Poor Moon / Daniel Rossen

I want to talk about these two EP's, for they are intensely similar in a lot of ways. Poor Moon is a bit of a supergroup - a group of young men, two of them being brothers involved in The Christmas Cards, and the other two being Christian Wargo and Casey Wescott, both well-known for their previous work both in Crystal Skulls and Fleet Foxes - Daniel Rossen is, of course, the resident singer/songwriter of Grizzly Bear coming out with his first solo effort. Both EP's are five songs long, both are indie rock/folk releases, and they both came out in late March, Illusion coming out exactly one week after Silent Hour/Golden Mile. And, uh, they both have blue covers, I guess. Upon acquiring both of these, I found it incredibly hard not to compare them to each other stylistically and analyze both in light of each other, and so instead of choosing just one to review I'll share some thoughts about both in this double header.

First up is Poor Moon. We begin with a lone man and an acoustic guitar dripping with reverb. Illusion eases into a quiet, longing solitude, lamenting 'Wanna learn to rely on what I first decide when the moment comes, so I don't have to think twice.' A simple song seemingly of regret that nevertheless has an appropriate, solid execution. What it lacks in instrumentation it more than makes up for it with tone and feeling. Next up, the seriously subdued band comes in to support the plodding 'Anyplace.' Haunting, sorrowful harmonies paired with sullen, deadpan delivery manages to stay surprisingly interesting and engaging. Suddenly, we have a jaunty pop tune that echoes Crystal Skulls far better than anything else on the album, yet it continues the somewhat subdued feel. It's lacking the youthful energy but keeps the iconic twang, which ultimately just ends up being a bit disappointing for me. I realize this is a "different" band but it's incredibly difficult to not want to compare it to Crystal Skulls, especially since that band has not released new material in years. A solid song that doesn't reach its full potential. While not the biggest earworm on this short release, 'Once Before' serves as a credit to the songwriting skills of these veterans. Fantastic lead-ins and bridges are what this song is all about and keeps this soulful, brooding tune moving right along. We end on another acoustic lonely acoustic ballad, this time with Fleet Foxes-style folk vibes coupled with the traditional, delicate vocal harmonies that make the Foxes such a joy to listen to. Melodies that drop off right before closure, that raw, woodsy singing, the understated-yet-intricate plucking all bring together this short, contemplative EP.

Charging into Silent Song/Golden Mile, the first song exemplifies what is contained in this 20-some minute EP - expertly crafted chord lines that end up repeating multiple times, stop-and-start vocals that make it a bit difficult to keep with his train of thought, and a no-nonsense sober outlook that can seem a bit cold. Continuing on, detailed chord and time signature change-ups accompany a fascinating verse, which sadly segues into a lazy, formulaic chorus with a descending bassline. He's following the structure to a T, over and over again throughout the song without introducing anything new or exciting - the few times he does veer off, it's into some random, slightly-different guitar strumming that seems pointless. The third track treats us to acoustic noodling with warm strings, and the only melody is contained in his sparse vocals which fail to safely guide the song in a defined direction. The noodling, and the build-up feel of the track, combined with his constant need to go back to what has already been done (fitting, for the song title is 'Return To Form') makes it hard to not consider the song aimless. It suddenly bursts with life after about three minutes, bringing the whole band in, changing tacks every four measures or so, thankfully climaxing into a real explosion, however short-lived. A slow, ambient piano march follows, with short chord dips that ultimately achieves its goal of subterranean suspense. It's a big letdown when this long (long) song adds some soaring angel voices and... that's it. The most cohesive, put-together sounding song on the EP, 'Golden Mile' is pleasant with an upbeat drumline with high, Grizzly Bear-style guitar slides and a building, frantic feel.

So, what's happening here? I feel that Rossen is being overly ambitious with his songs, worked on and over-composed to the point of tedium. The production and instrumentation are stellar - however, the tunes fall back on a comfortable formula: build-up, chord changes every couple measures, vocals blowing in with lots of pauses, and noodling over melody. Poor Moon's songs are simpler, yet they deliver. They're full of warmth and feeling, the songs feel like they are heading somewhere or telling a story, the melodies are clearly defined and guide the song along purposefully and concisely. When Poor Moon eschews the whole band in favor of a simpler sound, I feel as if the singer is speaking directly to me, sharing some hidden, shameful thoughts, making it naturally intimate - when Daniel Rossen does the same, I somehow feel like it's an overly-long escalation, a constant looking-ahead vibe that fails to satisfy me or have me connect fairly, considering it doesn't always pay off. They're both not intensely related to their previous projects, but Poor Moon does a great job of taking small bits and pieces of the old styles and transforming them into something brand new. I'm surprised to learn that Silent Hour/Golden Mile is made up of songs originally meant to be on a Grizzly Bear album, because I can't imagine them that way - instead of a fresh take on the old sound, it sounds somewhat alien, like something vital is missing. The real question this leaves me with, is: Why has Poor Moon been relatively overlooked in comparison to Rossen?

Poor Moon - Illusion

8/10

Here's a sample.

Here's the album. (320)

Here's the last.fm.

Here's the... tumblr?

Daniel Rossen - Silent Hour/Golden Mile

6/10

Here's a sample.

Here's the album. (320)

Here's the last.fm.

Decide for yourself.

--4/10/12

March Collection

Vacationer - Gone

A smooth, earnest indie pop venture that pulls together hints of chillwave, jazz, and hip-hop to create a clean-cut feel-good summer record. Carefree, wistful tunes with a soft-hearted vocalist that sets hearts to melt. While the production and instrumentation is surprisingly solid for this relatively-quiet (on the scene, I mean) project, it's not completely without its flaws. The cheesiness factor is a bit high, and the subject matter doesn't stray too far from the obvious about girls, home, love, summer, and feelin' good, but it comes off charming and sweet instead of tedious. This is thanks in no small part to his masterful songwriting skills. An instant on-repeat hit for me, it's probably going to stay that way for the hot months to come. Not too much else to say, I'm a fan.

8/10

Here's a sample.
Here's the album. (320)

Sleep Party People  - We Were Drifting On A Sad Song

In a startling change from the first LP from this bedroom project, We Were Drifting On A Sad Song draws influence from numerous genres to create a sonic buffet for the ears. I hear shoegaze drones, dream pop beats, ambient waves. The evolution is noticeable and invigorating from his previous LP which was met with a resounding 'meh' by me - the songs all sounded alike and it quickly bored me. One thing that has not changed is this guy's vocals, and I realize that these are somewhat of a trademark for him, but goddamn - doesn't this guy know any other notes or pitches? It's the same shrill, nasally croon put through a wobbly vocoder effect in every single song. This is especially noticeable to me because I was never the biggest fan of them, I guess. Regardless, I appreciate the variation, it get's me a little more focused like I'm listening to something someone sat down and created, instead of some moaning fuzz thing drenched in effects. 

6.5/10

Here's a sample.
Here's the album. (v0)

Matthewdavid - Jewelry

A hazy, almost-psychedelic hard mix of instrumental hip-hop and various electronic elements, Matthewdavid trims the fat and gets down to brass tacks. Jewelry is a short and sweet mix of tasteful, carefully-constructed sound bytes that take the best from all worlds and leaves the bullshit behind. His production skill is incredibly evident - he reminds me of Knxwledge, except somehow more experimental and just plain more interesting, especially compared to recent Knxwledge output. The sudden shift to vocal warping is obnoxious and unnecessary, but it never lasts for more than a couple seconds so it's not hard to forgive. I adore his blend of new-school, chaotic Flying Lotus maximalist style with obvious old-school references and inspirations. This is criminally short at 20 minutes, practically an EP, but he crams as much talent in there as is humanly possible. This a great example of this young man's promise and prowess. Although it didn't knock me out of my seat, I have nothing but good things to say about this. Recommended to everybody.

8/10

Here's a sample.
Here's the album. (320)

The Shins - Port Of Morrow

I know it's a lame criticism, but it sounds... too polished. Too produced, too rehearsed, too everything. It's missing a lot of the gritty charm and soulful roughness that made the first two LP's crawl into our hearts. Without that, this just sounds like any number of 'indie' records being produced today (albeit much more expensive-sounding), which wouldn't be so bad or noteworthy if I didn't expect more from these guys. The contemplative poetry is there, his lilting, airy vocals still present. Instrumentation is solid. So what's missing? Some direction, for one. Some fullness of sound, some desperation, some passion for god's sakes. They're going through the motions, producing hollow tunes that, while technically sound, simply does not stir anything in my heart or mind. It comes off painfully average for such an illustrious band. At times they sound like they're attempting to emulate their former glory ('40 Mark Strasse'), and other times it's simply arduous and plodding, and you just wish they would get it over with ('For A Fool'). I wouldn't even be able to throw out some favorite tracks because nothing grabbed me, it's all blended together so blandly. It's alright, and sadly that's it.

5/10

Here's a sample.
Here's the album. (320)

Decide for yourself.

--3/25/12

Bellman - The Curse

Bellman is apparently one Norweigan guy named Arne-J Rauan. I've never heard of him, nor am I aware of any previous releases. This album is soft indie pop with a lot of classical influence.

The classical influence is noticeable off the bat, as the beginning of the album focuses on gentle string chords and a twinkling piano melody, accompanied by the lonely sounds of one guy with an acoustic guitar. This guy's voice is pretty easily distinguishable. It starts off strong and solitary, but as the album progresses it becomes an incredibly airy, wistful nasal exhale. It comes off soft and somewhat feminine. The second song, 'I Suppose', sounds like a true pop song, and a little after midway through, you hear the singer take out the air and put some power behind his voice. It sounds like he's actually singing instead of just breathing with words, which you will learn is uncharacteristic for the rest of the album. The Curse is littered with little pockets of the vocalist exhibiting his range and vocal chops only to slip back into his trademark whisper, which is disappointing to me, personally.

The third track, 'Olivia,' is the closest to 'upbeat' you'll hear at that point, yet it still retains the longing quality of the other songs. It's also another perfect example of real singing that suits him well. It's obvious that lots of orchestral backup pretty much dominates the various songs' direction and tone - epic, sappy movie score buildups which constantly sound like he's pining for someone. Every song seems to be about a girl. As I slip into 'Gasoline', I hear the loaded band set up but it's again directed by the continuous piano melody in the background that reminds me of Something Corporate. The next one, 'My Sound'? DOMINATED BY PIANO. This just makes it sound like pussy beta indie. It's not innovative or new or particularly exciting. It seriously does sound like a mix of Something Corporate and early Keane that's a lot simpler and has a weaker singer.

'85/40' is easily the best song on the album - it escapes the sad-bastard formula and actually sounds feel-good and catchy. The vocalist is channeling The Fire Theft a bit here and even though it's as simple as the other tracks, the hook stands out as an emotional earworm. He utilizes the other instruments at his disposal to such great effect, the song doesn't even feel like it belongs with the others. It quickly becomes a cruel joke, however, as Bellman slashes your hopes and goes straight into another plodding country-esque lonely-ass piano ballad plus strings where he croons 'See me tonight, I've got you anyway, inside.' It's so unbelievably corny and cliche that it's difficult to take him seriously. 'Inside' tries to pick it back up but ends up just being forgettable.

This album is a constant tug-of-war - you're always striving to notice the things that could save this album. The production is excellent, especially for one guy who, to the best of my knowledge, is playing all the instruments. There's no annoying interludes or intros. The instrumentation is spot-on and on time. Ultimately, though, these are bonuses or they're simply expected of normal musicians, and are not what elevates artists above the crowd. It's listenable, but not memorable in any way. Even the last track, 'Go,' is a real let-down - it's no different from the other piano ballads except it has a proper wrapping-things-up tone. After a few minutes of epic orchestral build up, he has the string section play two dull notes over and over for eternity into the fade out. An elementary school beginner's orchestra could play the fade out with zero problems. It reeks of boring non-creativity. That's great that you play violin, but I'm unable to care unless you write some interesting parts for it.

In the end, this is a light, safe pop record with no real curveballs, no surprises, and no saving graces. If this guy wants to stand any chance, he's going to have to find his voice and tinker with his formula a lot.

3/10

Here's a sample.

Here's the album. (320)

Here's the last.fm.

Here's the bandcamp, and the site.

Decide for yourself.

--1/6/12