Blogs

• August 13, 2009

  my review of ursa major

  posted by jennasauris

  Well since all the songs are on their myspace I decided to just go ahead and post this. I've listened to UM about 10 times through and I'm sure a lot of my opinions will change once I can really delve into the music. (It seriously took me like 50 listens to really appreciate Slow Motion. I know, crazy.) Here are some initial thoughts.
  
  1. Can You Take Me- What an opener! Wasn't a huge fan of the boots but I love what they did in the studio. Brad really stands out for me in this one especially during the bridge and Tony totally rocks it. A strong candidate for a single I think.
  
  2. Don't Believe a Word- It's been out for a while but for some reason I love it so much more within the context of the CD. I love those plummeting base lines in the beginning and the guitar picking. Not much else to say.
  
  3. Bonfire- This was the most anticipated song for me and I'm not disappointed. It's so catchy and very captivating. The third verse is absolutely gold..."some girls break you down/just to see you come undone." Things get a busy towards the end but I love how he contrasts it with the simple whistle at the very end. The ethereal noises gave me goosebumps. Beautiful. However I think SJ needs to calm down with the vox effects in the chorus...and in general.
  
  4. A Sharp Knife- HOLY CRAP. Musically, this song literally blew my mind. It was such a sleeper; I haven't been following the boots and the first listen gave me chills. Tony's solo is reminiscent of Narcolepsy imo. SJ absolutely delivers. For me, it rivals Wounded. The buildup, the raw emotion, it's unbeliveable. Easily my favorite track on UM.
  
  5. 1 in 10 - WOW. WHAT A BUZZ KILL. The song isn't as terrible as I anticipated, but the placement of it is ASININE. It makes me think that no one actually listened to this album in its entirety before it got sent out. I hated hated hated 1 in 10 at first, but it's not terrible as a stand alone song. However, the lyrics are still absurd and I hate them still. The horns were an interesting addition, instantly made me think of Sufjian Stevens. The outtro is very different. Kind of deranged sounding...
  
  6. About to Break- Tony is the clear star of the song. It's so full of soul and that was enough to win me over. The song is really dense with lyrics and guitar licks and I need to hear it a few more times to pull it apart. I love it more with every listen. I hear something new every time. Fantastic.
  
  7. Summertown- RIP. I remember a time when this song was so light and whimsical and now...I don't even know. It's too heavy doesn't give off the summery vibe anymore. Plus SJ's rap at the end is unforgivable. Does it even relate to the song? It's not even a catchy rap!! God damnit! It was the catchiest song on the album imo and if there was going to be a radio smash it, this could have been it. But now it's too short, too over-worked and just sounds dated to me. It could be successful still, but it makes me sick to think about what it could have been....what it should have been...whatever. I secretly still like it.
  
  8. Why Can't You Be- Came out very nice in studio. I'm not a huge fan of this song..but I can give credit where its due. Tony sounds great. I would totally dig an instrumental of this.
  
  9. Water Landing- I kept wanting to sing the Break Me chorus...but let's be real; this is a completely different song..and I like it! It kind of reminds of MDB in that it doesn't have any real chorus. I like the different elements to it to the "la da das" to the "It's a waaaaater landing" Lyrically, this could be the best on UM. "you and me nose diving at the speed of whiplash" love it. It's a very free spirited song.
  
  10. Dao of St. Paul. I really like this song but I can't really pinpoint why yet. I love how the drum part just slips right in though. Yea Brad! I need to listen to this a few more times.I really dislike the voices near the end..especially the girl's voice that is so jarring and I'm just not a fan of that nasaly sound. And by this point I feel like I am listening to a completely different album then when I started.
  
  11.Monotov's Private Opera- It's simplistic and beautiful. I love how Stephan sings it so delicately. I would normally think that all those studio background doo dad noises (2:01) would be annoying but I think they add to the song and make it interesting. I do like the choir at the end because ite blends in a lot better than in DSP.
  
  12. Carnival Barker- I don't really know what to say. Why wasn't this a hidden track? It's so awkwardly tacked on. And its so short. I love CBK as much as the next person but having it as the last track is nonsensical. I know its supposed to be an opener to Ursa Minor, but I think MPO would have been a much better closer.
  
  I like practically every song on this album. However, I'm not sure if I understand the album as a whole. I don't know if it was the track order or what but...it will be get some taking used to. I didn't like Blue at first, but now I love it. Didn't really like OoTV at first...now I love it. I'm sure I'll love UM too if I don't already. Honestly, I'm just happy its here and am still reveling in its arrival. It will be interesting how everyone will feel about UM a year after its release, and when Um comes out.
  
  Cheers,