Mitski - Be the Cowboy

Mitski - Be the Cowboy (2018)

Genre: Art Pop, Indie Rock

Indie rock singer/songwriter Mitski returns with her 5th full length LP, embracing the soft piano pop/rock of her earlier albums to much critical praise. This album is being reviewed per request. As a reminder, I do not intend for this to be a really in-depth and complex review. I'm just sharing my quick personal thoughts on the album. As for any album review I do, I try to be objective without letting any personal bias get too much in the way of the final grade.

Considering that Mitski has been a pretty underground name within the industry over the past few years, it's nice to see that this album has been getting a lot of attention. Granted, while I did enjoy this album, there seems to be a lot of unwarranted praise coming from professional critics and the general public which I frankly don't really understand. For one, while the songs on here are certainly pretty, Mitski seems to just play it safe for the most part. With a 32 minute run-time and 14 tracks, there's a lot of really short and sweet tracks on here that seem to end before they can really grow on you.

This even applies for some of my favorite tracks. Old Friend is probably the track that resonated with me the most, and I was fully enjoying it, but then it just fizzled out suddenly. Lonesome Love is another great track, which ends with a long, sustained note that, sonically, is kind of unsatisfying. And I'm not trying to nitpick, because the tracks' short length and less than pleasant endings don't necessarily detract from the songs' appeal overall. I just wish that Mitski had executed them in a better way. Nobody, while being one of my favorite songs on this record, isn't exempt from these weird, cut-out endings either. That said, all the songs here are quite pleasant and enjoyable, and as one critic pointed out, it's nice to hear her move on to "more conceptual themes" in her lyrics pretty effectively.

As I stated previously though, she plays this record very safe from a musical standpoint. There's almost no experimentation or enough variation in the structuring of these songs, and because of that, this album actually benefits from being relatively short as it is. The most interesting songs on here actually come in the form of the more rock-oriented tracks. Why Didn't You Stop Me and Remember My Name are good examples of this. The former making great use of synthesizers to push it forward. The more standard soft piano tracks scattered throughout are decent in their own right, but they just don't resonate as well with me. 

Honestly, it's kind of hard to flesh out my thoughts too much on this record. Yes, I do believe it's a good album, but I don't really understand the immense praise it's getting. And I am fully aware that you don't need to reinvent the formula to make something great, but as it is, the album as a whole isn't as exciting as critics were hyping it up to be. There's just not enough here to allow me to feel the same. When it comes to indie rock, this is a much more subtle, at times lovely album, but it could have been a bit "more."

B

Favorite Tracks: Why Didn't You Stop Me?, Old Friend, Lonesome Love, Remember My Name, Washing Machine Heart

Least Favorite Track: Geyser

They Might Be Giants - They Might Be Giants [The Pink Album]

They Might Be Giants - They Might Be Giants (1986)

Genre: Alternative Rock, New Wave

They Might Be Giants' debut album, released in 1986 mixed a plethora of influences and genres such as folk, synth-pop and alternative rock to create an interesting esthetic. This album is being reviewed per request. As a reminder, I do not intend for this to be a really in-depth and complex review. I'm just sharing my quick personal thoughts on the album. As for any album review I will do, I try to be objective without letting any personal bias get too much in the way of the final grade.

Right off the bat, I have to admit that there is no shortage of creative ideas on this record. There's so many musical influences, genres, and instrumental quirks thrown into pretty much all 19 tracks on this thing. The great thing about packing that many tunes into this 38-minute record, is that it constantly feels fresh, rarely boring you with any dead ideas. Interestingly enough, I like to think of this record as a collection of "catchy-filler." Number Three is one such example that comes to mind. There's something really moronic, yet hilarious about a song who's lyrical content deals with literally writing said song. And yet, I can't deny how catchy it is.

In fact, it's hard to ignore how many of the tunes here contain such incoherent lyrics, and yet doesn't detract from the their enjoyment. Youth Culture Killed My Dog is quite hooking with it's early synth-wave bass groove and heavy alternative rock style. But seriously, what the heck does the song mean? I could write 20 pages worth of content trying to make sense of the lyrics on a lot of these songs, but that aside, it really is quite odd when once in a while you come across such an upbeat song with some seemingly dark subject matter. I Hope That I Get Old Before I Die is one such example, obviously dealing with the prospect of death and how we subconsciously fear its inevitability. There's no rhyme or reason on this album, but that's just part of the group's charm. 

There's something to be said about the vocals that really drives some of these tracks. Half the time, the singer sounds like he's a hillbilly who just had a smoke for the first time. In simple terms, they add a very poignant country flair, that while not necessarily bad in the context of this kind of music, it may end up coming across as either amusing in a comedic way, or just plain annoying for some. I tend to mostly appreciate it. It's quirky and interesting to see the contrast between such songs and others where the singer showcases some pretty heavy vocal performances, reminiscent of more traditional indie hard rock. 

Sonically, the album employs good use of a wide assortment of instruments, like the accordion and synthesizer, as well as some samples. They gives a lot of the tracks more depth and personality, because the root of most of these songs lie within basic chord structures and alternative rock tropes. Rhythm Section Want Ad employs heavy use of the synthesizer to create a carnival-esque soundscape that becomes prominent at a certain break in the song. Slightly creepy, but very interesting within this genre. Other songs employ their own neat quirks as well.

I honestly don't want to get into much detail about the tracks, because I believe they all have their charm, and it's hard to pinpoint something that really sticks out to me for a majority of them. This is just simply an enjoyable record, with a great mix of different genres and some interesting sonic experimentation. If you're a fan of less traditional alternative rock and enjoy some humor in your music, this is a pretty solid album. I find it very hard to say much else because much its charm is something that will (hopefully) be much more appreciated and understood if you simply listen to it yourself. 

B+

Favorite Tracks: Number Three, (She Was A) Hotel Detective, Youth Culture Killed My Dog, Alienation's For The Rich, Rhythm Section Want Ad

Least Favorite Track: Toddler Hiway