Some Loud Thunder

So me and jon recently acquired the new Clap Your Hands Say Yeah album, Some Loud Thunder. We've been giddying for this ever since we've been demoing their new material at hype-machine, listening to tracks Some Loud Thunder, Underwater (You and Me), and You and Me Watson. At first, it was a sudden new change that almost glamored our eyes - a guitar solo, flaming lipsesque orchestration, and a rauncy guitar riff. It was rougher, more sophisticated, and to top it off, the lyrics seem to be more distinct and clear. 

I wondered if the new album was going to be like that, better guitar and stronger melodies. For awhile, I had nothing but those 3 tracks on repeat. Then Some Loud Thunder, the album, finally came out, and we got busy to it. It starts off with the titular Some Loud Thunder. Then the next two tracks are even better, bringing some great back up harmonies and beautiful synthesizers. The pace is even then becomes lovely in the third track. It was satisfying...didn't seem too full because maybe a lack of lower instrumentation, but man, was it a treat to listen to.

Then the album reaches into Clap Your Hands Say Yeah territory and reminds us that they're them, and that means reaching into melodies that jar. However, they retain their crystal clear bells and chimes...and that pace. It's a really good a pace in their softer songs. Listening to songs like Underwater (You and Me), Emily Jean Stock, Mama...Burning Castles in the Air, listening to that pace is like watching the ocean tides.

Their album is lovely, not as mature i thought they would develop, but became rich anyway. Rich, distince, clear. 

And no, the vocals didn't get "better" in that aspect. But we get the message the same, don't we?

With My Computer (Hacking Skills)

I don't know if you guys have heard, but Sweden has been producing a whole lot of quality indie bands lately, not the least of which is the twee pop duo Suburban Kids with Biblical Names. We've thrown out the name here before, but most of our readers likely have never heard of them. Well, as the story goes, Johan Hedberg writes some drafts of songs and hands them over to Peter Gunnarson, who polishes them and turns them into catchy hits. All this is supposedly done in the storehouse of the home of Peter's parents, and it's certainly not surprising that they don't come from a professional studio. Their albums (simply titled #1, #2, and #3) are very lo-fi, a sound which fits well with their image, which has been reinforced by their publicity photos, stage presence, and music videos.Just a couple of nerdy guys, right? And their performances and videos are carried off with limited emotion and deadpan strumming of the guitars (watch the Rent A Wreck video to see what I'm talking about). Now, take a look at why I think these guys are such a hit, at least in America.
Look and sound familiar? Like it or not, Napoleon Dynamite was another surprising hit with the indie scene in America, and it too is known for its deadpan humour. A famous line from a SKWBN song goes "I wanna turn their dance floors into a burning inferno of ba-ba-ba." Which brings to mind the climax of Napoleon Dynamite, of course. A more talented author could probably write a book (or at least a pamphlet) on the parallels between these two phenomenons.
Anyway, whether their success here was due to previous hits or to their surprisingly catchy tunes and intelligent lyrics, give Suburban Kids a listen.