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Origin: Orphan, by The Hidden Cameras
The Hidden Cameras
Origin: Orphan
(Arts & Crafts)
*7.2*
Goes well with: Adam Green, The Magnetic Fields, John Vanderslice
The Hidden Cameras’ new album is foiled by what should be its greatest strength—the lyrics of singer-songwriter Joel Gibb. A natural provocateur, Gibb has, in the past, been able to augment his theatrical, often orchestral, songs with lyrics that are by turn clever, ironic and sexual, but here he succumbs to an ad infinitum clumsiness with his words (e.g., “Forming alliance / Falling, unable / Fortify our power / We’ll ride like horses / On the horizon / Menacing eyeballs / Fortitude gallop”).
Luckily, the lyrical letdown only partially dampens an album that finds Gibb et al. at an apex in other facets. Running the gamut from atmospheric droning to cheeky new-wave rhythms, afrobeat and vintage-sounding ballads, Origin: Orphan is unquestionably the product of much care and preparation. If anything, The Hidden Cameras are adept at weaving tiny thrills and textural variety into their songs, giving even mundane moments an epic, heightened feeling—for example, the flourish of cello and keyboards that introduces the chorus of album highlight “In the NA” and the graceful transition between the jittery verses and placid, piano-driven choruses of “Kingdom Come.”
The band’s skill at jumping from genre to genre, along with the consistency of their hooks, make Origin: Orphan worth a listen—as long as you don’t listen too closely to what’s being said.
Little Dragon
Machine Dreams
(Peacefrog)
*7.0*
Goes well with: The Human League, Bronski Beat, Thompson Twins
To say that Machine Dreams is a complete departure from Little Dragon’s self-titled debut is only partially true. While the Swedish quartet’s 2007 release leaned toward witching-hour R&B and the downtempo of early Morcheeba, tracks like “Turn Left” and “Place to Belong” did more than hint at the band’s fondness for the sound of ’80s synth-pop.
Machine Dreams finds Little Dragon embracing it full-on, so much so that each of its 11 tracks would make an apt addition to any of the classic John Hughes films, while keyboardist Hakan Wirenstrand channels everyone from Prince & The Revolution’s Dr. Fink to Howard Jones and Harold Faltermeyer.
Two-time Koop collaborator Yukimi Nagano continues her transition into dynamic frontwoman by successfully occupying a realm between sexy, soulful chanteuse and detached, art-house rocker. The band recently caught the attention of Dave Sitek and toured with TV on the Radio, and they’re at their best in the live setting, where songs like “Looking Glass” can be stretched into an elongated funk jam.
Little Dragon aren’t done experimenting with styles or searching for a band identity, but for the time being, they’re gonna party like it’s 1983.
Tape Deck Mountain
Ghost
(Lefse)
*8.1*
Goes well with: The Microphones, Sebadoh, My Bloody Valentine
This debut full-length by local trio Tape Deck Mountain strikes the perfect balance between unrelenting expression and stone-cold sobriety. In the final moment of “On My Honor,” limber drums and moaning guitar overtake the song’s straight-ahead chord progression and programmed beat. In “Dead Doctors Don’t Lie,” a cathartic crescendo of jagged guitar and crashing drums gives way to a quiet noise experiment—perhaps they felt uncomfortable losing their cool.
And then there’s Travis Trevisan’s voice, remarkable only for its normalness. As the album’s distorted grooves and ghostly overtones carry the music to another realm, Trevisan brings it back to the world of school and girlfriends with his sincere delivery of prosaic verses like, “Please don’t marry that asshole Larry / I know he’ll move the place you’re buried next to me.”
The band’s name suggests an affinity for the four-track tape recorder and all of the lo-fi classics it has produced. Indeed, had it been released in the ’90s, Ghost would no doubt have found a place among the likes of Sebadoh’s III—the technology is a bit more advanced, but it captures the same raw vitality of a promising band.
