Installment, the first!
Two Weeks by Grizzly Bear, from the album Veckatimest
Beautiful chamber pop from Brooklyn super hipsters. The sonics and structure are advanced and intelligent. Truth be told, Hogan isn't sure that he gets it, but figures that the mere notion that it is on his iPod, and that Walter is reviewing it means that both of their indie-cred meters are going through the roof right now. The song itself is more than pleasant to listen to, even a little bit awesome. Hogan bobs his head in approval. Walter flails his arms and kicks his legs, then stares off to the side, probably because he can't hold his head up yet and by default it will always go from one side to the other. But he is awake, and not crying. result? Thumbs up!!!
Sovay by Andrew Bird, from the album The Mysterious Production of Eggs
An old classic. Nothing delights the ear like the sweet whistle of Andrew Bird, not to mention his lovely violin melodies and obscure lyrics. Hogan loves it. Walter, on the other hand, gets a case of the hiccups and starts to whimper. "But," Hogan says, "Sovay is a reference to an old English folk song where the heroine dresses as a highwayman in order to test her lover, at least I think thats what it is... you should love this!" Walter looks away and hiccups without interest. At least he isn't crying. Thumbs to the side.
Trophy by Bat For Lashes, from the album Fur and Gold
Walter spits up on the carpet and grunts, then does his best to fill up a diaper. Hogan takes this as he would rather be listening to the real Bjork, rather than something that sounds sort of like Bjork. Hogan agrees with this opinion. Thumbs down.
Wish by Paper Route, form the album Absence
Walter is happy. The fusion of ultra modern beats made by 80's sounding drum machines and beautiful, anthemic pop songwriting can not be denied, even by such a hard critic. His eyes are bright, his hiccups are gone, and he slowly drifts off into dreamland. And when Walter is happy, Hogan is happy. Thumbs up!
Stay tuned for the next installment, where Walter dives into the deep end with some Metal, and with some advanced tracks from the new DC*B album. Until then, sweet dreams, tiny critic...