The BurgerBlog

Golden

It is not frequent that I go to a show and I enjoy an opening act more than the band that I intended to see, but this happened just this past Saturday. Golden, a local Atlanta band, is touring with Sister Hazel to promote Hazel’s latest CD, Release. After the show, I picked up Golden’s latest album, Night Reminds the Day. The album unfortunately does not translate Golden’s enthusiasm nor their fiery solos on the stage, but it does offer some new sound that could, with time, be comparable to Dave Matthews.

The biggest mistake that Golden makes is the same of the Silversun Pickups: they do not know when to end a song. Tranceish tunes like “Gravity” and poppy jingles like “When It’s Over” both come close to six minutes due to their long solos and drawn out conclusions. Both tracks, when performed live, should take their time to flaunt Knight and Golden’s guitar abilities, but such lengths on an LP are inappropriate in this situation.

And that is the summary of my complaints for this band. In an Andy Davis opener, Joshua Golden establishes his bluesy vocals as Jerry Loch plucks out gospel chords on the keyboard. “Seasons” is a great synopsis of the band; it’s fast-paced, fun, and groooooovy!

The following track, “Listen,” is more mainstream than “Seasons.” The made-for-radio track is both bluegrass and rock, cutting in and out of sweet solos and clickish drums. Swelling chords and harmonies build up to a climax of piano celebration. It’s a road trip song, celebrating the open road and the sweet enjoyment of being alive. “Listen” is worth listening to.

“Lauren,” which comes a little later in the CD, is a mellow acoustic Matt Nathansonish ballad. The corny lyrics somewhat ruin the effect of Golden’s love confession as the guitar chugs on.

Lauren likes to leave me wanting more/She turns her back to me and then I see she’s walking to the door/She fixes her sleeve/And she slips into her coat/And she picks up her keys/She moves so slow/Baby hold on.

I suppose every band needs a ballad on their rock CD, but Golden needs to work on theirs.

“Carnival” is my favorite track on Night Reminds the Day, probably because Dave Barnes could have written it. The Chattanooga swing and celebrating blues guitar allows for plenty of solo space for their saxophone, (though, Golden’s jazzy voice dominates the end of the track). This is the epitome of good southern rock.

After “Carnival,” Night Reminds the Day begins to lull. “Shine” is sole track worth mentioning after, but solely because it’s so cool. Golden once again shows off his bluesy vocals as he belts, “Let your love shine through!” and “Won’t you let me shine?” The excitement of the lyrics is found in the tight hits and snappy full band chorusing behind Golden’s voice. It’s beautiful.

Frankly, Night Reminds the Day should only be a seven or eight track set, or Golden needs to learn to edit their music before releasing it for mass consumption. These guys are great live, and I can only expect greater things from this indie southern rock band as the group grows musically and professionally.

Rating: B-

Recommended Songs: Carnival, Listen

Toss These Tracks: Depends on if you like long listens. If you don’t, half the CD.

Rob Thomas

Rob Thomas produces high class music, and Cradlesong is a must-have for any music lover.

Though tempting to end the review there, Cradlesong, the most recent solo album from Matchbox Twenties’ lead singer, demands and deserves more attention than that. Thomas, with his honey baritone, catchy guitar hooks, and affinity for good music, has mastered what he tried to in his first album, Something To Be: mainstream pop rock genius that can appeal to all listeners, young, old, or otherwise.

From the touchy topic of terminal illness (“Her Diamonds”) to the difficulties of the “Real World 09″ to tribal cries to God (“Fire On The Mountain”), Thomas is able to harness the severity of his topics yet apply likable peppiness to each and every one of the tracks presented in Cradlesong.

Angst and sweetness envelop the album in a blanket of soulful lyrics. Geared more towards the adult listener, Thomas writes about being judgmental towards his wife in the track “Hard On You.” Please forgive me if I’m hard on you, Thomas pleads as the song closes. “Hard On You” fades, and a hard guitar preempts the torment of “Still Not Over You” (his wife for being too hard on her? Not sure where this fits into Thomas’ personal life), followed by the sexy Daughtry-ish tune “Natural.” There is not a track on this album that won’t appeal to a vast spread of listeners.

Overall, Cradlesong doesn’t have a bad track on it. As it’s listened to over and over, the details and nuances of this intelligently designed album (from the same think tank as Matchbox 20) will present itself in new ways: the clear lyrics hit from different directions, the power chords and tribal drum beats shake the listener’s foundations, and little riffs and hooks make themselves apparent that aren’t immediately obvious to the skimming listener. Cradlesong has the same longevity that Joshua Tree and Thriller have offered over the past two decades. The difference is, Cradlesong hasn’t had the time to reach the potential of its following.

In “Wonderful,” the third to last track on the album, Thomas proclaims, “I guess I’m past my prime/And now I’m overrated.” Rob, there is no “A” that I’m happier to award, and if you keep pumping out records like Cradlesong, you can someday “be cool” and hit your prime.

Rating: A

Recommended Songs: Buy this album

Off with your head/Dance ’til you’re dead/Heads will roll/On the floor

Yeah Yeah Yeahs

Poppy, catchy, fun, mainstream, Yeah Yeah Yeahs. Wait, what? Yeah Yeah Yeahs are the salute to alternative “Fuck yous,” featuring Karen O’s polarizing yelps and Zinner’s grunge “chainsaw” guitar, not some run of the mill pop band. Surprise, Yeah Yeah Yeahs fans, It’s Blitz! is not what you were expecting. It’s better.

Yeah Yeah Yeahs have a way of reinventing themselves, which can be both frustrating and refreshing at the same time. In their latest album, it is best to approach the short 10-track 40-minute as two EPs; the first half of the album is the Blitz! to which the title refers, whereas the second half is sweetly aching  alternative, like a softer version of Forever to Tell and Show Your Bones.

“Zero” opens up It’s Blitz! with a throwback to the eighties. Sixteenth synth pulses accompany O’s commands “get your leather leather leather on on on on.” The song then explodes into a celebration of synth hook pop. “Zero” is a great starter for It’s Blitz!, not because it’s a particularly original song (au contraire, it would fit very well into an underground rave), but because it sets the listener up for the dance anthem for the Facebook generation.

“Heads Will Roll” is fantastic pop. It’s charged with bass and keyboard and flash, commanding marches from O’s aggressive (albeit redundant) lyrics, and originality. Headed towards a spot on the Top 40, “Heads Will Roll” sums up what’s new about the Yeah Yeah Yeah’s style: they’re snappy pop, alternative dance, awesome listening.

The following two tracks, “Softshock” and “Skeletons,” come desperately close to “Maps,” but offer a more sophisticated version and less obnoxious chorus. “Skeletons” highlights the ability of Yeah Yeah Yeahs to be delicate. The track has beautiful builds and soft letdowns, as O coos, “Love my name/Love left dry/Frost or flame/Skeleton me.” The marching drums allows for layers of gentle synths to set a zen feel. Buy this song.

After “Dull Life” (which certainly isn’t dull), the album switches over to a grungier version of Yeah Yeah Yeahs. “Runaway,” the seventh track on It’s Blitz!, is a plea for love over strings and a mesh of sound, whereas “Dragon Queen” funks the band out (not nearly as good as the other tracks on this album), as “Little Shadow” cradles the listener and lays them down to sleep behind synths and a heavy bass drum. Unfortunately, the second half of this album doesn’t scream “LISTEN!” like the first half does. However, it is certainly worth exploring, especially if the listener is an oldtime Yeah Yeah Yeahs fan.

Certainly, It’s Blitz! is different than Show Your Bones and Fever to Tell, but the transformation is fantastic.

Rating: A-

Recommended Songs: Buy this album

Everyone knows Coldplay, but do they know that they have a free album for download? With must-haves like “Clocks” and “Viva La Vida,” it would be rather inane to miss LeftRightLeftRightLeft!

Bat for Lashes

Enya and Björk got together one night. They met in the moonlight, riding unicorns, and catapulted into outer space upon recognition of each other. When they returned, they placed an egg upon the earth. The egg cracked, sputtered, and then wilted as a woman bloomed out of it. Her name is Natasha Khan, the haunting singer behind Bat for Lashes. The renaissance fairy has recently come out with her sophomore album Two Suns, and it is just about as strange as the folktale you just read. Fact is though, strange is good in the music world, and thankfully Khan has plenty of strange and good to share.

The opening song, “Glass,” creeps onto the stage as Khan’s gorgeous voice gets slowly dragged out into a wave of simple and beautiful sound. Epic lyrics accompany Bat For Lashes’ minimalist approach to music; there are simply splashes of synths, drums, and piano. Khan chants lingering and outlandish lyrics, Went over the sea/What did I find?/A thousand crystal towers, a hundred emerald cities/And the hand of the watchman/In the night sky/Points to my beloved/A knight in crystal armor. When Nightwish decides they want to set down the metal guitar, they will sound like Bat For Lashes.

Taking it slow is something that Bat for Lashes does well. However, when Khan chooses to pick up the beat, it sounds good. “Pearl’s Dream” sounds similar to Kate Nash with its peppy drum section and memorable chorus. Pearl, by the way, is Khan’s alter ego. Plenty of strange. Plenty of good.

As a romantic, some of the epic lyrics can start to become difficult to wade through. It starts to get old after lines like “Into our love the tears crept” and “I have a heart that’s full of light to be shared/On this night, feel my hands, feel my love.” The love-soaked lyrics ruin songs like “Daniel,” which is probably the catchiest song on the album.

Ultimately, the experimental ambient electronica-folk musician is definitely worth a listen. Sadly, as the album drags on, Pearl, Khan, Bat For Lashes, whoever, loses the initial pull of “Glass.” By the end of the Two Suns, it was frustrating that Khan hadn’t produced another, quicker song like “Pearl’s Dream” to accompany “Travelling Woman” and “The Big Sleep” (which is bound to put you to sleep unless you were expecting slow and classical).

Though there is a lack of upbeat tempos, Khan offers beautiful and dark tunes. She is the queen of whatever this style of music is, and I can only hope that she expands it to reach a more diverse audience than druids and dragons.

Rating: B

Recommended Songs: Glass, Pearl’s Dream, Siren Song

Toss These Songs: Peace of Mind

Low Vs. Diamond

It took me a while to force myself to buy Low Vs. Diamond’s self-titled album Low Vs. Diamond because of the band’s silly name, but after enjoying every single track that came up on my internet radio station, I finally caved. What originally attracted me to the indie band was the U2esque sound and Lucas Field’s reminiscence to Brandon Flower’s voice. I’m thrilled with the purchase, because through and through, Low Vs. Diamond is a quality buy.

The opening track, “Don’t Forget Sister” is by far the best song on the album. The hasty drums and whimsical vocals create a blend that Sam’s Town was unsuccessful in creating. As deep as music can get, Field sings, “Drowning in a city filled with blue blood/Can’t you see your blood is thicker/You don’t need that fancy car.” Low Vs. Diamond makes the mistake of following “Don’t Forget Sister” with “Killer B,” which is boring at best because of how much it drags compared to the rest of the album.

Low Vs. Diamond has a few “diamonds” that are worth mentioning. “Heart Attack” is quick-paced and has a retro underground dance club feel that would be well placed with Carolina Liar, and “Annie,” a sentimental piano ballad (with the necessary added strings), is a delicate gem that is one of the better songs of the album. “Actions Are Actions” is well put together musically, with a piano introduction that swells with guitar, and ends complacently with Field’s voice.

Though I happily recommend Low Vs. Diamond, what this album lacks is punch. There aren’t memorable hooks and many of the songs feel a little too similar. Though Low Vs. Diamond is Low Vs. Diamond’s debut album, I can only hope that their sophomore album will have a bit more diversity and that the band further explores their music potential.

Rating: B+

Recommended Songs: Don’t Forget Sister, Heart Attack, Annie

Toss These Songs: Killer B’, ‘Low Vs. Diamond: Low Vs. Diamond

Frou Frou

Frou is the French term for the sound of rustling silk. The thought of the sound and texture is calming and warm, which is precisely the aim of the one-album band Frou Frou. Composed of Imogen Heap and Guy Sigsworth, Frou Frou has composed one of the best albums of the first decade of the 21^st century: Details.

Like a cool breeze on a mountain, Heap’s guiding voice holds this masterpiece together. In the first song, “Let Go,” Heap explores “the beauty in the breakdown,” or surviving a breakup. It was a perfect selection for Zach Braff’s movie Garden State, which is how most Frou Frou fans discovered the then disbanded group. The electronica feel and Heap’s breathy lyrics sets the tone for the rest of the album. “Breathe In” and “It’s Good To Be In Love” are both much poppier, using Heap’s prerecorded voice to back herself up. Three tracks in, and the listener is already wrapped in silk sheets.

The following three songs are similar to Imogen Heap’s current works, so if “Goodnight and Go” and “Speeding Cars” are inspiring for the listener, they will undoubtedly enjoy the rest of the album. “Shh” adds an upbeat urgency that is necessary to make this album complete. Imogen whispers,

“Don’t make a sound/Shh and listen/Keep your head down/We’re not safe yet/Don’t make a sound/And be good for me/’Cause I know they’re waiting somewhere out here”

The redundant synths aren’t too much, which would be the downfall of the song. Heap and Sigsworth keep it simple, which is the marvel of Details. “Shh” ends simply; Heap repeats “I feel good all over.” It does feel good all over.

The final song on the album is “The Dumbing Down of Love” is a soft ballad that, though a tad long, was created to be swanlike and beautiful. With drawn out synths holding long chords like lazy waves caressing a beach, brushed drums, and a gentle drum background, Heap holds her head high and showcases her astounding voice.

Details, the sole album of Frou Frou, is a work of art. Both Heap and Sigsworth have not made any promises about remaining split up, so one can only hope that they get back together and produce an album of equal, and if possible, better quality.

Rating: A

Recommended Songs: Buy this album

The Killers

With a fantastic first and a dismal sophomore album, there are bound to be mixed feelings about The Killers’ latest album, Day and Age. Where are the heavy drums, the fake British accents, the 80’s feel that made Hot Fuss such a success that was scrapped in Sam’s Town? Never fear, Day and Age put The Killers in their place, finally funding songs similar to “Mr. Brightside.” The rocking beats and catchy melodies will leave fans wanting to jump up and dance, and music reviewers Smiling Because They Mean It.

“Bones” in Sam’s Town worked well with the flustered horns section backing up barking Flowers. “Losing Touch,” the opening track, uses the same technique and it sounds retro—so retro that it’s like what made Hot Fuss so popular. “Human,” the second track, is appealing and popular with crescendoing synths and an easy backbeat, not unlike The Cure at their height.

“Joy Ride” and “This Is Your Life” are the songs that Dave Byrne and The Talking Heads should have given birth to in 1988. Oh well, The Killers stole the style and it works well for them. The funk groove and nippy sax and synth hooks create an energetic celebration of the style that Sam’s Town was lacking.

The Killers know that they’ve nailed this album. Flowers attacks and masters the epics “The World We Live In” and “Goodnight, Travel Well.” The latter of the two is a seven-minute end to the album, where he belts,

“Stay, don’t leave me/The stars can’t for your sign/Don’t signal now/And there’s nothing I can say/There’s nothing I can do now.”

Appropriate for the end of the album? Entirely. The powerful conclusion seals the deal: Day and Age brings the fun of Hot Fuss with a new nip that will leave Killers fans craving more.

Rating: A-

Recommended Tracks: This Is Your Life, Human

Toss These Tracks: I Can’t Stay, Neon Tiger

The Killers

Where did Duran Duran and David Bowie go? The Killers seem to have found some new influence for their sophomore album, Sam’s Town, and it doesn’t work. “It’s not so bad, it’s not so bad,” Flowers begs in “Bling (Confession of a King)” with his American accent. Oh Brandon. It’s not awful, but it’s pretty grotesque.

What made Hot Fuss so successful was the synth filled 80′s-esque glam, which The Killers have traded in for Bob Dylan. The band seems to have taken what worked tactfully well in Hot Fuss, like catchy bass rifts and choruses, and injected it into their new sound. Unfortunately, little signatures do not make an album.

Sam’s Town is not all lost; it does hold a few singles, but it does take wading to get to them. “When You Were Young,” the third track on the album, sounds similar to “Mr. Brightside,” the smash single on Hot Fuss. The synths carry the snappy song, while Flowers belts, “He doesn’t look a thing like Jesus/But he talks like a gentleman/Like you imagined when you were young.”

“For Reasons Unknown” and “Bones” are also worth mentioning. “For Reasons Unknown” has a great buildup, but after hearing Flowers’ whine resonate throughout the song it becomes dull and irritating. “Bones,” however, is fun. The ska-ish horns give the punch that is lacking in the rest of the album. The song isn’t unlike “All These Things I’ve Done” in The Killers’ debut album.

In sum, nice try, but I believe that The Killers have a lot more talent that they could tap into. Hot Fuss worked; don’t fix what isn’t broken.

Rating: C-

Recommended Songs: Bones, When You Were Young

Toss These Songs: Uncle Johnny, My List’, ‘The Killers: Sam’s Town

Well somebody told me/You had a boyfriend/Who looked like a girlfriend/That I had in February of last year

The Killers

I looked at the radio incredulously. It was the fourth song on the mystery album that my friend Lindsay was showing me. The band was British—or at least they had British accents—and sounded like they could have gone on tour with The Talking Heads or The Smiths. They were flashy and fabulous, everything that an 80′s pop band should have been. I caved and asked for the CD. Lindsay smiled knowingly and handed me a hardcopy of Hot Fuss, The Killers’ debut album. Five years later, The Killers is one of the most popular bands around the world, and Hot Fuss is kept close. However, I only listen to the first half of the CD; it’s the only part of the album worth listening to.

It turns out that Brandon Flowers, lead singer of The Killers, is not British but in fact from Las Vegas. He brings the glamour of the city to his work, and it works well for the beginning of the CD. Take “Jenny Was A Friend Of Mine,” the opening track. The bass curves a repetitive and catchy hook around the entire tune, the drums clash heavily, the synths have a simple but memorable solo, and Brandon Flowers, the man who makes this band, chants strange lyrics and ends his piece with a scream “ooh, oh, ooooooh.” It’s fun, and this is the case for the following tracks.

“Mr. Brightside” has a beautiful intro: first the guitar enters innocently, then a quick drum beat, then Flowers, bass, synths. The result? A high paced rock song. “Mr. Brightside” is the best known song by The Killers and a gem from Hot Fuss. The following two songs, “Smile Like You Mean It” and personal favorite “Somebody Told Me” are equally well written.

Then “All These Things That I’ve Done” happens. This track stands on its own; it’s beautiful, ending with a whole chorus crescendoing into a belted “I’ve got soul but I’m not a soldier.” Fantastic.

And that’s where Hot Fuss loses steam. The following tracks are largely unmemorable. They have no bite. In “Change Your Mind” and “Believe Me Natalie,” you find all of The Killers’ sound, but a lack of structure. Then there’s “Everything Will Be Alright.” If I have to listen to this song again I will not be all right. It’s slow, boring, and reminds me of drowning.

Hot Fuss gets it half right. The quality music that it produces is fantastic, and the near misses will hopefully be remedied in their sophomore album.

Rating: B

Recommended Songs: All These Things That I’ve Done, Jenny Was A Friend Of Mine, Somebody Told Me

Toss These Songs: Everything Will Be Alright, Change Your Mind