ALBUM REVIEW! Fiona Apple- The Idler Wheel is Wiser Than the Driver of the Screw & Whipping Cords Will Serve You More Than Ropes Will Ever Do

Fiona Apple- The Idler Wheel is Wiser Than the Driver of the Screw and Whipping Cords Will Serve You More Than Ropes Will Ever Do (2012)

Fiona Apple has been releasing albums since 1996, and tends to wait 4 or 5 years between releasing another.  Her music tends to be largely piano based, with minimalist percussion and her strong, biting vocals and lyrics.

While things certainly haven't changed much on "The Idler Wheel...", it doesn't change the fact that Fiona Apple sounds like her and only her, and this is a very good thing.  Her song arrangements sound very similar to themselves, with odd timing and bouncy piano melodies, but I can't really compare it to any other artist.

That each track sounds a bit similar can make listening to this album get a bit tiring, though.  With the exception of several really good lyrical moments, you won't find many surprises after hearing the first track.  This is also her most stripped down sounding record, which may cut down on repeat listens looking for sections you might have overlooked, as they're probably just not there.

Despite that, there are some great songs on this albums.  Opener "Every Single Night" is a joy to listen to, getting so minimalist at times that there's hardly any music at all.  That sounds like it could be a negative thing, but it sets it apart and makes it sound different than most listening experiences you might be used to having.

"Jonathan" has a very dark, bitter sound to it, which is pretty interesting considering the lyrics in this track are probably some of the most positive Fiona really sings on this record.  "Left Alone" also carries this dark sound, but pulls it along with some upbeat percussion and Fiona really letting loose for the first time up to that point in the record with her vocals.   

"Anything We Want" is a really fun track with some percussion that sounds like someone is banging on beer mugs.  "Hot Knife," the closing track, is also pretty interesting, with a low rumbling drum part and Fiona's multi-tracked vocals keeping you interested.

On the more negative side of things,  the piano melody in "Valentine" isn't very interesting (or good, for that matter).  "Werewolf" has some of my favorite lyrics on the album, but the songs melody sounds a bit silly and makes it hard for me to keep from skipping it.  "Periphery" also suffers from sounding a little on the goofy side, like something you'd hear clowns dancing to in a circus.

"The Idler Wheel..." had a good probability of being a good record from the start, as all Fiona really had to do was keep doing what she's always done, and that's exactly what she did.  It's ten mostly short tracks of odd timing and interesting piano melodies with a strong female vocalist and lyricist.  I really enjoyed it as a whole, and get a certified "recommended" from me.

Rating: 84%

ALBUM REVIEW! BY REQUEST! Rush- Clockwork Angels

Rush- Clockwork Angels (2012)

Rush is a classic rock band that formed back in 1968, and Clockwork Angels is the bands 20th studio album.  I'm generally not a huge fan of classic rock, but I enjoyed Rush's last record, Snakes & Arrows, so I figured I'd give this one a shot.  I also had a friend request it, and I don't like turning down requests. 

Toward their later years, Rush seemed to revert to a time when most of their music was primarily guitar rock, and the synths that could be heard in some of their earlier music seemed to be missing.  That is also the case on Clockwork Angels, for the most part.  Unfortunately, the lack of variety really seemed to hurt this record. 

It's starts off incredibly strong with the track "Caravan."  It's a very strong rock song, with skilled musicianship and a beautiful guitar melody in the chorus with Geddy Lee's repeated "I can't stop thinking big" blending great with the musical concoction. 

Then things just overall go downhill.  Everything on this album is crafted well from a skill point of view, but these songs are incredibly forgettable and just don't offer anything at all unless you listen to music purely to hear how awesome the musicians are.  I have very little to say about the next four tracks, as nothing really happens in them that's worth mentioning. 

"Halo Effect" tries switching things up with some acoustic guitar, but actually ends up being one of the albums worst songs, as it's not only boring, but doesn't really show off any chops either.  "Seven Cities of Gold" is probably the albums second best song, but I still got bored listening to it about halfway through it.  The rest of the record just meanders in mediocrity.

One of things I really enjoyed about Snakes & Arrows was that it was not only musically competent, but a joy to listen to.  It didn't feel arrogant because the songs sounded well written.  This one sounds like 3 guys saying "look what I can do!" as they show off their musical skill and not much else.  I just can't get behind that.   

Rating: 38%

ALBUM REVIEW! BY REQUEST! Gojira- L'Enfant Sauvage

Gojira- L'Enfant Sauvage (2012)

Note:  Gojira is a French death metal band (with other fun genre additions you can add, like progressive, or technical).  This genre of music is not something I'm well versed in.  I'm going to attempt a non-fan perspective on the album without getting too into genre specifics, but it's still very possible I may get some things wrong.  I apologize beforehand. 

I had an unusual introduction to this album.  The title track was released far before the album was (the album isn't actually out, but you can hear it on Facebook or Spotify if you want).  I listened to it and was a bit baffled.  I had read that they signed to Roadrunner Records, which didn't sound like a good thing to me, and after hearing the song, I felt like it justified my fears.  It sounds like a modern heavy rock track.  It sounds like something you might hear on modern rock radio.  It sounds awful. 

Having heard Gojira in the past, I had to hear the whole album.  Surely it couldn't all sound like that!  Fortunately, it didn't.  After hearing the whole album, I even came to conclusion that releasing the song "L'Enfant Sauvage" as a first single may have been a brilliant move. 

The album starts with "Explosia," a fast, loud, and pretty standard Gojira track.  It didn't really excite me too much, but it did calm my worries that Gojira may have gone soft on us.  The following track is the before mentioned title track.  After a few more listens, I still hate it, but it's a great way to lure in fans of more radio friendly music into an album of tracks that have a bit of a progressive edge.  It was a good marketing decision.

"The Axe" comes off similarly to the opening track.  The following track, "Liquid Fire," is when this album starts piquing my interest.    It begins standard enough with a rather nice groove, and moves into a really nice melodic part.  The vocalist does this growl/sing combo that blends wonderfully with the melody, and takes me back to some old doom metal bands I used to like.  It speeds back up and adds some odd robotic sounding vocal effects and continues sounding great. 

"The Wild Healer" is a fun little interlude with a noodling electric guitar part that sticks in your head. 
The following track, "Planned Obsolescence," is probably the best straight up loud track on the record.  It has a lot of energy and the melodies were good enough to keep me from being bored. 

By the time I got to "Mouth of Kala," I began to start having negative feelings again.  That particular track didn't really have much to offer, and the album started feeling a bit repetitive.  Then "The Gift of Guilt" happened.  The track opens with some really nice guitar melodies and a thumping drum part with some straight up nasty fills.  It fills in the space between these sections with some great metal riffing.  It's a great metal track, through and through. 

"Pain is a Master" gets points for trying something a bit different too, but it's not really a great track.  It has an unplugged sounding intro that doesn't really offer much, some fast riffing that will interest people into that sort of thing, and then goes fairly progressive after that.  Unfortunately, the melodies aren't that great. 

"Born in Winter" is the track for people who don't typically listen to metal.  It moves at a fair speed and has a nice groove, and the guitars stay pretty calm for the most part.  Things open up a bit about half way through the track, but it still remains in control of itself and sounds pretty good.  The vocal parts are of particular interest in this track too.  There's a lot of variety between a low, melodic singing and an uplifting sounding scream. 

The album finishes with "The Fall," a track that at points could probably pass for an Alice in Chains track.  It has it's share of death metal fills and brutal vocals, but they usually just connect the slower, melodic parts.  It's a decent track and a pretty good way to end the album. 

Considering this genre isn't really my thing as a whole, my lowered expectations about the title track didn't really bother me.  Now that I've heard the album, I am glad to see my expectations were overturned, but I'm still not super excited about this record.  It's probably not a bad starting point for people who don't listen to this kind of thing, but it still is "this kind of thing."  I'd recommend it to fans of the band, or fans of death metal, but my recommendation to those people doesn't really mean anything because my opinion on this stuff frankly carries no weight. 

Rating: 64%

ALBUM REVIEW! Future of the Left- The Plot Against Common Sense

Future of the Left- The Plot Against Common Sense (2012)

There's a lot of history behind Future of the Left, but I'll do what I can to keep that short.  The band was formed by two members formerly of the band mclusky (Andy Falkous on vocals/guitar and Jack Egglestone on drums).  The other band members were in some bands too, and Future of the Left was a result of those bands splitting up in the mid 2000's. 

Future of the Left sound sort of like an evolution of mclusky, and "The Plot Against Common Sense" sounds even more evolved.  There's more of an electronic vibe to several songs on this album, but it never seems to overshadow the ferocity of the music or the wit of the lyrics.  I'd say it even sounds out of place in some places, but for the most part the electronic sounds add some layers to some fairly minimalist arrangements.

All the elements this band has shown before are still here.  The clunky bass, simple but effective guitar parts, and punk rock drums.  Andy Falkous is as rowdy as ever, spitting veiled, and sometimes not so veiled insults at everything from modern music and overproduced films to environmental issues and hippies.

The energy on this album is just outstanding, and it rarely lets up.  Tracks like "Sheena is a T-shirt Salesman" and "Camp Cappuccino" show off the bouncy punk rock sound the band is known for with Andy Falkous' rather impressive yell.  "Beneath the Waves an Ocean" shows that Falkous can sing a melodic part and make it work, as well as "Polymers are Forever" with it's expertly places electronic sounds and Falkous chanting to us as song comes to a close.  "Robocop 4: Fuck Off Robocop" may have the best song title I've ever heard and backs it up with lyrics like "if Michael Bay wants a bigger house, let's help him!"

Not everything here is gold, however.    "Failed Olympic Bid" is a bit too repetitive and runs a bit too long considering the song's melody isn't very ear catching.   "Cosmo's Ladder" sounds a bit too silly to really enjoy, and Falkous sounds more annoying than interesting on "Sorry Dad, I Was Late for the Riots." 

I'd recommend "The Plot Against Common Sense" to anyone who might be a fan of Shellac, Pixies, or Cloud Nothings.  It's a pretty good starting point for people unfamiliar with Falkous' music, and should definitely lead you to some of Falkous' older (and better) stuff like mclusky's "mclusky Do Dallas." 

Rating:  82%