Keep EP - Animal Collective (Keep, 2011)
To go along with the release of the show they designed for the Keep brand, Animal Collective released a cassette EP featuring one solo track from each member. Geologist's "Jailhouse" is a droning ambient track that befuddles me as to why it was chosen to open this EP. But, then I remembered it's Animal Collective we're talking about here. Avey Tare's "Call Home (Buy Grapes)" is pretty, polite and weird. Deakin's "Country Report" is arguably the most gorgeous tune here with its swirling samples and surprisingly nice vocals. Lastly, Panda Bear does not disappoint with closer "The Preakness," which sounds like it would have fit pretty well on his newest LP, Tomboy. Nothing crazy or mindblowing here, but definitely an interesting look at where the band is headed, especially with the rejoining of Deakin.
Mind Bokeh - Bibio (Warp, 2011)
Initially, I was taken aback in the really good way by Bibio's latest, Mind Bokeh. I was pleasantly surprised by the fun and varied sounds found throughout. Over time, my infatuation with these songs has waned considerably, but there still is quite a bit to enjoy here. To name a few of its highlights Mind Bokeh features what I consider to be an obvious nod to Thin Lizzy, a number of songs showcasing gorgeous, warm and entrancing guitar loops, and one of those popular kind of summery, Caribbean type jams in the vein of The Very Best/The Ruby Suns/etc., which actually turns out to be the best song on the record. Everything in between is solid but somewhat forgettable.
Front to back, Crystal Stilts' long-awaited follow-up to 2008's Alight of Night should be considered an improvement. The gloomy production here is even better, not to mention the songs and everything about them. Crystal Stilts put a dark spin on their jangly post-punk, yet seem to have developed even more of a sense of humor, which is appealing. Brad Hargett still sounds like he's channeling the ghost of Ian Curtis, and most of the time its charming. I was surprised by how bright songs like "Silver Sun" and "Half a Moon" are, and they are unsurprisingly the outright highlights of the record. In Love With Oblivion is a step in the right direction for Crystal Stilts, and I'm sure my feelings for it will only grow.
Here's a band that I've never really cared about it, even if I check out their albums every time they release one. 2008's Visiter was completely overrated, while the follow-up, Time to Die, was slightly underrated, but still not anything especially great. Now we come to The Dodos' latest, No Color, which is another pleasant surprise in 2011. The guitars are folky but so much more interesting than that, with various sounds, textures and rhythms. The same thing could be said about the polyrhythmic drums. Meric Long's voice is perhaps a little too good, but sometimes its nice to hear someone sing so well. Album opener "Black Night" is probably the best thing this band will ever do. I honestly don't see No Color having much staying power with me, but I'm enjoying it quite a bit for now.
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