The Mountain Goats - The Life Of The World To Come

this is about the right pace of music for my current tastes(said tastes shift a lot depending on my mood), but it's a little more religious/preachy than i would have normally liked.  and it doesn't really hide the fact that it might get a bit religious at times, what with all the songs being named after bible passages.  but in the end, i can't say i didn't enjoy the album.

i can't really compare this band to anything else, because it really is fairly singular in it's combination of musical and lyrical styles.  it stands out from the stuff i've listened to lately, and in a good way.  lyrically, i haven't really heard much of this style, as it doesn't have a standard structure really, or a rhyming pace that it sticks to from song to song.  it literally just flows along as the songs play.  and it works wonderfully.  i've heard songs before that try to use the same sort of lyrical style, but they all felt disjointed and messy(wish i could remember some examples).  this album isn't any of those things, it's a masterpiece of songwriting.

i wish i had the words to convey just how beautiful this album can be as it meanders it's way from beginning to end.  and i really do mean that when i say 'meanders'.  the album doesn't progress as much as it just happens to find it's way to the end of the CD.  which is perfect if you're looking for something to put on while you cook or clean, or really do anything that requires that you might not actually pay full attention to what's playing on the stereo.

i can't really say that the album is ambient in nature, since it isn't, but this is the kind of album that you can enjoy on many levels, not just when you're relaxing with some music on, doing nothing but listening.

there are a couple songs that stand out while you're listening, but not so much that they interrupt the album.  these songs, "Psalms 40:2" and "1 John 4:16" both just get... remembered, as you listen to the album over and over.  the rest of the album just drifts along, opening quietly with "1 Samuel 15:23" and ending with "Ezekiel 7 and the Permanent Efficacy Of Grace", a fantastic piano piece that just soaks into you as you relax.

i could keep going on about how great this album is, but it's better if you just go listen to it.

The Strange Death of Liberal England - Drown Your Heart Again

songs about the sea?

grabbed this on a whim. yes, it's an advance copy, but i'll definitely buy it when it comes out on the 13th. it's just that good.

like i said though, on a whim. no idea who these guys were, but the name made me raise an eyebrow, so i grabbed it.

and i was very much pleasantly surprised. not much like anything else i listen to, their music only really brings forth slight similarities to The Arcade Fire. the songs themselves though are unique, with maritime references here and there.

starting off with "Flickering Lights", reaching the album's highpoints with "Like A Curtain Falling" and "Come On You Young Philosphers!", and ending nicely with "Dog Barking At The Moon", i can honestly say i found some enjoyment in every track on the album. there's a melancholy, almost completely depressing, but still hopeful kind of sound to all the songs, even when the lyrics are downright somber.

hopefully, my reviews get better from now on so i can properly convey just how good music like this is.

in the meantime though, you should really buy this album when it comes out, it's awesome.

suggestions

if anyone is reading this and has any suggestions for music i should listen to, and perhaps review, fell free to post a comment, and i'll take a listen.

Stars - The Five Ghosts

it was part of a massive random music grab, this album stood out from the rest.

it starts off with "Dead Hearts" and "Wasted Daylight" evoking images of Death Cab For Cutie, Metric and The Postal Service. this continues into "I Died So I Could Haunt You" and "Fixed".

but after these few songs the sound starts to shift a bit, starting with "We Don't Want Your Body", still with images of the three mentioned bands, but bringing their individual style into it as well.

this continues through the rest of the album, as the music seems to fall into it's own, ending with "The Dead Beg For More", containing very few audible influences from the aforementioned bands.

i can't say i enjoyed every song on this album, but to listen to from beginning to end while surfing the web, or doing some other activity, it performs well, fitting in as an ambient afterthought just as well as while listening attentively

all in all, a very good album, and well worth a listen.

short music reviews

very short. like a few paragraphs or so. i'll try to update daily, or if i can find the ambition, a couple times a day.