Volumes – Disaesthetic

Happier a Year Later

The Rewatchables podcast has a great theory about the Oscars. Let’s evaluate and reward movies five years after their release. Why? To avoid a scenario where The Artist wins best picture over The Help or Moneyball or The King’s Speech wins over The Social Network or Inception.

When was the last time you had a meaningful conversation about The Artist or The King’s Speech? Exactly.

Let time percolate scenes, performances, lyrics, and guitar tones in your gut and mind. Remember how you felt in the moment, and how you experience the movie or album now. As much as I love movies, especially rewatchable movies, music means more to me than any form of entertainment. Mindfulness matters more than ever as my opinions and taste in music evolve and even change.

Look back a year later, maybe two, at least when thinking about how you truly feel about an album. Especially when you didn’t love an album at first blush.

Perfect example of this exercise is Volumes’ Happier? Recently got the chorus rhythm and guitar tone from “See You Again” stuck in my head. The sliding elastic breakdown midway through is do die for like rare ribeye.

Naturally I started playing through a few more tracks and eventually revisiting the entire album front to back. Towards the end of “Man On Fire” I realized Volumes had done some of their finer work stringing six solid tracks together, but I certainly did not think this initially.

Some context is imperative to understand Happier? prior to its release. Volumes went through their most turbulent line-up change yet firing vocalist Gus Farias and bringing back Michael Barr. Shortly thereafter guitarist Diego Farias left the band and tragically died in February of 2020.

Farias’ departure and death significantly affected the fans, the band, and its future. His role in the band as guitarist and producer built Volumes’ musical foundation with low-tuned djent guitar driving song direction. Farias and his heavy tones and playing engineered how listeners perceive Volumes.

With Farias gone fans like myself assumed Volumes were incapable of recreating the same propulsive djent riffs found on “Feels Good” and “Vahle”. I found myself more and more dismissive of Happier? with each single released. With “Bend” in particular I wrote to my friends on our Discord about my dissatisfaction.

“They’re going more pop metal. Diego Farias’ death also meant they can’t do the guitar stuff they used to do anymore. They haven’t been able to replace that at all. Sucks.”

Perhaps “Bend” doesn’t go as hard as “Across the Bed” but it’s accumulated nearly 2.5 million streams in less than a year versus 3.1 million accrued over six years. It resonated with a fans. So much so they recently released a Bend(ed) single with live and stripped down versions.

Rather than perfunctory replication of Farias’ genius Volumes opted for a natural adjustment. They leveraged what they already had in two outstanding frontmen and bass player Raad Soudani emerging as the driving musical force in Volumes. Happier? utilized more clean vocal choruses and slowed guitar riffs down (naturally) without compromising the weight of their sound.

Take the album titled track above as an example. Yes there’s still lots of scrappy screaming yet they never overwhelm the senses. Instruments compliment the vocals with openness and a steady pace with no concessions in heaviness. The chorus injects all the sugary catchiness of a top 40 pop rock song, but without giving up what fans perceive a Volumes song should do.

“Get Enough” and “Lets Me Down” attack the same objective with minute variance, but mostly to the same effect. “FBX” and “Malevolent” serve fans who’ve been with Volumes since Via and maybe even The Concept of Dreaming. “Man On Fire” offers the best of both past iterations and the current form of Volumes. Aggressive from the onset and stays aggro throughout. The last breakdown hurls another box of grenades onto an already raging inferno.

If I can put my producer hat on simply cut down the record to the tracks I mentioned, eight total, in this blog and you’ll have 30 minutes of A+ poppy djent.

Considering all the turmoil and loss of Diego Farias this version of Volumes seized an opportunity to reshape their perception and produce compelling heavy music. They just need to continue doing this in the studio and hopefully on the road so I can catch them in their element.

Most Disappointing Albums of 2017

Most-Disappointing

Jonas Bjerre // Photo Credit: Stephen McKendree

I’m just gonna say it, Mew’s Visuals disheartened me. Oh yeah, we’re going right for the hangnail. Anyone acquainted with me knows Mew is still one of my favorite bands. They were the first ambitious dive into more unknown and independent artists back when I was finding my tastes. Frengers might be my favorite album, ever. Definitely on the list of albums I’d take stranded to a deserted island but Visuals departs from everything I always loved about them.

The composition of songs seem pop focused and built from keyboards and synths rather than anamorphic guitars. Don’t make any assumptions about my opinions on digitally produced sounds either. + – explored this territory too however the roots of Mew could still be heard. Check the bridge from “Satellites” two minutes in for yourself. I remember how triumphant it felt hearing that section after such a long hiatus. There’s no reference back to the progressive melodies from No More Stories… or any of the enchanting multi-layered percussive recordings. I don’t find myself drifting from the present like I usually would. I don’t doubt their intentions but I can’t help stepping outside my biases and say most of Visuals sounds like hipster car commercial trash. It honestly hurts to say that but listen to “85 Videos” and “Carry Me to Safety” to judge for yourself. “The Wake of Your Life” sounds like some Young The Giant bullshit.

I don’t have any explanation or cause for why they took this direction. Mew have always worked on their terms. I don’t suspect any kind of A&R or label coercion but I am disappointed in what they’ve produced this time. Hopefully it’s nothing more than an experiment.

Perhaps the most disappointing album came from Volumes, whom I hyped heavily since last year. Strong singles but a disjointed portfolio. “Feels Good” still stands out despite most of the remaining index. It’s one of few tracks from this batch building of No Sleep and the dynamic vocal structures and “djent” rhythms established since their inception. Perhaps “Feels Good” was conceived before the departure of Michael Barr. Volumes hasn’t fully synced with replacement Myke Terry yet. Rather than focus their growth around a talent who can actually sing and back Gus Farias they opted for an extremely stark rap venture.

Plainly the attempt
doesn’t work

“Hope” compels the sneer I get when Kevin Malone spills his stock pot of chill in The Office. It’s a mess and plainly the attempt doesn’t work. I’ve always liked Volumes’ stylistic incorporation of hip hop through two frontmen hyping each other, layering their vocals strategically. This full dive into actually rapping flounders. Using Pouya for “On Her Mind” actually works because he’s a rapper and they accomplished writing a foundation, in their style, to rap over. Different Animals seems a lot like the cover art, buckets of paint thrown at the wall.

There’s an honest attempt to make the most of Terry but the execution didn’t yield what I wanted. This idea artists produce what we want is convoluted and problematic but it shouldn’t matter what we want. Many times record companies force artists to create what audiences want however I don’t suspect Volumes were pressured to make anything specific. Going of that logic, they made exactly what they wanted but I doubt they got the targeted response. Certainly not from me.

Northlane didn’t disappoint in the same way as Mew or Volumes. Their campaign to promote and release Mesmer failed garner people’s attention. The album itself didn’t bother me but I think psychologically it’s an interesting album release to reflect on. Northlane tried the Beyoncé route, releasing an album digitally unannounced and without promotion, a foolishly idea that ultimately failed the project.

It worked for Beyoncé for many simple reasons, mainly she’s arguably the most popular female singer in the world. Never forget she and her camp famous worked in secret and struck right before Christmas, 2013. Before then she had her first child and looking back the world seemed to think of her as a famous celebrity rather than a once in a lifetime artist. Northlane forgot they weren’t Beyoncé and lost a great opportunity to generate the appropriate buildup for Mesmer. I found musically most received it well, including bigger publications. Again, they missed an opportunity to raise awareness and anticipation in releasing “Intuition” at the beginning of the year.

Thanks again for reading. Check back next Friday for some blind hype on next year’s expected albums.

Halfway 2017

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When I daydream, my thoughts usually think tank around records and shows. What am I really digging right now, what am I looking forward to, and which tickets I need to prioritize. These are all questions I can ponder for hours. Around this time of year I compare last years crop to this one’s and look forward to summer, fall, and winter. 2017 has the luxury of quantity and quality. Last year didn’t seem as strong but looking back on my top 10 the high tier of records were supreme.

Currently I have a list of 25 albums, some unreleased, without any order. Other than two records, everything else on the list is fluid. Obviously 15 of those albums won’t appear on my top ten but will certain get their dues. Compared to last year there are so many phenomenal releases to choose from. I know my friends will post completely different lists from mine on our private feed. I’m sure we’ll even discuss our differences on hierarchy. My close friend Andrew Murray placed higher praise on AMERIKKKAN BADA$$ after posting his initial review stating “it damn well might end up being my favorite of the year.” My opinion is aqueous at the moment but I haven’t revisited the album as much as Andrew. If I did, our positioning would likely aline closer.

Andrew, myself, and seemingly everyone else agrees on Father John Misty’s Pure Comedy too. Without much effort, social media kept me aware of his activities over the last few years. Fear Fun back in 2012 was a solid debut but my interest waned until this year. I couldn’t escape the buzz around Pure Comedy during it’s promotion and release. If it weren’t for Japan, my disinterest would have continued. It’s a throwback to a time when we actually stayed in one small space to listen to music, so it was perfect on my trip. When I arrived at Narita International I had to take a lengthy train ride to Shibuya-Ebisu. Time went by as I took in Japan for the first time with a perfect soundtrack. It’s slow burn in every sense of the phrase but if you have the time to kick back with a record like this appreciate it the privilege.

Looking out from my seat and watching the country go by felt like felling in love. The title track forever ingrained that feeling and associated itself with my memories of Japan. “Leaving LA” felt like an EP within the album. A short film in the movie. It’s a not an album I’d normal rave about but timing created an opening for Father John. Pure Comedy may not make my top 10 but I’ll remember the album when I think about Japan, or this year. There’s nothing extra to impress in the mix, nor an attempt for thrills. Otherwise, the vibe wouldn’t create the serene detachment I felt across the ocean.

These were just two of many of the great releases this year. Kendrick Lamar, by this post’s header, shows just how dominate he’s been this year. While a half year remains, this has been Kendrick’s year and we’ll never forget that. He’s been the dominate rapper of this year and the last few. I don’t want to get into final thoughts about DAMN. until the end of the year; however, it’s already his most iconic. It reminds me a lot of Metallica or Springsteen when they transcended far above relative popularity. Their iconic albums, The Black Album and Born in The USA, respectively, like KDOT helped them dominate sales, charts, and year’s narrative.

1984, you could argue Springsteen had the best album of the year. Those songs capture America during those years of Reagan, post-Vietnam, and the decay of the American Dream economically, socially, and politically. 1991, Metallica brought metal to commercial success and mainstream recognition no one ever though the genre could achieve. The record still dunked on average 5000 units a week last year and is still the highest selling record of the last 24 years. 2017, after being snubbed by Macklemore and finally winning a Grammy for To Pimp a Butterfly, Kendrick took himself to a higher place. TPAB explored modern inequality and injustice for African Americans in this country. Back to the Metallica comparison, TPAB reminds me of Injustice’s stretching the artist’s musicianship and social/political ideas as far as possible. We will never hear another record as unrestrained as those from either artist.

Metallica pondered what their next logical step was after Injustice. They simplified and we all know the rest. Kendrick has accomplished the same. I’ll reserve my final overall thoughts on DAMN. for my end of the year ritual; however, it’s already an iconic album and shaped my memory of 2017.

Let’s not over shadow the first of half the year as we look forward. Code Orange has punished audiences with Forever for six months now. Probably not on many’s list, Oliver Houston came out of nowhere with a debut reminiscent of The Promise Ring and Cap’n Jazz. Japandroids came back with one of their best yet. While a slow burn compared to the rest of their catalog, Wild Heart received due praise for maturing with its audience and perhaps standing as one of the lone pure rock ’n’ roll bands. I never got to review Uniform’s glitch noise monster Wake in Fright. Seeing such frantic fury at The Hideout engraved their place among my favorite active artists. It’s hard to say if they’re even in their prime yet, which says a lot about what’s ahead for them.

Logic’s Everybody briefly dominate rap for a few days. Pitchfork and some others had some unfair criticisms citing crammed and coercive agendas. Pay attention to “Take It Back” and judge for yourself. To me, they either didn’t listen or simply if Logic was Kendrick they’d be giving him domes. Real Estate pushed out their 4th album earlier this year. This took some time to grow on me. Japan and summer kicking off really help feeding into them again. Atlas left underwhelmed after Days became on of may favorite albums of this decade. I melt into whatever seat when I hear “Holding Pattern” come on. Pretty song for riding trains in Japan, smoking cigarettes at the cafe, or cracking open a cold one with the boys.

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We can digest the rest of Volumes’ Different Animals with a revamped line-up. I’ve peaked at a few early reviews and none of the pieces I read have the same familiarity with the band as I. “Finite” focuses on Myke Terry’s clean vocals. Clearly they’re honing in on his talent as the band reaches a wider audience now. I haven’t had enough listens yet but it’s a transitional album for them. They’re building towards the next project. This incarnation hasn’t spent enough time together developing continuity and their djent hip-hop hybrid style.

Different Animal doesn’t have cohesion but rather a collection of good ideas. Will they lean toward a certain style or can they concoct a fully concentrated album? I think they’re pretty close. I’d like to see more tracks like “On Her Mind” featuring guys like Pouya, who can rap, along with “Finite” and “Feels Good” which keep the integrity of the band’s base sound while continuing to enhance their catchy emotive choruses with Terry’s clean vocals. Half the album I also find pretty forgettable. The challenge for them lies in putting together a comprehensive record where all the songs work together.

No one seems aware Us and Us Only are finally releasing a full length. They’ve been pushing bandcamp since 2010 but seem to have a legitimate operation running now. “Bored of Black” polishes those effort into their best material yet. Cigarettes After Sex debuted their first LP. Big Thief quickly followed up last year’s Masterpiece with their second album. Seems everyone has caught on now, so I don’t expect to see them for $10 ever again. It’s been a great half year and unfortunately can’t keep up with all these great releases. I hear singles off most of the records I add to my library but can’t seem to get around to going through a full album.

The Dirty Nil’s Minimum R&B deserves a full listen at some point. “Fuckin’ Up Young” has those Weezer Blue Album, bros chanting together, choruses along with keeping the rock in the garage. Occasionally going to the dive. BROCKHAMPTON’s Saturation seems fire according to vibes I see online. Their mixtape last year reminded me of Odd Future as a collective with more ambitious ideas. I found Oso Oso’s The Yunahon Mixtape through The Ringer but haven’t finished the whole thing yet. I’ll save it for a beach day.

The rest of the year has a lot on the horizon. Of Mice & Men could potentially wreck my list if an album drops later this year. The Contortionist may end up as the year’s most disappointing album. I love this band. Intrinsic was the best album of 2012 for me. I get what they’re going for on the new single. The first few minutes start strong and remind me of 10,000 Days era Tool but turns bland quickly. I’ve read a lot of comments over at The Circle Pit and other Facebook accounts and pages rave about how pretty it is. While true, it sounds as interesting as the new Linkin Park abomination. They also push back on criticism with the obligatory “sorry it’s not heavy” which isn’t even the problem. That transition occurred back on Intrinsic which was one of the reasons I loved the record. Hopefully the rest of Clairvoyant won’t sound as straight forward or dryly repetitive.

There’s still plenty of albums to come this year. Sheer Mag’s debut album comes out July 14th. Downtown Boys’ 3rd full length drops in August. I’ll be hearing Haim’s new album all summer long when my roommate get’s the LP. The first single sounds pretty good, but I’m not crazy about heighten production. Remove the echoing strum and leave the keys, perfecto. I’m probably in the minority with that opinion. Ride will release it’s first album in over twenty years.

Some familiar faces will potentially be back too. Apparently there’s a Kanye album on the cusp but it’s unclear what to expect. A$AP Rocky seems due for his next album cycle to start. Seems like there’s word all over the place Jay Z will have something new as well. There’s no really proof I’m aware of but it’s been almost five years since Magna Carta, which I’d forgotten about until writing this.

I look forward to the rest of 2017 and can’t wait for whatever surprises are still in store. Something unexpected will eventually drop unannounced on streaming services this summer or fall. Someone I didn’t mention, Frank Ocean or Tool perhaps, will overwhelm us and help shape how the year will be remembered forever.