SoundSnobbing








  • Week #6 New Pornographers - Twin Cinema Selected by Mike Overall Score: 7.9 ______________________________________________________________________________ Mike’s Review: Creativity/Artistry: 10Talent/Instrument Skill: 7Structure/ Composition: 10Replayability: 10Growth/ Maturity:10 Average: 9.4 Comment: Where do I begin. As far as “modern” Guitar/Power pop albums go, this is in my top 3 with The La’s self titled and Lemonheads It’s A Shame About Ray. Modern being anything after about 1980ish. I cannot find any faults with this album. It NEVER fails to lift my spirits when I listen. This album is so chock full of hooks and harmonies. The band is more a collection of Canadian musicians then a full fledged band, but you would never know. Carl Neman (main male) and my goddess of goddesses Neko Case share most of the singing duties throughout. The styles do vary on the album from straight up guitar pop, to indie, to jam. You are not going to find insane Hendrixlike riffs or solos or crushing drums but they are not needed. Just beautiful, simple, enduring tunes. Best Songs: All, but Use It, Bleeding Heart Show, Star Bodies are standouts ______________________________________________________________________________ Marcus’s Review: Creativity/Artistry: 8Talent/Instrument Skill: 4Structure/ Composition: 8Replayability: 6Growth/ Maturity: 6 Average: 6.4 Comment: If a 5 represents average on our scale from 1-10, I dont see how anyone can give any part of this band a Talent/Instrument Skill rating above average. The thing i can appreciate about this band is song structure and maybe replayability, but NOT instrument skill or talent. Half of these instruments could have been played by kids in high school, not WRITTEN, but PLAYED. If you separate the songs into individual instruments, a lot of it is repetitive single note uninspired diddling. As a guitarist, I am surprised at how enthused you are with this album. The vocals are decent enough, and the overall songs in a complete package tend to rise above their pieces. I don’t really see this as Guitar/Power Pop. When I think of that I think of something like this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kxlGtd88MAM. This is way more indie, way less radio friendly, way more simplistic. Best Songs: “Use It” & “Sing Me Spanish Techno” Worst Songs: “Jackie, Dressed in Cobras” <-couldn’t delete it fast enough ________________________________________________________________________________ EDIT THIS POST TO ADD YOUR REVIEW BELOW.

    Week #6

    New Pornographers - Twin Cinema

    Selected by Mike

    Overall Score: 7.9

    ______________________________________________________________________________

    Mike’s Review:

    Creativity/Artistry: 10
    Talent/Instrument Skill: 7
    Structure/ Composition: 10
    Replayability: 10
    Growth/ Maturity:10

    Average: 9.4

    Comment: Where do I begin. As far as “modern” Guitar/Power pop albums go, this is in my top 3 with The La’s self titled and Lemonheads It’s A Shame About Ray. Modern being anything after about 1980ish. I cannot find any faults with this album. It NEVER fails to lift my spirits when I listen. This album is so chock full of hooks and harmonies. The band is more a collection of Canadian musicians then a full fledged band, but you would never know. Carl Neman (main male) and my goddess of goddesses Neko Case share most of the singing duties throughout. The styles do vary on the album from straight up guitar pop, to indie, to jam. You are not going to find insane Hendrixlike riffs or solos or crushing drums but they are not needed. Just beautiful, simple, enduring tunes.

    Best Songs: All, but Use It, Bleeding Heart Show, Star Bodies are standouts

    ______________________________________________________________________________

    Marcus’s Review:

    Creativity/Artistry: 8
    Talent/Instrument Skill: 4
    Structure/ Composition: 8
    Replayability: 6
    Growth/ Maturity: 6

    Average: 6.4

    Comment: If a 5 represents average on our scale from 1-10, I dont see how anyone can give any part of this band a Talent/Instrument Skill rating above average. The thing i can appreciate about this band is song structure and maybe replayability, but NOT instrument skill or talent. Half of these instruments could have been played by kids in high school, not WRITTEN, but PLAYED. If you separate the songs into individual instruments, a lot of it is repetitive single note uninspired diddling. As a guitarist, I am surprised at how enthused you are with this album. The vocals are decent enough, and the overall songs in a complete package tend to rise above their pieces. I don’t really see this as Guitar/Power Pop. When I think of that I think of something like this:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kxlGtd88MAM.

    This is way more indie, way less radio friendly, way more simplistic.

    Best Songs: “Use It” & “Sing Me Spanish Techno”

    Worst Songs: “Jackie, Dressed in Cobras” <-couldn’t delete it fast enough

    ________________________________________________________________________________

    EDIT THIS POST TO ADD YOUR REVIEW BELOW.

    Posted 2 years ago.