Ryan Darton - i am a moth

This album opened up an amazing reunion trip to San Francisco for me and my friends. So it's hard not to auto-love it because of its context. Speaking of which, I also grew up with Ryan Darton at the same schools in Sandy, Utah. I've attended countless shows with him. He's a bro. So I will try to keep my journalistic integrity and give the album an unbiased review. Pbff  :-P

I am a Moth starts out with an invitation; asking you to come with the ingredients. Ryan Darton sings through the silence of "Summer and Snow" to welcome us into the album and his world. The stillness then brakes and the rest of the band comes drumming in with their full, practiced sound working well to harmonize each element. We are bounced through his strong vocals with fun and easy rifts in "Sing To Me Baby"; which keeps an uplifting pop sound full of hooks, background singers, keys, and horns. A feel good song to get you started, maybe stick in your head and smile there through the day.

Moth isn't all smiles though. Actually, after that first listen through I thought it sorta heavy and honest. Darton sings of love and loss, anxiety and youth, and does it with his own style. The band supports each song with an appropriate cadence and sound as he croons out each emotion. "Uptight" and "Divorce Generation" are an honest look at life of the young. Well written with whit, full of a misty sorrow felt through Darton's honed voice. Then "Camel's Back" gallops you back seamlessly. A folky hit that tells of arrogance, God, destinations, and train rides. You can almost see the sun setting over a lazy cowboy riding someplace other than here. Simple and well constructed, Side A is a nicely wrapped package that often gets me to turn the vinyl over for more.  

However, the B Side of Moth has the most play on my stereo. It opens with "Living This Way" and poppy sounds. The next tracks are the kind of Ryan Darton that I am used to. The singer song writer, in front of a band, far from anonymous, using melody and rhythm to sing his musings. Here I am really impressed how far he has come as a vocalist, his range is great and his smokey voice can make a simple melody interesting. The band again, supports the mood of each track well. Their true sad song, aptly named "Shadows" reminds me a lot of the mathematical suspense created by Jimmy Eat World and Sunny Day Real Estate, where one steady, escalating melody seems to unravel into a single resonance. That feeling continues into the quiet piano accompaniment of "You" with a sad, charming progression that simmers then burns itself out.

Ryan Darton closes with a cover of "Can't Help Falling In Love" that he makes his own. It seals the job of selling his versatile, conditioned talent as a musician. If anything is taken away from my unbiased review, it is that Ryan Darton can string together a great list of songs. You should feel comfortable buying this album, switching it on around a good group of people, and enjoying a great feeling throughout the party. It is a solid album with a lot of heart. I have really enjoyed it.

Yacht, May 14th at the Wonder Ballroom

I saw Yacht once, it was fun

Future Islands - In Evening Air

I'm trying to remember exactly where it was that I read about this band, but I can't. The group is out of Baltimore, the great town that brought us Beach House, so a plus on them. The singer, Samuel T. Herring, has this great strained voice that he wields with a dramatic menace; it reminisces David Bowie, Gordon Gano and maybe a little Tom Waits. He adds a lot of emotion and theatrics to each song.

Together the band follows a solid recipe of distorted scratching guitars, synths, keys and simple marching percussion. The songs are well constructed and produced, allowing the right amount space throughout the album. Some songs, like "An Apology" step back and allow Herring his soapbox, but a song like "Long Flight" licks up a bouncing grove that the band runs with simple repetition, building a momentum that crashes straight through the emotional breaking of Herring's final verse.

It's a solid album and deserves a full listen. I've linked a video to "Tin Man" below.

  

James Blake - Self Titled

This album has a real simplistic, drawn out electronic production with a lot of space between each element. He does a great job managing the momentum of each song throughout the album. He uses loops, synthesizers and repetitive processed vocals to create a solemn cavernous sound-scape.

Sounds like a particular kind of electronic blues. Not bad for a white guys from London. I believe that he did a majority of this work while studying at Goldsmiths. The album can be heavy in parts, but I promise that it all plays out well. The whole thing is excellent and runs together well; perfect for those late night drives on a vast open road.

Stand out songs are Lindesfarne I & I , Wilhelms Scream, & Limit To Your Love. The video below is for Lindesfarne and is real beautiful.

Panda Bear - Tomboy

Panda Bear's latest is more raw than his polished to sparkle Person Pitch. Tomboy continues to have his distant, echoed sound with lyrics sung high in a choir of his own looping voice. I like a lot of what he has to say as well, so listen for the message if you get the chance. The production is just as well done, his timing is great, the thing unfolds natuarally. "Last Night at the Jetty" is my highest rated on it right now.

Washed Out - Within and Without

If you know earlier work from Washed Out, this album doesn't provide many surprises. It's just good; more of the same pleasant, upbeat and cheerful house music. Chill wave. Just good to have playing in the background of some sunny relief. "Before" has a nice groove and hooks for a quick listen.

The Antlers - Burst Apart

This song opens up the album so well, their music walks into the speakers and wakes up the listener. Peter Silberman makes a great entrance, and ends the song with a croon that begs you to keep listening. I really love that high, clean wail that builds up to echo out the end of the song. 

I think "No Widows" is my favorite song on the album right now. I found this live performance of the song, which is pretty good considering. This song showcases Silberman's vocal styles really well.