The hierarchy of divine powers:

So being #2 on the list, obviously Aaron Marsh of Copeland has earned a place in my heart as an amazing figurehead. Practically everything he touches is made beautiful. Everything. And if you disagree you’re wrong. So back to the matter at hand.

The albums begins with a spine-tingling song called Should You Return. Within the first few seconds of this song, with just the choir of Aaron Marsh, it brings shivers to my bones every time. It’s beautiful. It’s gutwrenching. It’s only the beginning of one of the most amazing albums ever made. Such simple beauty that becomes a staple of this album is let loose, with heartfelt lyrics like…

“…but now there’s nothing left to do but waste my time, I never knew where to move on, I never knew what to rely on, but now there’s nothing left to say to change your mind, and if unhappy still, I will be hanging on your line, should you return…”

Wow. No hidden messages, nothing to be interpreted. Just honest, beautiful lyrics. I think we can all find something we can relate to in that message. Next is The Grey Man. As much as I’d like to keep the music and the video seperate, I feel that I need to mention the video as part of this. It depicts a young girl picking herself up, bloody and broken, and wandering around a city. She repeatedly falls down, and a man offers her help, which she refuses every time. After many attempts, she gives in and lets the man help her. He leads her to the pit that she climbed out of at the beginning of the video, and he pushes her in. And I honestly find that to be most of the meaning of this song. We try not to rely on other people, and when we do, we take a gamble. Some people are genuinely willing to help, and others are there to use us. Those times that people take advantage of us we need to pick ourselves up, and start over. The song in and of itself is again, beautiful, and very moving. It has a pounding rhythm that keeps the song exciting, while maintaining the beauty of this track. After that is Chin Up. This song is by far one of my favorites off the album. The lyrics depict a story of pride and naivety, and pours emotion.

“…Back to where we started, losing who we were, maybe we should only tip a bottle back to keep us filled up,

Back to where we started, losing who we were, everybody knows that you’d break your neck to keep your chin up…”

Such fitting lyrics for the day and age we live in, where pride is valued so highly by so many. The music is a powerhouse of timbres and colors, ever flowing and moving, the entire time building to the glorious finale. Absolutely amazing. Next it moves onto Good Morning Fire Eater. The beginning of this song is just a simple guitar line, and Aaron singing. After about a minute it moves into full band, and has such a fantastic groove. The drums are incredibly interesting and energetic, which is something Copeland has always been able to fit into their sings, regardless of the simple melodies and typically slow pace.The lyrics are equally powerful…

“…Cause it’s no good if you can’t have it all.
I’d give it back but I never stole the first part.
And it always goes when you need it most,
The kindest love is still bleeding from the last shot…”

Moving on, the song To Be Happy Now signals a more classic Copeland feel, and is a well placed change for the album. The song maintains an upbeat feel while being both chordally and lyrically bleak. Lyrically, it stands back from the rest of the songs, and lacks a lot of the meaningful heartfelt phrases that are strewn about all the other songs on the album. Regardless, it is a great song. The next song is The Day I Lost My Voice (The Suitcase Song). An electric piano, jumpy bass line, and flowing voice open up this song. The best part is during the chorus where everything but Aaron’s voice drops out. The lyrics and the power he contains in his voice is just incredible.

“…I’ve got my life in a suitcase and I’m ready to run run run away
I got no time cause I’m always trying to run run run away
Cause everyday when it feels like it’s only a game I’ve got my life in a suitcase, a suitcase, a suitcase…”

Towards the end of the song, a female vocal comes in, and brings a lot of play between the two vocals in the song. It’s a perfect change to bring a new perspective to not only the lyrics, but the song as a whole. After that comes On The Safest Ledge. Again this song is more of a departure back to older Copeland style, and contains a lot of beauty. Have I repeated myself enough by saying the vocals are incredible, in both melody and timbre? Aaron Marsh is a master of the vocal arts. The female vocal returns again towards the end of this track, and the duet at the end is absolutely amazing. Not Allowed, is probably the only track on You Are My Sunshine that feels a little out of place. It is in and of itself a decent song, but it lacks the fullness and beauty that the rest of the album contains. Fortunately, Strange and Unprepared brings back the feel and beauty that is You Are My Sunshine, and is an incredibly simple and calming song. It transitions perfectly into What Do I Know? which is arguably my second favorite song off the album. The lyrics are practically perfect, with an incredibly clever and intuitive use of tension and release…

“…But you’re far away now and you’ve got troubles all your own just to spend your whole life shooting down.

What do I know?…”

You really need to hear the song to understand the play between those two lines and how perfectly they mesh together, but for now, you’ll have to take my word for it! Finishing out the album in style is Not So Tough, Found Out. The song stretches over the course of over ten minutes, and cycle between powerful crescendos and beautiful valleys of sound. The incredible fullness of this song bring everything previously heard in the album to a finale and swells to bursting. The female vocals make a return and play counter melody to the repeated message, bringing an entire extra level of complexity and richness to the song. I will admit that average listener probably won’t be all that excited to tolerate a full ten minutes of it, but for those willing to take the time, you will be pleasantly rewarded!

As much as I hate to call anything *perfect* and give it a 10/10 rating, I feel this is one album that surpasses every expectation I could have held for this band, and for that reason, I am willing to stoop to a level that allows me to award them with a perfect score.

Copeland

You Are My Sunshine

10/10

Keep Remusin’

Not Animal starts off with a psychedelic bouncy tune by the name of A Children’s Crusade on Acid. It’s an excellent opening track, that instantly pulls you in and sets a vibe for the rest of the album.

Let me sidetrack myself here. I’ve always felt that the order the songs are arranged on an album has EVERYTHING to do with the message and implications of the album. It’s a statement. It’s an art form. It’s why I felt Narrow Stairs was garbage when compared to Transatlanticism. And if there’s anything Margot has accomplished very well, it’s the arrangement of their songs on the album.

Back on topic, there’s simply a quality to Richard Edwards’ voice that sucks me in and makes me listen to everything he’s saying. I can’t explain it, but it’s great. From there we head into German Motor Car which opens up leaving a bit of a sour taste in my mouth, but it all makes sense after a few seconds and brings a nice groove and smooth chorus to pull it all together. Broadnipple is Burning is a great folky tune with stunning vocal melodies and intense lyrics. It’s so haunting and full, powerful enough to send shivers down your spine. Next is one of my favorites from Not Animal, Holy Cow! The transition from Broadnipple to Holy Cow is awe-worthy and the fullness of the arrangement is compelling. You’ve gotta believe me. With an upbeat groove and stunning lyrics and vocal performances, this song is probably the brightest shining gem on Not Animal. Cold, Kind, and Lemon Eyes brings you back to reality and breaks the album in the middle. It creates the center where you can feel the change between the front and the back. It’s so simple and captivating, and so well placed (see my off-topic rant) that I can’t help but be impressed with it. Hello Vagina, though having a ridiculous name, is not that ridiculous of a song. It’s probably one of my least favorites off of Not Animal, and in my opinion, is nothing terrible special. Probably the low point of the album. Fortunately after that we lead into what I would call the second best song off the album, As Tall As Cliffs. A jolly little tune that anyone could scoot to (yes, I just said scoot) As Tall As Cliffs has that homey feeling that I think everyone at some point can find a way to relate to. Real Naked Girls feels somewhat out of place on this album. Not that it’s a bad song, and it’s definately interesting, both musically and lyrically, it just doesn’t seem to roll with the rest of the album. Pages Written On A Wall is a simple little jingle that signals the procession of the album. It starts off simple and slow, and accelerates it’s way into excellence. The Shivers (I’ve Got Em’) is a dark pounding piece of art that will leave you questioning your sanity after listening, but trust me, the big question is why this song is so great. The Ocean (Is Bleeding Salt) is another dark song, and definately the sister song to The Shivers, but it shows those little specks of light, and has a groovy synth line with some bluesy rockabilly guitar lines. Delicious. Hip Hip Hooray ends out the album on a very light note, befitting an album of such complexity and motion. It leaves the album seeming finished, but like there’s more to tell. The story may have resolution, but it’s certainly not over.

Again, I have a nasty habit of liking the old over the new. Go figure. When comparing this side by side with The Dust of Retreat, hands down Dust is a much stronger album, but Not Animal certainly deserves it’s dues. I give it…

8/10

It’s definately a unique snowflake, with it’s own sound and style. Margot successfully pushed the limits and impressed me, and I really hope to hear more great stuff from them in the future.

Keep Remusin’

First off, I have always liked how consistent Portugal. The Man has been with their sound. Every album has it’s own little flavor, but there right at the gooey center of that Rollo is still the PTM I know and love. This album is no different in that respect, but I would give it a dark chocolate outer coating, which is to say, the album as a whole seems a little darker and downbeat from some of the other stuff. The album starts out on a really strong foot with the track Lay Me Back Down, an infectious little diddy that gets the whole album going in style. The chorus is especially catchy and if it doesn’t get you singing along with it, you should take a blowhorn to your ears and push the button, because you should never be able to hear good music again. The album then gets big and ugly (in a good way) with Colors. The big swarming vocals and swelling strings give this song an energy so strong that a lighter in the crowd held high would explode from the sheer amount of awesome in the air. From there the album seems to take a bit of a dive. And I and Salt are borderline bland, and it’s kind of depressing after the awesome in the first two tracks. Created is a nice diversion, but it definately does not possess the sheer power of the first two tracks. Our and In and In and Out never jumped out at me, and New Orleans really drags along until about 2:00 when it finally picks up the pace and brings back some of the glimmering vocals and power that I have come to expect from PTM. Never Pleased starts to bring back the groove, it has it’s own unique flare that you have to hear to appreciate. Though too short to really amount to a lot, Sit Back and Dream is incredibly in your face, and it’s a shame that it’s so short and repetative, because the song had a lot of potential to go places and do things. Hard Times has some groove in it, and feels like the album starts to finally get back on the right track again. It leads directly into Our Times which really didn’t need to be an entire new song, but it ends on a very delicate note, with some beautiful string arrangements. The first time I listened to All Mine, the sound practically swallowed me up. It has such a fierce mood to it, and a soulfullness that I wasn’t expecting to get from PTM. It never really escalates more than the opening minute or so suggest, which is kind of a let down because I felt it was building to something, but the song is good nonetheless. 1989 feels incredibly out of place following All Mine. On it’s own, the song is great, but it’s position in the album threw me for a loop. And that pretty much ends out the album. Lyrically there was nothing gripping, not that I come to expect a lot of lyrical genius from PTM, and it’s really the voice that gets me. They have always had such an interesting sound and that’s what I appreciate most.

Overall I give the album a solid 7/10

but then I feel like I’m being too generous

So I will rate the album again

6/10

So my final rating: 7/10/6/10

(seven out of ten out of six out of ten)(60 percent of the time it works all the time)

Good but not great. Worth a listen but not a rant.

In other news, immediately after I wrote this review I listened to all of Waiter: You Vultures! and was much more satisfied than I was with Censored Colors. But to each their own.

Keep Remusin’

I’ll just cut to the chase here

At number 10…

Elbow – The Seldom Seen Kid

I had honestly never heard of Elbow before this year. Though when I heard the song “Mirrorball” on The Current, I was instantly a fan. The combination of Guy Garvey’s voice, with the instrumentation throughout the album are fantastic. It is incredibly captivating.  I don’t honestly know what else to say. The only reason this album didn’t make it higher than tenth is because not every song is a gem, and if an entire album isn’t completely solid, I always find it difficult to really give the band all the credit that they may deserve. With that being said, they still come highly recommended, and The Seldom Seen Kid is a fantastic album worth a spin or two. Tracks of note would be “Mirroball”, “Grounds For Divorce”, and “One Day Like This”.

At number 9…

Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin – Pershing

Again, courtesy of The Current, I discovered Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin. This whole album from top to bottom is in a word: fun. SSLYBY manages to not take anything too seriously and put it all in song. The whole album is fairly upbeat and energetic and never drags along. After listening to this album for almost a solid month, I found some of the earlier albums, and it’s more of the same. Tracks worth mentioning are “Modern Mystery”, “Think I Wanna Die”, and “Some Constellation”.

At number 8…

The Helio Sequence – Keep Your Eyes Ahead

I discovered The Helio Sequence last year when they toured with Minus The Bear. They are likely one of the best live acts I have ever seen. Being only a guitarist and a drummer, I can imagine it would be a challenge to put on a great show, and I have been incredibly impressed with what this band can do. The drummer is crazy too, as he mouths every sound his drums are making as he’s playing them. It’s quite the spectacle. The album has an incredibly diverse range in substance and style, but the electronic influence is consistently there, as is The Helio Sequence way. Tracks to listen to “Can’t Say No”, “The Captive Mind”, and “Hallelujah”.

At number 7…

Death Cab For Cutie – Narrow Stairs

I guess it’s not really Death Cab’s fault that they manage to be so far back on my list. For a long while I wasn’t even considering them for my top 10. I’ve always felt that Transatlanticism was their best album, and I’m fairly confident that it will always remain that way in my mind. However, after listening to this album more, I fell in love with a few tracks, even though there are a good amount of throwaway tracks on the album. I can’t help but feel that the order of the songs on the album couldn’t have been worse. There are certainly a good number of songs that didn’t feel like I was listening to Death Cab anymore, like “I Will Possess Your Heart” and “Then Ice Is Getting Thinner”, but the tracks like “Cath…” and “Grapevine Fires” kept me listening.

At number 6…

The Broken West – Now or Heaven

This was a last second contender for my top 10. I thought I had it all decided, and then this album fell into my lap and messed my list up. I am however glad that I gave this album enough time before I decided on my list. The album is a fairly standard rock album with incredible hooks that you can’t help but sing along with. The music is fairly diverse, and the album has a good pacing to it. The very last track, “Embassy Row” has a chorus that I’ve had stuck in my head for nearly two weeks.  Tracks to mention “Auctioneer”, “Perfect Games”, and “Embassy Row”.

At number 5…

The Subways – All or Nothing

I can’t quite remember where I originally heard about this band, but I remember it came at a time when I was really craving some good new stuff. This band is probably the “hardest” music I’ve listened to in a long time, and the most reminiscent of the kind of music I enjoyed in the past (and yes, I still enjoy a lot of the bands I listened to back then too). The Subways seem to mesh the indie rock world with the punk rock of the early 2000′s, with rather pleasing results. And besides, the female bassist is smokin hot. Tracks to mention “Girls and Boys”, “Shake! Shake!”, and “Strawberry Blonde”.

At number 4…

Bon Iver – For Emma, Forever Ago

Alright, so this album didn’t technically come out in 2008. However, it went completely unnoticed until February of this year, when it was re-released by Jagjaguwar. This album is so incredibly rich with fantastic lyrics and mysterious melodies, it just feels like you’re put into the story. The entire album was recorded in a rustic cabin, with whatever recording supplies Justin Vernon could put together. He seems to have captured the space and feeling of that place and that experience, and I’m disappointed to say that I don’t think that he’ll ever be able to match the feeling and expression contained in this album. Tracks to mention are “Skinny Love”, “Blindsided”, and “re: stacks”.

At number 3…

Tokyo Police Club – Elephant Shell

This album is just completely energetic. You can’t help but listen to Tokyo Police Club without singing and dancing along with the music. It’s infectious. It’s delightful. It’s amazing driving music. Just listen to it and I dare you to stop yourself from shouting along. I dare you. From top to bottom it’s just a completely solid album. Tracks to mention are “In A Cave”, “Tessellate”, “Your English Is Good”, and “Listen To The Math”. But really the whole album is just fantastic.

At number 2…

Mates of State – The Re-Arranger

For the longest time, there was no doubt in my mind that this album was going to be my #1 of the year. This album is just completely solid. Like….. fucking diamond solid. The harmonies that these two create are amazing. The songs are infectious. There’s never a dull moment in the entire album. Forget your politics for a while; let the color schemes arrive. Everything’s gonna get lighter, even if it never gets better. Absolutely delicious. Tracks to mention are “Get Better”, “Re-Arrange Us*”, and “You Are Free”.

And finally, at number 1…

Copeland – You Are My Sunshine

At the opening to the first track, this album sent shivers down my spine. I thought that Copeland could not out do their Eat, Sleep, Repeat, and at first, I didn’t like this album as much as I loved Eat, Sleep, Repeat. After a few more listens though, this album hands down replaced Eat, Sleep, Repeat as my favorite Copeland album. Consistently, this band has put out excellent album after excellent album (as long as we ignore In Motion). Aaron Marsh is a fantastic lyricist and musician. He seems to match every song with the lyrics, every line with the feeling of the song, and I can’t help but listen to Copeland without finding myself in another place. This isn’t just an album that you should listen to. It’s an album that you need to experience. Tracks to mention are “Should You Return”, “Chin Up”, and “What Do I Know?”

*Favorite song of the year

Tomorrow or later today I will be putting up my top 5 discovered this year, because as we all know, we dont’ find everything awesome in the music world right when it comes out, and those bands that you latched on to late deserve their time in the spotlight too!

So yeah.

Things and stuff.