Review: Maximum Balloon

Normally when a producer decides to make a collaborative album, they tend to over-thing and over-indulge; quantity devours quality, and it just turns out to be too much to handle.  The magic that is released from producing other band’s albums is nowhere to be found, but if such a collaborative album is done just right, the results can be glorious.

            David Sitek, most known for being the guitarist and producer of experimental rock band TV on the Radio, has worked to become one of the most successful producers in the business. His signature 80’s-style Nintendo-electro sound has been the backbone of some of the best and most memorable albums of the past decade. Now, with some free time on his hands, Sitek invited some of his good friends to help him on his newest endeavor dubbed Maximum Balloon.

            Maximum Balloon’s self-titled debut is Sitek up to his usual tricks but in a different environment. Normally, Sitek would stay holed up in New York City while at work, but this time he decided to run this project in sunny Los Angeles. It’s a Sitek record for sure, because the layered bits and bites are all there, but overall, the record leans more towards the pop side.

The mood is light and funky; it has that certain electro-disco feel to it without being too cheesy.  It’s all 808’s and no heartbreaks for Sitek on Maximum Balloon. Although his band, TV on the Radio, is on hiatus at the moment after their critically acclaimed Dear Science album dropped nearly two years ago, bandmates Tunde Adebimpe and Kyp Malone provide vocals to two tracks on the album. Adebimpe wails over a buzzing synth and crashing cymbals on one of the album’s darker tracks, “Absence of Light.” Then Malone channels Prince while crooning a fragile falsetto in the slow-burning “Shakedown.”

Karen O of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs is another artist who is very much indebted to Sitek for his production on their latest and most satisfying release to date: “It’s Blitz.”  So, she returns the favor in the sleazy “Communion.” On the track, Karen O does what Karen O does best; her voice is soft but immediate at first, leading up to a frantic shrill as she sings “Give me that beat / Show your love.”

It’s probably safe to say that Sweden’s Little Dragon is this year’s most unlikely hero. She first broke out with Damon Albarn on two beautiful Plastic Beach tracks by Gorillaz. Her delicate and childlike voice does not get lost in the mix but in fact controls each song she is in. She appears for the song “If You Return,” a particularly captivating song like no other on this album.

Speaking of captivating, David Byrne also makes the guest list on Maximum Balloon, though really he needs no introduction. His cameo on “Apartment Wrestling” is flawless and is very much reminiscent of the Talking Heads in their glory days. The two Davids work well together, and this song is living proof.

David Sitek’s Maximum Balloon project is sure to get a lot of cheers, and deservedly so. It is a perfect example of what this producer is capable of, and perhaps this is only the beginning. TV on the Radio fans are sure to enjoy Sitek’s work here, as they wait for him to deliver on a Dear Science follow-up. 

Review: The Termals - Personal Life

It’s been a strange ride for Portland, Oregon’s The Thermals. The lineup has gone through numerous changes throughout the years, with drummers and other members coming and going like clockwork, but keeping that songwriting duo Kathy Foster and Hutch Harris at the core. Their sound has been described by various rock journalists as “post-pop-punk”, “neo-grunge”, or “post-power-pop”. Needless to say, as the twenty-first century has unfolded, it’s become harder and harder to put a label on these guys.

            The Thermal’s last record, 2009’s “Now We Can See”, proved that Foster and Harris were more than capable in producing a melodic, energetic, and exciting indie record. It was an impressive effort by a band that could easily have been lost by the wayside. Now, they will release their fifth effort, “Personal Life”, an album that compliments their previous one, and sticks with that down-to-earth, not over-produced garage punk sound.

            While “Now We Can See” was predominantly wrought with themes of death, The Thermals show their softer side here, staying away from over-reaching philosophical subjects, and sticking to a perfect dose of love and romance. In the past, The Thermals relied on aggressive strumming and angry tirades, but now they focus more on the structure of the songs themselves in order to get their message across.

“You Changed My Life” is a perfect example of this newfound ode to love, and while many bands would crumble with such a mushy subject, the Thermals wear it quite well. With all it’s charm and soft progression, the opener, “I’m Gonna Change Your Life” shows Hutch Harris persuading for love, guaranteeing that he will “change your life” and “steal your soul”. What else does a guy have to say? The song acts a good set up for the fun first single off the album, “I Don’t Believe You”, which comes complete with all the power-chord-chugging guitar riffs and “ooh ooh ooh’s” you could want in an indie/punk song. Then there is the one-two knockout punch of “Power Lies” and “Only For You”, two songs built around cute little riffs and running bass-lines. These songs, as well as many others on the album, are sure to win your heart over for good.

The Thermals certainly don’t try to hide their influences in their music. Their sound is such that you can almost believe that this album was released in the mid-nineties. It’s hard to ignore the fact that Harris’ vocal delivery sounds very reminiscent of Black Francis of the Pixies or that of Ted Leo and the Pharmacists. It’s pop punk with a different approach: it isn’t immediately accessible, and yet The Thermals build upon the best qualities of their influences to make an extremely catchy album. One has to appreciate the seemingly effortless knack the Thermals have for creating one solid song after another.