AWmusic

Here’s our posts from the last week:

We’re giving away 4 passes to see Metro Station at the Tattoo Rock Parlour. It’s a special taping for the Live At Orange feature.

Our newest writer, Kojo reviewed Nas’ Unitlted album (or really called the N-word).

Josh, did his first post on Toronto’s talented Zaki Ibrahim.

I reviewed Italy’s Six Red Carpet’s Nightmares + Lullabies, The Eaton’s 3-song EP Firestarter, a band out of nearby Scarborough, Chris Wall’s Field Manual, and Soda Fountain Rags’s It’s Rag Time. I also did a crappy bak 2 skool list.

Christian returns from a one-week layoff as he moves into Toronto review Stephen Malkmus and The Jick’s Real Emotional Trash.

Carmen reviewed The Twilight Sad’s Fourteen Autumns and Fifteen Winters. This record received critical acclaim back in 2007.

Adam reviewed Toronto’s own Laura Barrett’s Victory Garden.

Glalib reviewed Phil Spector’s Back To Mono which includes the song He Hit Me (It Felt Like A Kiss). He also saw Green Go and Europe in Colour

I also previewed the Virgin Festival.

Around the internetz:

Captain Melody put up the video of Ra Ra Riot on Conan. A little bit rough. I missed the show..still can’t stand very long.

CSS released a fun video of my favorite song off their album, Move. Watch it after the jump.

Justice put up some new tracks on their myspace. Sundtrak talks about their eeriness.

Something called the VMAs is playing today. I could care less. I reserve my Sundays for homework.

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Laura Barrett’s main instrument is the kalimba, an African thumb piano. It is both rhythmic and somewhat melodic. Laura’s kalimba playing has a fairly uniform sound, which makes it a huge plus that some other instruments are featured on Victory Garden (and making it a big step up from here Earth Sciences EP).

Among other things, the music here could be called lo-fi. My biggest complaint about the album is that the songs don’t seem to really go anywhere—it’s always quiet, and there are few build-ups or climaxes. The flow is fine, but many songs just pass by without any remarkable moments. This will bother some listeners and others will be fine with it, but it made me restless quite often.

The lyrics and vocals are another thing worth mentioning—the words are sometimes interesting on account of their deep, abstract metaphor, and sometimes they seem vague beyond analysis. Ms. Barrett always sings in the same soft, somewhat distant tone. It’s pleasant, but it doesn’t add any meaning or emphasis to the words. It also contributes towards many tracks sounding similar.

There are several songs, though, that work quite well. “Chidiya” adds elements (kalimba, horn, percussion, backup vocals) one at a time, making the song sound like it’s progressing. “A Certain Majoy Vinylsky” is more of an interlude than anything. In its short running length, it draws attention to the interesting sound of the kalimba, and “ooohs” and spacey sound effects give it a personality.

My favourite song on Victory Garden is “The Sharper Side,” which is made up of numerous distinct parts that still flow well. “Escape to the Sun Dome” has fewer parts, but they’re still distinct. Some of “Rien A Declarer” is a bit jazzy, and it would be a standout if the vocals were as lively as the music seems to demand.

All in all, it’s worth listening to Laura Barrett before deciding on whether or not to buy Victory Garden. She definitely has a unique sound.

Listen/Download:
Consumption by Laura Barrett