This one is a bit later than I meant it to be.

But on with the show:
When They Performed some of the singles off of Goodbye Blues at the Canopy Club awhile back, I was right in thinking this next album would be a real development.

The Hush Sound has come out with their third album now, titled Goodbye Blues.  It really shows some change from the previous albums, but keeps the delightfully jazzy sound that the Hush Sound members do so well.  The Album rocks harder than any of the previous ones, with a heavier kickpedal and bass/guitar infulence, with the piano somewhat reduced, though still very present.  The beat of songs like Medicine Man (I'm betting it will be their next single off the album)  really carry you out, and I can say personally that they do great live, too.

Another interesting note on Goodbye Blues is the sudden action of Greta taking the forefront as singer.  She sang a number of songs in the past, but their guitarist, Robert ("Bob") normally took the forefront of vocals, and such was the case live as well.  Bob is only the lead singer on two songs in the entirety of the album, with "Not Your Concern" and "As you Cry".  Otherwise, Greta dominates the album, and sings stronger than in either Like Vines or So Suddden, the previous albums. 

Livewise, I can say that it shows, too: Greta's singing is much, much stronger.  I remember when I saw them in 2007, and she seemed wiped by the end of the show.  Here in 2008, she held strong and sang better the entire show, not that she was even weak previously. 

If I gave star ratings, I'd give Goodbye Blues a 5 out of 5.  It is well balanced, strong throughout, and shows development of style without abandoning roots.  I just wish Bob sang more, but I know I still have their other two albums, and they still perform quite a bit of the material from them live as well. 

So yeah, if you want to get a feel for the album, checkout the following songs:
Honey (Now on 88.7 the Wave!) (Also, Music Video @ youtube)
Medicine Man
The Boys are Too Refined
Love you Much Better
Not Your Concern

Okay, so that is like... half the album... but if you like this "New-Jazz" sound, you should love this stuff. 

I didn’t even know that Flogging Molly was coming out with a new CD.  Imagine my surprise when I was offered the chance to review it.  I jumped on it.

“Requiem for a Dying Song” is a great opening.  The album has its fair share of songs with a strong rock feel with plenty of Gaelic flavor.  “Paddy’s Lament”, “Lightning Storm”, “Float”, and “Between a Man and a Woman” also stand out from among the other songs, though there were hardly any songs I could call weak links.  “Float” and “The Story so Far” are both slower songs, but carry their own weight in a swaggering emotional swelling.  I didn’t quite like “The Story so Far” as much, but I have a feeling it is one of those songs that grow on you.  

All in all, Float is a good CD.  It doesn’t offer anything spectacularly new, but it feels far from stale.  Flogging Molly sounds the same as they always have, but this album doesn’t have the same feel as Within A Mile of Home, which is my personal favorite of their albums that I have heard.  But that isn’t a bad thing. Float just doesn’t rock in the same way.  I think that is a good indicator, it shows the band and the members have grown.  You can’t record the same type of album twice, and if you try, it usually doesn’t work out.  

So: If you like Flogging Molly, then I imagine you would like this album.  It is a good addition to your collection. If you are new to them, this is a great example of their sound, so you should pick it up if you want to try it out.  This one might turn into a new favorite for me, I'll only know with time.

Ah, we are adding "Requiem for A Dying Song" to Rotation during regular programming on 88.7!  So if you want an early sample, give the lines a jingle at 373-3790, and request it!  Otherwise, you'll have to wait till March 4th.

-Lucas M

Eleni (Our Station Manager) asked if I'd like to listen to this album to see if there was any of it that would be good for our station. I had never heard of Streetlight Manifesto. She told me it was ska, and that their previous albums had been good. I haven't heard good ska in awhile, so I thought I would give it a try.

This is one fun CD, I have to say.

The opening track, We Will Fall Togehter, had me hooked the second I heard it.  The horns have this calypso-like fanfare that sounded super familiar, as if I had heard the song before, but very alien at the same time.   The Vocals have an old-punk gritty scream to them, but don't go over the top like so many bands do nowadays.

Really, what sold me on Somewhere in the Between was the third and fifth songs, Would You Be Impressed? and Watch it Crash, respectively.  Catchy lyrics, amazing drumming and rhythm, and those horns again.  What Streetlight Manifesto really impresses me with is their horn section.  I'm a mild ska fan, and have a couple CDs by Reel Big Fish and The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, but their horns don't quite have this type of grab to them.  It's almost as if the reggae roots of ska have mixed with some new Latin American influences, and it really adds something new.  It has a dance feel to it, jazzy and march-like at the same time.

I'm going to check out some more Streetlight Manifesto when I have the time.

My Apologies if this seems watered down compared to my review of Venus Doom.  I'm not familiar with this band, so it is hard to review how they have developed or compare with other albums.  Also, remember, I'm a mild ska fan, so I'd feel out of place going extensively into this.  Oh, and I have to type a lot these days.  Enough excuses.


Oh, by the way, Sunnyside won't be airing this Saturday (the 17th) due to the fact 88.7 is airing a (basketball?) game.  I might not air on Thanksgiving weekend either, we'll see.  I should have time, but I have a lot of Essays to be writing, and Schoolwork comes first.  If all goes well, I should still have time do one.  We'll see.  I just thought I would mention it if any of my listeners just happen to check this blog ever.

I bought it yesterday, and I never listen to an album until I can hear the whole thing end-to-end.
So, I just finished it. Let's Get Started.

I'm going to discuss the different aspects of the album as a whole, and forget using number systems. I can't really put numbers on this kind of thing.

First: Lyrics.

This album wasn't a big departure for Valo's lyrical styling.  I didn't expect it to be. So, if you like the typical heartbroken, gloomy, death-is-love-is-suffering songs, then you will like it. I was hoping that this album might make a slight change of course, but once again, didn't expect it.  The lyrics are well written, and just as darkly poetic as I'd expect.  But It's not much of anything new.  I liked Face of God from Dark Light and The Sacrament and Circle of Fear from Love Metal because they had a more positive message.  (Circle of Fear talked about saving yourself before you could save others, The Sacrament speaks of love as a good thing, same for Face of God, but maybe that's just my opinion.)  the song 'Venus Doom' does have some more positive aspects, so it might grow on me still. 

I suppose H.I.M. has a certain niche sound.  I'd like to see them explore that niche some more, though I doubt it could happen without angering fans.  But Screw Fans, this is art.  Just look at Gundam Seed (I'm not even a gundam fan, and I can tell it is bad) to see what happens when fanboys control the material.

Moving On, Music/Vocals:

Just as Catchy as Ever.  I've always liked Linde and Migé on the Guitar/Bass.  There is this real growl to the guitar/bass combo that gives a real sense of depth.  Also, it makes me think of some kind of terrifying giant horsefly of death coming to tear you apart.  Possibly a stone horsefly.    But I digress.  Also, Gas doesn't disappoint on the drums.  HIM has always had excellent drums, with varied beats textures, with every part of the kit used in good taste.  That really helps your sound.  Listen to Reign in Blood by Slayer to hear what a mediocre set of beats will do; each song sounds similar because the same 'speed beat' is used whenever they need to play faster.  Burton adds spook on keyboards, providing a range of backgrounds for everything else. 

Oh, and the song 'Song or Suicide' is acoustic.  It's just a little number, hardly over a minute, though. I thought that was a really good touch. 

So, to sum the instruments: very catchy, a progression from the previous album, but not all that new at the same time.  If you liked Dark Light then you will like Venus Doom.

Vocally, Valo is deeper and richer.  I don't think I have heard him sing so low before, at least not this much.  It suits the lyrics and the album well.

Overall and Random Thoughts:

Once again, not a huge departure from typical HIM, but it is done gracefully.  This album doesn't have as many catches lyrically for me as Dark Light did, but at least the title song is on par or better than the other songs on the album.  (This was not the case with Dark Light, where the title song was the only song I didn't like on the whole album.) 

Venus Doom, The Kiss of Dawn, and Cyanide Sun are all worth Radio Play.  I might play Song or Suicide, but the shortness makes it tricky to decide.

Speaking of Song or Suicide, it really was a good touch on this album.  It is placed right after some of the darker songs of the album, and makes a good transition.  It almost feels like a Concept Album, a story of a lover as he falls in love, only to find lust and brokeness.  At the end, resolve.  Maybe I'm looking too much into it. 

Love in Cold Blood, Passion's Killing Floor, and Sleepwalking Past Hope all give me the creeps, and not in the good way.  That's a third of the songs on this album.
 
The Cover art of Venus Doom is creepy.  It stares at you like a broken heart, mouth half parted, eyes weak and half closed.  Having been through a horrendously rough breakup in my past, it gives me an idea of what I must have looked like. 

Sooooo...
It's a good album, but it doesn't feel like much of anything new to me.  I hope the next(?) album will carry some new lyrical content, because I was a little disappointed in this album.  I know Valo has it in him, i just want to see it.  I've seen these guys live, and he has quite a swagger of charisma.  While it might hurt their popularity, I would say to abandon the Hot Topic crowd and explore what they can really do with their lineup.  I wouldn't say that I'm all that satisfied with Venus Doom, but I'm not crushed with disappointment either.  I guess it's average, and that was a little less than I expected, though it isn't a bad thing on its own.  Granted, I'm not in the stage of my life where I can really find association with a lot of the lyrics anymore.  The niche is a limited area, and as long as you stick inside of the niche, your creativity begins to stagnate, and your material becomes repetitive.  I like HIM, but I want to see something more developed than this, because I can only listen to this for so long.

An afterthought:
If you are just getting into HIM, this would be an excellent addition to your collection.  It's not a bad record by any means, I just was hoping for something else.  Plus, my irritable mood on that particular day didn't help with reviewing it.