Vices I admire, a four piece out of Denver, Colorado, have crafted a solid rock album. Their sophomore release, The Politics of Apathy, demonstrates both melancholy introspection and angsty passion. Instrumentation is strong, with Mickey Dollar on guitar, Dan Battenhouse on bass, and Mark Towne on drums. David Curtis delivers impressive vocals. Whether crooning or shouting, the man has some powerful lungs.

Recorded at Colorado Sound Studios, The Politics of Apathy is a heavily produced rock album. Vocals range from melodic to screaming- a technique Curtis employs with skill. Instrumentation draws heavily on metal. The high production and catchy, chunky, head-banging guitar riffs lands Vices I Admire solidly in the realm of rock; too polished for punk, too pretty for metal, and too classic for indie. While heavy production and borrowed metal riffs does seem to strip The Politics of Apathy of some authenticity and originality, a tangible passion and honesty behind the music saves this release from falling under the umbrella category of mainstream rock. Listeners won’t be able to avoid being caught up in each distinct track.

Track one, “Keep Killing Me,” is probably the most brutal track on the record, beginning with a curdling scream from Curtis. The rest of the track is consistent in intensity, with a head-banging chorus and some extreme metal riffage. The second song, “Heartbreaker,” is straight-up rock. Curtis shows off his pipes with quick shifts in intensity and a broad vocal range, backed by catchy guitar riffs. “Heartbreaker” is a solid rock hit, though not the most memorable or unique track on the album.

“Sweetest Girl” starts slower, picking up into a foot-tapping ballad interspersed with breakdowns and shifting tempos that provide an engaging aural texture. Again, Curtis’ vocals are showcased, as he accelerates from a slow lament to high-energy screams in mere seconds. “It Is” begins with a gentle snare roll from Towne, who is soon joined by piano and pretty meandering guitar. Curtis changes his timbre in “It Is,” replacing angst with a dark and restrained passion. The track demonstrates the versatility of Vices I admire, invoking masters of angst and subdued reflection Envy on the Coast. “It Is” is one of this release’s strongest offerings.

The fifth track, “Denouement: An Intermezzo,” serves as a melancholy ballad dividing the album. Curtis’ multi-track vocals are sweet and tortured in this brief, poignant interlude. Lyrics invoke maudlin imagery, and the piano is haunting, staying with the listener after the song’s conclusion and drawing her back again and again. “Kiss Kiss” counteracts the sweet sadness of “Denouement: An Intermezzo” with intense and immediate energy, though Curtis’ lyrics and timbre still echo the dark, contemplative undertones that course through the entire album. Instrumentation is vaguely reminiscent of early releases from dark rock kings My Chemical Romance. “Kiss Kiss” is one of the catchiest and most memorable tracks on The Politics of Apathy.

“Go the Spoils” kicks off with Curtis’ banter, monotone at times, invoking the apathy referenced in the album title. The vocals are layered over quintessential, understated guitar and drums of indie rock. The song has a pleasantly haunting cadence, mid-tempo and meandering, with whispered breakdowns and beautifully morose guitar wailing in the background. The conclusion delivers a dark explosion of passion from vocal and instruments alike. On “Apathology,” Curtis is almost rapping, which is somewhat of a disappointing divergence from his incredible vocal competency on other tracks. This delivery causes “Apathology” to veer towards musical territory previously charted by the likes of Linkin Park. Later, Curtis is joined by female backing vocals. The track is mid-tempo and builds gradually to an instrumental break where guitars partake in classic rock riffs. One of the album’s least experimental tracks, it also seems to lack the emotional intensity that carries much of the album.

The last track, “Monster,” is both fast and haunting, full of interesting quirks, such as eerie whistling and grim theological references to the cross. Lyrics, delivered by Curtis in the same almost-rap of the previous track, revolve around pessimistic observations on the human condition. The only track off the album to include profanity, “Monster” doesn’t overdo it, and lines such as fucking is the latest trend add to the passion and angst that Vices I Admire are so adept at capturing.

As a whole, The Politics of Apathy is a solid sophomore album. Vices I Admire harness and release energy effectively, exploring and, for the most part, sticking to their strengths. Listeners can expect this band to mature even further on future records, giving us more of the authentic passion that characterizes their songwriting and musicianship.

Review by Kendra Atleework

Kendra Atleework, Reviews The Politics of Apathy, Vices I Admire

This reviewer has never met David Robert King. In fact this reviewer has spent little time in his native Idaho, or the Northwest, where his live performances are garnering significant attention. This reviewer has never stood in the crowd and watched him play, solo or accompanied by backing band The Lost River Boys, never shared a beer with him after a show.

Nevertheless, King’s Take Me Home EP is familiar. Familiar in a comfortable, nice-guy-you-run-into at the local bar or grocery store kind of way, familiar like a front porch jam session on a summer evening. King’s voice, perfectly pitched, masculine with a suggestion of sensitivity, is comforting; it’s a timbre you’ve heard crooned from the radio since childhood. King’s lyrics follow well-worn trails of loss, love and perseverance. Instrumental backing, heavy on guitar and piano, is pretty and embracing. The structure of King’s vocal and instrumental arrangements echo earlier masters of rock, bluegrass, country, and folk, invoking decades of musical lore.

It comes as no surprise that King is winning over audiences across the continental US. Audiences like what they already know. They like what they hear on the radio, they like arrangements and melodies and lyrics that invoke but do not challenge classic genres, that do not force them to consider music, art, and life in a new way. Take Me Home courts this complacency. It gives them what they want.

The EP’s first track, “Strange Freedom,” is a perfect example. It begins with upbeat drum and guitar, soon be joined by King’s optimistic crooning. The track is uplifting, emotional, about life and love.  There is little to complain about, but also little to engage a listener’s curiosity or lodge in the memory. The title track is a sadder, slower ballad with a heavy americana influence and guitar parts that exhibit a bittersweet twang. Introspective and pretty, “Take Me Home” is a stronger offering than the first track.

The third track, “The Winter,” is also slightly melancholy. Slower sections incorporate an intriguing, ambitious melody, which is unfortunately overshadowed by a chorus that strives for inspirational but may verge on cliché. Lyrics invoking the image of a lover walking away are something that this reviewer has heard many times before.

“Somehow Today” begins with pretty guitar and piano interplay. Vocals are doused in heavy reverb, however, which is slightly distracting, an unnecessary embellishment on King’s solid vocals. Lyrics conjure up engagingly unexpected imagery: That November night is kind of a blur, I remember your uncovered feet. This is a fresh image that sparks curiosity as the lyrics proceed to unfold. With female backing vocals, it is a beautiful song, but by its conclusion remains, predictably, another ballad of troubled love.

The final track “As Closed,” though uplifting and mid-tempo like much of the EP, is the most experimental track on the EP. “As Closed” blends genres, slipping from pretty guitar and piano duets to a barrage of frantic scales and tambourines reminiscent of cabaret. The refrain recalls Jimmy Eat World’s “A Praise Chorus.”

This is not an EP for college radio stations foraging new musical frontiers. Their libraries are already well stocked with the classics. The likes of Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash, and Woody Guthrie have already scoured the territory that King now treads with this 2010 release. Of course, every musician has heroes, influences, and musical soul mates from past eras. Every genre, every great artist, is simply a compound of the past. King is no exception, providing a solid homage to the legends of rock, bluegrass, and country. There is nothing new or out of place on this comfortable little five song EP. It’s easy to slip into, easy to listen to. It won’t keep you up at night reevaluating your life, or your favorite musical genre. Take Me Home is easy, which may also mean that it is easy to forget.

The poignancy and impact of the EP may be limited by its very familiarity. Still, this reviewer has reason to believe that as King’s prowess increases, so will his depth and breadth.

Review by Kendra Atleework

Kendra Atleework, Reviews David Robert King, Take Me Home

This reviewer is a self-proclaimed music snob, who hangs out with other self-proclaimed music snobs. I’m talking about people who quiz each other on the names of Pavement’s successive drummers over lunch. Believe me when I express to you my surprise that this unassuming little EP caught my attention in a big way.

New York quintet Hawk and Dove blends vocals, drums, guitar, bass and violin. These four tracks tap into genres that have lured picky music connoisseurs for decades, from sleepy Americana to driving indie and even post-rock. The result is emotionally riveting, bringing indie firecrackers We Were Promised Jetpacks to mind. Instrumentation is captivating and varied, from minimal, ponderous bass to meandering interplay between violin, guitar and drums. Vocals are dynamic, delivering plaintive lyrics and jumping from genre to genre, occasionally taking on a jazzy warble.

The first track, “Furious Armies, is a plodding ballad tinged with post-rock. Dark, introspective guitar mirrors a subtly restrained passion in the vocals.

The second track, “Stain,” begins as a folksy sing-song reminiscent of Joanna Newsom, and soon builds to an emotional dirge.

The EP’s strongest offering, “Boy on the Moon,” at first seems minimal and plaintive. Even snobs have feelings, and I’ll be returning to this one on lonely city nights. Guitar and violin dance somberly with vocals that are appealingly relatable. The song builds into an epic ballad and collapses into feedback after a satisfying guitar tantrum.

The fourth track, “Muscle Breaks,” is quiet and slow, with pretty strings and sad vocals reminiscent of folk darlings The Decemberists.

Those who look down their noses at Top 40 charts will find something to embrace about Hawk and Dove’s first offering “Rocking Chair.” And whether or not we admit it, we’ll all be eagerly awaiting the full length.

Reviewed by Kendra Atleework

Kendra Atleework, Reviews Hawk and Dove, Rocking Chair

“Knitting Songs” is pure candy. If you have a sweet tooth, expect to be drawn in. Each song is a different treat: Reese’s, gumdrops, Tootsie Rolls, and yes, the occasional Warhead with the punchy track “Bitch.”

Savannah’s honeycomb voice melts with ethereal strings and piano, building and releasing tension with smooth expertise. Savannah harnesses a modern-folk vibe, adding another dimension to her sound best described as classical folk. This aesthetic is enhanced by whimsical, story-telling lyrics rich in imagery, one of the album’s strongest qualities.

Like any sugary indulgence, “Knitting Songs” sometimes sends the listener running for contrasting flavors and textures. Most tracks are just so very pretty. But exquisite strings and a few unexpected hits of spice rescue the album from the territory of adult contemporary already plundered by the likes of Anna Nalick.

Savannah’s strengths are most evident in the introspective and gorgeous “Little Girl” and “Long Way to Go,” a sadder, folk number with smoky saxophones meandering through the background.

While listeners may experience insulin spikes after listening to “Knitting Songs” in one sitting, no amount of willpower will keep you from returning again and again to the most delicious of Savannah’s concoctions.

Reviewed By Kendra Atleework

Kendra Atleework Knitting Songs, Savannah Jo Lack