Vienna Teng's Aims (+ some J Monae)
(Urgh, the internet just ate the bulk of this post, so this'll be the abbreviated 2.0 version)
It's non big secret I'm a pretty big Vienna Teng fan. Her newest album Aims (which I keep wanting to stylize as AIMS) just dropped, and I'm really loving it. You can listen to the album streaming on her Soundcloud here.
In many ways Aims feels like the logical continuation of her growth from Inland Territory. Inland Territory saw her leaving behind her piano-singer-songwriter of the 90s vibe and experimenting with sounds beyond her piano. It's also the album that gave us No Gringo (the dystopian north-south (im)migration story, quite similar to Futurestates' The Other Side) and Watershed (where nature will collapse any and all societies). So it's not big surprise to hear that Aims doesn't feature Teng's formerly-signature piano very much at all, and that the themes of this album are pretty brainy.
I wound up getting the album a few days earlier, since I purchased the album via her Kickstarter campaign for a music video for Level Up. I got the stripped down eco-friendly version of the album, so I'm quite curious to know what the version that contains the booklet says. As it is though, the album's songs are arranged on a ven-diagram, categorizing songs as about intimacy, critique, or exhortation. Pretty brainy for someone like me who listens to mostly Top 40 pop hits. Between the cerebralness of the songs and the fact most songs do not rely on a piano, I'm really curious to her how Teng intros and arranges these songs as she's on tour. (Here's her introduction to Landsailor, which whoa would not have imagined this to be a love song about people and capitalism)
Some general thoughts on the album:
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And of course, Janelle Monae released her album, The Electric Lady. I've long surpassed the point where I'm capable of doing critical thinking about her because it all just devolves into "adlfjal;djfl;!!!!1111111111111 I LOVE YOU SO MUCH." So suffice to say the album is dope, and I don't regret spending the extra $4 on the deluxe edition; it has the most depressing cover of the Jackson 5's I Want You Back ever, and yet it's so so good.
Probably the only logical things I can say about The Electric Lady is that I'm going to believe in the queer subtext (although how this slots in with Anthony Greendown who we know is male IDK). And I would kill for some more concrete narrative about Cindi's life, character, plot, and world (frex: the 57821 Tumblr which seems maddeningly underused) because it's a bit hard to piece all that together via just the albums. (Many Moons and QUEEN are probably the only music videos whose plot is kinda opaque to me)
(Also: just bought my tickets to see Teng, debating whether to lay down the extra money to also see Monae the same month. I suspect the two are colluding to have all my money, what with them releasing their albums the same month and touring near me in a later-but-same month as well)
Originally posted on DW with
comments.
It's non big secret I'm a pretty big Vienna Teng fan. Her newest album Aims (which I keep wanting to stylize as AIMS) just dropped, and I'm really loving it. You can listen to the album streaming on her Soundcloud here.
In many ways Aims feels like the logical continuation of her growth from Inland Territory. Inland Territory saw her leaving behind her piano-singer-songwriter of the 90s vibe and experimenting with sounds beyond her piano. It's also the album that gave us No Gringo (the dystopian north-south (im)migration story, quite similar to Futurestates' The Other Side) and Watershed (where nature will collapse any and all societies). So it's not big surprise to hear that Aims doesn't feature Teng's formerly-signature piano very much at all, and that the themes of this album are pretty brainy.
I wound up getting the album a few days earlier, since I purchased the album via her Kickstarter campaign for a music video for Level Up. I got the stripped down eco-friendly version of the album, so I'm quite curious to know what the version that contains the booklet says. As it is though, the album's songs are arranged on a ven-diagram, categorizing songs as about intimacy, critique, or exhortation. Pretty brainy for someone like me who listens to mostly Top 40 pop hits. Between the cerebralness of the songs and the fact most songs do not rely on a piano, I'm really curious to her how Teng intros and arranges these songs as she's on tour. (Here's her introduction to Landsailor, which whoa would not have imagined this to be a love song about people and capitalism)
Some general thoughts on the album:
- Level Up: so level up and love again. I wasn't too keen on this song at first, but it grows on me the more and more I hear it.
- In the 99: but I swear I'm on your side. Fuck yeah a song about the Occupy/Decolonize movement. It's a pretty infectious song, and I think people could easily miss it's about the Occupy/Decolonize movement. Something about it gives me a church vibe? Which is funny because...
- Hymn of Acxiom: now we possess you. ...this song definitely sounds like a hymn. Which makes the song about voluntary surveillance even creepier. I think this and In the 99 compliment each other, although I deleted Hymn off my iTunes because it was too creepy for me.
- Landsailor: make me a lawbender. The lyrics to this one feel very mythic/archetypal, and I so wanted to like it. And yet despite having some of my favorite lyrics, I don't really like the song. Although parts of it remind me of FFX's OST.
- Close to Home: a psalm from your book of lies. My favorite song off the album. Which I guess isn't surprising because it's probably the most old-school Vienna Teng song on the album with its piano. I also greatly enjoy the leave us the fuck alone we don't need your normal vibe it gives off.
- Oh Mama No: this is her kingdom. Another one that grew on me. It reminds me of Persephone and Demeter, in terms of mother-daughter relationships.
- Copenhagen (Let Me Go): gone, it's gone. Third fave song on the album. I want to say it's about social media, but I like it too much to care.
- Flyweight Love: took a train to the stubborn coast. I really want to like this song, especially the concept of it. I'm left ambivalent about it, so it remains on my iTunes.
- The Breaking Light: brother you will return. I know this is the Teng and Alex Wong collab they did after Japan, but I'm still not a fan.
- Never Look Away: but some we light on fire. I didn't like this song at first, but then I fell in love with a vengeance. I gave it a second listen after I saw a reviewer describe this as a pop/dance song, and then it became my second fave song off this album. It's pretty infectious.
- Goodnight New York: I'll say goodnight but it's never goodbye. I actually don't like the demo version of this at all, but I'm really fond of the album version. It kinda reminds me of City Hall and Homecoming (aka Teng's pseudo-country songs).
*
And of course, Janelle Monae released her album, The Electric Lady. I've long surpassed the point where I'm capable of doing critical thinking about her because it all just devolves into "adlfjal;djfl;!!!!1111111111111 I LOVE YOU SO MUCH." So suffice to say the album is dope, and I don't regret spending the extra $4 on the deluxe edition; it has the most depressing cover of the Jackson 5's I Want You Back ever, and yet it's so so good.
Probably the only logical things I can say about The Electric Lady is that I'm going to believe in the queer subtext (although how this slots in with Anthony Greendown who we know is male IDK). And I would kill for some more concrete narrative about Cindi's life, character, plot, and world (frex: the 57821 Tumblr which seems maddeningly underused) because it's a bit hard to piece all that together via just the albums. (Many Moons and QUEEN are probably the only music videos whose plot is kinda opaque to me)
(Also: just bought my tickets to see Teng, debating whether to lay down the extra money to also see Monae the same month. I suspect the two are colluding to have all my money, what with them releasing their albums the same month and touring near me in a later-but-same month as well)
Originally posted on DW with
comments.