Animal Collective Centipede Hz

     There is a bizarre phenomena that surrounds the Animal Collective; they are pulling themselves in both directions.  While they have become more melodically and sentimentally grounded, they have become sonically more outre.  In their over a decade long career, the Baltimore quartet has turned from slightly eccentric freak folk to jittery digital tweakers.  Animal Collective's most recent release, Centipede Hz follows the path the band has been heading in for the past couple years.  

     One thing is for sure, Centipede Hz is an Animal Collective album.  Many non fans may find the chaos overwhelming and uncomfortable.  Even those who ARE fans may be disappointed by the bands in-your-face, opaque nature, of Centipede Hz.  Where Animal Collectives previous efforts, the critically acclaimed Merriweather Post Pavilion and Strawberry Jam, patiently made beauty out of bedlam and noise, Centipede Hz sounds forced.  The result is a watered down version of what makes the band great.  Those familiar with Animal Collective will recognize it immediately.  Where Animal Collective typically allows the bleeps and boops to slowly come together into a song, Centipede Hz is the musical equivalent of paint being thrown on a wall.  The noises are there without purpose or inspiration.  

      Animal Collective has had a career that anyone in the non-mainstream music scene would envy.  Few bands have had the popular and critical acclaim that the band has collected throughout the years.  To say that the band has hit a high water mark would, at this point, still be a a ridiculous statement.  The band  has constantly proven themselves to push the envelope and try new things.  Centipede Hz, however, is the first time the band has rested on their laurels, and lacked forward momentum.  While the future of Animal Collective is still bright, even the best bands make clunkers, and Centipede Hz was theirs. 

Woods: Bend Beyond

     

     In the past few years, one of the most creative trends to emerge from the indie music scene is the new psychedelic revival.  Due to many factors, both within the music culture and society at large, listeners are gravitating to intelligent rock and folk tinged with layers of psychedelia.  On the forefront of this scene is Woods, a Brooklyn based band who seems to have perfected the art.  The group of workaholics have released seven LPs in the past seven years, as well as a myriad of EPs and single released as well.  Now, they have just released another fascinating album, Bend Beyond.
     Upon first listen, fans will hear a slightly different sound than expected.  After several years of pushing the envelope between pop and psychedelia, Woods have reeled it in.  The songs are shorter, and pursue a more traditional route.   There previous album, Sun and Shade,  saw the band further experimenting with languid jamming and long breakdowns, the songs on Bend Beyond are short and pithy.  Woods has the ability to flawlessly channel California surf pop, and the dreamy sounds of old Los Angeles. 
      While the ethereal textures and layers are still present, Bend Beyond shows a stripped down Woods: an unveiling of a band often masked by effects.  "It ain't easy" surely exemplifies this point the best.  It is a beautifully simple guitar based song unescorted by blankets of sound and noises; a very courageous move by the band.  The simplicity of the album results in a much cheerier sounding record than some previous efforts.
     As the Woods continue to pump out albums, they continue to explore new territory, and new sounds.  For Bend Beyond,  the new territory was tradition. Woods seemingly wanted to prove that they can spend more time cultivating simple beauty out of the songwriting process.  Their aim was to use the songs themselves, rather than the space within them to establish mood, and Bend Beyond does just that.

Bob Dylan: Tempest

     

     Never, in my generation, has a Bob Dylan album garnered so much hype. Without a doubt, this hype is warranted.  Since the late nineties, with the release of Love and Theft, Dylan has hit a new level of creativity that he has not experienced since he was a young man.  Now,  fifty years after his debut album, Dylan released Tempest, an incredible collection of songs that highlight what an austere figure the legend has become. 
     Lyrically, Dylan sings about the same things he always does: love, loss, rambling, and redemption.  Dylan honesty shines through in the album, as he doesn't change themes, but rather mood.  His lyrics and voice, now more ragged than ever, convey a world-weary mischievousness that only Bob Dylan can possess.  He sounds exhausted and ready to collapse, but filled with an energy that still causes him to sing, and live, the songs on the album.  Throughout Dylan's years, he hasn't really "grown up," and his songs about women put that on full, and glorious display.  At the same time, songs like "Long and Wasted Years" show the age in Dylan's illustrious life.  Also, the songs carry with a sort of aged confidence, something that the notoriously opaque Dylan is getting the hang of in his old age.
     Musically, Tempest is a collection of all the music Dylan has experienced throughout his life.  The album stays relatively true with its old-time rock theme, but Dylan also experiments with 12 bar blues and electric folk, among others.  The songs go together thematically, and instrumentally, giving Tempest one of Dylan's cohesive albums in years.
     The old adage of fine wine getting better with age is dated and cliche, but with an album like Tempest, it's hard not to use it.  As Dylan gets older, he seems to have a better, more wistful, outlook on life, and Tempest puts this on full pageantry.  Tempest is a beautiful conversation Dylan has with himself about the joys and sorrows of growing old.