The Last Drop

The Notwist, Neon Golden – I am so blessed to have a poor memory. In the early days of my music expansion, I frequented the most lovely record shop in all of Atlanta (as voted by innumerable Atlanta journals). Occasionally, a sense of “missed opportunity” would fall over me and I would buy a stack of CDs to make up for lost listens in the past month. This would be a great opportunity for Mr. Olson to vouch for me in a comment somewhere… Since I was buying by the stack, I often listened to an album just once to decide whether I liked it. The Notwist fell into this camp and sadly I abused them with only one listen and a fatal no go. That is until last Sunday when I exercised my “this is why I carry all of my music with me at all times” rule and scrolled to an album title I couldn’t remember. Turns out I was too young to appreciate fine music. Something about fermentation and oak barrels that I couldn’t quite grasp until now. The album is beautiful. Really. I was a bit shocked and saddened that I hadn’t liked it on first listen. I think I’m falling for strings this winter. Or maybe grand orchestration. Winter does allow for more complex listening since I’m hiding from brutal winds. Weather withstanding, this album is a solid mix of strings, synths and brooding lyrics that pop, crack, whinny, and sing in all the right places. It’s surprisingly lighthearted as well. Which may be the secret ingredient – strings that aren’t too self important. Seeing as Patrick Wolf is playing this weekend, I may extend him this tip.

The Pharcyde, Bizarre Ride II the Pharcyde - I have no idea what came over me to listen to this album. It’s been overcast, rainy and generally nasty – typical British weather. I usually go to hibernate and take solace in fall music to warm me up. Medium to slow tempos with an air of seriousness and melancholy. Listening to the Pharcyde’s first album is burst of Californian smog-filled sunshine (sans the wildfires) that is almost too bright for my ears. Almost. The period in early ’90s hip hop that melded jazz and soul with witty insights (De La Soul, Digable Planets, A Tribe Called Quest, etc.) seems so fresh sounding now. A lot of hip hop production now is so slick and precise that the overall point of hip hop – a unique perspective through witty and often catchy flows – gets lost. Thank you 50 cent. Bizarre Ride exemplifies the beauty of this genre while adding a heavy dose of silly to the equation. Three guys messing around and telling “Yo Mama” jokes never sounded so good. “Passing Me By” was the lone radio hit, but the album is riddled with songs that are catchy yet poignant. It also doesn’t hurt that The Pharcyde has some of the most distinct voices in hip hop – instead of the uber-aggressive flows of most South Central L.A. residents, Pharcyde utilizes a more everyman sound with a slight bent towards nasally whines. It all adds to this energy of possibility – three guys that are smarter than they let on rapping about whatever pleases them. Which pleases me. The Pharcyde – more satisfying than chicken noodle soup or hot chocolate on a rainy day. And a lot less calories.

Patrick Wolf, The Magic Position – I first heard of Mr. Wolf via Amy Winehouse. He opened for her at The Varsity last March. At the time, I wasn’t very impressed – he came dressed in a boy scout shirt and lederhosen. I’m all for artful expression, but he seemed more focused on the physical interpretation of his music vs. actually making music. His set was rather short, a bit dramatic (as only a boyscout in lederhosen can be) and the only standout track was (aptly) “The Magic Position”. Now living in London and being thoroughly overpowered by the stature of The Libertines in British pop music, I felt too self conscious to not give Patrick a second chance. Listening to the full album gives the songs much more shape and helps explain the eccentric exterior.

Patrick enjoys creating miniature symphonies about love, blending strings, horns and stiff electronic rhythms. Furthermore, his voice adds to the theater of each song, raising the stakes to semi-epic proportions. Ah, what love and heartache will bring out of you?! For Patrick, even the happy songs have a hint of sadness. Which actually sounds good. “Magic Position” and “(Let’s Go) Get Lost” succeed because the theme is happy but the sound is bittersweet. It adds a bit of a realist edge to his dramatic tendencies. His sad songs work too, but easily can shift into exaggeration with overindulgent lyrics and too many strings. Patrick is at his best when he cuts out all of the added instrumentation and simply sings with the piano. “Augustine” typifies his ability to simplify and sing touching lyrics. I wish there was more of this on The Magic Position, but the album is enjoyable as is. I just need to be in the mood for arm chair operas.

N.E.R.D., In Search Of… – Ahhh…2002 era Pharell. Remember when we all thought that a hip hop producer could actually have potential in exploring a different genre? He even had an Asian kid (who turned out to be the mastermind) to add some validation to his rock n roll loving street cred. There was also another black guy, but he didn’t really add anything but dead weight. Anyway, we all were a little intrigued with what he could come up with since he had such “diverse influences” and wanted to share that love affair with the world. Sadly, how did a mixture of Steely Dan, AC/DC and Coltrane turn into 1 synth effect, girls with big booties, and your local crack dealer. Doesn’t seem like he ventured too far from his bread and butter. He even managed to make the Clipse sound weak. Sadness. For some reason, I think I wouldn’t have minded this album if Chad had been more of influence. Skateboard P is just too repetitive and frankly non-adventurous. He had all of the space and time to create a legitimate album yet settled for dated guitar-tinged producer rap. Where’s Puffy when you need him?

2 days ago, I found 8 Gigs of music on my computer that I had never listened to after downloading. I’ve been known to get caught up in multitasking when downloading, but this was a bit extreme. At any rate, I am taking a dedicated approach to listening to all of these albums and hopefully finding some gems

Stockpile, Editors:

Editors, The Backroom and Cuttings Bonus CD – I was really hoping to start the massive listening parade with a strong entry. Sadly, the Editors were no such help. It was one bad song after another for a seemingly endless album (I mistakenly listened to The Backroom and the bonus CD Cuttings back to back). Granted, this was their first full length release back in 2005. I would usually give some forgiveness based on youthful inexperience, but the mistakes were too glaring to overlook. Every chorus was one select phrase from the trite and un-inventive verse repeated ad nauseum in a mock Interpol emo parody. I guess the real genius behind this work is that they could apply this formula 17 times and not get bored – aloof, sparse lead guitar, bland drumming, flat singing sung loudly to make up for skill, set against repetitive lyrics. In “Bullets”, lead singer Thomas Smith repeats, “You don’t need this disease/You don’t” 8 times to make up the chorus. 4 times. Even 50 cent knew to call it quits after getting shot 9 times. Once. By the end of the CD, I had to put on old Jamiroquai just to lift my spirits. Even though the Editors have a new release available, this may be the last time I give the Editors my time.