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Chad VanGaalan – Soft Airplane Review

9 September 2008, Allan @ 6:30 pm Chad VanGaalen is a Canadian musician from Calgary, Alberta who’s been praised by critics for his two self-produced albums Infiniheart and Skelliconnection. I’ve been sitting on a promotional copy of VanGaalen’s for a weeks now and I just couldn’t wait to review this album.

This album took a little while for me to fully like. Soft Airplane begins with “Willow Tree” arguably one of the strongest tracks on there with simplistic banjo strumming but VanGaalen’s vocals absolutely steal the show singing about his death. I’m left really confused when looking at the lyrics. Death is sung in a celebratory manner. The next track “Bones of a Man” takes a much different approach, with a slow paced song both vocally and musically. It never really picks up until maybe the harmony, but in the end it’s sticks out like a sore thumb compared to the opener.

Cries of The Dead almost loses me with the 1 minute intro but it takes a more poppy-er approach and uses Van Gaalen’s vocals like they should. There’s a strange lyric I’m looking to figure out. “I can’t hear the cries of the dead, maybe it’s your neighbour beating his dog in the basement”. A little odd maybe? It is sung incredibly well though and it’s a good song.

The next two songs are top notch. Inside the Molecules with the use of stronger guitar work sets a different tone like the 3 previous tones. It’s progressively different. We also get a eerie stringing/keyboard sounds to end the song for the next 30 seconds. It felt really out of place and unnecessary.

My favorite song on the album is Bare Feet on Wet Grip Tape, it’s by far the hardest track and rocks out the most but I feel like it’s using more of VanGaalen’s skills. It’s also by far the best song lyrically with no weirdness or eeriness.

The rest of the album here on out is mainly mistake free, VanGaalen isn’t afraid to experiment which I find to be more of a downside. I’m not sure I like how it’s different just to be different. There are so many unnecessary things that make you forget you are listening to an album. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle Mask (or TMNT Mask) features the use of synthesizer and keyboard work. Old Man at the Sea has the weird stuff at the end.

Anytime when VanGaalen is not singing, it’s more of a shame then not, luckily for most of the album that stays true. He’s very talented and this album comes off as trying a little bit too hard. I still enjoy 90% of the songs.

Rating: 4.25 out of 5

MP3s/videos after the jump.

Molten Light by Chad VanGaalen (I think he created this himself)

MP3s:

Bare Feet on Wet Grip Tape by Chad Van Gaalen

Willow Tree by Chad Van Gaalen

Rabid Bits of Time by Chad Van Gaalen

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Filed under: Chad VanGaalen

Tags: album

11 Comments

1. TO Snob — September 9, 2008 @ 6:35 pm
   
   

   I’m not totally sold on it. I would’ve liked it more if it were a bit more cohesive as an album rather than a collection of (admittedly good) tracks.




2. Allan — September 9, 2008 @ 6:38 pm
   
   

   I totally saw where you were coming from when I read your review. I try hard not to fault experimentation.. but I still like the album more then most I’ve heard.




3. herohill — September 10, 2008 @ 6:24 am
   
   

   Wow. Really? Easily the best record I’ve heard all year. I can see how people might not like it, but I don’t think he’s being different for the sake of being different. Chad’s probably as unique a guy as there is in music, but even throughout all the sonic experiments, he’s able to tie it in with pop sensibilities.

   I think if you listen to it more, you will find yourself loving it. His first two records were great, but this is the one that is going to finally push him into the limelight, whether or not he wants to be there.




4. Allan — September 10, 2008 @ 7:36 am
   
   

   I still like it a ton and maybe I do love it quite a bit.

   His push into the limelight may be based on a Pitchfork review. I do see this album being a top candidate for the Polaris prize.




5. nk — September 10, 2008 @ 8:40 am
   
   

   Anytime when VanGaalen is not singing, it’s more of a shame then not.

   We also get a eerie stringing/keyboard sounds to end the song for the next 30 seconds. It felt really out of place and unnecessary.

   This might come as a surprise, but popular music often features both vocal and instrumental sections. Consider your favourite albums, and honestly question whether this sort of criticism has any import.




6. Allan — September 10, 2008 @ 1:14 pm
   
   

   I know popular music generally includes instrumentals. The instrumentals at the end of tracks kind of killed the flow and weren’t at all necessary.

   I’m not against instrumentals in the least bit but sometimes it just doesn’t make sense to go into one.




7. Michael — September 12, 2008 @ 5:50 pm
   
   

   Call me an asshole, but I can’t exactly take your opinion of this album seriously when there are spelling and grammar errors abound. Also, if you like 90% of the album, wouldn’t that be 4.5 out of 5?




8. Allan — September 12, 2008 @ 6:14 pm
   
   

   When you should ever take an album review so seriously? It’s merely a suggestion or an opinion.

   I try my best to edit it all the time, I’m not a professional writer and I don’t pretend to be one. I’m a blogger and bloggers make mistakes.

   An explanation of the score.

   If I like all songs on an album is it a 5/5? It depends on other factors like creativity, flow etc.

   In this case, I did like most of the songs on this album. I mentioned the track I hated. However, I did say that PARTS of some tracks I hated. I didn’t hate the tracks in its entirety.




9. This Week’s News and Reviews September 8-14 | Allan's World of Music — September 14, 2008 @ 11:09 pm
   
   

   [...] VanGaalen’s album Soft Airplane is awesome. Tons of feedback + disagreement for giving the album a 4.25 out of 5… Was I too [...]




10. Canada’s Hottest Bands of 2008 | Allan's World of Music — November 21, 2008 @ 10:01 pm
    
    

    [...] been bigger and of course is much more deserving. I think it’s one of the first times I’ve been criticized for giving a 4.25 out of 5. Bare Feet on Wet Grip Tape by Chad [...]




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    [...] Chad Van Gaalen – Soft Airplane Original Rating: 4.25 out of 5 I’ll admit that the album score for this album is a little low but the album still has some [...]

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