My Chemical Romance - I Brought You My Bullets, You Brought Me Your Love

Roughly ten years ago, one of the biggest bands in the history of music released one of the most influential albums in the history of rock. But before that, they had to begin somewhere. It has been a decade since My Chemical Romance released The Black Parade, but besides a select few songs, the songs preceding that album aren't as well acclaimed.

That being said, it's not hard to see why that's the case for the band's 2002 debut, I Brought You My Bullets, You Brought Me Your Love. The album is a tragic cross between edginess and some good ideas, but neither points are actually achieved throughout the record, making the album almost widely forgettable until you look at its purpose.

Musically, there really isn't much going on that's special. There's a lot of uncertainty in the album, and its evident through the sound. The album's rawness plays into that. Unlike future MCR albums to come, I Brought You Bullets misses the grandiose of its successors and focuses more on the "emotion-through-tone" aspect. The instrumentals are often times brooding and fast-moving without much work done on them to clean up. The work isn't sloppy, but it's definitely not tight, either.

The first examples of rawness are in 'Vampires Will Never Hurt You', the big drive and solid guitar work feels wholly unpolished but still fits the context of the song with its edgy, throaty screaming from Gerard Way in front. 'Vampires' is almost like a precursor; it has traces of that signature creepiness that always gave MCR's music very Tim Burton-esque. The edgy textures follow through in 'Drowning Lessons', focussing more prominently on melodic guitars while still maintaining the off-kilter vibe.

The album isn't pigeonholed into one type of sound. That's a big thing for a debut, especially of its time. There's the lo-fi Spanish acoustic intro of 'Romance', which is almost misleading of the album but carries the sentiment expressed within it. 'Our Lady Of Sorrow' can be most easily described as a form of "dance metal," the guitars interesting and heavy with a driven beat that has a slight groove to it. If Gerard wasn't screaming like a dying frog, this song could've been something really interesting. The entire sound of the album is contrasted by 'Early Sunsets Over Monroeville', the bright, cheerful guitar shining above Way's flowing melody. The song is somber yet clean. The album's closure 'Demolition Lovers' - the subjects of the accepted headcanon of the story, discussed later on - is a longer song, starting quietly and with a defeated vibe before building into one final burst of energy and anger to close the album. There's different parts and levels to the song that give it some character, giving the album a fresh ending.

I Brought You My Bullets takes on a different dimension if you take the story into account. The story, while unofficial, turns the album into a concept album. A simple yet effective tale, the album tells the story of two lovers running from an enemy before ultimately being gunned down in the desert. The story is picked up in the band's sophomore album, but I Brought You My Bullets ends in defeat. His girlfriend dead, descending to Hell and he being trapped in purgatory, it's a tragic ending to a thrilling story put to bad screams and volatile instrumentals.

The theme of love and chasing it, or in some cases destroying it, is definitely present throughout the record. The story starts with the character acknowledging in a selfish manner that the relationship will only fail in 'Honey, This Mirror Isn't Big Enough For The Two Of Us', the chorus clearly stating "And you can cry all you want to / I don't care how much / You'll invest yourself in me / We're not working out." The Black Parade explored the acceptance of death, while the band's first two explore immortality. This becomes more evident in Three Cheers For Sweet Revenge, but the lead up is in I Brought You My Bullets. Undying creatures such as vampires and causes of death including drowning are evidence of the exploration of death, how to escape it, and what it means.

Some songs don't fully play to that concept, though. Particularly, there's 'Skylines and Turnstiles', the song that is set off My Chemical Romance. Inspired by Gerard's witnessing of the September 11, 2001 World Trade Center terrorist attacks. The lyrics discuss whether or not forgiveness can be sought out, and whether or not there is hope for justice. Way shows that there is unity amongst the people, that no one is alone, but can't beg but ask whether or not there is hope to be found, the chorus pleading "This broken city sky, like butane on my skin stolen from my eyes / Hello, Angel tell me, where are you? Tell me where we go from here."

My Chemical Romance's beginnings may not have been perfect, but they stood as precursors to what was ahead. I Brought You My Bullets, You Brought Me Your Love is a confused record, but its struggle with identity birthed something unique, unbeknownst, at the time, to both the band and listeners. It's a hit or miss record, unfortunately, but its importance cannot be ignored.

Favorite Tracks: Vampires Will Never Hurt You; Demolition Lovers; Honey, This Mirror Isn't Big Enough For The Two Of Us

Least Favorite Tracks: This Is The Best Day Ever, Cubicles

Rating: 68 / 100

We're reviewing My Chemical Romance's discography this month - check in next Thursday for our review on Three Cheers For Sweet Revenge!

Nicolas Jaar - Sirens

Brilliance can come in the most subtle of forms. Such is the case of Nicolas Jaar's highly anticipated second full length album, Sirens. The Chilean-American producer has long been an icon in the electronic an ambient scene, and the reasons why are evident in the album.

Growing up in New York with one of the world's most profound visual artists as your father is bound to serve as inspiration. Jaar grew up in dance music circles in the city, crafting a rough, hip-hop influenced array of tunes, originally as jokes just to make his mother laugh and dance. His message became clear when he released two songs featuring him singing in Spanish as a counter to the European DJs who were exposing Latin American and South American culture in exploitative fashions.

Sirens isn't an album that makes a highly political statement, but it does reveal what Jaar's culture and past mean to him. The dark and franticly dancing synths of 'Leaves' are supported by cute samples of what is presumably a young Nicolas Jaar having a family moment, as you can hear a little boy speaking Spanish to his parents. Its like a dark contrast: the darkness of life shrouded those purer, innocent memories. The ode to his heritage continues in 'No', a simpler song that builds up to a Latin beat backed by Spanish chants.

The brooding theme carries into the billowing 'Three Sides Of Nazareth', the driven synths, big beat, and interesting samples combined with the hook of "I found my broken bones on the side of the road" replaying throughout giving the song one of the strongest vibes on the record as far as energy goes. The album's closer 'History Lesson' is a dreamier song to follow 'Nazareth', building slowly into a confident ending, bubbly synths rising as a big beat and organs with guitar provide a big ending to the record, as a release to all the pressure.

Killing TimeThe darkness of the album cannot be ignored, though. The dramatic album opener is the epic, eleven minute track 'Killing Time' is full of dark, moody imagery complete with sparkling descending pianos and beautiful aesthetics. The song's even split up into three parts on certain versions of the record: 'Mirrors', 'Killing Time', and 'Sirens'. The eleven minute long journey seems to do it well, though, especially as it seamlessly segues into 'The Governor' with its groovy, surf rock samples that precede thick bassy beats and aesthetic pianos.

Nicolas Jaar's new album is prolific and keeps his heritage close without being overly political. It's beautiful aesthetics are only marred by the need to listen to the album several times to really get it - if you don't analyze it, it won't make much sense. It becomes background noise, in a sense. But it's a soundtrack of a life, and a soundtrack to a culture. Jaar's mission isn't over yet.

Favorite Track: Killing Time

Least Favorite Track: No

Rating: 77 / 100 

Yellowcard - Yellowcard

When the alternative rock legends Yellowcard announced that they were calling it quits, many were disappointed. Now, that final album is here. The band will tour for the album then hang up their coats for good. Their tenth and final studio album is the eponymous Yellowcard, and its a mixed bag.

The album is a sendoff, as it appropriately should be, and encompasses a lot of what Yellowcard have built themselves up to in their career. The band was always special because of violinist Sean Mackin providing that extra, unique touch to each song, and that's evident on this album. Proud violin brings in the opening track 'Rest In Peace', while also leading the emotional ending 'Fields & Fences'. The album's closer is a country-tinged one, being lead by reverberating electric guitar, a folky acoustic, and Ryan Key's somber vocals. The violin adds a lot to the song, making it sound like the appropriate farewell from the band. It sounds like something you'd hear at a funeral, the clouds grey and empty with a thankful but sad atmosphere. The melodies are sweet as the band builds up to one big, final climax before the song is taken out with a pretty violin. The band buried the hatchet appropriately with this one.

There are some rockier moments that won't tug on your heartstrings in that way, thankfully. 'A Place We Set A Fire' takes its riff straight out of the mid-2000s, the band's prime. The bass tone is absolutely awful, but the song makes up for it in its sweet, sweet nostalgic vibes. The choruses take you back to your high school days (or if you're in high school, reminds you of the present). The five-minute spanning 'Savior's Robes' brings some urgency to table and provides the album with some final heaviness. The choruses take you back similarly to 'Place', the harmonies and melodies sounding exactly like the niche of that era.

That's really all of the praise you can give the album, sadly. The rest of it is plagued by poor decision or simply boring songs. From the beginning with 'Rest In Peace', you know the album is destined for something that's not 100%. The song starts off promising but ends in a bland fashion, a very uninspired array of guitars, melody, and arpeggios. 'Got Yours' is also a song that just comes and goes due to its forgettable structure. Repetitiveness and just being plain boring is what stops the country vibes of 'I'm A Wrecking Ball' from being any good.

The rest of the errors are mainly decision based. No one can be quite sure as to why the band decided to brickwall and distort the drums of the intro of 'What Appears' to hell, and then do it again with everything at the end of the song. Nor will we be able to understand why they included the album's piano ballad in the front half of the record, right when momentum was starting to build. Why 'The Hurt Is Gone', an already boring song, goes on for over six minutes is also a good question to be asked.

Yellowcard's final album isn't perfect, but it ends just how it needed to. It's a summation of the band's decade-and-a-half career, and really shows why the band made it to where they are now. They were an important band to alternative rock and the whole emo subculture it carried, and it's sad to see them go. All good things must come to an end, and Yellowcard is no exception. The memories will carry on.

Favorite Tracks: Fields & Fences, A Place We Set A Fire, Savior's Robes

Least Favorite Tracks: What Appears, I'm A Wrecking Ball, The Hurt Is Gone

Rating: 68 / 100

Epica - The Holographic Principle

Metal and classical music share a lot of similarities, and when they come together it makes something amazing. Epica are the masters of it, the symphonic metal group proving so with their seventh album, The Holographic Principle.

The Holographic Principle is a concept album of sorts. Not in the storytelling way, necessarily, but thematically. The album is set in a universe created digital generated though a hologram. Guitarist Mark Jansen continued the explanation, saying that the theory is possible, even discussed by scientists.

The music certainly plays to the theme. Riddled with dramatic, cinematic orchestras and larger than life soundscapes, this album truly sounds like a space opera put to an album. The intro track puts it all into perspective. The blaring horns of ' ' and its pounding drums create an epic cinematic scene, as if you're watching an armada descend onto Earth as an interstellar war begins. The theme continues with single 'Edge Of The Blade', symphonic punctuations adding Simone Simons' huge vocals and the massive choruses. 

Cinematics continue in 'Universal Death Squad', the pretty intro leading to thumping drums and an electric guitar solo. The album's ending 'The Holographic Principle - A Profound Understanding Of Reality' summarizes the album sonically, big orchestras and epic guitars building up its huge eleven minute run time. While massive, it does feel... inconclusive in the end.

What the issues sees in its latter half is a continuously underwhelming experience. Not necessarily in the way of saying the songs aren't big, but in the way that the beginning of the album was so huge that it set a big precedent that the album just didn't live up to. 'The Cosmic Algorithm', for example, as a standalone is a big song, but feels underwhelming when listening through the album. The song's slightly more uplifting, if not just generally more positive than other tracks.

There's some experimentation on the record, too, giving it some flavor. 'Dancing In A Hurricane' has eastern vibes, adding some adventurous and mysterious scenes to the already action packed album. Quieter, sweet moments can be found in the bridge of 'Beyond The Matrix', serving as a reprieve from the chaos of this spacial war, while the acoustic track 'Once Upon A Nightmare' starts off dark and acoustically before eventually building into another monstrous track.

Epica has shown time and time again that they can bring symphony and metal to the same plate in flying colors, and the epic space opera of The Holographic Principle shows it. While the album's beginning outshines its end in grandness, the entire stands alone as an epic movie soundtrack that plays through your mind while you listen through. Another big album that shows Epica's threat is here.

Favorite Tracks: Edge Of The Blade, Eidola, Divide and Conquer

Least Favorite Tracks: Ascension - Dream State Armageddon, The Holographic Principle - A Profound Understanding Of Reality

Rating: 75 / 100

Francis and The Lights - Farewell, Starlite!

A vulnerable pop album is a very revealing one. It takes a lot for someone to really let themselves go and express themselves, especially through the means of pop music. Francis and The Lights take that big step in their debut album, Farewell, Starlite!

This outfit isn't just entering the playing field; Francis and The Lights have been achieving slow success since 2007 with a handful of EPs and a collection of singles. They've landed big tours with the likes of Drake, La Roux, and Ke$ha and were even referenced in Drake's If You're Reading This It's Too Late. Stardom is no mystery to the group, and Francis Starlite knows it.

As mentioned before, there is a sense of vulnerability on the record. It's evident in tracks like opener 'See Her Out (That's Just Life)', its infectiously dinky synths that bounce throughout the song providing a light atmosphere for Starlite's hopeful vocals. The song's about heartbreak, but Starlite can't bring himself to stop caring about his partner, the chorus asking "If you see her out there / Behind the wheel / Driving getaway / Oh god, I hope she escapes / Whole damn world is a cage." The fact that the instrumental has little more beyond the quiet synths backs up the vocals adds to the very raw and pure disposition of the song. It's not trying to mask its meaning: it wants to be heard.

Other songs that invoke a similar sense include single 'Friends' and closure 'Thank You'. 'Friends' gained some momentum when Kanye West appeared in the music video, but the song's meaning also gives it what it needed to succeed. The song again discusses heartbreak, Francis wanting to rekindle a relationship. The chorus somberly cries, "We could be friends / Just put your head on my shoulders / I will straighten out, for you / Don't wanna know if you made mistakes / I'm still waiting on your sunshine" Kanye's only line in the song being one single iteration of "We could be friends," the distortion of his vocoder indicating him being in tears. Bon Iver - who's new album is also pretty good (see our review here) - contributes to the song, too, singing the first verse and arranging the beautiful schizophrenia of the song's conclusion. 'Thank You' follows it, the song's lo-fi phoIne recording making up most of the track, again pairing rawness with vulnerability.

The rest of the album isn't as vulnerable, but it's still quite catchy. The cheerful synths and nice melodies of songs like 'Comeback' (which come in later in the song) and 'Can't Stay Party' provide a ear-catching experience. Many of the songs revolve around the theme of heartbreak, including 'Comeback' and 'I Want You To Shake', toying with his feelings towards wanting to find love again. Some fun moments find their way onto the record too, including the reminiscent personality of 'May I Have This Dance' with its dinky synths and the fun fat bass pops in 'Running Man / Gospel OP1' after its dramatic intro. Bon Iver-esque vocoders also come into play on 'May I Have This Dance' and 'It's Alright To Cry'.

While the album does tackle a relatable subject, it's not exactly free from cliché. Heartbreak is something many have experienced, or at least heard about. It seems for every song about something different, there's two Taylor Swift songs about a broken relationship. Lots of this album becomes forgettable after its initial charm. The sentimental and vulnerable nature of the three tracks mentioned before that contain those elements aren't exhibited throughout the record, sadly. Had he kept that demeanor going, Farewell, Starlite! could've been a much greater album.

That being said, it's not a bad album by any means. Francis and The Lights' long-awaited debut is a success, but it could've been taken a step further. The album's relatable nature and somber overtones provide for a heartwarming, if not nostalgic listen. Let's just hope the next album doesn't take a decade to come out, and for the sake of Starlite, that he finds what he's looking for throughout the album: love.

Favorite Tracks: See Her Out (That's Just Life), Friends, It's Alright To Cry

Least Favorite Track: My City's Gone

Rating: 76 / 100

BANKS - The Altar

BANKS made ripples in pop when her debut Goddess in 2014. After wallowing in the success, landing big tours with the likes of The Weeknd, she's taken it back a step with her followup The Altar, a very emotional and personal album.

There were a good few singles released following up to the record, much like Goddess. Of course there's the issue of hearing half of the album before it's released, but the songs seem to have a better context when on the record. The opener track is 'Gemini Feed', the raw piano and vocal intro providing a very revealing intro to the album. The single's mysterious synth and beat come into the song being backed by a brooding synth and BANKS' signature vocals with an underlying, deep vocoder singing below her. The song bares the line "And to think you would get me to the altar," from which the album gets its title from, as well as revealing the theme of the album: a direct message to her ex-lover of how she thought that he would bring her true love, only to be betrayed in the end.

Other singles include 'Fuck With Myself' with its weird vocals and the heartbreaking 'Mind Games', which we reviewed upon its release - check that out here. The album's closing track, 'To The Hilt', is also a single. The song brings the album full circle, its heartwrenching vocals atop the somber piano, singing about missing an ex, who she cannot function creatively without. The gentle vocals are raw and dramatic, taking the album on a beautifully emotional ending.

The core of the album has some meat to it. The song 'Trainwreck' in particular has a particularly badass sound to it. BANKS sings confidently above the thick bass beats with an urgent descending melody backing them. The song builds to massive proportions, the ending exploding with power. 'This Is Not About Us' also has some good vibes with it, having a cool vocal synth backing it. Some songs are great in a different way: the pretty builds of 'Mother Earth' allow for a pleasant listen, the symphonic outro singing out in a beautiful way, much like the ending of 'Weaker Girl'. Nice melodies and background vocals are the claim of 'Haunt', its weird guitar and Indian beat making for an interesting listen. The haunted them continues with 'Poltergeist', its haunting, creepy nature of the song accentuated by a creepy distorted vocal line and melodic choruses.

Not all tracks bask in excellence, though. There are some weaker moments on the record that stop it from being the best it could be. 'Lovesick' is one such example, its cliché lyrics and boring instrumental amounting to a forgettable listen. The premise of the album really isn't anything new, but the writing and instrumentals provide a unique experience on the subject that a lot of other albums of the kind miss out on. 'Judas' also falls into that boring, cliché line, while 'Weaker Girl' is just an overall underwhelming song saved by its string ending.

BANKS escaped sophomore syndrome with The Altar. The album surpasses its predecessor with a emotionally challenging and atmospheric listen, providing unique tracks that are defined apart from each other but all cater to the same idea. Her beautiful vocals and songwriting created a collectively amazing album, not free from error but full of passion.

Favorite Tracks: Trainwreck, Gemini Feed, Poltergeist, To The Hilt

Least Favorite Tracks: Judas, Lovesick

Rating: 81 / 100

Opeth - Sorceress

The masterminds of progressive metal are back once again. Opeth challenges new heights on their twelfth album Sorceress, continuing their exploration of a jazz and metal fusion.

Many would have claimed that the band was approaching its doom when vocalist Mikael Åkerfeldt began to abandon his brutal screams in favor of being more melodically centered. That choice has only seemed to propel the band a step further into evolution, opening up the music to new heights and new places.

The clearest example of this new progression is the acoustic single 'Will O The Wisp' - our review of which can be found here. Åkerfeldt wanted a song with the capo up really high, placing it at the fifth fret to give the song a very glittery sound, as he explained. The simple, catchy melody is contrasted by the song's dark meaning, proven by the beautifully executed chorus that chants, "You're stuck to the failures of your life / Marred with the sorrows of your strife / And time it waits for no one / It heals them when you die / And soon you are forgotten / A whisper within a sigh." The blues solo at the end really adds a new dimension to it, resonating beautifully above the bright and somber acoustics.

The album continues with the experiments of its predecessor, 2014's Pale Communion, which dabbled in jazzy and bluesy textures. A lot of the record's creepy organ keyboards and jazzy, frantic arpeggios make a return on Sorceress. Pale Communion was bashed for these elements, but Sorceress seems to bring out the best of them. The jazzy distortion makes its return on the title track 'Sorceress', groove taking its place on the track to set the momentum of the record. There are lots of interesting guitar moments throughout the song, found between the thrilling heavy unrelenting powerchords of the choruses and their soaring, powerful vocals.

The creepy organs take a background roll in tracks like 'The Wilde Flower', the song instead capitalizing on wild guitar arpeggios to give it its niche. The jazzy grooves of the intro are soon transitioned into something darker and brooding, almost creepy and evil by its end. The quiet ending allows for a reprieve from the chaos of the track, transitioning beautifully into 'Will O The Wisp'. Jazzy textures return later on the album for 'A Fleeting Glance', in between the confident shouts of baroque-esque guitar licks.

The album prioritizes on darkness and evil themes instead of continuing an exploration of genre. The evil grumbles of the guitars in 'Chrysalis' serves as a crucial turning point for the album. Gone is the transition from Pale Communion into the present; this is where Sorceress really sets its own sense of purpose. The dark arpeggios of the song lead to a crazy solo that switches between guitars and wild organs at its core, it's seven-minute runtime proving to be a very providing track. Dark progressions continue in 'The Seventh Sojourn', a Middle Eastern-tinged instrumental track that feels like it's straight out of an Indiana Jones film. The mystery of the track provides a adventurous image, traveling the desert or jungle with a final destination in mind. 

The downside of this record is its lack of a thick climax. Most songs have big moments, ultimately ending in epic, climactic moments of their own, but in those huge endings there is a certain punch missing. The doom ending of 'Strange Brew' serves as an example - there doomy guitars get across their mood, but it lacks a crunch to give it a little extra evil. Is it the fault of seeking a cleaner melodic sound? The album doesn't suffer from it in an end-all way, but it missed out having a stronger impact upon execution.

What's great about Opeth is that they can do anything, and that's what Sorceress tells us. The band can combine metal, rock, melody, doom, evil, and jazz all into one epic fusion of progressive rock greatness. Opeth is a band without expiration date - they're like a fine wine, becoming greater as time goes on. Sure, their time as a truly heavy metal band are gone, but they've become so much more than that. They're no longer bound by genre - they're free to create as they want to.

Favorite Tracks: Will O The Wisp, Chrysalis, Sorceress, Strange Brew

Least Favorite Track: Persephone (Slight Return)

Rating: 84 / 100

Bon Iver - 22, A Million

Justin Vernon is a mastermind of folk. His work is critically acclaimed and is always a refreshing listen. Bon Iver, featuring Vernon and his band, is one of Vernon's most acclaimed projects, and their third album 22, A Million has been a long time coming for many fans.

Through three albums, Bon Iver has evolved quite a bit from their acoustic folk debut recorded in an isolated Wisconsin cabin. 22, A Million is a soulful, experimental record that treads away from the indie folk nature of his music and adds a more artistic, if not a bit polarizing. The droning synths of intro track '22 (OVER S∞∞N)' - yes, the track titles are batshit crazy on this album - mesh in a sweet and oddly strange way with the brass and bright strings in the guitar. While it misses the beautiful string outro found on the single release (see our review for that here), it still has that soulful flair.

Also released on the double single was '10 d E A T h b R E a s T ⚄ ⚄', featuring more distorted electronica and creating a feeling for subtle chaos rather than a restrained beauty like the former track. In the same fashion as '22', the track is also missing an extended outro that brought back a sense of clarity on the single version. Right out of the chaotic demeanor of '10' comes the beautiful harmonies of a cappella track '715 - CR∑∑KS'. Vernon's pure vocals dance a captivating dance with the thousands of vocoded vocal lines that make up the track. This album generates its momentum from the soft moments, making something out of nothing in a beautifully simple manner.

This album isn't a full experiment; there are still traces of his folk roots throughout the album. '29 #Strafford APTS' has a true folky sound, piano and acoustic guitar swimming together in sweet melodies. The song does eventually build up quietly with the album's various methods of experimentation, ending with glitched out vocals as pure sing above bright guitars. '33 "GOD"' also has traces of his beginnings, focussing primarily on the piano track than the various elements going on around it. The album ends as softly as it began, but in a different fashion. '00000 Million' is a pure track with no gimmick. It's just Vernon singing over a reverberating piano track in a very soulful way, as if to send the album off on a spiritual note. 

The main portion of the record is, however, quite experimental and odd. Listen to the pulsing, robotic synth of '666 ʇ' as it counts down continuously over the song's play time. The glitchy guitars act as a compliment to the gentle electronics, Vernon's vocals singing falsetto as brass and string punches support his voice. The lyrics are pretty submissive to the tire of life. It's very accepting of an empty feeling, this meaning acting as a dark disposition to the seemingly warm song. '8 (circle)' features smooth choirs and flowing brass sections to make it a beautiful, soulful experience.

Bon Iver's new album may not be a departure from their sophomore record's sound, but it's certainly a retrospective effort all the same. 22, A Million offers a soulful, provocative experimental indie folk experience that no one else can really do like them. It's unique in its emptiness, as if James Black picked up a guitar and moved out to the midwest. The album's mystery is just as beautiful as its sound, and for that it should hold its ground confidently, regardless of progression. Bon Iver can do anything they want and still make something amazing out of nothing.

Favorite Tracks: 715 - CR∑∑KS, 22 (OVER S∞∞N), 00000 Million, 29 #Strafford APTS

Least Favorite Track: 21 M◊◊N WATER

Rating: 84 / 100

Weezer - Pinkerton

Some records must see the light of failure before their true colors truly shine. That's the story of Weezer's Pinkerton, the tragic tale of Rivers Cuomo's depression as a rockstar. The album was negatively bashed upon its release, but age has shown the album some love.

Countless people have dreamed of being a rockstar. Nearly everyone has. For Cuomo, the reality of that dream was a punch to the face. The life of a rockstar is a lonely one; surrounded by hundred of people who spend their thirty second conversations with you asking you to sign various parts of their body. The rest of the time is spent on a tour bus, waiting to get to the next city to repeat the process.

That monotony becomes boring and sad, so any glimpses of love and hope mean the world to the person going through that. Much of the album sees Cuomo singing on behalf of that premise; take 'Across The Sea', for example. Whilst writing the album, Cuomo was going through a lot. Extensive surgery to fix his shorter leg, physical therapy, and lonely nights whilst depressed at Harvard University, taking a class on classical composition. While at Harvard, a fan from Japan sent him a letter asking questions. This seemingly innocent outreach to him meant the world to him, as he ended up falling in love with this girl who he knew nothing about, separated by a continent and a the vast Pacific. The first verse lyrics even include some of the contents of the letter: "And you wanted to know / All about me / And my hobbies / My favorite food / And my birthday." When you're alone, the smallest gestures make the biggest impacts.

In the same way, those big impacts won't always be positives. Love often seems to be the cause of, or the tragic result of, this specific loneliness. A lust for it builds, and it takes over. The second half of the album discusses this idea: 'Pink Triangle' is about falling in love with the wrong person (in Cuomo's case, falling madly in love with a girl who turned out to be a lesbian), for example. There's also a bit of awkwardness in the attempts to find that love. See lead single 'El Scorcho', which has become a modern emo classic. It's about two people who are very much alike, Cuomo simply putting in a sweet put awkward way, "I think I'd be good for you / And you'd be good for me." The best lines are often times the simple ones - and there's no telling how many confused high schoolers have related to this one.

The album was originally rejected upon its release for being far more abrasive than the band's debut. It was, after all, a big style change at such a quick rate. The pop rock vibes of The Blue Album didn't transition over to Pinkerton. Instead, the album is brought in by the big, distorted riffs of 'Tired Of Sex', complete with an electrifying solo. Cuomo sings about the fun of life is being drained away by his rockstar life - particularly sex. The next song 'Getchoo' continues with  the powerful, distorted riffs with the lyrics seethe with jealousy.

There are moments on the record that do step away from the anger and distortion that made it less approachable. 'No One Other' is far sweeter, and while still not quite as agreeable as their debut sound, is has an overall sweeter sound as Cuomo sings about the girl meant for him, and how all of her flaws make her that much more perfect. 'Falling For You' is the same, if not a bit more energetic, appropriately discussing falling in love. The album's ending is 'Butterfly', the band's only commercially released acoustic track, which calls back to the story of the album's inspiration: the opera Madame Butterfly. The song is an apology to the character's - Pinkerton's - wife as he sees the pain and suffering he has caused her. This message is a bit different as Rivers sings it - it's less specific, and more of an open apology to everyone he has hurt along the way of life.

Pinkerton is a classic not because of its music, per se, but because of its message. There are few albums that can so accurately describe the confusion and emptiness of finding love. Weezer, or perhaps just Cuomo himself had written the album that the 90s truly needed - something that would resonate not with the angst-ridden or the madly in love, but the tragic souls caught between the two, and that's still what stands today. Pinkerton isn't the sound of a generation. It's the sound of part of our lives.

Favorite Tracks: Across The Sea, No Other One, Pink Triangle

Least Favorite Track: Why Bother?

Rating: 87 / 100

Jóhann Jóhannsson - Orphée

I believe I've made my obsession with Icelandic music clear in past reviews. Now, we delve into classical music from the country, in a beautifully scenic array of strings. Icelandic composer Jóhann Jóhannsson has released his sixth album, Orphée - the first since 2008's Fortlândia. Combining beautiful symphonies with subtle ambience and electronica, Jóhannsson has crafted something special.

Creating classical music in the modern era is perhaps a bit of a contradiction. Still, however, it does make a statement. Modern classical music is full of expression and innovation. There's different things we can do with music today and different techniques. Most importantly, there are different experiences. Contemporary classical is all about giving the music a voice without speaking.

Orphée does exactly that. Instead of speaking, per se, it paints pictures. It creates motion in its movements and vivid details with each resonating chord. The first song 'Flight From The City' introduces the peaceful and imaginative pictures with its spacious piano and backing strings that build slowly with traces of electronica slowly pilling up behind them. 'A Song For Europa' is similar, creating a much starker experience with a greater feeling of isolation than wonder as a droning woman's voice sounds in an out-of-reach place.

The first thing you need to understand about Icelandic music is that it makes something out of nothing. The barren landscapes of Iceland are awe-inspiring, and that's clear in all of its artists. It affects people in different ways, and there's no one way to really define it. There is a core of isolationism in the music, though - when you listen, you feel alone in the music. It's you and your feelings - nothing else.

This album does a lot with that loneliness. It's a journey through the mysteries of Iceland - the volatile but incredible volcanoes in the dramatic organs and pulsing electronics of 'The Burning Mountain'; the grassy, barren plains in the electronic spirals and peaceful piano of 'By The Roes, and By The Hinds Of The Field'; and the grand glaciers in the dark string leads of 'A Deal With Chaos'. The imagery on the album is phenomenal. The dynamics of the deep basses, the high stings of violins, the cry of the pianos all working together in a tragic, captivating dance that invigorates your mind and your emotions.

Jóhann Jóhannsson is a modern genius. The layers and beauty of Orphée is stark and almost incomparable. The only complaint I have is that lots of tracks don't really resonate too deeply or don't have enough strength to them to really leave a lasting mark, but there is imagery in every corner of the record. The beautiful pictures this album paints are some you can never forget. Iceland is a beautiful mystery, as it proves again and again.

Favorite Tracks: By The Roes, and By The Hinds Of The Field; Flight From The City, Good Morning, Midnight; A Pile Of Dust

Least Favorite Track: De Luce Et Umbra

Rating: 80 / 100