Read + Write + Report
Home | Start a blog | About Orble | FAQ | Blogs | Writers | Paid | My Orble | Login

Melodic Youth - May 2010

Local Natives' Gorilla Manor Reviewed

May 18th 2010 13:22
local natives gorilla manor
LOCAL NATIVES: Matt, Kelcey, Andy, Taylor, and Ryan


Local Natives (formerly known as Cavil At Rest) are an LA band formed out of high school by Taylor Rice (vocals/guitar), Kelcey Ayer (vocals/keys/percussion), and Ryan Hahn (guitar/vocals), who then added Andy Hamm on bass and Matt Frazier on drums. Their debut, Gorilla Manor, named after the house in which they lived together, was released in late 2009/early 2010 (depending on where you live.) Interestingly, Local Natives were signed by a UK label before a US label, but have made up for it in the States this year, the highlight coming at SXSW in Austin, Texas through March where they played a whopping 9 shows in 3 days.

Gorilla Manor: Rating.....9/10


Tracklist
1. Wide Eyes
2. Airplanes
3. Sun Hands
4. World News
5. Shape Shifter
6. Camera Talk
7. Cards & Quarters
8. Warning Sign
9. Who Knows, Who Cares
10. Cubism Dream
11. Stranger Things
12. Sticky Thread

From the first notes struck in opener, Wide Eyes, I knew that this debut would be something pretty special. The rest of the album didn't disappoint: Airplanes, Shape Shifter, and a cover of the Talking Heads song, Warning Sign, demonstrate a clear understanding of today's modern indie music, and a direction not dissimilar to the lovechild of Vampire Weekend and Grizzly Bear. The two, three, and four-part harmonies (a real soft spot of mine in modern music) sung throughout the album are really quite outstanding, both strong and sweet. A lot of songs have that mountainous Fleet Foxes sound, a comparison only strengthened by the soaring harmonies. Acoustic guitars feature prominently, maybe even more so than electrics, making this a really natural-sounding record, and dual percussion adds an energetic vibe. The band know when to crank up the sound and tone it back down, as shown in Sun Hands. Simply put, this is really quite a special debut, and is particularly refreshing given the low profile of the band here in Australia.

I highly recommend a listen.

Bren.
80
Vote
Add CommentsAdd Comments
[ Link ]
Posted By: Whiz-Kid - Category: No Category
   


The xx Reviewed

May 8th 2010 12:43
xx
THE XX: Jamie, Oliver, and Romy


The xx are a three-piece (formerly four-piece) who formed in London back in 2005, made up of guitarist/vocalist Romy Madley Croft, bassist/vocalist Oliver Sim, and sampler/DJ Jamie Smith. They released their debut album, xx, in 2009 to critical acclaim, earning them dozens of shows and large festival spots around the world this year.

XX: Rating...8/10


Track listing
1. Intro
2. VCR
3. Crystalised
4. Islands
5. Heart Skipped A Beat
6. Fantasy
7. Shelter
8. Basic Space
9. Infinity
10. Night Time
11. Stars

The xx have quite a unique sound. Jamie's drum machine beats are a feature of just about every song, particularly on 'Heart Skipped A Beat' and the brilliant opener, 'Intro.' Vocals are shared between Romy and Oliver, creating some nice contrasting harmonies. In making the album, they were conscious of not creating music that the three of them would not be able to play in a live setting. The result is a wonderfully low-fi record, with so much space for the imagination. This is an album to sit back with headphones on, close your eyes, and just absorb the sound after a long day. A fantastic debut effort from a band I'm sure we will see a lot of in the future.

Bren
78
Vote
Add CommentsAdd Comments
[ Link ]
Posted By: Whiz-Kid - Category: No Category
   


Panda Bear - Person Pitch Reviewed

May 8th 2010 04:09
panda bear animal collective noah lennox person pitch
PANDA BEAR: Animal Collective's Noah Lennox


Panda Bear is the moniker used by Animal Collective's multi-instrumentalist and vocalist Noah Lennox for his side-project. I find myself being increasingly drawn to this experimental type of music, as decent pop music is becoming harder to find. Currently based in Lisbon, Portugal, Panda Bear released released Person Pitch in 2007. The follow-up, entitled Tomboy, is set for release in September of this year, so I decided now would be as good a time as any to review Person Pitch.


PERSON PITCH: Rating...9/10


Tracklist
1. Comfy In Nautica
2. Take Pills
3. Bros
4. I'm Not
5. Good Girl/Carrots
6. Search For Delicious
7. Ponytail

Firstly, to justify the small number of songs: if it doesn't look like much, don't worry... 2 of them go for 12 minutes, so the length of the album is still 45 minutes.

This is certainly not an album for the faint-of-heart pop fans, nor any casual bunker calling themselves a "music fan." This is the type of album that separates the men from the boys. This is the type of album that will drive people with short attention spans crazy. And this is the type of album that needs a decent listen before passing judgement. Noah Lennox has created a critically acclaimed, yet unknown, family of songs in the spirit of his band, Animal Collective. However, while AC is strongly referenced throughout the album, Lennox has made this his own work, with songs like Comfy in Nautica and the first part of Bros the highlights of an brilliant original demonstration of layerings, samples, lo-fi instruments, and strong, soaring vocal harmonies. While not having the perfect voice for singing, it is obvious Lennox has put a lot of passion and effort into the recording of layered vocals for a fuller sound, and has pulled it off successfully.

As I said, this experimental music is not for everyone, but if you find yourself at a dead-end, this is well worth giving a try.


Bren.
76
Vote
Comments (1)Comments (1) Add CommentsAdd Comments
[ Link ]
Posted By: Whiz-Kid - Category: No Category
   


More Posts
July 2010
5 Posts
May 2010
3 Posts
March 2010
1 Posts
Older Posts
24 Posts dating from October 2007
Email Subscription
Receive e-mail notifications of new posts on this blog:
[ View Blog Summary ] [ Create A New Post ]

Whiz-Kid's Blogs

I have no other blogs :(
Moderated by Whiz-Kid
Copyright © 2006 2007 2008 On Topic Media PTY LTD. All Rights Reserved. Design by Vimu.com.
On Topic Media ZPages: Sydney |  Melbourne |  Brisbane |  London |  Birmingham |  Leeds     [ Advertise ] [ Contact Us ] [ Privacy Policy ]