Brad Mehldau – Highway Rider (2010)

For jazz music fans, Brad Mehldau needs no introduction. Known for his ability to play different melodies simultaneously with separate hands, Mehldau is probably one of the most popular contemporary jazz pianists. Although I've been a fan of jazz since I was a kid, I became familiar with Mehldau's music only three years ago, when his (then) new album Modern Music was released. The first song I heard from that album was Mehldau's cover of Philip Glass's (who happens to be among my favorite classical music composers) String Quartet #5. Modern Music is an album that mixes contemporary classical music with jazz, but this is not the first album of Mehldau's that mixes classical music and jazz. Mehldau has a strong background in classical music and this is displayed well on his album Highway Rider. 

This album breathes, it is bluesy, tender, sweet-sounding and at the same time it is gradually building tension while offering dramatic grandeur. The album is supposed to be a continuation of Mehldau's 2002 album Largo, however it is nothing like Largo. There is less experimentation on Highway Rider, the album is more structured and is more similar to Mehldau's Art of the Trio volumes. It is also nothing like his latest albums, which are also more experimental. This album has no sharp edges, it is soft and smooth flowing. 

Highway Rider is a collaboration between Brad Mehldau and producer Jon Brion, it features a chamber orchestra led by Dan Coleman. Mehldau's long-time trio partners bassist Larry Grenadier and drummer Jeff Ballard also appear on the album along with saxophonist Joshua Redman and drummer Matt Chamberlain. The songs and orchestration are all written by Mehldau himself. What makes the album so great is that the orchestra and jazz quintet were recorded together. This fact makes improvisations sound more original and immediate but also contributes to the general atmosphere. The rich harmonic palette offered by the chamber orchestra gives the music intensity and lyricism. 

Highway Rider sounds nostalgic. There is a certain familiarity in it. This is probably due to the fact that Mehldau uses musicians he's worked with before. Nostalgia can be heard for example in Old West, which is a duet between Joshua Redman and Mehldau These two have been playing together since the beginning of 1990s. Redman's own 2013 album Walking Shadows that features several of Mehldau's compositions has a similar lyrical and romantic vibe about it as Highway Rider. However, nostalgia is not the only thing Redman brings to the table. He brings in intensity, dissonance, complexity, grace and simplicity. This makes the album varied and full of wonderful contradictions. 

Another familiar feature is the prevalent use of Mehldau's trio. The album starts with the song John Boy, where the orchestra and Redman color the song with woodwinds and brass but the trio is what remains central. Into the City is played out only by the trio. The song is more similar to Mehldau's latest compositions but also has a sense of Pat Metheny, with whom Mehldau has worked for years, in it. While the orchestra delivers the classical element to the album, the trio mixes in the pure jazz ingredient. 

Don't Be Sad and At the Tollbooth would be perfect for listening on an autumn evening. The soft dynamics make the songs poetic, melodious and warm. These songs could easily be on the soundtrack of a French film. The Falcon Will Fly Again is probably the most fun song on the album with its 7/8 time signature. Redman on soprano sax reminds me of Paul McCandless of Oregon. The Falcon Will Fly Again has a hidden gem in the end: the fast-paced song suddenly stops in the middle and turns into another brilliant piece. Energetic flamenco handclapping is what drives the song Capriccio, which does not really sound like something Mehldau would write.. It has a hint of Avishai Cohen in it. 

Highway Rider and Sky Turning Grey [For Elliott Smith] (the latter actually happens to be my own personal favorite from this album) are the ones that reveal the multifaceted artistry of Brad Mehldau. Highway Rider makes use of his wonderful ability to play two distinct melodies with each of his hands and Sky Turning Grey is where Mehldau shows off his improvisational skills. The descending bass gives Mehldau's solo intensity without making the melody complex. On composing for chamber orchestra and building improvisation on theme, Mehldau himself has said that "an improvised solo will express the intense, heightened subjectivity of the individual musician, reacting in real time to what he or she hears and feels. Jazz soloing, no matter how cohesively it fits with the music that surrounds it, is always for me a disruption of sorts: the best solos express an alluring incongruity with whatever given order there is".

The chamber orchestra makes this album different from any other Mehldau album. If the songs Always Departing or Now You Must Climb Alone would be the first ones you listen to, you might think that you've bought the wrong album. According to Mehldau, these songs were influenced by Strauss's configuration of 23 strings. Both songs are more modern classical than modern jazz. Both of the songs also connect to the next piece. Always Returning is a continuation of Always Departing and Now You Must Climb Alone smoothly turns into Walking the Peak. Now You Must Climb Alone/Walking the Peak is chaotic and avoids traditional diatonic harmony with ambiguous chords. The jazz ensemble only comes in in Walking the Peak, however, the dissonance continues and while the piece ends in tonic, it never really resolves in a satisfying way.  Always Departing/Always Returning sounds like an eclectic, dramatic modern classical piece that makes a full circle from start to finish. Always Departing starts with strings and Always Returning ends with strings. The ending is soft, full of nostalgia and full of melancholy, it brings the whole album together, it is a conclusion that meshes the album into a single entity. 

The attractive themes, subtle mood shifts and varied orchestral textures make Highway Rider a splendid example of what a contemporary jazz album should be like. It is perfect for a jazz music enthusiast but also excellent for a jazz novice. I would definitely NOT say that jazz has degenerated. There is nothing "Kenny G-esque" in such contemporary jazz artists and groups as Wynton Marsalis, Aaron Parks, Till Brönner, Tigran Hamasyan, Joshua Redman, Branford Marsalis, Chris Potter, Pat Metheny Group, Tingvall Trio, Triosence and the list could go on and on. Jazz now is just as diverse as it has always been. 

– Susanna Soosaar

Everything Everything - Arc (2013)

BBC Radio 1 plays, among chart-topping dance anthems, a fair deal of significantly different stuff. That is how I discovered Everything Everything - somewhere between David Guetta and Taylor Swift, there was a chanting of “cough, cough”, accentuated by a strong drum beat and an eccentric bassline, and things like that just catch my ear immediately. When Cough Cough, the first single of Everything Everything’s sophomore album Arc, had my curiosity, then the next one, Kemosabe, had my full-blown attention.

Everything Everything is a bit of a niche band - I don't think there is any middle ground with the Manchester quartet. You either love it or hate it. The singer Jonathan Higgs’ near-constant falsetto is a huge deciding factor in that. Much of the instrumental in their songs is driven by drums, courtesy of Michael Spearman, and sometimes rather unbelievable bass lines by Jeremy Pritchard. Guitars, played by Alex Robertshaw and Higgs, are technically an accompanying instrument, as are keyboards; both are mostly used to create melodies instead of a strong chord base.

Compared to their debut album, Man Alive, Arc is definitely more mature. Man Alive is often claimed to be an overblown showcase of all of their talents, insanely nonsensical lyrics and slightly crammed instruments cited as the biggest issues. In that respect, Arc is definitely calmer, more calculated and a little bit less quirky. Arc gives the listener more singalong moments, whereas the songs on the previous album were mostly too fast-paced to even try chanting along to them in a large crowd.

 

Arc is kicked off by Cough Cough, the album’s first slap-in-the-face single. The strong beats and the rhythmic repetition of the title, first in words and then in the percussion, makes you sit up a little straighter. The synth in the prechorus has a slightly oriental sound that appears a few more times on Arc, but in general, this is rock - rock with a blistering bass line.

 
Kemosabe is a little bit calmer than the previous one, but definitely quirkier. The discordant synth throughout the verses is unsettling, especially because it is the only instrument next to the drums for the first part. The synth continues to the chorus, now sounding like actual harmonies, only to go back to ear-screeching major seconds in the next verse. Kemosabe is a fine example of Higgs’ voice - almost the entire song is sung in falsetto. This one most resembles the vibe of Man Alive - the lyrics take quite a few listens to make any sense of.

The next song, Torso of the Week, sounds a little bit empty after the beautiful musical mess of Kemosabe, which, in this case, is actually a good thing. The bass and drums are the backbone of this song; as described above, the guitars only provide little ditties to its instrumental. The theme of the song is quite clearly struggling with body image - the very first line of the song is “girl, you’ve been hitting that treadmill like a freak”, and similar allusions are made throughout the song.

 

Duet turns the intensity down another notch and starts off with a cello, no less, accompanying Higgs. This is the first song that actually has a calm vibe; the strings definitely help with that. After two minutes and 30 seconds of relative calm, the song starts to build, reaches its cymbal-and-strings-led climax nearly a minute later and then suddenly ends. Higgs himself has said that Duet was initially inspired by The Beatles’ brilliant Eleanor Rigby, but got out of control pretty quickly. However, they do seem to be similar at the core - not only because of the string arrangement, but also the morose vibe both songs have.

Choice Mountain dives right back into the world of punctuated rhythm and uncertain, discordant instrumental. Higgs sounds almost vulnerable with a slightly shaky voice here and there. The chorus is a bit calmer as the nervous melody of the verses disappears for a little while, even though the riff of the intro still echoes through it. The bridge which gets rid of drums and still sounds rhythmic is another notable aspect of the song.

Feet For Hands is possibly the most rocky song on the album, starting off with a guitar intro and sticking to a chord-driven instrumental throughout the verses. There is an urgency in Feet For Hands, probably brought on by the nervous rhythm of the bass and drums. Between all the falsetto, it’s actually kind of refreshing to hear Higgs sing the bridge in a lower register.

Undrowned starts with a beautiful, slightly eerie synth melody which would fit nicely into a Tim Burton film, and Higgs harmonising with it, not singing over it. This makes the song feel calmer, almost lullaby-like - at least until the whole band kicks in. Even then, however, Undrowned sounds a lot calmer than the rest of the album. It is followed by _Arc_ which brings back the strings. As it is only a 90-second interlude, it doesn’t quite go anywhere - it feels more like soundscape than an actual song. It further calms the album down for a while, serving as a breathing space.

After that, however, Armourland slams right back into the former feel of the record. The back vocals of the verses, again exploiting the discordant harmonies, increase that sensation. The choruses, however, differ from the verses in that sense, and give a mental image of space and width - more so than any other fast-paced, rhythmic song on the album.

The sudden calm of The House Is Dust is a little bit unexpected after Armourland. For a minute and a half, it’s just vocals and slow drums - and even after the 90 second mark, it (luckily) doesn’t grow into an anthem. Less than a minute later, only the vocals and a few piano chords are left and the song slowly drifts into silence. It sounds even more morose and hopeless than other slower songs of Arc, kind of continuing the slightly depressed feel of Undrowned.

The main riff of Radiant sounds almost oriental. That leaves some kind of an impression of calmness on the listener, despite the verse’s instrumental sounding quite jumpy at times. During the choruses, the song explodes and reaches almost rock-song level, only to pull back in the beginning of the next verse. The last 30 seconds, almost-but-not-quite a cappella, lead nicely into the penultimate song, The Peaks. Coming closest to being called a ballad, it builds up slowly, and the instrumental only makes it past the piano and slow drums 3 minutes in. Once again, Higgs’ falsetto really shines in this one. With its beautiful, calm ending, The Peaks sounds like a perfect last track… but it isn’t.

 

Don’t Try, while a brilliant piece of music, seems out of place after The Peaks’ culmination. It returns once again to the urgent rhythm of the first two tracks and seems a bit overly energetic for a last song, especially after something so calm. However, it seems to be a light at the end of the long dark, nervous and morose tunnel of Everything Everything’s sophomore album, lifting the listener’s spirits a little bit before letting them back into the real world.

There is an urgency in Arc, maybe even a discomfort with the surrounding. The album’s title is explained to describe the suggested journey of humankind, and currently, we are right at the top of the arc, about to fall back down. The desolate feeling seems almost post-apocalyptic at times, or, at the least, it appears to be a warning. Arc is definitely not background music - not only is it way too jittery to listen to while cooking dinner, but it also needs some concentration to fully appreciate.

Say Anything - ...Is a Real Boy (2004)

I chose to write a review about Say Anything’s album ...Is a Real Boy which was released in 2004. I don’t remember how I stumbled upon this band and this album since there were about 10 people in Estonia who knew about them back then and the band wasn’t very well known in the US either, but I sure am glad that I found them. I was in the 8th grade when I discovered them, tried to promote this band to all my friends, but for some reason I was the only one who found joy in listening to an angry, bipolar man singing about yellow and red cats, spiders and killing little girls.

But enough about me and more about the band. 

Say Anything is an American rock band, founded in 2000 by future frontman Max Bemis. Other members at that time were drummer Coby Linder,  guitarists Jake and Jeff Turner, bassist Alex Kent and keyboardist Parker Case. ...Is a Real Boy was their second full-length album, the albums that came after ...Is a Real Boy are not as appealing to me unfortunately, but the one I will be reviewing here was my favourite for years. The album contains 13 tracks and the reissue which was launched in 2006 also included a bonus disc called ...Was a Real Boy, which featured seven additional tracks. The album received many positive reviews from different critics.

It is rather difficult to cram Say Anything’s music into one certain genre, but I’d say they play alternative rock, at least when it comes to this album. It is also said that ...Is a Real boy is a pop-punk album, in fact, Sputnikmusic has said that this is one of the best pop-punk album there is.

...Is a Real Boy was almost wholly composed, written and by it’s frontman Max Bemis. Bemis suffers from bipolar disorder and during the recording of this album he went through several mental breakdowns and was even admitted into a mental institution. Nowadays he is happy and healthy, but the instability can be heard in the lyrics of ...Is a Real Boy.  In fact, the whole album is glazed with Bemis’ mental ups and downs. Nevertheless, his songwriting, especially in lyrics is astonishing. He is witty, angry and brutally honest. His singing is not perfect, his voice is not angelic, sometimes it’s even a bit nasal, but these imperfections make it even more interesting

The album begins with Bemis’ conversation with his therapist, talking about how the idea of introducing the first song gives him anxiety and then he says: „The record begins with a song of rebellion.“ And so it does. The first song of the album is Belt, a rather up-beat song about not selling out and doing his own thing. As Bemis himself sings: „Hey, this is something I have to do for myself“. The song is catchy, includes great harmonies and ends with gang vocals chanting with Bemis, providing a powerful emotion.

The second song is Woe. Again, in the beginning it is seemingly up-beat and energetic, but the lyrics are quite melancholic (but still humorous) and the style of the song changes every now and then. In the middle of the piece he slows down to a softer style, following with a powerful chant and words „I’m still an optimist but it is hard // when all you want to be // is in a dream.“ Woe is an example of this this album’s reoccuring style: sad/bitter lyrics accompanied with a happier melody.

Third song is The Writhing South. The song is really catchy in my opinion. The guitar riffs and words „Hey, hey hey hey // come pollinate me, hey“ just stick with you for days. It starts out strong and slows down, only to grow powerful again towards the end. The guitars get loud, drums faster and Bemis gets even angrier than usual. But to me, the best part of this song is towards the end when he sings the chorus „Across the room, across the room // I hope to watch you writhe again soon“ and you can hear him smiling/laughing. I don’t know why, but it takes the cake.

Next comes the band’s most known song Alive With The Glory of Love. It is one of the few love songs on the album, but it’s not your usual lovey-dovey ballad (well, it starts off with lyrics „When I watch you // wanna do you // right where you’re standing“). It’s based on Bemis’s Jewish grandparents who got separated during the Holocaust. The song is upbeat and one of the most positive tracks on the album. Despite the fact that it’s somewhat strange to hear a grandson sing about his grandparents doing it beneath the wormwood, it sure is beautiful: „Should they kill me // your love will fill me // as warm as the bullets yeah // I’ll know my purpose // this war was worth this // I won’t let you down“.

The fifth song is called Yellow Cat (Slash) Red Cat. It is definitely more mellow than other tracks and it paints a vivid picture of the frontman’s thoughts during his periods of self-medicating. The song is strange and the stories kind of scattered, but the lyrics are still captivating and even soothing, starting with: „I watch my yellow cat invade my red cat in the yard // the feline war has raged for years // so I assume it’d be too hard // to drive my foot between them // I’d never risk a scratch // just to prove to one or both of them // a cat is just a cat“.

Have you ever wondered how an angry waltz would sound like? If yes, then give a listen to the next song, The Futile. It is really catchy and personally, I really like the drums on this track. They’re nothing spetacular, but perfect for this track. The lyrics are angsty and pessimistic, more than in other tracks: „I’m eating rat poison for dinner // pull the cord from the phone // I am dining alone“.

The seventh song is called Spidersong. Most critics and fans have said that this is the weakest of the bunch and I have to agree. It’s not bad, it’s just not as brilliant as the others. It starts out as a good, upbeat song and I even like the lyrics, but as it goes on, it just gets repetitive and a bit boring. There are no significant changes in the music, which would make the track a little more interesting perhaps. The lyrics are still quite witty though: „You’ve got those tired eyes // all the time // yeah, you need someone // to bring you to bed“. Smooth, Bemis, smooth.

The eight track on the album is called An Orgy of Critics. It’s the heaviest song on the album. The interesting thing is that when one would listen the whole album in one sitting, this song would make them think that there’s another band making a guest appearance. Even though the album is pretty chaotic and versatile, this song is like a sore thumb (in a good way).

Then  comes a true breakup song. Every Man Has A Molly. The lyrics speak for themselves: Here I am // laid bare // at the end of my rope // I’ve lost all hope, so long! // Molly Connolly just broke up with me // over the revealing nature of the songs // You goddamn kids had best be gracious // with the merch money you spend // ’cause for you // I won’t ever have rough sex // with Molly Connolly again“. I can’t lie, I truly love this song. The lyrics are honest, painful and powerful, the music is rich and heavy. This is my favourite track of the album.

The tenth track is Slowly, Through a Vector. It starts out slow and mellow, but goes through many changes later. Although I really like the bass line, I find it to be one of the most boring songs on the album, along with Spidersong. The ending provides some strong emotions though. Bemis’s vocals grow shaky and dark, but then comes the famous „Ha ha ha // show me what you’ve got“ part that leaves the listener a bit puzzled.

The next track is another not-my-favourite, Chia-Like, I Shall Grow. It’s not bad or too repetitive, but to me, it is not too remarkable either. The lyrics are spiteful and witty and the music isn’t too shabby either, but it just doesn’t speak to the listener as much as the others.

Then comes another heartfelt love song I Want to Know Your Plans. Compared to Alive With The Glory of Love, it’s softer and sweeter, perhaps even too cheesy for some. The usually angry and loud Bemis shows his ability to write touching love songs (if you’re into that, check out their self-entitled album and songs Ahh...Men and Cemetery). It is a nice change to hear the usually bitter and angry Bemis sing „You’re what keeps me believing the world’s not gone dead // strength in my bones and the words in my head // when they pour out to paper, it’s all for you // because that’s what you do“. From a girl’s perspective, it’s the perfect song to serenade someone special...or just someone who thinks you can sing.

And there it is, the last track of the album (I won’t review the bonus disc because it would get too long): Admit It! It’s the wordiest piece on the album. Bemis expresses his dislike towards the pseudo-bohemian subculture, nowadays known as hipsters, I guess. He really doesn’t hold anything back on this track, playing with his intonation and pouring everything out. Many critics and fans consider this as the best and smartest song on ...Is a Real Boy. Bemis is also brutally honest when talking about himself: „Well let me tell you this // I am shamelessly self-involved // I spend hours in front of the mirror // making my hair elegantly disheveled // I worry about how this album will sell // because I believe it will determine the amount of sex I will have in the future // I self-medicate with drugs and alcohol to treat my extreme social anxiety“. He speaks truth without any effort at all and this is the beauty of his songwriting.

In conclusion, there are definitely songs on this album that stand out more than the others, some just sound a tad too similar to one another or just blend in the backround. I can say that I personally absolutely love all of the songs on this album, but when I try to be neutral and honest, I have to say that some songs get repetitive and a bit boring, for example Chia-Like, I Shall Grow,  Spidersong and Slowly, Through a Vector. Overall it is a great album, if you’re into chaotic, insanity-fueled and angry alternative rock. I gave it a first try six years ago and I still enjoy it like I used to back then. Give it a listen if you’re interested, you won’t be disappointed.

Maria Roosileht

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Marina and the Diamonds: Electra Heart (2012)

I have been Marina’s fan since her first album The Family Jewels (2010) was released. Compared to her second album Electra Heart (2012), the first one is totally dissimilar. It seems like different personas have written and worked with albums, it is due to fact that in the first album she is not pretending to be someone else. Marina herself claims Electra Heart (the character who walks us through the second album) is not her alter ego, but frankly to me, it might not be the ultimate truth. Even though, she created fictional character, she seems very realistic and in our society we can see girls who act, talk and think or has experienced similar identity crises just like Marina’s fictional character, who she has described in her tracks. Maybe she herself has experienced unfortunate love, which helped to create trutful stereotypes. There are four characters, who are portrayed by Electra Heart, each one is a strong archetype (Teen Idle, Primadonna, Su-Barbie-A, Homewrecker). In the songs the stereotypes are not clearly defined by boundry, they coincide, which means every listener may understand the context of songs differently. Apart from the story, Marina’s vocals are remarkable. In my opinion she has an incredible voice range and such a pure and raspy tone at the same time, which indicates her fresh rawness in a professional way.

A little bit about Marina: her original name is Marina Lambrini Diamandis. She is Welsh singer-songwriter (currently 28 years old), who is known by her stage name Marina and the Diamonds. The group name represents people who have same heart and similar goals, but they just do not fit in the mainstream society. Her first studio album is combination and integration of inde pop and new wave genre elements. Indie pop is criticized firmly because of its tweeness and those musician, who are fond of this type of genre, have to work harder and find a way how to accomplish  breakthrough and establish themselves in music industry. Second album includes elements of electropop, which pops up pretty dominantly in her songs. Her fashion style is also unique – she is well-known for her retro-cartoonish-vintage-cheerleader-(little bit)childlish look. When I depict this kind of combination it seems very silly, but she outplays it and tends to make image from grotesque to captivating grown-up woman.

Instead of dissecting each Electra Heart songs individually, I think it is more important to savvy the complexity of the content and to analyize singles and videos, which is a serie. Electra Heart’s journey consist eleven parts, delivered to us by separate videos. First part is a song Fear and Loathing, where Marina abandons (kills) her identity by cutting off her hair (symbolizes her past and letting it go, making fresh start) and becomes Electra Heart. The structure of song is pretty simple, nothing overproduced and background music helps to capture Marina’s voice. Though, I think the video is too dramatical. 

Second is Radioactive, which shows how Marina engages fully to fictional character. She is having fun and living life to the fullest, taking everything it has to offer. At the same time she is using people and suppressing real feelings/emotions, I would call it denial phase. The music is nothing special, it is opened to wider audience. It is also quite catchy and refrain makes me feel good and gives invincible feeling. Part three introduces archetypes while the melody of The State of Dreaming plays. This is the part where character starts to play and experiment different identities.

Fourth part depicts drama queen: Primadonna. It is also the lead single and the official video has the most views. The lyrics are totally ironical and sarcastic, which makes this song damn good. Electra Heart is becoming outragous, arrogant and self-centered person, who starts to wear her heart on the cheek so she would not get hurt (symbol – losing vulnerability). Electropop elements fits perfectly, maybe the melody gets little bit annoying, there is not very much variability. Fifth part is a standalone passage, where the Valley of the Dolls melody plays and the mockery is represented by criticizing housewife stereotype. The video is eerie: Marina stands on the porch, facing the front door, and everything is black-and-white. I would like to point out the fact that the sixth part Power & Control is the best and culmination of the story/plot. The melody is powerful, lyrics fascinating, memoriable, confident, satirical and music video with colorless (dark-bluish-white-combination, lighting), dark atmosphere is demonstration of perfection. Some might say this song is boring and too repetitive, but I love how Marina’s colorful vocals truly comes out.

Unlike from part six, seventh one, How to Be a Heartbreaker, is fun and seems to represent a typical today’s music industry music video. It includes sexy boys, shower, beach, car scene, supercilious attitude. Song is catcy and has a good rhythm, lyrics are not good, not bad, hook is great. I would say it is an average song. I am not going to say anything about part eight, because the song is not the album. Ninth passage is an important part of the story, this is where Electra realizes she has been living in The State of Dreaming – not in reality, phrase “my life is a play” proves it. I like the beginning and ending, but when the electro-alike music plays, it is boring (maybe too repetitive). Though, lyrics are great and singing good. Tenth part Lies is basically the end of Electra, she is confronting herself and everything she has done, also the real Marina starts to show up. The video is mostly black-and-white, she is wearing almost no make-up and her vulnerability is coming forth. Comparing with other songs, I would say this particular melody has the most electropop elements. I have not decided yet if I like it or not. Marina is pushing her vocals maybe too far, which adds more sadness. Acoustic version of the song is so much better, it has more depth and emotions. Maybe it has something to do with the piano, but it beats the original version anytime. Vocals are better and it is truly a masterpiece (it even has more views on youtube).

The final part, Electra Heart, sums everything up. This track was not on the album and it is a pitty. The music is interesting – does not follow typical structure. Lyrics are meaningful. “Lights they blind me” and “can we go back to the start” says everything, there is no need for anything else – regret is pushing its path towards. Video is a flashback – it is put together by using previous videos clips: her journey. Finally the character is dead (Marina pulls off her heart on the cheek, which was the symbol of Electra).

Ofcourse there are more songs in her journey, but I have to give credit to Marina, she pulled off an amazing storyline and released eleven videos. I love how everthing is tied together and nothing stands alone in her album. It is not very typical. Usually artists tend to connect each song with the title name, atleast this is how it seems to me. Yeah, some parts of the songs are not so great (too much repetition, boring music) and I accuse her of being too femine and maybe too depressing. Only female gender can relate (when they have had similar experience or they accept stances) and hating men is too dominant, it narrows down the possibility of having wide male audience. The good news, Electra is only a fictional character and people should not take her seriously. Marina’s lyrics and vocals are really something and they should not be forgotten. I recommend to listen each song carefully. 

Tom Waits - Bad As Me (2011)

„Soaked in a vat of bourbon, left hanging in the smokehouse for a few months, and then taken outside and run over with a car.” This is how Daniel Durchholz described Tom Waits' voice. A mixture of junkyard love songs and a more melodic rendition Stomp, love him or leave him, Tom Waits leaves an impression. His sixteenth studio album Bad As Me, released in 2011, is one of the many steps the grand old man of sandpaper voice and velvety melody has taken in order to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (which also happened in 2011). I severely doubt, however, that that is his purpose in the music business.

Tom Waits is an enigma to me, a force to be reckoned with. A circus troubadour, a lone piano player in a smoky and seedy bar at 4am on a Sunday night, a colourful character. It is difficult to say, or recall, when I fell for that junkyard cabaret, but it must have been during the more impressionable years, because through thick and thin, I've stuck with the man. Be it the soundtrack of an animated film, his film roles or his music, Waits creates an edge to himself that appeals to me immensely. I would say the key factor here being his way with words, not of an overly sententious manner, but more like a juggling of characters, phrases, and moods. This, however, does not mean that I turn a blind eye to his shortcomings, far from it.

Bad As Me was a pleasant surprise back in 2011, much like Bowie's The Next Day last year. The thing with these semi-active old heroes is that you don't want to expect too much from them, even though you can't wait for the news that yes! A new album! And after listening to it for a few years, both upsides and downsides emerge.

Waits' earlier albums tend to create a weaving narrative or a wholesome story around themselves, as does Bad As Me, in an odd and maybe not quite as transparent way. To me, the 13-track (what an excitingly sinister number!) album is based on a yearly interval, starting with the energised cacophony of Chicago and crescendoing into the serenely calm and tired New Year's Eve. A year is over, an album done and over with, let us rest now. Or rather, should you not want to see it as a year in the life of a slightly mad and very mysterious man, look at is as though at a car chase or an intense stand-off in an action film.

After all, the first bars of Chicago install a sense of paranoia in the audience. Chicago, Chicago, it's safer in Chicago! The calmer Raised Right Men and Talking At The Same Time set the scene, the background for the ongoing chase. And then, as properly balanced albums would have it, another fast-paced and energised track, Get Lost, followed by ballad by ballad by junkyard rock and so on. In Bad As Me, it seems as though Waits is physically drawing his breath inbetween the chaos by slurring (quite beautifully, still) out similar ballads that, in Closing Time (1973) – his first album – broke plenty of hearts. However well narrated, the new album falls victim to the most common of my problems while listening to full albums. It does not stun as a whole and once again I find the odd song that I listen to on repeat dozens of times, but had you asked me about the album before I researched it for this piece of writing, I could not have said much. So, if you're looking for a soundtrack for sulking or as a contrast, a secret rave in your small bedroom, this is album is not for that. Moods change here after every track and usually move from one end of the spectrum to the other.

There are, of course, absolute favourites:

Bad As Me. The title song of the album and refreshingly, it emerges from the menagerie of sound more than halfway through the album. Not quite as outstanding as some of Waits' famous title tracks, but a good one for this album. And catchy with the right kind of lyrics. It is raw and rattling and probably described as a bout of nonsensical brilliance.

Face To The Highway. One of the more calm and ballad-like tracks on the album. I feel that in tracks like these, the often well hid tiredness of Waits rears its head slightly. Then again with Waits, there are always characters and faces and masks in the songs, and the stories told are somebody else's completely. A beautiful song about disillusionment and betrayal, but thanks to the sometimes grotesquely banal lyrics, it did not become quite as corny as it had the potential for.

Satisfied. Now there's a song. A beautifully balanced, slightly vulgar tribute to the grand old masters Mick Jagger and Keith Richards. An intriguing bit of trivia here is that Richards accompanied Waits on this album himself, so all in all, it is quite a close-knit showbiz circle of pals. Now that I'm rewatching the videos to comment on them, it might look as though it's about a senile old man stumbling drunkenly around his backyard. The voice certainly adds to the notion. But do try to overlook that.

And lastly, Hell Broke Luce. A clever wordplay as well as an emotional song with so many layers it's difficult to keep track. After listening to it a number of times, the only way I could possibly describe it is: it is possible to create a heavy metal song without the heavy metal. Take it as a clever wordplay on my part or don't. There are two kinds of Tom Waits, the sensitive and quiet ballad type and the walked-into-a-scrapyard-and-started-making-music kind. Both are grotesque, vulgar and utterly enchanting.

Even though not as big of a masterpiece as, say, Mule Variations (1999) or Bone Machine (1992), there are multiple tracks of high quality in Bad As Me and Waits once again reinforces his rightful place at the top. The answer is blowing in the wind and it is saying that, based on this, there is more to come. In the meantime, must dust off Waits' biography and give it another read.

- Anette Helene Vijar

Arctic Monkeys – AM (2013)

I chose to write my review about this album, because it practically restored my faith into humanity and to good music being still made. I discovered this album in November, last year – in that time I really was disappointed what was considered good music - having almost lost all hope of hearing something new that wouldn’t make my ears hurt. Fortunately I found this amazing album on „Elu 24“ (why I was there, I don’t want to know). Arctic Monkeys wasn’t completely new to me back then, I had listened to some of their songs from the album „Favourite Worst Nightmare (2007)“. I however can’t say I had enjoyed them as much before, as I do now thanks to „AM“. Nevertheless  I gave „AM“  a try and listened to „Arabella“ firstly, a game changer for me… . Well the album on „Elu 24“ was however brought up because of the music video, where one could see a fair share of naked boobs.

But now about the band. Arctic Monkeys is an English indie rock band going back to 2002. Alex Turner (lead vocals, guitar), Jamie Cook (lead guitar, rhythm), Nick O’Malley (bass guitar, backing vocals), Matt Helders (drums, backing vocals) and former member Andy Nicholson (bass guitar, backing vocals) came together in Sheffield  after meeting at Stocksbridge High School. They have so far released five studio albums“ “Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not” (2006), “Favourite Worst Nightmare” (2007), “Humbug” (2009), “Suck It and See” (2011) and “AM” (2013), all of which debuted at #1 on the UK Albums Chart. 

                                                                                                                     

„AM” features the following singles: “R U Mine?”, “Do I Wanna Know?” and “Why’d You Only Call Me When You’re High?”. It also features guest appearances by Josh Homme, Bill Ryder-Jones and Pete Thomas. It was produced by James Ford and co-produced by Ross Orton at Sage & Sound Recording in Los Angeles and Rancho De La Luna in Joshua Tree, California“.

Having listened to their previous albums I can say that „AM“ shows a whole new side of the Arctic Monkeys, one can hear them getting more mature and understanding what they want to do and how to do it properly. This record is beyond doubt the best of their career. I liked a point Mike Williams brought out in his review – he said that this album is a cornerstone, not the peak of their career, that is still to come, from here they will only get better. The release of this album marks the point where they will no longer be defined by a genre, but they will be seen as artists. Before one would/could categorize them as an Indie-rock/rock/indie band, but no more. What they did here was pure genius – 41minutes and 57 seconds of it really.

The brains behind the album was mostly Alex Turner. Let me quote Mike Williams once more: “And the lyrics… oh, maaaan. At times they sound like they were written by a man with a burning hard-on who wants – or rather needs – to savagely fuck your body, mind and soul”. They are that good, they really are. Already back in 2011 while listening to the soundtrack from the movie „Submarine (2011)“ Turner revealed his genius. This guy just keeps getting better and better. Can’t wait to hear what he will come up in 10 years. And it’s not just the ability to write music, he’s also the leading vocalist in Arctic Monkeys. He’s unique voice and charming accent make it a perfect combo.

As said before, it’s quite amazing how much they have matured in their music since their first album, it is a whole new cognation/feel, a brand new and much improved Arctic Monkeys. They sound just so maddeningly brilliant.

While listening to them – the structure of a song is near perfection, it isn’t loaded with unnecessary embellishments. The steady beat (from hand clapping and tambourine) with the help of some drums and guitars added to the leading vocals of Alex Turner makes them unstoppable. Just listen to “Do I want to know” – the intro of a smooth beat which soon is joined by a guitar tune is enough to charm even the most emotionless bastard. But Alex Turner, damn that voice, it brings back memories from the time music was still music. The vocals are bittersweet, but smooth as honey. His voice is almost hypnotic, taking the listeners back in time. The music video of “Arabella” characterizes the change Arctic Monkeys have gone through. In addition to the fact that they sound unique and awesome, the video doubles everything. It’s just so rebel, the black-and-white theme adds an extra vehement touch. It reminds me of the times when true rock was valued, a time I value and dearly miss. The music and the video of “Arabella” reeks of smoke, sultry – it’s vigorous and firm. It’s a reminder to all those mellow pop icons of how it is really done, and what it should feel and taste like. It’s bittersweet and thoroughbred sound.

However, the entire album is, to me, concentrated around romance – Alex Turner seems to be a hopeless romantic living in a not so romantic world. “AM” goes beyond seemingly innocent flirting, dancing closely at some den-of-a-club, bad decisions after drinking too much and the acrimony in the morning to come. The essence of the album is almost too well stated in “R U Mine?”  the lyrics go: “are you mine tomorrow, or just mine tonight?”  It’s about sex and love and passion filled with boiling emotions. This album is a whole, which must be listened to from the beginning to the end, shuffle at least for me, ruins it.

“AM” also strikes with diversity – songs are different, they do not feel heard or start repeating themselves. The creativity and variability is stunning. The album just won’t let the tension drop for a second. The audience is always excited and waiting for what’s to come. When “Arabella” strikes with sultriness and its utterly amazing riotous sound/lyrics, “No.1 Party Anthem & Mad Sounds“  take down the pace and show a peaceful side of Alex Turner. I dare to say that the soundtrack of „Submarine“  is quite close to these two. They are mild, smooth and beautiful to listen.  „One for the road“ feels rather sour and with its „ooh-oooohs“ reminds of their past taking us back to the album “Humbug”. So it feels that each song offers something new, yet the album remains a complete set.

“AM” is a fresh and exciting album featuring brilliant lyrics and incredible sound. It’s a stepping-stone for the Arctic Monkeys. The album has depth, balls to experiment summing up to an utterly satisfying record. I would like to end with a quote from another review – “there is something very special about this album. It’s that rare thing, a record that defies normal music adjectives like sweet or happy or eerie or sad. They’re still bittersweet, still lusty, but also lithe and suave and slinky and sexy and dark and intoxicating. If AM was a hairstyle, it would be messy. If AM was an item of clothing, it would be studded leather shorts. If AM were a photo, it’s of a girl with messy hair and studded leather shorts with her hands by her side, legs open, maybe mid-walk“.

Oh yeah, and if you have heard the „Bacardi rum“ commercial from TV3 and were wondering why it was so seductive and good sounding – well it’s because of the fact that „Do I Wanna Know“ is playing in the background!