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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1996 | Sound Collage | Listen
BOUND BY A RED FLAG, WATCHING ONE'S INDOCTRINATION
According to RateYourMusic, Ground Zero's impenetrable Revolutionary Pekinese Opera is not only the greatest Sound Collage album of all-time, it's also number one in Turntable Music, Musique concrète, and fifth in the illustrious genre of Plunderphonics. Needless to say, those credentials alone are worthy of investigation. But are they valid? Long story short; no. Revolutionary Pekinese Opera is a chaotic, incoherent mess, by design mind you, without the necessary means for payoff. Of those aforementioned genres, if it's to spearhead any one, it would be Sound Collage. Unpredictable, incisive, darting precariously from Avant-Garde Jazz, to seething Noise, to Radio Broadcasts, to pure silence. It's less a work of music - certainly far away from being enjoyed - and more a stimulating art test for the pretentiously-inclined. Constantly keeping the listener on their toes, the ensuing reaction, at least from me, is one of dumfounded apathy. Ground Zero's sampling style borrows from originative groups like Negativland and The Beatnigs, though I'm reminded of Les Sculpteurs De Vinyl's hardly known Memory & Money as well. From all those comparative points though, Revolutionary Pekinese Opera takes it up a notch.
Perhaps my favorite aspect of this record is the commentary - a large portion I can not understand because of the Japanese and Chinese samplings - which paints a bloodied, problematic, red painting of communist China under the rule of Mao Zedong. I won't pretend to be informed on the subject, instead choosing to focus on the propagandized techniques Ground Zero utilize here. Best seen on tracks like 'Red Mao Book By Sony,' this truly feels like an indoctrinating, patriotic, inculcation work. As if you're being forced to convert towards the powers that be, knowing full well they're the greater evil. In that sense, the atmosphere shines. But beyond that, the frantic drums, teetering moments of intermission, and total decimation of structure cause Revolutionary Pekinese Opera to be borderline unlistenable. While I appreciate the ingenuity, at a time when Plunderphonics was nothing more than a schtick, there's no way I'm returning for more.
D
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2005 | Piano Rock | Listen
TOYING WITH A FLIRT AS SELF-CONFIDENCE RESTORES
Widely considered Fiona Apple's worst album, which, as we know considering her track record, would be many other artists' best. That testament stands tall, though I'd safely put Tidal at the bottom tier by its lonesome. A good, albeit rather restrictive and contemporary debut denounced by the blossoming that was When The Pawn. And truthfully, I'd put Extraordinary Machine right alongside her sophomore breakout. Coincidentally, they both achieved the same score (72) in my By The Numbers system. The distinction lies not in the tonality of the music, which in many ways feels like a sequel to When The Pawn, but rather the replacement of transcendental highs with sheer consistency. There is not a bad, missable song in the lot. Even my least favorite, 'Waltz,' swoons with orchestral serendipity that's best captured in a classic Disney animation. That closer also balances out the opener, 'Extraordinary Machine,' quite succinctly, as the latter teeters on a tightrope of ditzy Cabaret, bearing some similarities to Randy Newman's stylings on Toy Story. It's also the album's best, which might have contributed to Extraordinary Machine's relative disappointment considering none of the remaining eleven songs best it.
But a handful come close, with a slew comfortably sitting in the category of pure satisfaction. 'Better Version Of Me's' motivational whimsy, 'Tymps'' unnatural flows and cadence, 'Oh Well's' maudlin grace, and 'Please Please Please's' vocal promenade are all Fiona Apple standouts many would dismiss because of Extraordinary Machine's reputation. Having now heard her entire discography, it's safe to say this: Fiona Apple's one of the greatest, most imperative female performers of our time. I'd even argue her status as being underrated, because her notoriety hardly extends into the public consciousness despite the talent demanding absorption. Her presence, I feel, will remain long after her recession from music and eventual passing. This, so far, is an untarnished legacy that puts nothing else above quality.
B+
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2002 | Indie Pop | Listen
SLIDING DOWN THE RABBIT HOLE, READING BROTHERS GRIMM
That is how you turn it around. Coquelicot Asleep In The Poppies took all the worst aspects of first generation of Montreal - the gaudy theatrics, kooky absurdism, disjointed fitfulness - and macerated them in a blender. Funny, considering their previous album, which employed many of the same tactics with much less extreme overtones, The Gay Parade, was my favorite of the band helmed by Kevin Barnes. Was, in the past tense, because Aldhils Arboretum has surpassed it. This is of Montreal dialed in, laser-focused on drawing crowds with lovable melodies, curious commentary, and Barnes' bashful delirium. There are no wasted moments (looking at you, 'The Events Leading up To The Collapse Of Detective Dulllight') that dawdle with fairytale trivialities. Instead, those fantasies are siphoned directly into the tunes, as Barnes bounces between ideas that, unlike previous albums, are represented with each respective song. No more, no less.
There's the Where The Wild Things Are-esque 'Kid Without Claws,' the uproarious pageantry of 'Death Dance Of Omipapas & Sons For You,' and the natural exoticism of 'Isn't It Nice?' These, in typical of Montreal fashion, present a duality with somber themes as seen on 'Old People In The Cemetery,' 'The Blank Husband Epidemic,' and 'Pancakes For One.' On top of that, Barnes invites run-of-the-mill, slice-of-life quixotic behavior with endearing ballads like 'Jennifer Louise,' 'Natalie & Effie In The Park,' and 'Kissing In The Grass.' Aldhils Arboretum excels by hitting of Montreal's aesthetic out of the park. Heavily inspired by The Beatles, Beach Boys, and more within Baroque Pop, these 14 Pop songs each come with their own identity, tone, and flirty playfulness. There's so much to love here. Perfect for a summertime jaunt around the park with a lover by your side. And I must say, while the cover's hardly pleasing on the eyes, it is perfectly representative of Aldhils Arboretum's mien.
A-
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