This was originally going to be an installation of my Hidden Gems series, where I talk about an artist on the less popular side whose music I think deserves more recognition, but I decided I needed to more for The Feelies than just that. Hailing from my home state of New Jersey (although they're from North Jersey and I'm from Central...), The Feelies were an 80s alternative band (think The Smiths but from New Jersey!) and recently dropped two whole albums. Wow. I'm not reviewing those right now, though. I'm reviewing the album that started it all: Crazy Rhythms. I discovered this album in the nationally-acclaimed Princeton Record Exchange, which is definitely my favorite Princeton location. My friend Sophia ran up to me with the Crazy Rhythms CD, and simply said, 'knockoff Weezer!' Y'know, except the Feelies came up with the plain blue background for Weezer to use 14 years later. The Boy With The Perpetual NervousnessThis song starts off with a slow build that brings a lot of the obviously tense mood of the track. I feel as if the instrumentals on this track really help enforce the message that the lyrics are trying to convey. This song almost makes me feel anxious. The instrumental break towards the end of the song also adds a lot to the tense mood of this song. It's a great opening track, although a lot of the songs on the album don't share the exact same mood. (I'm skipping the demo version) Fa-Ce-LaThis song makes me feel like I'm rushing to get ready to go out somewhere, which is a really specific mood, but definitely shows what the Feelies are trying to convey. This is also a great road trip montage song, which is again super specific. But hey, there's nothing wrong with that! The guitar and bass on this track are really strong and add a lot to the upbeat feeling. Loveless LoveThe third track of Crazy Rhythms takes the upbeat feeling down a few notches. This song builds up a lot slower and is more instrumental than the first two tracks. It still has the same truly Feelies vibe that the first two tracks ave, though, although it sounds a bit darker. The guitar in this song is fast paced and slightly hypnotizing, although it's a lot more mellow than what I was reviewing in my last article (New Skin by. CRX). Forces At WorkThis song starts with a slow build, as a lot of the songs on this album do. It then explodes into a one-chord riff with a chorus of vocals to follow. And that's probably the fanciest sentence I've ever written in an album review. This song is mostly instrumental, but still has a really specific feeling to go along with it. What's that, you ask? Another road trip. To me, this song feels really sentimental, although I can't describe the exact situation it would make me feel sentimental and reminiscent in. Original LoveThis track starts off slow, but gradually builds up into another energetic song, although less upbeat and a bit darker. Again, the guitar is hypnotizing. This song really does sound very early new wave, which is definitely something I appreciate about the whole Feelies vibe. It's both nostalgic and timeless at the same time. But maybe that's just me, a 2000s kid built on 80s culture. Everyone's Got Something To Hide (Except Me And My Monkey)This Beatles cover is actually very Beatles-esque, but still has that classic Feelies vibe. There's really not much I can say about it besides that. It's a solid track, nonetheless. Moscow NightsThis song starts off with yet another slow build into a dark riff that reminds me of something out of Mario Kart (will I ever stop comparing things to Mario Kart? I don't know). The riff is calm and quiet at first before exploding into a chorus of guitar and vocals. The Feelies' lyrics are very metaphorical, which is a complete flip from my last review, and very refreshing. I feel like this is a song to listen to at 3 AM in the middle of August. Raised EyebrowsThis is a classic 'end of a teen movie' kind of song. The riff makes me feel nostalgic for things that have never even happened. The guitar is once again very strong and nearly takes over the song, besides the vocals, which fade in and out like they have with most of these songs. This song is less energetic, but still upbeat and definitely a lighter song. I feel like this song is always leading up to the vocals, which never come in besides in the last quarter of the song. Crazy RhythmsThis track is very classic 80s new wave from the vocals to the riff. The bass in this song nearly overpowers the guitar, which is something I appreciate. The vocals stick around for most of the song until an instrumental break that lasts just about 4 minutes. This instrumental break builds up over time, and goes from just drums and bass to a chorus of little guitar riffs and melodies. The lyrics border literal and metaphorical, especially the whole 'crazy rhythms' part. This whole album has been just a gathering of crazy rhythms, and I love it. I Wanna Sleep In Your Arms (Live)This song is fast, energetic, and really tells the story of someone who just really, really wants to be in love. This song almost sounds a bit punk, but still has that distinct early new wave feel. ConclusionMy dad once told me nothing happened musically in the year 1980, but he was obviously wrong and I was obviously wrong for believing him for so long. The Feelies really signified the beginning of a new era of rock, fittingly called new wave. New wave led to the movements of the 90s, 2000s, and even 2010s. So we can really thank the Feelies for a lot. Not only is this album a strong debut, it's a strong signal of the oncoming new-wave era.
With that said, I'm off to get my actual schoolwork done. See you soon!
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Anyone who's read this blog would know that 2010s rock isn't my thing. Trust me. New school indie hasn't sounded appealing to me in any way since 2013. But recently, I've noticed a huge surge of artists coming onto the scene (or just creating new bands in that scene) who are truly unique and different. CRX is one of these bands. Ways To Fake ItOf course, I'll be saying that CRX sound very Strokes. But the vocal style of frontman Nick Valensi is very different from that of Julian Casablancas, and gives CRX a much tougher feel than the Strokes. The opening track of CRX really sets the vibe of the album, and even the band themselves. While Casablancas usually focuses on deep metaphors and lyrics that won't make sense on the surface. Valensi is very straightforward, which I appreciate. Broken BonesThis song sounds much darker than the opening track, and the guitar riff and percussion sound less like the Strokes. I guess that's kind of the point, though. You can't just be all Strokes all the time. While I could definitely see this riff fitting into a Strokes song, it definitely wouldn't sound the same. This song makes me want to fight my enemies in a warehouse. Give It UpThis track strays even further from the Strokes. This sounds like something from late 90s or early 00s punk rock. I'm not complaining, though. I don't think the vocals match the instrumentals very well, but that's fine. I also like the electronic elements in this song. Oh, by the way, did I ever mention my freshman year algebra 1 teacher taught math to Nick Valensi and his sister? That's unrelated to this review, but still a pretty cool fact. This song makes me feel dizzy, honestly. But in a good way, of course. AnythingThis song starts off with energetic guitar and synth which is always a good sign for me. Valensi's vocals are once again strong and energetic, which is something that makes this album really unique. I definitely have been enjoying the lighter, more enthusiastic songs on this album. This song definitely reminds me of the Strokes, and has a killer guitar solo, which is always something I like. WallsThis track has Nick Valensi's signature guitar style going full speed ahead. If I needed a song to sum up my Mario Kart experiences, this would be the song. I also noticed that the lyrics of this song really fit the fast-paced riff, considering Valensi frantically sings that he doesn't know what to make of it when everyone is faking it. And that guitar solo! Slow DownI would say this sounds a bit ska, but I'm hoping it goes somewhere else. This song reminds me of the Bravery's Above And Below. But yeah, it does sound a little ska. I can imagine hearing this in a Surf Taco in a mix of exclusively Sublime and Blink-182 (they're not ska! I know!). On EdgeThis could fit in with the playlist of old-school hard rock playing in Princeton Record Exchange tonight. This song has a nice guitar solo, and of course Nick Valensi's crunchy, repetitive vocals echoing through the whole song. UnnaturalThis album has made it very clear that Nick Valensi is straying from the metaphoric, pep-filled style of the Strokes and going for a darker, more intense sound. This song is reminding me of the Bowser's Castle level in Mario Kart Wii. That's weird, I guess, but adds to the feel of the song. One Track MindApart from the vocals, this song could very easily fit on the Strokes' First Impressions Of The Earth. Valensi's signature guitar style really shines through on this track, along with his strong and straightforward vocals. The bass on this track is also incredibly strong, as well as the percussion. This might be one of my favorite tracks on the album. Like most of this songs on this album, it has a very hard rock-esque guitar solo, which comes in at the end. Monkey MachineThis track is again very strong and has an intense, fast paced riff. The percussion is also very intense and fast paced, adding to the mood of the track. The guitar solo around halfway through the song also contributes a lot to the overall tone of this track. Overall, this is a very strong closing track to a very strong album. ConclusionIn conclusion, this album has done a great job showing Nick Valensi's potential outside of the usually upbeat tone of the Strokes. My one negative for this album is that the musical styles could have been a bit more diverse in the second half, because a lot of the upbeat vibes from the first half of the album were gone by the second half, and it started to get a bit repetitive. That's just my opinion, though, as everything is on this blog.
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About The AuthorLiah is a high school senior who plays guitar and loves the color yellow. She doesn't post much, but when she does, it's awesome. We promise.
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