√
REVIEW
music review // YEASAYER - 'ODD BLOOD'
KJHK's weekly guide to sonic consumption (SECRETLY CANADIAN)
KJHK's weekly guide to sonic consumption.
The pre-hype consensus among Sterogum staffers and people I know seems to be that Odd Blood isn't as good as the Brooklyn threesome's 2007 debut, All Hour Cymbals. Indeed, noting the albums' inclusion of love songs and departure from Yeasayer's previously successful "Io-fi haze," The New York Times led its review with the statement "Yeasayer is braced for backlash." But I apparently wasn't cool enough in 2007 to hear All Hour Cymbals, and, dammit, I really like Odd Blood.
The synth-driven, dancey-but-dark, world-influenced sound fits in well with comparisons to (a more eighties-influenced version of) Dirty Projectors, (a more straightforward version of) Animal Collective or (a more accessible version of) Health, but still manages to sound fresh.
"The Children" is a really different, crunchy digital opener that manages to be both melodic and unintelligible. It leads into "Ambling Alp," the motivational, high-energy lead single. "I Remember" is a standout as a good rotay track in that it has a really killer hook in its catchy (for-shadowing) chorus of "you're stuck in my mind all the time."
Odd Blood is a little front-heavy, but there are a lot of good beats, strategic clapping, well placed
sitar and interesting vocals to explore and 1, for one, think people will warm up to it quite a bit once it gets some deserved airplay.
music review // THE MAGNETIC FIELDS -
KJHK's weekly guide to sonic consumption. 'REALISM' (NONESUCH)
Realism is, I've heard, the conclusion to the Magnetic Fields' post-69 Love Songs "no synth trilogy." After 2008's shoegaze Distortion, Realism is Magnetic Fields" folk album."
I will always love (and often gush about) Stephin Merritt's song-writing genius, which is again on display in Realism. However, something about the album is familiar but a little empty, like Merritt's signature but with the soul sucked out slightly. Rather than being torally relatable and complete narratives present on the tracks indicative of Merritt's unique style, Realism tracks such as "The Dolls' Tea Party," "Walk A Lonely Road" and "Painted Flower" come off as irrelevant aural still lifes.
I think my hookups with Realism stem from the fact that the stripped down folk concept isn't quite right for Merritt's (literal and figurative) voice – there's not just enough to play around with like there was on Distortion and the result isn't as fun.
All things considered, though, the majority of the songs here are smart, sardonic, cathartic, funny and tightly-structured - all the things that make the Magnetic Fields great. Even if the psychedelic-folk inspired instrumentation
isn't all that much to write home about, the lyricism and melody make up for it.
"I Don't Know What to Say" is gorgeous and sweeping; "The Dada Polka" gets the folk concept the best and the gang vocals are super sweet and enjoyable.
If you like Magnetic Fields, give this a shot and then decide for yourself. If by chance you're not familiar, give this a shot and then go get the rest. You can thank me later.
★ ★ ☆ // ALEX GARRISON
With all the populist ballyhoo surrounding James Cameron's *Anatar* steadily building into legitimate Oscar buza, it would be tempting to dismiss a film such as *Crazy Heart* as just another haggard face in the awards season bumis rush. But resist the temptation. *Crazy Heart* is an elegant, if uneven, meditation on heartbreak and redemption, elevated by a fearless lead performance from Jeff Bridges and a reliably rustic country soundtrack by 10-time Grammy winner T-Bone Burnett.
Hollywood hits, indie flicks and everything in between.
Bridges inhabits the whiskey-clogged soul of Bad Blake, a faded country music star whose once promising career was swept away in a flood of booze and broken marriages. Meanwhile, Bad's former musical protegé Tommy Sweet. (Colin Ferrell) has become a full-fledged country superstar, playing Bad's greatest hits to sold-out crowds every night; generally riding the coattails of his teacher's busted dreams.
After years of hard living, Bad grudgingly accepts Tommy's offer to open for him in Santa Fe and soon meets the lovely reporter, Jean (Maggie Gyllenhaal). Their eventual romance sparks a creative renaissance, inspiring Bad to pen his first new material in more than three years.
The basic plot bears many striking similarities to last year's comeback saga, "The Wrestler." And like that earlier Mickey Rourke film, "Crazy Heart" often veers into a glut of
movie review // 'CRAZY HEART'
Both actors even sing, including a poignant final ballad entitled "The Weaty Kind." The song, a stirring ode to love and loss, is alone worth the price of admission, especially Bridges' serene final cut. The Dude still abides, man. Now give him an Oscar.
The veteran actor, equally at home in comedy or drama, imbues his character with a rough-hewn, laconic charm that gives way to startling wellsprings of honest, aching emotion. He won't be forgotten in the Best Actor race. And Colin Ferrell, in his best performance since "In Bruges," makes us sense Tommy's concern for his old mentor without ever expressing it.
// LANDON MCDONALD
saccharine sentiment. Bad's attempts to overcome his alcoholism and reconnect with his estranged son would smack of overindulgent melodrama if it weren't for the strength and soulful dignity of Bridge's performance.