Author: mlj012

By Rob O’Donnell

Writer

The genre of Astronautalis’ fourth album “This Is Our Science” is hard to describe. He’s a rapper, but sings his choruses with a voice as gravelly as Tom Waits. With a blend of acoustic folk, heavy punk bass riffs, hard snare drums, melodic piano and electronic beats, the music  gets inside  your head.  Just like the name suggests, the album has an intellectual theme: science. Songs dedicated to Dmitri Mendeleev, the inventor of the Periodic Table of Elements, and Thomas Jefferson’s scientific work dominate the album.

As an English major, I miss a good amount of the references, but that’s the brilliant part about Astronautalis. He’s singing about obscure intellectual topics, but the songs aren’t really about the science. He makes it personal, connecting those references to his life and the sacrifices of pursuing what he loves. It’s a message that we can all relate to in some way, especially in college when we’re trying to decide what to do with the rest of our lives. In his album, he struggles to make a living and has to be on the road constantly to support himself, but he loves every second of it.

Although he references little-known Greek mythology, the message is clear:  if you’re not living for what you love, you’re turning your life into a prison. Long, winding stories and carefully researched facts drive this straightforward principle home to the listener. In that way, along with his unusual singing voice, he reminds me of the great folk musicians like early Bob Dylan and Woody Guthrie, who perfected the art of ballads.

The music is  powerful and makes the lyrics even more potent and hard-hitting. As his first album with a backing band, the emphasis is more on the melodies than in his previous works. His vocal delivery is fiery and intense, especially on songs like “Holy Water,” but soft and gentle at times like on “Lift The Curse.” The choruses are stirring, usually with incredible drums and pianos mixed with his raspy voice in a catchy melody. This album is much more polished than his others, but still captures his passion and raw emotion.

No matter what kind of music you’re into, I can guarantee you’ll find something to love in this album. As for the genre, just call it whatever you want.

By Mislav Forrester

Writer

Thousand Foot Krutch – Live at the Masquerade

Alternative rock

June 7, 2011 / Tooth & Nail

After about 15 years together, Thousand Foot Krutch finally release a live CD/DVD. The setlist, as would be expected from the title, tends to favor songs from their latest album, such as “Welcome to the Masquerade,” “Bring Me To Life,” “E For Extinction,” “Scream,” “Fire It Up” and “Already Home.” “Set It Off” is represented by the closing encore “Puppet”, and “Phenomenon” only contributes the hit “Rawkfist.” “The Art of Breaking” ‘s “Move” and “Absolute” are over by the fifth track, and “The Flame in All Of Us” contributes its title track “What Do We Know?” and “Falls Apart.” The emphasis on the most recent album is understandable, but it seems a shame that “Phenomenon”, a very consistent and high-quality album, is so underrepresented. It would appear that Thousand Foot Krutch is turning its focus away from rap and towards hard rock.

While “Welcome to the Masquerade” is a great studio album, its songs do not seem as engaging in a live setting, for both the band and the audience, as do those from “The Art of Breaking or Phenomenon”. The performance is extremely tight–just about every note is in place (sometimes with the help of pre-recorded tracks)–and while this is not necessarily a bad thing, a little more deviation from the studio versions could have colored the show in a positive way. The camera work could have been more interesting; much greater emphasis is placed on the touring guitarist (not even a permanent band member), while the bassist who presumably sings the back-up vocals is seldom shown up close. The drummer is only represented from one side, so his close-ups quickly become rather monotonous. On the other hand, the light, fire and steam show is quite impressive.

Overall, “Live at the Masquerade” is a pleasant testament to the success of Thousand Foot Krutch, but the rather short set list and emphasis on medium-energy songs leaves a little to be desired in a live DVD. There are also no special features at all, so what you hear (and see) is exactly what you get. Recommended for serious fans, but casual fans may be better suited to the studio albums.

By Mislav Forrester

Contributing Writer

Blindside – With Shivering Hearts We Wait

Post-hardcore

June 7, 2011 / INO Records

Four years after their last musical release, Blindside released “With Shivering Hearts We Wait.” Unfortunately, the time doesn’t seem well spent. The band’s most recent album lacks the intensity of both their self-titled album, “Blindside,” and “A Thought Crushed My Mind.” It is missing the  melodiousness of “Silence and About A Burning Fire,” the dark atmosphere and diversity of “The Great Depression” and the focus of the concise but impressive “The Black Rose EP” (released digitally in 2007).

So, what is it exactly? Unfortunately, it is unremarkable, a real letdown coming from a usually unpredictable band. The album opener “There Must Be Something in the Water” starts with a promising riff before moving into very familiar-sounding territory. Would it hurt Blindside to open an album with a fast-paced rocker for once? The song isn’t bad, but it pales in comparison to “The Way You Dance,” the opener from “The Black Rose EP”.

“My Heart Escapes” comes off as diluted and lacking focus. The next track, “Monster on the Radio,” is by far the worst song Blindside has ever recorded, an uncharacteristically bland song that sounds like an attempt to capture the sound (but not the charm) of Switchfoot. “It’s All I Have” provides the first real highlight, a song propelled by some great melodic singing, adding to the sonic palette for which Blindside is known. “Bloodstained Hollywood Ending” suffers a fate similar to “Monster On The Radio,” though to a lesser extent. It sounds as if Blindside is trying to replicate the radio-friendly aspects of Switchfoot and recent Papa Roach.

“Our Love Saves Us” is another uninteresting track that goes absolutely nowhere. Fortunately, it is immediately dwarfed by the only real rocker on the album, “Bring Out Your Dead.” This song revives the old Blindside spirit with intensity and volume. The final track “There Must Be Something in the Wind” drifts around for five minutes or so before breaking into some interesting electronics, foreshadowed by earlier songs such as “[Phatbat 1303],” “Where The Sun Never Dies” and “My Alibi.” The question one might ask is, why have they waited until the last two minutes of the album (except for the promising “Bring Out Your Dead”) to surprise the listener?

“With Shivering Hearts We Wait” is a frustrating and disappointing album from a usually interesting, though occasionally inconsistent, group who has never previously attempted so diligently to sound mainstream. With only 10 tracks at 38 minutes, the album is almost as short as “The Black Rose EP,” but contains significantly less musical substance. The influence that side project Lindforest has had on this album can be only speculative. For casual fans, this album is not to be recommended, as it is definitely the worst album Blindside has released.

Highlights: “It’s All I Have,” “Bring Out Your Dead”