New Tunes Reviews, August 13: Yellowcard, The Wild Feathers, Washed Out

Continuing the trend of nostalgia-laced albums, Yellowcard released Ocean Avenue Acoustic this week. This is song-for-song re-do of their classic album from 2003. Because I did not remember the original release all that well, I put each track side-by-side in my queue to compare.  

Overall, these two recordings are pretty similar. Yellowcard was an acoustic(y) band to begin with so this "stripped-down" production really isn't anything new. As a whole, it isn't as much re-imagination as Taking Back Sunday's Tell All Your Friends Acoustic from earlier this year. In general, I think if a band is going to do this type of release, take chances! Do something different! Some of the instruments are deconstructed once you reach the chorus, like in "Breathing," and as expected, "Ocean Avenue" and "Empty Apartment" are all great. The guitar and violin-style in "View from Heaven" makes the track seem as a country song. 

(Random thought: If Yellowcard embraced the finger-picking violin and guitar tone used in this song on future albums, they would probably be lumped in with successful bands like Mumford & Sons and Lumineers. Was this is the plan all along?!) 

Final thought: I enjoyed this album more than the original.  It is more refined. It seems they took away all of those frivolous parts and just kept the essential pieces. 

Chill-wave never really appealed to me as a genre. But when I saw that Washed Out released a new album, I decided to give it a chance. This album, Paracosm, is in-line with the basic elements of chill-wave: lo-fi with looping effects.

Another noticeably summer-time album, it captures the pool-party/drugged-up aesthetic with melodies and whimsical tones. One reviewer hypothesized that albums like this are a direct response to this generation's float-along, paycheck to paycheck lifestyle. To me, it feels like background music. I can imagine situations where this album may be a good soundtrack. It wasn't bad. It just wasn't anything exciting. 

No doubt Paracosm will be considered for Album of the Year honors, though. 

 
The Wild Feathers was my stand-out of the week.  This Nashville alt-country band released a very strong self-titled album that reminds me of Lucero and Jason Isbell. With multi-layered instrumentals and harmonies, the songs do not feel tired.  If you are a fan of accessible alt-country with robust lyrics and good musicianship, check out this album (especially "The Ceiling" and "Hard Times). The Wild Feathers are definitely one to watch. 

Also, Rilo Kiley's rkives (released in April) is finally on Spotify! I was charmed by many of the tracks, including "Bury, Bury, Bury Another" and "Let Me Back In."  The album, which was described as a b-side record, also includes "The Frug" (from Initial Friend EP) and "Emotional" (originally from "The Execution of All Things" single). 

Next week, Superchunk's I Hate Music comes out.  NPR featured this album on First Listen. I took a listen yesterday and it is very catchy, especially the opening track. I will most definitely post a full review for its official release date. 

New Tunes Reviews, August 6: The Civil Wars, Polyphonic Spree, Jake Bellows, and more

There were some notable releases this week. I was most excited for The Civil Wars' self titled album. I also was looking forward to the Explosions in the Sky collaboration for the Prince Avalanche soundtrack but it wasn't on Spotify. 

Here are the reviewed albums: 

The Civil Wars self titled

Polyphonic Spree Yes It's True

Jake Bellows New Ocean

Longlost Save Yourself, Start Again

+ + +

For those who don't know, this album comes after the recent disillusion  of collaboration between Joy Williams and John Paul White. In general, there is something so dreamy about The Civil Wars. It may be the way Williams' voice flows through the melodies or White's quiet yet powerful instrumentals and backup vocals.  On this self-titled album, the sadness comes through in each of the tracks. The title of the single, "The One That Got Away," is just a preview of the heartbreak and disappointment that plagues the release. "From the Valley" and "Oh Henry" are two high points. I wonder where this group of songs will stand up next to Barton Hollow, which is one of my favorite albums of 2011. 

In addition, the test will be what follow this release.  Now that the duo has they broke up as a band, what will they do next? I wonder what each of these solo-projects will sound like. Are these two individuals an example of the "better together" theory?  

Note: If you like these type of vocals but are feeling a lusher and more upbeat sound, check out Mount Moriah. This Merge band just released a great new album called Miracle Temple. 

Talk about a band that just has too many members! The Polyphonic Spree's extensive membership of flute, piano, cello, trombone, keyboards, and more really plays into the lusciousness of their sound. Since I recently started listening to The Flaming Lips, I noticed that many of the songs on Yes It's True seem like a nod to the FLips, especially "Carefully Try" and "Blurry Up the Lines."  As of now, I enjoyed the album. It had that baroque and dreamy quality that one would expect from this band. But as with every Polyphonic Spree album, I ask myself, "Would I go back to this album?"  The gimmick of baroque-style and multi-instrumentation is something I rarely am in the mood for. If you are a fan of Beirut, check out this album. It feels very similar.  I'd rather listen to the Flaming Lips, personally. 

Jake Bellows, former member of Saddle Creek band Neva Dinova, released his first solo album this week, called New Ocean.  In general, Saddle Creek bands are known for that lower Midwest folk-y song.  This album has the usual twang and Bellows' has obviously strong songwriting skills. Overall, I liked the album. It satisfied my propensity towards male singer-songwriters. I am interested to hear more.

I never heard of Longlost but New Music Tuesday is a great opportunity for discovering the unknown. When I saw this album on Largehearted Boy's list, I clicked through because I was intrigued by the album's name (Save Yourself, Start Again). The Amazon page described the debut album from this Boston band, recently signed to No Sleep Records, as "upbeat power-pop to solemn folk, which any fans of bands like Death Cab For Cutie, Circa Survive, Maps & Atlases and Rilo Kiley will undoubtedly adore." 

As a fan of DCFC and Rilo Kiley, I gave this album a chance and it is as advertised. It has that pop-punk sound popular in the early 2000s. The title track reminds me of an early Starting Line song. Most of the other tracks have that Armor for Sleep quality with the harmonies and breakdowns. XM's AltNation would play these songs on repeat. I wish that this band was around during the early 2000s. But then again Longlost would probably just have gotten lost in the mass of similar bands that existed during that time. If you are interested in hearing what is current in the pop-punk scene, I'd recommend this album. It was an enjoyable journey back into long-lost music preferences. 

[editor's note: an update was made on 8/6 to reflect an incorrect characterization of the relationship between members of The Civil Wars and some additional thoughts on that album were added.]