1. The Presentation.
First off, I ordered my album from Amazon at a fantastic price of $19.99. The album came on time in usual Amazon fashion, and was inclosed in the usual cardboard sleeve. Nothing was damaged, or crinkled. I was particularly excited about this LP because it came with a CD copy as well, instead of an MP3 download code. I prefer CDs because their sound quality is usually uncompressed, giving a more full listening experience on a wide range of platforms. The LP sleeve is just a single, no fold slot, and inside is a white sleeve protecting the vinyl disk, as well as a nice picture/lyrics page, and finally a paper CD sleeve. Pretty basic, but it fits and presents itself nicely. The vinyl disk is a decent 150 gram black vinyl, so not quite as heavy duty as the 180 gram but far superior to the cheapo 120 grams. No issues with the vinyl or CD were found as far as skipping, having trouble reading or that sort. I appreciate when an artist takes the time to present something nicely, and while it is no The Civil Wars, it holds it's own and is actually a bit nicer than some albums I have paid more for. Price point in mind, this album holds some pretty decent features, though I would hesitate to purchase it again at much more than the $19.99 I paid for it.
2. The Tracks
The Tennessee born singer has supposedly had a rough life, and while that shows immediately in her music, it seems as if this album is more of an acceptance and a will to move forward rather than a lament. The tone and voice ooze pain and regret, but can't hide her obvious passion for singing.
Meg Myers sounds a lot like Florence Welch, but maybe a little less mature and developed. This is not a bad thing, it makes her music easy to connect to younger audiences, and her lyrics have that noir and angsty feeling that all the cool kids are into. What is really nice is that not all of her songs are angsty, which I think would have been far too melodramatic to get much more attention than a couple listens. Indeed, some of her songs flow like a Paradise era Lana Del Rey track, namely "The Morning After" where an ethereal blues is just permeated on everything. I love it.
The combination of acoustic and electronic instruments is nothing new, and often is overused in today's industry, usually in a pretty mixed success rate. Instead of challenging the status quo, Meg Myers keeps to a fairly standard formula, though making sure to keep a depth to everything. Sorry is well rounded for a pop album in terms of variety, but her layering system seems to not be as robust as a mass appealing pop album should be, being more interesting to listen to, but easy to muddle up with less than ideal listening situations. I enjoyed both the precision and the variety in her work.
As for the individual tracks themselves, I really did enjoy the opening track, "Motel," but some of the real standouts for me have been "A Bolt from the Blue," "Lemon Eyes," "Make A Shadow," and "The Morning After." Her diversity and willingness to try new things is apparent, and her use of the lower octaves of the guitar make it seem nearly like a spanish guitar. The only track that I consistently dreaded and disliked was "I Really Want You To Hate Me," which really felt like a one dimensional, stereotypical teenager hit, but besides that, everything has a pretty good feel, variety, and sound to it. I am really excited to see where she will go with her music for the next album.
As for the individual tracks themselves, I really did enjoy the opening track, "Motel," but some of the real standouts for me have been "A Bolt from the Blue," "Lemon Eyes," "Make A Shadow," and "The Morning After." Her diversity and willingness to try new things is apparent, and her use of the lower octaves of the guitar make it seem nearly like a spanish guitar. The only track that I consistently dreaded and disliked was "I Really Want You To Hate Me," which really felt like a one dimensional, stereotypical teenager hit, but besides that, everything has a pretty good feel, variety, and sound to it. I am really excited to see where she will go with her music for the next album.
3. Sound Quality
Starting off dropping the needle on a beginner Audio Technica AT-LP60 with my budget stereo system, I was honestly impressed. As far as I can tell, they used the original, uncompressed recordings for the LP, and boy does it show, mainly with far more precise highs, and real, powerful lows. Tracks like "Sorry," "Desire," and "Feather" all have the real bass that was missing in the streaming, which was reassuring and for me, and made her music pop all the more. Her voice seemed to come alive with this added definition and made me appreciate the work that was put into the recording. The clarity of her acoustic tracks is not reference quality, and to those with the discerning ear, it will show, but the added warmth commonly associated with vinyl has really helped her style to come alive without being too melodramatic or angsty. I do not have a real respectable headphones setup yet, so listening to it on a pair of Skull Candy Crushers I had lying around seemed to do well, though took away the very definition that I was so impressed with the vinyl format. If you really want to appreciate the actual recordings of this LP, best to get a decent headphone setup (a really high rated and inexpensive option is one of the many Audio Technica headphones floating around) or get a half decent stereo system.
The MP3 was naturally muddied and distorted, though if you are used to streaming or iTunes, then this will be a perfectly natural and decent sound. The problem that I found with it is that it cuts off the needed lows and highs too much, resulting in a more flat noise, which does not do her electronic layers justice. I found it acceptable for walks or jogs with some ear buds, though I really did miss the precision that I feel her music needs that buds just cannot give.
The CD was an important part of my personal purchasing decision, and for the most part, it did not disappoint. The lows seemed to have far more definition to them, and especially "Feather" really allowed my subwoofer to sing. The mids and highs where acceptable, especially with different instruments like bells and chimes, they even popped.
Conclusion
All things considered, is this a good buy? While music is quite subjective and varies from person to person, someone who is in the mood for some well rounded pop music shouldn't be afraid to give Sorry a good chance. I was nervous at first with just how terrible the MP3 sounded, but my fears were pretty awesomely put to rest with both the CD, and more importantly, the vinyl.
The tracks where catchy without being too simple, the lyrics, though at times pretty melodramatic, are meaningful and easy to connect to, and the entire presentation of the album is simple, though effective. All in all a fantastic buy for only $20, and someone relatively new who I think could use a little spotlight.
The MP3 was naturally muddied and distorted, though if you are used to streaming or iTunes, then this will be a perfectly natural and decent sound. The problem that I found with it is that it cuts off the needed lows and highs too much, resulting in a more flat noise, which does not do her electronic layers justice. I found it acceptable for walks or jogs with some ear buds, though I really did miss the precision that I feel her music needs that buds just cannot give.
The CD was an important part of my personal purchasing decision, and for the most part, it did not disappoint. The lows seemed to have far more definition to them, and especially "Feather" really allowed my subwoofer to sing. The mids and highs where acceptable, especially with different instruments like bells and chimes, they even popped.
Conclusion
All things considered, is this a good buy? While music is quite subjective and varies from person to person, someone who is in the mood for some well rounded pop music shouldn't be afraid to give Sorry a good chance. I was nervous at first with just how terrible the MP3 sounded, but my fears were pretty awesomely put to rest with both the CD, and more importantly, the vinyl.
The tracks where catchy without being too simple, the lyrics, though at times pretty melodramatic, are meaningful and easy to connect to, and the entire presentation of the album is simple, though effective. All in all a fantastic buy for only $20, and someone relatively new who I think could use a little spotlight.
Awesome review, Jake! Love the album, I listen to it on spotify all the time. I do need to sit down and listen to the vinyl sometime.
ReplyDeleteHummnn... Almost thou persuadest me to reintroduce vinyl to my system. Looking forward to checking out this artist now. Well-written review.
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