*UPDATE on 5/29/2017: Added Jefim’s notes
A quote from the first round of “Music Monthly” posted one year ago, after which no subsequent rounds have been completed: “The plan is that one person will send a recommendation near the beginning of a month, and then all three of us will listen to it and send along our thoughts. We’ll see where this ends up, but it certainly was fun thinking critically about music and talking about it again!”
Well, life happens, I suppose. To Steve’s credit, he offered up the album up for discussion this time promptly after we posted the one for Hop Along. Then Jefim moved to Europe and we made a Duck House. Less time to talk music, I suppose. Still, we’d like to get back at it!
The album up for discussion is Picture You Staring by TOPS (listen here or purchase here). Emails are below:
Mike
TOPS does not, apparently, stand for "The Insider on Pittsburgh Sports" like I immediately assumed... stupid Penguins hockey media polluting my acronym recognition. If Wikipedia is to be believed, as it always should, it most likely originates from the name of their 2012 debut, Tender Opposites. While we focused on their more recent followup, 2014's Picture You Staring, I find the name of their first album and therefore their band to be peculiar. At first listen, there certainly seems to be a good amount of tenderness. The first track begins with some keys, clean guitar picking, and a wispy, soft vocal. The recording is modest in production, which immediately sparks a connection. The tones feel like something off of Bountiful Harvest, except the playing is quite a bit more immaculate. Guitar notes ring clean, layered cymbal work shines through, and Jane Penny's vocals meld into the arrangement. "Way to Be Loved" is great. From here, though, I find that the album either devolves or my hearing of it grows fatigued. This reaction is embodied by two elements of the writing and performance in particular: the synth keys and the vocal performance. Initially, the 80s synth is great. Not completely dissimilar to the sounds achieved on Tama Impala's Currents, it alters the personality of the album. While it's probably not fair to make specific wishes and what-if's, I would probably enjoy the album more with a more natural piano or organ implementation. Still, the vocals end up being what drives me away by the middle of the disc. They never seem to break out of their monotone (as opposed to mono-note) delivery. Everything is a whisper. It's here that the tenderness referred to in their name falls a bit flat for me. Without dynamics, I lose interest, despite some thoughtful or even catchy melodies at times. I suppose in the end I give it 8/15 bananas, or whatever our reviewing scale is based on. -Mike
Steve
Oh man, its been since March? This year is a blur. Welp, I'm gonna throw my review in on TOPS's Picture You Staring and get this piece up on the blog, also in the hopes of re-sparking an interest in music sharing and collective appreciation/criticism. This review is a little removed from the music; I had this album in my rotation for a solid couple months at the beginning of this year, and hadn't listened to it in a quite a while since. Coming back to it and giving it another few listen-throughs I still like it a lot, but I can see why I haven't been drawn to pull it out more often - I attribute that most of all to the album's tone. The album starts very strongly with "Way to be Loved", a song invoking maybe a late 70s or early 80s soft rock group with some soul elements as well (its shuffle holds no candle to the Hit-Maker, but it still grooves for sure!). The airy quality of the vocals and "room sound" of the instruments definitely invokes nostalgia in me, and over the past decade I'll admit to developing a soft spot for 80s musical aesthetic. The minimalist synth on this track (and most of the album) seems excellently mixed into the songs, filling the room where the instruments recorded and retaining an organic quality. The second track is one of the lighter songs on the album, and listening to it again it kind of falls flat. TOPS seems to thrive in the realm of sad poppy-ness, and this song perhaps pulled them too far from their style. The thing that struck me most was a lack of dynamics that is present on a lot of other tracks. "Circle the Dark" and "Outside" both sound like songs most of us have heard before (think "Message In A Bottle" by The Police and "Take My Breath Away" by Berlin, respectively). Enjoyable tunes on their own, but coming back to them I realize how blatant the influence is, like TOPS is trying to invoke that "remember how you felt about these songs" feeling. However the guitars are dynamic and fun on "Circle" and downright beautiful on "Outside", coupled with that darker / more organic synth sound that keeps me very much on board. "All the People Sleep" shows more of TOPS's originality in yet another ballad-y, somber song. This is that overall tone thing: the album never pulls you too much out of a slog of sad sounds and emotions. Beautiful stuff, but perhaps not for all types of listening. A great aspect of this song is it's dynamics of tempo; that pulling-back feeling for most of the song contrasted with a driving bridge highlights some of TOPS's more unique musical charms. And then hold on, another brooding slow tempo song? Yes! Pacing is not a strong suit perhaps. "Sleeptalker" has some beautiful vocals on it, though. The production of the song shows some rawness to it, and the guitars remind me of stuff Mike and I have recorded in various projects on Small Glowing Pig. The next 3 tracks pick up the tempo somewhat and once again tread into that familiar assorted 80s band quality of sound. Fun tunes, but once again a little uninteresting and flatter than the slower songs preceding. "Change of Heart" actually feels out of place on the album with its synth drumming and annoyingly jangly chorus. Possibly my least favorite track. "Easier Said" brings me right back to why I really like this album and band. A pastiche of genres, hints of moderness, solid grooves and good contrast in sections. The tone never really lets up on its sadness, but something about this tune sounds empowered, both lyrically and musically. Great drumming, really in the pocket, almost sounding pulled along by the guitars. The album rounds out with 2 (of course) slower songs, some of the slowest and most introspective on the album. "Driverless Passenger" is a bit of a dirge, probably my least fav slow song on the album, but still pretty in its own way. Listening to it again makes me think of Twin Peaks, with its 80s visuals and haunting synth music. The final track "Destination" strikes me as a very pretty song, relying seemingly entirely on synth and vocals. Perhaps not as detailed as previous tracks but unique in sound and a great closer. Overall, I really enjoyed this album. TOPS was one of the few bands I've stumbled on via Spotify that justify my membership. Oh how I miss the days of college filesharing for new music exposure; for some strange reason it seemed to be easier to view another person's library of music, where if you liked or already owned a bunch of their stuff you were sure to find new artists and albums to fall in love with. The feel of Picture You Staring can kind of leave me in a sort of mental fetal position. However, the aforementioned qualities the band exhibits are refreshing not only among a lot of new music but even in the scope of the music that so obviously inspired it in the first place. -Blonski
Jefim
I'm bad at doing a full listen and remembering particular things, so I tried something a little different, I listened and wrote things down as I went (I also made sure I didn't read your reviews before I listened). Another thing I tried - rating each song and how "happy" it made me feel as I went along. Looking back at all those numbers now, I'd say the average of those numbers lines up with my general feeling on this Album on second listen: I enjoyed parts of it, I didn't care for other parts, so maybe a 3.5 out of 5? I guess I agree with Mikey's Banana's scale - but maybe I'd throw in an orange or two :D.Below you can find my notes/thoughts. And I know I'm up next - deciding between two albums right now. Send you guys a note shortly! Jefim General Thoughts on "Picture You Staring" Almost has an "80s" feel to it, maybe "New Wave/Pop/Fusion" kind of thing, mixed with more modern "She&Him" kind of Indie-ness. Feelings: Melancholy, Longing, "dreaminess", perhaps even chillaxin? Very simple, clean and upfront mixing style - guitars are pretty clean, snare is loose/"snarey" most of the album For the most part I liked the singer's voice throughout the album, even if I felt like it was a bit subdued at times. The Album kind of lost me by the end, like I lost interest in what they were doing, because it felt like they had already done it??? "Way to Be Loved" was probably my favorite track overall, felt the most "original"/cool/upbeat/interesting. "Way to Be Loved" How Happy Am I About this Track (1-5)? - 4 Sweet Vocals Complex Melodies/Rhythms Has kind of a "jazzy" feel at times, specifically smooth jazz Like the lyrical style and female point of view Digging this track "Blind Faze" How Happy Am I About this Track (1-5)? - 3 Echoes of Shirley Manson Vocals with some Classic Rock female singers (Belinda Carlyle?) Some 80s/early 90s style synth work "Circle the Dark" How Happy Am I About this Track (1-5)? - 2 Initial Impression: Police-like quality to the song, especially the guitar and melody, even some of the Bass lines Late era Zeppelin-esk synth work? "Outside" How Happy Am I About this Track (1-5)? - 2 Interesting Vocal Chorusing effect in the Chorus, not sure if I care for it, felt kind of "loose"/sloppy "All the People Sleep" How Happy Am I About this Track (1-5)? - 3 Pretty cool Guitar/Vocal Matching in this track I got an early "MGMT" feeling from this song, maybe it was the guitar work in the bridge, can't put my finger on it. "Sleeptalker" How Happy Am I About this Track (1-5)? - 4 The guitar really drives this one forward, feels like I want to keep following the melody it's playing Kind of dreamy/psychedelic/haunting kind of vocals (guessing they were going for that with a name like "Sleeptalker"?) Superstition Future How Happy Am I About this Track (1-5)? - 4 Pretty upbeat, feels like the album is starting to pick up Reminds me of some of the "Colortone" stuff Mikey did years ago, especially the guitar work Feels pretty catchy, I want to bob my head along to this one Dug the sudden cutoff at the end, felt a little sudden but still appropriate "2 Shy" How Happy Am I About this Track (1-5)? - 3 Initial Feeling: Kind of feels like a mix of the rest of the album, nothing is standing out on this one. Almost feels like filler. Easy to bob my head along to, driving bassline and drums "Change of Heart" How Happy Am I About this Track (1-5)? - 4 This feels like a mix between some recent folkie/indy (band's name is escaping me right now, just saw them with Amie last year) stuff and later Garbage/Shirley Manson. Feels like it could be on Beautiful Garbage. Digging this track, like the rocky/driving/fun feel of it Snare sound is suddenly a lot more "tom-ey" "Easier Said" How Happy Am I About this Track (1-5)? - 4 The drums, bass, and guitar sound straight out of something Sting/Police would do. Vocals and synth set it apart though Dig the high vocals runs she does in this song...actually making me regret she doesn't use melodies like that more often...her voice sounds really good doing them. Again getting a "smooth jazzy" feel in the chorus, almost like "Sade" back in 90s. really digging it. The guitar/bass interplay totally sounds like something Mikey or Blonski would write in the "breakdown/solo" section "Driverless Passenger" How Happy Am I About this Track (1-5)? - 2 The simple Guitar/vocal parts reminded me of Jeff Buckley's work kind of like "Lilac Wine", maybe even some echoes of his cover of Hallelujah. The synth work gives it a "epic" kind of feel and differentiates it Almost a religious/church quality to it. "Destination" How Happy Am I About this Track (1-5)? - 1 The synth makes this sound like something on an 80s movie soundtrack I can't put my finger on it, but this song feels kind of sloppy to me, like I'm having trouble staying connected to it as I can't make out many of the instruments, and then the synth and vocals kind of "jar" me back in. Felt like it suddenly stopped. Weird way to end the Album.