Category: Music

True Love Waits

AMSP

New Radiohead music has sailed on the horizon for the last few years. I’ve anticipated some release but felt skeptical to its quality. King of Limbs felt tried and honestly lazy. Maybe their tank finally ran empty. I found the level of effort offensive at the time. Limbs sounded like a bunch of shitty leftover demos idly dumped on the world yet the general gage at the time was high. I saw them at Coachella that year perform mostly hits and some popular Limbs tracks. They looked pretty old then and I found it hard to imagine a new album would be out anytime coming soon.

A Moon Shaped Pool arrived with little time for hype to build, which I like. Initially I’m underwhelmed by it but it’s far better than King of Limbs. If Radiohead released this under another name my opinion would be much higher of it but unfortunately, at this stage, their competition is only themselves. They have to live up to The Bends, OK Computer, Kid A, Hail to The Thief, and in my opinion In Rainbows. Moon Pool doesn’t live up to those and we shouldn’t expect it to. It feels dry in perspective to their career. Many of the songs like “Daydreaming” and “Decks Dark” build up nicely at the end but never payoff. Much of the album doesn’t take me anywhere like “Burn the Witch” which had a great video and I’m sure fans will call for it live. It’s still three and half minutes of loops and Thom Yorke mumbling, kinda like Limbs.

I find with each track I enjoy the following one dims any grove or vibe built up. “Identikit” and “The Numbers” however run well together and layer an equal amount of live instrumentation versus synths and drum machines. Radiohead gets a lot of credit making those elements mainstream in rock but sometimes it’s nice to hear some rock from them. One of my favorite tracks “Desert Island Disk” starts climbing half way through, not at the end, and pays off. It’s one of the few I can zone into more than once.

The crowning jewel of this experience and what makes it worth listening at all comes at the end with “True Love Waits” the big foot of Radiohead lore. It’s been played live since 1995 but never seen a studio release. In a way it’s another way to criticize the album. They went back in time brought back a piece of greatness from their prime. Maybe that speaks to their lack of ability now or maybe like their producer said they were finally satisfied with a recording. I could see either way but I’m currently a pessimist. I’m not downing them for including this however. “True Love Waits” is a masterpiece and for perhaps the last time Radiohead birthed a classic that will endure them. We should all be grateful they went to the time machine or got the last cup from the well. I’m in deep with this song. How couldn’t I? Those lyrics are eleven years old yet they haven’t felt more important or real. Maybe Thom and I are just in the same place. It doesn’t matter. I’m just glad it’s there.

Stranded by The Dormant Volcano

It’s been almost 4 years since L’Enfant Sauvage came out. Much has changed for me, but not for Gojira, a band with their own unique identity who still speed forward in an ocean of metal bands. It shares the sea with the rest of music where everyone sounds the same and no one dares ostracization. 2016 feels like a continuation of an unsatisfying era saturated in sameness. A time where “they” don’t make good music anymore. It’s easy to fall into this camp. I walk back and forth between the two. One will find Gojira in the optimistic camp that says great, not just good, music can be found if you look hard enough. One said says the ocean seems infinite, while the other says dive below to surface and search. In 2016, great music is rarely accessible. You must scourer Bandcamp, Soundcloud, and know the right people online to find new something before it’s corrupted.

So far Gojira hasn’t been compromised. Maybe I sound pessimistic but I’m prepared to be disappointed again, and again. I assume eventually a band will get lazy, attempt to become more accessible, or commit the worst artistic crime. Selling-out. These are my fears and the fears of many. I can celebrate an artist’s success under the right circumstances. Maybe I should just grow up and get over my standards. Success is tough to achieve, no matter what. I had a shot at doing music full time once so I’ve seen how the business works. Most “artists” these days are motivated by fortune and fame. Our American society conditions us to do so. I don’t blame some of my former peers for chasing that dream. I get it. To earn a high level of success it takes more than just luck. It’s no accident Gojira has continued enjoying their fruits of labor. They have kept my interest and delighted the artistic world with their new single.

“Stranded” sounds repetitive, something new from the band, but realizes its purpose in making you remember it. The gatling chug riff combined with the basic but certain drum beat can’t be denied. Like “Enter Sandman” and “Blood and Thunder” you put down the sandwich, stop whatever else you’re doing, and bang your head. The lyrics are quite mysterious. They deviate from what I’m used to with no mention of whales or the dying ecosystem. It seems personal in nature yet it reveals very little. “Don’t lock the door on me” is the line that stays with me. I can gather the same sentiment. As a whole this single packs the right punch for me and for the band’s endeavors. I look forward to seeing how similar or contrasting it sounds from the rest of the album. This initial tease should hold up until Magma drops on June 17th.