My Best Friend Is You

Kate Nash: Yes, we all love her cute little accent. And we also adored her debut album, not because it was deep, or even musically thrilling, hell half of the songs were just C and F chords. Why did we love it? It was cutesy. It made us want to dance. It made us feel like we were 11 years old again: not a little girl anymore, but not yet a woman: a tween in the truest sense of the word. It gave us our youth back, and for that, I commend Nash and her cutesy music and accent.

Nash's latest endeavor is entitled My Best Friend. It's all the cutesy music you loved from her first album...again. The album opens with "Paris", a blaring intro with a cutesy piano riff jumping in. It's fun enough to dance around to, I suppose (although MIKA's "We Are Golden" is a much better dance-around choice). The songs are about as deep as the kiddy pool at the park. With lyrics such as, "kiss that girl, I will shrink her, and I will die and I will think up a thousand ways that I can hurt you and you will never touch my hand," ("Kiss That Grrrl") you'll almost believe her threat by the 25th time she's repeated the chorus.

By the time you hit track three, you might feel a little ripped off. Don't worry, Kate's got some ukulele and what sounds like a xylephone. This sounds great, until the first line of the song, "barbeque food is good." Really? The song ends with some ranty monologue that sounds like a pre-teen girl's rant, reminiscint of Andrew McMahon's in "I'm Ready" (Jack's Mannequin, Everything in Transit). The next track, called "I Just Love You More" is...just that. It's the most original thing (compared to the rest of Nash's material) on the album. Lots of screaming and some attempt at hard guitar. I detect hints of punky-girl-garageband-grunge. The album follows with Do-Wah-Doo (I'd like to be on that plane...actually maybe not, I think I would kill myself from this music), a catchy little jam that you'll want to listen to twice and then again in another two months.

Skip the next few tracks (you're not missing much), to track 8: "Mansion Song". It's a vulgar, monolgue that I think is supposed to move or offend you. It's reminiscent of Pistachio Nut, which is actually a decent poem (at least I like it). "Mansion Song" is a nice break from the unbearable pop, but it sounds so forced (you know that person who has to stress "fuck" everytime they say it? yeah, that's Nash). Skiping "Early Christmas Present" and "Later On" we get to "Pickpocket", which is what Nash is best at really, just playing a simple piano riff and singing. Honestly, this is where she's best. Give her a piano and take away the pop licks and you've just got a girl and her words.

The album closes on "I Hate Seagulls" (which is the first line of the song actually). It reminds me of "Birds" (Kate Nash, Made of Bricks) from her previous album. Following the end of the track is a welcomed few minute silence followed by the "hidden bonus track", which is quite short. Not as good as "Little Red" (Kate Nash, Made of Bricks) the hidden bonus track from her debut.

Like I said, Nash makes us feel like we're not a child anymore, but not quite a woman either: a tween, if I may say so. Her debut was released three years ago though, so I'm wondering, when are we going to grow up? I can only listen to so many pop songs about boys with the same chord progression for so long.

Anyways, I give My Best Friend Is You a 5.6/10. Unless you really want to hear it, I'd skip it and pick up The Apples in stereo's Travelers in Space and Time.

Review: Great Lakes - Diamond Times

8.0 / 10

2006 - 2007

Ben Crum and Dan Donahue have written the most charming and comprehensive album of their careers in Diamond Times. Declaring this the underrated album of the decade would certainly be going too far, but it is unquestionably a remarkable and under-appreciated work. The Great Lakes of the early 2000s, albeit a splendid one in its own right, may or may not have put down the green stuff for this record. Whatever the turn made, it surely was one for the better. This Elephant 6 satellite group abandoned the comforts of suburban Georgia and relocated to Brooklyn in preparation for the wowing of the world.
Leaping on board for this effort are Athens friends Bryan Poole, Dottie Alexander, Kevin Barnes and James Huggins - all sporting of Montreal green jackets. Other contributors include Matt Stoessel , Heather McIntosh (Circulatory System and the Instruments), and Chris Ziter. The album was recorded with the help of Jason Nesmith aka *Casper* of Casper and the Cookies fame.
It mixes the style of early Beach Boys call and response, Bad Brains-esque guitar riffs ("Hot Cosmos"), base lines Chris White would eagerly approve of, and an uplifting country twang on "Night Hearts" that you'd find if Dolly Parton and Pete Townsend ever met on the Bayou. Then, toward the end, the title track unfolds for three minutes of who-knows-what, leaving you speechless. The song is almost like something you'd hear in a movie concerning '20s Chicago gin joints if there were rock and roll in those days. Ben takes on a 21st century Tom Petty tone for the gorgeous "Horses Wings" that could pass for a Wilbury outtake. The "Eagles and Swans" outro is a rather boring, toned-down end to a sonicly impressive half hour of totally unique music.
It'd be a 9 if there was a little more mixup in the arrangement. All in all it's a fantastic listen, but it's not going to be on any top 100 lists of the future. Listen for yourself.

Review: White Guys Jumping - The Lettuce Tree

Album: The Lettuce Tree
Artist: White Guys Jumping (RIP)
Year: 2007
Rating: 11/10

This album has it all, soaring highs, somber lows and everything in between. Songs about an umbrella saving everyone from certain death, to songs about wet dreams, this album is not one you can listen to expecting anything, you just have to enjoy the ride.

The instrumentation is astounding; Guitars, piano, singing saw, drums, and probably others I've failed to mention, all played by one Cameron Clarke. That's right, White Guys Jumping was just one guy.

To truely be able to understand how significant this album is, you have to look at the album prior to Lettuce Tree. The Meaning of Life, which came out the year before contains mostly loud noises shouted into a mic and cheesy synths, with the occasional strumming of a guitar (Although I can be found humming along to the first track "In The Trunk" from time to time). A year later the Lettuce Tree came out. Now I had heard The Lettuce Tree before hearing The Meaning of Life, but upon hearing it, it made me reconsider an album I already considered to be 10/10 and brought it up to an 11/10. This album is a masterpiece and I mean that with every inch of my being.

Cameron still makes music under the name "Cameron Clarke". Go figure.

You can stream or download the Lettuce Tree, here: http://cllct.com/release/thelettucetree

and if you're interested enough, you can check out The Meaning of Life, here: http://cllct.com/release/themeaningoflife


-Jordan

Review: CocoRosie - La maison de mon rêve

CocoRosie
La maison de mon rêve
(2004)

9.5/10

This album has worked its way into this fellow's heart, I can tell you that much. It's bathroomy ambience and its simple melodies, mixed with a french children's toy sets a very nice mood.

The lyrics tend to be somewhat repetitive (Strong examples include "Terrible angels", "Not For Sale" and "Madonna"),though they are worth repeating as they have you singing them in your head all day.

I must harp on "Tahiti Rain Song" though. It's so different from the rest of the album, It seems as though it's a total experiment, but it does reflect a bit of the direction CocoRosie has gone since this album was made in 2004(Sort of).

Overall, I love this album to bits and give it a
9.5/10

-Jordan