So for my first musical entry into this affair I wanted to give you something that might be a little outside your comfort zone (it certainly was outside of mine)
Fucked Up is a hardcore punk band based out of Toronto, Canada. Yes, hardcore is a genre built on a temple of screaming and general musical insanity. It is typically listened to by those who enjoy concerts as a bloodsport rather than a venue for seeing bands perform. In normal circumstances I would be entirely opposed to this type of music...
However, on June 7th, 2011 Fucked Up released their second album David Comes to Life. This album is simply spectacular not only in its quality but in it's scope. The band has attempted to create a four act hardcore punk opera harkening back to the days of Quadrophenia and Tommy (iconic rock operas by The Who) Trying to understand the whole storyline is almost impossible but this article/review by NPR does a pretty good job of summarizing it. I suggest skimming it before listening just so you can get a little bit of context.
The album runs just under an hour and a half and Damien Abraham (lead singer) shouts through the whole thing. His voice is going to be the big deciding factor on if you like this album or not but trust me, once you get used to it you will realize how much passion it brings and how the whole thing wouldn't be the same without him. It can be exhausting listening to this thing all of the way through so don't over extend yourself but when you do listen make sure you give the album a fair amount of attention.
All in all I consider this album to be something of a master piece and definitely believe it to be the best record of 2011. This record connects to me beyond just a musical standpoint and I hope it can do the same for you. I look forward to hearing what you have to say about this and I just want to reiterate that you may need to give this album some time to sink in.
David Comes to Life - Fucked Up
Sorry for the delay in posting. I generally listen to music while doing other things, but for the albums I get from you I want to carve out a time that is just listening and nothing else.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you started me off with the article by NPR. It piqued my interest ("a commentary on 1980s English politics and Reaganomics", what more could I ask for in an album?)and gave me a general sense of what to listen for.
As you mentioned, I originally expected the lead singer's voice to make or break my opinion of the album, and if the singing was going to be constant screaming my bet was on break. But actually it was just the opposite. I took to the voice, and my opinion of the songs varied with the music that framed the vocalist's lyrics.
At times I had difficulty understanding the words, but I found that reading the lyrics and listening to the song simultaneously prevented a sense of flow. I'm not sure what the best approach to this would be, but I ended up giving the album a listen, reading the lyrics online, and then doing a second listen.
I loved first half of the album, but wasn't as taken by the second half (with certain exceptions). My favorites were "Queen of Hearts" and "Turn of the Season" which I guess closed the first act. I liked the contrast between what Abraham called "more 'pop,' sunny, driven, twee-influenced songs" and his rough voice. Not sure if this is already a genre or not, but it seems like it might have potential. I also liked the story line in the first half, headed for something pretty predictable (of course I had read the article first) but still pretty grabbing.
It's like reading half the story but the early acts have me in a way the later acts don't, maybe that changes with more listens, maybe not.