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| New York Times |
Grizzly Bear - Painted Ruins (RCA Records)
Released: August 18th, 2017
Famous alt-pop/indie-rock band Grizzly Bear is back with their fifth studio release, Painted Ruins. Not normally a huge fan of this New York based group by any means. Outside of their most popular single "Two Weeks" I don't really find this band too appealing. And my mind doesn't change with this new album right here. Again, I found their sound so plain, boring and unsurprising.
I don't know if it's just me or not, but I have given this album multiple play-throughs and I can't find anything I truly like about it.
I feel like they are constantly repeating sounds on all albums and they're not changing anything up stylistically. They remind me of a boring Young the Giant (especially on the track "Aquarian").
In terms of songs on the record, the only highlights for me were "Wasted Acres" and "Three Rings".
The vocal melody and chorus section on "Wasted Acres" is very smooth, elegant and easy on the ears. The guitar parts are very pretty and gentle, but are still groovy and catchy.
The drum patterns all throughout "Three Rings" are so creative and fun to listen to. From the grimy sounding kit that kicks off the sound to the clean and vintage sounding snares that appear thirty seconds later, I enjoy it all.
Outside of those tracks, this album did nothing for me, even the single "Mourning Sound". I do think the atmospheric synths are a nice touch but the vocal performance is a drag and ultimately kills the song. Atmospheric synthesizers and patches are all over this thing, but I'm just not a fan of what the final outcome was.
This album wasn't for me, but if you're into a more laid-back sounding alt-pop groove, giving this album a shot. As I said before, they remind me of a boring version of Young the Giant, so if that sounds like something you'd like, check it out.
Listen: Grizzly Bear - Mourning Sound
Genre: Alternative/Indie/Alt-Pop/Indie-Pop/Pop-Rock
Fav Songs: Wasted Acres, Three Rings
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| DIY Mag |
King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard - Sketches of Brunswick East (Feat. Mild High Club) (Flightless Records)
Released: August 18th, 2017
Aussie psych-rockers King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard are back with their eleventh full length album, Sketches of Brunswick East. This is a collaboration project with the indie-psych group Mile High Club (Listen HERE). The band stated in the beginning of the year that they will be releasing five projects in 2017. This is the groups third release of 2017 and it was a complete surprise.
Their previous releases in 2017 contained their regular psych-rock and punk vibes, but this went in a totally different direction. Sounding similar to their album Paper Mache Dream Balloon, the group is back with a slower paced and jazz-fueled record. These songs are not as aggressive nor "in your face" as some of their previous releases, but it is still a very groovy, relaxing and enjoyable listen.
All over the album you hear an array of sounds. Stretching from gorgeous synth-keys and playful drumming, all the way to birds chirping and beautiful woodwinds, this album has it all. The sonics throughout are so laid-back, groovy, intoxicating, and just flat-out relaxing to listen to.
Standout tracks for me were "Countdown", "D-Day" and "Tezeta". The bell piano keys throughout these tracks were so gentle and playful, I truly thought they added such a nice touch to the songs. The chorus melodies on each track were very bright and colorful.
Honestly, there wasn't a track I hated on this project. Each song held its own and highlighted how versatile King Gizzard is. The drumming and percussion throughout was very crisp, neat and tight. The rhythm sections, especially bass and drums, gave each track such a solid groove and structure. The unique synth-play and highly-effected guitars were so consistent and effective throughout. As always, the woodwinds and extra jazz instruments were a great touch.
The overall sonics form this project were very fun to listen to and were a nice break from their original sound. I hope King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard continue to perfect their psychedelia craft as we await their final two releases of 2017. Listen below...
Genre: Contemporary Jazz/Alternative/Alt-Jazz/Indie-Rock/Psych-Jazz/Psych-Rock/Soft-Rock
Fav Songs: Countdown, D-Day, Tezeta, Cranes Planes and Migraines, A Journey to (S)hell
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