-
thmswht reblogged this from already-heardmusic
-
already-heardmusic posted this
FIVES: THE BEST WONDER YEARS SONGSThis week Lansdale, Pennsylvania’s The Wonder Years released their fourth album - ‘The Greatest Generation,’ a record that sees the pop punk quintet reach their creative peak in a number of ways. With a wealth of material in their discography, Already Heard's Sean Reid and Tom Knott took on the tricky task of picking out the five best songs from The Wonder Years. Find out what we picked and let us know if you agree or disagree?
INTERVIEW: MALLORY KNOXFollowing the release of their superb 'Signals' album, Mallory Knox have certainly become ones to watch in recent months. We caught up with the band to discuss joining Search & Destroy Records, how vital the festival season and touring are, what it feels like to be a part
of the expanding British rock scene and much more.
ALREADY HEARD RECOMMENDS: OVER THE OCEANOver The Ocean have crafted a compelling, brooding record with their latest effort ‘Be Given To The Soil.’ With intense specific precision and delicate accuracy that echoes the likes of Explosions In The Sky and Sigur Ros. Jesse Hill from the band to discusses how the
album came together, the importance of precision, being compared to post-rock pioneers and more.
VERSUS: BRING ME THE HORIZON - 'THERE IS A HELL...' VS 'SEMPITERNAL'After a top ten UK album and an outstanding UK tour with festival dates on both sides of the Atlantic to follow, Bring Me The Horizon are having a fantastic 2013 and are now featured in the latest edition of "Versus." It's ‘There is a Hell, Believe Me I’ve Seen It. There is a Heaven, Let’s Keep it a Secret’ vs the bands latest release, 'Sempiternal.'
ALREADY HEARD TRACK GUIDE: ALEXANDER - SAY HELLOWe catch up with Newcastle Indie Rock quartet Alexander to find out more about their debut album 'Say Hello' for a “Already Heard Track Guide” feature.
INTERVIEW: TITLE FIGHTHaving briefly returned to the UK for the Hit The Deck Festival before starting a European
tour, we caught up with vocalist/bassist Ned Russin to discuss the bands progression in sound, differences between UK and US festivals, their recent split with Touché Amoré,
having friends on tour and more.
Album Review: The Dandelion War - We Were Always Loyal To Lost Causes
The Dandelion War is a 5-piece indie rock band, hailing from Oakland, California. This, ‘We Were Always Loyal To Lost Causes,’ is their sophomore effort and delivers an album of ethereal, experimental indie tracks with startling accomplishment and beauty.
Opening with atmosphere-setting instrumental ‘Strange Ghosts,’ the album then builds in to ‘Drifters.’ Clocking in at over seven minutes long, one may think that it would drag along but that is just not the case. It is a masterpiece of gradual layering that builds to a joyous crescendo. The euphoric wave of music rivals that of Sigur Ros’ ‘Hoppípolla;’ a band that The Dandelion War borrows a portion of their aesthetic from. The album then meanders joyfully into ‘1848,’ another melodic monster; it is so articulately layered that it tells a definite story, a truly crafted progression.
The echoing Jonsi-esque vocals truly shine in ‘A Different Heav’n,’ a haunting and sparse track. This is truly breathtaking music. Despite the length of songs like ‘A Mi Alrededor,’ they never bore, as you can see the track open up and the narrative progress. Gooey guitars glow through this track as it is led to its’ blissful conclusion. The whole album is characterised by this energy; shimmering vocals and soothing multi-instrumental melodies, drifting along to a self-imposed conclusion without the level of jaw-dropping beauty wilting once. Songs like ‘Bloom’ offer more introspection, but overall the album is one euphoric, extroverted celebratory salute to music.
This is not an album that will be to everyone’s taste. It is not immediately beguiling and takes some repeated listens to fully appreciate. Clocking in at an impressive 55 minutes long, it is definitely not one for the casual listener. It is, however, overpoweringly beautiful, perfectly layered music, and this kind of craftsmanship must be applauded. Complex but utterly euphoric music; let it wash over you and be pleasantly surprised.
4/5
‘We Were Always Loyal To Lost Causes’ by The Dandelion War is available now on Deep Elm Records.
The Dandelion War links: Official Website|Facebook|Twitter
Words by Tom White (@WhiteyWitters)
