The Sunshine Fix

Age of The Sun

Emperor Norton

The debut album by The Sunshine Fix, Age of the Sun, is billed as “superior psychedelic pop.”

This apparently means that songwriter Bill Doss, also of Olivia Tremor Control, is creating something between catchy pop tunes and continuous, trippy background music. As the disc shifts from upbeat cheeriness to Radiohead pessimism, each track blends into the next. Doss isn’t singing us distinct songs; he’s assembling a musical collage while keeping emotional distance from each track. The effect is intriguing, but the dreamy quality of the album belies its sunny theme.

Most tracks emerge from a churning undercurrent of buzzing guitars and shifting rhythms, but few develop into memorable, fully structured songs. “See Yourself” is the rare example that could stand alone as a radio-worthy single—guitars whine into action over a tactile bass line, and the plaintive pop vocals provide a memorable hook. “That Ole Sun” spins hokey lyrics into a mid-tempo tune that would have been at home with tambourine accompaniment back in the Summer of Love. “Hide in the Light” follows this retro motif, a contrast of classic sound and cynical modern sensibility.

Age of the Sun boasts various musical influences. At their best, the band recalls the later Beatles, with cooing backup vocals and songs about sunshine. But this similarity is fleeting as The Sunshine Fix goes deeper into its own brand of psychedelia. This band doesn’t rock or roll, and lacks bite despite a toy-box full of effects. Still, the trip through Doss’ imagination is a curious one.

––Benjamin D. Margo

Einstürzende Neubauten

Strategies Against Architecture III: 1991-2001

Mute

In their heyday, Einstürzende Neubauten (whose name translates literally to “collapsing new buildings”) were amongst the pioneers of industrial music. Their sound was a chaotic brew of growled vocals, droning noise and their trademark: loud, clanging percussion made by banging power tools against metal (among other techniques). Twenty years later, the scene is but a faint memory and the band’s lineup has been halved, but their experiments in rhythm and texture continue.

This double album, which collects new rarities and live or alternative versions of their latest material, is a fabulous treat for diehard fans, showcasing the less cluttered direction they’ve taken in recent years. For everyone else, it’s an interesting diversion at best. The elaborate fold-out package reflects the band’s artistic pretenses, with exquisite photographs of the band members, their family and friends and some of their infamous custom percussion instruments. It all seems designed to convey a sense of history and ongoing relevance, but the actual album too often consists of experiments that don’t congeal into solid songs. As examples of musique concrète, highbrow performance and concept art (one piece represents the preparation of shrimp scampi), the material is perfectly valid—but in terms of compelling music, the band’s success varies wildly. It’s not a question of accessibility—the jarring time signatures, atonal effects and abrasive percussion provide the album’s most tense, interesting moments—but the collection has little sense of continuity. Without a consistent theme, Strategies III comes off as the result of the band clearing its vaults—which begs the question, how much further can they possibly go from here?

––Ryan J. Kuo

Morel

Queen of the Highway

Yoshitoshi

Considering the low-profile release of his debut album, Richard Morel has surprisingly hefty credentials. A former engineer for U.S. house auteurs Deep Dish, he’s gone on to remix the likes of Depeche Mode and New Order. Queen of the Highway, then, is intended as his claim to fame, or at least musical autonomy. Apparently designed to showcase the breadth of his abilities, it sets mid-tempo guitar numbers and downtempo head-nodders next to the progressive house for which he’s best known.

Queen’s best moments are, unsurprisingly, the straightforward dance tunes. Like most progressive house, these are spotlessly produced, vaguely pretty and not much else. On a good afternoon the fleeting, pulsing beats strike a nostalgic air—like trying to return to days that have long passed. Most successful is a Deep Dish mix of “True,” with its big-room “whoosh” effects, catchy little trance melody and memorable gay-themed lyrics (“I’m a man that is all / It’s true, the faggot is you”). It’s the only distinctive tune on the album, and its peak moment.

Queen’s queasy moments come when Morel decides to pick up a microphone and jam with his band. The resulting pop tunes make a strong case for sticking to paths that are time-tested and crowd-approved, and leaving the funny experiments to the big boys. Morel’s pristine studio polish, which helps redeem the otherwise lifeless house music, only saps his guitar songs of immediacy and relevance. Besides not being able to sing, his lyrics can be cringe-worthy: “So carry these words inside of you / Love is really sad.” Evenly divided between dreadful, plodding songs and competent exercises in a still-lackluster dance subgenre, Queen is sincere but altogether forgettable.

––Ryan J. Kuo

Dream Theater

Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence

Elektra

A Dream Theater album is always an intense and interesting experience and their latest, Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence, is no exception. Arguably one of the most innovative contemporary rock bands, Dream Theater play complicated, multi-layered songs which generally appeal to two drastically contrasting groups: old-school lovers of heavy metal and professional musicians who cannot help but appreciate the band’s technical skills and advanced musicality.

Three out of five members of the band are graduates of the Berklee School of Music, explaining their amazing technical proficiency. The three of them are widely heralded as some of the most talented rock musicians of their time and the remainder of the band are nearly, if not as, talented as the other members. The band’s only noticeable flaw is the lead singer’s voice. Classically trained to sing opera, his voice lacks the timbre and character of a heavy metal singer. This does, of course, give Theater a unique sound, making it more than just a metal band.

Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence, a two-disc album, is in many ways a step forward for the band. Known primarily for their musical pyrotechnics, the band takes a very experimental approach to the first disc following the lead of Radiohead and Tool. Although their incredible musicianship still shines through, the effect is far more subtle than their previous albums. Arguably the best song on this disc is the multi-hooked “Misunderstood,” which deals with the topic of loneliness and isolation in a crowded world.

The second disc hearkens back to their previous effort, the masterwork concept album Metropolis Part 2: Scenes from a Memory. The second disc contains the title track of the album, and that’s it. Over 40 minutes long and divided into eight sections, it includes an overture with a full orchestra. “Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence” is an intense musical experience of the typical Dream Theater variety that deals with the phenomenon of inner anguish and turmoil in today’s seemingly content youth.

Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence is a mature, complex and impressive album. Although the band may not appeal to everyone, their talent and the quality of their music cannot be denied. If you fancy yourself a true fan of innovative and progressive rock, this album is a must.

––Steven N. Jacobs