Bon Iver - "Bon Iver"

Artist: Bon Iver
Record: Bon Iver
Label: Jagjaguwar
Release Date: June 21th, 2011
Review by: Sean Kayden

The ubiquitous Justin Vernon returns to his solo venture, Bon Iver for his self-titled sophomore release. In 2008, “For Emma, Forever Ago” was graciously presented to our listening ears. It was a deeply personal, heartwrenching, and desolate record. Justin Vernon has been involved with numerous music acts prior to materializing songs under this moniker. He even did some guest vocals on Kanye West’s previous album. However, the songs under Bon Iver are Justin Vernon’s most compelling and preeminent work. While the direction is faintly down a different path than his debut, Bon Iver’s music has never sounded so tranquil, transcendent and heartrending. Vernon has taken some new liberties with his own artistry and yet nothing presented here feels false or misguided. Every song significantly matters and holds something vastly consequential. Many fans and journalists have vocally and verbally hailed “For Emma, Forever Ago” a modern masterpiece and therefore, Vernon had a lot riding on his latest endeavor. While perfection is difficult to replicate second time around, Vernon may have figured it out. Instead of purely creating a beat-for-beat sequel to his debut, Vernon adds more instruments, higher production values and focuses his songwriting on an entirely different theme. All of this translates to a bigger and arguably more well-rounded soundscape. Bon Iver never overstays his welcome, yet at the same time, you wish he wouldn’t leave. That’s how this new album feels. At just shy of forty minutes, I don’t think there’s anything else you can be utterly inspired by in that period of time.

The music Bon Iver creates is for the fractured soul and wounded heart listener. The confused and perplexed entity will also find meaning and comfort in this resonance. Vernon’s falsetto voice and sincerely powerful lyrics are both as potent as ever. Not only does the record feel like a companion piece to “For Emma, Forever Ago”, but also an entirely new enchantment. The love songs here differ than the ones on the previous record. This time around, he’s writing them not to a girl, but to places. Some places are real ("Lisbon, OH", "Wash.”, “Calgary) and others through Vernon’s own pretenses (“Hinnom, TX") Either the case, these songs will point you in the right direction. No matter where the individual listener may be wandering, they’re bound to reach their personal destination through the aid of these sensitive, cogitating, and marvelous tunes.

The change in both tone and musical arrangements should be wholly embraced because Bon Iver easily stands toe-to-toe with the best records of the year. The scope of Vernon’s focus and creativity has increasingly widened. Fans of the first album might be taken by surprise, but rests assure this unequivocally feels like a Bon Iver record. While it may have a little more bells and whistles and laden vocal effects, the allure is ever so apparent. The tracks here represent pages in one’s own personal journal. Since you have permission to take a peak inside, be prepared for what’s to come. Once you finish page one, you’ll be hooked to find out how this story ends.

Key Tracks: “Minnesota, WI”, “Holocene”, “Wash.”, “Hinnom, TX”
Grade: 9.0 out of 10

Published on June 25th, 2011 by Mountain Views News.
http://mtnviewsnews.com/v05/htm/n26/p11.htm

Super 8 Review

"Super 8"
Release Date: June 10th, 2011
Directed by: J.J. Abrams
Screenplay by: J.J. Abrams
Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of sci-fi action and violence, language and some drug use.
Review by: Sean Kayden

One of the most highly anticipated movies of the year is Super 8. It’s the clandestine project from the ubiquitous J.J. Abrams. Every venture this guy seems to pursue ends up top-secret. These days, it’s become the norm with any and all J.J. Abrams’ productions. However, the very problem with that is how expectations may get the best of you. I feel as if J.J. Abrams is somewhat of an enigma. On one side of the coin, you have a terrific visionary director. This is a man who can inject new life into anything that seems old and rusted. For example, his 2009 reboot of Star Trek. He was able to resurrect a dying franchise from a script that was as thin as Lara Flynn Boyle and take audiences on an absolute thrill ride. Remember, every coin has two sides though. The other side is J.J. Abrams the screenwriter. In addition to directing Super 8, Abrams is sole credited writer on it. His writing and logic behind storytelling seems contrived and for a lack of a better word, ‘mainstream’. It’s as if he’s trying to please every one of all ages, but it becomes increasingly problematic when the tone of the movie is all over the place. Unfortunately, the case is no different here. Super 8 strives in some areas and will excite many moviegoers (although possibly under their own pretenses). Overall, what is bestowed to the audience is a film that is overwhelmingly unsatisfying.

Super 8 is about a group of middle school friends who are shooting their own movie. They witness a terrible train accident, but it’s the bizarre events that occur afterward when suspicion emerges. Once the military gets involved, the citizens of the small town raise concern, but few answers are provided to them. Same goes for the viewer as well. We’re left with many questions, but most of them are rarely answered. Joe Lamb (Joel Courtney) is essentially the protagonist of this story. He’s a young boy whose mother had just passed away due to an accident at work. The relationship with his father is strained. His father, portrayed by Kyle Chandler, is the deputy of the town and increasingly becomes more and more distant toward his son. Maybe it’s because he’s trying to get to the bottom of what is going on in his town. With his head in the clouds, he puts his responsibilities as a father on the back burner and only becomes remotely concerned about his son toward the end of the movie. However, Joe finds comfort in making movies with his friends. He also forms a strong fondness to Alice Dainard (Elle Fanning). She too has a stressed relationship with her own father. Therefore, Joe and Alice have communal catharsis. I can work with this because it creates emotional depth. Without giving away anything, we also find something else about Alice’s dad that connects the kids to each other even more so. So while the audience tries to sympathize for Joe, you can’t ignore the fact that he’s actually coping with everything quite well. He’s not obsessed with the death of his mother. He’s more intrigued with movie making and the girl he’s smitten by. As far as a plausible resolution with Joe and his father, the audience will be pleased for Joe. Problem is, leading up to that moment in the film feels utterly manufactured because the audience knows this is bound to happen. However, there is no real emotional or genuine build up for it. What you’re going to experience is something taken from another movie, which will replace the illogical way on how it’s presented to you in Super 8. Don’t be fooled by the impeccably beautiful shots and blissful score that masquerades the faulty storytelling.

There is particular bedroom scene with Alice and Joe in act two that is wholly emotional and heartfelt, but that sentiment one will get is interrupted almost immediately. Actually, any time a specific scene is trying to tug on the strings of your heart and emotions, it quickly shifts to another scene or inexplicably changes in tone. That’s a huge problem for me. Super 8 could have worked much better as a coming-of-age tale, but it replaces the awe, excitement and wonderment of innocence and adventure for mild suspense and an uninteresting “alien”. No, I did not give away the big secret of the movie. Frankly, Super 8 has no secrets. It was advertised and setup that way for the average movie attendee to feel that a special payoff was in store for them. The only secret here is that the film tries extremely hard to recapture the magic of vintage Spielberg films. Sadly, it merely succeeds on this objective a few times throughout the course of the film.

Up until this point, it seems apparent that I’m bashing Super 8. I honestly have somewhat of a soft spot in my heart for this movie. Surprising, huh? Actually, it’s for what this movie could have possibly been. What upsets me the most is that Super 8 had the potential, pedigree, and key ingredients to truly achieve greatness. The direction is top-notch, the acting is supreme, especially from the talents of Joel Courtney and Elle Fanning and often times the viewer is quite interested in what is about to unravel on screen. However, I feel that the “secret” of what is going on is more intriguing for the characters within the movie than it truly is for the individuals watching it from the outside. Make no mistake, J.J. Abrams is an ultra talented director, who knows how to market his movies. While his heart may have been in the right place, the fundamental problem with the movie is how your left emotionally empty by the end. Instead of being completely enthralled by something spectacular, you’re instead left to think how the movie made such insignificant impact on you. Think of it like this, a J.J. Abrams movie is like a beautifully wrapped gift you’re about to open. You’re dying of anticipation and you imagine to yourself how there’s no possible way you could ever be let down. After you carefully take off all the bows and ribbons, you open the box to find out the gift you’ve just received isn’t entirely what you hoped for. You’re still remotely satisfied by the provider’s grand intentions, yet disappointment inevitably sinks in. The only thing you can wish for is that your next present will deliver on the promise from its supplier.

Grade: 3 out of 5.

Published on June 18, 2011 by Mountain Views News

Friendly Fires - "Pala"

Artist: Friendly Fires
Album: Pala
Label: XL Recordings
Release Date: May 24, 2011
Review by: Sean Kayden

If you’re looking for the ultimate estival album to guide you through road trips, summer love, (mis)adventures and anything in between, then look no further. Pala is the sophomore record from Friendly Fires, the sitting-by-poolside-during-the-day-and-dancing-the-night-away driven band hailing from St. Albans. They made quite the buzz with their 2008 self-titled debut album and return to reclaim the throne of the premier summer band. Pala is drenched with beautiful electo-pop melodies that would make any mainstream pop artist envious. Friendly Fires aren’t revolutionizing music, but simply put their signature stamp on the indie-dance-pop genre. These UK boys know exactly how to gravitate the shyest kid in town toward the dance floor. Simply put, they’re creating pop-laden tunes that would even make Justin Timberlake jealous.

Ed Macfarlane’s vocals are a breath of fresh air. The dude can really belt out the lyrics. He embodies such a breezy falsetto that falls somewhere into early 90s pop. You can easily hear the uncanny resemblance to the R&B references from that bygone era. Pala is a fully charged, in your face, 24/7 dance party anthem. However, even the most diehard, full-time partier needs a breather to recharge and that comes in the form of the title track, “Pala”. A smooth, slowdance tune that will still have you bumping and grinding on your girl (or boy). It would have been the ideal closing cap to an album that’s like a rush of blood straight to your head. Instead, the track is only at the halfway point. After that relatively quick breather, you’ll be revitalized to kick-start the second half of this boisterous album.

This is by far, the best pop album of the year. Unfortunately, Pala probably won’t even register with the most ideal conventional listener. Forget any mainstream “entertainer” poisoning this oversaturated genre. This is the one and only hustle & flow, jaunty, and full of life record you’ll need this summer. With memorable tracks like “Blue Cassette”, “Hawaiian Air”, “True Love”, and “Pull Me Back To Earth”, you’ll realize just how much better and more alive Friendly Fires are than any other artist making this type of music. If you want to get down and dirty this summer (and who doesn’t?), then skip over the lameness of Bieber and Gaga and head straight to the dance floor that’s occupied by Friendly Fires. There’s more fire than friendly in this dance rock opera to last you through the final days of summer.

Key Tracks: “Blue Cassette”, “Hawaiian Air”, “True Love”, “Pull Me Back To Earth”
Grade: 8.4 out of 10

Published on June 11th, 2011 by Mountain Views News.
http://mtnviewsnews.com/v05/htm/n24/p11.htm

Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. - "It's A Corporate World"

Artist: Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr.
Record: It’s A Corporate World
Label: Quite Scientific Records
Release Date: June 7th, 2011
Review by: Sean Kayden

The duo behind the silly (yet possibly brilliant?) band name, Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. is Detroit natives, Daniel Zott and Josh Epstein. They joined forces sometime last year to release the much buzzed about EP, Horse Power. It was a four-song collection of psychedelic indie pop tunes that included the Beach Boys cover, “God Only Knows”. With their highly anticipated debut LP due out on June 7th, the twosome expands on their eclectic sound. Epstein and Zott both sing in other bands, The Silent Years and The Great Fiction, respectively and share vocal duties on It’s A Corporate World. The amalgamation of the two singers/songwriters were able to craft soft, airy, electronic produced rhythms with their new venture. It’s A Corporate World is a moderately solid debut, but an uneven one at that. There may be plenty here that will resonate with particular listeners. Some will find more to love than others. When Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. strives in specific tracks, there is no denying the magic these guys can bring. However, it’s when they depart from that signature sound that leaves us to some extent empty within.

Luckily, none of the tracks on It’s A Corporate World feel overblown in nature. Actually, only two tracks, “Nothing But Our Love” and “When I Open My Eyes” cross the four-minute mark. In retrospect, the 12-track record is relatively short-lived at 37 minutes and 25 seconds. The first half of the album starts off reasonably strong. Opener, “Morning Thought” provides us with glistening patterns, electrifying drumbeats and mellow vocal harmonies. One of the standout tracks, “Nothing But Our Love” (which made its first appearance on the Horse Power EP) showcases mellifluous vocal tones, dreamy arrangements and continues to float effortlessly through its entirety. The other treasure off the record is, “Skeletons” a darkly, stripped down song with stick clanging throughout that ends way too soon. It’s proceeded with “An Ugly Person On A Movie Screen” a dangerously catchy tune with its contagious “na, na, na, na” hook. So far, so good, right? The second half of the album, which includes “Vocal Chords” and “Simple Girl” from the Horse Power EP takes the album down a slightly different path. It’s not necessarily a forbidden road they head down, but one that raises caution and concern. This is especially true since the first half of the album is inventive, jaunty and often catchy.

Like I previously mentioned, this is a relatively respectable first effort. I would have expected a bit more given my deep appreciation for Epstein’s better pop indie band, The Silent Years. Adding electronics and synths to your soundscape is all the rage right now. Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. uses them to their advantage most of the time. Some of the songs (toward the second half) start off fairly strong, but somehow manage to get stale and unrewarding by the time of completion. I like to think the band’s name is more than a gimmick. If they decide in the future to work on a follow-up album, I’ll still check it out with no hesitation. Growth and progress is inevitable, yet I hope Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. can figure out a way to become the band they’ve set out to be. It’s A Corporate World does feel special and unique sometimes, but those moments aren’t everlasting. Hell, those moments rarely last at all.

Key Tracks: “Morning Thought”, “Nothing But Our Love”, “Skeletons”, “An Ugly Person On A Movie Screen”
Grade: 6.8 out of 10

Published on June 4th, 2011 by Mountain Views News
http://mtnviewsnews.com/v05/htm/n23/p11.htm

The Antlers - "Burst Apart"

Artist: The Antlers
Record: Burst Apart
Label: Frenchkiss Records
Release Date: May 10th, 2011
Review by: Sean Kayden

The Antlers made huge waves in 2009 with their concept album, Hospice. It told the narrative of an emotionally disparage relationship, expressed through the analogy of a hospice worker and fatally ill patient. That record was on an array of best of the year lists from different publications. At the time of its release, I didn’t immediately dive head first into the compilation. I’m not objecting to the overwhelming praise Hospice received, but I can’t honestly say I agree either. Given my lack of knowledge of the band’s most profound material to date, I went into their follow-up album, Burst Apart with an open and uninfluenced mindset. While the ambition may not have been quite as high this time around, Burst Apart is an often subtle, perceptive, and emotive display of music. The record isn’t perfect, but The Antlers easily deliver some of the most personal, compelling, and heartbreaking songs of the year.

Founder/vocalist behind The Antlers, Peter Silberman’s voice is as soothing as they come by these days. It’s the kind of tone that can mend a broken heart. He sings in a crooning manner that floats on top of the delicacy and intimacy of the often times majestic arrangements. It is very easy to get immersed into the incontestable beauty of the songs. Tracks like “No Widows” and “Corsicana” will leave on the brink of tears. “No Widows” delves into the territory of solitude and death, while “Corsicana” speaks about two people trapped inside a room on fire. However, it’s Silberman’s tender voice that will shake you up and the overall aesthetics of these tunes that will have you recalling repressed memories. Where the album takes a few missteps is with songs like “Parentheses” and “Rolled Together”. The songs out of sync presence and/or possible resemblance to tracks off Hospice have them interrupting the incredibly fluid flow of the record. It’s an unfortunate scenario since Burst Apart could have been deemed an equal masterpiece to their previous landmark opus. Overall, there is too much good stuff here to wallow in slight disappointment over some misguided tunes.

“Putting The Dog To Sleep” is the ideal fitting cap to a record that will deeply affect you in more ways than initially imagined. The final track showcases Silberman’s reflective understanding of the parallels of life and death spoken with such clarity and of the likes of an old, wise soul. That’s saying a lot for a guy that’s still in his twenties. There is a very special feeling you’ll experience while listening to Burst Apart. It will effortlessly tug on the strings of your heart and gently guide you back to previous moments in life. My biggest problem though is that this elated sensation is short-lived due to the album clocking in at 41 minutes over the span of ten tracks (two tracks being ill-fitted for the record). Despite that minor imperfection, The Antlers’ forth record (second as a full band) is quite the unparalleled achievement in not only indie rock, but also all music across the board. Burst Apart will lift those heavy eyelids, alleviate that tiresome mind, and facilitate a wounded heart. If you’re in need of all or any of the aforementioned, do yourself a solid and pick up this amazing record.

Key Tracks: “I Don’t Want Love”, “No Widows”, “Corsicana”, “Putting The Dog To Sleep”
Grade: 8.9 out of 10

Published on May 28, 2011 by Mountain Views News
http://mtnviewsnews.com/v05/htm/n22/p11.htm

Wild Beasts - "Smother"

Artist: Wild Beasts
Album: Smother
Label: Domino Recording Company
Release Date: May 10, 2011
Review by: Sean Kayden

Wild Beasts make their ceremonious return with, Smother; the band’s third and most accomplish work to date. On their previous record, “Two Dancers”, the band demonstrated their buoyant, unorthodox, and sexually idiosyncrasy side. This time around, Wild Beasts present a much mellower, focused approach to their unconventional elegance. Instead of simply attempting to recapture the magic of past efforts, the UK quartet dive head first into an ocean of uncharted musical territory. Smother is dazzling, vividly trenched with imagery and transcendental. This is a monumental achievement for a relatively under-the-radar band that continues to push the envelope with each record. Their undeniably boundless talents are once again exhibited in such a stellar, uncompromising, and poignant way.

With Smother, washed away is both their old quirkiness and outrageousness leading to a more mature, austere demeanor. One cannot help, but sense that their overall soundscape has become so divined, graceful, and endearing. Wild Beasts features two singers, Hayden Thorpe, who parades such seductive intonations and bassist Tom Fleming, whose voice is much deeper and masculine than his counterpart. Despite the contrast, their vocals blend seamlessly well together. In the standout track, “Invisible”, Fleming’s vocals are on full display. “The things I thought I'd want/They vanish one by one” is sung in a painstakingly wailing sort of manner. It’s not foolishly sentimental, but deeply affecting and presented reflectively. With the other gem, “Reach A Bit Further”, Thorpe and Fleming share the center stage, dishing out gorgeous vocal arrangements back and forth with the end results being irrefutably superb.

Smother is tightly produced, atmospheric and a grand showcase of utter originality and creativity beyond the means of anything currently polluting the airwaves. Such brilliance and bravado are soaked within the confines of this record. The album will speak volumes to you in ways most compilations could only imagine to ever do. The heart and pulse of Smother beats methodically, gently, and cautiously. However, there is always a sense of impending doom on the horizon. A feeling of something imploding feels very close on the verge. To listen to the album in its entirety (the way it should be experienced) will place you on a voyage of awe and wonder. It unravels slowly, but what becomes fleshed out is something persuasively beautiful, terrifyingly imaginative, and artistically innovative. Wild Beasts are simply more than just a band to watch out for. This is an ensemble that continually cultivates inventive music with such significance and intrepidness. Not only does it set them apart from the others, but also clearly puts them ahead by leaps and bounds.

Key Tracks: “Invisible”, “Reach A Bit Further”, “Burning”, and “End Come Too Soon”
Grade: 9.2 out of 10

Published on May 21, 2011 by Mountain Views News
http://mtnviewsnews.com/v05/htm/n21/p09.htm

Okkervil River - "I Am Very Far"

Artist: Okkervil River
Album: I Am Very Far
Label: Jagjaguwar
Release Date: May 10, 2011
Review by: Sean Kayden

Only until recently, I wasn’t all that familiar with the indie rock outfit, OKKERVIL RIVER. All I knew about them was that they were continually releasing critically acclaimed records dating back to 2002. Their sound and stories have always embodied pure Americana. Okkervil River’s sixth album, “I Am Very Far” strays away a bit from the band’s antecedent sound and in doing so they’ve crafted an entirely new facet to their progressively intrepid resonance. The recording process for the album differed from many other acts in today’s music. They initially recorded to tape, hired a room full of guitarists, two drummers, and provided a copious amount of strings, horns and other orchestra sections. When all was said and done, “I Am Very Far” proved to be a truly haunting, restrained, cold, despairing and magnificent work of artistry by a group that’s never followed the rules. As we all know, only the coolest of cool have the audacity to break away from the uninspiring norm.

The intensely affecting vocals of Will Sheff are a musical device all their own. Sheff is a veteran storyteller with the capacity of constructing a profound aura through his deep-rooted vernacular. “The Valley” kicks off the album with such vehemence. After listening to the opener, you may have an idea where the album is heading, but you’re going to be greatly mistaken. The follow-up track, “Piratess” is provocative and ominous. The grand finale track, “The Rise” (which differs a lot from the other songs) is a marvelous, sensitively elevated, and deeply harrowing piece of music that is the perfect fitting cap to one of the strongest albums of the year. While some tracks have a more vibrant tone, the true gems are the ones that are deliberately paced that place you on an emotional rollercoaster unlike anything you’ve experienced. You’ll quickly learn that Okkervil River is not your cookie-cutter indie band of the week. There is nothing generic or derivative about their expanding, poignant, and passionate sound.

Although violence is at the forefront of their lyrical imagery, there is still tenderness in the nature of their music. Ambiguity and elusiveness hover above the stories being told and everything you hear on the album is a breath of fresh air in a music society rapidly becoming stale and stagnant. “I Am Very Far” is a journey you should not hesitate embarking on. It may seem to appear a tricky one to navigate through at first glimpse, but once you let yourself take that leap of faith, you’ll end up realizing just how incredible it all was once you come to your destination. Don’t be surprised if you find yourself yearning to take another trip immediately afterward.

Key Tracks: “Piratess”, “Hanging From A Hit”, “Your Past Life As A Blast”, “The Rise”
Grade: 8.6 out of 10

Published on May 14, 2011 by Mountain Views News
http://mtnviewsnews.com/v05/htm/n20/p09.htm