Blanck Mass - s/t

The sonic landscape ruled by Fuck Buttons is a realm of harsh frequencies and lavish bodies of sound. Their venture into the electronic genre has proven to be one of the more innovative statements made for avant-garde enthusiasts. Sophomore LP Tarot Sport strayed from the obscure improvisation found on Street Horrrsing to an organized, almost post-rockish sound that built upon it's frequent loops until they eventually celebrated into furious crescendos. What Tarot Sport became wasn't so much experimental sound, but rather a look at orchestraic movements of the 24th century.

With Blanck Mass, John Power (exactly 1/2 of Fuck Buttons) detonates a nuke on Tarot Sport's expansive, developmental epics. The result is a sprawling work that incorporates Fuck Buttons' well documented use of looping samples along with their improvisational roots. At moments, it's raucously pleasant. Album standout "Land Disasters" buzzes like it's in the midst of a cartoonish hornet invasion while concurrently evolving in the background. It's marquee synth, oh so prevalent in Fuck Buttons lore, flutters throughout the mix, somehow giving the song an even greater apocalyptic feel.

It's a lot to digest -- and yes, I understand that most drone albums tend to fall under the categories of "growers" -- however Blanck Mass wastes no opportunity in wrapping itself around your head with it's raptured swirls and spontaneous revelry. Over time the rolling hills that make up it's emotional stature peak with walls of noise and even out during brief periods of rest. "Chernobyl" softly churns over in comparison to the cacophonous track in "Sundowner" that precedes it, but the contrast between the two songs displays the obvious evolution in sound that makes this album great. By the time you recover, you'll realize that you've already traveled this dimensionless world inhabited by Blanck Mass, and you're only option will be putting the CD back in and traveling once more.

4/5

Recommended Tracks: "Land Disasters", "Chernobyl", "Fuckers", "Sub Serious"

Washed Out - Within and Without

In a genre that's been beaten to death by hundreds of uninspired Fruiy Loops projects, it's downright unbelievable that there are artists out there who are still trying to revolutionize the painfully simple fad most bloggers have come to identify as "chillwave". Look no further than Toro Y Moi, an artist who's shift in musical direction has landed him a proponent of some bizarre french-disco-meets-Neon-Indian freaky deaky shit. He's not the only one this year evidently: with the latest LP by Washed Out, we meet a musician recreating the genre on steroids, and the result is a satisfying album with occasional strokes of brilliance.

It's not that Within and Without is made up of completely different musical themes, rather, Ernest Greene cranks up the dial on all the qualities that make the genre original. The synths sharply twinkle in the foreground and sustain in the back, the bass shows off streaks of funk as it trudges along in the mix, and Greene himself comes up big delivering a modest yet commendable vocal performance. All of these details can be found in any chillwave act, but Greene succeeds in producing an album that amplifies these strengths while additionally downplaying the seldom blemishes.

The album's highlight is the mid-album track "Soft". Following the brief ambient swirls, the song is soon accompanied by a delicious bassline that turns an otherwise straightforward effort into a vibrant shindig further improved by a relentless dance beat and reverbed-to-hell vocals. In the distance, synths rise and fall, adding to the mysterious nostalgic atmosphere that Within and Without practically breathes. When put together, "Soft" is everything chillwave should be; not a transparent single built by sampled drums from 1980's workout mixtapes, but genuinely laid-back music that combines our childish sentimentality with pop-hooks that'll last for the ages. There are several songs that essentially reek with this 21st century jubilation (See: any of the latter mentioned Recommended Tracks) and others that pass off as decent songs that you could probably squeeze into any indie-electronic release ("Before", "You and I" ), but looking past the few cases of filler, you have an album that's alive and impressively so.

3.5/5

Recommended Tracks: "Soft", "Amor Fati", "Eyes Be Closes", "Far Away"

BEST NEW MUSIC: Bon Iver - Bon Iver, Bon Iver

"I am my mother's only one / It's enough"

Bon Iver's self-released debut, For Emma, Forever Ago, was a cogitative look at a man's deteriorating life. That man, Justin Vernon, "hibernated" in a log cabin for three months, pouring his personal heartaches of the past decade into song form. His widespread success critically and with a mainstream audience is a testament to his relatable desperation. We've all been there: depressed and fed up with life; but whereas most people bite their lower lip and move on, Bon Iver purged his negativity into one of the greatest introspective folk-albums of our generation.

The beauty here is that Vernon's zero-to-hero story hasn't changed the man's image at all. This is a guy who, around this time last year, had flown down to Hawaii to work with Kanye West on the sensational 2010 LP My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. There was a lot of head-scratching when news broke of Kanye's friendly relationship with Vernon. On one hand you had hip-hop's most well known egomaniac, and on the other, an introverted indie-rock legend; but it made sense really: Kanye, like all of us, connected with Bon Iver's passionate harmonies. By using Vernon's voice, he was simply conquering another step of his own healing process.

"I'm up in the woods / I'm down on my mind / I'm building a still / to slow down the time"

Vernon's affair into the hip-hop world was initially inspired by Kanye's request to sample "Woods", the closing song on Bon Iver's 2009 Blood Bank EP. Weirdly enough, "Woods" makes use of the ever-controversial autotune feature - a first for Vernon, and, for that matter, any folk rock musician ever - and as such, it remains to this day the most divisive in Vernon's catalog. The way I see it, "Woods" was an outreach of experimentation that was more of a statement than anything else. Yes, Vernon at his roots is a simple folk rock musician, but give him some time and the right equipment, and he'll be sure to raise some eyebrows.

"I'm tearing up / across your face / move dust through the light / to find your face"

At its heart, Bon Iver is as emotionally intimate as Vernon's previous releases. The key difference here is that dice of experimentation seen on Blood Bank. Look no further than album opener "Perth"; Vernon softly strums a clean riff that's seemingly innocent, but he's soon joined by a building choir in the background and a marching snare in the foreground. When the chorus hits, the guitar harshly wails and horns pander through in the mix. The build up reminds of the likes of Sufjan Stevens; it's an all around different man already, and we're only four minutes into the album.

"Minnesota, WI" follows shortly after, further promoting Vernon's new-found taste of using his band rather than remaining solo. There's slide guitar, distorted effects, and a rambling, plucked banjo that swiftly moves throughout the song. Bon Iver is jam packed with cute flairs and experimental whispers. "Lisbon, OH" is nothing more than a brief ambient interlude with beeping samples, but it somehow transcends into a heartfelt, Steve Winwood-1980s-slow-dance that has absolutely no direct comparison to the rest of the album. It's romantically cheesy and almost downright ridiculous, but Vernon's mature approach to the complete absurdity of this situation makes it work in the most bizarre way possible.

"Danger has been stolen away / This is us"

Despite all of these added nooks and crannies, Bon Iver sounds just as welcoming as he did on past releases. For Emma branched off as an intimate one-on-one conversation, but on Bon Iver, the same, tireless passion is shown wandering in an entirely different direction. The path is dense with surprises and a repertoire of bells and whistles played by his talented and equally modest band. Is this an improved Justin Vernon? Time will be a factor here, but the consistent melodies and overwhelming creativity are a good indicator that it just might be.

Confession: I typed the first half of this review almost two months ago. My brief hiatus from my blog was disappointing (mostly to myself) but my love for this album has stayed and arguably grown. One thing that hasn't changed, however, is my view on Vernon himself. Bon Iver shows an evolved Vernon, an experienced Vernon, a man that hasn't forgotten his humble beginnings. All of our past loves and our repressed doubts for the guy are somehow packaged into a 39 minute product that flies by in the best way possible. It's apparent briefness and it's lack of imperfection constructs a piece of work that is career defining. Maybe this is an evolution in Vernon's still-infant discography. Maybe this is a one-off experiment that will yet again be challenged by a future release. Maybe, just maybe, Vernon will move back into his log cabin and never record another album. I wouldn't be surprised; honestly, Vernon is just a simple-minded man with a gifted talent. But what separates Vernon from most other musicians is the connection made between him and the listener. He's genuine and upfront, and I like that. Such clarity on an album so left-field for a folk musician is rare, but instead of questioning this I'll just hit play, over and over again.

4.5/5

Reccomended Tracks: "Perth", "Minnesota, WI", "Wash.", "Holocene", "Calgary"

Ducktails - Ducktails III: Arcade Dynamics

In preparation for this review, I promised myself that I would refrain from using the words "beach", "chill", and "summer"; but let's be honest here folks, such a task is near impossible with an album like this. From the righteous calls of "Don't go killin / killin the vibe" to the lethargically pleasant guitar licks, Ducktails III: Arcade Dynamics sinks your toes in sand while simultaneously giving off an aural sunburn. It's laid back and casual, never once trying to impress anybody with anything; because come on now, that wouldn't be cool.

Unfortunately for the listener, though, the apathetic concept that this album is built by is both its turn off and its strong point. Throughout the 34 minute LP, Matthew Mondanile lazily strums gorgeous sounding riffs carried by reverb and good wholesome vibes. Everything sounds great, but it's oddly off-putting that the artist is unimpressed by his own product. In contrast, Mondanile's role as guitarist in the indie-rock band Real Estate is central and organized. With more effort put in by other members of the band, the songs just work that much better.

The atmosphere created by Mondanile's rich guitar tone is noticeably relaxing, but because there's nothing else really offered from this LP, most of the songs blend together without doing much more than making your head sway subtly from side to side. It's almost as if Ducktails III: Arcade Dynamics doesn't want to be noticed, which is a shame really, because the album has its fair share of catchy melodies.

In an abrupt change of events, Mondanile ends the album with a 10 minute ambient piece comprised of soloing guitar and fireworks. No more melodies, no more singing, no more sense of a party on warm July night; instead, we sit back and reminisce with the now heightened atmospheric beauty. It's a perfect way to end an album built from the ground up in lavish guitar tones, but a part of me leaves disappointed, frustrated by the lack of consistency and stand-out tracks.

3/5

Recommended Tracks: "Killin the Vibe", "Art Vandaley", "Porch Protector"

Beyoncé - 4

4 is an impressive step forward in almost every direction for Beyoncé, a pop musician who's already conquered the world twice over at the ripe old age of 29. But what's most endearing about 4 isn't necessarily it's quality, but how mature it comes across to the listener. This isn't just a cheap jab at a pop single (the lead single, in fact, is the album's last song) but rather an emotional left-hook lenient on flashiness and upfront with passion. Most notable is the albums production, which takes a backseat to Beyoncé's powerful vocals. Her belting cries of "Let's start over" transform a bland pop tune in "Start Over" to a fearsome track that bleeds tenacity; likewise, the majority of this album follows suit, differing the expected 21st century pop status and rather appearing as a late-night karaoke session that's both keen on it's r&b roots while simultaneously expanding to show 80's funk and neo-soul flairs.

When the album does get showy it never strays far enough to become self-indulgent. The one anomaly is the Major Lazer-sampled "Run the World (Girls)", the album's sole party-banger that seems remarkably out-of-place in the span of things. This is not to say that a pounding bass-drum or overall showiness is a bad thing -- Because let's be honest here, "Crazy In Love" might be one of the best songs of the past generation, and that song wasn't shy about itself -- but instead a noticeable deviation from the experimental formula that works so well with this release. 4 does have misses, including the lazy "I Miss You" and the over-cliched power-ballad "I Was Here"; but mishaps aside, 4 shows a different side to Beyoncé, one that will hopefully continue highlighting her own strengths rather than overshadowing them with studio production.

3.5/5

Recommended Songs: "I Care", "1+1", "Party", "End of Time"