge impact on my life back in the '80s.  They seem to be a band that everyone seems to have forgotten, and yet I remember a time when many goths traded in their black for long hair, boleros, trenchcoats, and paisley.

The Mission started when Wayne Hussey and Craig Adams broke away from gothic pioneers, Sisters of Mercy, and formed their own band.  After their departure, Sisters of Mercy faded away into irrelevance, caught up more in their image than in any substance.  It became evident that the talent was with Hussey and Adams.  Today, I broke  out Sisters of Mercy's first (and only exceptional) album "First, Last and Always", and the influence is undeniable.  Apart from Andrew Eldritch's haunting baritone, it sounds just like a Mission album.

To call "God's Own Medicine" a gothic album would probably and technically be right.  But it was unlike any other gothic album.  It had a definite '60s, hippie vibe.  The guitars have a Celtic lilt to them. (I always liked the production of the guitars on this album.  They have a crystal clear sound to them that reminds me of a harpsichord.)  Their songs evoke images of faerys, mushroom circles in the forests, and unicorns.

Back to Wayne Hussey's lyrics, Andrew Eldritch - in an interview on MTV's "120 Minutes" - accuses Hussey of picking up novels and selecting at random flowery words to put in his songs.  Whatever the case, his lyrics are vibrant and scented, evoking delicious images.  As a teen, I didn't relalize it, but, as adult, I realize that just about every song is about sex.  Pretty much every song.  Sexual metaphors couched in poetry.  "Garden of Delight", "Stay With Me", and take this selection from "Love Me To Death":

Let me come inside your ivory tower

Let me come inside your hallowed walls

God, it's heaven in here

Fix me with your hand of praise

Fix me with your touch of precious thrill

Your fingers dance across my skin

Reaching our for the pride of man

Is it me, or is it hot in here?  Most of their songs read like romance novels.

But really, I am happy to have this album again after all these years.  After Hussey's haunting confession, the song starts with the eerie melody of "Wasteland".  The next song - "Bridges Burning" has a lovely, hellish chorus of men screaming in torment, presumably burning.  The next song is "Garden of Delight" is a moving melody to set to a chamber orchestra.  Once again, Hussey's lyrics are musical, but, not only laden with sexual references, but also drug allegories:

Your savage and violent flesh

The cut that bleeds

The kiss that stings

We're shooting up stars

And desperate snows

That fall from shimmering skies

"Sacrilege" is a rousing anthem that reflects their penchant for Celtic melodies.  I can almost picture leprechauns cavorting to this song.  And, of course, my favorite song will always be "Sevrina" - a hymn to a dancing libertine, a "star child, baby born in heaven" who believes in the "midnight trance" and the Thelemic "love is the law".  The chorus consists of the plaintive wail of the woman that gives such atmosphere to this song.

When the Mission came to Arizona for this tour, they played in a small club in Chandler called Prisms.  I didn't go, but my brothers went.  One of them observed that every single member of this band was a giant and seemed to tower over everyone.  The next time they came to Arizona, they opened in a sold-out arena for Robert Plant.  They were booed off the stage when they did a cover of Aerosmith's "Dream On".  That always upset me.

Their next two albums were great albums, but none of them had the same flare as their first album did. In the '90s, they veered off into electronica, like many rock bands from that era did.  None of it was that interesting to me.  

But "God's Own Medicine" is an album that I will never forget.  It is an album that influenced my view of music and art.  They even influenced my writing.  As proof at how important The Mission was to me, here is a photo of me at age 19 wearing one of their shirts (complete with Celtic design).

*Fact I did not know:  Wayne Hussey used to be in Dead Or Alive.  (!)

Moroni's Review of The Airborne Toxic Event's "Such Hot Blood"

I have to admit that - in the last five years - The Airborne Toxic Event is one of my favorite new bands, along with Silversun Pickups.  So it is with great anticipation that I have waited for this album.

That said, I want to put forth my only complaint about this album right up front.  However, my complaint is not about the music, but about the marketing.

At the beginning of the year, I purchased their single for the song "Timeless", which is an amazing song.  A month, or so, later, they released a four-song EP called "The Secret".  It also contained "Timeless", but also three other songs - "The Secret", "The Storm", and "Safe".  I also purchased this.  A matter of weeks later, the new album - "Such Hot Blood" - came out. I was upset to find that four of the ten tracks were the same songs found on the EP.  The EP wasn't like Silversun Pickup's three-song EP "Seasick" - material not found on any album.  Essentially, I paid for the same music - twice.  And in the instance of "Timeless" - three times!  It is a cheap gimmick perpetrated by the record company to get you to pay more, and I hate it.  I totally fell for it.

But "hate" is not a word that I would use to describe the new album.  In fact, I like it.

It was the summer of 2009 that I was first introduced to this band.  I was in Montana on the fair circuit.  In my travels, I had picked up a local 'zine and had seen this band advertised for an upcoming show.  I knew nothing about them, but decided to pick up a copy of their debut album.  It was a hot day in July, and we were tearing down the booth in Bozeman at the Gallatin County Fairgrounds.  The CD player was sitting on the wet grass, and I was hooked at the first listen.  This was deep-rooted Americana, something that you would listen to in a bar in some small town.  It was evocative of R.E.M. when they were on IRS, a little of the Smiths, and when I heard him growl at the end of "Missy", it reminded me of Tom Waits.  All summer, this CD was on heavy rotation.  I took this music home and introduced it to my family.

A couple of years later, we made a special trip to a music store in Mesa, Arizona to buy a copy of their sophomore release, "All At Once", for my then-wife, Temple.  She was in love with this band as much as I was.  The cool thing about this band is that they have acoustic versions of all their songs on YouTube called "Bombastic Versions".  In many ways, I prefer these versions over the album versions.  I bet these guys are great live.

The new album is not as moving as the previous two, but it is still a great album.  They have a deeply and richly layered sound, much like Arcade Fire, accented by heavy use of piano, orchestra, and violin.  In many ways, the new album has a sound similar to U2 or Springsteen with huge, driving anthems bold enough for flag waving.

The opening song, "The Secret", is a song that is typical of the band.  One of the thing that sets them apart is their lyrics.  I have said before - I am more of a music guy rather than a lyric guy.  But lead vocalist, Mikel Jollett, was a writer first and started a band as a vehicle to express his poetry.  And it shows.

The  next song is "Timeless".  I really hate when bands use the best song on the album as their primary single.  But really, this is the best song - or as Temple describes it - "genius".  It doesn't get any better than this song.  The third track, "What's In A Name?", is a driving tune fit for an Irish pub, and it is one of my favorite songs.  "Safe" and "The Bridegroom" display their fine usage of orchestra as a means of poetic expression, as does "The Fifth Day".  My absolute favorite song is "Elizabeth", the final track - a mellow song that tells a story in much the same way that "Sometime Before Midnight" did.

If you have not had exposure to this band, go out and listen to them.  This album is a pretty good place to start...

Moroni's Review of Bad Religion's "True North"

The other day, I was reflecting about  how - as a teenager - I loved horror movies so much.  When I went to the video store, I went right to the horror section, and that's what I would look for - everything from cheesy renditions of H.P. Lovecraft stories to Troma movies to underground slashers.  I don't know when I stopped being so interested in horror.  I can't remember.  There just came a day when I was renting other stuff.  On my DVD shelf, I still have a cherished copy of the original "Evil Dead" that I break out every couple of years, but horror is no longer really my thing.

It is the same way with punk rock, hardcore, or death/ speed metal.  There was a time between the ages of 13 to 16 where that was all that I listened to.  In junior high in the early '80s, there was the crowd that was break dancing or listening to Michael Jackson's "Thriller".  Then there was the other crowd that listened to Deep Purple, Led Zeppelin, Ozzy, an Mötley Crüe.  In all of Casa Grande Junior High School, there was  only one  other kid who listened to punk, and we developed our friendship based on exchanging music.  (And we still maintain a friendship to this day.  This friend spends his spare time shopping for obscure vinyl in New York City and Philedelphia.)  Dead Kennedys, Black Flag, Minor Threat, Circle Jerks, D.R.I., Minutemen, X, 45 Grave, the Effigies, D.I., Reagan Youth, and, yes, Bad Religion.  

It's amazing to think that this was all I practically listened to.  I don't know when that changed, but I gradually started listening to other things to the point that now I almost never listen to hardcore or metal.  Don't get me wrong.  I still really like this stuff, but it’s like “Evil Dead” – I only break it out every now and then.  Usually when I am angry.

Of all the hardcore bands from the ‘80s, the one that I listen to the most – and relate to the most – is Bad Religion.  Maybe because they endured and are still around.  Maybe because they are like me – middle-aged men with a punk background.  Their sound has steeped and aged and become refined.  Their sound now reminds me a lot of Hüsker Dü back then.

So punk died in the ‘80s, and, a decade later, I had a younger friend in Cornville (still in high school at the time) who invited me to a party at his house.  I was married with a child, but I went anyway.  I remember that I was surprised by their selection of music.  It was Bad Religion’s
“Stranger Than Fiction”.  Yes, I remembered Bad Religion.  I liked their first album.  I even liked their keyboard-heavy, new wavey second album, and I really like “Suffer”.  This was the music of my youth, but it was a tighter, cleaner sound, better engineering.  I was also surprised to see this band reaching out to a younger generation.  I bought the album, and for the last 18 years I have listened to it and listened to it.  I didn’t realize that it has become one of my most-listened-to CDs, but it really has.

So I recently downloaded their new album “True North”.  I have really enjoyed listening to it.  One thing that can be perceived as a strength or a weakness – all of Bad Religion’s songs kind of sound the same.  The song starts out with a guitar screech, and the drums make that punk gallop.  Greg Gaffin packs some wordy, intelligent observations into a two minute song, accented by some yawning harmonies in the background.  Yes, this band has their unique sound, and it hasn’t changed much over the years.  

But that’s one of the things that I like about this album!  I tap my finger at every song from start to finish.

Once again, Gaffin’s lyrics are ironic, socially conscious, and often caustic.  Take, for instance, this jab at Mitt Romney in “Robin Hood in Reverse”:

Here's the church; there's the steeple.
Open up the door; corporations are people.
Wait, what did he say?
What the fuck did he say?

There are some grinding rock songs like “Hello Cruel World”, and there are break-kneck fast songs like “Vanity”.  On an album like this, it is hard to pick favorites, but mine are the opening track, “True North”, “Robin Hood in Reverse”, “Dharma and the Bomb”, and “My Head Is Full of Ghosts”.  A particular favorite is “Fuck You”, a song that Gaffin says was 30 years in the writing.

I hope that Bad Religion is around for another 30 years, but there are rumors that this is their last album.  If so, this was a  good way to go.  You should definitely check it out.