The Rest - "Seesaw"

Artist: The Rest

Album: Seesaw

Label: Auteur Recordings

Release Date: June 12^th, 2012

Review by: Sean Kayden

            Relatively obscure Canadian indie rockers, The Rest, are poised to drop their third record, Seesaw on June 12^th. The band has had a tumultuous path leading up to this release since their friend and producer (of their first two albums), Dan Achen passed away. Additionally, the band suffered a hard drive glitch of sorts that completely wiped out everything that was recorded. This led to a two-month delay, but despite dire circumstances, The Rest pulled through the pain and suffering. Unbeknownst to the band’s existence up until most recently, I’ve had the utmost privilege to discover one of the best under-the-radar indie acts in recent memory. “Seesaw” is a soaring, richly textured, emotive piece of art. To have been unaware of the existence of The Rest is a deep shame, but to those who read this and don’t seek them out, consider yourself foolish. “Seesaw” will awaken your eyes in midst of a shutdown in your own life.

            Irrefutably charming, utterly serene, and continuously inspiring, the album is as deeply intelligent as it is mesmerizing. Without offending any fans, you can hear hints of Radiohead, The Antlers, and Sigur Ros, but at any rate, The Rest is completely special. Shifting from melodically driven tunes to swiftly paced ones, “Seesaw” proves to be a prime example of consistency and a well-balanced sounding album. Their exceptional ability to intrinsically develop tender pop songs is considerably effective. I don’t recall the last time I was truly excited to listen to an album all the way through immediately after already doing so. The Rest has without doubt crafted an incredible, powerhouse record that can stand toe-to-toe with any album this year.

Every song off the record deserves praise and recognition to the maximum degree. The Rest will probably never reach the status it rightfully warrants, but don’t let that stop you from listening to one of the best records this year will have to offer. It’s always a great feeling to discover new, exciting, and fresh music, but with this particular breakthrough, the emotion is at its highest peak. Sure, The Rest won’t be for everyone (as there is no such band ever to achieve such an accomplishment), however, if you’re a supporter of the genre or seeking something quite moving, look no further than “Seesaw.” It will abide as your go to record for anything that life throws your direction.

Key Tracks: “Who Knows”, “Hey! For Horses”, “Laughing Yearning”, “John Huston”, “The Last Day”

Grade: 9.1 out of 10

Published by Mountain Views News on May 26th, 2012
http://mtnviewsnews.com/v06/htm/n21/p10.htm

Beach House - "Bloom"

Artist: Beach House
Album: Bloom
Label: Sub Pop Records
Release Date: May 15, 2012
Review by: Sean Kayden

Steady artistic growth and progress is essential in today’s music. Without it, you’ll remain hanging onto previous laurels and never move forward with your own true artistry. For the likes of dream-pop aficionados, Beach House, they’ve somehow managed to stay within the margins of their genre of expertise, but further expand their dreamy and hauntingly immaculate resonance. The latest album, “Bloom”, comes off the heels of their acclaimed 2010 opus, “Teen Dream”, which wowed critics and fans alike. “Bloom” dazzles and hypnotizes with its atmospheric haze that embodies the ten glorious tracks. The innately organic tone Beach House offers is a marvel to become fully immersed with. There is something truly remarkable to the weightlessness each track plays off. That’s not to say they don’t provide any substance because they do, but attempting to discover this kind of utter beauty anywhere else may as well be a futile task. 

           
Darkly layered rhythms and immensely personal, “Bloom” takes you on an ethereal journey. Composed of stunning melodies and a deep complexity of arrangements, the album is a passage to an unearthly reality. Occasionally a track proceeded by another track might only offer imperceptible change in style. However, if you listen to each song in consecutive order, the awareness to this will mean nothing because the bits and pieces of “Bloom” translate to something much greater. The concept of assorted feelings is scattered throughout the borders of the record. The lyrics transcend one emotion, but the sound lifts you to an even higher cloud of sentiment. Astonishingly, it’s vastly difficult to find a fault with any of the ten songs here. Seemingly flawless from start to finish, “Bloom” is exactly what it’s named after—a period of time which sparks the utmost exquisiteness and imagination.

To pinpoint exactly which track stands out the most would be pointless because each song here takes you to another world. My favorites though have to be the heaven-like sound of “Lazuli” and the lean guitar riffs spotted in “Wild”. In addition, the lyrics of “New Year” may not sparkle on page, but are ignited with such passion and are full of life when sung from the celestial sound of Victoria LeGrand—“You were getting wiser/It’s better this way/Faces in the mirror/Memories again/Now look to a feeling/It’s lighter than breath/All you ever wanted/Is it getting away?” The real treat with “Bloom” is the voyage from beginning to end—one I may add, will stay with you far after your return back.

Grade: 9.3 out of 10

Key Tracks: “Myth”, “Wild”, “Lazuli”, “New Year”

Published by Mountain Views News on May 19th, 2012
http://mtnviewsnews.com/v06/htm/n20/p10.htm

Best Coast - "The Only Place"

Artist: Best Coast

Album: The Only Place

Label: Mexican Summer

Release Date: May 15, 2012

Review by: Sean Kayden

Best Coast, fronted by songstress Bethany Cosentino, return with their sophomore LP, “The Only Place”. The band’s first album, “Crazy For You” garnered a lot of attention both with critics and fans. Two years later, the current sound of Best Coast is both refiner and shaper. The lyrics are similar to the ones found on “Crazy For You” as they equally deal with breakups, love, and relationships. With the help from mega-producer Jon Brion, Cosentino and company drop their fuzzy fidelity for elevated production values and a polished soundscape. In translation, Best Coast really hasn’t sounded any better than they do now. Their surf-pop resonance is blithe and dreamlike. While some fans may show dissatisfaction with the change, those who can embrace it will be captivated. Granted, Best Coast may not transform your life, but their latest songs will be the soundtrack to your summer, no matter the results.            

“The Only Place” zips by fairly quickly. At shy of 35 minutes, the eleven estival induced tracks are fun and pleasing to the ears. Nonetheless, besides the closing track, “Up All Night”, the rest of the songs never really stick with you. Nearly all the songs here are gems, but despite having the shiny demeanor there’s not much else to report on. Sometimes you don’t need to be completely moved or enthralled by the music you listen to. If you simply find contentment with Best Coast’s elegant surf-pop sound and their lyrics about yearning for past lovers, then you’ll be overwhelmingly satisfied.

          
Best Coast never come up short on making the listener either singing along, bobbing their head, or even dancing to their joyous material. The title track plays out like a cheesy love letter to California. It’s harmless, but quite good. “How They Want Me To Be” is the centerpiece for the record. It’s a dance ballad that shows the ultra sensitive side to Best Coast even if most of their songs already deal with mixed emotions. At any rate, the abovementioned song is one of the finest off the record. In the end, nothing beats “Up All Night” the longest song off the record. It closes out this occasionally uneven affair and leaves you contemplating many things. It’s distressing, painfully nostalgic, and wonderfully beautiful. It kind of makes you take a step back and recognize why the rest of album doesn’t give off the same everlasting appeal. Even with some minor blunders along the way, “The Only Place” secures a spot as a definite summer album to listen to even if fades away faster than the season itself.

Grade: 7.5 out of 10

Key Tracks: “The Only Place”, “My Life”, “How They Want Me To Be”, “Up All Night”

Published by Mountain Views News on May 12, 2012
http://mtnviewsnews.com/v06/htm/n19/p10.htm

Suckers - "Candy Salad"

Artist: Suckers

Album: Candy Salad
Label: Frenchkiss Records

Release Date: April 24^th, 2012

Review by: Sean Kayden

Brooklyn art rockers Suckers strive for more of a straightforward record this time with their sophomore release, “Candy Salad.” The band’s debut album, “Wild Smile” was critically acclaimed and an undeniably bold, albeit inconsistent, experimental opus. I was somewhat of an ardent fan of their first record, despite the irregularity of each consecutive track. The songs off “Candy Salad” are definitely more communal than the ones from its successor. The follow-up release may not be what diehard fans of the band have come to expect, but Suckers have successfully grown both lyrically and musically. The latest collection of tunes consists of tight arrangements, catchy hooks, and an overall sprawling soundscape. It’s hard to knock the band for taking a different direction with this newest effort. They’ve stepped out of their own comfort zone even though they’ve seemed to enter a zone of slight familiarity within the confines of the genre.

           
There is a sufficient of things to enjoy from “Candy Salad.” The popper resonance, the anthem-like tunes, and consistent vibe throughout are anything to snarl at. The band even slows the tempo down a bit with “Leave The Light On.” It starts off with a dreamy, twinkling cadence and then sails into a peaceful chorus. Toward the end, we have “Roses,” an exquisite, bare bones piano driven song. A lot of the songs off “Candy Salad” are really beautifully arranged. The reason that “Candy Salad” may not be as critically acclaimed as “Wild Smile,” is because how they’ve taken a so-called safe route. They took bold risks with their first endeavor and right out of the gate people were talking about this much-buzzed about band back in 2010. Now that two years have past, the tides have certainly changed. The hype became calm on the front end and Suckers were in need to make some waves yet again. The way they went about it may upset their avid supporters from the get-go, but don’t be fooled by their own frustration. Suckers have successfully avoided the common sophomore slump curse and I believe appear to be further complete than ever before.

           
The closest tune you’re going to get to the likes of something off “Wild Smile” is “George.” The tribal resonance within the instrumental aspect of the song will transport you back to the days of Suckers circa 2010. In the end, album number two is an entirely comprehensive, ebullient, elated experience. It’s a happy record that will guide you into the summer effortlessly with its pure sunshine tunes. I commend Suckers for mixing things up. Sure, it’s not groundbreaking in the overall soundsphere, but a significant leap forward for a band that undoubtedly possesses a copious amount of raw talent.

Key Tracks: “Going Nowhere”, “Figure It Out”, “Leave The Light On”, “Charmaine”

Grade: 8.5 out of 10 

Published by Mountain Views News on May 5th, 2012
http://mtnviewsnews.com/v06/htm/n18/p10.htm