Final "Album Reviews" of 2005

I bought some new CDs a few months ago, that I have been meaning to write another of my album review posts. So, here we go:

• Minus The Bear - "Menos El Oso": Wow! Another great disc from Minus The Bear. There are no weak tracks on this CD, and I have been listening to it non-stop since I bought it. This album is pretty much a continuation of their last album, "Highly Refined Pirates". So, if you liked that disc, you should definitely pick this one up. However, if you didn't get into Minus The Bear before (Sara), then this won't be the album that brings you over to my side of the fence.
• The Decemberists - "Picaresque": Yet another band that I am possibly "ahead of the curve" on. I really like The Decemberists, yet both my resident music critic (Kevin) and my sister have panned them with extreme prejudice.

  But I am not swayed. The Decemberists can best be described as a poppier/happier "Sixteen Horsepower". And that comparison will only help the small number of people who have heard that band. The Decemberists have a little bit of a country feel, playing a lot of instruments, but never letting the music feel dense. They feature male and female vocals, but the male vocals are a little on the whiny side, which is probably what turns most people off. But if you continue to listen, you will be rewarded with an incredible album. Stand-out tracks include "The Engine Driver" and "On The Bus Mall". Strongly recommended.

• Panic! At The Disco - "A Fever You Can't Sweat Out": an amazing Fall Out Boy clone. Which is quite alright, since they are on Pete's label, Decaydance. What is strange about this band, however, is that the lead singer of P!ATD sounds exactly like Patrick of FOB.

  Seriously.

  The first time I heard this CD, I thought that it was Patrick singing vocals, and it took quite awhile for me to be able to tell the difference.

  Vocal similarities aside, P!ATD is also similar to FOB musically and lyrically. The only differences is that P!ATD uses more electronics, no screaming, and (if you can believe this) are actually more poppier than Fall Out Boy.

  So poppy, in fact, that this album has been stuck in my head for weeks. This album is so good, that Kevin and I have started predicting the death of Fall Out Boy, as they are supplanted by their younger, poppier, and more westerly competitors, Panic! At The Disco. If you are in a hurry, check out the tracks "I write sins not tragedies" and "Time To Dance". Recommended.

• Death Cab For Cutie - "Plans": This is the new album from Death Cab, and while it is a solid effort, it seems like it is missing a certain something. To be quite frank, I just haven't been listening to this album very much, preferring the new Minus The Bear and Decemberists albums. "Soul Meets Body" is a pretty good song, but it doesn't match the heights of their previous albums (like my all-time favorite song, "Debate Exposes Doubt", off of "The Photo Album", for example). So, I would only recommend this for die-hard DCFC fans.
• Feersum Ennjin - "EP": This band is a new side project from Paul D'Amour, who as you all well know used to be the bassist for a little, itty-bitty band that I only kindof like, Tool. This EP is hard to describe -- it is rock, but very experimental, yet a bit more focused than most of the super-crazy-experimental music that I have heard (i.e. Mr. Bungle. Ug.). The only other band that I can really compare this to is Lusk, which was also a Paul D'Amour side project. So, if you ever listened to Lusk's "Free Mars", then you should probably check this out. Otherwise, this is only worth looking into if you are seeking to expand your musical horizons. If you listen to one song off of this EP, try my favorite track, "U-Boats".
• My Chemical Romance - "Three Cheers For Sweet Revenge": More emo for the Fall Out Boy-loving set. I couldn't shake their song "Helena" from my mind after seeing the music video, but I didn't want to pay $14 to be one of those me-too little punk high school kids. So, I ended up not buying this album for a long time, until I found a used copy and cracked.

  Never-mind that this album is really targeted towards the high school crowd: it's good. In fact, I have been quite surprised by how much I am listening to this album. Recommended (if you don't mind the stigma of saying that you listen to MyChem). :)

• Rilo Kiley - "More Adventurous": This is another really great album. Rilo Kiley has a folky poppy female vocal-driven sound, not unlike Denali or Ivy. This album has a few slow spots, but on the whole is very good. The lyrics paint a vivid, story-like picture of love, loss, and everything in between. The stand-out tracks are "Does He Love You?" and "I Never" (Kevin really likes that song, in fact). Recommended.

-Andy.

Technorati Tags: Panic! At The Disco, Fall Out Boy, Minus The Bear, Death Cab For Cutie, Rilo Kiley, The Decemberists, My Chemical Romance, Feersum Ennjin, Tool, Lusk