I've done several mini-reviews lately, here's a few:
Nickel Creek - A Dotted Line
Sometimes albums have a strange familiarity, as if tapping into an untapped beauty that you always knew was in your heart but was struggling to be recognized. Sometimes an album confuses you and frightens you by surprising you at every turn; you’re just not sure what to expect next. You’re not sure if you’re going to cry or be tapping your feet to a catchy tune. This album gives you all of these experiences in a work that’s not quite cohesive but certainly a varied journey worth experiencing.
Described as “progressive bluegrass” but encompassing far more than just that, this album gives you something new at every turn. They don’t wait long to overwhelm you with extraordinarily full vocal harmonies and some ambitious, meaty string instrumentation. These are some talented musicians, without question. More than once I was taken aback by the sheer intricacy of some of the guitar work on this album. The instrumental third track, “Elsie,” is gorgeous by any standard and features some utterly masterful musicianship. Nickel Creek doesn’t want you complacent, however, and stuns everyone with “Hayloft,” the fifth track that comes from way out in left field with strange, almost punk-like lyrics and a discordant chord progression which is far unlike the mostly catchy first four tracks.
Nickel Creek shows an impressive ability to take typical bluegrass conventions and mold them into a unique experience unlike almost anything I’ve heard, so much so that you can go from sassy punk-pop to stunning acoustic folk in an instant, but I can guarantee the entire experience is thoroughly enthralling. Whether you enjoy bluegrass or don’t, this is an accessible yet amazingly rewarding listen that almost anybody will enjoy. A simply excellent record.
Score: 9/10
Bombay Bicycle Club - So Long, See You Tomorrow
Here we have one of those bands that consistently shows that they have great ideas but sometimes not the greatest execution. Historically, Bombay Bicycle Club has made it clear to everyone that they could write some catchy songs, but they couldn’t escape the trap that indie pop bands typically fall into: the tracks just don’t have much substance. This album even serves as a bit of a change of direction for the London-based band, drawing many influences from the electronic genre. There’s some very impressive production to admire here, but too typically the band settles for typical synthpop fare, and they don’t flex their songwriting muscles much like they have in the past with excellent tracks such as “Shuffle” and “How Can You Swallow So Much Sleep” on 2011′s A Different Kind of Fix.
Jack Steadman’s vocals are nice but he often becomes another high-pitched Chris Martin/Thom Yorke imitation. You might find yourself tapping your feet to the simple anthem-like tunes like “Carry Me,” but there’s just very little here that serves to separate Bombay Bicycle Club from every other indie pop band right now, which is quite unfortunate given the promise this band has shown in the past. An obvious low point to me is the attempt at trip-hop in track 4, “Home By Now,” with a bluesy piano riff that just isn’t cohesive at all with the rest of the tracks here. It stands out, but not in a particularly good way.
You’re in for some pretty harmonies and some catchy tracks, but you’re not in for anything that will change your mind about a genre or this band, and for that it’s easy to be disappointed with the route Bombay Bicycle Club has taken. There aren’t really any risks here despite the fact that they’ve changed their direction. They transferred from a genre without a lot of variety to another genre without a lot of variety, and I can’t help but feel like the band could have been much more ambitious at this stage in their career.
Score: 6/10
Mac DeMarco - Salad Days
Almost every review of this album will start off with an off-hand comment on DeMarco’s persona as a “slacker” or “hipster,” but I’m not here to discuss any subjective faults in a man that has clearly found the formula for pretty guitar pop. Every song is so effortlessly delivered and drenched in a hazy atmosphere that feels haunting despite his infectious hooks.
There’s a strong Beatles influence evidence in these melodies, and just like those boys from Liverpool, DeMarco can definitely write a catchy tune. On the track that’s by far most likely to hit college radio stations across the country, “Let Her Go,” DeMarco’s pretty falsetto utters “If you love her, let her go” over and over again, creating a strange dissonance that works well in contrasting the seemingly joyous feel of the melodies.
The highlight of the album, “Let My Baby Stay” is a steady, slow folk pop tune, mixing strange chords with strange percussion but a gorgeous, masterful melody. If anything can be said here, it’s that DeMarco has a talent for twisting typical indie pop fare into a truly interesting album. If there’s anything holding it back, it’s the lack of variety, and when there is a variety we’re treated to strange attempts at Joy Division-esque new wave that just don’t work (“Chamber of Reflection”). All in all, this is one of the better releases of 2014 so far.
Score: 8/10