Track by Track Music Reviews

For today’s post I was going to write some whining emo piece about how I’m tired of the Suns getting jobbed by injuries each year in the playoffs. I wasn’t even going to talk about the loss of Amare (Top 10 player in the league, best finisher in the NBA) or Kurt Thomas (Best interior and help defender, 2nd best rebounder on the team) I was going talk about Raja Bell. Now that Bell is out for the foreseeable future, it looks like the Suns magical post season run is coming to an end. Much like the loss of Joe Johnson last year, Bell’s injury has crippled the Suns. But I’m not going to write about that today. Maybe I’ll finally crack next year when the Suns bow out of the playoffs because of an injury to another key player. But enough about B-ball, let’s move on to something that I hope will be much lighter and happier. Today I’m giving you not one, but two album reviews. And unlike normal reviews, which give you a brief over-arching view of the album, my reviews will be track by track*. Today’s two albums are Mason Jennings’ Boneclouds and Snow Patrol’s Eyes Open. Let’s get started!!!!!

Mason Jennings – Boneclouds
Intro: This is Mason’s first major label release and I’m afraid of two things: 1.) That he will become popular and that every cheese dick in America will start reffering to him by his first name only. Ala Dave, Jack and John. And 2.) That the album will get over hyped and critics will turn on Mason for not delivering. Only time will tell if either of my fears become reality.

Mason Jennings – Boneclouds

Anyhow before we get to the track by track break down I need to get something off my chest: I think this is Mason’s weakest album to date. I could be wrong and this album could be a grower, but right now I think this one’s probably his worst. That said, I also thought Birds Fly Away had only 3 good songs on it at first, and now I love almost every song on the record. And while I feel this is Mason’s weakest album, it’s still very, very good, just not on par with the rest of his work. Anyhow let’s just get on to the track breakdown.

1. Be Here Now - The opening track and first single off this album is vintage Mason, with one exception: They put f*cking reverb on his voice. Now I’m arrogant, but not arrogant enough to claim I could be a better producer the Noah Georson. However I feel very strongly that Maosn’s music leads little to know producing. Espically his voice, which is perfectly unique and beautiful. Also one of Mason’s greatest appeals is his music’s intimacy; his albums feel like he’s playing them to you in your living room. When you start to produce his voice it takes away this great quality. Other then that though this is a terrific song.
2. Gentlest Hammer – Ugh. Another track and another reverbed vocals. For those of you who don’t know what reverb is, it basically makes your voice (or musical instrument, you can put a reveb effect on both) seem echoing. Unlike the first track though, I’m not convinced this song would be any better if you stripped it down. This just isn’t a very strong song, probably one of Mason’s worst. It almost seems like he’s trying to bring himself down to Jack Johnson’s level.
3. If You Ain’t Got Love – A classic Mason love song. In another classic Mason move, this song isn’t really about a woman. Instead it’s about his child who had complications after birth. And yet it’s also about a woman. Mason’s is such a tremendous song writer that he can write a love song about multiple things and still have the song feel completely normal. Other artist would trip all over themselves trying to do this, but Mason does it all the time without it ever hindering his songs. He’ terrific.**
4. Some Say I’m Not – Most critics will point to this song and say how Mason is “branching out from his normal style on this one”. And of course, most reviewers would be wrong. This song, musically has the feel of a southern slave hymn, which means it could fit perfectly on Birds Fly Away. However the song mainly deals with Eastern religion, and the beat does have some eastern influence in it, so I could see how to the simple ear this song would sound like Mason going out of his comfort zone, but it’s not. Also I feel certain this song is a lock to appear in the drug scene of Zach Braff’s next film.
5. Moon Sailing On the Water – This is another classic Mason slow/lullaby esque song. And while I’m very fond of this song, it also is one of the key songs you can point to on how this album is probably Mason’s worst. It’s very good, but not as beautiful or as moving as some of Maosn’s earlier slow songs such as: Train Leaving Gray, Adrian, Darkness Betwwen the Fireflies, Isabel and Ballad of Paul and Shelia.
6. Jackson Square – This is another classic Mason song and this one can hold up against all of his earlier work. In this song Mason tells the story of two lovers who fell out of love and instead of playing each other the narrator of this song blames the place where the falling out happen: Jackson Square. This is my 2nd favorite song on the album.
7. If You Need a Reason – For my money this is the best song on the album. It has Mason’s best opening line since Bullet with “Got so lost that I went to church. Sorry God but you made it worst.”. And almost like a Simpson’s episode you start out thinking it’s a song about religion, but it’s not. Instead is just another love song. And in the end aren’t all of Mason’s songs love songs?
8. Which Way Your Heart Will Go – Another solid slow track, but like Moon Sailing On the Water, it doesn’t live up to Mason’s previous works. This song is to his wife and that’s about all I can think to tell you about this song.
9. Where the Sun Had Been – WTF? That’s probably what every Mason fan thought the first time they heard this song. It’s not that it isn’t good, it just sounds like nothing Mason has ever done before. For starters the song is driven by the synthesizer and bass. Also on this track Mason’s voice has reverb on it, but I don’t mind it here because it works completely with the song. You really have to hear this song to understand what I’m talking about. I’d explain it better, but I’m really lazy.
10. Jesus Are You Real – Emo teeny boppers always talk about how Conor Oberst music is ‘SOOOOO REAL’. If by real they mean overly melodramatic and pretentious as all hell, then I agree. His music is ‘real’. That description of music always pissed me off. So why do I mention it here? Because there’s no better way to describe the last song on this album. In this song Mason just lays out his problems with God. This song feels more intimate then almost any other song he’s ever written. He’s maiking himself completely vunerable, and that’s the beauty of this song. It almost seems like a desperate prayer more then a song.. Either way you look out it it’s still really good and feels real. Anyhow let’s just move on to Snow Patrol’s album before I take my own life for describing a Mason Jennings song the same way 16 year old girls croon about Fevers and Mirrors.

Rating: 8 out of 10

Snow Patrol – Eyes Open

After writing one of the best Brit rock songs of all time with Run and then following it with another great single Chocolate Snow Patrol is back in an attempt to over take the Doves and become the king to Brit Rock***. This is album is pretty much everything you’d expect from Snow Patrol: fun, catchy, poppy and beautiful but lacking in the depth department. Just about every song on this record is beautifully written, semi-predictable, tons of fun, and ultimately forgettable Anyhow enough with all that, let’s break this sucka down, track by track.

1. You’re All I Have – The album gets off to a rocking start with thise little number. This song feels like a combination of the Strokes and Pavement. What that translates into: a great Brit Rock song.
2. Hands Open – This track is the 1st single of the album and is also the albums worst track. It’s pretty much useless outside of the Sufjan Stevens reference midway through. Actually I think it’s more of a shout out then a reference, references tend to be a bit more subtle.
3. Chasing Cars – This is a great Brit Rock**** anthem. And for the life of me I can’t figure out why it’s called Chasing Cars. The song never even mentions cars. This is probably why I’m not a real journalist. A real journalist would have done some leg work and figured out the reason why the song was named what it was. Other reasons I’m not a real journalist include, but are not limited to: a refusal to let go of personal biased when writing, not interesting, a writing style that could best be described as sub par plagiarism. Anyways let’s get back to the song. It’ll probably be the best ‘anthem’ type song to come out this year*****, but it’s not nearly as good as Run or All These Things That I’ve Done by the Killers. This song also has my favorite line of the album: “I need your grace to remind me to find my own”. I like this line, a lot, but feel like it could still be a little better. That’s why I think this line also completely sums up Snow Patrol. It’s good, depending on my mood really good, but not great.
4. Shut Your Eyes – After referencing, or giving a shout out, to Sufjan a few songs earlier here the boys from Snow Patrol make a would be forgettable song interesting by ripping off some harmony lines from Illinois.
5. It’s Beginning to Get to Me – Another song that most music lovers would find to be boring, but not me. For reasons I may never be able to understand, I can’t help but love a song with a great rising and sinking synth line. And wouldn’t you know it this song has one of those. It’s similar, but not as good to the synth rift on Snowden by Doves. Unfortunately this song sounds like it could be a Coldplay song, not a very good sign.
6. You Could Be Happy – My vote for 2nd best song on the album. In the end it will probably end up being by favorite. On this track Gary Lightbody, the bands lead singer, stops trying to write anthems and switchs to twee pop. He makes the change beautifully and writes a song that feels like it should be a lullaby or in a fairytale.
7. Make This Go On Forever – Another uninteresting track, However this one can’t be saved by a Sufjan esque harmony line.
8. Set Fire to the Third Bar – I enjoyed this song because it was out of the ordinary for Snow Patrol. Musically it’s pretty much the same as the rest of the album. But this songs a duet with some women who’s name I’m too lazy to look up. What’s interesting about this song is that the woman’s voice never really meshes with Lightbody’s. Most people will think that’s a knock on the song, but I disagree. I think this makes the song stand out and I feel pretty sure I wouldn’t like this song if the voices did blend perfectly together.
9. Headlights On Dark Roads – Lyrically this song is poor. However it’s still extremely catchy and enjoyable. I’ve always maintained that I could listen to a band with great music and sub par lyrics, which also explains my love affair with the band Travis. Unfortunately for Snow Patrol I can only like them and this song. As it turns out must of my love for Travis comes from nostalgia.
10. Open Your Eyes – This is another tremendous anthem song. I only have two beefs with the song 1.) The opening rift reminds me of By the Way by the Red Hot Chilli Peppers and 2.) I realize they’re trying to be simplistic, but couldn’t the chorus have been something more then just constantly repeating “Tell me that you’ll open your eyes.” I’m all for having a constant theme and motif through out an album, but it only works if you give said motif some depth. Otherwise it just seems like you’re being lazy. That said the songs still really catchy, beautiful and enjoyable.
11. The Finish Line – One of the few tracks on the album that can easily be distinguish from most of the others on the first listen. It sounds as if they’re covering one of the last songs of any and every James album. Even the song’s title is similar to one that would close out a James album. Anyhow, as my description should have led you to believe this is a good song.

Rating: 7.3 out of 10

Well that’s all for today. Check back next week when I’ll do a track by track review of the new Dixie Chicks album… Just kidding!!!! I didn’t buy and/or repeatedly listen to that album!!! Ha,ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!!!!! Ah ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!!!!! (You know in real life when people say true things and try to play it off as a joke and then laugh way to hard trying to convince everyone else they’re joking? Well as it turns out those situations are extremely hard to transfer over into the text format.)

Until We Meet Again

* However my reviews will be just like most reviews in that I will be demeaning and pretentious as all hell.
** As if it wasn’t obvious enough by now I’ll come out and say it anyway: I’d definitely be gay for Mason Jennings.
*** If you wise take the over on times in which I’ll use the phrase “Brit Rock” in this review.
**** I apologize, I’m really unimaginative right now and this is the easy way to describe this type of music.
***** Narrowly edging out “The Adventure” by Angels & Airwaves.