9/11/13

"Now if you never shoot, you'll never know
And if you never eat, you'll never grow
You've got a pretty kinda dirty face
And when you're leaving your home she's begging you, "Stay, stay, stay, stay, stay."

I'll give you one more time
We'll give you one more fight
Said one more line
There'll be a riot, cause I know you.."
~Robbers
The 1975, The 1975

The first full-length from The 1975 is as good - if not better- than I expected it to be. I've been thrilled - it's a great car record, great headphone record, morning or night listening. The sound is incredibly fresh, vocal-fueled and produced to the nth degree....these are stories of youth and sex and frustration, the lure of lust and luxury ever-present but more as plaything than temptation. It's simply fun to listen to, which makes it comforting, but it's complex enough to be thought-provoking, which makes it prime for repeat listens.

Verbally, it's casual, often conversational, but sonic-ly speaking, it's very decorated. There are wedding bells, there are sax solos, and they're all complimenting and highlighting some real intense, reaching vocals. In reviews of The 1975 I think you'll hear a lot of comparisons to R&B of the 90s, and electro pop of recent years, and there is a definite fusion going on, but it's far more authentic than what you might otherwise think would be gimmicky. 

In the quiet moments, you here some real musicianship, and Matt Healy on piano is a treat I hope they use often in their live show. I think these were songs written out of what was fun to play, fun to write, fun to hear, from the point of view of rabble-rousers as fascinated and confused as most creative types are in their late teens/early 20s/entire lives. I'm immensely impressed - and from what I've seen of live footage, the live band might sound a little more raw and maybe even a little better than this record, coated in shiny ProTools glory, can reflect.

Definitely the soundtrack of this fall, and whatever it brings. 

"Well I stay tuned, listen to the news and try to fall asleep at night.
Because I'm living in a house with just three walls,
So I'm always getting recognized.

There's a change in pressure
We're never gonna lie to you.
Change in pressure
My broken veins say that if my heart stops beating
Change in pressure
We'll bleed the same way
Change in pressure,

Oh, my broken veins say..."

~Pressure

The 1975, The 1975

9/11/13

"Mending" by The New Frontiers is still the most humbling, comforting album on days like today - days that are anniversaries of the worst days.

Today I heard a few "where were you" stories, from people who were journalists at the time. Their stories were much different than my own. I didn't tell my own, but my age makes it obvious - I was in school when our principal came on the PA, and when our algebra teacher rushed into the hallway to talk to other teachers. I watched the towers fall via television screen in the chorus room, then a little while later, off a projector screen in the auditorium, large like a movie screen.

I remember crying for the people who died, realizing that nothing would be the same for them or their families, unable to comprehend death at this level. My Spanish teacher hugged me in the hallway outside Cafeteria A  and said it was OK, she cried too. I think I realized that nothing would be the same for me, either, or anyone who saw this happen - and truly, it never was or will be. But I also remember that feeling of togetherness, and the crisis friendships that form when boundaries fall. Weren't we all helpless, hopeless scared Americans? No letters next to the politician's name mattered that day. Yet here we are a dozen years later...if there's one thing that I hope people remember when they're told to Never Forget, it's remembering that moment when you knew, instantly, how human we are all.



"This is the house where you were born

These rooms seem smaller than before
I turned 22 when were you found
Shattered and broken on the ground

They will rob you blind
They will take your peace of mind
And you'll want to run away from here

I know you can't escape from all of your fears
I made my peace with the world and all that it brings
I'm holding my own
We saw a spark within your eyes
Your face reflected in the light
We are all angels in the sky
We are all mirrors in disguise

We will lift you up
We will place you on your feet
We will pick you up
We will never let you go

I know you can't escape from all of your fears
I made my peace with the world and all that it bringsI'm holding my own"
~Mirrors
The New Frontiers, Mending