All For February
We've been averaging two worthwhile music releases per month so far in 2008. I skipped my reviews for January (Magnetic Fields, Cat Power). I could go ahead and review them, but I don't feel like it. Both are pretty darn good. There, that's my review. Now for February, a couple of much bigger albums, both released on the same day. Let's get to it before we get too deep into March.
American Music Club - The Golden Age
American Music Club's 2004 album was one of this decade's musical highlights for me. One of my favorite bands reunites after ten years and releases a killer album. Love Songs for Patriots was like kicking the door down. It was perfect..... maybe the best reunion album ever. Seriously. Now AMC waits another four years before releasing The Golden Age. It's much more secure in itself. It really sounds like AMC.... not as classic, but still sounds focused. Weird too, since only two original members made it through the reunion to now. It's not perfect. There are a couple of weak cheeseball moments and the writing is a little lazy at times ("Who You Are" I'm looking at you). Good album though. Won't be taking over my ears like Love Songs for Patriots did, but I like it.
American Music Club - The Golden Age
American Music Club's 2004 album was one of this decade's musical highlights for me. One of my favorite bands reunites after ten years and releases a killer album. Love Songs for Patriots was like kicking the door down. It was perfect..... maybe the best reunion album ever. Seriously. Now AMC waits another four years before releasing The Golden Age. It's much more secure in itself. It really sounds like AMC.... not as classic, but still sounds focused. Weird too, since only two original members made it through the reunion to now. It's not perfect. There are a couple of weak cheeseball moments and the writing is a little lazy at times ("Who You Are" I'm looking at you). Good album though. Won't be taking over my ears like Love Songs for Patriots did, but I like it.
Mountain Goats - Heretic Pride
Now this is something I couldn't wait for. I intentionally refused to read any previews of this album. I think with Get Lonely I got a little too excited and was stopped in my tracks when I heard it. Great album, but it definitely took a while to grow on me. With Heretic Pride, I went in with no expectations. It worked, but not right away. Still I really had to listen to it a few times to get it. By now, it all sounds fresh in my ears. One of the songs dangerously balance on Graceland-era Paul Simon ("New Zion"), but most of the songs are stunningly beautiful. Songs like "San Bernardino," "So Desperate," "How to Embrace a Swamp Creature," and "Marduk T-Shirt Men's Room Incident" are perfectly cinematic, which is why I fell in love with the Mountain Goats in the first place.
Okay, so that my February summary. March will be the same, only two albums I'm excited about, both out on the same day (Destroyer and DeVotchKa).
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