3 stars

2009 / 3 stars / franz ferdinand / reviews — No Comments
15
Oct 09

Tonight: Franz Ferdinand (2009) by Franz Ferdinand

tonight: franz ferdinand

Franz Ferdinand
Tonight: Franz Ferdinand
2009, Domino/Epic
indie rock, dance-punk
3½

Here’s a lesson for you, kids: two decent songs do NOT a good album make. It seems Franz Ferdinand has yet to learn this lesson, as Tonight sounds just like their other two albums. If you believe the end justifies the means, then it probably doesn’t matter to you that this album was obviously just a way for them to ensure a paycheck. But as a consumer and an amateur critic (oh please, I ain’t big enough to drop the ‘amateur’… yet), I’m highly disappointed. If I wanted dance from a supposedly indie alt rock band, I’d be listening to Muse with the rest of the Twilight Nation. In fact, Muse at least had the sense to be so overtly dramatic that they would be impossible to resist – Franz Ferdinand just brings back memories of their first hit in “Ulysses” and “No You Girls,” creeps me out with “Dream Again,” and then puts me to sleep with the rest. It’s a catchy album but not worth your money or your time.

“Ulysses,” “No You Girls.”
myspace, last.fm
AFI’s decemberunderground, The Cinematics’s A Strange Education

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2007 / 3 stars / a fine frenzy / reviews — No Comments
6
Oct 09

One Cell in the Sea (2007) by A Fine Frenzy

a fine frenzy one cell in the sea

A Fine Frenzy
One Cell in the Sea
2007, EMI
piano pop
3½

Piano-pop and myself have a love-hate relationship that I have yet to figure out, but was definitely brought up while I listened to A Fine Frenzy’s (aka Alison Sudol’s) debut One Cell in the Sea. The piano sounds great and even Sudol herself sounds great, at least when she’s not attempting to sing at a lower register as in “Rangers,” but I can’t seem to really like this album as much as I should. It could be because Sudol sounds like a little girl playing at being an adult much of the time, or maybe it’s because of over-production and the ever-dreaded Coldplay influences that are rampant. This album is too much of a debut for me to listen to it seriously; the only song I can stand to listen to again “Almost Lover,” and that’s because the beginning chords are lifted from the famous “Part-Time Lover.”

“Almost Lover,” “Last of Days,” “Borrowed Time.”
myspace, last.fm
Sara Bareilles’s Little Voice, Stephanie Dosen’s A Lily for the Spectre

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2002 / 2007 / 3 stars / gemma hayes / june is for women / reviews / singles — No Comments
18
Jun 09

Night On My Side (2002) by Gemma Hayes

gemma hayes night on my side

Gemma Hayes
Night Is On My Side
2002, Source Records/Astralworks
pop
3½

Hailing from Ireland, Gemma Hayes is another distinctive female voice I’ve recently found. While this album is from 2002 and therefore a bit old, it still has an appeal for those of us who still remember and appreciate 90′s pop and rock. In fact, I found this album based on its single “Back of My Hand,” which is quite possibly the most 90s-sounding track on the record. Listening to the rest of the album revealed country, acoustic, and dreamscape tinges that were appealing but also disappointing.

At the risk of sounding like an American Idol judge, Hayes voice isn’t merely imperfect – it’s pitchy beyond belief. She needs vocal coaching, particularly when she tries to attempt Sheryl Crow’s subtle twang in “Night On My Side” or “Over and Over.” Furthermore, the lyrics are kinda boring. Granted, Hayes has released two more albums since so she’s probably written more songs that actually suit her voice, but from what I can hear this album did not deserve to be nominated for a Mercury Prize, or any prize. It’s well-produced and catchy, but Hayes follows in the footsteps of Aimee Mann in that her voice can be appealing at times but it ultimately detracts from her music.

“Ran For Miles,” “Back of My Hand,” “My God.”
myspace, last.fm
Aimee Mann’s Lost in Space, Provincial Parks’s Iron Ponies EP

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