Annuals: Be He Me - Album Review

There is something refreshingly original, nostalgic and artistic to everything when embarking on the Annuals journey. This is a grown-up and refreshing album from the 6-piece band of North Carolina. And what's amazing is that no one in the band is over 22 years old.

The album opens with Brother, crickets in the background before a slow gentle guitar creeping in with violins before blasting into an energetic frenzy with all sorts of synthesizer noises coming in. A great introduction.

I've never been a fan of what is referred to as "experimental" or electronic beeps and strange computer whines infiltrating my headphones. However, with the Annuals, it fits in perfectly.

"The Annuals infuse their music with an array of intense emotions" per their website and I couldn't agree more. You get the whole gamut in this album.

Dry Clothes is a brilliant showcase for the variety you are to enjoy as the album progresses. From Adam Baker's friendly singing to shouts of glee, screams and back to the sweet slower version. And about 3 or 4 rhythm changes along the way.

BROTHER



I was presented with this album by someone who said "As far as quality of music is concerned, they are as good as Arcade Fire ". My first impression was to disagree. However, having now listened numerous times, I have found myself enjoying it just as much. Some reviews have compared their sound with the Montrealers, but I feel they are very different. With the Annuals you get a less frenetic and more calm side before having to "ride the storm".

There is no weak track on the album. Each one compliments each other. My favourite is Complete, or Completing with it's introductory piano, brilliant hoof-like woodblock percussion and the chorus:

"Silence all the clocks tonight
It's show time, with drinks to spill
Hear my mouth, I've got the sounds
to send you back home with peace of mind"

Ida, My shows the slower, laid back side of Adam's voice, before a flurry of electro-beats, rhythmical blurps and beeps hit in creating two completely different halves of the song.

Father, the most touching and melancholy song of the album is about a father losing a child asking:

"What debt has my boy to pay?
What crime has been to deserve this fate?
Lord, What debt has my boy to pay?"

I could go on. In fact there is so much put into this album that I could dissect each song at length, but I'll leave that to you.

As screamed at the beginning of Carry Around:
"I got magic in my head, magic up my nose, magic coming out my fingers, magic crying out my eyes. I've got magic everywhere I fucking look. I can't fight it either, I wish I could." I sure hope that magic returns and will look forward to their next instalment.

Overall, a brilliant album for those of us who are looking for something slightly different, unique and emotional.



Track listing:
1. Brother
2. Dry Clothes
3. Complete, or Completing
4. Carry Around
5. Chase You Off
6. Bleary-Eyed
7. Fair
8. Bull, and the Goat
9. Mama
10. Ida, My
11. Father
12. Sway

Annuals website: www.annualsmusic.com/
Myspace Page: www.myspace.com/annuals
Free song: Bleary Eyed
Other free media: www.annualsmusic.com/audiovideo.php

Clap Your Hands Say Yeah: Some Loud Thunder - Album Review

Brooklyn band Clap Your Hands Say Yeah return to release their second album Some Loud Thunder. Their self-titled debut was very well received after some rave reviews.

First impressions are not good. The opening title song is simply too distorted to be enjoyable. It sounds like it could be a good or even great song, but the continual blasts in your ears simply make it painful to listen to. Bizarrely, it's intentional. Big mistake in my books. However, they did the same with their circus announcer opener of the last album and in time I got over that. It's sad skipping the opening track every time - as I do with their previous album, but the rest partly makes up for it.

This album doesn't have the same sort of sing-along, catchiness to it and is a somewhat darker, more dense compilation. There are still some great tracks and they have experimented with their sound but what made their debut great was their all out energy, speed and application of themselves. I believe they have lost some of these ingredients at parts here.

Following the ear-bashing opener, is Emily Jean Stock with it's light strumming and Alec's voice accompanied by high pitched backing vocals and then Mama, Won't You Keep Them Castles in the Air and Burning? another slower, more "down to earth" track.

My personal favourite from this album is Satan Said Dance. With it's dancy, beepy, electronic assistance, with it's bizarre sing-along chorus, it makes it a track which I can listen to over and over. In fact on short car trips, it's the only one I listen to.

When listening to the first album I had to get used to the singers voice. This time I don't. And while obviously I've gotten familiar with it, but also there is less of what critics call the "over-wavering nasal singing" that was on their debut.

Goodbye to Mother and the Cove follows in the vein of the slower, downbeat trend through most of the album.

Yankee Go Home most sounds like it belongs on their first album. An energetic, riff-laden theatrical effort. It also has lines ending in words that use Alec's wail the most effectively.

The 2 pre-final songs are more life-like, enjoyable and upbeat but then it the experience is let down by the finale Five Easy Pieces with Alec dragging out words with an annoying cave-like echo. While the lyrics make a nice poem, the song is simply a drag to listen to.

Overall there are some good tracks, a couple of very good tracks, some ok and some duds. If you are expecting a fantastic album after all the hype, you may be in for a disappointment. If you are simply interested in which direction they have taken, then you may like it, but I would think many would be disappointed. Unfortunatley, I am somewhat.



Track listing:
1. Some Loud Thunder
2. Emily Jean Stock
3. Mama, Won't You Keep Them Castles in the Air and Burning?
4. Love Song No.7
5. Satan Said Dance
6. Upon Encountering the Crippled Elephant
7. Goodbye to Mother and the Cove
8. Arm and Hammer
9. Yankee Go Home
10. Underwater (You and Me)
11. Five Easy Pieces

Clap Your Hands Say Yeah website: www.clapyourhandssayyeah.com
Free MP3s (legit): Love Song No. 7
Underwater (You and Me)
Myspace Page: www.myspace.com/clapyourhandssayyeah

The Besnard Lakes: The Besnard Lakes Are The Dark Horse - Album Review

The Besnard Lakes are Montrealers by way of Western Canada. Original members Jace Lasek and Olga Goreas are joined by some new faces for their second album. It's a deep, reverberating, emotional ride.

On hearing the beginning of the first song, Disaster, I was incredibly worried about what was to come. It starts with slow, plucked strings and Jace Lasek with his falsetto voice singing melodically over it. At first it grated and I felt it was limp. This was all to change.

Slow horns, violins, brass and woodwind instruments add to the slow, but powerful sound and finally (2 minutes into the song) the drums and guitars kick in. This builds up further and further and you feel like you are listening to a whole orchestra echoing perfectly in a cathedral with the ongoing chorus "You've got disaster on your mind"

This video is for the song called "For Spy Turned Musician" (not on this album - but nice).
"For Spy Turned Musician" Video


In Agent 13 the piano, organ and the synthesizer get a good work out. As with the opening track, it starts slowly and builds up and up and the wait is worth it. Again there is very little percussion until the final third of the song.

There are 3 bass players, 3 guitarists, 3 drummers and The Firth String Liberation Singers Choir in Devestation so you can imagine the powerful noise throughout.

On the album cover (below), there is A Dark Horse emerging on a dark night from a fire. This is now embedded in my mind as it's simply the perfect image for their music. Bizarrely, I just can't imagine seeing them in daylight.

Because Tonight is a Jekyll and Hyde song for me. The first half is slow and lacking bite. Fortunately my patience is rewarded when it unfolds and changes into something with some verve, kick and energy.

The final three songs are more upbeat and instantly likable tunes with more easily recognisable beats and the "usual" instruments.

The Album ends with Cedric's War which has a great marching beat to it and a nice end to a very well-crafted, emotional, creative and different album.

Track Listing:
1. Disaster
2. For Agent 13
3. And You Lied To Me
4. Devastation
5. Because Tonight
6. Rides The Rain
7. On Beford And Grant
8. Cedric's War


The Besnard Lakes website: www.thebesnardlakes.com

Myspace Page: myspace.com/thebesnardlakes