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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Sweden's HOLY had a difficult task on his hands: Following up the monumental, space-fairing ways of All These Worlds Are Yours. With Ryder, the volatile element of unpredictable Noise and Psychedelia has been ratcheted down and replaced with love. Or, at least, the concept of such lust from the perspective of an outsider, as Ryder still maintains the alien otherworldliness HOLY prides his work on. While there's nothing remotely as transcendent as All These Worlds Are Yours' nine-minute title track - a single quickly ascending my ranks as one of 2010's best, most ambitious efforts - Ryder stabilizes with consistency, though the schmaltzy, maudlin infatuation may not stand the test of time.
Right from the get-go with the intro '3000 Years In Show Biz,' HOLY presents an alternate reality, one set in a future dominated by the stark, serene New Age aesthetic. The general principle flows through Ryder's eleven tracks, though is largely replaced by a stew of Psychedelic Pop, Hypnagogic Pop, and Synthpop. Not all too uncommon in this day and age, as the trails of Ariel Pink, MGMT, Mild High Club, and Foxygen can be felt. Namely the Glam Rock strings and delicate femininity these bands adopt. Versatility isn't great, but admirable nonetheless, as Art Rock epics like 'Flames' and 'Forget About Life' sprinkle dashes of immense power around weaker, more ruminative cuts like 'ILY Wild Horse' and 'You Shine On Me.' At times, the production's grand ensemble sets sights for the stars (best seen on 'Can U Hear Me Calling?' and 'Aries'), but is equally muddled by maximalist tendencies that submerge the possibility of subtlety. Tracks like 'Deep Water' and 'My Fata Morgana' are examples of this calamitous sound, though the restricted use allows for these moments of gluttony to be forgiven.
Overall, Ryder is a decent alternative Pop album that fans of those aforementioned artists will likely take delight in. It won't, however, bring HOLY the slew of fans he likely deserves, being that the quality isn't too distant from the influencers he cherishes. At times too sappy, without the payoff of an epic like 'All These Worlds Are Yours,' Ryder still finds success in its exotic fascination with romance, and the music by which it's represented.
C
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You'd think Dan Snaith's most playful albums would come early in his career, when youth is a far more tangible entity. However, after an almost two-decade long career that features three pseudonyms and nine albums, Snaith's six-year absence from Caribou is his most jovial, sprightly, and nostalgic to date. Suddenly doesn't break new ground for the Electronic producer, but rather gathers the various stages of his discography - be it Up In Flames' Indietronica, Andorra's Psychedelic Pop, or Our Love's Deep House - in a melting pot of gooey goodness that transports the listener to a bedroom immersed in tween gaiety.
Even though the cover itself is rather sterile and lifeless, the imagery of a faintly-rippled puddle does a great job visualizing the buoyancy of Suddenly. Songs like 'Sunny's Time' and 'Lime,' for better or worse, veer with the erratic fluidity of a child in charge of a motorized toy boat, the latter imitating the Downtempo mannerisms of Röyksopp in its first half. There's a sense of agility and exertion on Suddenly, as Snaith powers through his myriad of influences up until this point. Hell, the near-silent opener of 'Sister' hardly prepares the listener 'You & I's' rhythmic dynamism, one that invites the idea of Glitch-centric vocal sampling to the fray. This decision is where Caribou shines the brightest, as it recalls his early work as Manitoba and the oddball radiance found there. Along with 'You & I,' the chaotic Chopped N' Screwed labyrinth of 'New Jade,' the brilliant Smooth Soul of 'Home' that beams with mercurial flair, and the vibrant pulse of 'Ravi's' Deep House round out the LP's best material. Each place sampling first and foremost, as 'Home' recalls the work of The Avalanches and RJD2, while 'Ravi' teeters with the nimble inner-workings of Four Tet or Pogo.
Apart from those three standouts, Suddenly is a bit of a mixed bag. Certain sample decisions, like the aforementioned 'Sunny's Time' and 'Lime,' are a bit too jarring and unseeded for their own good. 'Never Come Back,' while a fine Dance track, hardly branches out from under the influence of Swim or Our Love, while 'Like I Loved You' - of all the tracks here that sport this dilemma as well - reveals the weakness of Snaith as a singer and songwriter. His falsetto is pretty and matches the whimsy Suddenly achieves quite well. But it's also one-dimensional and a clear crutch for Snaith who seems scared to branch out. The lyrics are mediocre at best. However, there are other meritable moments, like 'Magpie' which is somehow able to transport Boards Of Canada's renowned treatment of nostalgia - a hard enough feat to replicate on its own - to Ambient Pop and UK Funky. It never reaches a full payoff, but the ability to intermingle such radical ideas with ease is worthy of praise. Lastly, 'Cloud Song' paces Suddenly out with a patient build to bliss, culminating in a rewarding climax that's filled with childhood inanity despite the serious topic at hand. Another solid Caribou album with a few minor roadblocks preventing greatness.
B-
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Unlike most, I gave ken the benefit of a doubt. Two decades into one's career, I'd much rather have a shaky transition into untrod territory than redundancy that adds diminishing artistic value. Certain songs on ken, like 'In The Morning' and 'Tinseltown Swimming In Blood,' found Destroyer inspired by this new direction into Synthpop. However, come Have We Met, the Canadian singer known as Dan Bejar already feels bored with the shortcomings this streamlined Pop produces. Opener 'Crimson Tide' features a rhythmic embrace of 80's kitsch, what with its searing guitars and Neon-strobing synthesizers, that makes it Have We Met's second best. However, after the expeditious 'Crimson Tide,' which oddly overstays its six-minute welcome despite Destroyer having plenty of songs that surpass that duration, Have We Met struggles to find any sort of footing, both sonically and lyrically.
Songs like 'Kinda Dark' and 'The Television Music Supervisor' meander without prose or purpose, drawing circles in dissolute Ambient Pop that feels like a feeble version of Sigur Rós. Then there's 'Cue Synthesizer,' which reverts back to 80's tinsel, but with a self-awareness that drags down Destroyer thanks to Bejar's inconsequential lyrics. What are songs like 'Cue Synthesizer' and 'The Television Music Supervisor' even about? Have We Met is at its best when Destroyer places sound above sway, seen on the lovely 'Raven' which merges both these opportunistic halves for a consummate performance, and closer 'Foolssong,' Have We Met's best due to a satisfyingly-subtle build-up, supple coda, and strange disassembly. Also Bejar's best lyrics. Still, a largely disappointing LP that seems to sense its own futility.
C-
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