Sisyphus - Sisyphus (ALBUM REVIEW)

7

     Soon. Soon there will be a massive break out of avant folk/hip-hop. And the indie kids will once again be friends with the hip-hop heads. Aesop Rock and Kimya Dawson released their first album as The Uncluded entitled Hokey Fright last year, and now after an EP in  Sisyphus is here with their new self titled full length debut album. Sisyphus, originally s/s/s/, is a trio of folk artist Stufan Stevens, alternative hip-hop emcee Serengeti, and producer, Son Lux. Despite Stufan being a folk artist, there is a complete lack of folk influences on this album, and according to him he is there for singing ballads and backing vocals, melody, and "chords".

     The first song 'Calm it Down' is divide into two main parts, the first being a catchy drum driven hip-hop song. During the first half Serengeti raps with a flow slightly reminiscent of the ghost busters theme song. After the chorus we are reintroduced to the 8-bit world for a brief moment before  goes back to anti-mainstream hip-hop ideals and tells us to calm down instead of jump up or throw your hands up in the air. Stufan takes over the second half accompanied with atmospheric beats with an array of synthesizers. The next track, 'Take Me' took one from 'Calm it Down' and, calmed it down. This is an electro ballad with drums that sound like they came from the Future Garage scene. Stufan Stevens takes the place of sole vocalist with doubled, reversed, and heavily reverb laced vocals. This track is definitely the highlight of the whole album.

     Flying Ace is a song that's hard to pin down. It changes it's rhythm and time signature drastically within its 3 minute run time. It begin with a slow paced beginning discussing the tragic loss of a whole town's truffles, the bass comes in then the tempo picks up and changes again to a modern electronic influenced beat and then once more to a light string section which seems as if it would be found in a Lana Del Rey song if she were on uppers. With no chorus in the song it give the opportunity to have more varied production because it adheres to no specific song structure. 'I Won't be Afraid' is another slow song with only Stufan Stevens on vocals. The song is mainly driven by a somber synth with horns serving as backing vocals. 

     Although Sisyphus is making headway into a new region of hip-hop, unfortunately the one thing lacking is diversity. and the whole album seems to be divided going back and forth between Stufjan's electro ballads and Serengeti's abstract hip-hop. While Stufjan does contribute good backing vocals the songs are more split between the two vocalists such as in Dishes in the Sink where the song completely changes to fit each vocalist's abilities and style.  It would be a better fit if Stufjan Stevens continued to work with Son Lux as a duo and vice versa. It almost seems like a split album than one artist.

La Dispute - Rooms of the House (ALBUM REVIEW)

7.4

     Every relationship must have compromise. Two people come together to solve problems that they wouldn’t have if they were single. When you don’t solve these problems, well, see Rooms of the House for post-traumatic breakup stress. Grand Rapid’s post-hardcore outfit La Dispute’s lead vocalist Jordan Dreyer is no stranger to writing sad relationship songs. It seems to have come full circle, from Somewhere at the Bottom of the River Between Vega and Altair to Rooms of the House. Both albums are concept albums in the loosest sense of the word, where there is a main theme to the album. Both albums theme happens to be the same, breakups and relationships that will soon end. Rooms of the House is the bands first release since their 2011 magnum opus Wildlife.
        The album starts with a twanging guitar riff with Jordan Dreyer's vocals overtop describing the beginning of a storm. HUDSONVILLE 1956 MI is a fictional story about a couple during the tornado in Hudsonville, Michigan in 1956. It details the father staying in Michigan and the wife going to Indiana with their son to her parents house. This track stays true to La Dispute's classic sound of rising and falling guitars with heavy pounding drums. Woman (In Mirror) begins with a hypnotic ensemble of toms and bass kicks from a muffled drum set. This is then offset by a twinkly arpeggiated guitar, and is the first indication on the album that La Dispute may be treading into new territory.
         For Mayor in Splitsville begins with a dissonant collection of guitar work and hard hitting drums, then transforms into a poppy and melodic tune that if I had to bet will be one the more popular tracks. The beginning of the track hints towards this being the worst song on the album but triumphantly turns and recaptures itself as an accessible yet rewarding song. Woman (Reading) is the anti-climactic sequel to Woman (In Mirror) and is stylistically similar. The first half of the song is characterized by a soft guitar accompanied by horns and gentle drum work, until the second half where the tempo speeds up and catches up to La Dispute's past stylings of emotive and distorted post-hardcore.
        Stay Happy There, the first single from this LP is an energetic anthem about a couple who have just broken up and the post-breakup regret. The song is ultimately reminiscent of Wildlife's most popular song King Park. The final song on the album, Objects in Space shows off Jordan's less angry side by a spoken word aspect that describes him collecting all of the things in his house and talking about the significance and nostalgic factors of the items he has accumulated with a girlfriend. After summarizing the scene he has created on the floor he describes it as  a memorial to the relationship.