Listened: Monday August 2
The Beta Band really hit their stride with Hot Shots II. Upon reviewing it for the project, I enjoyed it a ton more than their self-titled album. I didn’t feel it was as dated, for sure.
The singing is great and the sampling is catchy and very trip-hoppy. I found myself really gettin’ down several times while listening. This should be on my “concentrate while gettin’ down” playlist for sure.
Listened: Friday July 30
I downloaded Hospice from Amazon for the crazy crazy special low price of $1.99, since I had heard it was good from a couple of sources.
I don’t know what I was expecting, but what I heard wasn’t it. I would say they sounds like Radiohead at their most spooky, crossed with The Flaming Lips and Arcade Fire. All the indie boys and girls out there will love it.
I don’t think I’ve fallen in love with it, but definitely in like. And for the price, it was pretty easy to like.
Listened: Friday July 30
Hopes and Fears is a really pretty and catchy album that I enjoy, but despite that I fell out of love with Keane pretty quickly. For starters – the lyrics are inscrutable. I don’t mind the odd inscrutable song in general, but none of their songs seem to mean much of anything.
Secondly, when I saw them live, their singer, Tom, has the cheesiest performance style – his gestures and facial expressions look too unnatural and practiced. I’d much rather they look spontaneous and less perfect and “pretty”.
Thirdly, they went into the burned out rock star phase really quickly – the singer was in rehab after the first album.
All of this ended up being too cliche for me. Their second album is coming up later in the project, but after that album, they’ve fallen off my radar.
Listened: Thursday July 29
Hope is Important is Idlewild’s first full length album, and like Captain it’s still pretty shouty and loud, though there are softer REM-y songs (I’m Happy To Be Here Tonight, I’m A Message) that show shades of later Idlewild. Days when I’m feeling like I need some shouting (unfortunately often these days) I should put this on.
Emily's Albums A to Z 