Blogcritics Author: Matthew Montgomery

Music Review: Conor Oberst - Conor Oberst

Matthew Montgomery — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 09:59:00 EDT

Bright Eyes' self-titled release shows the artist's maturation.
When I first heard Conor Oberst, I was an impressionable 14-year-old in grade nine. Following the recommendation of a friend whose musical interests I trusted (“Download 'The City Has Sex With Itself,' by Bright Eyes,” he told me,) I engaged in musical exploration, learning of a great many styles, genres, and tepid...

Announcement: Short-content feeds

Phillip Winn — Sun, 26 Aug 2007 12:00:00 EDT

Sunday, August 26, 2007, marks the switch of all Blogcritics.org article feeds from full-content to short-content. This is the result of several converging factors, and is unfortunately a permanent decision (as permanent as any decision can be on the web, that is). We are aware of all of the reasons that this is a Bad Idea, and we are aware that some of you will be quite upset about having to click on something to read the free content, and we're sorry. Unfortunately, despite great effort, full-content feeds are not currently economically viable. Two other factors are involved: full-content feeds have resulted in an unprecedented level of content theft, with BC content appearing on many websites, usually spam sites, without attribution or permission. This duplicate content causes a cascading set of problems, not the least of which is that search engines generally aren't favorable to duplicate content, and don't always guess correctly. Finally, our RSS advertising partner is strongly in favor of short-content feeds. We hope that you'll continue to subscribe to BC via RSS, and when an article grabs your eye, it's only a click away, still free on the BC website. Thank you for your understanding.

Music Review: Viva Voce - Get Yr Blood Sucked Out

Matthew Montgomery — Sat, 19 Aug 2006 06:34:19 EDT

Handclaps, a harmonica, a strummed acoustic guitar, a plethora of lesser percussion instruments, an almost-ethereal vocal duet, and, of course, much more combine for a slightly noisy introduction -- but interesting, nonetheless -- to the fourth full-length album from the husband and wife duo that comprise Viva Voce; thusly, the pace is set for Get Yr Blood Sucked Out.Get Yr Blood Sucked Out feels remarkably confident; being the band's fourth full-length album doesn't hurt matters any. Viva Voce displays a preponderance of skill and know-how with their solid, rhythmic style -- and though it seems an album primarily composed of tracks equally paced (but don't fear, there is certainly the requisite variation in both pacing and sonic style), would grow tiring, Viva Voce proves this is certainly not the case, at least with Get Yr Blood Sucked Out.Tracks like "Bill Bixby," a short, almost eerie (the background noise certainly doesn't hurt the effort any) piano-centric track, and "We Do Not Fuck Around," which takes the group's poppy style to its apex, contribute heavily to the album. Viva Voce is a much more varied group than the first few tracks of the album indicates -- and it's not even that said opening tracks are of a dubious quality; much to the contrary, even.With a seemingly unending amount of energy, Viva Voce utilizes a set of less common rhythmic additions (less common for the musical style, at the very least) throughout the album. It's the small touches like this that really define Get Yr Blood Sucked Out -- the harmonizations and the slower moments stand out -- and that come together for music that displays an ultimate regard for pop music. It doesn't feel forced or pushed, but instead feels like the only album that could have come from this band, at this point in time -- and, as a listener, I wouldn't have it any other way.

Review: Beemans Chewing Gum

Matthew Montgomery — Wed, 4 Jan 2006 01:33:14 EST

Beemans Chewing Gum is one of a line of four nostalgia-oriented chewing gums produced by Cadbury Adams, makers of ever-popular products such as Trident, Chiclets, and Certs. While we are not quite experienced enough to review this gum on its nostalgic qualities, we can, however, vouch for its goodness and qualifications as chewing gum.Initially, Beemans Chewing Gum is slightly offsetting; its plain, drab packaging is neither eye-catching nor enticing, though perhaps this is where its charm lay. Certainly this is a goal of Cadbury Adams, and on this level, they do succeed. Ten points for nostalgia -- but negative several million for its complete lack of style.Contrary to any packaging flaws -- as deliberate as they may be -- this is, indeed, a quality chewing gum. Upon removal from its dual layered thin paper packaging, it is immediately noted how soft and flexible the gum feels. The packaging is not delicious -- much to our delight, as we are not interested in a gum whose packaging steals away intense flavor sessions of chewing.Of course, there is more to this gum than meets the eye -- the smell it emits ensnares the senses with its chunks of wonderful mint. The initial flavor, however, is a tad disappointing, supposing the gum is smelt before entry into the mouth. Perhaps the creator of this gum -- presumably one Mr. Beemans -- was, in fact, lacking in the ability to sense with his schnoz.When one begins chewing the gum, one realizes that perhaps initial reactions were unjustified. This gum is, unlike many other chewing gum products on the market, well-flavored. However, this chewing gum fails to break new ground as a product, the flavor has been nearly "done to death," as they say in the business world. Interestingly, Beemans Chewing Gum tastes very much like a Wintergreen-flavored Cert, which is another product of gum mogul, Cadbury Adams. However, in a tribute to Cadbury Adams quality, this gum is chewable for hours -- if not weeks.This gum succeeds where other new chewing gum products have failed -- most notably the dismal quality Skittles-brand gum, which happens to be no more a chewing gum than a Skittle. Beemans is a wonderful product; despite its obvious flaws, there is a reason they are re-introducing this nostalgic chewing gum.A brief history of chewing gumMatthew Montgomery and Aaron Rasmussen, musicGeek.org

CD Review: The Great Lakes Myth Society - Self-Titled

Matthew Montgomery — Sat, 8 Oct 2005 13:14:23 EDT

The Great Lakes Myth Society The Great Lakes Myth Society 2005, Stop, Pop, & RollThe Great Lakes Myth Society knows how to start an album well: "The Salt Trucks" starts as a heartfelt acoustic piece but segues into a slightly dark electric piece with nary a snag along the way. Throw in excellent harmonizations and vocals, and The Great Lakes Myth Society begins to take shape.The Great Lakes Myth Society is the eponymous debut of the Michigan-based group (their hometown, Ann Arbor, is at the foot of Lake Erie, which explains for the name. It also, to an extent, can explain for their sound -- there is regional influence, particularly in a more traditional setting, present across the album; a vague "down-home" feel to tracks is allowed, including banjos, accordians, and strings on such tracks as "Across the Bridge" and "Love Story." If there is one attribute that stands out in The Great Lakes Myth Society, it's their ability to write engaging, eclectic music. "Buffalo Nickel" is an outstanding example of such; with thunder and siren samples topping the already atmospheric piece, the guitars begin to feel torrential and the cymbal crashes increasingly rain-like. This is easily contrasted with the strangely upbeat "Marquette County, 1959," a piece heavy in piano and lyrics of some sort of strange historical significance ("The northern lights were shining / when Jimmy Stewart came to Marquette County in 1959")."The Northern Light Over Atlanta, MI" is another prime example of The Great Lake Myth Society's uncanny ability to blend unexpected elements -- funky guitars and orchestral strings blended with bells are, by no stretch of the imagination, a normal combination of instruments, but with this band, one can almost come to expect something with such flare.After fifteen (excellent) tracks, it is clear that The Great Lakes Myth Society have debuted with an album befitting a much more experienced band -- The Great Lakes Myth Society is a tightly composed album; the band's use of non-standard instrumentation and clear musical intent denotes an amicable relationship within the group. If a first release is any indicator, The Great Lakes Myth Society is, undoubtedly, onto something with their music.Matthew Montgomery musicGeek.org

Review: The Ladies and Gentlemen - Small Sins

Matthew Montgomery — Wed, 5 Oct 2005 00:43:30 EDT

The Ladies and Gentlemen Small Sins 2005, BoompaThe Ladies and Gentlemen -- or, more accurately, Tom D'Arcy, previously of The Carnations -- makes a stunning debut with Small Sins. D'Arcy, the sole writer, performer, and producer of Small Sins, demonstrates a definite ability to write meaningful, captivating music. His unique stylings -- which are, at times, heavily electronic, and at others, simple three-piece pop-rock -- stand out for their simplistic overtones, yet subtley entrancing basis. An excellent example of such is "Too Much to Lose," an upbeat piece that features a single repeated two-note keyboard riff; while it may seem droning and inane, D'Arcy's vocals and guitars emphasize the repetition in such a manner that not only does the song not feel incredibly boring, but the two notes are infused with some imaginary variety by their surroundings.Repetition being the basis for D'Arcy's tracks as The Ladies and Gentlemen doesn't seem far-fetched at all, in the context of Small Sins -- in fact, it seems quite reasonable. As a result, Small Sins, at times, feels similar to an art project gone slightly astray; rarely does D'Arcy really venture beyond a very basic underlying two-chord -- or, at times, three-chord -- structure in Small Sins. Even as such, D'Arcy manages to create an intriguing set of tracks -- likely even more so than if it were a straightforward working on similar musical overtones.Forefront in D'Arcy's compositions are his lyrics, full of emotion and intrigue. One example of such are the lines "Tax season's coming in / The car's not running and / Parties seem less fun," in "Threw it All Away." This personal quality in the lyrics, fused with D'Arcy's breathy -- but uniquely melodic -- vocals, really brings the most important points of Small Sins forward for easy viewing. Despite an apparent lack of musical spontaneity, The Ladies and Gentlemen breathe an air of importance into their music, and, not surprisingly, listening to the whole of a track becomes not a chore, but an imperative task; D'Arcy manages to invigorate his music with an urgency -- one that doesn't seem it would be present in a musical structure that, at it's core, is essentially composed of sets of two or three chords.Of course, any previously made supposition about D'Arcy's possible lack of musical diversitfication -- or at least, ability to write a song that, at its base, used multiple chords or notes -- is thrown out the window with, most notably, his final track on the album, "Is She the One?" (though other tracks could also serve as examples, none of them seem to do it ), which ends Small Sins on a musically deviant journey, wrapping up the album with ease. If anything, it's an encouraging note to end on; "Is She the One?" shows a mass of potential that, as of yet, has not been explored, at least not by The Ladies and Gentlemen.Matthew Montgomery musicGeek.org

Review: Slender Means - Neon and Ruin

Matthew Montgomery — Mon, 3 Oct 2005 22:57:16 EDT

Slender Means Neon and Ruin 2005, Mt. Fuji RecordsNeon and Ruin opens without a real sense of urgency, much to its benefit. "Telepathic Lovesick Heart," the album's opening track, is relaxed and laid-back, setting a fairly consistent theme across the whole of the album. Instead of opening with a track that causes listeners to panic, Slender Means instead decided to open with a fairly simple and poppy guitar-based track -- a move that seems almost regretful at its surface, but in this execution, at least, it manages to give Neon and Ruin a pair of steady legs to stand on."Hidden Grove" follows "Telepathic Lovesick Heart" beautifully, taking a previously subtle element in the keyboards and bringing them to the forefront of the composition. Instead of approaching his instrument with lavishly crafted solos and intense stylistic flare, keyboardist David Martin plays with a distinctive style while not attempting to steal any of the proverbial limelight; the rest of the band follows suit, appropriately. The feeling of cooperation and comradery that accompanies Slender Means' positively unique stylings adds a breath of fresh air (not that one was needed -- following metaphorically, Neon and Ruin feels like it was recorded in fresh summer air, but it's always a nice addition to any recording. Besides, a little fresh air never hurt anyone.)Though Slender Means never does achieve that sense of urgency (and, admittedly, it's certainly not an essential bit of music, by any means, though some groups seemingly treat it as such), they do manage to create captivating music. The laid-back feel it encompasses never really feels limited; rather, it tends to leave listeners nearly satiated -- enough room left over for dessert, really, and they definitely deliver: "The Comet," arguably the most entrancing track on the album, with its spacey feel (and title) and apparently meaningful lyrics (though, nobody can judge on such matters but the lyrics' writers, after all), delivering what is, perhaps, a metaphorical rendition of songwriter Josh Dawson's perceptions of life, wrapped up and shown as a comet, apparently meandering through space without aim. Dawson's lyrical musings are interesting and, quite often, filtered through stories and layers of meaning.Neon and Ruin is Slender Means' debut album, though you'd never guess it while listening. With a steady, solid rhythm provided by drummer Eric Wennberg and bassist Paul Pugliese, Slender Means is a tight musical outfit, and, appearances being what they are, a band that's bound to stick around for a while longer yet.Matthew Montgomery musicGeek.org

CD Review: Broken Social Scene - Broken Social Scene

Matthew Montgomery — Tue, 27 Sep 2005 22:59:12 EDT

Broken Social Scene Broken Social Scene Arts & Crafts, 2005Broken Social Scene's latest release, the self-titled Broken Social Scene, comes two years after their highly-rated You Forgot It In People, widely regarded to be one of 2003's greatest releases. With Broken Social Scene, the band has expounded upon their once-successful sound without significantly altering it, as is evidenced in tracks like "Hotel," "Finish Your Collapse and Stay For Breakfast" and "Tremoloa Debut," which, regrettably, comprise a very small portion of the release. It's not this element that ends up being so vital to the success of the album, though; gone (for the most part) are the sparsely populated sonic landscapes that made You Forgot It In People such a wild success, replaced, instead, with a murky, dense landscape that is slightly stale by the end of the album.While Broken Social Scene may have maintained essentially the same sound (more accurately, some of the same sonic qualities, and some of the songwriting tendencies) they have featured heavily in the past, this self-titled release is notable for its fundamentally different mood and feel. Tracks like "Windsurfing Nation," "Superconnected," and "7/4 (Shoreline)" are dense, packed with guitars and sonic noise, that, while mostly evocative and capturing, seem overtly forced.At times, however, Broken Social Scene suffers from an unfortunate mundanity that wasn't nearly as heavily present in the band's past releases -- which is not to say that this is a mundane album, but rather, it sometimes branches into territory that feels, at the least, over-trodden, both by Broken Social Scene and recent music. There are notable exceptions, most obviously the ten-minute, distinctive "It's All Gonna Break," arguably the album's most dynamic, and undeniably, the most captivating venture. Fortunately, Broken Social Scene ends on a note worth remembering -- a choppy, quick combination of drums, guitars, and horns, ending abruptly -- a perfectly epic, magnanimous ending to an album that ultimately seems sub-par -- but still easily listenable and interesting, though certainly not to the same degree that Broken Social Scene has shown themselves capable.Matthew Montgomery musicGeek.org

Review: Nada Surf - The Weight is a Gift

Matthew Montgomery — Sun, 18 Sep 2005 16:36:54 EDT

Nada Surf The Weight is a Gift Barsuk, 2005The Weight is a Gift is Nada Surf's fourth full length in nearly ten years, and while they maintain essentially the same basic sound as in their 2003 release, Let Go, they have provided a reasonably advanced take on such. The Weight is a Gift is, arguably, their most mature release since the band's inception.From the cello backing Nada Surf in the smoothly melodic "Your Legs Grow" to the horns featured in "All is a Game" (which, in a throwback style, feels heavily like earlier Nada Surf in its vocal stylings and lightly distorted guitars,) the band demonstrates their musical know-how and interest in growing their diversity. The Weight is a Gift is Nada Surf's second release on Seattle-based Barsuk Records, and as the credits show, there is a fair amount of collaboration across Barsuk's roster. Most notably, The Weight is a Gift was produced by esteemed producer and Death Cab for Cutie guitarist, Chris Walla, alongside two-time producer Louie Lino, a friend of the band. Additionally, John Roderick, of The Long Winters, and Sean Nelson, original member of The Long Winters and the previous frontman for Harvey Danger. Besides these inter-label collaborations, Nada Surf pulled in Phil Wandscher, of alternative country outfit Whiskeytown, who contributed lead guitar on "Comes a Time," and Kenneth Earl Jankowski Jr., of The Golden Republic, who played horns on "All is a Game."The Weight is a Gift is, by and large, a fast-paced, driving collection of songs ("Comes a Time" may be the sole exception); it is evident that the band has not left behind their roots in power-pop, but simultaneously have realized their inevitably more mature sound -- after all, they were dumped from Elektra Records after refusing to "find" a single for their second full-length, The Proximity Effect, months after its completion by the band, and as such, were reasonably upset. Understandably, it was four years from this struggle in 1998 before the release of their Barsuk debut, Let Go. Either major label troubles are conducive to maturation, it would seem, or four years is, or both -- and it's likely that the answer is both.As is expected from a band with two stellar releases under their belt, The Weight is a Gift is rife with positive attributes -- songwriting, production, vocal quality, lyrics, you name it, it's there, and it's undeniably positive. Chris Walla's production style fits perfectly with the band's musical style; Walla's unique flares shine through, but, all told, the album sounds (thankfully) unmistakably like a Nada Surf album. Per their usual efforts, The Weight is a Gift's lyrics are well written; though not necessarily "poetic" at all times, they are personal and inspiring. Nada Surf has again succeeded on many levels, and judging from the pace of things, it's likely that any such progress will continue.Matthew Montgomery musicGeek.org

Review: The Long Winters - Ultimatum

Matthew Montgomery — Sat, 17 Sep 2005 23:21:29 EDT

The Long Winters, led by mastermind John Roderick, have ventured from their usual musical stylings, moving into what is, for them, at the very least, new territory. Ultimatum, their first release since their 2003 album, When I Pretend to Fall. Standing at six tracks, this EP is simultaneously soothing and engaging.The opening track, "The Commander Thinks Aloud," a shadowing of this new sound, is poppy and piano-driven, with Roderick's vocals quickly taking a leading role in the piece -- which seems to be the most constant element across the EP. The title track, "Ultimatum," places Roderick's vocals afront a fine accompaniment -- one that emphasizes his dynamic, full-bodied voice: a folksy, down-home guitar and a five piece string combo, bringing forward Roderick's unique nuances. He uses a similar approach with live, acoustic renditions of When I Pretend to Fall's "Bride and Bridle" and "Ultimatum," performing the two pieces in what is an unarguably more raw construct.What really seals Ultimatum is its lyrical content; at times, it is enigmatic and convoluted, yet at others, it simple and straightforward. Roderick sticks to a fairly straightforward style for the bulk of the EP: "A trail of shooting stars / the horses call the storm / because the air contains the charge." At times, however, he branches into slightly more bizarre lines found in "Delicate Hands": "The weight of this hairstyle's / making me lazy / I think I'm going to leave it / up all night / I want to feed you / butter-rum candy / But someone beat you / to me." In the conscientious "Everything is Talking," Roderick initially describes modern life ("My new friends have messages / They reach me wherever I am") aside what I must assume is a description of the ultimately eerie experience of having fans whom you've never met ("Namess friends / All know my name"), before delving into some strange sort of moral dillema surrounding, perhaps, the growing artificiality of our food supply -- and maybe some sort of future integration of robots into our daily lives ("I won't eat a machine / But what if it asks me? / What if it says my name?").At any rate, Ultimatum is, hopefully, a sign of things to come for The Long Winters and their upcoming full-length, planned for early 2006.

Review: Sigur Ros - Takk

Matthew Montgomery — Tue, 13 Sep 2005 20:55:12 EDT

Sigur Ros Takk Geffen, 2005By now (now being September 13th, 2005, the day of Takk's release,) Sigur Ros has become an almost legendary group of musicians, and with good reason. In this, their fourth full length, they, once again, demonstrate an outstanding regard for high production values and the progression of their ultimately unique song-writing style.In fact, the only real disappointing element surrounding Takk is its packaging -- although such is still of a definite high quality, it is, unfortunately, of a non-standard size, being slightly larger than a standard digipak or jewel case. Initially, I also expressed disappointment with the lack of a booklet, until I came to realize that Sigur Ros's past releases have been very minimal in the use of text in the included booklet; in fact, ( )'s booklet is simply composed of pages of slightly translucent paper with light etchings of foliage across them. While aesthetically interesting, it may be that Geffen (perhaps as this is Sigur Ros's first release on the mega-label) opted to pass on something they perceived as having little to no value.Stylistically, Takk stands somewhere between ( ) and Agaetis Byrjun, and quite strongly at that. It is also worth noting that this album is undeniably cheerful, and tracks like "Se lest" demonstrate this extraordinarily well, complete with a string and horn section that reminisces vaguely of a carnival -- though such is undoubtedly a lacking description, especially for a band with a sound so dynamic. Additionally, lyrically speaking, Takk is written primarily in Icelandic, a departure from the group's usual use of their created (and supposedly meaningless) language, Hopelandic.Takk almost requires multiple listens to be fully enjoyed -- not to say that Takk is difficult or "takes some getting used to," but its depth is so immense that a single listen would be doing your ears an injustice, of sorts. Like most truly great music, a single listen may yield intense emotions and immense aural pleasure, multiple listens yields much more.Matthew Montgomery musicGeek.org