Posts Tagged: in rainbows

1990 / 4 stars / depeche mode / reviews — No Comments
6
Feb 09

Violator (1990) by Depeche Mode

Violator by Depeche Mode

Depeche Mode
Violator
1990, Mute Records
synthpop, new wave
4½

While writing the review for this album, I was shocked to find out it was released in 1990. Considering how much influence Depeche Mode has had on recent artists/band in this century, isn’t it amazing that this came out right when most of these artists/band members were barely old enough to comprehend it? Violator is the seventh studio album for Depeche Mode, but it is The One that spawned the oft-covered single “Enjoy the Silence” and one of their most famous (due to a Marilyn Manson cover) “Personal Jesus.”

What makes this album so memorable and so ‘cover-able’? Interestingly, it is the utter simplicity of every song. ‘Simplicity’ isn’t normally an adjective that you’d see with a synthpop album, but Depeche Mode does it so masterfully that you can’t question it. The lyrics are above average, but the almost-stark production quality elevates them to near dogma. By going ‘back to basics,’ Depeche Mode has succinctly proved the cliche ‘less is more’. Considering how much influence this band and this album has had since its release, that’s a lesson particularly apt for artists/bands looking to make it big today.

As a side note, if you’ve heard all the covers and love them, you must listen to this album. It will give you a whole new perspective on the lyrics.

“Policy of Truth,” “Personal Jesus,” “Clean.”
myspace, last.fm
The Receiving End of Sirens’s The Earth Sings Mi Fa Mi, Radiohead’s In Rainbows

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2005 / 5 stars / imogen heap / reviews — No Comments
4
Feb 09

Speak For Yourself (2005) by Imogen Heap

Speak For Yourself by Imogen Heap

Imogen Heap
Speak For Yourself
2005, Megaphonic/RCA Victor/Sony BMG
electronic, alternative pop
5

In this sophomore album, Heap has opened an entirely new auditory world to her listeners. Speak for Yourself features songs that are as elegant as they are sprawling, and as controlled as they are rebellious. Her use of multi-layered effects, one of which is her slightly imperfect but distinctive voice, immerses you until you can’t focus on anything but what you hear.

Heap’s lyrics are just as imperfect as her voice. In fact, they remind me of poetry. At first or second (or infinite) listens, they sound almost nonsensical and disjointed, but everything fits together perfectly. From the haunting acapella of “Hide and Seek” to the sweeping “Closing In,” this one album and one artist you will never forget.

“Hide And Seek,” “Headlock,” “Clear The Area.”
myspace, last.fm
Thrice’s The Alchemy Index, Vol. 2, Radiohead’s In Rainbows*

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2007 / 4 stars / radiohead / reviews — No Comments
28
Oct 08

In Rainbows (2007) by Radiohead

Genre: alt. rock/electronica
Rating: ½
Check Out: “Jigsaw Falling Into Place,” “15 Step,” “Videotape,” and “Reckoner.”
last.fm

Anyone who hasn’t been living under a rock and knows a tiny bit of alternative music knows who Radiohead is. If you don’t, I suggest you get educated because I’m not about to waste my time explaining.

In Rainbows is the band’s newest, and most ‘accessible’ work to date, literally and figuratively. Not only was it first released as a pay-as-you-please digital download, but it further cements the band’s movement into electronica and even pop sounds. But using words like ‘electronica’ and ‘pop’ seem ridiculous when paired with this album, because Radiohead has managed to take a well-loved, well-known, and sometimes-despised genre such as ‘pop’ and turned it into something new, exciting, and unexpectedly fresh.

What detracts from this album is what makes Radiohead what they are – the self-deprecating lyrics. Paired with ephemeral sounds, the lyrics are strangely embracing yet isolating at the same time. I’m still conflicted about how I feel about this album, but it’s certainly a gem.

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