Mumford & Sons - Babel

Sigh No More is to grass as Babel is to wheat. green to gold is the distinction i immediately noticed upon listening to this album, as it's much brighter and more uplifting than its predecessor. while Babel still has its humble as well as aggressive moments, it doesn't contain any of the sorrow, frustration and desperation that came through on such tracks as "White Blank Page", "I Gave You All", and "Dustbowl Dance"; with "Broken Crown" being an obvious exception. i believe this (record) to be a reflection of where they are as a band that's received the attention they deserve, and are/have been touring the world doing what they love most with what they most likely consider to be unprecedented success. wouldn't that make you cheery, too? 

i'm glad that they've expanded on their strengths as song-writers/performers, i.e. effective dynamic changes, swelling choruses, and an easily-replicated-live feel. it doesn't disappoint me in the least, as many of these songs were probably written immediately after, during, or even before those released on SNM. these are four extremely talented musicians who have plenty of versatility and tricks up their sleeve, but this record is not where that experimentation or progression belongs. (in fact, i think SNM already displayed more creativity in rhythm and time signatures than Babel, which is more straight forward, but also "bigger".) truthfully, they probably already have enough material to put out another album or two with an entirely different sound/style. that being said, i don't think we'll have to wait another 3 years for a new release.

for me, the record really picks up steam and becomes truly beautiful and powerful from the stretch between "Lovers' Eyes" (favorite), continuing through "Hopeless Wanderer", "Broken Crown", and "Below My Feet". "Babel" is a great song which accurately sets the precedent. "For Those Below" has a wonderful chromatic progression (and a lot of those "subtleties" other reviewers have hinted at), and "The Boxer" is much more of a classic/traditional folk song than we've heard thus far from either album. both add a nice balance to Babel, and give it enough diversity to silence - or at least reduce to a grumble - those who criticize it for being repetitious.

because this record moves in waves - 3,  by my count -  a lot of people are going to feel safe in judging the effort as a whole after only three or four tracks. this is understandable, with the bar being set pretty damn high as far as expectations go after their masterful debut release. but Babel, as you mentioned, is very agreeable and instantaneously enjoyable; the latter of which i feel is the absolute intention. just kick back and listen to what's there as opposed to what you think may not be, and you'll be pleasantly surprised after all. 8/10.

Vacant State - Fill the Void

elusive, straight-forward hardcore from Vancouver that makes you wanna grab your board and shred the nearest mini ramp. west coast style (perfectly captured by the SST derivative cover art) with plenty of boston's earlier talents' flavor. vocals are barking-like shouts, reminiscent of NEGATIVE APPROACH. so basically, it's either a wonderful culmination of country-wide ushc, or i need to pay much closer attention to the scene across our northern border.

excellent overall balance; from wailing guitar leads, chugging bass riffs, rhythm/tempo variation, traditional (genre-appropriate) song structure, and even lyrical content. considering this is their debut full-length, and despite the fact that they play a very generic brand of punk, it's quite impressive stuff. 11 track onslaught of thrash parts, circle pit ragers, dance parts and stage dive opportunities abound. no cheesy Bridge 9 gang vocals, which i am generally fond of, but if they existed here it would probably take away from their flow. good call.

lyrics span from dissatisfaction with fake friendships, frustration with stagnancy and redundancy/boredom, defiance towards conformity, and - to paraphrase both this act as well as CEREMONY - just feeling "sick". again: generic, but done really well. maybe "classic" is maybe a bit more fitting. i would, however, like to think that they are paving a new path with songs like "Rhetoric". i interpret it as a kind of critique towards left-wing politics and their pretentious subscribers, but not one that's in total opposition to being "socially conscience", for lack of a better term. basically, i see it as a statement that any representative of an oppressed group - insofar as they are asserting themselves as a representative/expert/what-have-you - are thus exposing themselves as members of the authoritative class through that very act. but hey, that's probably me reading in way too far.

all theorizing aside, this LP is fantastic. you should buy it, as it is hella cheap, or at least download it and talk them up in your town/city to earn them some more exposure and a larger attendance if and when they come through.

songs that get my proverbial motor running: Rhetoric, Fill the Void, Alone, No.

available through: Deranged Records, Go It Alone, and probably any number of other distros. last.fm is in the title. enjoy!

WORLD TOUR WITH DRAKE, PLZ.

Funeral Parade - Self-Titled

FUNERAL PARADE (Portland, OR) play spot-on early-80's UK style dark punk rock. tight, straight-forward and driving rhythm section, catchy lead riffs, and an overall sound that captures the essence of an entire era. this is a cassette release, and it's the perfect medium. i'm actually finding myself speechless over how good this is.

focusing on the horrors of our social reality rather than expounding literary praise (and with the Blinko-esque artwork, might i add), this band plays what, to me, is deathrock. like, with the clouds rolling over the moon - which is currently visible from my window - i just want to turn off the light in my room right now and get well-dressed and dance.

i really wish i would have written "For You". i just heard this demo for the first time about ten days ago, and i can already assure you that this track - hell, the whole tape, really - is timeless. a modern-day classic. how rare is that? the rumor mill has it that they've already disbanded. i really hope that for the sake of all us cold-hearted kids out there this isn't true, because if so, then the universe is missing out on something truly special. don't pass on this. it's genuine and it is very, very beautiful.

last.fm link in the post's title.