While the internet is buzzing with news of NMH's reunion; I see it as the perfect time to review the discography of what I can easily say is my favorite band. I won't go too in depth with the history of NMH, ( I recommend reading the fantastic book from the 33 1/3 series, all about In The Aeroplane Over The Sea)
I will talk about all three official releases they put out from 1994-1998.
"Everything Is" Is the first project released under the Neutral Milk Hotel monkier; at this point in the band's history, it was mainly Jeff Mangum with help from friends in the Elephant 6 Collective. And while the recording is pretty rough, the songs still shine through; especially on the title track and the closer "Tuesday Moon". The only other two tracks ( at least on the CD I purchased from a bargain bin) are "Snow Song Pt.1" which is the first glimpse of Jeff as the stripped-down and quite songwriter he would soon embrace on the following full lengths. And the sound-collage "Aunt Eggma Blowtorch", which is easily the weakest track, and also the longest at 5 minutes.
It's still rather impressive that there's really only one so-so song on here, seeing as this was made with basically shoestrings and an acoustic guitar.
After 8 years without an official album release ( because a soundtrack is not the same) Daft Punk are finally releasing their new album, titled "Random Access Memories" and have teased towards it's release with this track, "Get Lucky".
And let me tell you, this is a freakin' smooth song. With Nile Roger's crisp guitar leads and Daft Punk's signature brand of production, the track will make your head bop and your hips shake. The one weak link, and it's really not a big issue, is Pharrel's singing. While not bad, he just doesn't bring the same level of excitement that Romanthony brought on "Discovery". Though I have yet to hear the full length song ( Which clocks in around 8 minutes) or Pharrel's other contribution to the album.
Regardless of the small issue, I'm even more psyched to hear RAM in full later this year.
Back in 1993, a group of young gentlemen from the east side called themselves Wu-Tang, and put out one of the most influential rap albums of all time, "36 Chambers". Among the elite stood Ghostface Killah, a high energy ( which in the context of Wu-Tang is no small feat) and lyrically quick MC, who proved to be a stand-out member in more ways than one. He not only held his own on "36 Chambers", but as far as solo Wu-Tang member projects go; Ghostface has probably the most consistent career of the entire Clan.
And that trend continues on his latest effort, a full length collaboration with producer Adrian Younge.
All you have to do is look at the cover to get an idea of what the production on this album is like. Younge creates a vibe reminiscent of 70's B-movies and grindhouse flicks, which Ghostface matches with lyrics that tell a story that could have easily come from Tarentino's brain. It's a story about a gangster named Tony Starks, who is betrayed by his employers and his body is pressed into 12 vinyl records to be shipped to the 12 bosses of the gang; but as soon as the records are played, they unleash the Ghostface Killah.
Yeah, the concept is pretty corny, but that's the point. It's supposed to bring to mind the late night grindhouse flicks that inspired movies like "Pulp Fiction" and "Hobo with a Shotgun:. And luckily, the music is pretty great too, with Adrian Younges tight production and contributions from other Wu-Tang members.
The opener, "Beware the Stare" sets the mood perfectly, with a soulful female vocal telling you to "beware the stare of the Ghostface Killah". And the tracks "Rise of the Black Suits" and "I Declare War" get the story rolling in earnest, keeping the track lengths short and concise. Which for some may be a downside, but I personally can't stand when a concept is so drawn out that I lose all interest halfway through... But Ghostface avoids that issue with a story that is over is roughly 40 minutes, making it a far more memorable tale.
This is a really great album, sure. But more importantly, it's a fun album; especially if you're into the style that it presents. And speaking as someone who is a huge fan of Tarentino and Wu-Tang, this album was an awesome surprise for the year.
The first time I listened to Tyler the Creator was back in 2010. As I perused The Needle Drop's channel on Youtube, I came across a review I hadn't watched yet, the review for Tyler's Bastard mixtape. As I pressed a link to a song from the album, I was greeted with a simplistic beat and a gravely voiced rapper who was obsessed with violence, rape and all manner of deviant behavior. In short... I wasn't into it. At the time, I saw him as a guy who simply wanted to shock. And to some extent he still is, since Tyler, along with the rest of the OF gang have been steadily releasing tracks and albums with shocking lyrics/ album covers ( upside down crosses are a huge part of their merchandise... and cats.) So while Bastard and his 2011 album Goblin didn't impress me at first, I slowly warmed up to his and a choice few OF related projects.
It had a lot to do with me listening and uncovering the deeper, more personal themes on Bastard, Tyler raps about growing up without a dad and how he came to form OF. Though I have to say, Goblin was a disappointment in that regard (and many others) since Tyler focused more on his internet drama and Odd Future antics then he did his themes of loneliness and outsider emotions.
So my anticipation for Wolf was pretty high, because while Goblin was a big letdown, I knew Tyler could potentially put together a really solid project, given the fact that he produced Bastard. And I'm glad to say that Wolf is in fact a solid album, and one that I think legitimizes Tyler as a producer/ MC.
The album starts strong with "Jamba" a quirky track backed up with some nice samples and synths. Tyler is spitting his usual immature lyrics, but is fully aware of that fact and Hodgy Beats shows up to drop a decent verse of his own. The track "Awkward" describes a situation where Tyler kisses a crush of his, but instead of being the life affirming moment he expected, it's awkward and he's left wondering what to do next.
"Answer" is a raw and heartfelt song where Tyler dissects his thoughts on his father who left him and it's the first time I've heard Tyler be this sincere about this subject. It's really quite amazing. The tracks "48" "IFHY" and "Rusty" are all great songs as well, with the latter featuring a fiery verse from OF member Domo Genesis and a Wu-Tang influenced beat.
However, as great as Wolf can be, there are a few potholes. I'd say the tracks "Parking Lot" "Slater" and the medley in the middle of the album "PartyIsntOver/ Campfire/ Bimmer" could have been completely removed from the album, since Wolf is already a hefty 18 tracks, and these songs add nothing to the concept and mood that Tyler is putting together on Wolf
But that aside, Wolf is the kind of album I hoped I'd see Tyler the Creator put out after Goblin. It shows that he's improving and that even with some missteps along the way, he's getting closer and closer to releasing a truly outstanding album.
Remember the 90's? Well as someone who was fairly young during that infamous decade, I'm surprised by how much I do in fact remember bands like Nirvana, Foo Fighters and Weezer. And it seems that Wavves has an even better memory for that bygone era of Grunge and moody Rock that dominated the charts during the mid nineties.
Wavves' music has always shown theses influences, but on their latest album Afraid of Heights; they embrace it wholeheartedly. In fact, their reverence borders on rehash at some points on this LP with songs like "Dog" and "Demon to Lean On" having eerie similarities with nineties hits from Weezer and Nirvana. But I wouldn't say these similarities totally ruin the enjoyment of this LP, in fact, I think this is a pretty great album.
The aforementioned "Demon to Lean On" is a fantastic, driving track that got me excited for the release of this LP early on, and is still an awesome track to this day. Other Highlights include the opener "Sail to the Sun" with it's bright, lullaby like intro; and the title track has a fantastic chorus that sums up the attitude of this LP, and Wavves' music pretty concisely.
That attitude is on of the loner, with nihilistic lyrics like "I'll always be on my own/ F**ked and alone" and "Holding a gun to my head/So send me an angel/ Or bury me deeply instead/ With demons to lean on". It's a familiar premise, one that was prominent in the era of music that seems to dominate the writing behind a lot of Wavves' music and this album.
While I can't say this is going to go down as a classic, or even Wavves' best album; I can say that it's a very enjoyable listen, especially if you're looking for a bit of Grunge or Alternative Rock.
