What's a Listening Log? Well, the idea is quite simple. It's a weekly segment that consolidates all the mini-reviews Dozens Of Donuts has given on RateYourMusic over the past week, split between the Past and Present. A straightforward grading scale has been put in place, ranging from A+ to F-, with C acting as the baseline average. There is no set amount of reviews per week, just however many I get around to reviewing. And don't expect week-of reviews. I wait one month - with at least three listens under my belt - before I rate and review an album. Enjoy!
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2014 | Shoegaze | Listen
CONVERTING SNOW TO ENERGY IN THE HARSH NORDIC WINTERS
One wouldn't normally associate 2014 with Shoegaze, a niche Rock genre if there ever was one and one essentially burnt out by the turn of the century. But what Kairon; IRSE!'s Ujubasajuba lacks in originality, it makes up for in sheer talent and composition. Every song here takes Shoegaze to monumental heights, merging those pleasant walls of sound with developing instrumental structures akin to Progressive Rock or even Post-Rock if it weren't so obtuse. Heavy Psych and Atmospheric Sludge Metal round out the edges.
There's rarely a lull here, which sounds like a compliment - and, by and large, it is - but that makes the individual identities of Ujubasajuba's songs suspect. Essentially, moments of elusive grandeur emerge on nearly every song; 'Valorians' and 'Tzar Morei' being my two favorites, but the patterns, sounds, and tones repeat themselves throughout. Those assimilate to quite the Scandinavian style though, kinda like a Paavoharju's Yhä hämärää for Rock, not Folk.
C+
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1996 | Art Rock | Listen
THE DISCLOSED TABLOID OF AN OMNIPRESENT BAR-HOPPER
Suffice to say, having heard Worst Case Scenario and bits of The Ideal Crash, I was not expecting the sheer ambition and creativity of In A Bar, Under The Sea. Seriously, dEUS - at times a generic Alternative Rock band with forward-flashes of 2000's Indie Rock and Pop Punk - was capable of this? Lavish and varied in all possible dimensions - be it aggressive to soft ('A Shocking Lack Thereof' to 'Serpentine'), somber to humorous ('Gimme The Heat' to 'Supermarketsong'), textbook to outrageous ('Disappointed In The Sun' to 'Theme From Turnpike') - In A Bar, Under The Sea is a fantastic epic that showcases just how talented and audacious dEUS were.
Of course, given the swath of ideas presented throughout these hefty 60 minutes, not everything will land. 'Serpentine,' 'A Shocking Lack Thereof,' and 'Nine Threads' are my three weak points, but the beauty of the album lies in its versatility to appease any type of Rock fan. Think a typical Ween album - which In A Bar, Under The Sea feels awfully comparable to, especially the as-of-yet uncreated Quebec - and sprinkle some Wilco depth and substance to the field for good measure (Tom Barman is essentially proto Jeff Tweedy on 'Wake Me Up Before I Sleep').
Thankfully, the pros far outweigh the cons. There's six songs I genuinely love on here, which as frequent readers of mine know, is a rare achievement. 'Fell Off The Floor, Man,' 'Theme From Turnpike,' 'Little Arithmetics,' 'Gimme The Heat,' 'Supermarketsong,' and 'Disappointed In The Sun' are all excellent songs, and best of all, they're all excellent for totally different reasons. Out of those six, only 'Gimme The Heat' and 'Disappointed In The Sun' feel remotely similar. 'Little Arithmetics' is an achievement in developed Indie Pop, while 'Theme From Turnpike' goes in the opposite direction with some avant-garde Trip Hop. There is just so much great 90's Rock here to not appreciate..
A-
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2000 | Space Rock | Listen
EULOGIZING POP MUSIC WHILE IT DIPS SIX FEET UNDER
And with that, Quickspace's career ends. Marked by remarkable consistency dating back to Tom Cullinan and Roxanne Stephen's time with Th' Faith Healers, Quickspace's three albums and myriad of B-sides, perhaps better than any other quirky, 90's band not named Stereolab, effortlessly combined charm with ambition. While not their best record (that goes to Precious Falling), The Death Of Quickspace further solidifies the band's Noise Pop magnetism with irresistible cuts 'The Lobbalong Song' and 'The Munchers,' while taking their Post-Rock and Krautrock influence to greater heights on 'They Shoot Horse Don't They' and 'Gloria'
Unfortunately, 'Climbing A Hill' is easily Quickspace's most boring composition, a statement exacerbated by its enduring 11-minute duration. Its placement at track number three is a drag that ruins the momentum of the (mostly) gleeful LP. And while we're on the topic of errant decisions, having two short instrumentals drain The Death Of Quickspace's energy at the end is also an odd arrangement, causing the LP (and subsequently, the band's entire career) to go out with a whimper and not the deserved bang.
B-
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1995 | Post-Industrial | Listen
FINDING LOVE THROUGH THE GEARS OF A HEARTLESS SOUL
Truth Is Born Of Arguments feels conflicted. Which, in some sense, matches the tone - that of abusive love failing to find common ground - Locust is trying to portray. However, the music strays too far from that source, going full-blown Post-Industrial without providing an emotive dissonance to replenish the human element. Many of the songs - except the Classical closer 'The Love You Cruelly Gave Me Would Not Last' that, ironically, is the only humanistic moment here - are highly repetitious and steadfast, unwavering in their consistency. Which isn't exactly a staple of tumultuous relationships.
Ignoring Locust's attempt at conceptual coherency, the music itself occasionally hits with Electronica that's hypnotic and grim, all the while maintaining the necessity for entertainment. 'Truth Is Born Of Arguments' and 'Penetration' kick things off, and are arguably the LP's two best cuts, with their emphasis on Tribal drums and Jungle rhythms being fed through a meat grinder. 'The Optimist' also works, with a more casual identity that feeds off Locust's past in Ambient textures. 'I Become Overwhelmed' does something similar, giving Truth Is Born Of Arguments multiple identities that shape its foundation. The overall variety is there, it's the repetition within each (of the needlessly lengthy songs) that causes the project to languish.
C
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Up until 1964 in The Beatles' discography, and including the soon-to-be released Hard Day's Night, Long Tall Sally is my favorite project thus far. It is quick, to the point, and doesn't sugarcoat the idea of variability when The Beatles don't have it yet. It's four tracks at nine measly minutes, meaning the patterns and premises that soon emerge don't grow stale. Although 'Slow Down' and 'Matchbox' don't come close to 'Long Tall Sally' and 'I Call Your Name,' so that testiness begins stewing on side B but only ephemerally.
Long Tall Sally is certainly dominated by side A, with the title track and 'I Call Your Name' upholding the traditions of classic Rock N' Roll. They're fun, raucously-conservative, and consummate. The former, expectedly so, since it's a cover of Little Richard's original, which had just as much vivacity. 'Slow Down' and 'Matchbox' aren't bad per-say, they just lack that grueling ferocity McCartney and Lennon provide, especially because Ringo Starr handled lead vocals on 'Matchbox.'
C
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2006 | Ambient | Listen
STATIC FREQUENCIES VIBRATING FROM THE COMMUNICATIONS TOWER
Mirages can best be described as the lesser counterpart to Radio Amor. While Tim Hecker's minimal style of technical Ambient rarely shifts in approach or structure, the setting and tone for which his pieces delineate vary and match with candor. Mirages falters because it does neither, merely recreating the heavy radio interference of Radio Amor without the intriguing bouts of Field Recordings and Broadcast Transmissions. Here, Hecker's hellbent on static. It's safe Noise, like passing background material one grows accustomed to in their hometown. Especially applicable in the dead of night, where only recurring, manmade mechanics operate.
So, I suppose, that's the biggest distinction here. Radio Amor worked better for that daytime scene, while Mirages takes to the night. At the end of the day though, innovation is scarce and therefore undeserving of praise. No tracks standout, with a few that succeed at fading into the background less, like 'Aerial Silver' or 'Balkanize-You.' In terms of straight, unfiltered modern Ambient, 'Incurably Optimistic!' is a satisfying, 10-minute piece, but also one that causes the rest of Mirages' prosaic movements to feel unnecessary.
D
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1994 | Twee Pop | Listen
MENTAL REASSURANCE FOLLOWING RAPINE BETRAYAL
In terms of Heavenly's LP's, The Decline & Fall Of Heavenly now takes top honors. That is, of course, excluding their sole EP; The 14-minute, must-listen Atta Girl. In many ways, The Decline & Fall, which was released the year after Atta Girl, feels like a successor to the the story laid out there. Without spoiling anything, there's numerous overt descriptions on tracks like 'Me & My Madness,' 'Modestic,' and 'Sperm Meets Egg, So What?' that lend themselves well to being an aftermath for what Amelia Fletcher discussed on behalf of her friend on Atta Girl. Hell, 'She & Me' feels like a direct sequel to 'So?,' what with Fletcher's frail Singer/Songwriter over sparse instrumentation. In terms of content, it's Heavenly's most incisive and conspicuous when compared to Heavenly Vs. Satan and Le jardin de Heavenly, which makes the typically second-hand lyricism of Twee Pop compelling.
Musically it's even better. Unlike those two LP's, The Decline & Fall actually features variety within the Twee Pop manifold. Right off the bat, 'Me & My Madness' and 'Modestic' are two exemplary examples of that, dashing through structural shifts that are playful and unorthodox. 'Modestic' teeters on the edge of 90's Ska, and guess what? It does it well. Really well. Elsewhere, 'Itchy Chin' heralds in a frisky guitar solo while 'Sperm Meets Egg, So What?' features some skittish, almost immature singing from Fletcher. It's a joyous arousal which, given the context of Atta Girl and The Decline & Fall, makes sense in a highly-gratifying way. As if this LP is officially wiping the slate clean.
B-
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