Category: Quickspins

Will Butler – Policy (Merge Records; 2015)

Will Butler’s solo debut is as eclectic and fueled with unbridled energy as Butler himself. Sonically, Policy is all over the map. It crosses borders into garage-rock, with early-Beatles-esque guitar licks on tracks like “Take My Side” and “What I Want,” then picks up more subtle Southern sounds on the catchy little ditty, “Son Of God,” complete with a chorus of gospel singers. There is an evidently ardent love for the keyboard and all things piano throughout the album. It showcases the Arcade Fire multi-instrumentalist’s undeniable talent, as he goes back and forth between sweetly sad piano ballads like “Sing To Me,” playfully sinister cabaret-style sounds on “Something’s Coming,” and retro-infused keyboard playing on the record’s most infectious single, “Anna.” In many ways, Policy is dripping with Arcade Fire inspired moments, but Butler manages to set himself apart from his band and establish himself as a solo artist on this genre-melting debut album.

Rating:8/10
Trial Track: “Anna”

Ólafur Arnalds & Alice Sara Ott – The Chopin Project (Mercury Classics; 2015)

In the press release for The Chopin Project, Icelandic musician/producer, Ólafur Arnalds, explained the conception of the project: “there has been no re-invention of the way Chopin’s music has been presented since recording began, and I was longing for someone to come along and try something different.” It then became clear that he was the one to do it.

Arnalds enlisted the aid of acclaimed German-Japanese pianist, Alice Sara Ott, and searched venues around Reykjavík for pianos that exuded the right personality for the project. Using the intimate environment and vintage recording equipment, the duo recorded reinterpretations of select Chopin pieces, focusing mainly on themes of solitude and loneliness. Arnalds then mixed his own arrangements for violin, piano and synthesizer to create a multi-layered experience. The result is a captivating, dreamlike ambient soundscape that feel cinematic and modern even though it is based on compositions dating back more than 200 years.

Trial Track: “Verses”
Rating: 9/10

Cannibal Ox – Blade of the Ronin (IGC Records; 2015)

There’s no denying Harlem-based duo Cannibal Ox’s importance; The Cold Vein, now 14 years old, remains a creative high point in underground hip hop thanks to its heady, Martian lyricism and El-P’s now-signature industrial-tinged production. Blade of the Ronin, the duo’s first release since, is curiously vanilla by comparison. With no trace of El-P in sight, Blade of the Ronin finds rappers Vordul Mega and Vast Aire trading in the experimental edge that defined them for a stark yet uniformly inoffensive sound that works against their strengths. While producer Bill Cosmiq does his damndest to build a tense, clanging atmosphere, the results are distinctly lacking in personality, often adhering to rote boom bap formula. Even Vordul Mega, the duo’s more verbose and less dynamic half, somehow doubles down on the monotony, muttering his way through verses as if half asleep. Just like Deltron 3030’s Event 2, Blade of the Ronin serves as a welcome reminder that some things are better in theory than practice.

Trial Track: “Psalm 82”
5/10

Kelly Clarkson – Piece by Piece (RCA Records; 2015)

The appropriately-titled album opener and first single, “Heartbeat Song,” is a sweeping pop ballad which instantly gives life to Kelly Clarkson’s latest record, Piece by Piece, her third No. 1 album on Billboard. With a distinctive and powerful voice backed by electro instrumentals and heavy percussion, Clarkson sounds like a less quirky version of Florence + The Machine on more than a few tracks. Among the highlights of this album is “Run, Run, Run,” a beautiful piano duet alongside John Legend. Life has changed drastically for the former American Idol winner since her last record, Stronger (2011), especially having been married and given birth to her first child. Thus, the themes of this album become quite clear early on: fighting through adversity and the subsequent need for optimism, ultimately leading to self-empowerment.

Trial Track: “Heartbeat Song”
7/10

Tobias Jesso Jr. – Goon (True Panther Sounds; 2015)

To quote author Chuck Palahniuk’s novel Fight Club: “it’s only after we’ve lost everything, that we’re free to do anything.” That quote encapsulates 29-year-old singer-songwriter Tobias Jesso Jr.’s journey to the conception of his debut album, Goon. The Vancouver-native moved to Los Angeles to pursue music, but after a nasty breakup, losing his job, a car accident and discovering his mother had cancer, he returned home, defeated. The journey is what makes Goon so endearing. Not only is the songwriting timeless and earnest, there is a fragility and innocence to the execution that can only be attained through self-doubt and insecurity. The album channels ‘70s singer-songwriters like Randy Newman and John Lennon, but with crisp, clear production and quirky nuances that make it feel charming and modern.

For an album that was conceived through failure and loss, Goon is a triumph.

Trial Track: “Hollywood”
Rating: 9/10

Purity Ring – Another Eternity (4AD; 2015)

Edmonton pop duo, Purity Ring, have released, Another Eternity, the follow up to their acclaimed debut album, Shrines (2012). Not surprisingly, Megan James’ vocals are strong and clear, her soothing, sweet voice singing of heartbreak and anguish. However, any expectations of innovative, genre-defying pop songs were dashed upon the first listen. Another Eternity is simply put, another electro-pop album. Most of the album sounds as though it was remixed to be more appropriate for clubbing, with repetitive beats and continuous layering of synth samples. Though songs like “Bodyache” and “Repetition” have catchy choruses, their overall sound mimics what every pop musician who wants to be played on Top 40 radio is striving for today. This is disappointing for a band who emerged with slick, sharp, and sinister pop songs like “Lofticries” from Shrines. While Purity Ring have evidently joined the auto-tune, club mix bandwagon, there is still hope for the future and the possibility that this album will not dictate their future sound.

Trial Track: “Stranger Than Earth”
4/10

Leopardism – Extraversion/ Introversion (2015)

Extraversion/ Introversion as a whole is a flawless skeleton of songs drawing from rock and pop and perfectly settling in the band’s self-described styles of Marg Prock and Cool Pop.

This Montreal-based duo consists of Samuel Grandholm, whose gritty voice glazes over themes about his libido and rockstar aspirations. His voice’s grainy quality seems to have more natural distortion than his completely clean guitar—which remains completely clean throughout the album. “Faithful” and “Space Unicorn” both unfold in ambiguous directions by jumping from quirky single-noted guitar riffs, to strong rock and roll choruses, to soft muted strumming and gentle vocals. Victor Tremblay-Desrosiers’ drumming is mixed-in at a high level, allowing for a clear platform to sample Tremblay-Derosier’s percussionary creativity.

Though the songs demand attention naturally because of the tight and clever melodies, it runs on for, about, five songs too long. The last half of the album sticks together like an indecipherable cluster, especially because of the absence of any new sounds being introduced. The band’s got creative talent, but the lack of detail leaves the album under-processed and repetitive; maybe try a chorus pedal?

Trial track “Faithful”
6/10

-Mia Pearson

Sumac – The Deal (Profound Lore Records; 2015)

Since dissolving his band Isis five years ago, Aaron Turner has kept plenty busy; his sludge supergroup No Man’s Gloom has essentially turned into a full-time project. Sumac, his latest venture, finds him joining forces with Baptists drummer Nick Yacyshyn, delivering a relentless, plodding sludge onslaught not too far removed from his previous projects. Whereas Isis thrived on a dynamic, multi-faceted sound, Sumac’s The Deal finds the duo struggling to invigorate, staying in the same crushing key for nearly all of its 53 minutes. In spite of this, Nick Yacyshyn remains as athletic as ever behind the kit, demonstrating his virtuosic ability for chaos without ever delving into perfunctory masturbation. Turner, rarely escaping mid-tempo grooves, nonetheless holds his own as well thanks to tasty, dissonant riffs and a crunchy guitar tone. “Hollow King”, the album’s deafening centerpiece, is a stunning showcase for Turner’s ability to channel the simplistic into something effective. If The Deal lacks much substance, it nonetheless points to a promising and new, albeit familiar, entity.

Trial Track: “Hollow King”
6/10

-Samuel Provost-Walker

John Carpenter – Lost Themes (Sacred Bone Records; 2015)

Fittingly dated and equally foreboding, Lost Themes is an incredibly authentic piece of fan-service. Though this may be his debut studio album, you’d be hard-pressed to find a more prolific and influential horror film composer than John Carpenter; aged 67, the pounding, prog-rock compositions he showcases on Lost Themes display no signs of weariness. Transitioning to the digital age, Carpenter’s strict adherence to what he knows best results in chilling songs that, while occasionally compromised by tiny, thin-sounding production, serve as a welcome reminder of the director’s impeccable compositional skills. While it may not be associated with any one film, Lost Themes nonetheless functions as a collection of themes for unproduced films; it’s easy to envision a song like “Obsidian,” a rollicking opus packed with unsettling, rumbling bass and vibrant synths, backing Kurt Russell through a neon dystopia. While its staying power is almost entirely dependent on one’s reverence for the synth-laden, Tangerine Dream-inspired scores of yore, Carpenter’s surprise offering is a real treat for fans.

Trial Track: “Obsidian”
7/10

-Samuel Provost-Walker

Big Sean – Dark Sky Paradise (GOOD music/ Def Jam; 2015)

Is Dark Sky Paradise an improvement over Big Sean’s last two vapid releases? Absolutely. Over a comparatively concise 49 minutes, Big Sean is engulfed by lush, moody and fairly varied trap rap instrumentals from the likes of DJ Mustard, Boi-1da and mentor Kanye West among many others.

From the synth funk groove of “Play No Games” to the densely atmospheric, DJ Mustard produced “I Know”, Dark Sky Paradise remains consistently interesting on the basis of its much improved production. Big Sean, on the other hand, remains as interesting as a plastic bag. Boasting relentlessly of his current status and his insurmountable merits as a rapper, Sean forgets to provide proof, regularly undercutting any moment of possible introspection with a kitchen sink of pop rap clichés delivered in the most cringe-worthy of ways (“I’m doing extra numbers like I’m Chinese”).

With Dark Sky Paradise, Big Sean has side-stepped a chance at ambition and solidified his place as one of hip-hop’s biggest black sheep, proving that a Big Mac in fancy packaging is still just a Big Mac.

Trial Track: “Outro”
4/10

-Samuel Provost-Walker

Torche – Restarter (Relapse: 2015)

On their aptly-titled fourth album, bubblegum stoner sludge outfit, Torche, have effectively started anew. Taking cues from front man Steve Brook’s other recently reunited sludge metal project, Floor, Restarter brings back the thick, chunky guitars heard on Meanderthal while eschewing most of the harmonious pop-punk trappings found on 2012’s ever-so-catchy Harmonicraft. “Annihilation Affair”, the album’s thunderous opener, pounds the listener into submission with a single, unrelenting riff before calling upon a deafening feedback bomb to remind you tinnitus is a very real thing. While Torche just wouldn’t be Torche without a helpful dose of melodic, arena rock chants and choruses even your dad would sing along to, Restarter finds them doubling down on their sludge component, sometimes to their detriment. The band’s shift towards Melvins-like riffery unfortunately comes at the expense of overall catchiness, one of Torche’s most striking and distinctive features. In spite of this, Torche have conjured up yet another tasty, candy-coated and merciless sludge assault. If Restarter feels a tad one-note, it’s a damn good one nonetheless.

Trial Track: “Restarter”

7/10

-Samuel Provost-Walker

of Montreal – Aureate Gloom (Polyvinyl Records; 2015)

Emerging from the ruins of a past relationship, Kevin Barnes, singer-songwriter behind of Montreal, released a new chapter of emotional turmoil in their 13th studio album, Aureate Gloom. Emitting waves of often paradoxical feelings from a single song, the record radiates an overall feel of inner conflict sprinkled with brief moments of relief. The lyricism matches this bi-polar feel, where the nonsensical boils into deeply sensual, blatant anxiety transforming into something oddly therapeutic.

Following up from their 2013 album, Lousy with Sylvianbriar, Aureate Gloom grows on the more matured, nuanced vibes that perhaps diverge almost completely from the eccentric glory days of Hissing Fauna and Skeletal Lamping, which in a way makes it difficult to compare the album to their older works. That being said, the record manages to convey its creator’s melancholic attitudes without ignoring the bumps of elation that renders the rather mellow labyrinth of emotion quite a pleasurable trip to listen to.

Trial Track: Empyrean Abattoir
Rating: 8/10

-Steven Nadeau