#5 BADBADNOTGOOD - III
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I've been into BADBADNOTGOOD (BBNG) for about a year and a half with my first touch to them being the cover of Limit To Your Love from their sophomore album BBNG2. They continue to amaze me with every release and song they put out and I seriously cannot name a bad track by them. BBNG's sound is so distinguishable even among the vast genre of jazz.
III is a step out from the last two cover-filled albums and features only original material written by the trio. And that's the key-thing in this album. There is no playing around with other people's material like in the previous albums - improvisation and solos are left out almost completely. To me this album focuses more on developing the sound of BBNG; what the band can achieve with a setup of drums, keys and bass. And this is where they succeed! Vibrant pianos, the mix of both acoustic and electric bass and somewhat lo-fi drum sounds are all featured perfectly. The trio is accompanied with their longtime friend and collaborator Leland Whitty a couple of times playing saxophone and some strings. Some guitar-work and other instruments are also utilised in making backgrounds more layered.
Every song on this album takes me to a whole new world. The track Can't Leave The Night is filled with a hazy feeling of a club. It even features some sub bass to accompany the beat and feel of the song. On the other hand the track Kaleidoscope starts with a mystical feel which then breaks out to the theme of the song which somehow almost reminds me of something out of a Miyazaki film's soundtrack. Follow this up with an amazing bass solo and you have me hooked.
Different, Still is a straight up jazz song with an old-time's vibe. Brings memories of Kind Of Blue to my mind. The song features an utterly beautiful piano solo of which is just out of this world. The last three songs Since You Asked Kindly, CS60 and Sustain feature more of BBNG's experimental side with weird synth sounds and other tidbits that create a really moody and otherworldly feel.
Over all, III is a solid album and a great jazz-experience for those interested in what happens in the world's jazz-scene these days.
Favourite track(s): Kaleidoscope; Eyes Closed; Hedron; Differently, Still
#4 Night Lives - Shadow Of Man
Being a HUUGE post-metal fan I had to check out Night Lives' debut album the day it was released. Though the album is mostly melodic hardcore with just a hint of post-metal and metalcore influences it got me hooked from the start. The sheer emotion mixed with aggression is the driving force of this album.
You can read my deeper thoughts on this album in this earlier post: http://bit.ly/13kPbOL
All in all Shadow Of Man is a great album that made me take a closer look at the hardcore genre.
Favourite track(s): Vows, Shadow Of Man, Dawn
#3 ∞ - Emme Näe Elämää
Emme Näe Elämää has definitely been playing constantly through these last two months on my iPod. I've grown to love this album even more than I did at first. The album just has this feel of sadness and longing all over it but also a thin veil of arrogant attitude in the mix. The lyrics and the sounds are somewhat romanticising too (the song Aarresaari particularly in my opinion has a feel of young desire in it).
Eight's sound is something that I have yet to hear in any other band. Their delicate playing is so emotional it almost always gets me all goose-bumped. Eight definitely doesn't get the attention and respect they should be getting already with Emme Näe Elämää being their third full-length album. They've polished their sound through the years from almost a straight hardcore band filled with Converge-influence to a post-rock-ish post-hardcore band with beautiful lyrics and utterly amazing songwriting.
Favourite track(s): Every single song
#2 Cassie - Old Light
My earlier thoughts track-by-track on this album from last March: http://bit.ly/1H5cF7C
I've been listening to this album for over a half a year already and it still gives me all the emotions it did the first time listening. All the little things that made this album great: the beautiful strings, post-rock crescendos, delicate vocals, feature by Jani Ala-Hukkala. It's all there. Even though Old Light is only three songs it features a ton more than a lot of albums did this year. Great compositions with versatile sounds.
I'm so saddened that Cassie has come to an end after the release of this album. Would've loved to hear them live.
Favourite track(s): All three
#1 Totorro - Home Alone
Now where do I begin with this album...a perfectly solid piece of 8 songs that I can't find anything bad to say about. Great sound design, all the instruments sound amazing, clever writing, energetic playing, rhythmic playing of this world and all around dynamic and playful album that gets me joyful every time I listen to it. Post-rock and mathrock at their finest.
Home Alone starts with the title track that builds up really fast to a fast-paced phase. When the vocals kick in they are left almost as an effect in the background of the song. The song ends as fast as it starts and continues perfectly to the next song Chevalier Bulltoe (the first single off of this album that got a music video also). The song is a bit more calm than the intro track but it still keeps its big and energetic sound throughout the song. After the 1:40 mark the song takes a turn to up the tempo. The song then ends to a perfect state of calmness which then carries to the intro of the third song Tonton Alain Michel. This song features a great rhythmic guitar arpeggio in the beginning which then grows to yet again a great energising theme that keeps on growing and growing until a break near the two minute mark. The song then picks up the pace again to bring up the potential energy even more. The second break then slows the song down again and brings the dynamics to the ground again where it can start growing once more to a huge climax. The ending then hits you hard in the face and you're left with a perfect experience of the first three songs of the album.
The fourth song Festivalbini starts out sounding like a calm post-rock song but it has an ace up its sleeve. Not much can be said but the song is once again a huge display of emotions and talented songwriting mixed. The latter half of the album begins with the song Motte-rock which develops around a bass pattern repeated for almost the whole song. The sounds around the bass-line make the song interesting and intelligent. The song then traces to a polyrhythmic mathrock part which ends the song.
The next track Osao San features once again some clever rhythms once it gets trough the intro. After a break the background vocals are once again thrown in the mix..Just beautiful. The second to last track Eric Colson brings immediately some Explosions In The Sky to my mind with it's melodies and carefree vibe. The last song Tigers & Gorillas wraps the album with a last bang which fades to a noise-like outro.
This album is an experience from start to finish and it doesn't leave (at least not me) anybody cold.
This concludes my year of 2014 and I have to say that this year has brought me a LOT of great albums that didn't make the list, so I made a little list of some honourable mentions:
Mastodon - Once More ‘round the sun
Rosetta - Flies to flame
Mid-American - Ancillary Colors
Maybeshewill - Fair Youth
MNTTT - Menetetyt
Whirr / Nothing - split 12’’
Skyharbor - Guiding Lights
The Algorithm - Octopus4
Pat Metheny - Kin
Periphery - Clear
Pallbearer - Foundations of Burden
Kiasmos - s/t
Botanist - VI:flora
The Chant - New Haven
Code Orange - I Am King
Tiny Moving Parts - Pleasant Living
I'm anticipating some great albums next year like the new Lapko, Callisto and Periphery albums. I also cannot wait to get my hands on some new bands while also working with my own bands upcoming release. Cheers to everybody and have a great end of the year.
Peace and Love
- Matti
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