Band of Horses – Why Are You OK
By Jessica Whitesel
Indie group Band of Horses is back again with Why Are You OK, which left me asking if the band was OK.
Their 2006 song “The Funeral” is one of my favourites, along with its album Everything All the Time. Yet their latest release falls flat. While consisting mostly of indie and indie-folk offerings, they for some reason tried to incorporate a heavier sound throughout, making the album seem like it’s going through an identity crisis.
Some of the songs do sound similar to what they cultivated with Everything All the Time. But the sloppy production and inconsistent tone make for an album that is about as exciting as watching paint dry. This album is destined to become background noise, if it isn’t totally forgotten about.
Red Hot Chili Peppers – The Getaway
By Jessica Whitesel
Don’t stop doing drugs, kids.
That is the main takeaway from listening to this album. RHCP is trying to recapture some of the magic from Blood Sugar Sex Magik and Califonication, but it ends up just sounding like the third disc from Stadium Arcadium nobody asked for. Both of those albums were released before the band got clean and when they still took risks.
“Dark Necessities” just sounds like one of those tracks that only hardcore fans might be interested in, not because it is great but because hardcore fans love to be pretentious and know all of a band’s songs — even the bad ones.
This album is too safe, and sounds like one really, really long song. If you are a hardcore fan then by all means listen to it, but casual listeners should take a pass.
The Strokes – Future Present Past
By Tanya Humeniuk
I swear that the music released by the Strokes gets better and better every time. There aren’t very many bands you can say that about. And each time they come up with something new, there always remains that distinct Strokes sound.
This trend still holds for their latest EP, Future Present Past. The first thing I noticed when listening was the fullness of the sound. The quality of production and songwriting on this record is top-tier.
Characteristic to the Strokes, the EP features Julian’s angsty vocals which will pull at your heartstrings, catchy melodies, synthy guitar, and satisfying chord progressions and resolutions. My favourite track is probably “Threat of Joy,” which includes some delicious vocal harmonies.
Everything one can love about the Strokes is included in this EP, with added maturity and finesse.
