Better Than Ezra, The Church, Phoenix
Welcome back!
This week's entry is from three bands that sound nothing alike. You have a little southern rock, a band from the Goth-rock heydays, and finally a French band. All in all, smells like a good day to review music.
The first album today is Better Than Ezra's, Paper Empire:
The last album they released was over four years ago, Before the Robots. After which they band seemed to go on their separate ways, going into different side projects before going back into the studio for another album.
This album seems a bit different since their drummer left the band earlier this year to join his other band, Sugarland, full time. As such, the sound seems a bit more tame. I heard this today at work on the speakers, not knowing who they were. I'm not much for country music, rarely playing it in my home, but I enjoyed this. This isn't considered necessarly country, but with the band coming from New Orleans, some of their influences are from that genre, and most of their lyrics always give off that vibe to me. Maybe because it didn't actually sound like southern rock, but I did find it decent. I think I mainly wanted to review this album so that I could have some variation other than the usual Alternative genre I seem to cling to.
The song I think I liked the most is Hey Love. It's a simple love song about a woman that consistenly on the move and the man who wants her to stay. I know the feeling of the constant push-and-pull that come with relationships, so yeah, kinda stuck with me.
If you're familiar with their music, you'll enojoy their latest effort.
Choice Tracks: Hey Love and I Just Knew
The next album is The Church's Untitled #23
I have always loved this band. Strafish was one of my albums as a child my parents would play in my room to put me to sleep. New wave at its finest. After more than twenty years making music, they continue to evolve and get better, which I think is admirable. As much as everyone identifies this band with their Top 40 hit, Under the Milky Way, they are far more than that.
I got this album about three weeks ago. I didn't want to review it than since I wanted people to be able to download it on iTunes, where it is now available. Anyway, I heard it and I was insistently smitten with the relaxes tone of this album. A very dreamy-state flows through, yet staying true to the psychdelic sounds that made them famous. It's more of a wintery album, descriptions of snow and winter's wind, but at the heart of the record, it contains several love songs that are relevant to a shy heart.
One song in particular reminded me of something a friend of mine said recently about her relationship with her boyfriend, Happenstance. The guitar in this song especially is wonderful, probably the best on the album.
Choice Tracks: Happenstance, Sunken Sun, Lunar
Honorable Mention:
The final album is Phoenix's Wolfgang Amaduas Phoenix
I had only heard this album from this band this morning, so I can't give a proper review, but I wanted to mention that what I heard, I liked a great deal. The band has been around since the 80s, and making extremely catchy synch-pop music, hailing from France. They also have affiliations with Daft Punk.
If you're interested in the album, you can hear a few of the tracks over at last.fm.
Okay, kids. Tell me what you think and if there's any new music I forgot to mention, let me know!