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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2006 | Ambient | Listen
WAFTS OF FOG GRAZE OVER ABANDONED GRAVESTONES
I'm too invested in Tim Hecker's discography to give up now. But really, at what point does a casual listener do so? When a genre - and specific style in that genre - just isn't for them. Hecker's most acclaimed album, 2006's Harmony In Ultraviolet, has came and went without making so much of a dent on my perception of Ambient music. Perhaps I don't give Hecker the headspace he deserves, reserving a numbing 50 minutes of nighttime silence to ponder ominously at vast nothingness. Or, perhaps, that shows the weakness and limitations of such a narrow style of musicianship, when any listening experience outside of a supremely specific one will fail to arouse any sensation.
As per usual, Hecker's work feels like a continuation of previous efforts. Yes, that's because the tactics and effects are drawn from similar sources - radio hiss, glitchy cracks in telecommunication, winds of palpitating synthesizers - but also, that's not entirely a negative as making minor adjustments to craft singular atmospheric situations is impressive. Harmony In Ultraviolet parallels the actions of Mirages, which in of itself transformed the transmission archival sound of Radio Amor to a nighttime setting. The key distinction here lies on moments of heavy grandeur, like 'Stags, Aircraft, Kings & Secretaries' and 'Chimeras,' which each have visual identities that stray from Hecker's norm. They're aggressive, intense, and in the latter's case, quite melodious. Elsewhere, the twin pairing of 'Whitecaps Of White Noise' and 'Spring Heeled Jack Flies Tonight' aren't half bad, splitting the difference between the lulling aimlessness of, say, the four-part 'Harmony In Blue' with those aforementioned standout pieces. In all honesty, Harmony In Ultraviolet may be my second favorite Hecker project. It's just, at this stage, that's not saying much.
C-
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Heavenly goes out with a bang, creating arguably their best LP with Operation Heavenly, with The Decline And Fall Of Heavenly a close second. Note: I did not say best project, for Atta Girl holds that defiantly. However, despite Amelia Fletcher's lyrics being their loosest and least affecting since her Talulah Gosh days, the playful spirit and exuberant energy more than makes up for it. For them to maintain such charm a decade into their career, at the cusp of it all, is copacetic. Especially given the tendency for Twee Pop artists to fall off as their maturity grows (I'm looking at you Camera Obscura). Tracks like 'Space Manatee' and 'Ben Sherman' tastefully show how compositionally-sound Twee Pop can be when administered gracefully, as the touch of Noise Pop is a lovely addition that spikes up the intensity. Nowhere is that seen better than 'By The Way,' which sits alongside 'Hearts & Crosses' as my favorite Heavenly track. The chorus is absolutely unreal.
There's some curiosities here too, like 'K-Klass Kisschase' which sounds like Talking Heads had they reached their peak in the 90's Alternative scene, while 'Nous ne sommes pas des anges' features that early 90's Pop flair of the Pixies. The upbeat, cursory 'Cut Off' is an excellent example of Punk Pop as well.
B
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2014 | Garage Rock | Listen
REBEL GOTH CHICK ACCLIMATES TO SOCIAL NORMALCY
Death Valley Girls' debut album is a vicious romp of vivifying Garage Rock. It checks off all the boxes: A captivating vocalist, splintering chord changes that excite and energize, and hooks primed for the radio. So where's the praise on my behalf? Well, much of Street Venom's lower-tiered aspects come from the mouth of Bonnie Bloomgarden who, apart from sounding remarkably similar to Meghan Remy of U.S. Girls (in the best way possible), struggles with lyrical savvy, lending banal thoughts on relationship lust and societal ennui. Even my favorite tracks like 'Arrow' and 'Get Home' are taken aback by Bloomgarden's bluesy, matter-of-fact songwriting abilities.
Besides that, Street Venom is a blast. Yes, Sleater-Kinney influence is everywhere. So is, in terms of the cheeky gothic tendencies, Lydia Lunch or Bikini Kill. But it's all modernized through a thin veil of Lo-Fi gusto, with Bloomgarden's vocals fed through some kind of vocoder and the production pressurized to combustible levels.
C+
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With the failed commercially, but not critically Faith Healers behind them, Tom Cullinan, Roxanne Stephens, and company moved onwards to Quickspace. Superplus, a four-track EP indebted to psychedelic Krautrock, set the foundation for the new band's style. Kinda. The variation between Superplus and their ensuing three LP's (Precious Falling being my favorite) - which are more concise, Noise Pop diddies - were for the better, mind you. Not for lack of quality here, but that the similarities to Stereolab were prevalent enough to mitigate any foothold Quickspace had in Europe's burgeoning Experimental Rock scene in the 90's.
Superplus has a unique distinction though, in that the EP is essentially the 14-minute title track with three ramified 'stems,' so to speak, that dissect bits of 'Superplus' without including supplementary elements. The bread and butter is a delectable brand of Krautrock, with hypnotic percussion and harmonizing vocal choruses drizzled at just the right times. NEU! is an immediate source of influence, best seen on 'Scubaplus' which is where the quirky Space Rock comes in full force. A thoroughly entertaining EP, just don't go in expecting four separate songs.
B-
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