Dartmouth Soundoff
Usually, at the end of each term, I wrap up by picking the most relevant ten albums released over the term. While I wasn't writing Soundoff regularly Summer term and therefore missed my traditional last week column, you should have no fear, for I have returned to the Dartmouth interwebs with my musical commentary. These albums don't necessarily represent the most critically acclaimed records, or even my personal favorites, but instead a smorgasbord of genres and sounds that hopefully offer at least a little to everyone.
Usually, at the end of each term, I wrap up by picking the most relevant ten albums released over the term. While I wasn't writing Soundoff regularly Summer term and therefore missed my traditional last week column, you should have no fear, for I have returned to the Dartmouth interwebs with my musical commentary. These albums don't necessarily represent the most critically acclaimed records, or even my personal favorites, but instead a smorgasbord of genres and sounds that hopefully offer at least a little to everyone.
Mac Miller --Watching Movies With the Sound off(June 18)
I've never tried to hide my fandom of Mac Miller, online or in real life. In this latest release, Miller's antics ofBlue Slide Parksubside to a more mature side of Miller, and he pulls it off surprisingly well. Tracks like "Aquarium" and "Objects in the Mirror" have a taste of wistfulness that his previous work has lacked, while in"REMember" Miller manages to genuinely convey grief over a lost childhood friend. It's not all heavy feelings though, and "Goosebumpz" reminds us of that.
Listen to "Aquarium"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R_me4SNmGbc
Pretty Lights --A Color Map of the Sun(July 2)
Known for his live shows and the recordings of them,A Color Map of the Sunis a new ballpark for Derek Vincent Smith. The double disc album is the first Pretty Lights effort that was entirely created by Smith himself, as he wrote and recorded a number of compositions with session musicians in several different studios and then remixed his own compositions. Vinyl, of course, was used in the process. The album didn't get great reviews, but then again, Pretty Lights, is first and foremost, about the concert experience--where his ability to reproduce and bring to lifeA Color Mapwill be valued far more than the CD itself.
Listen to "Color of My Soul"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mW3m9njbHyQ
Empire of the Sun-- Ice on the Dune(July 2)
Earlier this year, I mentioned this band in the honorable mention section of the "One and Done" (http://www.dartbeat.com/2013/
Listen to "Alive"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IPKAwJKGSDc
Pet Shop Boys --Electric(July 16)
Probably receiving the highest ratings on this column,Electricis the twelfth album from the English synthpop veterans who are older than my parents. In comparison to the in-your-face EDM dance records that are popular,Electricat times takes a more ethereal approach as evident "Fluorescent." Their hooks are not so much catchy as they are hypnotic, like "Inside a Dream." The duo takes "their retro synths into a brave new digital age," writesThe Telegraph's Neil McCormick. (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/
Listen to "Axis"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IDCU17wXktY
Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros --Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros(July 23)
Receiving low-side-of-average reviews, this deluxe-size band's third effort perhaps didn't get the critical reception they were expecting with their album of uplifting, frolicking, lets-drive-down-county-roads-
The Civil Wars --The Civil Wars(August 6)
Debuting at #1 on the Billboard 200 chart, the Tennessee folk group's sophomore effort did not fail to perform. Receiving positive reviews, the production takes advantage of the vocal assets of both Joy Williams' and Paul John White's and leaves them very much exposed along with raw instrumentals, each complex to be a stand-alone work of art. Highlights include the beautifully simple "Sacred Heart," sung entirely by Williams in French, and a cover of Smashing Pumpkins "Disarm," that is every bit as emotional as the original.
Listen to "The One That Got Away"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QUWvtrypGGI
No Age --An Object(August 20)
The fourth album released by the LA-based noise punk rocker received generally favorable reviews. At just under half an hour long, the album shows off a range of themes that most wouldn't anticipate from this type of music. From the tender "I Won't Be Your Generator," to an off-key melancholy "Running From a Go-Go" to a classic display their classic skate punk roots in their single "C'mon Stunning" to showing off some rhythmic exploration (at least for the genre) in "An Impression," No Age walks the line between punk and noise art.
Listen to "An Impression"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kKnrhcO8MHM
Franz Ferdinand --Right Thoughts, Right Words, Right Action(Aug 27)
Several years in the making,Right Thoughts Right Words Right Action,doesn't reinvent the wheel of Franz Ferdinand's sound by any means. The opening track and leading single "Right Action" is bound to be a show staple, and the tightness that song shows continues throughout the record. They are as solid as ever, with dynamic bass lines, a catalog of rhythms, and catchy, yet not manicured tunes.
Listen to "Right Action"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RqTsUtQLRFk
Tedeschi Trucks Band --Made Up Mind(August 20)
The husband-wife led Southern rock band put out their sophomore effort to positive critical reception. The album has everything good blues rock requires: crunchy guitar solos, warm bass, soulful vocals, lyrics about love and heartbreak, and plenty of opportunities to turn any track into a 12-minute long live version. "Do I Look Worried" might remind listeners of a certain Allman Brothers hit, while other times Susan Tedeschi seems to be channeling Grace Potter or even Norah Jones.
Listen to "Made Up My Mind"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T8DtOIKpUaQ
The Weeknd --Kiss Land(Sept 11)
Drake's protégé released his debut album of mostly mid-tempo tracks filled with on-the-brink-of-falsetto crooning, leaving listeners wondering if he was born in the wrong decade. "Wanderlust" definitely has Michael Jackson influences (although nothing can compare to MJ itself), and at multiple other points in the album we wonder how much time The Weeknd listened to Boyz II Men growing up.
Listen to "Kiss Land"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wq6V9YpE1aE
As I was writing this column, I was pretty disappointed that I couldn't include this week's release from The Naked and Famous. Then I realized that I literally make up the rules for this column, so I can break them. Although not technically a pre-Fall term release,In Rolling Wavesis definitely worth a mention if only for the reason that yours truly can go through "Hearts Like Ours" about a dozen times on a three hour car ride. In all honesty, I'll probably end up discussing this album in further detail in my Fall term wrap-up column.
Listen toIn Rolling Waves'sampler:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=edgjfaP4dm8