Avalanche!
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areusad831
- Oskar Winner: 2005
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joe_canadian
- Oskar Winner: 2006
- Posts: 7446
- Joined: 3/17/2002, 4:11 pm
- Location: Ontario
mmm.. I'm in a reviewing mood, and I've been listening to nothing but this album since Tuesday. Eesh, this ended up being pretty damn long 
Pledge of Allegiance: definitely an unusual, mesmerizing opener, when compared to MGB's albums first tracks (alabama motel room, deep six, giant, man of action), this song stays at a mellow pace and sound and doesn't deviate. This is far from a weak track however - the choir and bells lend it an immense, different sound, and sets the style of much of the rest of the album: the focus is on the Good's vocals and still sharp lyrics. Admittedly, I skip this track a lot, since it lacks a certain oomph that characterize most of MG's music, but as part of the album, its a fantastic opener that draws you in, and Matt's vocals backed by a haunting choir are just beautiful.
Lullaby for the New World Order: this piece introduces the most prominent components of Avalanche - acoustic guitar and strings. A staple throughout the album, MG has managed to coax much richer sound out of his acoustic guitar than on previous albums, which tended to all end up sounding vaguely like Strange Days to me. The strings of the Vancouver symphony orchestra also bring this song to life. Though not terribly sophisticated and not the focus of this track, the soaring violins and growling cellos are perfect accompaniment to the acoustic guitar, which together support Matt's powerful vocals. Lyrically, LftNWO is fairly straight forward (see sig), but delivered with such emotion that their simplicity goes unnoticed. Overall, a powerful track that continues to build up the inensity of the album into the next track.
Weapon: the debut single of the album, and a break from typical song conventions, Weapon is slightly different in its album form than the single heard on the radio and in the video, and I think its much better for it. The moody, acoustic beginning is prolonged on the album, eliminating the only complaint I had with the single - that the beginning was too harshly interrupted by the heavier guitars that carry the rest of the song. Building up to this climax much more effectively, Weapon is an excellent, dark rocker with some great style brought out once again by some well put together strings and catchy guitars.
In a World Called Catastrophe: quite possibly the most upbeat, happy song Matt has ever put out, IaWCC is the second single off of Avalanche, and even catchier than Weapon. Starting off rather abrubtly, especially after a dark track like Weapon, with a great electric guitar hook, Matt once and for all proves that he can fucking sing. Some people have said that the vocals are little too overdone, but I personally think they're just excellent, and, backed by the melodic guitar, this track has yet to succumb from single-syndrome for me. Only complaint is that, by this point, the strings do become a little samey, but I think its clear that they were intended to be an important part of the album, so it's more of an album characteristic than anything else, IaWCC just happens to sport the weakest use of the strings.
Avalanche: far and away my favourite track thus far, the title track is as powerful a song as Matt Good has ever produced, and is especially noteable for the surprising incorporation of extremely well used vocal effects. Kicking off slowly with a broody acoustic guitar and the haunting repetition of "one foot in front of the other/one foot back to counter it", Avalanche tranforms suddenly into an immense, mind-blowing rocker. Coming out of the chorus, the song reverts back to acoustic guitar as Matt builds up a lyrical storm that explodes into another climax of strings, synths, drums, and the wicked reverbing echo "I'm heir to it all." Truly a build up on par with Advertising on Police Cars, the song then again quiets down for a moment before launching into the chorus once more, and ends with some touching last words and the final repetition of "so, one foot in front of the other." Avalanche is haunting and immense, with great production and the best showcase of the acoustic guitar on the album.
21st Century Living: the album makes a huge turn with this track, with a passionate, funny, and poignant spoken rant about society, super-sizing, and ambition underlayed with some wicked synths and a mourning cello. Breaking up these rants is the most MGB-ish chorus of the album, with no synths or strings to be heard, just Hello Time-Bomb style vocals and white-knuckle guitars in the vein of Anti-pop. Incredibly original and very catchy even with its unconventional nature, 21st Century Living is one of the stand-out tracks of Avalanche at large.
While We Were Hunting Rabbits: another one of my favourites, WWWHR is quite possibly the most emotional and sad song MG has put out, imho. The strong use of drums is what really sets it apart, along with the excellent incorporation of choirs and recordings of crowds cheering. Parts of the song really sound like Matt was practically weeping while singing it, especially when supported by choirs in the tear-jerking finale of "I'm just a boat on the ocean/I'm just a ship lost at sea." WWWHR also cements the orchestra as a staple part of the album, with a string-only outro that carries on for more than two whole minutes of the 8:00 minute epic. Sure, 8 minutes may not really qualify as epic, but sonically it does carry that feeling. The outro itself isn't terribly special as far as string arrangements go, but after the sheer emotion of the choir-backed vocals, it fits perfectly.
Bright End of Nowhere: another emotional, sombre piece, BEoN is a masterpiece of its own merits, but would probably have done better put at another point on the album, since it is almost dwarfed by WWWHR, which shares a similar mood but makes a larger impact when the two are played back to back. Still, BEoN introduces classical piano to the mix of Avalanche's sounds, and makes me forget that Dave Genn was ever needed to supply its sound. The track at first is quiet and almost spartan in sound (a la the Rat Who Would Be King), and draws you in to the song quite nicely. This flows seamlessly into the chorus which is utterly beautiful, and may be the first true love song MG has written. Unfortunately, the lyrics are at their weakest with this track, imo, which somewhat detracts from the song's impact. Still, BEoN is a simple, vivid, beautiful song if nothing else.
Near Fantastica: another track that makes great use of synths and experimentation, and a great rocker at that. NF leads in with extremely atmospheric, almost trance-like synths, that are soon joined by a warped recording of Matt's vocals, until finally Matt himself joins the sonic fray with some disturbing, intensely delivered lyrics. The chorus isn't as great as the intro promises, but is still enjoyable and guitar-driven, if pretty conventional compared to the verse portion of the song.
Song for the Girl: a real love song, and not a wishy-washy one either, but a catchy, upbeat song that gives a fresh take on the cliche of love songs. Beginning with an energetic acoustic guitar (that really really reminds me of Doves - Caught by the River for some reason) and some wistful vocals that quickly launch into the thrilling chorus. I love the simplistic lyrics for some irrational reason, "up again/down again/out of your head/when she's beside you you're nearly not so dead/up again/down again/out of your head/when she's beside you you're always at your best." Simple, but just damn right for a love song that doesn't succumb to being sonic heart breaks like so many others. SftG also features another great choir section that cements the catchiness of the song as a whole. Another favourite.
Double Life: catchy as hell, DL is another favourite of mine. This tracks starts off with a wicked distorted guitar line, that is soon joined by the best use of bass guitar on the album, as well as somewhat superfluous drums. The chorus continues the sheer catchiness, with the full electric guitar treatment and some noticeable great vocals and (imo) unconventional lyrics. It doesn't stop there either, soon another melodic rocking electric guitar is added to the mix in a pulse-pounding finale, that still possesses the refinement of the album as whole. A song that demands to be sung along to, this is a candidate for being the next single.
Long Way Down: I'm pretty sure I've listened to this track least of all, but I far from dislike it. LWD is a frenetic track, with the reappearance of the haunting string section and piano overtop another strong drum performance, all overlayed by some paranoid vocals by Matt and some backing singers. The chorus is intense, with very drawn out, saddening vocals accompanied by nothing but an equally drawn out cello and sporadic drum beats. LWD is a track that gets to you, deep down, in the most powerful way.
House of Smoke and Mirrors: MG takes the sad route to finish the album once more, HoSaM incorporates great usage of all the defining elements of the album - hooky acoustic guitar that drives the song, simple but well used drums, classy piano, soaring strings to support Matt's inredible vocals, and distorted guitars in the climax to complete the sound. The only thing missing are synths, but the song is quite full as it is. Honestly, I don't like HoSaM as much as, say, Running for Home or Sort of a Protest Song, and I don't think it's a great ender, but objectively it's a simple, beautiful song.
Overall, Avalanche is an incredibly refined and sophisticated album that can't easily be put into any set genre. And... this took so long to write I'm tired and can't review any more, so just give it a listen
edit: completely forgot about SftG. woops. also, I forgot to mention that Avalanche is just fucking fresh
Pledge of Allegiance: definitely an unusual, mesmerizing opener, when compared to MGB's albums first tracks (alabama motel room, deep six, giant, man of action), this song stays at a mellow pace and sound and doesn't deviate. This is far from a weak track however - the choir and bells lend it an immense, different sound, and sets the style of much of the rest of the album: the focus is on the Good's vocals and still sharp lyrics. Admittedly, I skip this track a lot, since it lacks a certain oomph that characterize most of MG's music, but as part of the album, its a fantastic opener that draws you in, and Matt's vocals backed by a haunting choir are just beautiful.
Lullaby for the New World Order: this piece introduces the most prominent components of Avalanche - acoustic guitar and strings. A staple throughout the album, MG has managed to coax much richer sound out of his acoustic guitar than on previous albums, which tended to all end up sounding vaguely like Strange Days to me. The strings of the Vancouver symphony orchestra also bring this song to life. Though not terribly sophisticated and not the focus of this track, the soaring violins and growling cellos are perfect accompaniment to the acoustic guitar, which together support Matt's powerful vocals. Lyrically, LftNWO is fairly straight forward (see sig), but delivered with such emotion that their simplicity goes unnoticed. Overall, a powerful track that continues to build up the inensity of the album into the next track.
Weapon: the debut single of the album, and a break from typical song conventions, Weapon is slightly different in its album form than the single heard on the radio and in the video, and I think its much better for it. The moody, acoustic beginning is prolonged on the album, eliminating the only complaint I had with the single - that the beginning was too harshly interrupted by the heavier guitars that carry the rest of the song. Building up to this climax much more effectively, Weapon is an excellent, dark rocker with some great style brought out once again by some well put together strings and catchy guitars.
In a World Called Catastrophe: quite possibly the most upbeat, happy song Matt has ever put out, IaWCC is the second single off of Avalanche, and even catchier than Weapon. Starting off rather abrubtly, especially after a dark track like Weapon, with a great electric guitar hook, Matt once and for all proves that he can fucking sing. Some people have said that the vocals are little too overdone, but I personally think they're just excellent, and, backed by the melodic guitar, this track has yet to succumb from single-syndrome for me. Only complaint is that, by this point, the strings do become a little samey, but I think its clear that they were intended to be an important part of the album, so it's more of an album characteristic than anything else, IaWCC just happens to sport the weakest use of the strings.
Avalanche: far and away my favourite track thus far, the title track is as powerful a song as Matt Good has ever produced, and is especially noteable for the surprising incorporation of extremely well used vocal effects. Kicking off slowly with a broody acoustic guitar and the haunting repetition of "one foot in front of the other/one foot back to counter it", Avalanche tranforms suddenly into an immense, mind-blowing rocker. Coming out of the chorus, the song reverts back to acoustic guitar as Matt builds up a lyrical storm that explodes into another climax of strings, synths, drums, and the wicked reverbing echo "I'm heir to it all." Truly a build up on par with Advertising on Police Cars, the song then again quiets down for a moment before launching into the chorus once more, and ends with some touching last words and the final repetition of "so, one foot in front of the other." Avalanche is haunting and immense, with great production and the best showcase of the acoustic guitar on the album.
21st Century Living: the album makes a huge turn with this track, with a passionate, funny, and poignant spoken rant about society, super-sizing, and ambition underlayed with some wicked synths and a mourning cello. Breaking up these rants is the most MGB-ish chorus of the album, with no synths or strings to be heard, just Hello Time-Bomb style vocals and white-knuckle guitars in the vein of Anti-pop. Incredibly original and very catchy even with its unconventional nature, 21st Century Living is one of the stand-out tracks of Avalanche at large.
While We Were Hunting Rabbits: another one of my favourites, WWWHR is quite possibly the most emotional and sad song MG has put out, imho. The strong use of drums is what really sets it apart, along with the excellent incorporation of choirs and recordings of crowds cheering. Parts of the song really sound like Matt was practically weeping while singing it, especially when supported by choirs in the tear-jerking finale of "I'm just a boat on the ocean/I'm just a ship lost at sea." WWWHR also cements the orchestra as a staple part of the album, with a string-only outro that carries on for more than two whole minutes of the 8:00 minute epic. Sure, 8 minutes may not really qualify as epic, but sonically it does carry that feeling. The outro itself isn't terribly special as far as string arrangements go, but after the sheer emotion of the choir-backed vocals, it fits perfectly.
Bright End of Nowhere: another emotional, sombre piece, BEoN is a masterpiece of its own merits, but would probably have done better put at another point on the album, since it is almost dwarfed by WWWHR, which shares a similar mood but makes a larger impact when the two are played back to back. Still, BEoN introduces classical piano to the mix of Avalanche's sounds, and makes me forget that Dave Genn was ever needed to supply its sound. The track at first is quiet and almost spartan in sound (a la the Rat Who Would Be King), and draws you in to the song quite nicely. This flows seamlessly into the chorus which is utterly beautiful, and may be the first true love song MG has written. Unfortunately, the lyrics are at their weakest with this track, imo, which somewhat detracts from the song's impact. Still, BEoN is a simple, vivid, beautiful song if nothing else.
Near Fantastica: another track that makes great use of synths and experimentation, and a great rocker at that. NF leads in with extremely atmospheric, almost trance-like synths, that are soon joined by a warped recording of Matt's vocals, until finally Matt himself joins the sonic fray with some disturbing, intensely delivered lyrics. The chorus isn't as great as the intro promises, but is still enjoyable and guitar-driven, if pretty conventional compared to the verse portion of the song.
Song for the Girl: a real love song, and not a wishy-washy one either, but a catchy, upbeat song that gives a fresh take on the cliche of love songs. Beginning with an energetic acoustic guitar (that really really reminds me of Doves - Caught by the River for some reason) and some wistful vocals that quickly launch into the thrilling chorus. I love the simplistic lyrics for some irrational reason, "up again/down again/out of your head/when she's beside you you're nearly not so dead/up again/down again/out of your head/when she's beside you you're always at your best." Simple, but just damn right for a love song that doesn't succumb to being sonic heart breaks like so many others. SftG also features another great choir section that cements the catchiness of the song as a whole. Another favourite.
Double Life: catchy as hell, DL is another favourite of mine. This tracks starts off with a wicked distorted guitar line, that is soon joined by the best use of bass guitar on the album, as well as somewhat superfluous drums. The chorus continues the sheer catchiness, with the full electric guitar treatment and some noticeable great vocals and (imo) unconventional lyrics. It doesn't stop there either, soon another melodic rocking electric guitar is added to the mix in a pulse-pounding finale, that still possesses the refinement of the album as whole. A song that demands to be sung along to, this is a candidate for being the next single.
Long Way Down: I'm pretty sure I've listened to this track least of all, but I far from dislike it. LWD is a frenetic track, with the reappearance of the haunting string section and piano overtop another strong drum performance, all overlayed by some paranoid vocals by Matt and some backing singers. The chorus is intense, with very drawn out, saddening vocals accompanied by nothing but an equally drawn out cello and sporadic drum beats. LWD is a track that gets to you, deep down, in the most powerful way.
House of Smoke and Mirrors: MG takes the sad route to finish the album once more, HoSaM incorporates great usage of all the defining elements of the album - hooky acoustic guitar that drives the song, simple but well used drums, classy piano, soaring strings to support Matt's inredible vocals, and distorted guitars in the climax to complete the sound. The only thing missing are synths, but the song is quite full as it is. Honestly, I don't like HoSaM as much as, say, Running for Home or Sort of a Protest Song, and I don't think it's a great ender, but objectively it's a simple, beautiful song.
Overall, Avalanche is an incredibly refined and sophisticated album that can't easily be put into any set genre. And... this took so long to write I'm tired and can't review any more, so just give it a listen
edit: completely forgot about SftG. woops. also, I forgot to mention that Avalanche is just fucking fresh
Last edited by joe_canadian on 3/9/2003, 1:34 pm, edited 2 times in total.
Just because I am sexy, naked, a bassist, and sporting a top hat doesn't make me Duncan Coutts!
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sandsleeper
- Posts: 4210
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Joe_Canadian, that was an excellant review. I personally think avalanche is one of the best albums I have ever heard. I got it on Tuesday and I listen to it when ever I can. I recommend this album to everyone.
undecided
undecided
Life is waiting for you it's all messed up but were alive. Life is waiting for you it's all messed up but we'll survive.
Joe, great review, you're a much better reviewer than I am. Your phrasing is a lot mroe sophisticated than my crappy review there.
Anyway, it seems that all of us haven't listened to anything else since Tuesday. First time I broke the chain and listened to some Tom Waits, then some Tricky, but it was still Matt Good that does the job.
Anyway, it seems that all of us haven't listened to anything else since Tuesday. First time I broke the chain and listened to some Tom Waits, then some Tricky, but it was still Matt Good that does the job.
Al's emails put a smile on my face, even though all they say is "You've got a private message!"
Odin wrote:Anyway, it seems that all of us haven't listened to anything else since Tuesday. First time I broke the chain and listened to some Tom Waits, then some Tricky, but it was still Matt Good that does the job.
I stopped and listened to two other songs, just to get myself bouncy [don't ask] and felt like I was being taken off life support.
your mom.
<a href="http://innocent-ego.org/maida" target="_blank">maida fanlisting</a>. join. yes.
<a href="http://innocent-ego.org/maida" target="_blank">maida fanlisting</a>. join. yes.
i got my avalanche yesterday, thanks Odin, i've been listening to it since, and the secret site kicks ass!
-Liam
"Sometimes Nothin' Can Be a Real Cool Hand"
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"Sometimes Nothin' Can Be a Real Cool Hand"
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joe_canadian
- Oskar Winner: 2006
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ALongGetaway
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Stop it!! I haven't gotten the new album yet! 
~Cathy~
I don't care for walking downtown
Crazy auto-car gonna mow me down
Look at all the people like cows in a herd
Well I like... BIRDS!
. . .click. . .
I don't care for walking downtown
Crazy auto-car gonna mow me down
Look at all the people like cows in a herd
Well I like... BIRDS!
. . .click. . .
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sandsleeper
- Posts: 4210
- Joined: 4/15/2002, 8:41 pm
- Location: Long Island, NY / Montréal, QC
- Contact:
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sandsleeper
- Posts: 4210
- Joined: 4/15/2002, 8:41 pm
- Location: Long Island, NY / Montréal, QC
- Contact: