Quick Hits, Vol. 238 (Two Door Cinema Club, Bon Iver, Thom Yorke, Tyler Childers)

Two Door Cinema Club - False Alarm.  Could have sworn I already reviewed this album, but now I can't find it anywhere, so here goes.  I've never much cared for this band's studio output - it's fine, very sunny, very 80's synth pop party music - but the one live show I saw of theirs was a damn party.  Loved it.  So I figured I'd give this one a shot as well, and it lived up to exactly my expectations.  Bright, disco-tinged, synth party rock tailor made to dance to.  I don't hate it - don't get me wrong - but it also gets on my nerves after a little while of jamming out.  It's like eating a pile of donuts - tastes yummy and sweet and awesome at the time, and then two minutes later I feel gross.  "Talk" has the most streams - an interestingly low 10 million.

You see what I mean?  It definitely makes me want to bite my lip and funk around a little in my chair, but 47 minutes of this sort of party action (with a few breaks like "Think" and "Already Gone") will grind any man down.  I'm good on this one.

Bon Iver - i, i.  I mean, the album's name is already obnoxious, before you even hit play on the first track.  I think this guy has been affected, for the worse, by his collaborations with Kanye.  "U (Man Like)" sounds like Barry Gibbs doing a falsetto rap over a pretty piano riff.  "Yi" sounds like he let Kanye's kids step on his synth for a few minutes and just recorded it.  "iMi" sounds like something that should have been an interesting plaything in the studio, but never seen the light of day.  That being said, "Hey, Ma" is freaking beautiful.  I really like that song a lot.  That is the top track at 38 million streams.

Lovely.  But it doesn't make up for the weird excesses of the rest of the album.  A disc of songs like this, soft-edged, ethereal, lovely, would have been interesting.  A bunch of curious stabs at music, without any apparent limits or control, is not.  No thanks.

Thom Yorke - Anima.  So, this album, from the lead singer of Radiohead, goes along with a very odd little short film that my wife and I watched on Netflix a few weeks ago.  In all honesty, the short film made the music.  It's odd, which isn't surprising knowing Yorke, but it had a mystery and propulsive feeling to it, with lots of strange synchronized dancing and odd set pieces, that held our attention and drew out a reason for the music.  Alone, I have to say that the album just sounds like more of the squirty little synthy farts and brain goofs that Yorke has now become famous for after turning his back on kick ass alternative rock.  "Dawn Chorus" has the most streams, at right about 5 million.

I very much appreciate the fact that this video has only 68 views and no comments.  Seems weird, but I'm kind of happy about it.  I don't need to keep this album.  We're in good shape leaving these sounds to the weird synchronized dancers on the subway in the movie.  (in case you are wondering if some sort of tune ever kicks in on that track, the answer is nope.)

Tyler Childers - Country Squire.  Ahhhh.  An album that I actually like.  How nice.  "House Fire" came on the radio the other day while I was driving around town and I had to belt it out at top volume.  The funky guitar-work in "All Your'n" is cool as hell, and very out of place (in a good way) for a country song.  Good sing-a-long track that will be fun to jam at the Erwin Center next spring.  He's just such a damn good writer - he's up there putting in work with guys like Jason Isbell - with great story songs and thoughtful turns of phrase.  "Bus Route" has this great tale of his time on the school bus, with a verse about a pretty girl he tried to kiss, a bus driver who took no shit, and this terrifyingly vivid piece at the end about how he sure is glad the girl's dad never found out that they ended up hooking up, because Dad would have fed the storyteller to the hogs.  Such a good one.  "All Your'n" is the stream leader at just over 11 million, but I want to give you "House Fire," which has 8.1.

Yeah buddy.  This whole album is good stuff - country music with a heavy rock influence and very well-written lyrics.  What's not to like?