I bought some albums from a few bands I like, that I should mention don't have too much in common, yet all don't exactly blow my mind this time around. Here's a few thoughts.
MAN OR ASTRO-MAN - Defcon 5 4 3 2 1
I mentioned the Analog singles the band released a few months ago. I really enjoyed the tracks; I was excited that the 'leftover' song on each single was just as good as the material that was going to be re-released on this album. Surely the rest of the material must be THIS good?
Ummmm, I think they gave us the most exciting tracks. There's a lot of singing on this album. I'm used to one or two songs maybe per album, and then half of that is a cover of a theme song or some other non-Ventures influence of theirs. I counted five songs with singing (not counting the computer voiced "All Systems To Go). "New Cocoon," the last song with singing, even does the "....self....put you on a shelf" rhyme. Yes, rhyming "self" with "shelf" and then we all have to think about what "put you on a shelf" really means. How often do you hear that phrase outside of song lyrics? How often do you use it yourself?
"Defcon 4" and "Defcon 2" are low frequency, almost chiptune background music entries. They remind me of the 'experimental' tour-only release, A Spectrum Of Finite Scale. Defcon 4 just fades out after almost two minutes, but if it faded out any early it wouldn't have mattered. For this we don't get the amazing "Dr. Space" from Analog Series 1? Both Defcon 4 & 2 would make great video game menu background music.
Aside from the singing and those two indifferent songs, the rest of the material is pretty good. "Codebreaker 78" is the one tune especially that wasn't on the first two Analog singles that really stands out; the material from those singles are also the high points.
I think what kind of brings me down is that toward the album you get "Electric Arc," which is four minutes, has singing, and a lot of build up with a big rockin' sound in the 2nd half, and then you get the spacy "Defcon 2" followed by the last four minute long "New Cocoon," and then the last surf inspired bit they're known for to close it out. That stretch could have been broken up and I wouldn't have gotten drowsy during that part of this album. So, the track listing did me in. There's material that I heard that I liked, I had high hopes, I really wish they put the 'leftover' tracks from the singles in the place of Defcon 4 & 2, but it's their album. I'm glad they're back.
QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE - ...Like Clockwork
I love QOTSA, but at the same time their albums are mostly hit & miss with me. I really dug the S/T, Songs For The Deaf, and Era Vulgaris, but I don't care for Rated R and Lullabies To...whatever. So, every other album, that's the pattern for me with Homme & Co.
I think "sedate" is the best way for me to describe this album. It is not a hard rocker. There are some jams ("I Sat By The Ocean," "If I Had A Tail"), there are some riffs ("My God Is The Sun"), but almost no bite. I think maybe because his singing is the sweetest that it's ever been, nothing cynical or rough drips out of his singing even when the strings are strummed hard. Is it fair to say it's dreamy? Dream-like? The closest thing to meaty rock stuff is in the middle but it's surrounded by somber and trance-like tunes. Overall, pretty good, but it also might put me to sleep.
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