Reviews Written by Sookie
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March 28, 2007
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March 27, 2007
Slip Back Into Time
Pros: Rocks hard without raising your blood pressure
Cons: ???
One of the most therapeutic things about music is its ability to not only entertain and comfort you in the moment, but take you back certain times in your life when it did the same thing. Putting "Slip" on evokes memories of living at Mom's with disposable income from a stress-free job and road trips, with this album blasting, just to get out of town for a while. The fact that it is as heavy as it is, and is the soundtrack for such a light and happy time in my life is an interesting dichotomy.
But rocks hard it does. It's a wall of beautiful metal sound coming through your speakers, with the angst and aggression tempered so it's more like an argument with raised voices as opposed to a complete screaming match. The guitars are raw, but muted and backed by the thunderous beat of the drums and rhythm of the bass. "Head To Wall" and "Can Opener" not only employ classic metal techniques and timing, they seem to embrace the heritage. And "Unfulfilled" has such a funky vibe you could almost dance to it...almost.
I truly love this album as a whole, but the spotlight track is easily "Too Official". It's anthemic while still being credible, and I'm typically singing along loudly by the end of it. I always, at the end of the song, skip back to the beginning at least once too. It's habit at this point, and not one I'm looking to break.
I may not ever be able to get back to those disposable income days, but I can always plan a road trip when things get a little to hectic. And when I do, this will always goes along for the ride. ... -
March 24, 2007
Cures What Ails You
Pros: Somber, but refreshing
Cons: Sandman's death in 1999 ended the band, and the story
I hate to pigeon-hole my music collection at home, but it seems to have the guitar, bass and drum rock formula well-covered, minus the occasional foray into piano, keyboards or turntable elements. Anything that deviates from this equation, and still moves me, is more than welcome on my CD racks. That is where "Cure For Pain" comes in.
Other than one track (that I can think of off-hand), there is no guitar anywhere on this album. The horns used in lieu of them provide so much more than the melody for Morphine, it provides an almost haunting environment, which makes the band such a refreshing change. The rhythm section is strong, low and able, and gives every song the spine it needs to not only stand, but stand up straight and tall. The only way I can think of describing this is as jazz while taking downers, but it avoids an obnoxious bout of crying in your beer. "Candy" and "Mary Won't You Call My Name?" hold the album's sad vibe while almost sticking a flirtatious toe in the pop pool, and "Thursday" is a dark but wistful retelling of a tale of infidelity. The dual personality of the dark verses and bright chorus of "Buena" always gets my toe tapping.
"Cure for Pain" is my spotlight track. The song about addiction is both confession and vow musically as well as lyrically. While it moves you as a complete piece, I would get just as much out of it as an instrumental.
The passing of band founder and songwriter Mark Sandman in 1999 means that the story is over for Morphine, but at least this piece of immortality remains. I consider it my cure for the musically mundane. ... -
March 23, 2007
Old Vs. New
Pros: Much more raw than "Ten"
Cons: Still thinking...
Though most fans may deny it, I think somewhere in the back of their minds they thought Pearl Jam would fall victim to the "Sophomore Slump"...I know I did a little bit. Honestly, how do you follow up a debut release whose music partially defined the 90's and helped put Seattle music back on the map? Fortunately, for me anyway, they did with "Vs.".
Don't get me wrong, I liked "Ten" - obviously enough to go to the store at midnight to pick up their next offering. But the spit-shined and polished production stifled the material there, where the raw sound of the band on "Vs." really allows the songs, and them, to shine without regressing. Even the lighter moments, like the folk-tinged "Indifference";, the pop sensibility of "Glorified G", and the pure funk of "Rats" still has that D.I.Y., garage attitude. And the songs that rock, like "Animal", "Rearviewmirror&qu ...ot;, and "Blood" rock hard without sounding inexperienced or immature. They knew what they were doing, and did it well.
The spotlight track on this one is easily "Go". The urgency that is built both musically and lyrically (though it's rumored to be about Eddie's car) is slow, but steady. By the end of the song, however, you're screaming right along with every nerve engaged. Intense and fantastic.
Considering their body of work, as a whole, it's difficult to pick a favorite album from this band. But if this release wasn't as strong as it was (and is), who knows where they would have gone? -
March 22, 2007
The Best from the Best
Pros: For me, it's not "White Pony"
Cons: For others, it's not "White Pony"
This album is such a source of controversy for Deftones fans. Die-hard "White Pony" followers view this as a step back from greatness since it's not a carbon-copy of their gospel, and others view this as the logical next chapter, and one that continues to break new ground for the band. My opinion steers towards the latter, and not only is this their best album, I've described this before as their Sistine Chapel.
It's a tight-rope walk between the more ambient and soothing sounds of "White Pony" and the brutal force of "Adrenaline" or "Around The Fur". Song-by-song there is leaning towards one end of the spectrum or the other, but never so far that the body of work itself could be labeled or defined as such. "Good Morning Beautiful" and "Bloody Cape" are pure pop bliss without being self-indulgent, and the turntable textures added to "Lucky You" actually give me chills. Conversely, "When Girls Telephone Boys" and "Hexagram" offer the punch-in-the jaw sound, complete with raging guitars and melodic wailing, that I've come to adore from these guys. No one, in my opinion, does it better.
The spotlight track for me is "Needles and Pins". The siren-like guitar work and hushed vocals on this song build slowly, and by the end are in a fevered pitch. My pulse quickens whenever I hear it.
This is an album, and a band, that has never left a trail of bread crumbs or a road map behind for its fans. I can't speak for anyone else, but not only can I see the beauty in that, it's what I appreciate the most. ...
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A song for any mood...
Pros: Dreamy, brooding rock pop
Cons: I wish it were 3 hours longer
I can't speak for you, but what gets put in the CD player all depends on mood for me. Sometimes I want to hear something that matches my mood note-for-note, and other times I look for the contradiction of what I'm feeling so I can achieve some sense of balance. For the times when I'm a bit more even-keeled, though, I will look for something that isn't so polarized and embraces all of my musical sides. Satchel's "EDC" satisfies that craving perfectly.
Stylistically speaking, this album is all over the place. It could have been a complete disaster, but clever track sequencing makes it someone's story and not their nervous breakdown. "Equilibrium" is pure and ethereal guitar magic, "Trouble Come Down" is a trippy, drum-looped ballad, and the vibe from "The Roof Almighty" is almost gospel-like, without the screaming from the pulpit. I also dig the dialogue clips from "Resevoir Dogs" that are sporadically placed in between songs - they are almost like introductions and transitions to the next chapter, while they keep things flowing smoothly.
"Willow" is my spotlight track. I had the pleasure of seeing these guys perform this live while touring to support this album, and it translated really well. There is a guitar part that almost sounds like someone crying, giving the song a melancholy tone, but overall it remains surprisingly upbeat to me. Curious.
As important as it is to have a soundtrack for every mood, it's equally as important to have something that will leave you in a better place than when you started. That's exactly what "EDC" does, and I think that's what it's all about. ...