The Avett Brothers
“The Carpenter”
Rating: 5/5
Much like The Avett Brothers’ last album “I and Love and You,” “The Carpenter” is a return – actually, more like a continuation – down a familiar path. The blend of its roots-inspired sound melded with the pop harmonization found in an album (once again) produced by Rick Rubin is a combination that will keep listeners on their toes from beginning to end.
The album begins with “The Once and Future Carpenter,” a slow, existential ballad – and my personal favorite – that sets up the album very well.
The chorus features the thought-provoking line “If I live the life I’m given, I won’t be scared to die.” This song introduces the themes of life and death that are repeated several times throughout the album.
Other hints of folk and bluegrass are scattered throughout the album, with tracks such as “Winter In My Heart” and “February Seven” being standouts. “I Never Knew You” and “Geraldine” both bring in a poppy, sing-song element to the album – the latter of the two belonging on a Broadway score. Rock and roll isn’t out of reach in the electric guitar of the bouncy powerhouse “Pretty Girl From Michigan” and the punk-driven “Paul Newman vs. The Demons,” adding to the band’s plethora of instrumentation.
“The Carpenter” doesn’t disappoint at all. Even the songs on the album that aren’t as memorable feel like they belong on an album that is, more or less, a collaboration of musical wit and integrity.
By: Jake Tapley, Staff writer
Twenty One Pilots
“Three Songs”
Rating: 5/5
Twenty One Pilots is a Columbus, Ohio, duo with their own take on pop and hip-hop mixes with incredible lyrics. “Three Songs” is exactly what the album is called: It contains three songs of their newest music since signing with Fueled By Ramen over the summer.
The album consists of two tracks that have been re-recorded from their second album “Regional at Best” and a new song “Migraine.”
The “Three Songs” ep kicks the album off with “Gun’s with Hands” which sets the tempo for the whole album. This track has lots of energy, the music starts off with very heavy dance beat mixed with electronics and drums. The lyrics come in slowly then pick up for the chorus. They carry through the rest of the song until lead singer Tyler Joseph starts rapping.
“Migraine” is the second song of the three. It is layered between the two re-recorded track, adding new life to the three tracks.
“Migraine” has Auto-Tune sound in the chorus but not the crappy Auto-Tune like T-Pain. It’s used as an accent for the track. The track is one of the band’s most hip-hop-filled songs, but it still carries their sound along with a unique vocal pattern that is different from most hip-hop on the radio.
By: Jimmy Pyles, Staff writer