My Amazon Reviews: Mumford and Sons "Wilder Mind"

With nary a banjo in sight.
4 Out Of 5 Stars

In what must feel as divisive as the day Bob Dylan plugged his electric guitar in at the Newport Folk Festival, Mumford and Sons put away all their acoustical instruments and jack in the electrics. I don't see how this album could do anything but divide those fans who listened to "Sigh No More" and "Babel," then come to this. "Wilder Mind" says so long to the banjos and hello to the amplifiers. Is this a good thing? How does the band deal with wanting to step into the shoes of U2?

I don't think it's any secret that Mumford and Sons always wanted to sound big. After all, even with the acoustic guitars, the songs were often all about the bombast. Think of how potent "Lover Of The Light" or "The Cave" are, even behind the sound. They are anthems meant to shake the rafters. A friend of mine even referred to "Babel" as "God and Bombast." Turning the amps up is kind of a natural progression for the band. But I still doubt anyone would have predicted the pounding that comes from "The Wolf" or "Ditmas."

What remains is Marcus Mumford's voice and his way around a lyric. The songs are credited to the entire band, which likely meant that each member designated his volume to the instrumentation, as the lyrics remain as soul searching as ever, and a little less on the God Quest side of things. And when the sonics aren't overwhelming, the songs sound as brightly as they might have on the band's earlier albums ("Believe" and "Hot Gates").

This may still come as a bitter pill to swallow for the fans expecting more of what the first two albums represent. I would suggest that you test the samples first or think about what U2 (or a heavier version of Coldplay) might sound like. The songs themselves are good enough for me to forgive the amplification, but "Wilder Mind" takes a little getting used to. Be prepared.

     

My Amazon Reviews: Cold War Kids "Hold My Home"

Adult Kids
4 Out Of 5 Stars

The Cold War Kids have hit their stride, since "Mine Is Yours" and "Dear Miss Lonely Hearts." On the new (2014) "Hold My Home," they continue their streak of mainstream alternative albums. The album starts off strong, with three killer tracks, where the band embraces their inner U2 and shoot for the stadiums. "All This Could Be Yours" ("All That You Can't Leave Behind," anyone?) really has echoes of Bono and the boys. They are also literal types, where "Hot Coals" begs the question "whatever happened to the strong and silent type?" And to put the point into proper perspective, there's "Harold Bloom." He's an American literary critic and Sterling Professor of Humanities at Yale University (thanks Wikipedia).

"Can you be wise if you never leave the room?
There will always be another Harold Bloom
to criticize your every move."

Yes, the Kids have some fight in them. "Hotel Anywhere" looks at the process of achieving your goals, with lead vocalist Nathan Willett's call that he writes and paints, lives and breathes and "it's incredible how little I need." They also have grown braver with the stylistic choices, with the finale, "Hear My Baby Call" approximating a blues groove. With the diversity of music but clarity of purpose, "Hold My Home" is another solid effort from the Cold War Kids.

     

My Amazon Reviews: The Fray "Scars and Stories"

Don't Be A Frayed of The Scars
3 Out Of 5 Stars

The Fray seem to have finally found their footing as a band. The debut seemed undecided with they wanted to be Coldplay or Maroon 5, then they toughened up for Fray 2, and on "Scars and Stories," they pick at their inner U2. While that may have to do with The Fray touring with Bono and Company, lead singer Isaac Stern is pushing himself lyrically and earnestly, trying to give the band an identity. "Scars And Stories" moves the band forward in a good way.

Granted, The Fray aim straight for the commercial bulls-eye. The songs are lush and tightly produced by Brandon O'Brien (Pearl Jam, Aerosmtih), giving the band a much needed edge. However, 'edge' to The Fray means fine-tuned harmonies and near perfect song structure. The opening single "Heartbeat" cold easily have been a Coldplay outtake, but that means it's a consistently pleasing single. Same with the chants on "1961," where "it won't be the same again..." - kind of ironic that the band's parents were likely kids in the year in question. It does mean that nostalgia for a good pop hook is a priority for these guys.

"Scars and Stories" is decent pop-stuff. It's the best of their albums so far, and there's visible growth in what The Fray has to offer. The cover has the band racing across a field, towards what only the future will reveal. But if they can come up with songs as good as "Heartbeat" or the catchy and folksy travelogue "48 to Go" or the beautiful lullaby closer "Be Still," they may still find their way into greatness.

   

My Amazon Reviews: Coldplay "Mylo Xyloto"

The fire from my belly and the beat from my heart
4 Out Of 5 Stars.

If you thought "Viva La Vida" was Coldplay's big U2 move, wait till you hear "Mylo Xyloto." "I turn the music up, I got my records on/From underneath the rubble, sing a rebel song" moans Chris Martin in that awesome purely English voice of his. Brian Eno is on board to add even more cinematic flair, like instrumental brides between and before songs. Then, when you're listening to the guitar building up from below the bubbling base in "Charlie Brown," it's impossible not to be reminded of "Joshua Tree" moments.

However, this is Coldplay. Ambitions aside, Chris Martin still writes hooks and melodies better than most pop-rockers these days and as grand as he tries to be, songs like "Hurts Like Heaven" or "Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall" will lodge into your ear canals like wax. With Rhianna adding a sweetly seductive goodbye in the breakup song, "Princess of China," and you even get Coldplay swinging towards the RnB fences. Let's not forget the uplifting but sad single, "Paradise," maybe the best song here. Pop cascades flow from these guys to the point that they make it sound almost too easy.

Which may be why they have the Enoxifications (as they list them) of cinematic bridges and artiness. The electronic "A Hopeful Transmission" is the best of the three instrumentals here, and it calls Radiohead to mind before lunging into "Don't Let It Break Your Heart." Which is yet another anthem to lift you, and why Coldplay may try as hard as they want to prove their critics wrong and the haters will still deride them. Chris Martin seems to actually like writing big, melodic rock songs that give reinforcement to their listeners' lives without dramatic (and critical rave baiting) angstiness. That's why "Mylo Xyloto" is ultimately enjoyable and holds up as a real good album.

My Amazon Reviews: Cold War Kids "Mine is Yours"

Cold War Kids in a Grown Up World  
4 Out of 5 Stars

These guys used to be loud and gritty, even with the undertones of hidden anthems on their earlier albums. For their third full length album (and first for Geffen/Interscope) "Mine Is Yours," Cold War Kids drop all pretense towards indie-rock sound and go full charge for the areanas of the world. They've discovered their inner U2 and the ghost of Jeff Buckley as seeped in as well. They may have even caught a case of the Arcade Fires, while we're at it.

Which is to say that "Mine is Yours" aims at big targets and bold sounds, and mostly hits its marks. Singer Nathan Willett is a pretty soulful dude for a belter, which makes some of the more awkward lyrics (like "the crown on my head is heavy on me" from the otherwise great "Out of The Wilderness) sound positively inspirational, and when he gets the perfect match, he is. The title track and "Sensitive Kid" are polar opposites with the same effect; where the title track roars forth like a star climbing anthem, "Sensitive Kid" strips down to a slinky bass and piano drop ins to just grab you by the collar for a good shaking. Then, when they sneak back to their earlier, grittier blues sound on "Cold Toes on The Cold Floor," you understand that understated guitarist Jonnie Russell - who spends most of this album buried in producer Jaques King's reverb - is a coming axe-hero.

"Mine Os Yours" is going to fluster some of the Cold War Kids fans that will scream sell-out at A) Signing to Interscope and B) CWK's new-found sonic richness. To me, it's just a natural progression. "Mine Is Yours" is an unexpected surprise for me, and has slowly climbed into the upper reaches of my 2011 favorites.

 

My Amazon Reviews: The Call "Let The Day Begin"

Let the Day Start
4 Out of 5 Stars

Perhaps the best known song in The Call's expansive excellent library was the title song on "Let The Day Begin." It came closest to cracking the Top 40 (that and only "The Walls Came Down" ever charted the top 100, giving The Call exactly two charted singles), and it became the theme song for one Al Gore during his bid for the Presidency.

It is deservedly an anthem from the decade. Yet why couldn't The Call capitalize on all the acclaim? That is a question better left for philosophers and pop trivia addicts. But for some reason, The Call never exploded in the way many of their biggest fans (like Bono, Peter Gabriel, Martin Scorsese and Harry Dean Stanton) predicted they would. Stanton even contributes a harmonica solo on "For Love" and Scorsese would soon cast lead singer Michael Been in "The Last Temptation of Christ."

"Let The Day Begin" is filled with the kind of big songs that The Call is best known for, like "You Run" or the storming "Same Old Story." As usual, Been's lyrics are loaded with Christian allegory, some blatant ("For Love"), some not so much (the beautiful "Uncovered"). His reach was always high, and while his success never seemed to make his grasp, his music rarely missed the mark. "Let The Day Begin" is a big 80's album - and sounds it - standing with The Call's best works.