Be Let DownI promised that given enough time, I would dissect this entire album. Here it goes. Song by song. I've also included direct links to each track. To download, right-click the link and Save As.
One Hundred Million Miles Beneath the Sun - An unusual start to a mostly acoustic album, this ballad has a great low-key vibe to it. I especially like the echo in his voice.
City, I Need You Now - I consider this masterpiece the unofficial beginning of the record. The keyboard that starts off the track is a nice indicator of what's to come. One downfall to this one though. The opening line "Wherever I go I think I might puke/ because it's never the same without you" seems a bit strange for this upbeat melody. Even with the odd mixture of vomit and keyboards, I still choose this track as the must listen of the entire album. On to my favorite line of the record: "And I feel like I might know you. I'd recognize that long, black hair almost anywhere."
Fluorescent Night - Starting out like an acoustic Strokes cover, Fluorescent Night has a nice feeling that seems to continue on a bit from the previous track. Great lyrics and meter in this one.
Big Space - The intro reminds me a lot of a Kings of Leon song that I just heard. Either Sex on Fire or Manhattan. Personally, I think track 4 should be a place for a ballad after 3 upbeat songs but since the layout of this album is slightly different, I will agree with where Sam took this one. The first 1:30 seems a bit like the ballad I suggested but after that, not so much. Excellent use of the snare drum.
Miles and Miles - With the arpeggiated intro, this has the feel of a well-strum, upbeat hippie song. I was partially right on that one. The well-strum and upbeat parts are spot on but the hippie guess is a stretch with the moving bass line.
Your Chest Is Not Moving - Again with the Kings of Leon intro. Either that or I've just been listening to their new album too much. Definitely sounds like a filler song but most top-notch albums have them, so why not this one?
The Shake - I love the intro to this song! Brings back memories of Conor Oberst and the 2nd disc of the Foo Fighters' In Your Honor. Simplistic yet elegant. The melody repeats throughout the song and it can get a bit repetitive but it's so great that I don't think I could get sick of it. There's a trend that becomes evident in this song. The majority of these songs were written about a lover. Typical topic but Sam did a great job of hiding his lyrical intentions.
You Were Good At This - Heavily focusing on the vocals rather than the music. Nice change of pace. Lyrics still a bit shallow but maybe that's just me being a critical musician. I like the echoing harmonies being played in the background.
W - At first, I thought this song would be about George W. Bush. Thankfully, I was wrong. The bass is a bit overwhelming at points but I really like the chord choices and calm nature of the lyrics.
Fall To Pieces - The vocals sound a little strange and I think that's due to the key that the song is in. Best part of this one has to be the way he sings "I wanna fall to pieces while everybody laughs." If you listen to it you'll know.
Spin Backwards - Vocals have a deep echo and at times can make it hard to understand the lyrics. Solid strumming and melody but at times can become a bit monotonous.
Be Let Down - With an intro taken straight out of the pages of Dylan, Sam finds the perfect way to end a great album. Great lyrics and a solid lead line bring this song and album to close.
Please keep in mind that this is my opinion and mine only. If you agree, great. If you choose not to, that's fine too. At some point I'm sure you realized that I got a bit lazy. I have a hard time focusing on one thing for extended periods of time. Or maybe it's just because it's 3 AM I must be lonely (kidding. Matchbox Twenty reference) But seriously, at this point, I could be making it all up and not even realizing what I'm doing. Bear with me here. This is definitely a great album and all but critiquing every song for a solid 50 minutes can be a bit tiresome.
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