Ones and Zeroes

Today's Music of the Day is Immaculate Machine's Ones and Zeroes.

Immaculate Machine, if you've never heard of them, and I bet you haven't, make(s) high-energy spastic pop music. Sometimes they write ballads and let Kathryn Calder sing them, and her voice is usually enough to make me long for a person or a moment in time that maybe never really existed. The guys in the band are okay singers, I suppose, but Kathryn basically owns them in that regard.

Immaculate Machine, at their best, are a fun group. I think that their uptempo songs are generally their better compositions, but I appreciate even the lesser ballads; the balance allows the songs to stand out relative to each other. Sometimes the struggle with IM is that they seem to be a very young group, in terms of personality and song composition. While this isn't necessarily a bad thing, it's often difficult to listen to their songs without wanting more from them: deeper lyrics, a greater sense of plot and emotional development from the music. Maybe the lyrics are akin to a writer who only uses first-person perspective, and qualms abound from such a trait.

Soon, though, it's easy to look at one tree, and another tree, and soon there are just trees instead of a forest. Music isn't always meant to be criticized; I think there should be some awareness, if not analysis, though this doesn't preclude enjoyment. So while it's easy enough to scrutinize Immaculate Machine's music to where it isn't enjoyable, these songs should be taken for what they are and not what they should be. It's not as if listening to Immaculate Machine is mandatory, or even expected.

Anyway, Ones and Zeroes, which is titled well, is a fairly enjoyable album. The compositions aren't intricate, but they are certainly listenable. "Phone Number" is boisterous to a degree that is hard to be unswayed by, and some of the ballads - "No Way Out" in particular - really hit their mark. I don't think that my sticking points about the album are invalid, but I also don't think they prevent me from enjoying it.

In Other News:
Live moves on.

Some Updates and Miscellany

Today I don't really have an album review - hopefully in a day or two I will review Mogwai's Mr. Beast - but I do have some thoughts on things I've likely already reviewed and am listening to.

Still listening to Okkervil River - The Stage Names and The Stand Ins today. These albums really work well together. Stage Names kind of represents a louder, fiery atmosphere, like a party full of people and noise or a big concert with a sweaty crowd, whereas Stand Ins is more like an intimate gathering, or a show with only a dozen interested people. Okkervil River might never make the next OK Computer, but I'm perfectly content to buy their well-read, slightly screechy folk-rock music.

Also, I'm listening to Come On Die Young by Mogwai. This seems to be less engaging than their later work - I don't know if I like it as well as Happy Songs for Happy People or Mr. Beast but it's still enjoyable. The songs are more reserved and not as easy to get into, possibly just not as interesting or foreboding, but I still appreciate the mood.

Finally, I've been listening to Fables by Immaculate Machine again. Some of the songs drag a little towards the end of the album, but this is a really solid work. In particular, Kathryn Calder, the female vocalist, really shines. She has a very good voice, perhaps not the greatest, but I'll be damned if her vocals don't get to me a little bit. I really like the frantic songs here - "Jarhand" is pure adrenaline nonsense that I can't get enough of.

In Other News:
I actually slept okay the past two nights! I think it might be time to get out more blankets, though.

For once, I should be taking less action and talking more. How ridiculous is that?

Fables

Today's Music That Jason Likes Pretty Well is Fables by Immaculate Machine. This music is very much in line with what you would expect, much like a low-fi New Pornographers with some consistent traits (vocal harmonies and spastic keyboards). And it's pretty good! The vocals are quite strong, thank you Katherine Calder, and though the instrumentation isn't quite as eclectic as a New Pornographers album, it's certainly a plus. The lyrics have a somewhat poetic and irreverent quality, which is both refreshing and suits the musical tone of the album as well.

The middle of the album suffers a little bit - the early songs have lots of energy, but when it falls off, the album doesn't seem to pull the listener in as much. It's kind of a relative thing, though; the first couple of songs are so hectic and lively that anything slower seems almost morose by comparison. In particular, the album opener, "Jarhand" is so frantic that it sets a difficult standard to maintain.

Overall this is a strong album, something I could listen to with a group of people or by myself as I walk around or work out. I'll be curious to see how Immaculate Machine's sound evolves; right now it's difficult not to see them as being the younger sibling (or cousin) to the New Pornographers, which isn't a bad thing by any means.

In Other News:
How can you tell when you are freaking out? Do you know, or do you not realize it until after it's over?