Somehow Disappearing (2010) was released on Shiny Shoes Records towards the end of last Summer and represents New Idea Society's third full length and fourth overall release (including one EP also released last year called Quiet Prism). I chose the debut release You Are Awake Or Asleep (2005) as one of my first albums to write about last year. New Idea Society is primarily Mike Law's creative avenue as he is responsible for vocals, guitar, and writing. Juxtaposing the debut release (or even the follow up album, The World Is Bright And Lonely) and this album really demonstrates the progress and growth Law and the group have taken, reaching their current state. The sound is indie rock, with an incorporation but not over-reliance on varying the instrumentation through keyboards/electronics. The core guitar, bass, drums, and vocals are still the bread 'n butter here, but finally here on this album the mix is just right. I find the songwriting more creative and willing to take more risks than on previous works. I think this has been made possible in part due to the excellent recording quality and production. There's a feel that things were just hitting right in the recording space, resulting in a tight and full sound. New Idea Society - "Thorns"
What can you say about that low end, it makes its presence known at the onset in an almost thundering fashion and remains there throughout the duration of the song, providing a backbone. The keyboards, percussion, and vocals all kick in, for the first few versus, and the subsequent part features harmonized singing with guitar that sounds just perfect in relation to the keyboards within the song. This song is bass, bass, and more bass, freeing up the other instruments to pop in and out without disrupting the flow and progress of the song. The lyrics of the chorus are peculiarly powerful sounding to me, not sure why, but it is good.
New Idea Society - "Desolation Tongues"
I love how the song begins, a little more menacing than anything else on the album. The piano and percussion/drum combination keeping the breathtaking tempo is very well done. An almost suspense movie feel, while the chorus sections have a very serious and decisive tone. The percussive play on the ride cymbal is perhaps my favorite part, and in general I get the feeling that this was one of the "funner" songs to play as far as percussion goes. Echoing the vocals as opposed to layering was a nice touch, particularly with the word "echo" showing up in the lyrics. The closing is an instrumental part of the song, highlighted by the piano accenting. I felt a few songs didn't seem to end quite as well, but this one was right on the mark.
0 comments:
Post a Comment