Merry Christmas From LoL music

Recommendation for the finest holiday album to turn up to 11 this Christmas morn!

Another year of LoL music!

Another year of the captain and the noob!

Hooray, hoorah, hallueigh Haleigh more reviews are on the way!

Album Review: Walking Far From Home EP, Iron And Wine

3/5




By: Captain Pownzor

When I started to listen to the new Iron and wine EP Walking Far From Home from the very first track I was sort of taken aback. This is certainly not the lo-fi folk I have associated with the name at all. It really is walking far out of the Iron and Wine comfort zone.

Shepherds’ Dog had its share of layering and complexity to its songs as compared to the bands earlier hits like “Naked As We Came and Such Great Heights.” This EP however has branched out even further incorporating a more full sound from the traditional Iron and Wine’s whispy vocals and folkie guitars.

The title track starts with some crazy organ effects ringing like a gospel choir in church and turns into a song in an almost Broken Social Scene sort of style. Full voices twinkling chimes and a very different entity and the makings of what could be a interesting turn for Iron and Wine.

Summer in Savanah is not the strongest track on the EP, Its sort of a funky. With a persistent bassline throughout almost like a police song reborn. Somehow this song is catchy in its own right with a hook and attitude to the vocal styling and less of a folkie feel.

Biting Your Tail starts off with some weird sound effects samples and turns into a feel good clap along. This could be radio song! Not many iron and wine songs would go on popular music radio and this is certainly one of the first.

Overall this EP is a fairly big change to the Iron and Wine Style. Shepherd’s Dog Eluded that maybe a change like this was coming, but now that I have heard some of these new tracks I am interested to hear what is going to happen on the next feature length. Hopefully the Iron and Wine we know and love from The Creek Drank the Cradle isn’t dead yet though.

Album Review: Atlas Air EP, Massive Attack

2/5

By Captain Pownzor

Massive attack recently released a short Ep for War Child featuring remixes of the final track from Heligoland as well as a remix of a new track called Redlight. I decided to give it a listen. With Heligoland being featured on major shows like Hbo’s Trueblood and the success the band has had with songs like Teardrop and Angel, I wanted to see what these new remixes would be like as well as get an inkling of the future material.
The remixes aren’t bad overall. Tastefully done and not over sampling or taking away from the song. Ive got to say this the whole of the mix is bass heavy but not a bottom out your speakers heavy. It’s a really clear sounding thump, good for a nice night cruise to set the mood. Your subs will get a good workout. Jneiro Jarel’s Lavender Remix of Atlas Air is smooth as glass whereas the Goldworthy Remix is more of a slow build to a club thumper.

As for the new track Redlight, well I am certainly interested to hear this one when the new feature length album comes out. The Clark Remix of Redlight offers up a few short samples of the song’s dreamy vocals with an ongoing and very catchy melody. If it is any indication Massive Attack is holding onto some fantastic stuff for their next full length album.

As a whole for this EP, there really isn’t a massive change going on. The remixes just kind of fit up to Heligoland and blend with it. A great remix can overshadow the original. Although these are interesting takes on Atlas Air, they are so slight in their differences to the original its just not enough to make me want to recommend it.