Review: Noah Gundersen – Ledges
There’s a moment near the beginning of Noah Gundersen’s fantastic debut album, called Ledges, where the singer/songwriter just lets loose. The song in question, a traditional Appalachian folk-like reverie called “Poor Man’s Son,” dwells for most of its runtime in a stripped down a cappella setting, Gundersen’s voice melding with his sister’s to create a sound that is instantly timeless. It feels like something that should have been on one of the T. Bone Burnett-helmed Coen Brothers soundtracks, Gundersen’s voice and style leaning more toward the recent Inside Llewyn Davis and his sister Abby’s Emmylou Harris impression – not to mention the song’s decision to directly quote from “Down in the River to Pray” – coming more from the fertile traditional music ground of O Brother Where Art Thou. The combination, frankly, is every bit as stunning as it sounds, with lyrics like “I’ve got money for food and a little bit of gasoline” gliding out like something that would have sounded equally at home in the Great Depression as it does in the current economic recession.
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Review: Taking Back Sunday – Happiness Is
You can describe the Taking Back Sunday fandom by imagining a simple Venn diagram: one circle contains fans who only enjoy the Tell All Your Friends version, the other full of fans that prefer the band’s major label output (Louder Now and New Again). And then there’s the small intersection of fans who prefer a little bit of everything from Taking Back Sunday’s vast and diverse discography. You can see why the majority of TBS news threads are littered with hundreds of differing opinions.
The band’s sixth record, however, looks to bring those two sides together. Happiness Is is Taking Back Sunday’s first independent release in almost ten years (via Hopeless Records) and delivers that indie spirit throughout its eleven tracks. That energy is immediately felt on opening single “Flicker, Fade.” Clashing cymbals and soaring guitar chords are the backdrop as Adam Lazzara softly sings, “If you should change your name/I’d love you just the same/and if you’d run away/I’d save your place.” It’s oddly comforting, with its eruptive and incredibly catchy chorus sandwiched with the band’s mastery of soft/loud/soft dynamics. It also re-introduces John Nolan and Mark O’Connell back to the mix. Both musicians seemed lost in the overall recording of Taking Back Sunday, and on “Flicker, Fade,” Nolan delivers his impassioned yells (which buoy the song’s chaotic outro), while O’Connell’s raucous drumming gives the track (and the rest of Happiness Is) its spine.
Read More “Taking Back Sunday – Happiness Is”Longineu “LP” Parsons III Has Parted Ways With Yellowcard
Long-time drummer Longineu “LP” Parsons III has parted ways with Yellowcard. Said the band in a joint statement, “Longineu has decided to pursue other musical interests. We wish him the best of luck in his future endeavors.” A replacement has not been announced but the band has begun work on their next album.
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