Jun 24, 2008

so...everyone who has spent more than ...15 minutes with me knows that i a) love a nice cold mountain dew b) love the west coast more than any other place in the world and c) i am completely involved in a world of music...tonight I decided to pass along 2 reviews for you myspace people. I've been listening to an exceptional amount of new music the last few days and I just need an outlet for the thoughts that have been filling my brain... first to be reviewed... Viva la Vida by Coldplay

Now, I have to say that when I saw all these commercial for the new cd I was rather bummed thinking...wow, could we sell out a little more and the whole Sa-WEET dance moves of the Chris Martin, I mean those moves alone made me want to own the album. I purchased the album for my brother and I have become rather intrigued. I can't put my finger on it... It's like a weird mix of Heathen Chemistry (Oasis), Chase This Light (jimmy eat world), and anything by The Album Leaf, and Sigur Ros (ambient stuff), there's some eastern inflluences that I absolutely LOVE and then a random feeling of "wait..didn't Rich Mullins have this intro in Sometimes by step??" [read on to see what i'm talking about]. I feel like it's a LOT different than Cold Rush of Blood to the Head there are some similarities between this album and X&Y but overall it's like Coldplay reinvented themselves. Most every review I've read of the album suggests that you listen to it more than twice...which is true. I've listened to the entire album about 4 times since I bought it Saturday and today is the first time I thought... "wow, this album is great..." I'm sure you think...but great albums hit you on the first listen... i say NAY...what about Dark side of the moon?? I had to listen to that more than once to truly appreciate it. Maybe I'm just dense...who knows. Here's a break down of the cd...
1. Life in Technicolor... Ok remember when I said the whole album leaf/sigur ros thing?? This is where that comes into play. You listen to this song and think... ummm Coldplay?? Huh?? Chris Martin really makes Coldplay songs what they are with his lyrics and since this is all instrumental it's a bit unfamiliar to coldplay fans.
2. Cemeteries of London... One of my favorites from this album. It begins with a rather haunting melody (which continues throughout the song) but then picks up during the second chorus and you feel like sharply dressed gentlemen should be riding on horses while this song is playing.
3.Lost!... love the beat of this song. i listened to this song on my walk tonight and thought of how B.A. this song would be played in the winter when you're all bundled up and you're walking through the city streets with people passing you and you're down on your luck...THIS would be the song that plays right after your girlfriend breaks up with you, you lose your job, your apartment burns down and you hit the streets because you've got nothing but this is the song that plays right before your luck changes... (this is TRULY coldplay)
4. 42...oh dear...these lyrics...what to say... the song starts with "those who are dead are not dead they're just living in my head and since I fell for that spell i am living there as well..." who hasn't felt like this??? Starts deliciously painful and then in the middle breaks into this beat and distorted guitar (still painful) then it's like hey...dance party... it's a very...contrasting song.
5. Lovers in Japan/Reign of Love... ok, here's where they totally ripped off Rich Mullins! The intro to this song is humorous (to those of you who know what song I'm talking about you will laugh and surely agree)...but this is a great uplifting song.
6.Yes... now EVERYONE seems to be loving up on this song. It is pretty great I will say that. The beat and the ambient strings are haunting (i know I'm saying that a lot but that's the vibe here...haunting...) The vocals are a LOT lower than the whole normal high tenor we're used to getting out of Chris Martin. The lyrics in this song are amazing though. There is one person in my life who should make this their theme song right now. Another fantastic lyrical masterpiece.
7. Viva la Vida... I'm totally not reviewing this song...suck it.
8. Violet Hill...beautiful. Absolutely gorgeous...my second favorite song on the album (only by a little though)... Apparently this was their unoffical first single? While Viva la Vida did really catch my attention and was the one that Itunes first released... i also saw this played a few times (the one where they're in the dessert? and they're playing drums?? don't worry i was confused too...) The music and the lyrics in this song are a perfect marriage but at the same time they sound a LOT like oasis in this song...i mean...a LOT.
9. Strawberry Swing...begins with distant clapping and a very eastern sounding solo. It's cool because it sounds like they just recorded it in like a storage unit. A very unique sounding song... it sounds like this should be played to an old school video montage of family memories.
10. Death and all his friends. What a perfect way to end this cd. It's a beautiful Coldplay ballad and it wraps up with Life in Technicolor at the end...

Overall it's a brilliantly mastered cd. I would recommend finding someone with the cd to borrow it, listen to it a few times, and you'll be hooked. I promise. While I feel as though they did branch out into a "new" sound for them I think it was a great step in a good direction. I give this 4 out of 5 stars. (for those who don't understand the star scale system...on a scale of 1-fantastic...i give it a super great)

This next review is not so much a review as...a general informational narrative about some artists that were new to me...I would review them...but it's almost 2am. I need sleeps.
I learned tonight that Canada has an AMAZING array of Blues players... my initial reaction to this was "....[confused pause...] what the hell??..." but after enjoying most of the artists i heard i said... alright then canada you have earned some of my respect...ESPECIALLY Samuel James and Paul Reddick & the sidemen. If you like blues you will LOVE both of these guys. Samuel James is a fabulous musician and a master at the slide guitar. Paul Reddick assembled the sidemen in Toronto back in '99 and while he has a few solo albums I believe his best work is done with the sidemen. Sadly Paul Reddick doesn't have a myspace and if you look up Samuel James you won't find him under that name... if you'd really like to hear him check out my new myspace song I should have it up for awhile.

There you have it...my mind is cleared and you have been informed.
-k.