Kata Rokkar — Kata Rokkar – A Bay Area based blog about music, life and stuff by Shawn Robbins.

The Flaming Lips – Embryonic

As if The Flaming Lips hadn’t already changed the face of experimental pop music already, they release one of their best and least accessible albums of their entire catalog. This album is proof that the band has a perfect understanding of ‘evolution of pop music’ and recognizes that the game has changed. Hardly a song on Embryonic isn’t repeatedly distorted and epically gigantic–taking the listener to the very place the band lives; in the deepest reaches of abstract pop fun. As with any album by the band, it’s hard not to imagine an alternate universe where foreign dances are practiced and psychedelic dreams are required in order to survive–this is classic Lips with an extra dimension to explore. The most immediate songs, like Convinced Of The Hex and See The Leaves are very close to early trip-hop dance numbers that sound like Debut-era Björk with desert-like dustiness of Queens of the Stone Age. The album is a bit lengthily [runs an exhausting 73 min.] but it does not feel that way at times. The best part about Embryonic for me though was that the guests [MGMT and Karen O] add a nice touch to the record yet don’t overstay their welcome. This album was a nice surprise and will be known to me as The Flaming Lip’s In Rainbows.

Purchase album .

A

The Flaming Lips – Convinced Of The Hex from Embryonic (2009)

El Perro Del Mar – Love Is Not Pop

As the title suggests, El Perro Del Mar’s (Sarah Assbring) new album shares with the listener an affectionate wit and a melancholy tendency towards life’s daily routines and relationships. Yet it also boasts and expands on the affected pop elements explored on her breakout 2006 debut album. It’s no wonder she’s often mentioned in the same sentences as fellow Swedish babe Lykke Li. But don’t think of this as a cookie cutter swed-pop album. It’s minimalistic and melancholy while holding onto this childish mood. I’m not sure if it’s an album actually, it’s more of an EP with a handful of ‘meh’ remixes. Fans of El Perro will eat this up, as this is in no way straying away from her signature dream-pop sound. It’s a nice piece of work, but one can’t help but desire her to expand a bit.

Purchase album .

B-

El Perro Del Mar – Change of Heart from Love Is Not Pop (2009)

Noah and the Whale – The First Days of Spring

The second studio album by the English band Noah and the Whale differs from Noah and the Whale’s debut album, Peaceful, The World Lays Me Down, due to the break-up between lead singer Charlie Fink and former member Laura Marling, whose departure from the band lead to the absence of female vocals. Is this a bad thing? Absolutely not. This album is enormous in so many ways. Add Noah and The Whale to that list bands that have taken the Arcade Fire blueprint and built a fucking skyscraper out of it. Charlie Fink embraces the very essence of loneliness and hopefulness and creates an emotional journey that makes the listener remember what it was like to have their heart broken. The epic opener The First Days of Spring and the murky Slow Glass alone make this album a must-own for fans of cloudy folk-rock with a story. Even the unusual instrumentals and the hilariously upbeat Love Of An Orchestra solidify this record as one of the best of the year.

Purchase album .

A-

Noah and the Whale – The First Days Of Spring from The First Days Of Spring (2009)