Gruesome Flowers: A Tribute to The Wake 7" - Beach Fossils/Wild Nothing (Captured Tracks, 2011)
I'm not surprised that the two best Captured Tracks bands, Beach Fossils and Wild Nothing, got together for this tribute 7" to 80s and 90s Glasgow post-punk/indie pop group The Wake (who, after listening to this, I really want to explore their discography). Beach Fossils' take on "Plastic Flowers" is almost as good as anything on the stellar What a Pleasure EP, while Wild Nothing's version of "Gruesome Castle" isn't quite up to par with 2010's masterpieces. Still, Gruesome Flowers: A Tribute to The Wake is a nice hold-over piece.
Idle Labor - Craft Spells (Captured Tracks, 2011)
Craft Spells is yet another Captured Tracks group doing the whole 80s post-punk revival thing, and doing it well. Like the other artists on this particular record label, there are obvious nods to The Cure, The Smiths, New Order, Echo & the Bunnymen, et al. Craft Spells aren't quite to the level of excellence that Beach Fossils and especially Wild Nothing have reached, but Idle Labor is still a very good collection of moody, mid-tempo, guitar and synth oriented pop songs. I'm beginning to wonder if from here on out I'm just going to like absolutely everything that Captured Tracks releases.
Here Before - The Feelies (Bar/None, 2011)
The long awaited and hinted at return of classic jangly indie pop band The Feelies is finally here. And, for the first album from the band in 20 years, Here Before is surprisingly successful. The charm from their fantastic 80s albums is still there, just with more modern production and a slightly more tired feel. But, that's all ok, because the majority of the songs on Here Before live up to my expectations. Some even exceed them. The opening one-two punch of "Nobody Knows" and "Should be Gone" rank amongst the best of the best Feelies jams. Not my favorite record of 2011 or anything, but Here Before certainly is a welcome and much enjoyed listen.
Helplessness Blues - Fleet Foxes (Sub Pop, 2011)
After finally spending some good time with Fleet Foxes' latest, I must admit, I have a hard time noticing any substantial differences between Helplessness Blues and 2008's self-titled LP and the Sun Giant EP. When an album is as gorgeous as this, though, I'm not sure how much that matters. I can't really mention any tracks or instances on Helplessness Blues that stick out, but if you loved, or even liked, the band's 2008 releases, I don't see how you couldn't dig this. This isn't even close to one of my favorites of the year, but the modern take on folk music that is Helplessness Blues always brings on a soothing and enjoyable listening experience.
No comments:
Post a Comment