Vinylworthy

Into the Blue is yet another hazy thunky strummy meandering studio-lover's album from the duo that do it best. The one very big issue with that statement is that, well, they've never actually capitalized on their respective successes.  I have a lot of love for their first album and still suggest it quite heavily. But there's no getting around the fact that it was a tad boring and a bit stiff. The sophomore effort is kind of inexcusable considering the pair's careers. I hope the pair understand the critic's frustration; I also hope they hear the collective sigh of relief after listening to this album. Finally Broken Bells is paying off. Sometimes it's easy to forget just how many great albums Mercer has written from a lyrical perspective. He just has such a fun way of singing along a pleasing melody. The depth shown in his albums reward you for sticking around long enough to sing along. Recently, though, I haven't seen that side of James, and I have misse...

Foster the People has had a rough run since their debut. Their unique blend of loops, synths, and Beegees vocal stylings didn't easily fit into pop, rock, or dance music perfectly, which was what made it so fresh. The problem, trying to either a) refine it or b) top it led to a classic sophomore slump and a disappointing course correction on their third album (even though it did have my favorite song of theirs ever). Then.....7 years went by. We've seen that kind of gap, or close to it, from other high profile bands in the past (when oh WHEN will we get more Tame Impala). But the difference between "dead band" and "it will be worth the wait" is contingent on whether your last two albums sounded like Supermodel and Sacred Hearts Club or more like Currents and The Slow Rush .  For this fourth album, Foster The People might as well rename themselves. It's not that I can't hear their old sound within the chords and the vocals (there's no mistaking ...

Madeon just doesn't release enough music. Years ago, he released a music video collaborating with a rather unexpected set of people, showcasing just how adept he is at sampling. It was nothing short of fantastic; he created a modern Too Long that retroactively proved the genius of Daft Punk. Sure, that means he is just a copycat. But there aren't that many musicians out there that nail the execution. Adventure proved it was more than just one song, but Good Faith is here to prove it's more than just one album. Madeon is not reinventing the wheel, and never has tried to. The strengths he had in the past haven't faded, and his decision to take the microphone instead of relying on guests hasn't shown him to be only good by association. This is an artist that could become the next household name from the club world if he keeps this track record up. First and foremost to that success is the solid melodic groundwork of these tracks. Songs are cohesive, progress well,...

    Smile! :D will have to take lumps as it receives them for what it is, just like LMFAO had to when they replaced 3OH!3 who replaced Bloodhound Gang as the dancy dirty synth-hook clubrats. Just replace that with Porter Robinson replacing Owl City for reasons only Porter knows. As hard as I'm being on this, don't take that as straight hatred for what is on this record. Porter is less concerned with impressing the music industry and critics, and more concerned with making immediate feel-good tunes that connect with listeners. It's going to do that for a lot of people, and I do anticipate a breakthrough hit to come from this (I also expect to see that mylar face a lot). The meat of this album is a large collection of spacious, crisp late-summery tracks aimed at filling the arena with color and emotion. In the spirit of Owl City, Metro Station, or Passion Pit, much of this is achieved with midi-style sounds, drum loops, and acoustic guitar. "More is always better" ...

  Thom Yorke and his band, Radiohead, have been making music since 1985. Thom was 16. Their first album came out in 1991. A career nearing 40 years. Let that sink in. Apart from Aerosmith and The Rolling Stones, it's difficult to find musicians that have been active for that long. Most that are still making music aren't really still making music. They stop for a decade before making a cash-in album. Those that are consistently active made their best albums decades ago, try as they might. Then there's Thom, Johnny, Colin, Ed, and Phillip, with no end to their "peak years" in sight. After A Moon Shaped Pool, I felt the cold hand of time, as I'm sure many did. The quiet, content nature of the album signaled what could have been the end of Thom in the public eye. What else did he and his bandmates need to say when "I think it's time I allow myself some happiness" seemed to put such a neat little bow on the story of the quintet? For all of us listenin...

Great, Good, Fine, OK have a history of preferring an EP to a full album. To date, they have four (and one remix EP) compared to two full albums. Great Good Five OK, their second album, is as frustrating a title as you can get while still being given a pass for being clever. I wish I could say the same for the album, because this is a group I've enjoyed in the past. I can't, though; this is one boring-ass album. I'll get a few things out of the way to begin: 25% of the songs are decent toe-tappers, invoking the best of the dance-rock post Daft Punk Discovery genre. One additional song is colorful and cheerful. There are 8 songs, and that means the remaining length of the album is mercifully short. That remaining stuff, though, is still at worst annoying and at best as noticeable as an ant across your living room. I'm not going to say this is a group that has been known for having deep lyrics. There's lots of great stuff that doesn't have depth in the lyrics. A...