This week is focused on looking forward to what 2022 could be, so
let's start that off by taking up a few songs that will be appearing on
albums in the coming months. Do these have anything promising to say
about our future?
Wagner - Maybe Tomorrow
I'm going to
refrain from saying too much here, because when I inevitably review the
album, I have a feeling I will wind up saying something regrettable. The
first posthumous release from Eric Wagner is good. What has become
clear as he released two Blackfinger albums, two The Skull albums, and
now this coming solo record, is he didn't need Trouble if they were
going to hold him back with their glacial pace of working. I really
liked the last The Skull album, and despite the different branding, this
song fits right in with that. Wagner is one of the true voices of doom,
and while his voice degraded with every cigarette he continued to
smoke, he still fit the vibe. I'm not sure about putting out a song
about death, given what has happened, but they might all be about death.
A good song.
The Flower Kings – The Great Pretender
I
haven't tried to hide the fact that the last couple of Flower Kings
records have done nothing for me. Prog loses its appeal when it starts
to feel formulaic, given that it's supposed to be anything but, and
that's what I felt from those records. This new song is slightly more
promising, but maybe that's an artifact of Roine Stolt providing few of
the vocals. It sounds just different enough than the usual
prog-by-numbers, and that's really an important distinction. It doesn't
give me faith they have an entire album that will avoid long forays into
dad-prog, but it does mean I'll at least give it a chance.
Elvis Costello – Paint The Red Rose Blue
We're
getting a picture of what a 'rock' record from Elvis is at this stage
of his career. In a way, he's just going back to his roots, because the
records from his classic run are filled with a wide variety of sounds
and styles. On the other hand, four decades has stripped off some of the
energy and reckless abandon. Despite being 'rock', Elvis is writing
from his more 'sophisticated' playbook, where stabbing keyboards are
mixing with songs from the old-time songbook. The previews are showing
an album far removed from "Momofuku", the last time we got this kind of
talk. Elvis is trying to balance the past and present, and I'm not sure
yet how it's working out.
The Birthday Massacre – Dreams Of You
I'm
figuring out this band is more about atmosphere than the songs. I liked
their last album, but despite that, I find myself only remembering two
things about it; the amazing first single, and the crushing weight of
the atmosphere. "The Sky Will Turn" was an amazing song, but it was
unique. This single doesn't have the same level of sly earworm buried
within it, but it has the familiar sound that, much like the band's
image, sort of sounds purple. The way the guitars and keyboards swirl
together makes a thick, shimmering soup, and the vocal is the soft
breath cooling it down so we can eat. I'm thinking it isn't a great
song, but it's a great experience. Weird, right?
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