Music

Outkast - Call the Law

I absolutely LOVE Outkast. I have followed their career for years and years and look forward to any and all projects they have coming up, up to and including their new movie Idlewild. That said, it is unfortunate that this track has their name on it, though understandable since it's their movie and their album doubling as the soundtrack to the movie. This song is listed as featuring a woman named Janelle Monáe, but it is her voice that makes this song. She sings throughout most of the song and should really get more than an assist. The song is sort of Broadway musical meets The Triplets of Belleville meets soul meets swing. I think the beat sounds a lot like the one Outkast used for Land of A Million Drums, but it works very well here. This is a great song and I'd love to see a choreographed video for it. Hopefully there will be some good dancing when this is played during the movie.

Fergie - London Bridge

I may have mis-spoken when I introduced "Bossy" as the worst song ever made. If Fergie does not take that title out-right, she sure competes hard for it. Not only has Fergie ruined the hip-hop group The Black-Eyed Peas, but now she has begun her solo career. The beat is decent enough, but who came up with these lyrics? That person should be fired... out of a cannon. Fergie added female sex-appeal and attitude to the laid-back BEP who had no problem releasing two very good albums before she joined. Oh, she also brought bladder-control problems.

Kelis - Bossy

I would like to submit this to the committee as the worst song ever made. Kelis is notable only as wife of New York rap mogul Nas. Her name should never come up on any other context. She did have a "popular" song relatively recently, but the only good that came from that was a great Family Guy clip. In "Bossy" the beat is horrible, her lyrics are even worse. It may be an empowering song, in theory, to some women, in a relatively jestful way, but from a serious standpoint the song is awful. Pretty soon there will be two strikes against Nas's career: Kelis making records AND Stillmatic.

(Link to the video)

A decent enough Alternative Rock album, but this may be a disappointing Guster album. It might be more fair to simply say it is not their best. There are definitely some good songs on the album, some of which are even reminiscent of Guster albums-gone-by. Maybe the songs towards end will grow on me as I continue to listen to this album, but so far the strength is really the first two-thirds of the album and the last song.

01. Lightening Rod This is a pretty weak opening track. I keep waiting either for something to happen or to hear "I'm off on a rocket ship," which would be nothing but an improvement. But I guess on this album, any similarity, however small, to their first three albums is a good thing. This sounded much better live.

02. Satellite This is a decent track (better than the first anyway), but I am disappointed in how poorly Ryan's voice projects here. He has a relatively distinct sound that is somewhat of a Guster signature and it is lost in this song.

03. Manifest Destiny This is one of my favorite tracks on the album. I like the tune, I like the tempo, I like the lyrics. I like the whole feel of the song. My first time or two through the album I thought the keyboard at the beginning of the song meant Ben Folds was going to sing me a little ditty, but that feeling was brief.

04. One Man Wrecking Machine This is the first single released from the album. I heard it for the first time when I watched the video which was sent out to the guster e-mail list. I think I like it a little more each time I hear it and the video captures the mood of the song perfectly.

05. The Captain This song, maybe more than others on this album, really reminds me of the old Guster albums. Oh, and in case you haven't picked up on that yet...that is a good thing. The instrumentals do run a little long here, but good song overall.

06. New Underground This one has been growing on me. I wasn't sure if I thought the energy was too much for me from Guster, but I find it works well.

07. Ruby Falls This song really sets me at ease...until about two and a half minutes into it when the awkward, screechy guitar chimes in. I like the vocals, but some of the notes are just too drawn out in the music. The song does drag a little.

08. C'mon If I had to guess which song would be released as the second single, it would be C'mon. It's definitely a good song and would promote the album well.

09. Empire State Guster has made songs like this one before that are just too slow for my taste. I know someone likes them, or they wouldn't keep making them. I am just not one of them who does.

10. Dear Valentine Another ho-hum track. It's better than the last one, but still nothing to write home about.

11. The Beginning of The End I do not like the mix of vocals and instruments here. The music seems to be accompanying a different singer. I have no complaints with Ryan's singing, but the music has to go in this one.

12. Hang On This seems to be stranded alone in a sea of weak songs here at the end. Move this song up a few tracks and you'll know when it is over you won't have to listen to the last few songs. Hang On is pretty good.

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Remember the good old days where love is like a dragonfly - so beautiful it will die and disappear before your eyes? I’m no philosopher. I am no poet. I’m just trying to help you out.

My exposure to matt pond PA was very limited before this album. I had only listened to the songs available to download from the official band website. I liked what I heard and was excited to learn about the latest album (October, 2005). A few guitars; a bass; a cello; drums; and the occasional keyboard, the recipe is a simple one to generate an enjoyable album from matt pond PA. Even though some of the songs blend together at the middle of the album, which makes them difficult to decipher from one another...

01. Halloween This is a representative song of what I like about matt pond PA. The sound is relaxed but not slow. Your subconscious takes over before long and you're tapping your foot or bobbing your head.

02. So Much Trouble If they have not yet taken it down, the video for this song is available at matt pond PA's myspace page. This song would go well on a mixtape with the Postal Service.

03. The Trees And The Wild As the song starts I feel that the music might be boring. It is simple and a little slower, but that does not mean is has to be boring. It works well here. Decent track.

04. Several Arrows Later The title track is a good song to appreciate Matt Pond's voice. The contrast between slower vocals and up-tempo music sounds pretty good.

05. It Is Safe There is nothing too remarkable about this song, and nothing really worth mentioning. It is a solid track as we enter the middle of the disc.

06. Emblems The music shakes you awake while the vocals rock you gently to sleep. Emblems leaves you slightly confused, though entertained.

07. City Song I think it's the cello that adds the slower element to the album. It's good, but this is a song where it is more noticeable.

08. From Debris This is one of the better songs on the album. The music grabs you right from the beginning. "From Debriiiiiis...you and meeeee...." Sing it with me.

09. Brooklyn Stars This song is a great example of what I consider to be a strength in lyrics on this album. It seems a pretty simple story that may not be so simple after all.

10. The Moviegoer I like this song now. The comparison to The Strokes - Last Nite drove me crazy for awhile, but it is not so bad anymore. It is a good song with a fun beat to it.

11. Spring Provides The album really ends strongly. Not to say that the earlier tracks are not good, but it is just heavily weighted on the end. Spring Provides...provides more proof of that.

12. Devil In The Water After Halloween, Devil in the Water is probably my favorite song on the album. They seem to have held nothing back as the album draws to a close. Not that this song is packed with loud energy, because it is not.

They took some good songs and wrapped them in two great ones. There is no negative connotation when I describe this as a good "rainy day" album, when your energy level may match the weather outside. That might be one of the best times to listen to Several Arrows Later, though not only time. Check it out for yourself.

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