Audio Overflow favorite, Best of ’07 Champion, and Top 10 of the Decade placer, Field Music is back this week with a sprawling new double album titled, Measure. I’ve been listening to the album over the last few days, and there are a lot of cool things going on therein.
The album’s first single, and one of it’s cooler songs, is “Them That Do Nothing.” The video for the song is a collection of live performance, brotherly hand clapping, and crossword puzzling all tied together with fast-paced editing. I actually like it a lot. At the very least, it continues the tradition of quirky Field Music music videos.
Check out the video below, and look for a review of Measure to drop sometime later this week.
Well by now you guys should all know that Passion Pit’s “Little Secrets” is my favorite song of 2009. The real question is, does its video live up to the song?
You’ll have to follow that link to check out the full video (embedding has been disabled), but be sure to swing back by here afterwards to let me know what you think of it. Sure it may be a star child and black monolith away from being an exact replica of 2001: A Space Odyssey’s final act, but the visuals and effects seem to fit farely well with the music.
Anyhow, I just couldn’t pass up the chance to show you guys the video for St. Vincent’s newest single, “Actor Out of Work” from some album that a really cool person reviewed recently. If you’re a real nerd, you probably caught this video 2 weeks ago when it first showed up (guilty). For those of you who don’t quite fit into that mold, here it is in all its glory!
The video starts out rather strangely and, well, continues down that path throughout its entirety. I just think it’s oddly enjoyable to watch Annie Clark be equal parts creepy-as-hell and lovely. The real climax of the video comes in the last 25 seconds or so, so stick around for that.
Metric have been around for a decade now, bringing their take on New Wave Pop/Rock to the masses. In 2003 the band released their “debut” album, Old World Underground, Where Are You Now? to almost universal acclaim. The album helped lay the foundation for their sound, one that would be expanded upon by 2005’s equally-endearing Live it Out. Then, while the band was already at work on the follow-up to that album, Last Gang Records released the group’s long-ignored real debut and perhaps their most impressive album, Grow Up and Blow Away. Finally after a long wait, Metric fans are getting what they want; a legitimate follow-up to Live it Out. Unfortunately, Fantasies is nowhere near as solid an album as the band has proven themselves capable of creating.
It starts off well-intentioned, with a distant breakbeat and Emily Haines’ now-familiar vocals, both fragile and empowered, singing “They’re gonna eat me alive!” “Help, I’m Alive,” Fantasies‘ first single leaves a lot to be desired. For one, it seems incredibly repetitive and without any real drive. Haines’ repeated “Beating like a hammer” chorus builds and builds throughout its length, but eventually just collapses into the same guitar riff every time. Just once I’d like it to build into something greater than itself. It never does. “Sick Muse” is a much more rewarding song, with a fun verse and better chorus than the lead-off track. It still feels a bit repetitive, however, if only for the repeated one-line chorus and somewhat annoying guitar line that carries the verses.
“Satellite Mind” finally gives Metric fans something worthy of true admiration. Emily’s vocals are at their best here, and the guitars and drums evoke some of the best moments of 90s rock! The first couple of times I heard this song, I wasn’t really sold. Since then, it has easily moved up to one of my favorites. Unfortunately, it’s followed by “Twilight Galaxy,” a song that has no legitimate reason for existing other than acting as filler. It almost sounds like Metric trying to recreate “Calculation Theme,” but it lacks the charm needed to fill those shoes. The band smartly follows this bore with “Gold Guns Girls,” an upbeat sex-rocker that is about as exciting as the band has ever been. The production on this song is amazing! From the subtle guitars, to Haines’ sultry vocals, everything is exactly as it should be. This is a definitely one to play on repeat.
Fantasies‘ best track, however, comes next in “Gimme Sympathy,” a remarkably addicting listen that hasn’t aged a bit in the last month, despite the fact that I’ve listened to it well over a dozen times. Haines seems to be analyzing the state of Metric’s fame by singing, “We’re so close to something better left unknown” and asking the question “Who’d you rather be, The Beatles or The Rolling Stones?” Ironic considering that if there was ever a song to catapult the band into that next level of fame, this would be the one to do it. It’s not only radio-friendly, but has a sweet music video and enough familiarity to maintain their already loyal following.
From here, however, the album quickly heads downward. “Collect Call” is a quick comedown track after the intensity of “Gimme Sympathy.” It has a few admirable traits, like a cool guitar riff and an infectious drum beat during the chorus. At the same time though, Emily’s vocal melody goes absolutely nowhere. She sings “When you move, I move with you,” but at this point, I’m already moving on and the track just keeps going. The next track, “Front Row” does an even worse job at garnering my attention. It sounds like a b-side to Live It Out, complete with overly-aggressive guitars and the most boring vocal melody ever heard on a Metric song. Haines is catchier on “Rock Me Now” – and yeah, she just talks on that one!
“Blindness” is a strange track, starting off as an eerie synth-rocker and then catapulting into a more upbeat affair at the 2-minute mark before returning back to where it started for the song’s final minute. It’s not the catchiest of Metric songs – which is always a bit disconcerting considering that the band is essentially a pop band – but it is an interesting song, and worth at least a couple listens. “Stadium Love” wraps the album up on a “meh” note. Metric’s sound has never been louder or more deserving of the “stadium love” to which they claim to have. At the same time, I get the sneaking suspicion that this song is going to be simply mind-blowing at a live show. Here, it just sort of seems like a false high note for an unfocused album.
Fantasies is in no way a terrible album, but for every song that feels like it is perfectly executed, there’s another that feels like it could have used a little more tweaking. The album has very few tracks that feel like they could hold their own against a “Dead Disco” or a “Monster Hospital,” and that’s a little disappointing coming from a band who has consistently put out great music for the past decade. But as far as disappointments go, I get the feeling that Fantasies could have been a lot worse. What we end up having is an average collection of songs; some great, some okay, and some not worth listening to after the first couple of spins. Up to this point, Metric has given me 3 albums full of amazing tracks, so I can deal with a few disappointments. Just don’t let it happen again.
It’s about time Shara Worden and Asthmatic Kitty made a video from her latest album as My Brightest Diamond. “From the Top of the World” isn’t the greatest song from the album, but it’s not too shabby either. Can you point out the similarities with Radiohead, or is that just me imagining things?
My Brightest Diamond – “From the Top of the World” from the album, A Thousand Shark’s Teeth
I’ve been waiting for months to be able to show off this video. Just one problem, it didn’t come out until last week. Oh well! Better late than never, I suppose.
M83 – “Kim & Jessie” from the album, Saturdays=Youth.
So The Streets have a new album due out soon, and if this video for the first single, “The Escapist,” is any indication, the album will be a return to form for Mike Skinner. I can’t quite say what I think of it at this point, but I know that I was a huge fan of The Streets’ most recent album, while their other two left me wanting more (mostly just more actual rapping and less talking). Here’s hoping this one won’t bore me to tears!
“The Escapist” by The Streets, from the album, Everything is Borrowed.
Audio Overflow 