I’ve never done an album review before really, so this will probably be sporadic, unclear and too long. Now that you know that, I feel like I can continue.
If you read my last post, you heard me mention an album that blew me away. This is it. Seaside Rock by Peter Bjorn and John. I got this album quite a while ago when first I was into Peter Bjorn and John but alas was not impressed. When I start listening to the album I wanted more of what was on Living Thing and Writer’s Block but that’s not what I got. There isn’t a single song on this album where the band really ‘sings’ (they sort of do in ‘Say Somthing’ but it’s pretty discreet) and that was a quick turn off. The vocals that ARE on the album are a couple tracks of other people speaking, and in different languages so I had a hard time getting into them long enough to pass the 1 minute mark on either track. The other thing that I missed was the usual groovy and driving beats their other albums have. So needless to say (though I basically already have), I skipped through the tracks and said, ‘meh.’
Well last week before undertaking a long meditative shower, I decided to put this album on just for the hell of it. To tell you the truth I can’t remember which song I started on, I have everything set to shuffle automatically and I sort of spaced out with out paying attention after I got under the water. After a while I suddenly noticed how lost in nothingness I had become, and even after realizing it, I was still practically paralyzed. Though I didn’t know then, now I can say that the song playing was ‘Flavour of the Season’ and as soon as I had ‘come to’ it took me away again.
And those tracks I mentioned with the people talking, well they turned out to be the best part of the album. Listening to their voices was indescribable, and the ‘little bits of music’ placed behind the voices were actually perfect and subtle compliments. It really doesn’t matter if you can’t understand them, you can feel what they’re trying to say and you can feel the emotion in their stories.
I won’t go through each of the other tracks, it’s almost unnecessary really, but I will say this; For the next 40 minutes I felt like I went all over the world. Each song takes you to a different place and plunges you into something new and exciting. And the whole while your moods and emotions are being flung all over the place. I’d reccommend sitting in a dark room (or shower) and just letting it wash over you, I don’t think anyone would regret it.
