Posts Tagged ‘Last One to Die’

While the jury may still be out on how bad winter’s going to be, I think we can all agree that it’s following up a pretty disappointing summer. But while the weather may not have been what we were hoping for, the soundtrack was definitely lurking out there.

So for those of you who dream of warmer climates…here are two quality albums you can can throw on, close your eyes, and think about what could’ve been. There’s always next year, right?

Rancid - Let the Dominoes Fall

Anyone who knows me probably also knows that I’ve been  a Rancid fan for years, so some may take this recommendation with a truckload of salt. However, I think with this record they finally put together that crossover disc that plays outside of their base. The previous record, 2003’s Indestructible attempted this but fell a little short. With Let the Dominoes Fall, they’ve achieved that right balance of polish and that raw punk sound. It doesn’t hurt that this is one of the stronger sets of songs they’ve thrown together, and the ska-oriented tracks . If this is how their records sound when they write all the songs on acoustic guitars, I hope they do it again the next time around.

The occasional ska cuts (”Up to No Good”, “I Ain’t Worried”, “Liberty and Freedom” and “That’s Just the Way It Is Now”) are probably the ’summerest’ of the tunes present here, but the hooks are so huge across the record that just about any song will suffice for sheer singalong value.  Lead-single “Last One to Die” and album-opener “East Bay Night” both show off the vocal harmonies that are the staples of any great Rancid tune, and both can be heard on their myspace.

I’ll be curious to see what future singles are picked off of this disc; there’s a wealth of material to choose from here.

Phoenix - Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix

I always loved “Consolation Prizes” but I’ll admit I didn’t give 2006’s “It’s Never Been Like That” much of a chance. But when I heard “1901“, the lead single off of this summer’s Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix, I took notice.

I probably listened to “1901″ about a ten times a week in the time leading up to the release of that disc, and I’m still enjoying the song months later. Of course, it’s easy to get more mileage out of solid tune when it’s on an album with another catchy single (”Lisztomania”) and about a half an hour’s worth of breezy indie pop. While the Rancid record above might make you want to get up out of your seat, this one goes down easy. If I were the host of a patio party, this would’ve played while we all chilled out in the evening hours.

My only knock on the album would be that it all feels like it’s over too fast, but there’s very little filler.  The two-parter “Love Like a Sunset” doesn’t quite deliver on the mood established, especially since it takes such Kraftwerkian detour from the course established on the album - but its an interesting little sonic departure in itself.

Much like the Rancid record above, this is the most accessible record this established group has put out in their career.