Maps – Maps - kkk1/2
The first few bars are Grandaddy’s “Now It’s On” all over again. Which would have been great as far as I’m concerned. Because let’s face it, it’s been a while since something made me really excited. No that doesn’t mean I take back what I wrote about the Delphic stuff; I’m just looking for a feeling like the first time I heard “Photobooth” by Deathcab for Cutie or the first time I heard New Order or Fugazi or the Cure or Brendan Benson (yes I put him in there if only for “Tiny Spark”). I’m looking for the moment where you suddenly get caught in a wave and little hairs stand up on your neck and you think, “I didn’t know music could be like this.” And as I get older, that feeling is more and more infrequent and I’m never more alive than on the odd occasion when it occurs.
It didn’t happen with Maps self-titled new album. And I really thought it might. During the intro to “Turning of the Mind,” I really thought it was happening. And then, like so many things in life, it just fell short. Not that it isn’t good. It is actually quite good. In the British sense of ‘quite’ meaning just sort of instead of the American very. There are flavours of Grandaddy and the Postal Service and Pet Shop Boys. But it doesn’t grow. It doesn’t develop except in a few places where it grows from slightly twee to cheesy. Love Will Come is a good example; a promising first few bars develop into something from the chaviest club in Ibiza. I really tried to see how anyone other than someone off their face on class As would get off on this album and I’m sorry to say I didn’t get there. What I think is missing is the darkness that rides undercurrent on good electronic albums – think Peter Murphy and early New Order. It’s that grime that weighs it down enough to avoid you wanting to kill yourself with their Casio keyboards.
James Chapman’s efforts as Maps to this point have been a critical success and listening to his first proper album We Can Create shows you why – lovely fuzzy stuff that is closer to Stone Roses and My Bloody Valentine than the current album. I had been hoping for something more along those lines but this is much clubbier. In addition to Turning, Everything is Shattering and Nothing are probably the closest they come to the darker sounds if only thematically but again I really think these fall short. In fact, Turning is probably the height of the album for me and you never want an album to end with the first song.
To be fair to Chapman, I recognise that I may be a little more than slightly musically jaded, but I don’t think I would have liked this album any more at 17 than I do now. It’s unsubtle and at the same time a bit boring. Saying that, it’s good background music and I don’t dislike it. I’m just sort of ambivalent and I had had such high hopes.
Recommendations from ME – Kim Divine
This week, instead of a recommendation from you lovely people, I have one of my own. Kim Divine’s new album, Square One. Kim and I went to college together though I believe she was a couple of years behind me. In fact I knew her mainly as the girlfriend of a friend of mine. I only recently found out through her facebook page that she’s been making music. I’m embarrassed to say that I hadn’t listened to her music before now because, if I’m being honest, I work under a premise of reverse nepotism and often discount music created by people I know. I can’t explain the logic of this – there is none. I have known many talented people throughout the years and have often liked what they produce, but always feel a little funny about promoting them as if my knowing them somehow negates my opinion of their work. Well this week I say, respectfully, bugger that. Kim Divine’s voice is delightful and her songs are considered and well-crafted. And whether or not I had ever met her, I would say the same. She’s got a very American mainstream sound (think Michelle Branch) and is showcased especially well by her acoustic stuff. And right now you can listen to a few tracks for free at http://www.kimdivine.com/store.html. Anyway, I like it. Give it a listen and let me know what you think.
The iTunes free download of the week – “Too Fake” by Hockey – kkk
Sounds a bit like Paolo Nutini covering La Roux songs. As I believe John Holmes or John Richardson said of the latter, it sounds like she’s being chased. This is like that. Still I love the free stuff and again I didn’t hate it. It’s got energy and is fun so it has probably accomplished exactly what the band wanted it to.
I’m actually wondering if the onset of British autumn, complete with rain, wind and early nightfall has had an impact on my reviews this week. I’m just a bit grouchy. The only way of being objective is to acknowledge how subjective one is.
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