Downhill From Here Review

On their self-titled debut, Davis, California band Downhill From Here have taken the best elements of rock from the past 30 years and melded them together into an album of very strong, catchy songs and very tight playing. “Like You”, along with many other songs on the album, takes the core instrumental elements of metal, but overlays them with a very strong sense of melody rarely heard in the genre. Midway through the album, they throw in “Dead Dogs”, a stadium anthem with the slightest touches of a much harder rocking (and much less pretentious) U2.

The common thread throughout the album is that every song absolutely rocks. Even when they slow things down a bit towards the end with “I’ll Go With You”, there is still a blistering guitar line and a strong urge to head-bang. It’s a short album, 8 tracks and clocking in at just over 30 minutes, but it never gets stale, each song carries over enough from the previous one to give a very good sense of flow, but mixes it enough up to keep things fresh.

Another very strong point is the amount of sheer talent the band displays. Jacob Cross on drums and Simon Rothenberg on bass run one of the tightest rhythm sections I’ve heard in a while, giving each song a rock solid basis. From the hard rocking riffs to the scorching solos, guitarist Nate Cenzer is always on the absolute top of his game, and singer Nat Lefkoff’s tremendous melodies and soaring vocals finish out the sound.

While it may not be bringing anything particularly new to the table, when you need an album that straight up rocks and wastes no time going about it, this CD is exactly what you’re looking for.

They have self-released the album, so if you want a copy, email me at timnuoa@yahoo.com and I will put you in touch with them.

I'll Go With You - Downhill From Here
One Step - Downhill From Here



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Transference Review

My favorite description of Transference comes from Jim DeRogatis of the Sound Opinions radio show. He described it as "a road trip record", and it's very true, listening to Transference feels like a road trip. Most of the songs have a strong feeling of forward motion, and this feeling really defines the record.

One of the notable exceptions to this is the album opener, "Before Destruction", which despite not really fitting in with the rest of the album, feels like a prelude rather than feeling out of place. It has a very organic feeling acoustic guitar, which combines with some very spacey vocal effects with very good results. The trip really kicks off with "Is Love Forever?", which introduces the forward motion element, and features a pretty killer guitar hook.

"The Mystery Zone" really reminds me of some of the songs from Wilco's latest album, particularly "Bull Black Nova". The next four songs, "Who Makes Your Money", "Written in Reverse", "I Saw the Light", and "Trouble Comes Running" form the core of both the album and the journey, and keep the propulsive feel strong. "Who Makes Your Money" and "I Saw the Light" both break down into jams over a simple 8th note bass line, which fits the tone of the album perfectly.

"Goodnight Laura" slows things way down, which at first really catches you off guard. It's the first song since "Before Destruction" that is lacking that drive, and its off-putting at first. However, it's a really great song, and after a minute or so it convinces you that yes, it is meant to be there. "Out Goes the Light" keeps things slow, but gets you back on the road.

"Got Nuffin" kicks things back into gear for a final push, and with "Nobody Gets Me But You", you have arrived, and with a really fantastic closer.

I cannot overstate how much I love this album. I think back to my favorite albums of 2009, and this trumps all of them, its that good. It would be impossible for me to choose a favorite track, they are all so good, and they all seem to serve a very specific purpose within the context of the album. As a sample, I guess I will go with "Written In Reverse", as it is relatively indicative of the album's feel. If you don't like it, don't be dissuaded though, I didn't like the song either until I heard it as a part of the album. That's really the bottom line, this is a fantastic album, and it should be enjoyed as an album.
Written In Reverse - Spoon

Stream the album here.

Buy:
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Contra Review

(image via Laughing Squid)

One week after its release, I have for you my review of Contra, the new Vampire Weekend album. On first listen, I was not at all impressed. The sound was definitely a departure from their first album (except for "Holiday", which sounds almost exactly like "A-Punk"). None of the songs stuck out as being that great, and it was just generally not very exciting or engaging. However, with a few subsequent listens I started to form a different opinion.

I maintain my original impression that with the exception of "Cousins" and perhaps "White Sky", none of the songs particularly stick out. This is a major difference from their self-titled debut, on which basically all of the tracks were individually fantastic. Despite this, after a second listen, Contra begins to show some worth as an album, and over time some interesting tracks do begin to emerge. With a few more, you begin to realize that Contra is in fact an extremely enjoyable album with some very solid songs. I personally am particularly fond of "Giving Up the Gun" and "Diplomat's Son".

Overall verdit: Its definitely a grower, and if you're gonna get any of it, just buy the album, its not nearly as enjoyable in pieces. Give it a try whether you liked the debut or not.

If you want to give the album a listen (or two) before throwing down the cash, you can stream the album here.

Giving Up the Gun - Vampire Weekend

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