Music Review: Fleet Foxes, “Crack-Up”

Music Review: Fleet Foxes, “Crack-Up”

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The last time Fleet Foxes released new music, it was 2011 and “planking” was a thing. Since then, a lot has changed: the US has gone through not one, but two divisive Presidential elections; the band’s drummer, Josh Tillman, left to start a snarky, yet successful solo career as “Father John Misty;” and it’s lead singer, Robin Pecknold, moved to New York City to complete an undergraduate degree at Columbia University. Fans have been anticipating new music since 2013, when the group uploaded a teaser pic on their Facebook page, which has since been deleted. It’s almost hard to believe that we’ve been waiting six years for a third Fleet Foxes album – almost. As quickly as their music blew up across college campuses (and even more vigorously in Europe) they were gone – like footprints covered by snow. Winter has thawed to reveal “Crack-Up,” an astonishing work of art: complex, subtle, devastating, introspective, and celebratory all at once. The sound is fresh, yet distinctly Fleet Foxes – mixing folk with New Age and Eastern influences. “Crack-Up” requires just as much patience to listen to as it – undoubtedly – needed to create. But once you wade in, the music breaks over you like a wave, and you’re swept into a new, but familiar space. The album plays host to many memorable moments, including the 9-minute “Third of May / Odaigahara,” which takes a sudden, sorrowful turn roughly 3 minutes in; “Kept Woman,” and “Fool’s Errand,” just to name a few. “Crack-Up” is a classic in the making, and a welcome addition to Fleet Foxes’ small, yet stunning oeuvre. Fleet Foxes is now on tour! Check out their tour schedule here: http://fleetfoxes.co/tour

Music Review: Katy Perry, “Witness”

Music Review: Katy Perry, “Witness”

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The Leading Lady of Pop, Katy Perry, is out with her fourth album, “Witness,” a jumble of lackluster, out-of-touch singles trying to pass off as a cohesive pop album. Perry rose to prominence in the early 00’s when teens would download the latest chart-topping single off iTunes for .99 cents and play it back on their iPod Shuffles. Back then, it was all about the single, and Perry was the artist on top. Now, in the era of music streaming, the album is making a comeback, and it seems that Perry’s attempt at a throughline (empowerment and “wokefullness,” a timely motif) is overshadowed by cringe-worthy lyrics and tired, jumbled metaphors. That’s not to say Perry isn’t a talented performer, but when it comes to creating an album (as opposed to a catchy single) a certain subtlety is required to keep the album buoyant- and subtle, Perry is not. “Witness” is weighed down by clichéd lyrics and overproduced styles that are too much – even for pop music. The album’s first single, “Chained to the Rhythm,” (which was first released through a PR stunt of singing disco balls literally chained to park benches in Brooklyn) and accompanying music video, sets the stage for the album’s heavy-handedness. Ironically, on the one track that fans and critics would’ve allowed, even welcomed, an overzealous approach, Perry misses the mark completely. “Swish Swish,” Perry’s highly anticipated Taylor Swift diss track featuring Nicki Minaj, is a dull shot in the dark. Perry has been building up this rebuttal-track for years, and what should have been an album highlight (and tabloid fodder) winds up being just as lame and insignificant as the feud that inspired it. Perry’s lack of success off her fourth album and her awkward promotion of it (see: video of Katy Perry surprising fans but no one recognizes her/knows who she is/really cares) shows just how out-of-touch she is with the genre. In the wake of artists like Lorde and Beyoncé who have transcended pop music from catchy gimmicks made for radio to an all out, soul-bearing artform, Perry has stalled – chained to the rhythm of the prior decade.

  

Music Review: Nick Murphy, “Missing Link EP”

Music Review: Nick Murphy, “Missing Link EP”

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Rebranding is always a risk, especially if your career is skyrocketing. But that’s exactly what Nick Murphy (formerly performing under the stage name, Chet Faker) did for his latest EP, “Missing Link.” The Australian singer/songwriter has garnered a great amount of success in the span of his short career: from a slow and steamy cover of Blackstreet’s “No Diggity” that went viral, to the critical acclaim of his first few albums, EPs and singles, branding experts across the board would strongly advise the budding artist to not ditch the stage name. And yet, pour one out for Chet Faker. The surprising turn for the artist was announced in a tweet late last year. Now, with “Missing Link,” Murphy’s first EP under his real name, Murphy prefaced its release to fans by calling it “a bridge between what’s out and what’s coming.” Opener “Your Time (feat. KAYRANADA)” will please any Faker fan looking for a fix, albeit it’s a bit heavier and more pulsating than a standard Faker track. The one and a half minute interlude that follows (“Bye”), is wholly unnecessary, while “I’m Ready,” which comes after, feels even more House than the opening track. Closing track, “Weak Education” is the most sonically interesting and experimental of the five track EP. Overall, “Missing Link” is a complete departure from Murphy’s former moniker, but that’s exactly what he wanted. Whether his fans will indulge the change is yet to be seen.

Music Review: Paramore, “After Laughter”

Music Review: Paramore, “After Laughter”

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If there’s any early 00’s pop punk band that has survived well into the next decade, it’s Paramore. While similar acts like Evanescence, Avril Lavigne, and Panic! at the Disco have largely faded into memory along with studded belts and skinny ties worn over graphic tees, Paramore has steadily built an empire of solid music and adoring fans. And that’s largely thanks to the lightning bolt of talent that is Paramore lead singer, Hayley Williams. (With her electrifying star quality, she could sing and dance her way through the dictionary and still sell out stadium tours.) Williams was just 14 when the band formed back in ‘04, and, for over a decade, she has grown-up alongside her fans – from a plucky, suburban emo kid to that cool, fun, mysterious girl you meet at a party who deleted her Facebook account, like, six years ago. Paramore was playing on the radio as their fans navigated through high school, went to college and eventually found jobs (or more likely, a slew of unpaid internships). Williams has also made herself more relevant since the pop punk craze died down by lending her vocal talent to numerous modern artists, such as when she teamed up with Chvrches (who [Fun Fact] I once ran into at an Urban Outfitters in Georgetown) on their track “Bury It.” Although Paramore’s style hasn’t changed as drastically over the years as, say, the cut and color of Williams’ hair, much less “early aughts angst” fills their albums these days. On “After Laughter,” the first album after the band’s three-year hiatus, the lyrics are still punk, but the pop is much poppier. On lead single “Hard Times,” try not to crack a smile at the playful 80’s vibe or Williams dancing, even though the lyrics she’s belting are about her own struggle with depression the previous year. The album isn’t perfect: it certainly has it’s highs (check out the video for “Told You So” with it’s serious Wes Anderson vibe) and lows (“26,” “No Friend,”) but that’s to be expected from a band of this generation, struggling to come to terms with adulthood and all it’s bumps along the way. Paramore proves that coming to terms with yourself during life’s first big challenges isn’t easy – especially if you’re the type who sits at work reminiscing about your teenage years when you’d ditch homeroom and chill with your clique at the skatepark – but we all make it through, somehow.

 

Music Review: Animal Collective, “Meeting of the Waters, EP”

Music Review: Animal Collective, “Meeting of the Waters, EP”

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Animal Collective, the experimental pop group who’ve become mainstays in summer music festival lineups over the years, has released a new 4-track EP, “Meeting of the Waters.” Recorded on the banks of the Amazon River as part of “Earth Works,” a Viceland documentary series exploring the impacts of deforestation, the EP is immersed in the natural melody of the Amazon Rainforest. Not to overwhelm the background, Avey Tare and Geologist take a step back – strumming soft and singing as if not to disturb any sleeping creatures concealed, just out-of-sight, by the dense rainforest. The 13-minute opener, “Blue Noses,” is the best example of the artists working with the noises of the Rainforest as found material, while the most upbeat track on the EP, “Man Of Oil,” features in the background excerpts of a woman speaking in a soft, indistinguishable language. The melding of the environment and raw instrumentation gives the EP an overall improvisational feel, as if you and your fellow weary travelers have set up camp for the night, and sing around the fire until daybreak.