Review: Right Thoughts, Right Words, Right Actions – Franz Ferdinand

Album Review by Juhi Matta

Right Thoughts, Right Words, Right Actions – Franz Ferdinand (Domino, 2013)

My rating: 4.5/5

Standout tracks: Stand on the Horizon, Love Illumination, Right Action

It’s been over four years since Franz Ferdinand released a full length, which unsurprisingly led to high expectations among both fans and critics. After Tonight: Franz Ferdinand put the band on the map again, Right Thoughts, Right Words, Right Actions has not only met expectations, but also surpassed them.

Opening with the titular trick, “Right Action”, the LP starts off on a high note, setting the tone for what’s yet to come. The song, which has a catchy chorus, immediately makes feet tap. Another standout track on the album is “Love Illumination”. The song, which feels like it could belong on the band’s self-titled debut, is Franz Ferdinand at their finest. 

For the most part, Right Thoughts, Right Words, Right Actions incorporates everything that’s good about Franz Ferdinand. The tight hooks, the captivating solos and amazing background vocals make the album a perfect blend of pop and rock. The album is catchy and fun enough to be a pop album, while including all the elements that make great rock music. Tracks like “Standing on the Horizon” and “Fresh Strawberries” start off on mellow notes, seeming reminiscent of songs like “Katherine Kiss Me”. However, just a few seconds in, they change course and are closer to “Take Me Out” than “Katherine Kiss Me”.

The album is not without its flaws, though. While it certainly has a few standout tracks, most remaining tracks feel forgettable and a bit too similar to each other. On the plus side, if you like one song , you’re probably going to like the whole album.

All in all, Right Thoughts, Right Words, Right Actions is a fun album that is sure to appeal to both Franz Ferdinand fans and new listeners. However, whether the album will go on to become as memorable as some of the band’s previous works remains uncertain.

Review: Don’t Forget Who You Are – Miles Kane

Album Review by Juhi Matta

Don’t Forget Who You Are – Miles Kane (Columbia, 2013)

My rating: 4.5/5

Standout tracks: Don’t Forget Who You Are, Out of Control, Tonight

Having a signature sound that’s immediately recognizable is a hard feat to accomplish, especially when you’ve only released one. Somehow, Miles Kane seems to have established just that.

The 27-year-old musician, best known for his side-project The Last Shadow Puppets with Arctic Monkeys’ Alex Turner, has always been a stronger guitarist than vocalist. And with Don’t Forget Who You Are, he plays up this strength as much as possible. Not only does this make for a solid rock album, but each of the tunes is catchy enough to be able to dance to as well.

Kane, who intentionally filled his debut LP, Colour of the Trap, with slow jams like “Happenstance” and “Take the Night from Me” to distance himself from The Last Shadow Puppets, seems to have found a middle ground between both sounds. And it works like a charm. The opening track “Taking Over” starts with a guitar riff that perfectly sets the tone for the rest of the album, while also showcasing Kane’s exceptional guitar-playing. Tracks like “Don’t Forget Who You Are”, “Taking Over” and “You’re Gonna Get It” perfectly blend the catchiness of pop music with the grittiness of rock music.

Enjoyed the ballads? Fret not! Don’t Forget Who You Are has quite a few throwbacks to Colour of the Trap. “Out of Control” and “Fire in My Heart” see Miles Kane demonstrate a vocal range even fans wouldn’t think he’s capable of. As he channels his inner Liam Gallagher (during Oasis’ peak, of course), the musician belts out lyrics like “There’s a darkness in our hearts / And my smile hides an aching heart / Although we’re close, we’re miles apart / Don’t let this darkness fill our hearts” making the album both soulful and immediately catchy.

All in all, Don’t Forget Who You Are is a fun album, ideal for the summer. Made up of short, catchy tunes, the LP showcases Kane’s talents as a songwriter, guitarist and vocalist, cementing his place as more than just a one-hit wonder.

Review: Random Access Memories – Daft Punk

Album Review by Juhi Matta

Random Access Memories – Daft Punk (Daft Life / Columbia, 2013)

My Rating: 5/5

Standout tracks: Doin’ It Right (feat. Panda Bear), Lose Yourself to Dance (feat. Pharrell Williams), Give Life Back to Music

Comedian Tom Scharpling recently tweeted, “This new Daft Punk album better have healing powers if it’s gonna live up to the hype”. He did have a valid point. Ever since the band’s Coachella teaser for Random Access Memories, it seemed like you couldn’t be on the internet without seeing something about Daft Punk.

About a month ago, I gave in and (finally) got around to listen to Daft Punk’s discography and was pleasantly surprised. As someone who’s never been a fan of electronic music, I hardly expected myself to like their music, but I still did. I, too, started growing excited for the release of Random Access Memories.

On May 13, when the French duo’s newest album was streamed on iTunes, everyone was surprised at how different it was from their previous efforts. Where the robots’ music was previously characterized by its instrumental nature and extensive sampling, Random Access Memories uses live vocals and no samples (except on the track “Contact”, with DJ Falcon). The band join forces with a series of collaborators like Panda Bear (Animal Collective), Julian Casablancas (The Strokes), Nile Rodgers (CHIC), Pharrell Williams (N*E*R*D) and Giorgio Moroder among others. The result? Tracks that are groovy, yet mellow and even melancholic at times.

On the standout track, “Doin’ It Right (feat. Panda Bear)”, Thomas Bangalter and Guy-Manuel de Homem Christo chant “Doing it right / Everybody will be dancing and we’re / Feeling it right” through vocoders as Panda Bear takes the front seat. Having never heard any of Panda’s solo work, I was pleasantly surprised at his vocals, especially considering the fact that the track was almost impromptu. The opening track of the album, “Give Life Back to Music”, is yet another strong point of the LP. Nile Rodgers plays the guitar as Daft Punk sing (through vocoders, of course) about bringing life back to musique. “Give Life Back to Music”, “Lose Yourself to Dance (feat. Pharrell Williams)” and “Get Lucky (feat. Pharrell Williams)” are probably the most Daft Punk-y tracks on the album.

The album isn’t without surprises, though. Random Access Memories features many ballads and introspective pieces like “The Game of Love”, “Within” and “Beyond”. While the tracks are not like the duo’s previous works, they’re still a great listen.

The only thing working against Random Access Memories, however, might be the hype surrounding it. Daft Punk’s meticulous promotional campaign for their first real studio album in eight years made people hope for a Discovery 2.0. Is Random Access Memories Discovery 2.0? No. Is it just as good? Yes.

Does it have healing powers? Only time will tell.

Review: Modern Vampires of the City – Vampire Weekend

Album Review by Juhi Matta

Modern Vampires of the City – Vampire Weekend (XL, 2013)

My Rating: 4.5/5

Standout tracks: Finger Back, Diane Young, Unbelievers

Anyone who keeps up with indie pop music has probably heard a lot of (or about) Vampire Weekend in the last few months. The band’s new album, Modern Vampires of the City, has been the talk of the town ever since it was announced. Vampire Weekend have gone to great lengths to promote them — ranging from live shows and interviews to a video series with Steve Buscemi. Yes, you read that right.

From the very first listen, Vampire Weekend’s third LP is infectious. I immediately found myself trying to sing along with vocalist Ezra Koenig, even though I’d never heard most of the songs before. It’s immediately clear that Modern Vampires of the City was well worth the wait.

The album starts off on an almost melancholic note. On the opening track, “Obvious Bicycle”, Koenig sings “It’s been twenty years and no one’s told the truth”, setting the tone for the album. While Modern Vampires of the city is far from being “sad”, it’s happy tunes still mask darker undertones than the band’s previous works. Lyrically, the album is much different from 2008’s “Vampire Weekend” and 2010’s “Contra”. Where Koenig sang about not giving a fuck about an oxford comma and campus encounters, he now sings “The gloves are off / The wisdom teeth are out” and “I feel it in my bones / I’m stronger now”. This wisdom and maturity is obvious in the band’s latest effort.

Tracks like “Diane Young” and “Unbelievers” which were released/performed earlier remain the highlights off the album. A surprisingly refreshing track on the LP is “Finger Back”, which contains a spoken part about an orthodox girl in love with a falafel vendor. Somehow, this ends up being one of the best things the band has done, I kid you not.

“Hudson” is another noteworthy track on the album. The track, which sounds like it belongs on a thriller movie’s soundtrack, is probably the darkest song Vampire Weekend have ever released. On “Hudson”, Koenig sings about  British explorer Henry Hudson’s death and still manages to make it sound wonderful.

The album does have a few weak points, though. The studio version of “Ya Hey” features heavy production on the chorus. While the track is still enjoyable, the magic of the live versions of the track with bassist Chris Baio singing is lost.

However, Modern Vampires of the City still shines in every possible way. Each track is different, yet familiar. It’s a perfect listen for a road trip or a beautiful day and definitely one of the best albums I’ve heard in months.

Review: Bankrupt! – Phoenix

Album Review by Juhi Matta

Bankrupt! – Phoenix (Loyauté, 2013)

My Rating: 4/5

Standout tracks: S.O.S. in Bel Air, Trying to Be Cool, Chloroform

Having never listened to an entire Phoenix album before, I didn’t expect much when I tuned into the band’s Coachella livestream. I did, however, enjoy the set a lot, and set about listening to their newest album Bankrupt! as a result.

It’s almost hard to believe that Bankrupt! was made by the same band that made 2004’s Alphabetical. With 2009’s Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix and now Bankrupt!, the band seems to have finally embraced the dreamy Europop sound that is best suited to their capabilities. Though Thomas Mars’ vocals are far from perfect, they shine, particularly on tracks like “S.O.S. in Bel Air”, where he sings, “When tired, you’re no fun / When idols are boredom to everyone”. On the other hand, Laurent Brancowitz and Christian Mazzalai’s guitars have all but faded out, being replaced by shiny synths and keyboards. Oddly, this works by simply reinforcing the dreamlike quality of all the songs.

More than anything, Bankrupt!’s strength lies in the fact that it’s just a nice and fun album to enjoy in the summer. The tracks have a euphoric quality to them, even though the lyrics might not be as blissful. On “The Real Thing”, Mars sings, “Almost, almost, almost the real thing / How could I have missed that one? / How could I have missed it?” making heartbreak sound beautiful and almost… happy. Furthermore, you have to hand it to someone who manages to fit in the words “mentulate testosterone” in a song. You really do.

All in all, Bankrupt! is just that, a fun album. It’s refreshing to see the band embrace a sound that makes every song a delight. Tracks like “S.O.S. in Bel Air”, “Trying to be Cool” and “Chloroform” especially stand out and make the album worth listening to (on repeat).

Did you enjoy this album? Leave a comment!