The BurgerBlog

After a few-month stint in China, I’m happy to say that I’m back to the blog. You’ll start to notice some updates around the website so stay tuned for upgrades!

Tom Gabel ends his latest album in defiance of some inevitably disappointed Against Me! fans: “Don’t let them tell you who you are.” An appropriate statement as he closes the poppy punk rock album, White Crosses, that deems pre-New Wave Against Me! dead to the punk world. Indeed, Against Me! has sold out to the mainstream rock producers in flaccid hooks and sing-along choruses, but in doing so the Green Day/Smiths-inspired anti-jingoistic rockers have matured into a widely enjoyable talent.

Take “Ache With Me.” Oh yeah: blues progression, 50s feel, acoustic guitar, mosh-pit ending slow-dance song. But in slowing the album down to explore the contemplative and perhaps prettier side of Against Me!, they showcase their ability to redefine their punk-rock ballads for a wider audience. Without falling flat like more current Green Day, “Ache With Me” succeeds.

In keeping with their political inspirations, “White Crosses” and “I Was a Teenage Anarchist” address abortion and rebellion in a similar fashion to pre-New Wave Against Me!: chirped imagery-laden storytelling. Folky—yes—but enjoyable.

Is the whole album fantastic then? The middle section slows a bit much and admittedly White Crosses brings little novelty to the band’s discography, but with “Rapid Decompression” to liven the album up in 1:45, and the hands-down best song on White Crosses to close (“Bamboo Bones”), this is a solid fifth album from newly reformed staple of punk-rock, Against Me!

Rating: B+

Recommended Tracks: Bamboo Bones, White Crosses

K'naan

It’s been a hard knock life for rapper K’naan. Unlike the often-referenced Bronx or ‘ghetto’ childhood found in many current rap and hip/hop songs, K’naan references his childhood in Somalia, as described in the Blockbuster Black Hawk Down. Despite his violent background, K’naan has taken his experiences and African heritage and cultivated it into artistic expression. In his second album, Troubadour, K’naan raps, sings, and rocks to his heritage, and he brings the beat to his listeners.

Before I pick K’naan apart, let me make this very clear: K’naan is an A-grade rapper. He best flexes his musical talents in “I Come Prepared’ and “ABC’s,” where he grooves to heavy bass beats and mimics Will.I.Am and M.I.A. in his rap style. He sputters, “And Africans love them some B.I.G./But Tupac is official H.N.I.C./And my job is to write just what I see/So a visual stenographer is what I be.” Well done, K’naan.

Well, K’naan knows that it’s well done, which unfortunately detracts from his album. He claims that he’s going to get as “big as a Beatle,” which is not going to happen. His ego also inspired “If Rap Gets Jealous,” which is a seriously misguided throwback to rock/rap (he even incorporated Metallica’s guitarist Kirk Hammett). No go. The transitions are awkward, and K’naan’s ego gets in the way of good music. In a radio interview with NPR, he called American rap ‘cute,’ discounting the lives of current rappers. 50 Cent will cut a bitch.

Despite K’naan’s hubris restraining him from quality music, K’naan does produce a variety of quality tracks, my favorite being “Wavin’ Flag.” In a laid-back reggae, K’naan preaches love for war stricken areas (once again harking back to his childhood in Somalia). It’s peaceful and melodic, and justifies why he’s on tour with Lenny Kravitz.

“Wavin’ Flag” is the transition to the second half of the album, where K’naan backs off the aggressive rap and hip/hop, and infuses Caribbean reggae and African drums to convey music about love and harmony. Though this would probably appeal more to mainstream music, it’s not where K’naan’s talents lie; he is a rapper. If he wanted to make a separate album for more chill music, I invite him to, but as of now it doesn’t belong on Troubadour. Perhaps if it divided the rap-heavy songs earlier in the album, it would make for more engaging placement; the Black Eyed Peas have done this well in some previous albums.

K’naan should have ended his album on a solid note: “Take a Minute.” Instead he closes on an R. Kelley drama. Okay, “People Like Me” isn’t 12 minutes long, but it’s preachy, prolonged, and painful.

Troubadour isn’t a bad album, but it’s definitely a sophomore effort.

Rating: B-

Recommended Tracks: Take a Minute, Wavin’ Flag, ABC’s

Toss These Tracks: People Like Me, If Rap Gets Jealous

Muse

Wailing guitars, silky piano riffs, Queen-like choruses: Muse is back in town. Swaggering in their imaginary world of romance and apocalypse, Muse’s 5^th album, The Resistance, is a showcase of the threesome’s musical talents and adept lyric writing skills. Not unlike Black Holes and Revelations, Matthew Bellamy’s vocals regularly soar over an instrumental opera like Tapio Wilska in Nightwish; he is what gives Muse the punch that attracts musicphiles to the record store like locusts. Sadly, though Bellamy’s abilities as a lead singer are fantastic, he cannot hide what The Resistance lacks: track diversity.

Don’t get me wrong: The Resistance has no lack of creativity or individuality. It can easily be compared to A Night At the Opera. There are epics of musical genius, and then filler pieces to detract from the album. Take “Uprising,” the “Get On Your Boots” opener to the album, and “United States of Eurasia / Collateral Damage (Excerpt from Nocturne in E-Flat, Op. 9 No. 2)” (yes that is the entire name of the track). The former track grooves similarly to “Exo Politics” on Black Holes and Revelations. Bellamy incites riot, and synths compliment the marching progressive rock: it’s a Muse song. The latter is an experiment: Bellamy tried to become Freddy Mercury. Muse does “Bohemian Rhapsody.” Well, “Bohemian Rhapsody,” the Aladdin Soundtrack, and Chopin. An adventuresome escapade to say the least, certainly not made for radio at 5:48, and, dareIsay?, well done.

The fillers include “MK Ultra,” an unimpressive heavy synth saved only by an awesome concluding guitar solo, and “Guiding Light,” an unimpressive heavy synth saved only by an awesome concluding guitar solo. Even the 6:55 epic between the two fillers is unmemorable; Bellamy, for all his masterwork in vocals, becomes forgettable.

But of course what this album review should be about is the three-track conclusion to The Resistance: “Exogenesis: Symphony, Part 1 (Overture),” “Exogenesis: Symphony, Part 2 (Cross-pollination),” and “Exogenesis: Symphony, Part 3 (Redemption).” A result of several years of Bellamy sweat, the 12:51 combined track is gorgeous: this is how the younger generation can get old people to listen to Muse. Styx and Liszt, Chopin and U2, Muse combines the greats to create a groundbreaking incomparable epic that is the first of its kind this millennia. “Exogenesis” motivates you, fills you with hope, and then cushions you to bed. It is a masterpiece.

Sadly, the lack of novelty previous to the “Exogenesis” tracks detracts from Muse’s brilliance. The new sound that Muse found at the end of The Resistance should be celebrated and awarded, followed up with an entire album of similar force. The rest of The Resistance, sadly, cannot stand next to it.

Rating: B

Buy These Tracks: All of Exogenesis, United States of Eurasia / Collateral Damage (Excerpt from Nocturne in E-Flat, Op. 9 No. 2)

Toss These Tracks: MK Ultra, Guiding Light, Unnatural Selection

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.

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

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

Welcome to the BurgerBlog, a music review site for music lovers. This blog is apt to review anything, from U2 to Dave Barnes to Fergie, and will throw fastballs at the artists as they fight for the coveted A-grade Burger. The grading system is similar to that of high school; the bands who don’t try fail, those who are average get C’s, etc etc. Enjoy!