Such a classic flick. Anywho, maybe that is just me, who keeps hearing that echo in the hit song here. That song is, unsurprisingly, called "Grace." But now I am the one who is surprised, because another song has actually overtaken it for the stream crown. "Grace" has 3.4 million, but "Go in Light," featuring someone named Monica Martin, has 3.5 million.
Oh, that one is just him on a bench, instead of the studio duet, but you get the idea. There is definitely a thing for me where the solo albums of a lead singer from a band just sound like they are other albums from that band. Eddie Vedder's great solo album from last year comes to mind, or those Jim James solo discs. Marcus Mumford's voice is so distinctive, that there really isn't a way to remove his sound from the sound of the band, unless these songs were all, like, EDM or reggaeton or something. Instead, this is just more milquetoast roots rocker tunes with him plaintively hollering and whispering over the top of them. It is fine, but nothing on here other than "GRAAAAAACE!" has stuck with me.
Taylor Swift - Midnights. I like Taylor. My youngest daughter is bordering on obsessed with Taylor, and knows/loves any and all of her songs. Even the older country ones that sound like goofy Nashville schlock. I'm still trying to get tickets so that the whole family can go to Houston to see her play in April, although so far I only have two tickets. One thing that makes that concert sound so appealing to me is that she is preparing a show that will touch on all of her different eras - and there are a lot and they all have neat facets to them. My favorite is the Red album - when she first went pop but also hedged her bets with some more classic guitar-based tunes. Not the full gloss and glam of Reputation just yet. This album is fine - it has a few really good ones, and then a bunch of mediocre tunes. For me, and I may be in the minority here, I'm tired of the Jack Antonoff influence. The tunes behind many of these songs are too spare, too dependent on little synth flourishes, and they never really go anywhere. Like, "Labyrinth" is playing right now, and if I wasn't intently trying to listen to the backing music, I'd guarantee you that I would never remember anything about it once it was done. Just an uninteresting smear of synths and a touch of drum machines at the end. To me, that plagues the entire album - too many soft-focus, down-tempo light pop backing tracks under Swift's otherwise fine lyrics and delivery. The top track is the one that mentions sexy babies, as it should be. "Anti-Hero," with 583 million streams.
Entertaining video, as well as a good song that actually has a beat and a hook! Who knew that those would be more entertaining! "Maroon" is good, as is "You're On Your Own Kid." "Vigilante Shit" is not a good song. Most of it just kinda boogies along without any impact though. I'll keep listening to it, though. Maybe the Antonoff styles will finally make sense someday.
Arctic Monkeys - The Car. Is there another band who has so completely destroyed their sound? I guess Taylor Swift did something like that, and likely alienated all of her country fans. Or U2 with Achtung Baby and then Zooropa and Pop? Or when Dylan went electric? I don't know if this is like that or not, but what I know is that this album sucks butt. AM was one of the most fun rock and roll albums in a long time - full of hooks and swagger and riffage for days. And now this album and its predecessor just take that momentum and stuff it into a sack of moldy oldies that Lawrence Welk would have been embarrassed to release. I hate it. Somehow, people are actually listening to it through, so maybe this is going to be like Tom Petty's Wildflowers and in ten years everyone is going to reference this as their touchstone for why they also are making super shitty music. The top track is the opener, "There'd Better Be a Mirrorball," which is all schlocky strings and mellow vibes. 50.5 million streams.
Do you remember that John Denver and the Muppets song from their Christmas album that is about the magic of Christmas? The synth line throughout this song evokes its twin in that song. Uck, I just can't wait to get this one written about so that it quits coming up in my queue. I just can't imagine anyone seriously claiming that this album would have been popular at all if it had been released by an unknown band. Ugh.
Highly Suspect - The Midnight Demon Club. I keep coming back to these guys, but keep getting lesser returns than those earlier albums. This one has some cheesy ass lyrics that make it hard to stick with them - "Ice Cold" has a chorus about watching his bankroll and it makes me cringe even without the bad effects on his voice. The album kind of reminds me of that new Muse one where, in general terms, I like crushing rock bombast, but am left wanting by the execution and cheese that is layered in here with the riffage. Like, "Pink Lullabye" kicks in like Alice in Chains has been hanging out with Pantera, but it goes too far with the cheese. "New California" just sucks. The stream counts here are actually what I expected for that Monkeys album up above - most are under a million with one that is up to 9.4 million - "Natural Born Killer."
There was a bad band who has been to ACL a few times who that song reminds me of - it feels more like they are trying to write a song that will be used by ESPN in their NCAA basketball coverage as the broadcast goes to commercial, rather than trying to actually make a good tune. Not liking the Depeche Mode reference. Not liking the suggested rape in the video either. Is he killing everyone who is having a bad day? Or just drugging them and taking them to the little Quonset hut of ice creams? Don't want to know. Don't need this disc.
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