Rate It: Peter Bjorn & John, Paper Thick Walls, The Kills, The Sounds, Hanna & Sucker Punch
Album: A Thousand Novels
Tower Rating: 4 out of 5
Review by Paul Kitti
“And if that man should put a gun to your head, I’ll wrap my mouth around the barrel and squeeze it,” sings Kate Schell on the breezy, acoustic-driven “Orange Tree.” This is just one of many moments in “A Thousand Novels” where Paper Thick Walls package concerning imagery in bright, uplifting folk melodies. This five-member outfit from Chicago has crafted an interesting collection of fictional lyricism and indie-folk-pop influences for their debut album, complete with fiddles, mandolins, trumpets, and charming vocal arrangements from singer/songwriter duo Kate Schell and Eric Michaels.
“A Thousand Novels” is essentially a series of unrelated stories connected by common themes such as love, loneliness and family. The album is musically consistent throughout, with Schell and Michaels sharing vocals on every track, and a steady mixture of piano ballads, acoustic finger-picking, and orchestral accompaniment tying all of the stories nicely together. This allows the album to be experienced in one of two ways: as beautiful, almost meandering folk-pop led by kind voices, or as an incredibly emotional journey alternating between tragic and triumphant. Unlike their apparent influence Straylight Run, whose lyrical themes and musical compositions intertwine in keeping with their alternating male and female vocals, Paper Thick Walls drive an intentional wedge between their sound and subject matter. The distinction is only evident through a close examination of the lyrics, where lines dealing with death and abortion and separation creep up in fragmented narratives.
Despite the dark, sometimes forced fiction and a generally uniform pattern of instrumentation throughout, “A Thousand Novels” is, at its core, a relentlessly likeable album. Schell’s youthful, inviting voice pairs perfectly with that of Michaels, who comes across as earnest and purposeful on every track, and the musical chemistry between band members is present and destined to evolve. They say the first book is the hardest to write, but Paper Thick Walls’ first, “A Thousand Novels,” turned out quite well.
Album will released May 3. Check out Paper Thick Walls at Woodruff’s on May 20. Photos courtesy of Ryan Sweeney from Wine From the Moon Management.
Album: Gimme Some
Artist: Peter Bjorn & John
Tower Rating: 4 out of 5
Review by Paul Kitti
On a recent episode of Conan, Peter Bjorn and John performed their latest single, “Second Chance,” a confident and catchy track that showcases the more pop-heavy side of their latest album, “Gimme Some.” It was good to see the Swedish trio back in the minds of indie-pop lovers as they re-introduced themselves to the world. But where the band really shined was during a backstage performance of “Dig A Little Deeper” that occurred in their dressing room. Members of the Conan crew clapped along as the three carefree musicians filled the small space with island guitar chords, giddy baselines, and percussion derived from whatever they could find in the room—including a box drum, a tambourine, and, at some points, the wall. How they manage to look like the type of guys who are having the most fun around while still coming off as total professionals is a mystery. With small amps and no microphones, they composed something devoid of the complexities afflicting modern music, exposing the simple ingredients that comprise a solid tune. And, after listening to the entirety of “Gimme Some,” it seems they really could have recorded the whole album in that room.
It’s that sort of straightforwardness that drives their sixth studio album past other acts in the pop-infused indie genre. While they could be taking stabs at reproducing the greatness of their 2006 runaway single “Young Folks” or trying to re-invent their sound to appease critics and tap into new audiences, on “Gimme Some” they sound casually detached from demands and expectations. Content to make an album they like, listeners are treated to an incredibly solid collection of honest, catchy indie gems. Heavy drums provide a head-nodding foundation throughout, as Peter Moren contributes his slightly accented vocals alongside carefully restrained bass grooves and stylish guitar riffs that come in bursts. At times, it’s easy to imagine Peter Bjorn and John as The Beatles resurrected into the modern indie music scene.
This isn’t an album that will provoke deep discussion or turn the world of indie music upside down, but it’s one that you’ll be likely to come back to time and time again—just for fun.
Album: Blood Pressures
Artist: The Kills
Tower Rating: 2 out of 5
Review by: Joseph Stromski II
“Blood Pressures” is the fourth studio album by boy/girl duo The Kills and is a gritty endeavor, drawing from their past albums and work with groups like The Dead Weather and The Raconteurs.
I must admit that I’m a big fan of Indie music. In fact, The White Stripes and The Format are two of my favorite bands. And I even subscribe to the idea that making the kind of music an artist or band wants to create (vs. the kind of music they are expected to create) makes all of the difference when it comes showcasing true talent. That being said, “Blood Pressures,” seems completely uninspired, and, no matter how many times I listened to it, it failed to move me.
From the opening track “Future Starts Slow” through the closer “Pots and Pans,” the same slow, boring beat carried me on a journey that, retrospectively, I would have preferred not to take.
Now, some of you may think I’m being too harsh on The Kills. But, whenever I listen to a band’s later work (especially a band as critically acclaimed as The Kills), I expect to be drawn in deep enough to be inspired to explore their early work. Unfortunately for The Kills, “Blood Pressures” failed to do that for me.
I’m sure if you’re a long-time fan of The Kills you’ll disagree with me, and you have every right to. However, “Blood Pressures” just didn’t speak to me the way I thought it was going to. So, for now, I’m going to file this album away somewhere between Nickleback’s complete collection and Weezer’s “Hurley.”
Album: Something to Die For
Artist: The Sounds
Tower Rating: 2 out of 5
Review by Paul Kitti
This Swedish indie rock quintet has their new wave pop formula set in stone. Jubilant keys, simple bass lines and guitar progressions, and Maja Ivarsson’s forceful female vocals shape the ten tracks on their fourth album, “Something to Die For.” Sometimes when bands have narrowed in on their specific sound and style, they are able to relax and channel their creativity into making an album that will carve out their place in musical history. And, sometimes, they just end up making a boring album.
“Something To Die For” is good, somewhat in the same way that fireworks are good; they look pretty from far away and have a lot of amusing different colors, but after a while you’d rather just go to a movie. The repetitive popping sound and innate predictability of the spectacle wears you down, and you remember why you only watch them once a year. Likewise, Ivarsson’s voice initially sparks interest, however, the album doesn’t reveal its direction until about the third track. And that’s around where it stalls. “The No No Song” is about as intelligent as its title suggests, with Ivarsson delivering the lyrics like a ticked off teenager who wrote the song in between classes. She is clearly a capable vocalist, but too often sounds like a confused youth trying to rally listeners by shouting from atop a cafeteria lunch table. This could be amusing if it was intentional or if the message was at least clear, but The Sounds appear to be taking themselves seriously while delivering lines that would be better delivered with an accompanying laugh. This results in moments like the one on “Yeah Yeah Yeah” where Ivarsson spouts an ineffective insult, singing “you don’t float like a butterfly or fight like Ali / dress like Prince but to the lowest degree.”
The moody “Better off Dead” begins deceivingly as a somber electronica ballad, then gradually descends into a pool of tribal-like sound samplings before floating in dance-pop territory for the final two minutes. The title track finds Ivarsson unconvincingly repeating the line “you give me something to die for” over formulaic synth and percussion. “Won’t Let Them Tear Us Apart” delivers a significantly more sincere chorus, and is one of few highlights here.
It’s obvious that The Sounds aren’t concerned with writing the best lyrics since Bob Dylan or contributing any musical innovation to their genre, and that’s fine. The problem is it’s difficult to see exactly what they were trying to do with this album. Instrumental and lyrical repetition mar “Something To Die For,” which is anything but that. At best, this is competent background dance rock—just don’t listen too closely.
Band photos taken from www.myspace.com/thesounds.
Film: Sucker Punch
Directed by: Zack Snyder
Starring: Emily Browning, Vanessa Hudgens and Abbie Cornish
Tower Rating: 2 out of 5
Review by: Joseph Stromski II
Set in an alternate reality only a crazy could imagine, “Sucker Punch” stars Emily Browning as Baby Doll, a young girl locked in a mental asylum by her abusive stepfather. Joined by a handful of inmates, Baby Doll sets a plan in motion to escape the asylum before she’s lobotomized.
Directed by Zack Snyder, the man behind “300” and “Watchmen,” I had expected “Sucker Punch” to continue Snyder’s precedent of visually stunning films with decent writing and acting. Unfortunately, that was not the case.
If I had to pick one thing about this movie that ruined what I had in mind, it would be the cast. With beauties like Emily Browning and Vanessa Hudgens and Mad Men’s Jon Hamm, you’d expect it to be a cast you can’t keep your eyes off of, right?
Wrong.
I feel like the cast was chosen based solely on its members pleasing appearance, without concern for on-screen talent. Maybe it was the bizarre plot and other-worldly nature of the film that made it difficult for the actors to deliver convincing performances, but whatever it was, it’s a good thing that “Sucker Punch” was mostly made up of grand action sequences that didn’t require much acting, or else this cast would have been screwed.
The only part of “Sucker Punch” I enjoyed was its soundtrack—well, two tracks of it anyway: Emily Browning’s eerie cover of The Smiths’ “Asleep” and Yoav’s chilling cover of The Pixies’ “Where is My Mind?
Not even this film’s stunning effects were able to save it from being one of the least enjoyable experiences I’ve had at the cinema in quite some time.
Film: Hanna
Directed by: Joe Wright
Starring: Saoirse Ronan, Cate Blanchett and Eric Bana
Tower Rating: 3.5 out of 5
Review by: Joseph Stromski II
Raised in a remote forest in Finland by her ex-CIA agent father (Eric Bana, who’s just as badass as ever), Hanna is trained to be the perfect assassin. When her training is complete, Hanna sets out on a mission across Africa and Europe to kill the woman who murdered her mother. Throughout her journey, Hanna encounters civilization and electricity for the first time, makes friends with gypsies and, of course, indulges her killer instincts.
Before “Hanna,” Saorise Ronan could be found in lackluster films such as “The Lovely Bones” and “Atonement.”And, while her previous work may have gotten her foot in the door, it’s her role as Hanna that’s going to be responsible for her becoming one of best young actors in recent history. Her ability to seamlessly transition from the ruthless killing machine she is to a child who knows nothing about the world except what she’s read in books is quite convincing.
“Hanna” is one wild ride and reminds me very much of The Bourne Trilogy — it’s action-packed, violent, has great character development and is tied together with a killer original score (courtesy of the Chemical Brothers), except “Hanna” is able to do it all in one movie. While the plot isn’t all that original and you can see the twist coming from a mile away, having a young female lead fill a traditionally masculine role is very refreshing and prevents “Hanna” from being a stereotypical revenge flick.
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