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Albums

Wolf Alice – Blue Weekend

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Released – 2021.06.04

Though Wolf Alice doesn’t really sound a lot like CHVRCHES, I had enough people in the CHVRCHES fandom channels suggest them as a good group, so I opted to go ahead and give this group a try with their (as of this time), latest album, Blue Weekend. Released in 2021, this is the group’s third full album. They have a sound that reminds me quite a bit of groups like Metric and Garbage.

As mentioned before, the sound isn’t really the same as CHVRCHES, but it’s sort of similar, so I can definitely see the cross appeal. There is some electronic sound to Wolf Alice, but overall its a lot more, Alternative Rock sounds, with a really interesting sprinkling of more mellow folksy-ness to it. In face, despite it’s few points of more aggressiveness, and one single extremely aggressive track, the whole album is a very nice mellow rock album.

Overall, I find Wolf Alice and Blue Weekend to be a pretty good overall album. It has a slick sound all round, though the previously mentioned “extremely aggressive track” feels almost out of place. The whole album has this really interesting fill/reverb going on for a lot of parts with the groups’ vocalist Ellie Rowsell. It sounds like there are several people all singing at once but it’s just the one, for the most part. Which I particularly enjoy.

I’ll touch on some of my personal thoughts on individual tracks going forward.

The album opens with The Beach, which is a really nice big build up track, which starts out quietly subtle but is nice and full and busy by the end with a really great sort of ethereal sound going by the end. It’s a nice fit for the opening track.

The second track Delicious Things follows up along with a much more even and regular flow and pace from a lot of the other tracks on the album. Though a lot of the nice guitar work that exists in this entire album starts to show it’s head here with it’s layered sounds running throughout. It rolls almost continuously directly into Lipstick on the Glass, something I don’t believe really happens elsewhere on the album. I particularly like how this song switches between it’s flowing low key moments then bounces off into the fuller chorus moments. It’s one of my favorite tracks on the album.

It’s followed up by the fourth track, Smile, which is definitely my favorite track of the album. It’s a lot heavier in sound than most of the rest of the album, but not overwhelmingly so. It also features a lot of excellent guitar work throughout, but a lot at the climax. There is a really nice bass guitar bit near the end. It comes in fast and hard and doesn’t stop and I love it.

The follow up though takes quite a bit different direction, and sets the tone for the rest of the album where things are a bit more low key with Safe From Heartbreak. Which is a lot more even toned throughout and features a nice low key picking guitar line throughout. This is part of where the “folksy-ness” starts to show a lot more as well in these back end more low key tracks. A lot of the vocals also feature a nice almost a ‘Capella sounding harmony to them. The low key sound continues in the next track How Can I Make It Ok?, though there is also a bit more build up in this one as the track goes along. The sound layering in the peak end of this track is nice, it’s a bit on the album that I enjoyed a bit extra.

Then there is our “excessively aggressive” track, with Play the Greatest Hits. Don’t get me wrong, I actually really like this track. It just feels, weirdly places in the middle of all of these much more mellow tracks. It has a much more fast paced screamo punk sound to it, which also feels a lot different than the rest of the album.

The rest of the album rounds out with Feeling Myself, The Last Man on Earth, No Hard Feelings, and a reprise version of the opener with The Beach II. The second version of The Beach is quite a different song though, it’s not just, a slightly different version of the same song. Most of these last few tracks are some more much more low key smaller sound, though often with lots of interesting layering of guitars and electronic bits, which is a running theme of the album. No Hard Feelings is particularly good, just before the end of the album.

Albums

Dodie – Build a Problem

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Released – 2021.05.07

I am not sure what first brought me to Dodie’s music, I know a lot of her fans came from her previous life as a regular YouTube Vlogger. I can say it was quite a bit before the release of Build a Problem. This is her first Studio Album, though she has released 3 previous EP albums, though the third one, Human, has most of her best known tracks, with Monster probably being her most well known. She also has a pretty large amount of additional “unreleased” tracks on YouTube and other channels.

This little bit of background is rather essential to some of what I want to talk about on this album, Build a Problem.

Anyway, I enjoy Dodie’s music enough that I had tickets to see her back in 2022, though things fell through and I could not make the show for a couple of reasons (COVID was ramping up again, and my wife had a medical procedure come up). Her music can probably be best described as modern emotional folk music. There is a lot of airy feel to a lot of her songs, and they incorporate a lot of more traditional acoustic style instruments along side some modern electronic mixing and layering. Most of the songs have a strong emotional push around relationships, loneliness, anxiety, depression, and being a bit of an “outsider” at times.

All of these themes are very much present in the themes of Build a Problem. The album open with a short interlude in Air So Sweet, before going into the first proper track with Hate Myself. It’s not the “title track” but it is where the album title comes from, where the phrase Build a Problem shows up as part of the opening lyrics:

Could it be different? Did I ruin the day?
Oh, do you look angry? Oh, what did I say?
Filling in the gaps, build a problem that
Neither of us need, something wrong with me

Hate Myself is one of the better tracks on this album, it’s showcases a lot of the strong parts of Dodie’s songwriting and layering in structure. I don’t know that it’s my favorite track, but it’s certainly up there. The theme of this track is basically the idea of being insecure in a relationship, and possibly overjudging one’s self based on the reactions of the partner. Essentially, building a problem, in one’s head, where a problem may not actually exist. Which only leads to more self hate and insecurity.

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Though Hate Myself is a bit more upbeat and “poppy” sounding, things turn down and become a lot more reserved for most of the rest of the album. I’m just going to go over some of my personal highlights from the album with commentary on the rest after.

Probably my favorite track on the album, is Cool Girl. I just really like the way this song slowly builds over the course of the track from something relatively low key to something rather grand. I also really like the use of the stringed background instruments, which is also part of the overall build. The video is also a One Take, which is like my kryptonite for video media, so that pushes up my enjoyment even more.

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The next few tracks, Special Girl, Rainbow, and Four Tequilas Down are all pretty good.

The two “bonus” tracks, Guiltless and Boys Like You round out my list of actual “top tracks” on this album. I believe they are “bonus” in that they have both been released for a while, they just, never had a proper album release. Guiltless has a lot of really fun and interesting structure to it. The lyrical sections are kind of quiet and quaint before dropping into this fuller chorus moments. It ends with this really fun little layered loop of some of the lyrics of from the track previously.

Boys Like You has a decidedly different feel than the rest of the album but it’s still a great track that does deserve to be on an album. It’s quite a bit more punchy in it’s melody than the previous tracks, and feels a bit like a different era of Dodie.

So, as for the other tracks. I have the ALOSIA (A Lot Of Songs In A Steam) Deluxe version of this album, but for now I’m just referring to the other tracks on the album itself. I really like the tracks mentioned above, I kind of really dislike most of the ones I didn’t mention. I do like this album, but it also feels like, another EP’s worth of tracks, with a bunch of half finished tracks intermixed in to pad it into an album. This isn’t really a criticism of Dodie by any means, and maybe it’s just that I just don’t resonate with these tracks for whatever reason.

It doesn’t really harm the album as a whole, especially since you know, we live in a digital age where it’s easy to pick out the tracks one most enjoys. It just feels like maybe there was some sort of behind the scenes deadline that came up too fast and things maybe could have felt a bit more complete in places.

Albums

Paramore – This is Why

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Released – 2023.02.10

Paramore’s 6th album, This is Why is certainly a testament to the chaos and craziness that has enveloped society in the past few years. With 6 years since the previous album, there has certainly been a lot going on and it shines brightly through in the themes of a lot pf tracks on this album.

It opens with the title track, which sort of sums up the overall feel of what is about to be presented, This is Why (I don’t leave the house). With lyrics suggesting that the opinions of people in the world have gone off the deep end a bit and become just a bit scary hear.

It keeps up the theme with the second track, The News which tears apart the media a bit with its constant need to emphasize everything awful in the world and drive people to constant fear. It also keeps a bit of the thread from This is Why with its bit:

Far, I’m far So far, from the front line Quite the opposite, I’m safe inside But I worry, and I give money And I feel useless behind this computer

Where our hero is still keeping it safe, by not leaving the house. This theme of reclusive paranoia follows through on the tracks You First and C’est Comme Ça (It is what it is).

The 5th track on the album is one of the most amusing, tracks on the album Big Man, Little Dignity, which is themed around the idea that the “big man” thinks he is hot shit, but he is not as great as he thinks he is. Dignity is also used as an amusing euphemism, with the big man’s ” li-li-li-li-little dignity”.

I touched a bit on You First but I wanted to throw in there I find it amusing that it has the lyrics ‘I’m both the killer and the final girl” given the theme of CHVRCHES Screen Violence, which even has tracks called “Killer” and “Final Girl”.

From a purely sound and structure perspective, I think Figure 8 is one of my favorite tracks on the album. It sort of rebounds between flowing lyrics and a bunching chorus. I rather like how blunt that transition is and how the track just sort of keeps pushing along.

Liar takes a much more mellow tone from the previous tracks, which is a trend that continues along through Crave and Thick Skull to close out the album. Thick Skull being an interesting and dramatic ballad that serves as an almost self reflective song.

Overall, I enjoy the whole album, but think I enjoy the front half a bit more than the back half, even though the back half probably has the better songs, they just aren’t quite as “catchy”. Funny enough, because all fo the singles from this album come from the front half. I can’t really compare it too much tot heir previous albums as the only one I have any real listening time with is Riot!.

Albums

CHVRCHES – Screen Violence

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CHVRCHES – Screen Violence Cover

Released – 2021.08.27

Note: I started on a general CHVRCHES write up I intended to post first but because I am a slacker, I didn’t finish it yet.

Screen Violence is the fourth full studio album from CHVRCHES, and the first that I’ve gone through a “release cycle” for.  It was preceded by three singles, He Said She Said, How Not to Drown, and Good Girls.  The videos all share a sort of kaleidoscope motif similar to the video for Gun.  I suspect this was done somewhat out of necessity due to COVID and travel restrictions, it helps minimize actual contact between people and reduces cross contamination risks.  Each had a sort of themed color, and all three featured the same rotating doorway.  How Not to Drown is a featured collaboration with Robert Smith of The Cure.

The release cycle has been quite fun, especially while hanging around the CHVRCHES fan discord.  There have been a couple of great live streams from iHeart Radio and Amazon music.  The Amazon show in particular made me even more excited to see them live later this year (assuming COVID doesn’t kill the tour).    A few more songs from the new album would be nice for the regular tour, but honestly I do like the idea of a nice mix of old tracks in there as well, which was what we’ve seen so far.

I didn’t jump on the merch train aside from having a CD on the way.  I’m not super keen on the design of the merch for Screen Violence, I’d be more inclined to buy something Love is Dead or Bones themed.

The whole album is pretty solid, though at this point I’m not sure that it’s their best album, more time is really needed to decide on that, there’s a few tracks that are just more “ok” than great, and overall there’s some good tracks but not too many really amazing tracks that just really stand out on initial impressions.  It’s definitely a darker tone and kind of a less chaotic feel than previous albums, which is nice.  It’s good, I’d recommend it, but I am undecided on if it’s their best album.

The Tracks

Asking For a Friend – I’m really enjoying the sound on this track, a pretty good upbeat feel to it.  I rather like the chaotic sound of the background rhythms.

He Said She Said – Originally my favorite of the three pre-release singles, but Good Girls over took it.  I still like it and I find “Angry Lauren” kind of amusing.

California – This track really fits the same movies theme of Final Girl later on the album.  It’s a pretty good upbeat track that slowly and quietly builds itself up over the course of the run.  It feels like it’s likely going to be very popular.

Violent Delights – At least Martin gets a little bit in this track, since he doesn’t get his own track in Screen Violence.  I’m not sure that I find this track super amazing on initial impression, but it also feels like it could be a track that could easily grow into being a favorite over time.  It has a nice progressive and airy feel that reminds me of other popular tracks like Night Sky or We Sink.

How Not to Drown – Definitely my least favorite of the three pre-album singles.  I think that enjoyment of this track depends entirely on how much people like Robert Smith and the Cure.  Personally, it kind of drags on and halfway through I’m already wishing it were over.

Final Girl – An interesting sound, it feels a lot more like a “traditional band” with the guitar and drums.  It’s got a pretty nice lower tone kind of retro feel to it for sure.  Interesting theme of the lyrics being literally about the “final girl” survivor of horror movies.

Good Girls – The more I listen to this track, the more I really like it.  It’s definitely my favorite of the three singles and possibly my favorite on the album. 

Lullabies – This song reminds me quite a bit of Deliverance with it’s nice and steady and even tones.  It’s not a particularly stand out track but there’s nothing particularly awful about it.

Nightmares – I enjoy the larger sound of this track and the general down tempo fullness, but there’s something that feels off I can’t quite figure out that I’m not really feeling.  Some good synth work going on here though.

Better if You Don’t – A nice light closer, which has become a sort of standard it seems, though it’s not nearly as light as say, Afterglow.  Just a nice guitar backed, light rhythm, track.  I like it.

And just to sort of wrap up here, I figure I’ll throw in my personal ranking of all ten tracks on the album.

  1. Good Girls
  2. Violent Delights
  3. California
  4. He Said She Said
  5. Final Girl
  6. Asking For a Friend
  7. Better If You Don’t
  8. Lullabies
  9. Nightmares
  10. How Not to Drown

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