Blur: A Beginners Guide to Blur

This collection is designed to offer a broader spectrum of what made Blur Blur, having already released a Best Of in 2000, which detailed the singles end of the operation. Midlife is designed to showcase some of treasures found amidst their seven albums such as This is a Low, Trimm Trabb, He Thought of Cars and Advert and is closer to what the band and their fans would select as highlights. So basically there’s no sign of Country House, in case you were wondering.

Instead singles such as the sublime Beetlebum, saucy Girls and Boys, Parklife (naturally), modern-day classics such as Out of Time, the Universal and the ever-delectable For Tomorrow figure. And Midlife also offers a rare first-time-on-a-Blur-album sighting of the magnificent ‘lost’ single Popscene. There’s probably one or two missing – one personally hoped Mr Briggs or Young & Lovely might sneak in – but it’s a small nag in the bigger scheme of things. (Read Full Review)

YACHT -See Mystery Lights

See Mystery Lights is a DFA record not just in name, but clearly also in sound and influence. What’s more, despite the fact that YACHT still often sounds like a pastiche of successful modern indie electronica, the songs on See Mystery Lights are a clear step up from Bechtolt’s previous work. In general, YACHT have embraced the mainstream across this album even more than on previous releases, and seem content now to place Evans’s disaffected vocals over simple bass lines that bounce amiably along at mid-tempo. In general, this works well, and in some instances it’s something close to spectacular. “Psychic City” has already been highlighted around the traps, and yes, it’s a perfect celebration. “Come on over, we’re having a party for you”, Evans sings, and it’s the welcoming call that summer’s on its way. Speaking of summer, what begins as homage soon exceeds that limitation, owning its aquatic up-beat and host of computed effects. (Read Full Review)

Owl City – Maybe I’m Dreaming

Owl City is the solo project of a young Christian named Adam Young. Another product of the ever emerging electronic/indie scene, Young’s project is a breath of fresh air for the scene as he takes a much more metaphorical stance towards his music. As Owl City, he has released one EP, 2007′s Of June, and now a full length debut entitled Maybe I’m Dreaming. Additionally, Young has a post-rock venture called Port Blue, and a new side project, started with a close friend, called Swimming with Dolphins.

Maybe I’m Dreaming kicks off in dreamy fashion with “On the Wing” and “Rainbow Veins,” two beautifully flowing efforts which carry the listener away into another world. It’s this peaceful and soothing charm that makes Owl City so likable. Two of the best tracks on the album follow, each standing out in their own mellow style. “The Saltwater Room” resides in the mind with a glorious vocal harmony and a smooth, simple melody. Young’s soft tone is exemplified throughout the album, and in a genre where so many concentrate too hard on auto-tuning their voices, Young’s musical abilities shine throughout Maybe I’m Dreaming. The vocals complement the music’s consistent base, and Young switches between the melancholy sound used repeatedly on Of June, and a new style with powerful, probing aural effects. (Read Full Review)

Funny People Soundtrack

Even with the somewhat morose premise, the enduringly laidback but cheerful vibe that plays throughout the soundtrack gives me assurance that Judd Apatow and company will be keeping up morale and not stray too far from their comedic giftings.  With such big hitters as James Taylor, whose on-camera performance of “Carolina On My Mind” helps start the record,