05.
Real Estate
“Exactly Nothing”
[Domino]
Real Estate for the last year has been one of those bands that can lay out a tune that inadvertently ends up being a soundtrack to listeners’ relaxation, and “Exactly Nothing” keeps that streak alive. The song sounds like it could easily have been on Days and while it doesn’t do anything particularly new or incredibly ambitious, it still builds upon the group’s current sound with more material. I’d say that’s pretty successful for a B-Side.
– Andrew Halverson
04.
Arcade Fire
“Sprawl II” (Soulwax remix)
Since winning the Grammy for Album of the Year in 2011, Arcade Fire have been at the top of their stardom and acclaim. It’s been over a year since then, and now we have this hypnotizing remix of “Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountans)” courtesy of Soulwax. With a fantastic buildup of percussion and keys that give the track an intoxicating disco-like beat, the best part of the song comes when the chorus arrives without the Régine Chassagne’s vocals, leaving Win Butler’s isolated harmony to give the song a new spin. It is a beautiful and surprising break in the song, allowing the listener to rest until the beat increasingly builds again into a percussion frenzy that will surely cause any music fan to bob his head to the beat.
– Eric Arredondo
03.
Beck
“Looking For A Sign”
[Iliad Records]
It’s been a long time since Beck last put out a proper album. Sure, we’ve had his Record Club releases, but really we’re yearning for some original Beck material. The most substantial new music we’ve received from the man have come from movie soundtracks, and that is the case here. “Looking For A Sign” comes from the soundtrack to the newly-released Jeff, Who Lives At Home, and it is more in line with his quality contributions to movies like Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind than his fun-yet-forgettable submissions to the soundtrack of Scott Pilgrim vs. The World. It might be a bit of a stretch to look at “Looking For A Sign” as an indication of what to expect from his next full-length release, but if it does fall in line with Beck’s next work then we can expect something akin to Sea Change part 2.
– Rob Hakimian
02.
Obie Trice
“Richard” (feat. Eminem)
[Black Market Ent.]
Rappers with record labels tend to have an unfortunate habit of signing more artists than they can properly market. Ask Gunplay or Pill about Rick Ross’s Maybach Music Group, Consequence about Kanye West’s G.O.O.D. Music, or anyone signed to Lil Wayne’s Young Money Entertainment not named Drake or Nicki. Obie Trice knows the feeling all too well as one of the first signees and one of the few departures from Eminem’s Shady Records imprint. No hard feelings remain, though, as Em lends a scorching guest verse to the Statik Selektah produced “Richard” off Trice’s upcoming Bottoms Up. Em’s erratic lyrical attack over Statik’s reggae-inflected beat flosses his near mastery of his craft, damn near pushing Obie to the margins of his own track in the process.
– Craig Jenkins
MP3: Obie Trice – “Richard” (ft. Eminem)
01.
The Shins
“Pariah King”
[Columbia / Aural Apothecary]
As is mandatory for all big indie acts, this week’s release of Port Of Morrow was accompanied by bonus tracks, the best of these being “Pariah King.” What stands out most is James Mercer’s use of vocal effects and layering. While such isn’t unusual for a Shins release, “Pariah King” takes things to a new level and is evidence of the maturation of Mercer’s songcraft.
– Jason Hirschhorn
Original post | Album Review: The Shins – Port of Morrow
