I meant to post my reviews for the CDs I listened to yesterday last night before bed, but after a late night spent watching Jason Segal decide between Kristen Bell and Mila Kunis in 'Forgetting Sarah Marshall' I likewise decided to join Fantasyland and just go to bed.
I started my workday by listening to Afghan Whigs - Gentlemen. It's undeniable that it was made in the 90s with the tones of the guitars and the distortion. The themes about dating and the dynamics between guys/girls feel relevant, but as the man sings, "this ain't about regret."
The first song starts like something out of The Mummy or Aladdin and is a great lead in to the album! I love transitions like one into the second song 'Gentlemen' with the drum repetition at the end of 'If I Were Going'. The claps in 'Debonair' give the song a pop feel. There are great sound effects on this album, including a sound that I can best describe as buzzing bees. 'When We Two Parted' fades out with a Modest Mouse-like guitar, a chorus of voices, and the ever biting lyrical tone of Greg Dulli (whose spoken word lyrics/tone are classic). The way he sings those lines reminds me of everything I love about Henry Rollins and the song 'Liar'.
The songs 'What Jail Feels Like' and 'My Curse' feel like all the good that Vanessa Carlton and Zooey Deschanel, respectively, tried to do in music, yet done better here. The final song on the album is great and reminds me so much of Traci Bonham. The theatrical sense that all of these songs give you is typified in 'I Keep Coming Back'. You can almost picture a jilted lover sitting on an old creaky porch while crickets chirp in the night air and he laments all the wrongs of his relationship.
Later in the afternoon I listened to Yuck's debut album. Other reviews have labeled this band as a mix of Dinosaur Jr, Pavement, and shoegaze and I get that. The first song 'Get Away' contains a great refrain - "Oh, I can't get away." This CD is everything I love about the 90s culture with all the feedback and lo-fi vocals that anyone could ask for. In fact, SPIN facetiously wrote a story about how this album may be the best album of 1991 since we are all simultaneously feeling nostalgic and hopeful for the future.
The band does not slow the momentum as they transition from 'Get Away' to 'The Wall'. Subtly, the band expresses a sentiment in this song that all of us have felt. 'Shook Down' comes across like a beautiful love song, and starts with a very Smashing Pumpkins-esque sound in verse 1 before shifting in style/tone. I appreciate the jazzy feel that 'Suicide Policeman' has and I love the female vocal harmony on 'Georgia'. There's even a nice slide guitar on 'Suck'. These guys try a lot of tricks, and with repeated listens I find myself appreciating them more.
Song #9, 'Operation', is one of the highlights of the album. There's a great line in 'Sunday' - "I've got a choice now, I've got a voice now" that gets stuck in your head. The lo-fi drone of 'Rubber' acts as a nice closer and its heavy feedback drone is very reminiscent of shoegaze bands like My Bloody Valentine and bands they obviously had an influence on like Deerhunter/Atlas Sound.
The bonus CD completely picks up where the first CD may slump a little bit. The guitar effect in the first song on the CD is exactly like one that my best friend in high school had on his first effect pedal for his electric guitar! Speaking of which, the lyrics of 'Cousin Corona' were basically my mantra back then. 'Milkshake' is an excellent catchy song and 'Coconut Bible' is the 2nd best song off of both CDs. I can not help but put it on repeat and listen to it like six times in a row. The bonus disc definitely completes the set and is worth your time if you are so inclined.
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