Genre
Garage punk
Indie rock
Garage Rock
Alternative rock
Lyrics
No fame
All there is
All there was
On the second lady
Can’t take a cent
Take a cut of that
Kind of ran
I’ll stand kind of pushed
Kind of bent
On that heavy land
I’ll stand for the sake of my friends
I will see him there
Down
Down
Count me down
Down
Down boy
Down
Count me down
Down
Down boy
Down
Down
Down
Count me down
Down boy
The same
Not begin
Not give up
In a better way
Again
Kept the stain
Off his bed
Not to split them off
I’ll stand for the sake of my friends
I will see them there
Well I will see them there
No fame
All there is
All there was
On the second lady
Can’t take a cent
Take a cut of that
Kind of ran
I’ll stand kind of bent
Kind of pushed
On that heavy land
I’ll stand for the sake of my friends
I will see him there
Down
Down
Count me down
Down
Down boy
Down
Count me down
Down
Down boy
Down
Down
Down
Count me down
Down boy
The same
Not begin
Not give up
In a better way
Again lost the stain
Off his bed
Not to split them off
I’ll stand for the sake of my friend
I will see him there
Well I will see him there
Comments
I love the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. They're becoming one of my favorite bands right behind Arctic Monkeys. I have no idea what the lyrics mean, but it seems that it's about boy troubles again (as per usual with most songs nowadays).
It begins off rather mellow, almost in acapella minus the soft drum beat and some synthesized sound playing a note here and there. It then kicks into the chorus (down, down, count me down, down boy) with an oh so catchy hook, and then proceeds to a guitar solo. Rinse and repeat for the entire song.
GO YYY's!!! COME TO VANCOUVER PLIX. <3!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Ditty Me Up
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Sunday, December 30, 2007
Third Eye Blind - Motorcycle Driveby
Genre
Alternative Rock
Lyrics
Summer time and the wind is blowing outside in lower Chelsea,
And I don't know what I'm doing in this city.
The sun is always in my eyes,
It crashes through the windows,
And I'm sleeping on the couch,
When I came to visit you,
That's when I knew,
That I could never have you,
I knew that before you did.
Still I'm the one who's stupid,
And there's this burning, Like there's always been,
I've never been so alone, And I've never been so alive.
Visions of you on a motorcycle drive by,
The cigarette ash flies in your eyes, And you don't mind, you smile,
And say the world doesn't fit with you.
I don't believe you, You're so serene.
Careening through the universe, your axis on a tilt,
You're guiltless and free, I hope you take a piece of me with you,
And there's things I would like to do that you don't believe in,
I would like to build something, But you'll never see it happen,
And there's this burning, Like there's always been,
I've never been so alone,
And I've, I've never been so alive.
And there's this burning, ahhh, There is this burning, yeah yeah yeah
Where's the soul? I want to know, New York City is evil.
The surface is everything, but I could never do that,
Someone would see through that.
And this is the last time, We'll be friends again.
I'll get over you, you'll wonder, who I am.
And there's this burning, Just like there's always been,
I've never been so alone, alone, alive, alive, I've never been so alive, so alive
I go home to the coast. It starts to rain, I paddle out on the water alone,
Taste the salt and taste the pain. I'm not thinking of you again,
Summer dies and swells rise,
The sun goes down in my eyes,
See this rolling wave,
Darkly coming to take me home,
And I never been so alone,
And I've never been so alive.
Aimless Babble
A gentle single-line guitar riff starts us off and is established as the pulse of the song. Over this repeating pattern of notes, a one-note bass pattern seamlessly slides in with the guitar riff and then the vocals join in. This is yet another Guy Reminisces About Girl song, but with better lyrics. For me, the lyrics are vividly visceral with lines like "The sun is always in my eyes, it crashes through the window" and "The cigarette ash flies in your eyes." Granted, just thinking about those lines makes my eyes hurt...but they're still sensations that are very relatable and sincere. My favourite line in this song is "careening through the universe, your axis on a tilt." Just awesome.
At the end of the first verse, the guitar leaps up with a few plucked chords after the line "And I've never been so alive," bringing the riff to a brief halt and evoking a lively, disjunct segue into the new verse. The second verse also ends with the same line, however, there's a lot more movement in the bass this time around, starting at "and there's this burning," the bass plays a downward scale and culminates in a repetition of the lowest note that gradually get louder and more intense, and ends with the singer yelling "I've never been so alive." Here, the vibrant electric guitar and drums are unleashed and after a short interlude, the singer screams the lines "there is this burning" and the instruments erupt and come alive in an almost manic, desperate manner.
After a pretty intense bridge which ends with the singer insisting that he's "so alive, so alive," the guitar riff from the verses return and the song returns to its staid beginnings. The drifting, meandering feeling you get from the last four lines of the last verse fit perfectly well with the floating, ethereal instrumentals. The song then ends first with a brief silence, which aptly precede the line "And I've never been so alone," and concludes with a final declaration of being "so alive."
Alternative Rock
Lyrics
Summer time and the wind is blowing outside in lower Chelsea,
And I don't know what I'm doing in this city.
The sun is always in my eyes,
It crashes through the windows,
And I'm sleeping on the couch,
When I came to visit you,
That's when I knew,
That I could never have you,
I knew that before you did.
Still I'm the one who's stupid,
And there's this burning, Like there's always been,
I've never been so alone, And I've never been so alive.
Visions of you on a motorcycle drive by,
The cigarette ash flies in your eyes, And you don't mind, you smile,
And say the world doesn't fit with you.
I don't believe you, You're so serene.
Careening through the universe, your axis on a tilt,
You're guiltless and free, I hope you take a piece of me with you,
And there's things I would like to do that you don't believe in,
I would like to build something, But you'll never see it happen,
And there's this burning, Like there's always been,
I've never been so alone,
And I've, I've never been so alive.
And there's this burning, ahhh, There is this burning, yeah yeah yeah
Where's the soul? I want to know, New York City is evil.
The surface is everything, but I could never do that,
Someone would see through that.
And this is the last time, We'll be friends again.
I'll get over you, you'll wonder, who I am.
And there's this burning, Just like there's always been,
I've never been so alone, alone, alive, alive, I've never been so alive, so alive
I go home to the coast. It starts to rain, I paddle out on the water alone,
Taste the salt and taste the pain. I'm not thinking of you again,
Summer dies and swells rise,
The sun goes down in my eyes,
See this rolling wave,
Darkly coming to take me home,
And I never been so alone,
And I've never been so alive.
Aimless Babble
A gentle single-line guitar riff starts us off and is established as the pulse of the song. Over this repeating pattern of notes, a one-note bass pattern seamlessly slides in with the guitar riff and then the vocals join in. This is yet another Guy Reminisces About Girl song, but with better lyrics. For me, the lyrics are vividly visceral with lines like "The sun is always in my eyes, it crashes through the window" and "The cigarette ash flies in your eyes." Granted, just thinking about those lines makes my eyes hurt...but they're still sensations that are very relatable and sincere. My favourite line in this song is "careening through the universe, your axis on a tilt." Just awesome.
At the end of the first verse, the guitar leaps up with a few plucked chords after the line "And I've never been so alive," bringing the riff to a brief halt and evoking a lively, disjunct segue into the new verse. The second verse also ends with the same line, however, there's a lot more movement in the bass this time around, starting at "and there's this burning," the bass plays a downward scale and culminates in a repetition of the lowest note that gradually get louder and more intense, and ends with the singer yelling "I've never been so alive." Here, the vibrant electric guitar and drums are unleashed and after a short interlude, the singer screams the lines "there is this burning" and the instruments erupt and come alive in an almost manic, desperate manner.
After a pretty intense bridge which ends with the singer insisting that he's "so alive, so alive," the guitar riff from the verses return and the song returns to its staid beginnings. The drifting, meandering feeling you get from the last four lines of the last verse fit perfectly well with the floating, ethereal instrumentals. The song then ends first with a brief silence, which aptly precede the line "And I've never been so alone," and concludes with a final declaration of being "so alive."
Saturday, December 29, 2007
Death Cab For A Cutie - The New Year
Death Cab for A Cutie - The New Year
Genre - Alternative
Lyrics
So this is the new year.
And I don't feel any different.
The clanking of crystal
Explosions off in the distance (in the distance).
So this is the new year
And I have no resolutions
For self assigned penance
For problems with easy solutions
So everybody put your best suit or dress on
Let's make believe that we are wealthy for just this once
Lighting firecrackers off on the front lawn
As thirty dialouges bleed into one
I wish the world was flat like the old days
Then i could travel just by folding a map
No more airplanes, or speedtrains, or freeways
There'd be no distance that can hold us back.
There'd be no distance that could hold us back [x2]
So this is the new year [x4]
Interpretation
Genre - Alternative
Lyrics
So this is the new year.
And I don't feel any different.
The clanking of crystal
Explosions off in the distance (in the distance).
So this is the new year
And I have no resolutions
For self assigned penance
For problems with easy solutions
So everybody put your best suit or dress on
Let's make believe that we are wealthy for just this once
Lighting firecrackers off on the front lawn
As thirty dialouges bleed into one
I wish the world was flat like the old days
Then i could travel just by folding a map
No more airplanes, or speedtrains, or freeways
There'd be no distance that can hold us back.
There'd be no distance that could hold us back [x2]
So this is the new year [x4]
Interpretation
Well the reason why I choose this song is sort of evident due to the dying end of 2007. I think this is a song that can change meaning depending on your mood. Hey if I was thinking positive, this song would be energizing, allowing for stimulating growth for the New Year. However it is just self perpetuating thoughts on my stagnant life.
An elegant introduction of guitars, drums, and bass fade with the soft vocals of the lead singer. It’s Death’s vocal singer that always grabs my attention. His light and ethereal voice is always perfectly harmonizes with the songs.
The first two stanzas frame the story of this song. I would like to think of it as the shitty present, where you are stuck in your dead end job, without a plan, and without hope. It’s that moment on Jan 1 where you look at the mirror and realize you’re still in the exact same place you were last year. Then you drink.
The song changes with a loud best described zoooooorm sound, which emphases the shift in the song. The tempo speeds up slightly maybe that’s the sound of hope and dreams? Oh no, it’s just an escape to the happy past. Did you know that people remember their past as more pleasant than when they were in that time period? Yah, it’s a scientific study that I can’t cite, but its true!
These two stanza’s are more day dream scenarios, “lighting up firecrackers on the front lawn”? That’s dangerous!
Death Cab makes a not so subtle commentary on the idea of social distance and hierarchy. Is our society really screwed up? Much more than the past? When I think of the lovely Paris Hilton, Lindsey Lohan, and other “stars” that got famous for leading a trashy lifestyle… Yes we are pretty screwed up.
However even if the distance was taken away would our society still benefit to its full extent?
I don’t think so. And the ending to this wonderful song is not firm but a waning of sounds to the faded end. Just like every New Year.
Snow Patrol - Make This Go On Forever
Genre
Indie Rock
Alternative Rock
Acoustic Rock
Powerpop
Lyrics
Please don't let this turn into something it's not
I can only give you everything I've got
I can't be as sorry as you think I should
But I still love you more than anyone else could
All that I keep thinking throughout this whole flight
Is it could take my whole damn life to make this right
This splintered mast I'm holding on won't save me long
Because I know fine well that what I did was wrong
The last girl and the last reason to make this last for as long as I could
The first kiss and the first time that I felt connected to anything
The weight of water, the way you taught me to look past everything I had ever learned
The final word in the final sentence you ever uttered to me was love
We have got through so much worse than this before
What's so different this time that you can't ignore
You say it is much more than just my last mistake
And we should spend some time apart for both our sakes
The last girl and the last reason to make this last for as long as I could
The first kiss and the first time that I felt connected to anything
The weight of water, the way you taught me to look past everything I had ever learned
The final word in the final sentence you ever uttered to me was love
The last girl and the last reason to make this last for as long as I could
The first kiss and the first time that I felt connected to anything
The weight of water, the way you taught me to look past everything I had ever learned
The final word in the final sentence you ever uttered to me was love
And I don't know where to look
My words just break and melt
Please just save me from this darkness [x2]
And I don't know where to look
My words just break and melt
Please just save me from this darkness [x2]
Analysis
Anyone who's been through troubled times in a relationship can relate to this emotional song, even though its lyrics are obviously more for guys.
The song starts off with the piano + vocals for the first verse, which incidentally is what I feel is the strongest verse for its insight and sincerity - "please don't let this turn into something it's not". Indirect interpretation: women will blow things up to epic proportions, and will overreact to situations a man would deem as trivial. I concur, females really are damn emo bitches heh.
A higher pitched chime joins in on the second verse, as well as the singer humming the melody in the background.
So then we reach the chorus, where the bass guitar/drums are introduced for the first time. They are most prominent in the chorus, and then fade away into the background during the verses. You can also hear the harmonization in the chorus, although the harmonizing singer sounds female. In the third and last iteration of the chorus, a violin is added to the background as well.
The final, but certainly not least to note, is the ending where it kicks into an entirely different melody:
And I don't know where to look
My words just break and melt
Please just save me from this darkness [x2]
The instrumental composition consists of just the piano and the vocals, much like the first verse. It's a subdued stirring melody, and a great way to end off a great song.
The Ittie Bittie Dittie
Indie Rock
Alternative Rock
Acoustic Rock
Powerpop
Lyrics
Please don't let this turn into something it's not
I can only give you everything I've got
I can't be as sorry as you think I should
But I still love you more than anyone else could
All that I keep thinking throughout this whole flight
Is it could take my whole damn life to make this right
This splintered mast I'm holding on won't save me long
Because I know fine well that what I did was wrong
The last girl and the last reason to make this last for as long as I could
The first kiss and the first time that I felt connected to anything
The weight of water, the way you taught me to look past everything I had ever learned
The final word in the final sentence you ever uttered to me was love
We have got through so much worse than this before
What's so different this time that you can't ignore
You say it is much more than just my last mistake
And we should spend some time apart for both our sakes
The last girl and the last reason to make this last for as long as I could
The first kiss and the first time that I felt connected to anything
The weight of water, the way you taught me to look past everything I had ever learned
The final word in the final sentence you ever uttered to me was love
The last girl and the last reason to make this last for as long as I could
The first kiss and the first time that I felt connected to anything
The weight of water, the way you taught me to look past everything I had ever learned
The final word in the final sentence you ever uttered to me was love
And I don't know where to look
My words just break and melt
Please just save me from this darkness [x2]
And I don't know where to look
My words just break and melt
Please just save me from this darkness [x2]
Analysis
Anyone who's been through troubled times in a relationship can relate to this emotional song, even though its lyrics are obviously more for guys.
The song starts off with the piano + vocals for the first verse, which incidentally is what I feel is the strongest verse for its insight and sincerity - "please don't let this turn into something it's not". Indirect interpretation: women will blow things up to epic proportions, and will overreact to situations a man would deem as trivial. I concur, females really are damn emo bitches heh.
A higher pitched chime joins in on the second verse, as well as the singer humming the melody in the background.
So then we reach the chorus, where the bass guitar/drums are introduced for the first time. They are most prominent in the chorus, and then fade away into the background during the verses. You can also hear the harmonization in the chorus, although the harmonizing singer sounds female. In the third and last iteration of the chorus, a violin is added to the background as well.
The final, but certainly not least to note, is the ending where it kicks into an entirely different melody:
And I don't know where to look
My words just break and melt
Please just save me from this darkness [x2]
The instrumental composition consists of just the piano and the vocals, much like the first verse. It's a subdued stirring melody, and a great way to end off a great song.
The Ittie Bittie Dittie
Friday, December 28, 2007
Arctic Monkeys - I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor
Wow, fail blog galore. Ok, so a slight adjustment! Instead of reviewing entire albums, I shall now begin reviewing individual songs. Clearly, my low attention span doesn't cover the time it takes to type up a bunch of bs for albums. Btw, I'm taking out the rating system because obviously, if I'm going to spend time blogging on a certain song, I feel it owns face.
Anyways, time to reuse one of my drafts as an example :D
Arctic Monkeys - I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor
Genre
Indie Rock
Lyrics
Stop making the eyes at me, I'll stop making the eyes at you
And what it is that surprises me is that I don't really want you to
And your shoulders are frozen (cold as the night)
Oh, but you're an explosion (you're dynamite)
Your name isn't Rio, but I don't care for sand
And lighting the fuse might result in a bang, b-b-bang, go!
I bet that you look good on the dancefloor
I don't know if you're looking for romance or
I don't know what you're looking for
I said*, I bet that you look good on the dancefloor
Dancing to electro-pop like a robot from 1984
From 1984!
I wish you'd stop ignoring me, because it's sending me to despair
Without a sound, yeah, you're calling me, and I don't think it's very fair
That your shoulders are frozen (cold as the night)
Oh, but you're an explosion (you're dynamite)
Your name isn't Rio, but I don't care for sand
Lighting the fuse might result in a bang, b-b-bang, go!
I bet that you look good on the dancefloor
I don't know if you're looking for romance or
I don't know what you're looking for
I said*, I bet that you look good on the dancefloor
Dancing to electro-pop like a robot from 1984
From 1984!
Oh, there ain't no love, no Montagues or Capulets
Are just banging tunes and DJ sets and...
Dirty dancefloors, and dreams of naughtiness!
Well, I bet that you look good on the dancefloor
I don't know if you're looking for romance or
I don't know what you're looking for
I said, I bet that you look good on the dancefloor
Dancing to electro-pop like a robot from 1984
From 1984!
Analysis
Well, this song was the winner that got me hooked on this band. If I could give it higher than 5, I would, just because it's that damn good. After months of listening to this song, I'm STILL listening to it on a regular basis and I'm not getting sick of it. That's the sign of a seriously awesome song. During the chorus, which is definitely the strongest point of the song, the bass guitar's role is to maintain a single note, whereas the electric guitar (notably played by Alex Turner, the main singer) alternates between two or three. There is also an awesome sounding mini scale that's played in between the two parts of the chorus:
"I bet that you good on the dancefloor, I don't know if you're looking for romance or, I don't know what you're looking for."
AND
"I said that I bet that you look good on the dancefloor, dancing to electro-pop like a robot from 1984, from 1984!"
First instance noticed at 54 seconds in. My favorite part is in the last chorus where the bass changes key, providing a catchy variation to end the song.
Lyric-wise, it's pretty straight forward methinks - girl teases guy. guy likes girl. girl continues to tease guy. guy gets horny. guy is inspired to write a song about it. end of story =)
The Ittie Bittie Dittie
Anyways, time to reuse one of my drafts as an example :D
Arctic Monkeys - I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor
Genre
Indie Rock
Lyrics
Stop making the eyes at me, I'll stop making the eyes at you
And what it is that surprises me is that I don't really want you to
And your shoulders are frozen (cold as the night)
Oh, but you're an explosion (you're dynamite)
Your name isn't Rio, but I don't care for sand
And lighting the fuse might result in a bang, b-b-bang, go!
I bet that you look good on the dancefloor
I don't know if you're looking for romance or
I don't know what you're looking for
I said*, I bet that you look good on the dancefloor
Dancing to electro-pop like a robot from 1984
From 1984!
I wish you'd stop ignoring me, because it's sending me to despair
Without a sound, yeah, you're calling me, and I don't think it's very fair
That your shoulders are frozen (cold as the night)
Oh, but you're an explosion (you're dynamite)
Your name isn't Rio, but I don't care for sand
Lighting the fuse might result in a bang, b-b-bang, go!
I bet that you look good on the dancefloor
I don't know if you're looking for romance or
I don't know what you're looking for
I said*, I bet that you look good on the dancefloor
Dancing to electro-pop like a robot from 1984
From 1984!
Oh, there ain't no love, no Montagues or Capulets
Are just banging tunes and DJ sets and...
Dirty dancefloors, and dreams of naughtiness!
Well, I bet that you look good on the dancefloor
I don't know if you're looking for romance or
I don't know what you're looking for
I said, I bet that you look good on the dancefloor
Dancing to electro-pop like a robot from 1984
From 1984!
Analysis
Well, this song was the winner that got me hooked on this band. If I could give it higher than 5, I would, just because it's that damn good. After months of listening to this song, I'm STILL listening to it on a regular basis and I'm not getting sick of it. That's the sign of a seriously awesome song. During the chorus, which is definitely the strongest point of the song, the bass guitar's role is to maintain a single note, whereas the electric guitar (notably played by Alex Turner, the main singer) alternates between two or three. There is also an awesome sounding mini scale that's played in between the two parts of the chorus:
"I bet that you good on the dancefloor, I don't know if you're looking for romance or, I don't know what you're looking for."
AND
"I said that I bet that you look good on the dancefloor, dancing to electro-pop like a robot from 1984, from 1984!"
First instance noticed at 54 seconds in. My favorite part is in the last chorus where the bass changes key, providing a catchy variation to end the song.
Lyric-wise, it's pretty straight forward methinks - girl teases guy. guy likes girl. girl continues to tease guy. guy gets horny. guy is inspired to write a song about it. end of story =)
The Ittie Bittie Dittie
Thursday, June 28, 2007
The girl with too much time on her hands.
So apparently, having two other blogs and facebook just isn't enough to keep me from creating another blog. What will I uselessly rant about on this one you wonder? One of my greatest passions in life... Music, easily one of the main reasons I'm still somewhat sane. Seriously, there are not nearly enough words for me to express my deep relationship with music. Or maybe that's 'cause my vocab sucks... *sigh* Don't agree too readily tmew.
Anyways, thanks to Limewire and other P2P programs being totally retarded as of late, I've had the joys of listening to entire albums since that's what downloading music off bittorrent usually comes packaged in. I must say... I'm seriously a retard for not trying it earlier. There are so many good songs you miss if you just listen to singles.
With that said, I don't have the musical jargon and/or lingo that many music reviewers use, and I could be wrong about the instruments, so expect alot of sound effects instead, like 'ding' or 'boom'. Needless to say, I'll probably only stick with reviewing stuff that I like, since there would be even more less interesting things for me to say about albums I disliked.
I thought it would be fitting to choose the first artist who got me really hooked on rock music, and it's sort of a tribute to beloved Becca, who currently is vagabonding in China.
Finger Eleven
The Greyest of Blue Skies (2000)
7 years ago... wow I suddenly feel old.
Genre:
Alternative Metal
Post-Grunge
Hard Rock
Pros?
Cons?
Without further ado, the songs:
"First Time"
Starts out with some synthesized garbled static, and then ala classic alt rock style, it kicks into the electric guitars/bass/drums around 10 seconds in. What I find most interesting about this song, is the optimistic lyrics in contrast to the rest of the album, which is littered in emo lyrics.
Rating: 3.5/5
"Drag You Down"
Ah yes, the nice and insane lyrics with an equally chilling melody - "It's biting it's teething it's biting I'm bleeding, It's calling it's crawling it's calling and I'm falling." Note in the last chorus at around 2:43, an eerie high pitched whistle joins in to end off the creepiest song in the album.
Rating: 4/5
"My Carousel"
I suppose if they named this song "My Merry-go-Round", it wouldn't have the same effect haha. Anyways, the most notable part of this song again is in the last chorus, where the lead singer mirrors his chorus in a ghostly echo. Seriously, if you can catch it (3:21), it's really rather creepy.
Rating: 4/5
"Sick of it All"
This song is actually one of my favorites of the album, cause lyrically, it's very easy to relate with, and it has a seriously kickass melody to boot. Besides 'Stay and Drown', this song sports one of the best intros of the album. I absolutely love how Finger Eleven uses the light xylophonish sounding instrument, while softly singing the line "are the sins getting staler." It's an awesome contrast to the rest of the song.
Rating: 5/5
"For the Ocean"
I'm not a fan of this song at all. I feel it's their weakest song of the album. The lyrics features a weak soliloquy, and the melody is dull and forgettable.
Rating: 1/5
"Broken Words"
Well, this song has the guitar solo in the middle of it going for it. Other than that, I feel it starts off too slow with no real climax in the song. Lyrically, it's obviously a break-up song, and for some reason, I'm not a fan of it in this particular song.
Rating: 2/5
"Suffocate"
Finally, back to the good stuff. I love the continual technoish 'doot doot' sound effect throughout the song. There's definitely a pattern in this album with there being a little special something in the last chorus, and it continues in this song, where a high pitched keyboard sound is going up and down notes at 2:56 all the way to the end.
Rating: 4/5
"Bones + Joints"
Solid song I guess. I'm rather sick of it myself thanks to it being overplayed on the radio a few years back. I do like the bridge though! Who doesn't like massive repetition? "I will leave you, I will leave you, I will leave you, I will leave you."
Rating: 3/5
"Famous"
Okay, I lied. This song is good, but a little bit too repetitive, at least until it hits the bridge at 2:35, where the changeover is a nice surprise. Lyrically, it sounds like a typical song that rockers come out with when they become a bit too (no pun intended) famous.
Rating: 3/5
"Walking in my Shoes"
I have mixed feelings about this one. I think this is the only song where the background synthesized sound (almost like a violin-like sound) that comes in midway through the song is really distracting and bordering on annoying. Other than that, the melody is alright, though really nothing special. Lyrical wise, it's solid though. Incidentally, this is the only song of the entire album that wasn't written by Finger Eleven.
Rating: 2.5/5
"Stay and Drown"
I'm proud to say that this album doesn't end off with a shitty song, which many albums seem to be cursed with. In fact, this song is the most moving song of the album. I absolutely adore the intro with its soft start. "Good God have I been dreaming this paralyzing feeling?" It leads extremely well over to the chorus, which is intensely expressive - 'Would you take my hand in the deepest end? Would you stay and drown with me?' His voice almost brought me to tears in that one line when I first heard this song. I would have given this song a perfect score, had it not been for the subpar bridge with its, for a lack of a better phrase, 'out of context' guitar solo.
Rating: 4.5/5
OVERALL RATING: 4/5
And as per Rachel's cleverness:
The Ittie Bittie Ditties Section
Enjoy.
Anyways, thanks to Limewire and other P2P programs being totally retarded as of late, I've had the joys of listening to entire albums since that's what downloading music off bittorrent usually comes packaged in. I must say... I'm seriously a retard for not trying it earlier. There are so many good songs you miss if you just listen to singles.
With that said, I don't have the musical jargon and/or lingo that many music reviewers use, and I could be wrong about the instruments, so expect alot of sound effects instead, like 'ding' or 'boom'. Needless to say, I'll probably only stick with reviewing stuff that I like, since there would be even more less interesting things for me to say about albums I disliked.
I thought it would be fitting to choose the first artist who got me really hooked on rock music, and it's sort of a tribute to beloved Becca, who currently is vagabonding in China.
Finger Eleven
The Greyest of Blue Skies (2000)
7 years ago... wow I suddenly feel old.
Genre:
Alternative Metal
Post-Grunge
Hard Rock
Pros?
- The background sounds supplement the staple rock instruments very nicely.
- Lead-in's to the choruses are captivating to listen to.
- Lead singer Scott Anderson's voice fits very well with the songs
Cons?
- It's a trifle over-dramatic and dark at times, but perhaps that could be because I'm too old for the teenage angst stage.
Without further ado, the songs:
"First Time"
Starts out with some synthesized garbled static, and then ala classic alt rock style, it kicks into the electric guitars/bass/drums around 10 seconds in. What I find most interesting about this song, is the optimistic lyrics in contrast to the rest of the album, which is littered in emo lyrics.
Rating: 3.5/5
"Drag You Down"
Ah yes, the nice and insane lyrics with an equally chilling melody - "It's biting it's teething it's biting I'm bleeding, It's calling it's crawling it's calling and I'm falling." Note in the last chorus at around 2:43, an eerie high pitched whistle joins in to end off the creepiest song in the album.
Rating: 4/5
"My Carousel"
I suppose if they named this song "My Merry-go-Round", it wouldn't have the same effect haha. Anyways, the most notable part of this song again is in the last chorus, where the lead singer mirrors his chorus in a ghostly echo. Seriously, if you can catch it (3:21), it's really rather creepy.
Rating: 4/5
"Sick of it All"
This song is actually one of my favorites of the album, cause lyrically, it's very easy to relate with, and it has a seriously kickass melody to boot. Besides 'Stay and Drown', this song sports one of the best intros of the album. I absolutely love how Finger Eleven uses the light xylophonish sounding instrument, while softly singing the line "are the sins getting staler." It's an awesome contrast to the rest of the song.
Rating: 5/5
"For the Ocean"
I'm not a fan of this song at all. I feel it's their weakest song of the album. The lyrics features a weak soliloquy, and the melody is dull and forgettable.
Rating: 1/5
"Broken Words"
Well, this song has the guitar solo in the middle of it going for it. Other than that, I feel it starts off too slow with no real climax in the song. Lyrically, it's obviously a break-up song, and for some reason, I'm not a fan of it in this particular song.
Rating: 2/5
"Suffocate"
Finally, back to the good stuff. I love the continual technoish 'doot doot' sound effect throughout the song. There's definitely a pattern in this album with there being a little special something in the last chorus, and it continues in this song, where a high pitched keyboard sound is going up and down notes at 2:56 all the way to the end.
Rating: 4/5
"Bones + Joints"
Solid song I guess. I'm rather sick of it myself thanks to it being overplayed on the radio a few years back. I do like the bridge though! Who doesn't like massive repetition? "I will leave you, I will leave you, I will leave you, I will leave you."
Rating: 3/5
"Famous"
Okay, I lied. This song is good, but a little bit too repetitive, at least until it hits the bridge at 2:35, where the changeover is a nice surprise. Lyrically, it sounds like a typical song that rockers come out with when they become a bit too (no pun intended) famous.
Rating: 3/5
"Walking in my Shoes"
I have mixed feelings about this one. I think this is the only song where the background synthesized sound (almost like a violin-like sound) that comes in midway through the song is really distracting and bordering on annoying. Other than that, the melody is alright, though really nothing special. Lyrical wise, it's solid though. Incidentally, this is the only song of the entire album that wasn't written by Finger Eleven.
Rating: 2.5/5
"Stay and Drown"
I'm proud to say that this album doesn't end off with a shitty song, which many albums seem to be cursed with. In fact, this song is the most moving song of the album. I absolutely adore the intro with its soft start. "Good God have I been dreaming this paralyzing feeling?" It leads extremely well over to the chorus, which is intensely expressive - 'Would you take my hand in the deepest end? Would you stay and drown with me?' His voice almost brought me to tears in that one line when I first heard this song. I would have given this song a perfect score, had it not been for the subpar bridge with its, for a lack of a better phrase, 'out of context' guitar solo.
Rating: 4.5/5
OVERALL RATING: 4/5
And as per Rachel's cleverness:
The Ittie Bittie Ditties Section
Enjoy.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
