IN REVIEW: Will Butler - "Policy"

-
 

As the towering, captivating frontman for Arcade Fire, Win Butler casts a large shadow. However, there's something to be said for younger brother Will who, as the guy who has earned his living in the background and thrashing around gleefully during live shows, proves to be a formidable contributor to his group if his debut solo record is any indication. Though I hesitate to call an 8-track, 27-minute collection an "album" (as it's being marketed and priced as), Policy has no shortage of ideas. 

In fact, the thing that defines the record may be the thing that hinders it, and that's its scattershot approach. Songs wildly hop genres from one song to the next, from the raucous Arcade Fire boogie of Take My Side to the icy new wave pulse of Anna to the earnest piano ballad Finish What I Started to the speedy acoustic shuffle of Son of God. 

That's your A-side, and the B-side is no less eclectic, encompassing fuzzy, Clash-like funk (Something's Coming), playful post-punk (What I Want, featuring its much ballyhooed "pony macaroni" lyric), sparse gospel (Sing to Me) and skittering doo-wop (Witness). And that's the record; admirable in its ambition, hit or miss in its execution and lacking any real sense of what an album experience is supposed to be like. Nonetheless, there are some worthwhile tunes here, and plenty of potential for better, more focused records down the line.

March 10, 2015 • Merge
Highlights Take My Side • Anna • Something's Coming

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

IN REVIEW: Surf Curse - "Magic Hour"

-
Image
  After a slow ascent that saw them self-release their first three albums over the course of six years, Surf Curse found fame in the way that so many young and hungry bands do in this modern age; Freaks , written in 2011 and originally released on their debut Buds in 2013, found itself a sudden smash after soundtracking memes on TikTok in 2020, eventually garnering over 200 million streams and earning the group a major label contract.  The first album following their breakthrough, Magic Hour finds plenty of changes in store for fans; now expanded to a four-piece, this album immediately sets itself apart from previous releases based on the fuller sound in the songs alone. Couple that with a step away from the lo-fi aesthetic that played a part in earlier releases and this is obviously going to be a different experience than people may have hyped themselves up for. That said, the crunchy, energized Arrow and the lush, dreamy Cathy combine for a very strong start even as they fly in the
Read more

Gallantly Streaming: Avenged Sevenfold Go Full On 90's With Familiar, Stunning Results

-
Image
Stream Avenged Sevenfold's Hail To The King here , courtesy iTunes. As uncool and un-hipsterish as it may be for me to admit on a blog, I'm a fan of Avenged Sevenfold. Their breakthrough album City of Evil and its blistering lead single Bat Country sucked me in, and their varied, multiple era sprawling attack kept me around waiting for more. Their 2007 self titled effort was just as strong in its shameless genre hopping, planting their feet firmly in the technical metal that endeared them to so many while reaching out to explore new sounds. With that said, I felt 2010's Nightmare was a step back; while it had some genuinely thrilling moments, it overall lacked some of the adventurousness that made them so interesting. Upon listening to Hail To The King 's title track for the first time, I was admittedly disappointed by its trite lyrics and (mostly) simplistic musicianship. However, repeated exposure has helped the track age well; once you get past the lyrics
Read more

Year in Rock 2023: Honorable Mentions

-
Image
  Well, well, well. If it isn't Sound Bites temporarily coming back to life, suspiciously close to the end of the year. That must only mean one thing; well, aside from the author being supremely lazy and neglectful to his blog yet again. Yes, dear reader, it's time for Year in Rock. Look, I'm out of excuses as to why I can turn from cranking out content at a record pace to a full year of radio silence; suffice to say, this blog certainly isn't a priority in my life (which I have been rebuilding since my last post, but that's all personal stuff I have no desire to steal bandwidth from more deserving and important things). Sound Bites will continue to exist as a mausoleum for my personal music tastes, but it's not pivoting into self-help territory, nor is it roaring back to full-time status. I'll check in periodically, so as to say when there's something worth sharing. It might be once a year, it might be more frequently, but I definitely won't be gett
Read more