If someone were to ask me, free of any context, if I generally like Metallica, I would say “yes.” There’s no denying that they are one of the most successful metal acts of all time, and thanks to my college freshman-year roommate I went through a spell where I was really into them. Now, however, they aren’t one of my favorite bands, but occasionally “Battery” or “Blackened,” or even “Fuel” goes down very well. Yet over the past decade, for a band that built their reputation on aggression and speed, the San Francisco thrashers have felt strangely inert.
Continue reading On “72 Seasons” Metallica Show That Metal is a Young Man’s GameCategory Archives: New Releases
The Mars Volta Return with a Self-Titled Album, Which Is Good Yet Still Disappointing
In the midst of the cosmic stew that we call the universe, the unexpected occurs all of the time. In the best music, as in life, sometimes forces zig when they are supposed to zag. While the result is sometimes difficult to accept, revealing the big picture makes it all seem inevitable.
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“Henki” Presents an Oddball Fantasy from Richard Dawson & Circle
It’s very uncommon nowadays to find a music release that is genuinely different from anything that has come before. Or at least, find music that is different enough from what’s around that it feels fresh. Henki, by a collaboration between English folk singer Richard Dawson and Finnish rock band Circle, is just such a release.
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Mastodon Consolidate Their Powers on the Expansive “Hushed and Grim”
No one doubts that Atlanta’s Mastodon is one of the best and biggest metal bands on the current scene. They have consistently put out engaging and complex music for their entire career, music that manages to be at once brutal, melodic, and thematically cohesive. However their past few studio releases have slowly shifted away from the bludgeoning aggression that made their initial run so gripping, towards a more mainstream sound that can fit (maybe, slightly) on the radio. Don’t get me wrong – it’s not bad stuff. Like I said, Mastodon is one of the best metal bands going, and their recent stuff is no exception. It just hasn’t been as heavy as the first half of their career.
Last year, the band released the compilation Medium Rarities, which rounded up unreleased tracks and stray live cuts from throughout their career. The included material is much more of a piece with their early stuff than the polished constructions of late. In a word, it’s raw. This made me wonder if the band was turning back to their roots, getting in touch with the aggression that made them belles of the headbanger’s ball.
This brings us to Hushed and Grim, their newest LP – a double album, no less. Inspired by the death of their longtime manager from cancer, it is a rumination on death and remembrance. Mastodon is no stranger to concept albums; in fact, almost every record they’ve ever put out has a unifying theme. They’ve never done one that’s so long, however, but all in all the double album format gives them time to stretch out, incorporate almost every facet of themselves, and put together a fantastic return to form.
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Courtney Barnett Winds Her Way to Acceptance On “Things Take Time, Take Time”
Since her stellar 2015 debut, Aussie indie rocker Courtney Barnett has staked out her territory in a very specific sound. Her lyrics are rambling observations about the minutiae of everyday life and her delivery is conversational; yet the songs are greater than the sum of their parts. Over alternatingly ragged and lackadaisical guitar, she perfectly encapsulates the feeling of aimlessness and self-doubt, zooming in on the very real emotions that can be found within the minutiae. Her first album, Sometimes I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit caught fire in the indie rock world. Its lead singles “Pedestrian at Best” and “Elevator Operator” are the best encapsulations of what makes her approach so fresh. There really isn’t any posing or pretensions – it’s just her, and she’s welcome.
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On “I Don’t Live Here Anymore,” The War On Drugs Get Comfortable
The best War On Drugs records blur together. The songs, while quality on their own, form a tapestry of sound that couches Adam Granduciel’s vocals in pillowy keyboard, grooving drums, and building guitar that stretch out to emotional transcendence. The Philadelphia five-piece’s last two albums, 2014’s Lost in the Dream and 2017’s A Deeper Understanding, got a lot of positive press in rock circles, and rightly so. They were deep explorations that perfectly encapsulated their respective titles. A Deeper Understanding, especially, was one of the best records of its year.
The War On Drugs’ latest release, 2021’s I Don’t Live Here Anymore, is quite a different beast. Gone are the lengthy guitar and saxophone explorations, as the band turns its energy toward producing a tight set of self-contained songs. They sound confident and comfortable, but perhaps could have used a bit more fire. The War On Drugs have always borrowed from the sounds of Eighties album rock, but here they really lean into it. Most noticeably, they use a drum machine half the time. I’m not sure what drummer Charlie Hall feels about this, but let’s just say it makes much of the music sound tepid. The synths, processed guitar, and thin percussion make it seems like they are going for a Phil Collins vibe.
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Kid Cudi Brings It All Home On ‘Man On the Moon III: The Chosen’
It’s been a long trip through the woods for hip-hop artist Kid Cudi. Or, rather, a long trip to the outer reaches of space and back. Hitting the scene with this 2008 mixtape A Kid Named Cudi, he staked out his place as a new kind of rapper – one less concerned about braggadocio and materialism and more into exploring the inner spaces of his mind. On new record Man On the Moon III: The Chosen, Cudi comes back in a big way, reminding us all why we value his voice so much in the first place.
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Sonorous Skies and Endless Isles: Exploring Britain Through Soundtrack Music
For this edition of Then Play On, I’m fulfilling a request from avid reader and friend Ryan. One evening, as I sat in repost amidst the ever darkening night, I received the text question: which obscure British documentary soundtrack did I feel was better, From the Sea to the Land Beyond, or From Scotland With Love. I had to admit my ignorance on the subject, but as Ryan is a Consummate gentleman, scholar, and citizen, I vowed to investigate and render judgement. Continue reading Sonorous Skies and Endless Isles: Exploring Britain Through Soundtrack Music
Grimes: The Meme, the Musk, and the Woman Underneath
Night falls. In the cool twilight, purple neon lights flash in the sky as an armada of robots march out of the dusk and into your home. The robots are powered by majick and institute a regime of dance, record collection, and veganism that consumes the world. Humanity transcends its terrestrial bounds and leaps toward the stars. Such is Grimes’s vision. Continue reading Grimes: The Meme, the Musk, and the Woman Underneath
On The Slow Rush, Tame Impala defy doubters and step into stardom
On February 14th, Tame Impala gifted all of us a Valentine by releasing their fourth full length studio album, The Slow Rush. More than just putting out a timely album of personal, introspective lyrics supported by elastic dance-psych, Tame Impala prove that they are perhaps the leading band of our generation. They take the best of what is floating around in modern music and fuse it to their foundation of psychedelic rock to make music that is both deep and accessible. It’s a game changing release. Continue reading On The Slow Rush, Tame Impala defy doubters and step into stardom
Then Play On 