Reviews I May Have Missed In September (pt. 1)

And now, just before October ends, let me squeeze in a few things I didn’t review in September. This was one of the first months where I had a longer list of albums that I could review. This is…good? Anyways, this is a two-parter, two albums each. And sorry to the few other CDs that didn’t make it in here. Better luck next album cycle.

Cody Simpson – ‘Paradise’

Cody Simpson had a whole lotta buzz around him for a while, but it seemed to die down. Then about a year later he released this album. Good timing, huh? Australia’s answer to Justin Bieber just couldn’t seem to make it happen in terms of singles (one of his EPs before this had a Flo Rida-assisted track, but no luck), but the album did…alright (peaked at #27). The album is too summery for now (it sounds like the entire thing was written with Simspon’s feet in the sand), and the two singles – “Got Me Good” and “Wish U Were Here (ft. Becky G)” – just…didn’t. Not a bad teen-pop album though, and I don’t want to criticize too harshly. Boy’s only fifteen or something you know.

Listen to: “Be The One”, “Wish U Were Here (ft. Becky G)”, “Summer Shade”

David Byrne & St. Vincent – ‘Love This Giant’

David Byrne is a legend. He was a founding member of the Talking Heads, and since then he has gone on to win Grammys and Oscars and record with some of the biggest names in music. So, for him to pick St. Vincent up and ask to make a collaborative album with her is probably the biggest honor she’ll ever get. He must have seen something in her though, as she performs wonderfully and holds her own against the musical giant (is that where the name comes from?). The album is horn-fronted, with much of the drama focusing on marching band-esque trumpets. St. Vincent and David Byrne’s vocal duets keep the spirits up, rarely letting this experiment in pop music go down a notch.

Listen to: “Who”

Deadmau5 – ‘>album title goes here<’

Yes, Joel Zimmerman, you’re so clever. Your album titles are always something, aren’t they? While he may be a bit obnoxious, his music can speak for itself (so maybe he should stop).

Deadmau5 has always been a bit out there (hence the name and giant head), and his song titles don’t let down. Songs like “Fn Pigs”, “Professional Griefers (ft. Gerard Way)”, “The Veldt (ft. Chris James)”, and “Take Care of the Proper Paperwork” could leave an unsuspecting outsider wondering just <i>what</i> this album would be. Brilliance, or left-field stupidity?

Zimmerman uses his left-field stupidity to create brilliance. He seems completely untethered to the idea of hit singles or fame (or even friends), and so he is free to create some of the most forward-thinking and hard-feeling EDM out there. Everything on ‘>album title goes here<’ is original. While very danceable, you can also sit back and contemplate his works one by one. Maybe it sounds silly to call a song named “Fn Pigs” art, but this is how movements grow.

Listen to: the album, especially “Professional Griefers (ft. Gerard Way)”, “Maths” and “The Veldt (ft. Chris James)”