Issue #62 [Album Reviews]

Reviews of the latest by Basia Bulat, Beach House, Four Tet and Los Campesinos!

Basia Bulat
Heart of My Own
Secret City
Initially when I heard Basia’s sophomore album I thought, “Yup, that sounds like a sophomore album.” That is, it didn’t hit me with the same force as the first album. I mean, Basia’s sound is such that she’s always going to sound like Basia and if you like her you’ll like this. I also knew, however, that I had a huge crush on her first album and probably wasn’t being objective. Heart of My Own has a slightly more sombre feel than the first album and most critics would call that ‘mature’. So after a few more listens I too think I like the more ‘mature’ Basia. I’ve listened to “Run” over and over and still can’t for the life of me figure out why I find the chorus (which consists entirely of her repeating ‘Run, run, run, run, run’ over and over) as moving and catchy as I do. Although it sounds to me like some of the musicianship has been turned down for this album, it’s a little less frantic and it sounds like the drummer might actually be able to play most of it live (which wasn’t the case when I saw them last year).
—Bix Brecht

Beach House
Teen Dream
Sub Pop
Once upon a time, I received hate mail for hating a Death Cab For Cutie record. I was told to keep my “sassy pants” in my bottom drawer with my Beach House CD. Now, the time has come: Beach House’s third album is released and I can hold my hate mailer to his word and make him grimace as I give Beach House a high rating and complete his wish as I’m sure he cherishes my opinion! Anyhow, I am certain that poppy organ songs and Victoria Legrand’s raucous vocals are not for everyone, but we have all been teenagers. We also all occasionally recall high school and the familiarity of having a locker, leading to a sudden slip of feelings that we only address when listening to a song like “Better Times.” Why would we otherwise try and answer, “How much longer can you play with fire before you turn into a liar?” Was high school all bad? Wasn’t the sushi okay? Teen Dream is, unlike past releases, a planetary delight. But not boundless.
—Stefana Fratila

Four Tet
There is Love in You
Domino
The last decade had some hilarious sub-genres that we’re all going to laugh about over beers (that will come in pill form probably) in 25 years. I know that I will never forget hyphy and ghost ridin’ the whip. Specifically, I will never forget the time Dr. Ian Super ghost rode his Volvo to Q Lazzarus’ “Goodbye Horses.” Although it would have had more effect if he had done it nude with his piece packed back. I’m getting off track though. Hyphy, Grime, Fidget and Electroclash? These will all be remembered with about as much fondness as the Ewok movies. Four Tet has often been classified as something with “glitch” in it—glitch hop, glitch pop, sexy thrash synth glitch jazz or something equally as HMV-esque. As we get older though, it appears that at least one artist from each narrowcasted genre should be looked upon fondly. Four Tet has made another lovely record. It’s not brilliant, but it’s consistent, the highlight being the track “Plastic People,” which waltzes along until ever so subtly the intro from The Chiffons’ 1965 classic “Nobody Knows What’s Goin’ On (In My Mind But Me)” rolls in over the track. It’s one of those moments that makes other producers curse out loud for not thinking of it first.
—Trevor Risk

Los Campesinos!
Romance is Boring
Arts & Crafts
I was first introduced to this band live in NYC, on a cool summer night with some good friends and a LOT of tequila. Needless to say, I had a real cool time, not only from my buzz, but because Los Campesinos! is a perfect band to see when you’re high on life. Thankfully, this exact feeling is captured on the group’s most recent effort, Romance is Boring. Singer Gareth Campesinos!, through clever tales of self-doubt and deranged young love, articulates a British (or Welsh, in his case) brashness reminiscent of PiL or even The Jam. Their songwriting is honest without being earnest and introspective without being precious. On the band’s website, they describe their latest effort as being about how “there probably isn’t light at the end of the tunnel.” This may sound grim at first, but fear not! Los Campesinos!, or “the country people,” have written a record so fun and engaging that it doesn’t really mater if we’re all doomed. At least we’ll have something to talk about.
—Louise Burns