Wavves | Afraid of Heights
His fidelity has improved but his mood sure hasn't.
For his major label debut, angry California boy Nathan Williams has ditched the surfy whimsy and harshly lo-fi production that characterized his previous albums, churning out a meaty pop punk album of vitriolic misanthropy.
Whether he's raging about mortality, Jesus or the rest of the human race, Williams' sneering snarl drawls nastily over layered, distorted guitars and punchy "Nevermind" drums.
Wavves' influences have never been more obvious than this album. Its debt to disgruntled West Coast forebears like Weezer (the title track), Green Day ("Lunge Forward") and, yes, Nirvana ("That's on Me"), is plainly displayed in the production, instrumental and vocal performances, lyrics and melodies.
Regardless of how original this album may or may not be, however, it's a rush. It's easy to get lost in the scorching sprint of "Sail to the Sun" or "Beat Me Up," the hazy, jangly daymare of "Dog" and "Cop," and of course the anthemic "Demon to Lean On," the album's mission statement of ambivalence, self-doubt and endless, molten guitar.
RIYL: Green Day, Nirvana, Weezer, FIDLAR, Cloud Nothings
By Jesse Paller, Desolation Row, Thursdays 10 p.m. to midnight
The Strokes | Comedown Machine
The band switches it up and draws from different genres.
On "Comedown Machine," The Strokes draw from many styles, which is probably the album's greatest strength and greatest weakness. It makes the songs stand out from one another, but it also makes the album suffer from a lack of cohesiveness.
The album starts out with the funky "Tap Out," followed by rock song "All The Time" with those warmly overdriven vocals The Strokes often use.
Then there is the single "One Way Trigger," which features an upbeat synth line and smooth falsetto vocals, a very different sound for the band.
The guitar work in "Welcome to Japan" sounds just like an Arctic Monkeys song, and "80's Comedown Machine" has an ambient drum beat and a dreamy sound.
The rest of the songs pretty much fall into one of the categories of the aforementioned songs, except for the closer "Call It Fate, Call It Karma." It sounds like a lo-fi
