Word: bande
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...same time, however, the band prove that sticking to a formula, if the method of choice is strong enough, can produce stunning results. And when all is said and done, “Heligoland” subscribes to a pretty good method. Nobody does the bleak soundscapes and skittering breakbeats that characterize trip-hop, which Massive Attack themselves helped pioneer, to greater effect than Del Naja and Marshall. So for the most part, the songs of “Heligoland” are highly successful. These ten tracks are united around a dark, chilling vision that completely absorbs the listener...
...their newest album, “The Courage of Others,” Texas band Midlake strays from the energetic alternative rock of previous releases towards a folk-inspired, pastoral sound. Lead vocalist and songwriter Tim Smith attempts to conjure a wintry atmosphere with delicate acoustic guitar and lyrics about cycles of death and rebirth. Unfortunately, while he does manage to capture a sense of stillness and bleakness, there is no suggestion of spring to come, and the gloomy minor key sustained throughout leaves the listener wanting to hibernate rather than go for a romp in the snow...
However, the magic is lost in the next track, “Rulers, Ruling All Things,” on which Smith and the band forget what made “Fortune” successful, reverting to the droning sound and seemingly insincere angst of the earlier tracks. The album reaches a low point on the aptlytitled “Bring Down,” with its melodramatic lyrics: “Pray for all to end / And silence be all / Now the joy has burned out and it’s gone / But I don’t know...
...inclusion of a broader range of guest instruments contributes to the album’s effective new sound. Outside collaborators include Fimber Bravo, who plays steel pans on the title track, as well as drummers Charles Hayward of post-punk legends This Heat, and Leo Taylor of post-rock band The Invisible. The upbeat “Hand Me Down Your Love” is driven by a prominent piano line; however, it also includes a powerfully distorted refrain alongside its developed instrumentation and the pure simplicity of the vocals. This combination of disparate elements into a cohesive piece allows...
...earlier work, but these are exceptions to the forward-moving, electric sound of the rest of “Odd Blood.” This feeling of forwardness is largely due to a change in percussion use from “Cymbals.” The band has eschewed their old tricks of changing rhythm and meter for drumbeats that are consistent throughout almost every track, which avoids monotony and instead highlights their apt use of electronic melodies and driving vocals...