Saturday 27 September 2014

Often after a critic has given their thoughts on some album they will then summarize their impressions with a numerical rating. 8/10. 5 stars. Four SadDogs™ out of five. You're familiar with this sort of thing I'm sure. This system is great for consumers (or whatever else you'd call us) as it gives them an instant and quantifiable way of knowing whether something is good or not. But how useful is this number when you consider that they are judging art?

I'm sure most of you are guilty of having gone online when your most favouritest band ever released their new album so that you could see what kind of scores critics gave it. You might also recall feeling angry or confused when your favourite thing didn't get a high score. But notice the terminology there: "high score". If this is a normal way for people to talk about art then what does this imply about the way we view art? Should we be worried that people are more preoccupied with the numbers music is given than what people actually have to say about them?

From the perspective of a critic/review type person it's understandable why they'd make use of this system. Not only does it give people a clear idea of how good they thought the album was but gives people a reason to click on their site. I'm heavily under the impression that there are a lot of people out there who check review sites just to see the scores with no interest of actually reading the reasoning behind them. Therefore it is in the critics interest to include scores so that more people check their sites, increased traffic, increased revenue, etc etc etc.

But if the opinions of popular critics are held in high esteem and their opinions are measured and compared with numeric scores then it it follows that they are deciding for you what you should or shouldn't like. While it is ones own responsibility to decide for themselves what they do or don't like it must be considered how easily a person can be influenced now with how accessible the opinions of critics and others are.

One other thing you might be familiar with is the abundance of "pretty high but not perfect" type of scores where you get a lot of 8-9/10 scores with very few scores below 6/10. I think the amount this happens is different between different mediums (music, movies, video games etc) but it's still prevalent all over the place. I can't imagine what the cause of this might be. Maybe it has something to do with not rocking the boat. Or perhaps some critics just have a very positive impression of everything they review? Regardless, the result of this is not useful to consumers who the reviews are supposedly written for if everything is either a 8 or 9 out of ten. Now people just treat 8 as "alright", 9 as "pretty good" and 10 as "non-existent". These critics sure must be cynical, maybe they are doing their job after all.

That's all I guess. If anyone reads this I'd love to hear what you think about the issue.
To summarize: I think we like having scores over not having scores but I'm not sure if it's a good thing.

P.S. SadDogs™ is not real
P.P.S. as far as I know

Posted on 07:00 by Smaller Side

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Monday 22 September 2014

https://joestyles.bandcamp.com/album/soul-quest
Feels like: cool, stylish, chill, witty, humorous, soulful, compassionate

This album is a collaboration between beat producer Budamunk and rapper and songwriter Joe Styles whom both come together to make a really cool hip hop album. The beats are chill like in old hip hop but also filled weird quirks like in new internet age hip hop. Styles also brings a style of rapping and lyricism that embraces both the coolness of old and the trendiness of new. The album manages to take us through 15 tracks without overstaying its welcome or becoming boring at all.

My thoughts on songs:

"BudaStyles Part 2" (feat DJ IQ) kicks the album off (after the intro track) with a bang and states the foundation of what this album is. Cool, stylish and seemingly effortless in both beat and lyric. They really present themselves here as being at an unattainable level of cool while also not coming off at all as being threatening or gangsta.

"Apologies,"as the title implies, features a seemingly endless list of apologies from the narrator, covering a lot of cliches we've heard before (being promiscuous, not being there, breaking promises.) However it's still hard not to be charmed by this song, the flow is great, the lyricism is still honest and touching past the cheesiness and the choppy, bittersweet beat makes for a very suitable compliment to the track.

The beat to "Soul Music" is, as name implies again, very soulful and totally delightful with its great melody and thin, clappy drums. The lyrics offer the same relaxing feeling as the beat, not always filled with optimism but always filled with charm, warmth and humor much in the style of Kanye West and A Tribe Called Quest. Whether you're paying attention or not you'll enjoy this track (though I'd recommend paying attention!)

"Jazz Cafe Pt. 2" is one of a few shorter interlude tracks on the album which features no rapping from Styles. These tracks are a welcome change of pace on the album between the other tracks and are one of the main reasons this album stays fresh start to finish and doesn't succumb to monotony. It's worth noting however that this track falls victim of sounding very similar to Ms. Mahogany earlier on in the album, though this is easier to overlook while listening to the album from start to finish in full.

Click here or on the image above to listen to or download the album

Posted on 15:00 by Smaller Side

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Saturday 20 September 2014

 https://ludique.bandcamp.com/album/the-road
Feels like: relaxed, calm, mysterious, introspective, spacious, solemn

This is an interesting album that took my fancy by meshing the ideas and sensibilities of ambient and downtempo music with the beats and structures of dance music. Not to say we haven't all seen this before but this album really has a charming sound of its own with plenty of cool synth sounds and memorable melodies. One could, however, accuse the album of feeling quite samey between tracks and dragging on past its welcome.

My thoughts on songs:

"Cherry Blossom" start off with some sort of mysterious sounding chords lined with a bit of white noise which was perhaps a bit boring alone but as the song progresses on a larger host of melodies and sounds step in and really compliment the chords well. The melody that kicks in just past the 3 minute mark is especially surprising; it's really odd and unexpected but has a great effect on the track going on.

"Hazy Eyes" offers something different to the plate with some really epic and cinematic sounding synth string melodies that remind me a lot of trance music. But instead of a cheesy thumpy trance beat we are given a beat that is less obvious: slow and angry over a huge wash of synth pads high and low. The end result is really quite haunting.

"Blauw" is a track with a blend of rhythmic percussion that gets you moving against all will. Beyond the beat is a spacious collage of piano, bass, vocal samples and synths, though without the droning pads you usually hear on this album but not without the solemn feeling. In the second half of the track a new vocal sample is added to the loop that picks the track up a notch and makes it quite touching and memorable.

"Lantern Fly" is a track towards the end of the album that stood out to me for its simple but effective musical ideas. A four to the floor beat and a chord progression (played by a bright and innocent sounding synth) start off the track, with more layers coming on later into the track (a common trick on this album) to really beef it up into something big, bright and sentimental, reminding me of the feeling you get when you have to say goodbye to someone.

Click here or on the image above to listen to and download the album

Posted on 15:00 by Smaller Side

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Thursday 18 September 2014

https://vanillabeats.bandcamp.com/album/sweet-talk
Feels like: cool, maximal, chill, noon, stylish, soulful, young

This is an album that I initially took interest to based on a really great first few tracks. However, this 27 track behemoth really runs its steam out sooner rather than later and could afford to lose a lot of tracks, or perhaps is serves better as a compilation than a coherent album. That's not to say that there is a significant drop in quality later on in the album, but once you've heard a few of these tracks it feels like you've heard them all and. Nonetheless I think it's worth talking about a few of the tracks I did enjoy.

 My thoughts on songs:

"Yesterday" starts off the album with an explosive collage of sampled sound: drums, horns, guitars, strings, bass, vocals; it's all there and the result is an amazingly catchy and grandiose jazz influenced hip hop beat. The start of the track is so unassuming too, a quiet phrase with just a simple hi hat rhythm and a few simple melodies that suddenly bursts with energy at the call of a drum roll. A pleasant surprise that really gives the album a good first impression.

"Getting Over You" is a prime example of the charm this album offers: its bright, sugary and maximalist but it comes off feeling relaxed and cool. The high piano notes, the twinkles, high pitched vocal samples, high string notes, it really feels like everything in this track is as high as life can be, despite the less optimistic subject matter of the lyrics, a contrast that reminds me of Passion Pit.

"Sometime" is a track toward the end of the album that stood out to me as it felt kind of different from a lot of the other stuff on the album, to an extent. This song features a minimalistic lineup of instrumentation when compared to the rest of the album and has a much calmer, low key feeling to it which is especially expressed in the electric piano melody which ended up being one of my favourite things from this album.

Click here or on the image above to listen to or download the album

Posted on 07:00 by Smaller Side

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Wednesday 17 September 2014

https://shinpainai.bandcamp.com/releases
Feels like: angsty, young, energetic, gritty, clumsy, angry, melancholy

This extremely brief 3 track, 8 minute long, debut from Shinpainai offers a lot of the anger of punk and a lot of the upset of indie in a very catchy package. Bright and infectious synth lines, loud distorted guitars, flimsy vocals and lyrics filled with angst and frequent corny moments. It's a fun EP.

My thoughts on songs:

"Feeling Golden" opens the EP with a totally infectious catchy synth line that sounds like it's straight from a video game and it is revisited frequently throughout the track in the company of traditional but catchy guitar riffs and boy-shout vocals. The lyrics seem to be an analytical complaint about the various quirks and annoyances of a certain someone, though I couldn't tell you who. A lot of the lines seem to deal with the thoughts a lot of young people go through when growing up but without the focus on any particular idea for long.

"Pedestal" comes in with much of the same angst and aggression as the previous song, clumsy lyrics and loud riffs. There are some musical elements to this song that I found myself enjoying though such as the melodies, the use of backing vocals and the unusual, skippy kick drum pattern at the half way mark of the song. Quick and catchy, I like it.

"I See (a lot) Through You" has a go at a longer and more structured song which is a welcome change of pace. The song has a calmer beginning than the previous 2 tracks, quite solemn and dreamy in instrumentation but still loud and brash in vocals which actually makes for a very enjoyable contrast. As the song progresses the song becomes louder and thicker with guitar tracks and effects and Shinpainai really shows a great knack for melodies here that are enjoyable to listen to even in his poor vocal performances.

Click here or on the image above to listen to and download the album

Posted on 07:00 by Smaller Side

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Tuesday 16 September 2014

 https://yorkmorgan.bandcamp.com/album/ep001
Feels like: gloom, fun, in the city, strange, innocent, introspective, personal

EP001 offers us a rather short but very inspired and sweet experience filled with wondrous synth lines, fantastic use of chopped up vocal samples on top of beats inspired my modern trap and future beat style music, only with less loudness and excitement, replaced by more charm and compassion.

My thoughts on songs:

In contrast to the title, "Nights"offers a plate of bright and twinkling synth melodies and high pitched, childlike vocal samples on top of fun trap style beats. The juxtaposition between the carefree sound of the song and the blead phrases such as "are you feeling suicidal today?" and "my life has no meaning" create a simplified but touching picture of night time in a city and how different perspectives experience it.

"Zoe" is a major change of pace in this EP compared to the sound of the first 3 tracks, jumping straight in with some extremely loud distorted pads and heavily treated vocals. If this track is to introduce Zoe then I would think of her as a compassionate, special person who isn't at all shy.

"Silent" finishes the short EP off on a quieter note, similar to how it begun. Light handed percussion, low but warm chord pads and wonky voices and sounds create a sonic collage of a lonely corner of the city, deep into the night, as seen on the album cover.

Click here or on the image above to listen to and download the album

Posted on 07:00 by Smaller Side

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Monday 15 September 2014

Andrew Lahiff - Intangible Imbrications - cover
Feels like: cold, quiet, slow, relaxing, somber, mysterious, magical, lonely

This is an album that I found today by Andrew Lahiff who put this album together from a bunch of ambient pieces he had made over the last few years. The result is surprisingly coherent considering the album is more of a compilation than a focused effort. The album cover provides a pretty accurate representation of how this album sounds. For new listeners of ambient this would be a great album to put on while drifting to sleep, reading a book or relaxing and meditating.

My thoughts on songs:

"Adrift Below the Highest Clouds" starts off with some surprisingly melodic flickers which are a welcome change of pace during this very slow listen. The track goes on to take quite a brighter tone, one of the brightest moments on the album, brought forward by some extremely high pitched shining synth sounds.

Throughout "And the Stories Began" there is this single note playing, fading in and out now and again. Differently from the other songs it sounds much less low and dark, almost like it is a string instrument playing it rather than a synth or a sample. It reminds me of the kind of things you might hear on a post-rock record rather than the kind of stuff on this album, but its a delight to listen to and perhaps my favourite track on the album.

"Many Ways Forward" ends the album on a pretty good note, sounding somewhat how it began but less dark and saddening, more dreamy and wondrous. The melodies here weave in and out of focus beautifully, all coming together to make a soundtrack that one could conjure dreams to.

Click here or on the image above to listen to and download the album

Posted on 07:00 by Smaller Side

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