The Album Review Club - Week #195 (page 1310) - A New World Record - ELO

Go on Mahrez!



(There is a reason I am posting these, which I will come back to in the review)
 
Gorilla Manor – Local Natives

I must admit, percussion is not an element that I listen out for on an album but it’s really striking in this case. There are lots of different rhythms and changes through the course of Gorilla Manor – if the title Gorillas in the Mix hadn’t already been taken, that might have been an apt choice for an alternative title.

Through the three listens this week, I have heard plenty that I like: lots of changes of tempo, some decent guitar work and in some cases, the vocal fits the songs nicely. But on other songs, some of the high-pitched singing does grate, for example on “Airplanes” and in parts of “Sun Hands”. The latter is a shame because a discordant vocal out of nowhere is followed by a great guitar break.

I can’t put my finger on it but there seems a noticeable change with “Cards & Quarters”; the singing seems less forced and the harmonies more natural. The guitar that weaves in an out between the words is lovely too. Similarly, the opening guitar in “Warning Sign” is great and leads to another well-executed song with a good bit of wah-wah and staccato chords.

A couple of highlights in the run-in are “Who Knows Who cares”, which represents a gentler approach and is effective with its orchestral backing, building intensity as the song progresses, and “Stranger Things”, which kicks off with a lonesome fiddle, some suitably mysterious chords and more of that intense percussion before giving way to a light melody.

The overall impression is of a band with a lot of ideas, some of which they pull off. Maybe all of them they pull off, but once again I’m missing the hooks, the choruses, the middle-8s and a bit more drive from the guitar. Plus, some of the vocals feel a bit off in places. @journolud mentions Fleet Foxes and this seems an apt comparison on songs such as “Warning Sign”, but I think the Fleet Foxes debut album is a cut above this being honest. Still, worth a 7/10 and a good nomination from @Black&White&BlueMoon Town
 
The National,Death Cab,Midlake,Fleet Foxes and Arcade Fire all references and in my opinion fair comparisons to what I am hearing here.

I have the back catalogues of all those bands so should be right up my street and by and large it was.

Got better in repeated listens and there is enough here for me when time permits to explore more which marks this out as a good pick.

Thought Warning Sign was the stand out and as far as a score goes it was better than the last pick but not as good as English Teacher so 7 is a fair score.
 
Another few listens to English Teacher and I think I would give it a 7.5 now.
However, this weeks offering simply left me cold resulting in me doing my 3 listens and then going back to ET.
This did nothing for me. Didn't make me want to listen again, didn't make me want to tap my toes or move about. Even "Meh" would be doing it a favour. I simply didn't "get it".
They play instruments and so it's my standard scoring for that. I even started wondering whether found the vocals as annoying as Jim Kerr!
It's a 4 from the Derry jury
 
LGWIO said:
Another few listens to English Teacher and I think I would give it a 7.5 now.
However, this weeks offering simply left me cold resulting in me doing my 3 listens and then going back to ET.
This did nothing for me. Didn't make me want to listen again, didn't make me want to tap my toes or move about. Even "Meh" would be doing it a favour. I simply didn't "get it".
They play instruments and so it's my standard scoring for that. I even started wondering whether found the vocals as annoying as Jim Kerr!
It's a 4 from the Derry jury
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Wow, I will say this was one I didn't see coming. It even had a Talking Heads homage song too. I thought this might be right up your toe tapping alley as well.

Sorry this one didn't make you glad all over, but that's what I get for shanking it over the post.
 
As often the case, whilst American 'rock' bands usually (not always) have 'grit' 'swagger' and 'attitude'.....their 'indie" bands tend to be very 'polished' & 'nice'...about the same swagger/attitude and grit as Coldplay.
This is the same to me, I'm sure the singing is technically good....but my favourite singers aren't good singers, but have attitude over harmony.
I found after a few minutes, I'd forgotten it was on, and was 5/6 songs in, none of which I could remember.
I actually much preferred Gerry Rafferty, which I wouldn't have predicted....4.
 
For a variety of reasons I haven't been able / in the headspace to listen to this. If I can get a couple of good listens in today I'll do a review.
 
There is something quite primeval about harmonising. For me it awakens something intrinsic, in a way that many instruments or sole voices can't.

We may probably never know conclusively what the oldest form of music is. But it will likely be up there probably with tapping on or with objects in a rythmic fashion, and will have played a part in many cultures' evolution of music.

While subtle, this album's strenght for me is in at least one, if not both of those. That's the 'hook', that's what gets me and makes me come back to it, or go searching for more of their music. Yeah, the voices are a certain pitch, yes they come across as more 'chanty' than 'singy', yeah they are soft and all that. But they work in a set way, work with the instruments and the mood, and whole thing feels intricately layered and balanced. If there IS any wailing, it is a set back background tone, rather than in the fore.

The other interesting thing about this album, or maybe more generally the band, but the album as an example /getaway. I am often told of a, call it (quite common supposedly) phenomenon, where listeners to music 'place' themselves in a band or on a stage. Being the singer, the guitarist, effectively imagining themselves as one of a band or the artist. Sometimes with a bit of envy, sometimes awe, maybe a bit of indulgence including fantasising for hints of fame, style, skill, appreciation, or whatever really. I have never properly been able to adopt that phenomenon.
But if I did, if I was to 'imagine' having a bit of jealousy or wishing, it might well actually be these guys or certainly something like it. Purely for the feeling (true or not) they project, of making/enjoying music they want to and feel comfortable with, with your closest friends. Who wouldn't want that! That's something I like here, the apparent comradery, the lack of heirarchy, competition etc. Everyone plays their part, some parts are miniscule, but they add something and if one needs to drop something else to contribute it, then that's what they do, without hesitation. High pitched vocal weave to offset, ok. Shaking a shaker instead of rocking a guitar, ok. Everyone chips in. In fact, even the make-up of the band doesn't really define the roles. At least 3 of them play guitar parts. At least 3 of them sing. And take turns in doing so. At least 2 of them drum. A couple play keyboards. And they interchange as needed. And mostly, they just seem to bloody well enjoy it.

I know I am maybe skipping over the specifics of the album and its individual songs, but a)others have done that already and b)that's really not what the album is about for me, it is almost secondary to how I experience it. Yes I am attributing a bit of a wider context of their work elsewhere, or having seen them live, and the feelings that have bled through, sure. But that is also on the album, once it clicks in.

I love its gentle touch approach, the warmth to some of it, and the 'feels lime it is just about to rain' mood of some of the rest of it. A solid 8 from me.
 
Black&White&BlueMoon Town said:
Wow, I will say this was one I didn't see coming. It even had a Talking Heads homage song too. I thought this might be right up your toe tapping alley as well.

Sorry this one didn't make you glad all over, but that's what I get for shanking it over the post.
Click to expand...
Que Sera Sarr!
Also I'm not sure it was a shank, more a flyer with grass getting between boot and ball causing it to go into orbit.
I was very much in the @bennyboy camp, that it all felt too samey and so the TH cover just fell into that same trap.
southamptonblue said:
about the same swagger/attitude and grit as Coldplay
Click to expand...
And that was perhaps something I should have added last night....and I am not a fan of Mr Martin.
 
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