HoldenMe(M)oirs

[HoldenM]

Let's just... dive into this sucker...

Dear diary,

I've been listening to the new Justin Bieber album. My life has gotten very strange. Still, I can't shake the refined sound, nor the interesting progression Bieber has made as an artist. Sure, he's pretty whiny, and he fails to take any responsibility for himself. That being said, "What Do You Mean?" has to be one of the stickiest pop songs in recent memory, and it's a track that hints at the type of maturity Bieber is trying to hone on his new record. Even then, there are no bad songs–with the exception of "Love Yourself," which is gross. Some are boring, but most are fun or enjoyable to some extent. In fact, the record as a whole is remarkably cohesive, and feels very much like a complete work. I don't love the ending–which is corny as a field of maize–but credit goes where credit is due, and a good album is a good album.

In other news, I've finally been catching up with 2015 albums that don't make me question myself. Julia Holter's Have You in My Wilderness may not grab me the way I would have liked, but it's pristine as can be. "Feel You" will definitely be making my top tracks of the year–how high remains to be seen. It's crafted to perfection. Holter has an a knack for elegance in a way few of her peers do. She never settles for anything short of perfect. Perhaps that's why I don't love the record. It's too clean, or something of that nature. That being said, I can't deny how real it feels. As an experience, it may be calculated, but it's still raw and real enough. Probably won't crack my top ten, but who knows? There are a few weeks yet.

Similarly, I've finally gotten to Beach House's second album of the year, Thank Your Lucky Stars. While Depression Cherry feels grander, and has clearer peaks, Thank Your Lucky Stars never has any tracks that I want to skip. As a record, the quality is consistent, and the sound is, for all intents and purposes, fluid enough. With that in mind, the openness of Depression Cherry made that record work in a big way. Thank Your Lucky Stars is a more upfront collection of songs. While the record often feels more lively and upbeat, sometimes the production doesn't quite fit the writing or performances, and the songs fall flat. That being said, the writing here is what saves Thank Your Lucky Stars. These songs are mesmerizing and evocative in a way that keeps me invested. What may be lacking in personality in the actual presentation the arrangements and lyrical content compensate for well enough. I believe I prefer Depression Cherry, though Thank Your Lucky Stars is a fine record. Both may very well end up in my top ten of the year. I do, of course, have a lot of catching up to do.

Though I've been listening to songs from it for so long, it's only this past weekend where I've gotten an opportunity to dive into Spoon's Gimme Fiction. I generally adore anything that Spoon does. So, I don't know why I've taken as long as I have to get into this album. Gimme Fiction is exactly what I expected: A really, really good Spoon album. Does it rank with my favorites? No. I think some moments are a bit generic–specifically "Sister Jack"–but the standout tracks here are undeniable. "I Turn My Camera On" is an indie classic if there ever was one. "The Beast and Dragon, Adored" is as fine an opening as any of Spoon's best. "Was It You?"–which might be the most pleasant surprise–borrows a lot from "I Turn My Camera On" in terms of structure, but it works really well, and has an experimental sheen that truly makes the record. If nothing else, Gimme Fiction hosts a ton of energy that the group's next album, Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga, sustains and expounds upon by becoming looser. That in mind, Gimme Fiction is the best of both worlds: Solid writing and performances with a good amount of polish. This is how I'd describe Spoon's latest, They Want My Soul. In fact, I'd put both of those albums on about the same level–possibly giving the edge to They Want My Soul for being a snappier collection of songs. I really enjoyed Gimme Fiction, and am incredibly glad I got to it when I did.

I suppose the album worth talking about is from a Boston, MA post rock group, I/O. I/O is nothing short of an off-chance Bandcamp discovery. Previewing their work, I was pleasantly surprised by how lush and melodic their sound was. I nabbed their album Saudade, and was pretty excited for it. Diving in, however, was a bit disappointing. I/O are clearly talented, with a ton of soul, and their record is as crisp and full sounding as one could want. The problem–which is a dumb problem if anything–is that they're the sort of post rock group that heard The Earth Is Not a Cold Dead Place, and thought, "I could make a better version of this." By all accounts, Saudade is a beautiful record. It ebs and flows. It consumes and absorbs. It's crafted with such attention and purpose. If I had never heard a post rock album before, Saudade would have blown my damn mind. As underwhelming as it may have been, Saudade is a terrific collection of songs, and the fact that it didn't get more attention is a shame. I/O is a group that might not have the most novel of perspectives, but they're whizzes at what they do. Saudade has no shortage of immaculate moments to recommend itself–both soothing and hard-hitting. If I/O could distinguish themselves with a greater degree of clarity, they'd be a real favorite for sure. I mean, I'm definitely keeping an eye out for whatever they do next.

Anyway, that's all for now, internet diary that is really the BEA community who may or may not be reading this.

-XOXO
_________________
Inversion Verses
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[HoldenM]

Dear diary,

HOLY RUBBERNUT BANANAPANTALOONS, BATMANNEQUIN SKYWALKER, TEXAS RANGER!!! Disclosure's Caracal is divinely visceral. The animal influences are on point, because all I want to do is run around the juggle, pillaging for food in the nude, humping whatever will have me. That is all.

-XOXO
_________________
Inversion Verses
https://thesplitinfinitives1.bandcamp.c...ion-verses

[HoldenM]

Dear diary,

Mazzy Star's Among My Swan is good, not great. From what I understand, their other two albums are met with a bit more praise. I really like what I'm hearing. In fact, I actually got into Portishead that way–I started with their self-titled. Maybe I'd get a better idea of what groups I'd like if I started with middling records, and work my way up to the best stuff. Thoughts in my mind.

-XOXO
_________________
Inversion Verses
https://thesplitinfinitives1.bandcamp.c...ion-verses

[HoldenM]

Dear diary,

Ryan Adams's cover of Taylor Swift's "This Love" is the perfect heartbreak recording. Cavernous, yet totally desolate. What starts a gentle lamentation turns into something raw, but no less remote. If there was ever an honest musical moment in the last year, RA's "This Love" is a respectable contender for that designation. I feel that track in my being so strongly, and that power never diminishes. "When you're young, you run." I mean, talk about chilling.

-XOXO
_________________
Inversion Verses
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[HoldenM]

Dear diary,

I've been so entranced with Slowdive's "Alison" for the last few months that I've been forced to cover it. And damn, am I proud of myself. Maybe going over nine minutes is a bit excessive. Definitely masturbatory. Still, I think this is a better one from me.

https://soundcloud.com/tsi99/alison-slowdive-cover

-XOXO
_________________
Inversion Verses
https://thesplitinfinitives1.bandcamp.c...ion-verses

[HoldenM]

Dear diary,

Deerhunter's Fading Frontier is an expectedly awesome Deerhunter album–though, Monomania was certainly a departure in quality, not gonna lie. It's clean, yet still spacious and oozing with personality. One of the year's best.

In other news, @craola can get off his ass and finish his full length debut whenever he's ready. Two incredible EPs this year is tease enough. Ambulai Pt. II was a nice progression after the other-worldly Ambulai Pt. I. His debut is poised to be something special. So, if he'd kindly FINISH IT, that'd be awesome.

Hop Along is the sort of group who makes nice power pop, and Painted Shut showcases them at their finest. I mean... that voice. How can you deny it? Despite lacking some personality, there's a lot to like with Painted Shut. It's like Sleater-Kinney with a sense of wonder and optimism. Solid as they come.

Car Seat Headrest... jeez. Just so unremarkable. Maybe the fact that it sounds like it was recorded in a sewage drain is part of what bothers me. Maybe it's the fact that I listened to this right after Hop Along, and it came off as cloying as a result. Who knows? Point is, I've got no feelings for this album. None. It gets better near the end, but otherwise, I don't love it, nor do I particularly dislike it. It just... exists.

Anyway, music is fun.

-XOXO
_________________
Inversion Verses
https://thesplitinfinitives1.bandcamp.c...ion-verses