SURFER BLOOD - “ASTRO COAST”

SURFER BLOOD - “ASTRO COAST”
By Rick Zeigler

Astro Coast is the debut album by Surfer Blood, and it is one great album for lovers of rock heavy with guitar hooks. Drawing from the wells of both classic rock (AC/DC, Tom Petty, surf/biker music) and indie rock (lots of Pavement and Pixies influences are evident), Surfer Blood have crafted a solid batch of songs that never skimp on the melody or on the number of hooks present in each song. Opener “Floating Vibes” sets the template right out of the gate, with the first notes being a simple, solid guitar line, backed by a four-square beat, then joined by another, interlocking guitar line. Handclaps, a brilliant bridge, and three vocalists harmonizing complete the treat. “Swim” follows in nearly epic fashion, sounding like a stadium shout-along that has not been dumbed down. A catchy power chord progression is joined with “oh oh oh” background vocals and a number of great guitar hooks to make this the album’s most memorable song. “Take It Easy” has a motorik groove with sharp, staccato-like guitars and playful percussion, while “Harmonix” uses two simple, chiming chords as its centerpiece, around which the band builds a great melody over a bouncing bass line. ”Twin Peaks” shows off the band’s indebtedness to Weezer, but contains bigger chords and a more powerful chorus than anything Rivers Cuomo has put forth in ages. “Slow Jabroni,” as its name implies, slows things down, layering fuzzed-out guitars and vocals over a largely beatless melody. But the group picks up the tempo again for the final pair of songs, both flawlessly melodic and full of spare, catchy guitar lines. Throughout, there is always a melody to hum along to or a guitar line that will stick in your head, with most songs containing numerous instances of both. For this rock junkie with a sweet tooth for pop, it is one of the year’s best debuts.

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PHANTOGRAM - “EYELID MOVIES”

PHANTOGRAM - “EYELID MOVIES”
By Rick Zeigler

Phantogram’s debut is very appropriately titled. It’s spare, hazy sound yields a fluttering delicacy that one can imagine attending to and “watching” with eyelids closed. The band is an upper New York state electro-pop duo consisting of Josh Carter on vocals, guitars and beats/programming and Sarah Barthel on vocals and keys. Their music recalls the glory days of trip-hop, when Massive Attack, Portishead, and Tricky seemed to point towards a new sound. Eighties synth-driven bands like the Human League are another obvious reference point.  But Eyelid Movies sounds completely contemporary rather than dated, more atmospheric than “trippy” and more poppy than “hoppy”. Opener “Mouthful of Diamonds” is a gem and sets the stage. Starting with a bass drum and slightly off-the-beat synth line, a gorgeous, spare guitar line is then introduced. But the real key here, and throughout much of the album, are the vocal lines of Barthel. Her voice is perfectly suited to this music, being both seductive and a little stand-offish. Further, she can whisper or sing out with no loss of emotion either way. When she is upfront, the songs soar. Relatedly, if there is one weak point of the album, it is her partner Josh Carter’s voice. Neither particularly expressive nor possessing much range, Carter tends to almost talk more than sing. However, the musical backing is strong regardless of who is up front, as is evident on “Turn It Off,” with Carter’s lead vocals resting atop a sinister yet inviting synth-driven hook. “Let Me Go” unites a percussive, stuttery beat with a great melody from Barthel, while “10,000 Claps” is almost lullabye-like in its delicacy. And while most songs featuring both vocalists have them singing to each other in alternating lines, album standout “Futuristic Casket” unites their voices behind a hard-charging melody. In sum, those jaded by the mediocre output of recent trip-hop/techno offerings should be well pleased with this release.

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FRIGHTENED RABBIT - “THE WINTER OF MIXED DRINKS”

FRIGHTENED RABBIT - “THE WINTER OF MIXED DRINKS”
By Rick Zeigler

While Frightened Rabbit have expanded to a 5-piece from a 3-piece for this, their third album, Scott Hutchinson is still the main man behind this Glasgow-based band. Ably assisted by string arrangements from label-mate Hauschka, Frightened Rabbit have crafted a huge, atmospheric, and emotional soundscape reminiscent of the “wall of sound” put forth back in the sixties by Phil Spector and, more recently, by bands like Arcade Fire. While the songs are generally steeped in a variety of depressive imagery, with “graves,” “sickness,” and “pale lights” being good examples of the type of wordplay on display here, the music is anything but downcast. Indeed, the grand swells and massed background vocals yield an inspired, optimistic feeling, as minimalist passages are constantly juxtaposed with rousing, dynamic sweeps. Each song adds to the grand, emotional resonance of the album, although individual textures can vary from the voice and piano spareness of “Not Miserable,” to the chant along, hands-aloft chorus of “Living In Colour”. Opener “Things” begins with phased/reverbed guitar (somewhat in the “shoegaze” arena) and rather military drumming, and finds Hutchinson’s strongly sung vocals complimented by deft guitar picking and a variety of echoed effects. The result here, and throughout, is excellent, anthemic, indie rock. “Swim Until You Can’t See The Land” follows, with a strong, beautiful melody declaimed atop a mass of strummed electric and acoustic guitars and stately drumming. Indeed, particular mention should be made of the contributions made by brother Grant Hutchinson’s superb stick play, which can be military-like, deftly light, or sturdily pounding, depending on what mood is called for.  With most songs resolving into huge orchestral finishes, The Winter Of Mixed Drinks is a superb album from start to finish.

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JAY FARRAR with BENJAMIN GIBBARD - “ONE FAST MOVE OR I’M GONE”

JAY FARRAR with BENJAMIN GIBBARD - “ONE FAST MOVE OR I’M GONE”
By Rick Zeigler

One Fast Move… was written as musical accompaniment to a documentary on Jack Kerouac’s time at Big Sur, which came after his fame for writing On The Road. Farrar (who wrote the majority of the songs here) and Gibbard incorporated words from Kerouac’s own writings in the songs, somewhat akin to the approach Wilco and Billy Bragg took in putting together the two Mermaid Avenue CDs. Farrar, from Son Volt and, formerly, Uncle Tupelo, may seem to be an unlikely collaborator with Death Cab For Cutie’s Gibbard, but the synthesis they weave here is a near flawless combination of alt-country and Gibbard’s more straightforward pop-rock leanings. At times, One Fast Move… conjures up visions of an indie-rock Eagles. Organs, pedal steels, brushed snares, and plenty of acoustic guitars decorate the melodic offerings on tap, with the title song and “Going To Cali” just two of the standout tracks.   

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