Alt J - This is All Yours

A not-in-the-slightest-expert analysis by Nimbi.

Warning: this review probably isn’t appropriate for anybody under the age of thirteen, or fifteen, or eighteen, I don’t know, just check yoself (please realistically analyze your mental age). And if you’re under the age of thirteen and reading this. Why. Go play some violent video games or something. This is Sad Moth for crying out loud, not some tween internet hang out spot.

Anyway.

Sex.

^There you have it. Alt J is perhaps the most sexual band around today, and I’m not just talking lyrics here, although those are definitely worth discussing. And you know what, maybe that’s why their second record, entitled This Is All Yours is so good. It’s musical sex.

Please don’t give up on this review quite yet; I swear there’s kind of a point to this.

 I went into this album with high hopes. I was a huge fan of their debut and all of the catchy singles that drove Alt J’s name to success. But upon listening to the new project, I wasn’t too thrilled at first.

The thing with a band as crazy cool as Alt J is, in our day and age, where it’s so hard to fit the ever-evolving definition of “original,” Alt J seems to be so interesting at times that it forgets to be musically coherent.

In the opening track called Intro, there was some really awesome stuff going on. I mean these guys are clinical, talented, and artistically gifted musicians. Its just, they seem to give up on motifs way too quickly. I find myself thinking if they just developed that, or I really liked that one part but…etc, etc…

Cohesiveness. That’s what I craved, a naturally soothing repetition that the aesthetics of music are based upon. And the first part of the album didn’t really do that for me.  Vocal layers and harmonies in the intro track were awesome, and although the Nara Trilogy (the next two tracks and the last one) was effectively haunting in its melodies, the songs felt like they were just creeping along at an unentertaining pace.

And then things started picking up in a very strange way with Every Other Freckle, where driven, swelling horns and neat builds really showcased Alt J’s knack for sensual rhythm; followed by whatever the hell was going on with the next poppy track called Left Hand Free:

Well, your left hand's free

And your right's in a grip

With another left hand

Watch his right hand slip

Towards his gun, oh, no

^So that’s kind of gross. Probably the most explicitly erotic part of the album lyrically speaking, but this is when I really started to notice how sexual Alt J is.

Choice Kingdom brought back some haunting themes with a pulsing, watery ambiance, and it was really from here on out that I began to really like the musical developments within each song.

The Gospel of John Hurt is the sexiest song on the record. It builds like an orgasm, speaks to innate impulses through its irrefutable rhythmic hypnosis and recurring motifs. When Alt J sticks to this kind of template is seems that they do well, something they demonstrate with the rest of the tracks, especially in the passionate builds on my favorite song off the album, Bloodflood pt. II (which is an extension off their first album). They drive and swell up to powerful climaxes upon which they…kind of shrivel out…there’s no other way of putting it. On this album, there aren’t really any strong endings to songs, but it fits the evident thematic package in my opinion. They even appease different musical appeals through the mellow acoustic hums of Pusher.

I really enjoyed this album in the end, as weird as some of my analysis was. It wasn’t nearly as single-driven as their first, but Alt J is definitely asserting themselves musically here with an imaginative sound and new age undercurrents. However, they definitely could’ve done more in the sense of organization. The record kind of drags on and risks blending songs. It’s sexy shit nonetheless.

So if you’re looking for something to get down to, This is All Yours really is, all yours. But remember kids, make good decisions.

Favorite Tracks: Bloodflood pt. II, Pusher

Least Favorite Tracks: Leaving Nara

8/10

Iceage- Plowing Into the Field of Love By Nimbi

Yet another not-in-the-slightest-expert analysis by Nimbi.

That’s right folks, Iceage is back for more, and this time, much less focused on the implications of global climate change on prehistoric animated animals.

(Okay, I’m going to be honest, before this, I’d never given these guys a listen before, so I can’t say much about this album in the context of the band’s budding career. Nor can I comment on the band’s historical roots, evolving sound, or any of the other stuff that makes music review people sound like cool, unappreciated scholars.)

However, I can say that Iceage’s new album Plowing into the Field of Love, is not only better than Continental Drift and The Meltdown combined, but also far more enjoyable than Dawn of the Dinosaurs, and about as good as the 2002 original movie Ice Age…so I hope that counts for something.

Maybe being previously unacquainted with this Danish band’s sound is what brings me to think this, but honestly, even as somebody who isn’t all that into punk, the album’s fresh blend of punk motifs and tasteful instrumentation really drew me in.

On My Fingers was an awesome song, my first introduction to the cool, gravely vocals that would carry effectively throughout the record.

I was never bored, and more often then not, surprised at the musical versatility that Iceage displayed in nearly every song. From jumpy, country rock influences evident in The Lord’s Favorite, to the Dionysian blur of Cimmerian Shade, even when I wasn’t digging the songs aesthetically speaking, I was repeatedly introduced to new musical flavors.

 Abundant Living’s instrumental blare, gritty guitar riff, and catchy tempo was a convincing showcase of the band’s talent for me, topped even further by Against the Moon, in my opinion, the most impressive track off the album, in which the band tried its hand at a slow-jam template with a dreamy backdrop laced with glassy piano and stinging lyrics:

I can fight it

Make it roam

But a fugitive has a tendency to return home

The lyrical work is extremely impressive in the sense that each song has an autonomous inspiration that adds to the comprehensive album. And furthermore, I didn't know punk rock could pull off a mandolin and horns this well, but apparently I know very little. Iceage has really redefined what a genuine punk album can look like, and for that I give these Danish boys a standing ovation. Overall, a really solid album, one that both surprised and impressed me, and ultimately fossilized Iceage’s powerful works into my music-listening landscape.

Favorite Track: Against the Moon

Least Favorite Track: Cimmerian Shade

7.5/10

Spoon - They Want My Soul

A not-in-the-slightest-expert analysis by Nimbi.

Educated folk singers want my soul

Jonathon Fisk still wants my soul

I got nothing I want to say

They got nothing left that I want

All they want's my soul

Yes, yes, I know it

They want my soul

Holy macaroni, as bad as it may sound, Britt Daniel can add me to that list: Nimbi Freaking Nimbison wants a piece of that’ 43-year-old soul, because damn.

Austin-based band, Spoon, is no stranger to the music world. And even if the former “Artist of the Decade” has somehow slipped past your radar, there’s no way they can now, because they’ve added yet another album onto a career that’s lasted nearly two decades, their eighth, entitled They Want My Soul. Oh yeah, and it’s real good.

“Steady” is one of the words that come to mind for me. Spoon has delivered solid albums time and time again, and with their latest, they’ve shared with us something fresh, but not altogether shocking. Spoon clings to guitar-driven sounds, a novelty that has been lost in today’s alternative music scene. “Alternative-indie-pop-rock-punk,” is the closest label I can give it, but Spoon has never really been a band to give a rats hoo-hah about labels. Regardless of what people call it, the overall vibes of the album are engaging, with catchy hooks and noteworthy lyrical work to top it off.

They had me right away, with the driven snares on the first track, Rent I Pay, but I really became a fan of the LP with their second track: Inside Out makes me want to strip off all my clothes, turn them inside out, and jive to Inside Out until my mom tells me to go to bed (yes, I live with my mom, and yes, she still tells me to go to bed, but with this song stuck in my head, even I can find a little joy in my day). It’s that good—dreamy, hypnotic, addicting, a song that, in my opinion, might even be better than the assertive, poppy single off the record, called Do You.

Right when I think there couldn’t be anything else Spoon could toss at me (not in this LP at least) the Texans go ahead and fling some catchy synth pop my way, which I took straight to the face, and right to the gut. The last track New York Kiss made me want to drop everything, jump in a car, drive to New York City, and kiss my lady in the streets—while listening to this song of course.

The album was consistently entertaining, with a sense of continuity throughout, somehow avoiding the type of monotony that often comes with albums of similar genre.  But while I have high praise for Spoon’s new album, They Want My Soul, I must say that it’s hard to be completely blown away by a band that’s been so good for so long. Nonetheless, it’s a tremendous statement from the band, one that echoes, nostalgically, some of the band’s age-old hymns, but at the same time rings of new vitality, reminding us of what Spoon’s made of.

Favorite Track(s): Inside Out & New York Kiss
Least Favorite Track: Let Me Be Mine

7.5/10

Childish Gambino - Because the Internet

A not-in-the-slightest-expert analysis by Nimbi.

I’ve always dreamt of owning a zero gravity chamber.  There’s one daydream in particular where I’m floating around in one with some friends, one of whom throws a pan of jello at me from the other end of the chamber. Another friend is standing between us with a tennis racket, and as the jello glides towards him, he swings at it, slicing the glob into dozens of little jello cubes. I bound forward gracefully trying to eat as many of the jello cubes as I can in one passing. The cubes that I don’t manage to eat within thirty seconds turn into mini Flubber babies, and the rest of the daydream is spent unfolding much like a 1997 film. RIP Robin Williams.

While I haven’t saved up enough cash to snag one of these zero gravity chambers quite yet, (I peruse craigslist twice a day just in case there’s a good deal), Donald Grover, aka Childish Gambino, has graciously provided me with the next best thing: the simulated experience of floating in a giant purple lava lamp.

Yes, specifically purple, with occasional hints of blue. That’s what his latest album “Because the Internet” was for me, in essence: 57 minutes and 52 seconds of floating in a giant purple lava lamp.

At first, this was freaking awesome. I mean it was new, exhilarating, weird at times, but altogether fresh…until the nausea kicked in and it felt like the walls of the lava lamp were closing in on me as I spun around aimlessly. Now there came a point, about half way through the album, where not even Pepto Bismol could’ve saved me, because pink is too close to purple, and that would’ve only made things worse. What I’m saying is, I feel that as an album, ‘goofy’ is a representative word at first, and then towards the latter half, ‘trippy af’ is a better explanation.

If you read the screenplay that goes along with the 18.142ish tracks (the first is literally four seconds sooo…), the music begins to make more sense, complementing the story line pretty well. As a screenplay, the themes are pretty depressing and static, but ultimately effective in what it’s trying to do. The goofy lyrics and upbeat stuff going on at the beginning of the album correspond with the lighter parts of the story (around the time I lawled at the ‘Kangaroo Jack’ joke early on in the script). But by the end of the plot you feel kinda empty and ‘meh’ about existence, feelings that are mirrored in the vibes of the later tracks.

Cool concept for the album and screenplay, and everything as a whole. The dude’s really ‘making moves’ if you will, and while I’d recommend people to check it out just for what it is, I can’t see myself necessarily listening to/reading/engaging in “Because the Internet” on my own accord, and certainly not for my listening pleasure. I am genuinely curious to see what other wacky stuff this guy comes up with though.

“Don’t be mad cause I’m doing me better than you doing you…Better than you doing you, fuck it, what you gon’ do?” –Sweatpants

^First of all, telling me not to be mad about something is just going to make me mad about it, and secondly you’re probably right: I’m not doing me too well right now so thanks for that reminder, mom. But even without this little interruption, “Sweatpants” is a sweet song, and a catchy one at that.

As an album, without the screenplay and context from “Clapping for the Wrong Reasons” to back it all up, my initial feelings hovered around a 4 out of 10. Just didn’t really didn’t do much for me towards the end and I found myself dosing off mentally. He’s trying to do a lot in each track, and it ends up switching motifs so often and abruptly that the sounds get cluttered, busy, and borderline claustrophobic for the listener. But after reading the screenplay and everything as it was intended to be experienced, I’d bump that up to a 6.5 out of 10.

Conceptually, the project is worth checking out as a whole, and if you want good tracks, check out the first ten or so, especially “Sweatpants” and if you’re feeling edgy, “Flight of the Navigators.”

If you’re like me, on the market for a zero gravity chamber and sick of living vicariously through Sandra Bullock’s space expeditions, try “Because of Internet.” It’s like floating in a giant purple lava lamp, and quite possibly the next best thing to being in space itself.

Favorite Track: Sweatpants
Least Favorite Track: Zealots of Stockholm

6.5/10