Upcoming...The Strokes: Comedown Machine

    In just two days, The Strokes will release their upcoming album, Comedown Machine, this their fifth studio record. One of the most well-known indie rock bands of the 21st century American culture, The Strokes have had their ups and downs, with critics and fans alike loving their debut album, Is This It (2001), while their follow efforts (i.e. Room on Fire, 2003, and First Impressions of Earth, 2006) left listeners desiring more. Either in the way of more diversity in their sound, as Room on Fire was so criticized, or just by receiving lackluster reviews as did First Impressions of Earth. 
    Thankfully, The Strokes rekindled a lot with the release of Angles in 2011 after a two year hiatus. The main force behind The Strokes is writer/singer Julian Casablancas, and during the studio recording of Angles he purposefully isolated himself from the rest of the band, in order to force them to be more involved in the creative process. Apparently he was dominating the process not because he was a control freak, but rather no one else was putting in their own two cents. The whole length of time between albums was subsequently difficult as one member was dealing with drug problems and another stated that he would never record an album again if everyone was going to be in separate places and not working together. So, Comedown Machine saw Julian return to the recording studio, Electric Lady Studios, in Greenich Village, NY, NY.
    For my part, I am not crazy about The Strokes songs prior to Angles, which was the album that first drew them into my sphere of awareness. I like some of their older songs, but generally I find a lot of their early material dull and lifeless. I'm sure that extremely laid back sound was what they were going for, and they did it remarkably well, but too well. They lack spark, except for songs like "Reptilia" and "Red Light", to name but a couple. Going back that's probably not as true as when I originally listened, but the thought has kept me from intentionally doing so. That and Angles had so much energy, even in the more minimalist arrangements--plus every song had the catchiest hooks or choruses. Their creativity in the sense of making something energetic out of what might be low key really is what makes The Strokes work so well.
    Comedown Machine is somewhat of an extension of Angles, as it includes some left over material. This probably means songs like "Tap Out" or "One Way Trigger" (a single, and one of my favorite tracks with its baroque pop harpsichord reminiscent synths), while the other tracks are diverse and unique to The Strokes. They tend to be more on the new wave side, without crossing the line into disastrous, and show off some new ideas. One song, "80's Comedown Machine" has a really interesting arpeggiated or even Alberti-base style harmony in the synth organ. The previous track, "Welcome to Japan" reminds me of Phoenix a lot, with the funk inspired French pop sound. "50 50" is somewhat of a punk inspired upbeat beach tune with distorted vocals as if sung over a megaphone. "Partners in Crime", two songs later, is similar, but has interesting contrasting major/minor harmonic sections. The next song, "Chances" is quite synth pop inspired, with slight undertones of electro house music as well (reminds me a bit of Daft Punk or Röyksopp in the busy harmonic structure's sound). I do love the timbres The Strokes uses for its guitars, like in the second to last song, "Happy Ending". The album ends somewhat strangely, with a throw back retro kind of old radio sounding piece, "Call It Fate, Call It Karma". All this just a nibble.
    Listen to the entire album by going to The Strokes website, here. The link will take you to Pitchfork Advanced, I guess its a new digital media website Pitchfork is using now. Or just continue taking small bites and listen to "One Way Trigger" over under the 'Monthly Sample Tracks'. Enjoy!

NEØV: Orange Morning

    If you have been a faithful reader of The Music Binge, you might remember a band called Neufvoin, whose two EP's Robokop and Fake Musket I wrote up, back in June of 2011 actually. Well, too bad that band is no more, because they showed so much promise and they were among my first foray's into the Scandinavian pop world--Rubik being another. But, what has been on my radar for a long time coming is the result of a few members leaving Neufvoin: NEØV. Orange Morning is NEØV's debut album and I've been impatiently waiting its arrival for some time now. The album arrived February 8th on the Fullsteam Record label, while it was produced by Artturi Taira and Sampsa Väätäinen, who are members of Rubik. I definitely hear more similarities between the bands because of that connection, which is a good thing indeed! Neufvoin has toured with Rubik, who is also on Fullsteam, so that must be how the arrangement came about. NEØV is the product of brothers Anssi and Samuli Neuvonen, who originally founded Neufvoin and eventually NEØV too. They hail from the town of Kuopio, which is a city, according to their website bio: "surrounded by lakes, with several parts of the town built on small islands. The influence of their surroundings can be heard in the band’s music: it’s expansive but quiet, grandiose but intimate." The brothers are joined by Ari Autio, Jonas Ursin and Antti Hevosmaa. The band's page on Fullsteam is here.
    Anssi Neuvonen does most of the writing and what I hear in Orange Morning is a great sense of direction and ability to produce a myriad of interesting sounds that are not too eclectic to be considered untamed or juvenile. The band clearly has some experience in creating music and it shows in their understanding of the Scandinavian affinity for post-rock and more reposeful musical styles in general. Sigur Ròs being the masters of the post-rock genre, many other Scandinavian rock/pop (pop because really what we'd consider indie rock, to my knowledge, is their pop music. American pop music is totally not cool at all in comparison!) bands turn to something similar, utilizing a lot of instrumental additions. You will hear brass often, especially trumpet, in Orange Morning, and what sets that apart from American uses of instruments is they have a stronger role melodically. There's also a lot of ambient and dreamy synths and a heavier (or more striking I guess you could say) guitar sound, without always being distorted. Orange Morning borders on the edge of dream pop, but just not in the same sense as the silly twee pop bands often fall into dream pop categories, this is much more serious music. The drums are often more fanfarish and the songs are generally more through composed, not just verse, chorus, verse, chorus refrain (or whatever). In some ways they could be considered Shoe-gaze too, but more subtly.
    I cannot over emphasize that NEØV and Scandinavian pop music is so much more about melody than their American counterparts. That's why in listening I am drawn to Orange Morning. It is a full listening experience, you have to sit down and enjoy it, not in passing, and you likely won't find many of their songs on the radio, even indie stations--maybe "Windvane" or "Morning Fire", which is one of the best songs on the album in my opinion. The album just reaches a chord (pun intended) at that point, five tracks in with "Morning Fire", where it really feels like it has settled quite nicely.
    Orange Morning starts clean, a word I am using a lot these days [to describe food] with "Faces Against Orange Rain", which just sets the tone and paints a picture of what to expect. "Daydream City" continues with something a little more popish, less post-rock, which opens up the way for the middle section of the album, I'd suggest. Track three, "Windvane", is somewhat of an idea, not straying too far within the framework of the song. I especially like the next song "A Fall Through the Roofs", which begins with a thoughtful use of rhythmic drumming juxtaposed against the quiet "ooh" of singing, excellent bass playing and simple chords on an electric piano. Midway through, the song takes off and evolves into a grooving track before quieting down slowly again before a final push to the finish. Cannot emphasize the bass in this one too much, it is good to hear such a melodic part being used with that much effectiveness on bass. "Morning Fire" is more like something Rubik would create, with fanfarish brass moments and elements of glee brought to you by orchestral bells and march-like drums. "Mellow" is another decent track, with probably the heaviest dream pop elements of any track on Orange Morning. It is pretty similar throughout the song, but ends by drilling sound into the listener, with chords that just come at you and a loud drum hit that keeps reoccurring. "1999" is a really nice at most times quieter track with gorgeous bells and a pleasant melody, while the other "slow" track is a 3/4 time waltz, "Otherworld" with nice brass and bass parts, and distorted guitar. The final song, "Whale Hymn" is somewhat epic in nature.
    NEØV's website is here. Check out the entire album streaming on Spotify, the only place I could find it, sadly, as I finally join the ranks of listeners who have submitted to Spotify's control on humanity (I will never use it for radio though, that's just not my thing listening to the same songs over and over and songs that don't belong in the same category). Also, a free download of "Windvane", here, on Fullstream's SoundCloud page. If you navigate to Fullsteam's main SoundCloud page, you'll find "Mellow", "Morning Fire" and "Windvane (Koralleven remix)". I've linked the song, "Morning Fire" over under the 'Monthly Sample Tracks'. Enjoy!