This segment will talk about the most anticipated albums of the month and what were (is albums) the albums that lived up to the hype and what was ought (the ought albums) to be a great album. This is not a ranking of albums or telling you what you should or shouldn't listen to you, but take it simply as what we have enjoyed in the past month and what let us down. Enjoy and please feel free to provide feedback if you feel we missed something big or small (cause we love to get new music in our hands) or if you had another opinion on the music.
Lets get to this months releases.
The Is's:
Adele - 21
Even though this album was released every else in the world in January the official release for North America didn't drop until the 22nd of this month via Columbia. Coming hot off of her last album 19 Adele had a big release ahead of her with 21 and the dreaded sophomore flop. I was a big fan of 19 so in turn had low expectations for the new album but Adele was able to impress me yet again. The album starts off with Rolling in the Deep which we featured earlier on the blog and then rolls into another high-paced drum infused song called Rumour Has It. The album then drops into a slower pace with more focus on Adele's awesome voice and work on the piano with songs like Turning Tables and Set Fire to the Rain which are two of my favorites. The middle of the album then rolls into a more of a soul-pop genre with songs such as He Won't Go and I'll Be Waiting which are sure to have you tapping your toes. However, at this point in the album I find that it starts running into and all over itself. Don't get me wrong I think the rest of the songs are very listenable, but Adele sings every song about love and lost love which I find becomes tiresome after a while. Her voice and melodies carry it through but I would have been satisfied if the album only had the first 9 tracks. Once I get into the latter part I find that I quickly start looking for a new album to play. Overall, I think Adele has put together another fantastic album and I highly suggest you listen to some songs off of the album and look into buying it.
Here's a track to give you an idea of what you'll find on 21.
Adele – Set Fire To The Rain
PJ Harvey - Let England Shake
Polly Jean Harvey is an English musician and singer-songwriter. She began her professional career in the early 1990s by forming a band she named PJ Harvey which she has continued as a solo artist. Her high and fragile voice can be drawn to the likes of Cat Power and Feist. Her newest release Let England Shake which was released on February 15th is her 8th studio release and it is probably one of her best... however, she is not one to have two albums that sound the same. Throughout this album you can really feel her resentment against what is happening in her homeland England and also the World. The album is both weird and wonderful, but the way the album is structured it really keeps me engaged. When title track starts off the album with its haunting sound most listeners might wonder what they have gotten themselves into and it could be very easy to back out without hearing what the rest of the album has to offer... This would be a big mistake because it definitely grows on you. The second track The Last Living Rose completely changes the pace and has a nicer melody and easy to listen to plodding drum line compared to the previous track. The album then rolls easily into The Glorious Land and The Words that Maketh Murder which offer another unique sound to this every changing album. The middle of the album slows into a couple ballads featuring PJs bitter-sweet love ballad to her country England where the lyrics go "To you, England, I cling Undaunted, never failing love for you England."
Then another one of my favorites off the album called Bitter Branches chimes in with a fast strumming guitar line and lyrics that pierce through the speakers. One of my favorite parts of this album is how it is constantly changing and keeping the listener on their toes with lots of unique sounds and melodies. The final three tracks of the album change that trend though by not throwing too much new at the listener. This offers a nice close to the album with the synthesizers used in Written on the Forehead and the guitar in The Colour of the Earth. This album is quickly becoming one of my favorites of the year! Check out some tracks below:
PJ Harvey - The Last Living Rose
PJ Harvey - The Words That Maketh Murder
The Rural Alberta Advantage - Departing
So if you have been tuning regularly to Blue Sloth, you'd notice that we, well especially me have been hyping up the new RAA album pretty hard. However, I struggled with the decision to make this album an "Is". Departing does not feature the heartfelt anthems of summers in Alberta that their debut album Hometowns did, but I still very much enjoyed this album. Departing features the RAA raw vocals, and penetrating melodies that you can't help but listen to again with songs such a "Tornado 87" and "Stamp". The biggest difference between the two albums and perhaps where the different success of the albums comes from is the seasons in which the albums are developed from. Hometowns featured emotional first hand account of summer in Alberta of love and heart break with songs like "Drain the Blood" and "Don't Haunt This Place". Where as Departing is for all intents and purpose a winter album with songs like "Coldest Days" and "Two Lovers". Both albums features very well written songs, but I feel the success of Hometowns exists in the optimism and hopefulness of summer, yet Departing fall amongst the cold, dark winters of Alberta, which trust me get old quickly. Highlights: "Stamp", "Tornado 87", "Two Lovers", "Good Night".
The Rural Alberta Advantage - Stamp
The Ought to Be's:
Bright Eyes - The People's Key
What can I say, I had high hopes for this album as we are fans of Conor Oberst (the master mind behind Bright Eyes). But unlike previous albums from them, The People's Key is simply disappointing. I found it boring and lazy yet trying to accomplish so much with songs like "A Machine Spiritual (In the People's Key)". Maybe this is just me but I think Oberst and the gang could have done a much better job and this may be my biggest disappointment of the new year. Highlight: "Shell Games".
Cut Copy - Zonoscope
Zonoscope was not a major disappointment but then again expectation for this album were not very high either. The album does have one definite highlight with "Need You Know", half way into March and I still listen to song quite often. However, the rest of the album isn't bad it just feels like a knock off Yeasayer album, so in that case I felt Zonoscope ought to have been better. Highlight: "Need You Know" (Check out the wacky, illogical sports themed video below).
Cut Copy - "Need You Now" from stereogum on Vimeo.
Well that's all for now, as always we hope this gave you some insight as to what is going on in the world of music. Stay tuned in early April for the March Is's and Ought to Be's, we promise!
- Spence and Bryce
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