written by Gwen Paulovits
Feist – Pleasure – 8/10:
Feist opens her new album Pleasure with a forceful bluesy title track that defines her as not the girly pop persona created in her earlier music videos (namely her earlier track 1234). Feist creates a sensual aura that likely is to be continued throughout her album, and channels a slightly harder, more rock inspired sound which was lacking in her earlier album The Reminders.
However all of this hard, modulated, guitar is tempered by the soft counterpoint created by the upbeat almost fuzzy effect that reminds the listener of the softer side of Feist, the side reflected through the lyricism, if not always the vocal effects. The overall effect of a spunky harder edge to this previously soft and mellow artist makes for a captivating title track that portends a truly excellent album.
Power Trip – Nightmare Logic – 8.5/10:
This album encapsulates escapism in metal in its own way – clearly drawing inspiration from Slayer along the way – and has an impressive attention to detail, despite their inclination towards chaos. The first thing that jumps out at the listener is how very clean the whole band is, there is very little grunge inspired muddiness in every musician except the vocalist. Riley Gale (vocalist for Nightmare Logic) creates a link back to the band’s hardcore roots, while still allowing the band to channel Prong’s iconic cleanness of style. As the album progresses there is more of an impact placed on thrash, but there is still a perfect blend of musical impact, the breakdowns impeccably cut just short of too long, the rhythm section finding creative ways to add a bright sound in when it starts to sound a touch too muddy, to pull the listener back into the flow.
Mount Eerie – A Crow Looked At Me – 7/10:
This dark and sonorous album feels inspired by the Flaming Lips, but with a more gothic dark almost Pink Floyd-esque edge. This album having been inspired by the loss of his wife to cancer, and the pure unadulterated pain can be felt through the heartfelt lyrics. But it also shows what it means to keep living, with his daughter, to continue on, always moving forward. This album is confessional, and powerful, and really touches home, an album that puts perfectly how loss feels, and how he dealt with such tragedy.