 Written by: The Administrator
Why am I writing about Breach, the latest album by Twenty One Pilots, a band I have never discussed on this or any other platform? The answer is simple: I like this album. I like it to a fairly unexpected degree, in fact. I usually save Twenty One Pilots for an afternoon listen on release day, but as of 8:30am on Sept. 12th, I was already knee-deep into the second listen. As such, Breach certifiably has the intrigue factor locked and loaded. It has been in frequent rotation since release, and at least several songs qualify as high-caliber earworms. I've enjoyed Twenty One Pilots for their conceptual cohesion and vision, and any ill will harbored has pretty much been wrapped up in the presence of white-boy-rapping. Which, in prior releases, felt very, erm, of-the-time. Here, I'm pleased to say, the white-boy-rapping is much better integrated than previous efforts, and at its most overt it feels self-referential enough that I'm able (or perhaps willing?) to see the bigger picture. Either that or I am more desensitized, which doesn't entirely likely. In any case, Breach definitely presents some interesting juxtaposition of styles from across the Twenty One Pilots sonic spectrum--in the past I've found these seams jarring, but for whatever reason everything flows better here. From power balladry to maximalist pop rock to artsy indie, nothing is particularly new, but the combinations of aesthetic are often interesting.
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Written by: The Adminstrator
It's been a while since we've published a mini-review 'round these parts. But today, as I exist in the dull yet painful aftermath of some fairly intrusive dental surgery, I'm ready to listen to the same song on repeat until I miraculously spawn a writeup that encompasses all my thoughts and feelings. That, dear reader, is how this process works. Anyways! On to Ainor's delightful "City Lights," today's track in question. If you're unfamiliar, Ainor is a bit of a musical anomaly and enigma, with projects seemingly spanning the musical spectrum. With "City Lights," a single released on June 2nd, we're treated to an overtly alt-rockin' aesthetic, the likes of which I am personally very fond. Upon hearing a rough mix of "City Lights," my initial reaction was, and I quote: "Really enjoyable! Very nostalgic vibe without feeling antiquated." Completed mix in hand, and some time and multiple listens later, I can confirm that this assessment has held up quite well. In some respects, the track recalls the early 2000's alternative radio rock of my childhood in the best of ways. It's the kind of song I would hunt down and subsequently transfer to my 512Mb Transcend T.Sonic 310 MP3 Player (in red, obviously). The vocals across the first half are emotive and just a tad cloudy, soaring yet tinged with a nice angsty patina. The chorus is catchy, a really singalong. The midsection, however, feels like a more grown-up take on the genre's implicit sense of youth, with some nice drum presence and a whispered and dramatic build into some comparatively raspy and aggressive vocals that sit beneath the choruses' triumphant return. It makes for a pretty damn energetic and climatic moment. For a four minute track, this thing breezes by, with the runtime broken into engaging segments in a fairly seamless fashion. Highly listenable stuff. While I'm a fan of the Ainor ethos in general, should we get more stuff of this ilk, I'll be first in line to check it out! Ainor - City Lights was released June 2nd. Find it here!
Ainor can be found:
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Written by: The Administrator
Welcome to Sleeping Village Micro-Reviews: Volume I! The following is a collection of very short reviews written in reaction to individual tracks submitted by a delightfully eclectic assortment of artists. The only thing the musicians featured herein all have in common? They responded to our following twitter prompt: "If you reply to this tweet within the next uhhhh 60 minutes with a link to one of your songs, I'll check it out and write a lil' micro review." And so here we are. Thank you to everyone who submitted tunes, I had a lot of fun doing this and will certainly be sending out a similar prompt again in the future. To everyone reading, I hope you find something lurking below that appeals to your tastes. Please note: we had a few submissions come in after the deadline--they will not appear here, but I will collect them all in a forthcoming Volume of Sleeping Village Micro-Reviews. If you are responsible for one of those submissions, fear not and stay tuned! Enough of my blathering. Without further ado: 
Written by: Blackie Skulless
The infamous band that manages to pull a slew of opinions every three or so years has come back to continue their evolution. Every Ghost record seems to follow a bit of a theme, or at least weave itself together with a vibe that separates itself from the prior, but stays consistent standing alone. Ahead of releasing Impera, we were given several tracks that sound pretty different, which was an accurate depiction of what was to come. While the mixing of ballads and heavy hitters always went together smoothly, that somewhat changes here. Despite no signs of ditching the catchy or upbeat chorus’s and memorable radio tunage, Ghost took their biggest step towards more progressive writing. That’s not to say you should expect a Dream Theater record, but there are extra theatrics, extra shifts in tonal delivery, and all sorts of fun instrumentation that gives some serious Styx vibes gone dark. Unfortunately, this causes an awkward flow, and a little bit of placement that feels off at times. For the most part, I can overlook that, save for a few moments of going too long, or the unnecessary use of several “interludes.” |
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