duo

Leave Me Alone (Leaving Thomas, Leaving Thomas review)

Posted on by Tim Kuefler

Not every album review can be a winner unfortunately, and while there’s nothing wrong with the old adage of you never know unless you try, I kind of wish I hadn’t given this week’s album a second thought.

 

 

Leaving Thomas – Leaving Thomas

released January 19, 2018
***** 5/10

Leaving Thomas are a Canadian country pop duo from Calgary (a neighbouring city in my province of Alberta). Annika Odegard and Bryton Udy have finally dropped their much anticipated self-titled EP, Leaving Thomas. It’s eight tracks in length make for a pretty hefty EP, but there is enough variety in the song choices that you can sit through it without too much issue. And I can see why their are gaining momentum throughout Canada and the United States, but unfortunately it’s kind of an uneven listen for me, with a lot of filler tracks and not enough chances taken.

Don’t get me wrong, it’s nice to see a Canadian country duo getting lots of attention, but if track no. six is any indication, Best Adventure is far from it, and feels a little bit like your average middle of the summer radio jam. Which is probably why it’s one of the the first three singles released.

That said, Blame it On The Neon is where this EP really shines, it a good time for all involved and really showcases Annika’s vocals. You can easily see this song filling a stadium. And If This Is Love is a solid second runner up for best track, with all kinds of emotion, punctuated by the piano, it’s a incredibly deep ballad and something you’d expect from more seasoned performers.

The last of the singles, Waiting Kind of Girl, falls somewhere in the middle, with it’s interesting melodic structure and tempo. But man that chorus is just brutal to listen to. It’s way too on the nose, with rises and falls all over the place. And that percussion just hurts me.

I just wish the album was a bit longer, which would have made it a full-length album, and maybe there would have been some artist driven choices here, rather then the safety net of convention. You can tell this duo has a voice just waiting to break out, but musically they are playing it safe and boring. Unfortunately for us.

Pros: When they are connected, you can tell very clearly that Odegard and Udy are childhood friends that enjoy playing together and to each others strengths, and there is a sweetness to If This Is Love, which absolutely merits it’s inclusion.

Cons: I wish that Udy had a larger role in the vocal work, and that he played off of Odegard more often, because while she is the big sister to his little brother figure, sometimes youth can surprise you with energy and innovation. And I wish that Shame On Me had hit the cutting room floor. Yuck.

Runtime: 28 minutes

Points of Interest: Odegard is two years older then Udy, and they first meet as children during a biblical stage production. They reconnected at the Calgary Stampede 2012 where they were both competitors in a talent search, but it wasn’t until a rained out BBQ that they decided to play 90’s country together and then things clicked.

There is some serious potential with this pop country duo, but it won’t get them into a position of prominence playing it safe. So for now I’ll be leaving Leaving Thomas on the shelf, with hopes that it isn’t nostalgia but success that demands another listen from them.

theories Summarized

I don’t think  you should buy this album or pick up a digital copy, but I do think you should listen to a handful of the tracks and make up your mind to investigate further. Maybe you’ll be more forgiving of the EP that have been, either way Leaving Thomas won’t be leaving the scene anytime soon, and hopefully they take the feedback with a grain of salt.

That said, I am happy to announce another first for timotheories, and an excellent album for you to consider listening to. Grizzly Bear’s Painted Ruins is well worth a spin, and their democratic brand of music is refreshing. Don’t Believe me? Just watch what Brendon Greene and I have to say about the matter.

I hope you enjoyed our first ever Sound Culture video review, but if you did, can you do us a favour and subscribe, comment and like the video? We appreciate your continued support dear readers.

Tim!

Red Cross, Blue Cross (First Aid Kit, Ruins review)

Posted on by Tim Kuefler

What is the difference between a red cross and a blue cross, dear readers? One is a humanitarian organization, which receives all resources through donation, and the other is an insurance company that specializes exclusive in the health sector. It’s the little things that make a difference, after all.

Which is why this album is immediately better then their last.

 

 

First Aid Kit – Ruins

released January 19, 2018
******** 8/10

First Aid Kit is a Swedish folk, indie, americana and country based sister duo of Klara and Johanna Söderberg. They’ve been officially making music since 2007, and now have four albums under their belt. Their first studio-length album may have been 2010’s The Big Black and the Blue, but their international attention came from a cover they performed of Fleet Foxe’s Tiger Mountain Peasant Song which blew up on the internet.

In addition to their studio albums, First Aid Kit (FAK) have also made a couple of EPs, and some other singles over the past few years. Their early exposure to artists like Judy Garland, Billie Holiday, Johnny Cash, Bob Dylan, Leonard Cohen, the Louvin Brothers, Gram Parsons and Emmylou Harris all played a big part in forming their musical sound, but the soundtrack for O Brother, Where Are Thou? was especially inspiring and a major catalyst for Johanna.

Their newest album, Ruins, was recorded in the early part of 2017 and they slowly released the singles It’s a Shame, Postcard, and Fireworks over the back half of the year. Thank God for that, as these singles are momentous and a welcome addition to the canon.

Track opener Rebel Heat sets the tone, a deep sadness and finality, telling us not to mess around with First Aid Kit or their hearts. Sure it might seem a bit on the nose, at first, but there is a deep pain hidden within these lyrics.

This is even more smartly said when we do get to the finish line. There is a tired sincerity to Nothing Has to Be True, and in the end nothing really matters, except for the moments and these two women who’ve shared them with us.

Pros: These singles are amazing on their own, but when paired together, they really shine and showcase the range of First Aid Kit. Postcard, Fireworks or It’s A Shame, take your pick, excellent songs to move to.

Cons: The second half of the record isn’t quite as strong as the first, and as a result it feels somewhat tacked on, despite the beautiful vocals and intelligent instrumentation.

Runtime: 36 minutes

Points of Interest: Did you know that the name First Aid Kit came from the duo thumbing randomly through a phone directory?

Their strength has always rested in their shared songwriting and harmonious sound. Ruins continues in that strong tradition of enriching tradition and emphasizing the romance of country music. To Live a Life is an excellent example is an excellent worship song of the art of solitude and exactly the kind of thing their heroes would have done.

Taking the road less travelled and sticking to the truth has always been the name of the game, and Ruins doesn’t deviate from that vein of glorious history being rewritten on their lips.

theories Summarized

This is gorgeous music and whether or not it completely devastates with earnest lyrics or not, theSöderberg sisters know how to make dark clouds seem warm and inviting. I hope it wins some new fans to the First Aid Kit brand, and diehards will enjoy it too, but let’s hope that red cross doesn’t turn blue.

Tim!

The Answer Is Strong Music and Authentic Lyrics (R.City, What Dreams Are Made Of review)

Posted on by Tim Kuefler

The third week of album reviews in a row? Cool right?

And I have a category for this type of blog instalment now! I think you’ll agree that it suits these posts. MELODIC MONDAYS.

In what seems like a cleverly calculated month of reviewing vocal duos (EODM) (July Talk), I seem to have gone straight into my next one. When is the combo-breaker coming? Even I don’t know… But let’s instead focus on the dual voices of two very talented brothers. – What they’ve produced is a pretty good mix of beats, heart, and lyrical feats.

R.City – What Dreams Are Made of
released October 9, 2015
******** 8/10

be09031fe715be39ba68c3284eb30afb.960x960x1

I love a good debut album, don’t you? It really helps you feel like you are directly supporting the act’s career and it makes the bond you have with their music just a little bit stronger. Also, you can totally tell people off when they finally get into your favourite musical entertainer(s) years down the road. Okay lets be real, its more like months.

*Spoiler alert* While it is a debut album, this should be considered a sophomore album in a lot of ways. Read this article to see what I mean.

That’s right R.City is made up of brothers Theron and Timothy Thomas, who incidentally, are from St. Thomas in the Virgin Islands. Try saying that a bunch of times really fast, its almost as fun as listening to their music!

R. City’s (also called Rock City and Planet VI) formation story is a pretty cool one, and they spend a decent amount of time outlining it for us in their emotional and somewhat unconventional outro track, Our Story. But before you start listening sporadically, I do think you should listen to the whole record and finish it off with that track as intended. The impact will be stronger, trust me.

On that note, some may be surprised to learn that they have been hit-makers for a number of will known acts, including Sean Kingston, Akon, Miley Cyrus, and others before they finally found a platform to release their own album.

The list of songs they’ve written is seriously super long though.

Combining their efforts and sampling from styles of calypso, hip hop, pop, r&b, reggae and rock, it’s pretty hard not to enjoy most of the tracks on this record. There are emotional songs that deal with their “hustle and grind” like Over and Our Story, then the slow jams Take You Down and Make Up (read: babymaking music as Ron Burgundy would call it) , feel good songs Crazy Love and Don’t You Worry, and some more politically charged music that deals with the environment they grew up in showcased in Live by the Gun and Slave to the Dollar.

When it comes right down to it, Again is probably my favourite song on the entire album – it fuses elements of those slower tracks with the real struggle the brothers Thomas have gone through which has directly affected their relationships with their loved ones, just so they could get to this career point.

Lastly, I’m sure you’ve heard Locked Away at this stage in the game. Adam Levine of Maroon 5 fame is featured on the track, and the music video is pretty damn good too. Or maybe you’ve watched I’m That … with 2 Chainz? It’s an interesting one to view just to see how they deal with people who assume they are Jamaican simply because they are Caribbean.

R.City asks us What Dreams Are Made Of in their album name, but I think they answer it too.

Enjoy your Monday dear readers; it’s gonna be over soon. But lucky for you, Tuesday is right around the corner and I’ve got another review to share with you and maybe some theories too.

Tim!