2008 Woodie Awards
Soundbytes
Manuel Caballero, Daniela Gutierrez
Issue date: 8/25/04 Section: A&E
At first listen, The Killer's full-length album HotFuss, includes the relentless disco beats with melodic bass lines and angular guitars from just about any band circa 1986.
The production of the full record is very glittery, full of candy-coated hooks. The production damages the albums creativity.
The first four tracks hint at the band's potential, but the album slowly turns boring.
Album opener "Jenny was a Friend of Mine" sets the mood of aggressive rhythm and synth melodies.
In the first single "Somebody Told Me" and in the second single "Mr. Brightside," Brandon Flowers demonstrates his full sledgehammer vocals.
The synth romanticism of "Smile Like You Mean It" is a perfect fit for any teen movie from the '80s.
The last good track from the Killers is "On Top," pulling off a superb Duran Duran simulation.
However, beginning with "All The Things I've Done," the Killer's, limitations become all too apparent.
"All The Things I've Done" has a misguided ambition.
The subsequent songs get worse, especially, the Bowie-esque "Andy You're a Star."
Overall, The Killers' album Hot Fuss, is not so hot.
Wilco's pleasant-sounding work earned critical acclaim in 2002 for the release Yankee Hotel Foxtrot.
Now Wilco's new album, A Ghost Is Born, takes another step toward changing the standards of the "alt-country" genre.
The band is led by Jeff Tweedy in vocals. On guitar is multi-instrumentalist Leroy Bach, followed by two other talented musicians: Mike Jorgensen on keyboards and guitarist and co-producer Jim O'Rourke.
A Ghost is Born retains to the style Wilco introduced in Yankee Hotel Foxtrot but with more crossed-over music.
Unlike the cold and artificial Pro-tools ambience of Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, A Ghost Is Born is less mechanical.
Nevertheless, the pieces are painted with ghostly song structures and episodic ventures into dissonance.
The opening track, "At Least That's What You Said," is a lullaby, emotionally delivered in Jeff Tweedy's hesitant voice.
The production of the full record is very glittery, full of candy-coated hooks. The production damages the albums creativity.
The first four tracks hint at the band's potential, but the album slowly turns boring.
Album opener "Jenny was a Friend of Mine" sets the mood of aggressive rhythm and synth melodies.
In the first single "Somebody Told Me" and in the second single "Mr. Brightside," Brandon Flowers demonstrates his full sledgehammer vocals.
The synth romanticism of "Smile Like You Mean It" is a perfect fit for any teen movie from the '80s.
The last good track from the Killers is "On Top," pulling off a superb Duran Duran simulation.
However, beginning with "All The Things I've Done," the Killer's, limitations become all too apparent.
"All The Things I've Done" has a misguided ambition.
The subsequent songs get worse, especially, the Bowie-esque "Andy You're a Star."
Overall, The Killers' album Hot Fuss, is not so hot.
Wilco's pleasant-sounding work earned critical acclaim in 2002 for the release Yankee Hotel Foxtrot.
Now Wilco's new album, A Ghost Is Born, takes another step toward changing the standards of the "alt-country" genre.
The band is led by Jeff Tweedy in vocals. On guitar is multi-instrumentalist Leroy Bach, followed by two other talented musicians: Mike Jorgensen on keyboards and guitarist and co-producer Jim O'Rourke.
A Ghost is Born retains to the style Wilco introduced in Yankee Hotel Foxtrot but with more crossed-over music.
Unlike the cold and artificial Pro-tools ambience of Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, A Ghost Is Born is less mechanical.
Nevertheless, the pieces are painted with ghostly song structures and episodic ventures into dissonance.
The opening track, "At Least That's What You Said," is a lullaby, emotionally delivered in Jeff Tweedy's hesitant voice.