This post is quite long, and I apologize - I just feel the need to share these things with you, for they have been having a huge impact on my life recently.
A little over a month ago, my roommate Kory introduced me to Why?’s album Elephant Eyelash. I can’t even begin to explain how thankful I am.
Over the past month, it has completely turned into one of my favorite albums of all-time, and I have no qualms about declaring that. My last.fm page will back me up on that. I could not get enough. All of my friends got an earfull about it, too, as I used every passing breath I had to spread the word on how good this album is. And finally, I’m getting it out here to the ol’ internet, as well.
Why? Is Yoni Wolf, and he was 1/3 of the avante garde hip-hop group cLOUDDEAD. He is a member of the Anticon collective, and I think he is unfairly labeled as a rapper. To me, these are just weird pop songs. There is not a lot of hip-hop on this album. Wolf’s nasally, deliberate delivery is incredibly endearing; what I initially thought would be a reason I wouldn’t like this album, turned into one of the main reasons I do like it. However, it’s not his quirky voice, or the fantastic melodies and instrumentation on this album that makes me love it more than I do most albums - it’s the lyrics.
Some people will argue that the lyrics are too free-formed, too train of thought. I disagree with that notion completely, however, because combined with the music, these lyrics create quite the impression on the listener. I was instantly engaged in deep listening when I heard the following lines in the opener “Crushed Bones”:
And your eyes are slits and bags of fat
And your eyes are pissholes in the snow
That is weird. You know? It’s great, too. And that is just the start. This album is full of witty one-liners, and very interesting imagery. It is a very lyrically dense album, with most of the themes ranging from good ol’ fashioned love, to suicide and drug use. It is an expertly crafted album as a whole, and it truly has been a Godsend for me the past month. The sixth song on the album, “Gemini (Birthday Song)” is one of my favorite songs I have ever heard, in my entire life. It’s perfect. I am truly embarrassed I never caught on to this one quicker, and I hope I can turn a few of you into rabid fans like myself.
More recently, I gave Midlake’s The Trials of Van Occupanther a second chance. I’m not even sure why, because normally, I am unjustly ruthless towards albums I don’t immediately fall in love with. How I came back, however, does not matter - what is important, is that in doing so, I have been left wondering, what the hell was I thinking the first time around?
I had listened to Midlake’s debut full-length Bamnan and Silvercork a few years back, and, while I liked it, it never really struck me as something fantastic. So when I was seeing Midlake’s latest offering on numerous best of lists, I had to check it out. I did, and I was completely underwhelmed. “This sounds like crappy Fleetwood Mac!” has turned into “This sounds like an amazing Fleetwood Mac song!”. I don’t know what it was, but on the second chance, this album struck me, and it struck me real good.
From the riveting opener “Roscoe”, you can immediately recognize the 70’s Fleetwood Mac / Bread influences, but if you just listen to the song the entire way through (allowing yourself to experience the brilliant build up the song contains), you will be rewarded. And although your reward may not come in dollar bills or gold bars, it does come in rich vocal harmonies, sung by one of the prettiest, most soothing voices indie rock has heard in a long time. The following song, “Bandits”, has a seriously perfect guitar solo at the 1:45 mark, and I could go on and on. Just please, take my word for it, and take a listen to the songs I have posted below. These songs are some of the best I have heard in a long time. And I am still getting over that.
So thank you Midlake, for teaching me I should be more forgiving to albums I initially dislike. However, I am not sure I’m going to put my lesson learned to good use with the new Modest Mouse album. That, my friends, is a piece of crap. I hate to say it, too.
