Album Reviews

     I was told when this album was suggested to me “that Blonde on Blonde will let me know if I love or hate Bob Dylan.” I’ll answer that at the end. This was, for me and maybe others, what I like to call a “half and half” album. Meaning I could listen and really enjoy the record for half of it and then either my head starts to hurt or I get antsy and need some audible changes. Now this isn’t necessarily a bad thing as all the songs are fun to listen to. It seems that everyone in my life has imitated Bob Dylan’s voice, especially my parents, and I do not blame them. 

     I loved listening to just how old the recording felt. Its age is most represented in the second to last track “Obviously Five Believers” with its Johnny B. Goode esc guitar tones and vocal processing. The record starts on a surprising note with “Rainy Day Women #12 & 35” where the intro horns sound like a cartoon character is really bummed out and is walking down the street, the drums are off time sporadically throughout the track, and Dylan is half singing about people getting stoned. This might have been my favorite album opener I’ve heard in a long time. One of the most impressive parts of this record was not only the harmonica player Charlie McCoy’s unreal playing, but the sheer volume they had it at the whole time. That instrument was easily louder than any other, including Dylan’s voice. 

     I mentioned this above, but I really had such a fascinating time listening to the different mixes and masters done on both Spotify and Apple music. If you can, have the time to, or care enough, go and listen to tracks 2 and 3 on both platforms. What I noticed is that Apple music has a much smoother transition as the volumes of the tracks seem on par with one another whereas on Spotify, track 2 sounds incredibly louder. What a rant I just went on there, however, I will be keeping that in because I think it’s quite interesting. There is a constant twitter fingers esc tiff within audio subreddit communities about which music streaming platform has the best audio. Most of it is subjective but there are some cool things to look into on that topic.

     Anyways, this album was a great listen with heavy hitters in Dylan’s catalog like “Visions of Johanna” and “I Want You,” and energetic and bluesy tracks like “Stuck Inside of Mobile with the Memphis Blues Again” and “Pledging My Time.” Dylan surprised me on this record and I am glad it was requested because I would have most likely never gone this deep into his catalog and listened to an entire album. I am definitely going to do some more research on the engineering behind it as that is what I am most invested in after these past few listens today. To answer the question in my opening. I am still indifferent. I don’t love him, nor do I dislike him, he’s a “half and half” artist I guess.

 

How it was listened to:

• Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pros 

  • Streamed on both Spotify and Apple Music.

      This album simply made me feel good. That’s a difficult feat to keep a listener not just intrigued the whole time while listening, but smiling and really enjoying their time. I also did not realize that this album was released in 2005, as the couple times I had previously listened to it, it never crossed my mind to see when it was released. The reason that it surprised me is that the record feels so modern and unique. 

      I love how congruent the record feels. It starts off with a funny in which the lead singer is either reading poetry or telling an old folk tale but the lightheartedness of that intro can be felt throughout the rest of the album. Conor Oberst, the lead singer, has a voice like no other and not in the Aretha Franklin type of way, but the combination of his emotion and songwriting makes him enthralling to listen to. Oberst has a very campfire-like voice that blends perfectly with the sporadic duets with the female singer on the record. One of my favorite production choices was to have upright bass on the slower tracks. Upright bass is one of those instruments that is so nostalgic and can age a track back 40 years. My favorite use of the upright bass is on ‘Land Locked Blues’ (Track 8). My favorite on the record is track 7, ‘‘Another Travelin’ Song.’’ I recently met and worked with the band Lose and fell in love with their song ‘Don’t Call Me Twice.’ Both of these tunes are based around this americana, punctuating back and forth bass lines, and the drummer playing a shuffle on the snare drum. I love it so much. This track just has so much energy and it certainly helps that the lyrics are incredibly witty and engaging. 

      This album was such an engaging experience and had the ability to transport me away from school and into a campground with Oberst right in front singing to my friends and I. Throw this record on when you have an hour to kill. 

 

How I Listened:

• Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pros. 

  • These headphones are up there in my best headphones to listen and mix on.

     Before I listened to this album, I could have named three songs by Mr. Harrison. Additionally, I had never indulged in one of his works in full. This record was easily the most requested for me to listen and review and I understand why. It contained everything I have been digging lately, unique acoustic guitars, a bit of that southern twang, and great storytelling. 

     This album surprised me. I had previously only listened to Harrison for his slower tracks, the folkier ones if I may. I was shocked to hear songs like ‘Wah-Wah,’ ‘What Is Life,’ ‘Art of Dying,’ and ‘Plug Me In’ because of just how out of place they felt at first due to my previous contextual perception of George Harrison music. Something that peaked my interest about these tracks was just how different they felt mix wise to the rest of the album. Go back and listen to tracks 2 and 3 and you’ll hear what I am writing about. The drums in track 3 are recorded and mixed in a way that distances them and nothing feels in your face about the track. This is miles different from the previous song where it's a close mic’d acoustic guitar paired with close mic Harrison vocals. This is probably the time to talk about how because I listen to an album every single day, and this one being the 2 hours that it is, I only got 2 listen throughs so these are very instinctive opinions I have. 

      One day I will get the original vinyl for this record because, as cool as it is that Spotify has 5 extra tracks than the OG, it is also a 2014 remaster. A remaster is when the final stage of engineering that makes audio ready for consumers is redone, usually by a different engineer than originally. Now, oftentimes, a remaster is good as it can “clean up” issues that were caused in the original master due to the lack of technology that was available in the 60s and 70s. With that said, before I make a judgment call on this album, I’ll have to find the original vinyl or even CD which wasn't invented until a decade after. 

     Upon doing some research on the album itself, when Harrison was sadly on his last legs suffering from cancer, he and a mix and master engineer went back and wanted to remix the entire album in 2001. “Harrison and Scott were shocked at the amount of reverb they had used in 1970” (MacFarlane, p. 157). Albums are never perfect and this is a great example of why, even the artist 30 years later wanted to entirely remix the album. This was eventually vetoed by the label. 

     I feel like I didn’t have much to review on this album because it's just that good and a testament to Harrison’s song writing. I enjoyed every moment of the record and if you haven’t listened all the way through, I would recommend it. I will say, it is not one of those albums that you need to sit down and actively listen to, it was very casual. 

 

How I Listened:

• First listen was in my car on the 15-speaker Mark Levinson® Surround Sound system.

• I then listened on my Bose bluetooth headphones. 

     I have been meaning to dive into an album by Inhaler as they have just exploded onto the scene as of the last couple years and I haven’t given them the appropriate listen yet. I have to say that while this album, as beautiful, fun, and energetic as it is, had its share of disappointing tracks and moments. I think a good chunk of the record just didn't feel original or organic to me. It often felt as if they collected a bunch of singles,  put them together, and chose one to be the album name. However, the so called "singles" I am referring to, on their own, are fun listens. 

     The album starts with two of their strongest with the title track ‘It Won’t Always Be Like This’ and ‘My Honest Face.’ These two, back to back, set the tone in a great way and got me excited to hear the rest. They have great hooks and have a very prominent nostalgic feel and vibe. The vocal processing with a slap-back delay reminds me of early 2000s alternative rock. The next track, ‘Slide Out The Window,’ might be one of my least favorite songs I’ve heard this year. It lacks not only a good hook, but basic feel. The biggest issue I had with this song originally is I was not a fan of the lead line that the keyboard plays, as it is extremely repetitive and just doesn’t add anything to the song. I feel like this track was a great representation of what I didn’t like from parts of the record. Lack-luster choruses, unnecessary breakdowns and bridges, and an overall sense of tackiness in tracks 3-7. This however does not go for the entire record as every negative thing I thought left for the last four tracks. ‘Who’s Your Money On’ is the most original on the record and I can just imagine the band had all their creative juices flowing when recording this one. The second half completely switches up into this beautiful and washed out bridge/outro that is a wonderful breath of fresh air from the songs preceding it. Directly following is ‘Totally’ which is easily the best song on the album. It’s the best vocal performance, catchiest hook, it has the groove that was lacking in the rest of the album, and countermelodies that work perfectly with the vocals. The album’s closer ‘In My Sleep’ is a fun ending to the record with its hectic drums and distorted vocals. 

     I can’t say I will be playing this album on repeat but a few tracks have been added to my “Liked Songs.” I’d say the album is worth a listen, but don't go in with too high of expectations. 

 

How it was listened to:

• All listen throughs on Bose QuietComfort stereo headphones. 

  • I usually have the bass boosted quite a bit on these through the Bose app so that is something to consider if you chose to listen the same way :)

      I vividly remember my first time hearing a Parcels song. A good friend in high school had a silent disco at night on the beach and it was one of the first times I had been crossed in my life. Once the juices were flowing and everyone was grooving to Tame Impala esc songs, a record started playing that I had never heard before. To make a short story shorter, it was ‘Older’ by Parcels and it was truly one of the best musical experiences of my life to this day. Ever since then, I have been in love with the Parcels’ sound, funkyness, clothing style, and overall vibe. 

      Closetowhy, the band’s debut album, has been an absolute blast to listen to on this interesting day in San Diego, to say the least. This band has such a unique sound and ability to captivate me on every tune. This album is incredibly patient. Meaning each song has an extremely noticeable emphasis on holding off section changes. The album just allows you to really sit back and fall deep into the pocket. If you don’t know what the pocket is, I can’t help you. The album is extremely nostalgic as well, it takes me back to the 70s sound and completely romanticizes that era for me, even more than it already is. 

      The record starts with an incredible segway between the first two songs ‘Comedown’ and ‘Lightenup.’ These two set the tone for the rest of the listening experience as they have all the characteristics that make this album: calm and subtle yet simultaneously upbeat and funky. The drum mix is incredibly “dry,” meaning next to no reverb, delay, or audible distortion like you hear on most drums. This allows the other instruments to shine through and have the sonic space to really play around with dynamics. The band is simply just tight, and they are as tight live as they are in this record. The guitars especially. I have found it challenging in my own experience recording music to get doubled guitars to sound glued together and this album has given me a new thing to strive for. All the instruments, while usually engaging in very separate melodic lines or rhythms, fit together better than most other albums I’ve listened to. I will say this though, aside from the heavy hitters on this album like ‘Lightenup,’ ‘Withorwithout,’ and ‘Tieduprightnow,’ the rest are forgetful. Whether that is a good thing or bad thing, or you completely disagree, that’s how it hit my ears. I use the phrase “blend together” loosely and I know they don’t sound the exact same as one another but more as if they are just filler tracks. The two songs in the middle of the record ‘Yourfault’ and the title track ‘Closetowhy’ are the best examples of that as they really feel a bit out of place and a bit unwarranted. 

     This record was really fun to listen to as there are just so many different textures and countermelodies to follow. I also haven’t even touched on their unwaveringly extravagant vocal performances and arrangements throughout the record. With headphones on, it feels like I am in the middle of all of them and they are just creating a sound wall of harmony. The way this band constantly blows my mind with vocal arrangements should be not only praised, but studied. Overall, this will probably be one of my easiest albums to review because it is just that good. Give it a listen. 

 

How it was listened to:

• All listen throughs on Bose QuietComfort stereo headphones. 

  • I usually have the bass boosted quite a bit on these through the Bose app so that is something to consider if you chose to listen the same way :)

      I sometimes find it hard to find an album where every song is a ballad and not get overwhelmingly bored. With that said, Calico by Ryan Beatty was one of the few ballad albums where I wasn't constantly looking for the skip button, only once or twice. A word of caution before I continue, please do not listen to this album if you are riled up with energy, you might hate it. Put some headphones on, light a cigarette, and give it a listen through. The album itself doesn’t have a pulse, and what I mean by that is there isn’t a single song in which you can bop your head to. To counter the lack of backbeat are incredible vocal performances and production, melody and harmony writing, and a wonderful mix to glue it all together. The album, to me, feels like an extremely contemporary attempt at an old “crooner” album. Etta James mixed with Bon Iver type of thing. 

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      The strongest part of the album lies smack in the heart with tracks 4-6: ‘Andromeda, Bright Red, and Hunter.’ Beatty feels his most confident and creative on these three songs. It shows his maturity in the album. The first three songs, while beautiful, just felt like any other vocal piano acoustic guitar tracks. The witty and charming lyrics in ‘Bright Red’ allow you to hold onto a moment and smile. ‘Hunter’ follows it up and completely blows the rest of the album out of the water. ‘Hunter’ is a 7 minute experience that is easily Beatty’s most creative and artistic on the record. It contains the two best moments on the record, one at 1:55 in which the vocals and piano create a second of slight dissonance but blend beautifully into the next chord. That moment really tickled some part of my brain in the best way possible. And later, about 6 minutes in, the feel on the song switches and you get your first sense of a pulse, but it is sadly taken away a few moments later. 

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      In the spirit of honesty, the last three songs were the hardest to get through, most likely due to my now deep rooted love for ‘Hunter.’ I don’t know if I could tell you anything about them that caught my attention, and maybe that’s unfair of me, but it’s just how I felt after the few listening throughs went. Anyways, Calico is a truly beautiful album and is worth a listen if you are in the right headspace to just lay back and chill out. 

 

How it was listened to:

• 1st listen: Bose Headphones 

• 2nd listen: Mono PA bluetooth speaker

• 3rd listen: In my car on a 15-speaker Mark Levinson® Surround Sound system. I boosted the bass by 1 on the car equalizer. 35/60 volume.

• All streamed on Spotify