The Chorus Music Club Society • Page 183

@Patterns in Traffic and I traded this week and he gave me:

The Wombats: Beautiful People Will Ruin Your Life (2018) Kobalt Label Services

The Wombats are an English rock band out of Liverppool and formed in 2003 and this is their fourth studio album. This album is essentially pop rock and can best be described if you put the following bands into a blender: The 1975, Beck, The Strokes and Capital Cities. It is a FUN record that isn't perfect but is pretty close. The whole album is mixed with jangly guitars, poppy synths and fun lyrics that don't take anything too seriously.

The album opens with one of the most infectious songs I have heard in a while, Cheetah Tongue. The run from this song through White Eyes is amazing and makes you want to dance all over the room. The sequencing on the album is done perfectly and sandwiches some of the "weaker" tracks in between some of the more impressive ones. The weaker ones as I had mentioned aren't bad but tend to slow the album down and is a minor criticism.

I am definitely going to check out their discography and listen to this album A LOT more.

I will close out this review with the best line from this album off the song, Ice Cream:

"Is there such thing as too much fun?"

Thanks @Patterns in Traffic!!!

Favorite Songs:
Cheetah Tongue
Turn(this song is amazing)
Ice Cream

8/10

RIYL:
The 1975
Beck
The Strokes
Capital Cities

 

Great write up.(for some reason I kept reading Kobalt as Kombat).

This sounds like a cool album I may check it out eventually

 

Kobalt makes me think of Cobalt which makes me think of the periodic table

 

Great review! I haven't been able to bring myself to play anything else in the car for the past week. Every track is good, and as you referenced in your writeup all the odd-numbered tracks are incredible. Every time I listen to it it's like I get to relax and enjoy one song before the next one starts and I'm like "oh shit I love this song LET'S DO THIS."

And repeat for the whole album.

 

Apologies for the shorter review this week, it's a bit of a hectic one for me.

@Larry David gave me As Cities Burn - Come Now Sleep



The moment this started, Come Now Sleep was not what I was expecting at all. I don't know why, because I've only ever seen their name in passing, but whenever I saw the band mentioned on Absolutepunk - I wrote them off as a band that would get lumped in with a bunch of Metalcore bands that I knew I didn't really get anything from when listening. Instead, I'm instantly met with the most airy, floatingly delicate vocals over American Football style guitar threads, juxtaposing their fragmented and near math-rock approach with the smoothest of clean vocals...and I love it.

I adored the patience of "Contact", everything felt stretched out and full of space to breathe. Leading into "Empire" however, they leant into a sound that I was slightly more expecting, at least in terms of a more frenzied and loud assault. Hearing a whole lot more distortion with relentless percussion was consequently a bit of a letdown on my first listen, but the growl in the vocals (from what I understand, are shared) that started to come into play, was great. This isn't to say anything louder than calm is something I dislike, I love aggression and intensity and loudness, but because I was expecting it and then to have it thrown off course by the opener only to get back onto a more predicted sound led to my disappointment. I'm aware this is a little harsh and my own weird criteria. The patience and unexpected technical serenity of the opener was eradicated by something more foreseen, however on further listens it's clear that this is more their sound - and they execute it so well. It's all Minus The Bear with distortion pedals and anger.

Overall, there's a lot more I would delve into with repeated listens (it's clear there's religious connotations lyrically or with the band in general for example) and whilst I was initially pleasantly surprised by the record, from the second track onwards everything started to blend together into a more "expected sound" for the most part and it hindered my want to revisit. That being said, I did find myself really enjoying moments of the record and appreciating the propulsion that a lot of the instrumentation embodied.

Recommended Tracks: "Contact"

 

I realized I forgot to partner @Kingjohn_654 with someone. Do you want me to get you a partner or wait until Monday for next round??

 

Nice write up as always man

 

So last week @cshadows2887 gave me an album called Ask Rufus by Rufus featuring Chaka Khan. I've honestly never heard of Rufus, Chaka Khan needs no introduction. This album was released in 1977 and it's a sort and sweet album clocking in it at 9 songs. It starts off with a funky tune called At Midnight, and I instantly start tapping my foot to the groove. As we move on to the next next song Close The Door, Oh my the bass is so smooth and sexy in it and it just blends in perfectly with Chaka's beautiful voice and that snare though ! One of my favorites on this album is Everlasting Love, I think everything is perfect about this song and it has that funky mo town groove to it. I believe it's Chaka's best vocal delivery on the album. Better Days may be my favorite on this album, not only is it groovy but it shows them how well crafted they are at what they do. They jam a lot on this song, they seemed so locked in and nothing can stop them. Everything for the most part on this album is killer, from the production to the musicianship and the background singers. There is so much going on this album it's outstanding ! If you're into funk or motown I highly suggest you give this bad boy a listen.

 

Me and @skurt are trading this week.

I'll be listening to: Our Lady Peace-Somethingness

He'll be listening to: Alice In Chains-Jar Of Flies

 

Our Lady Peace is really good!

 

So Good.

@broken22 has never heard Our Lady Peace before!

 

So far, so good !

 

What?!!!!! It’s a good record to start with though.

 

Head Down may be one of the best songs they have ever written.

 

Jar of Flies has one of the best songs from the whole Grunge period on it in my opinion in Nutshell.

As for the Our Lady Peace talk I don’t think I’ve ever really checked them out before.

 

PLEASE check them out! They definitely have some amazing and some not so amazing records. I think Clumsy and this new record are the best places to start.

 

Are the rest of the songs on Clumsy similar to Supermans Dead as I'm not massive on that song. The singles I've heard off Gravity sounded alright though.

 

That song is one of the more commercial songs they have released and that is what a lot of Gravity is, very commercial. I don't want to say too much because I am writing the review as we speak.

 

Since @broken22 only got one album this week we agreed to do a one off trade.

He gave me:

Matt Skiba and The Sekrets- Babylon

I have given him:

Silverstein- Dead Reflection

 

So as sort of a bonus, @skurt told me to check out the new album:

Our Lady Peace: Somethingness (2018) Coalition Records

Little did he know that I was going to review it!

I am so glad I did because this album is amazing. It really isn't a "return to form" of their earlier material but more of a new found sound that fits perfectly in todays music scene.

This is their first full length since 2012's Curve. The last couple of records by the band saw them losing a bit of steam and popularity. The thing I have loved about the band is that they are not one to stand still and change it up with every record. This can be a blessing and a curse in that you may alienate a lot of your fans. With the failed success of Curve and the previous album Burn Burn, the band took time off to really discover who they were and even did a run called the "Recreation Tour" playing all the songs off of Clumsy and Spiritual Machines (my favorite and by far their biggest venture into progressive rock.) During this time, they lost longtime drummer Jeremy Taggert and replaced him with Jason Pierce, ex-touring drummer for Paramore. Somethingness is the first album to feature Pierce recording an album with the band.

With time off and the new addition, it was time for the band to write a new album and they did not disappoint. This album sees them stripping down all the production of albums like Gravity and all the experimentation of albums like Spiritual Machines and doing what they do best, making amazing music. It is a mix of indie with some shimmery/jangly guitars but really sits in the folk rock/country realm. I would even go so far as to say it might be something @Craig Manning might enjoy. Raine Maida's vocals still remain unique, mixing his tenor and nasally falsetto, while the band just dances around him and it is incredible. It feels so comfortable and warming, and with the weather getting warmer, it is the perfect time release this album.

The album opens with, in my opinion, one of the best songs they have even written and really showcases this new found sound. The overall theme of the album lyrically is very uplifting and at times even has some religious undertones, but never feels forced or preachy.

"Head down, wait for tomorrow,
Dark days soon will be over,
I'll fine my place in the sun..."

Ballad of a Poet is the fist track where we really get see this stripped down folky version of the band and Raine does an incredible job of storytelling. I also love the backup singers on this song that give it so much more power.

"Tonight we radiate,
The lines have been replaced..."

This folky sound pretty much continues throughout the rest of the record, adding some piano and other instruments but the real gem on the record is track, Drop Me in the Water. It builds and builds and then turns into this 70's rock song and is something I would NEVER have expected from Our Lady Peace. At the 2:30 minute mark, lead guitarist Steve Mazur, lets out this fuzzed out guitar solo that just blows your mind and the last 30 seconds or so sees them just jamming out. You can tell the band had a blast recording it.

My only complaint of the record is the length, being only 33 minutes long, but at the same time there is no filler and every second is packed with amazing music.

10/10

Favorite Songs:
Head Down
Ballad of a Poet
Drop In the Water

RIYL: Folk rock, indie rock

"We won't bend, we wont break,
Cause our lives are falling into place"

 

Great review Nate. A perfect 10/10 rating!

 

Nice review! Their last full-length was Curve in 2012 though I believe?

 

That's right! I think I just put the wrong album. I didn't really like Burn Burn or Curve much so they blend together for me.

 

They were kind of misfires.

 

I fixed it! Lol