Wavves - Wavvves

Wavves
Wavvves
(02.2009, Fat Possum)
RIYL = skateboarding, Blank Dogs, summer

It’s weird how certain bands collect descriptors. Wavves is a perfect example. You can’t read anything about this guy without reading about sundrenched beaches, surfing or the fact that he’s only 22 [gasp!]. It kind of sucks because now I can’t help but associate him with summer and it is way too cold outside to even start pretending that summer is around the corner. Well, for those of you that are in similarly freezing temperatures we are going to try to avoid those temperate Californian descriptors…mostly. On full length numero dos, not a whole lot has changed. Sure we’ve got an extra ‘v’ to grapple with, but as far as the muddled recording style that has turned Wavves from a ramshackle garage rock project into a ramshackle garage rock project inebriated on a bowl full of Starbursts and three jugs of Sunny Delight, nothings changed. And as far as I’m concerned, that’s great. The even greater part about it is that Wavves continues to prove that he has got a whole bunch more of those 8-bit mega-hooks that sent us adrift on that first record. The combination of Wavves’ simplistic pop genius coupled with his ill-managed feedback somehow conjures late-eighties-to-mid-nineties Saturday morning cartoons. I don’t quite know why. I mean can you imagine how messed up and awesome those toons would be backed by these tunes? Someone mash it up for me on Youtube because I’d like to see it. Wavves cover photo for Wavvves and Wavves probably doesn’t help either. Man skateboarding in the early nineties must have been gnarly. I can only imagine. So there you have it: endless hooks, endless distortion, endless quasi-nostalgia-flashbacks-on-meth, all good. Now if only Wavvves could defrost my windshields when I leave for work…

-Lil' Thistle

Andrew Bird - Noble Beast

Andrew Bird

Noble Beast

(01.2008, Fat Possum)

Verdict: You already know it's good

Who, in the world of music blog readers isn't already familiar with the beautifully voiced troubadour Andrew Bird? And who in the world of music appreciators doesn't enjoy giving any one of Mr Bird's wonderfully tracked albums a spin from time to time? With those questions in place, I ask a third and final question? Why am I even bothering to review this? I guess, it's because I want Noble Beast to have a sweet little spot on the Forest Gospel scrolling blog page. There is nothing new or enlightening that I can say about Noble Beast. For the most part it is what was expected and similar to all Bird's release. There are no new surprising twists or turns necessarily, just another super solid album to add to his already impeccable back catalog. Saying there is nothing new or surprising is not a bad thing. I still can't get enough of his gorgeous songwriting. The more songs the merrier. I am happy to say that Noble Beast has already burrowed itself into a fairly comfortable spot in my heart.

-Sassigrass

Listen to Noble Beast on NPR

Andrew Bird - Armchair Apochrypha

Andrew Bird
Armchair Apocrypha
(03.2007, Fat Possum)
8.5/10

I guess now is as good a time as any to remember Andrew Bird’s Armchair Apocrypha released in March of this year. Fitting for me at least because it has taken quite a bit of time to really discover the wonderful integrity of this album. When FG first started this summer we wanted to review this but no one knew what to say. Following up Mysterious Production of Eggs, one of my favourite albums of all time, it was hard not to be over excited about Armchair Apocrypha. Then, when I listened to it, though I desperately wanted to fall in love with it, there seemed to be nothing that stuck and I would fail to make it through the first few tracks before having to bow out. It quickly went on the back burner as an abundance of additional, wonderful albums came only to resurface occasionally, either when I noticed it while mindlessly scrolling through my Ipod or when I heard parts of it in NPR interlude music. It was only recently that I finally found the circumstances to listen to it as a whole, and then re-listen, and then listen again. First of all let me state this for everyone who has shared my early disillusionment about the album: we missed the mark folks. Armchair Apocrypha contains all the beauty of Andrew Birds subtle, wry lyricism, offbeat instrumentation and, of course, that whistle. The album simply suffers from bad sequencing. For those with great expectations the slow beginning is deflating. However, patience and repeat listening will convert you to every song (even album opener “Fiery Crash” of which I felt destined to skip over every time I listened to the album). After the initial learning curve, Armchair Apocrypha reveals itself as another breezy album of Andrew Bird’s and one of his most rewarding accomplishments to date.

-Mr. Thistle

Andrew Bird on Virb