Today was a biggun. Writing essays = lots of music to listen to. Most of it good!
Friendly Fires (Friendly Fires) - surprisingly good actually. Sticks to its sound but has a real sense of movement, familiar but not derivative, and catchy enough to warrant at least two more listens. Nice flow too, not just a collection of good songs but an ALBUM.
Signs of Life (Penguin Cafe Orchestra) - I love all of this album, from Bean Fields to Perpetuum Mobile (which is heavenly). The Penguin Cafe Orchestra established their sound fairly early on and didn't deviate much from that, but this is probably their peak. A delight. Warm and immersive.
White Light From the Mouth of Infinity (Swans) - actually a little bit underwhelming. So much of Swans musical oomph comes from their abrasiveness and confrontational style. To see them go a bit commercial, with established instrumentation/composition and even something approaching warmth on some of these tracks seems a bit... Antipodean. It's not BAD (Jarboe!) but it's not great, and Swans are a band you expect greatness from.
The Doors (The Doors) - what can I say. Everyone knows this album- most everyone loves this album. Take it as it comes.
Wild Honey (Beach Boys) - I was drawn in by Christgau's review, and this is wonderful stuff. Slight and it feels slightly underdeveloped (understandable given the recording circumstances) but still lovely.
Organisation (OMD) - Enola Gay is a dinner bringer, yes, but as a whole this is brooding, cohesive stuff. Simultaneously inviting and broodingly, menacingly dark, this showcases pretty wonderfully what this band could do. Love the dash of musique concrete on final track.
In Our Space Hero Suits (These Dancing Days) - lovely noise pop fails to get developed over eleven inarguably pleasant but largely identical tracks (and one short intro). Again, not bad, but far too predictable to be considered "good".
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