mewithoutYou--It's all crazy! It's all false! It's all a dream! It's alright!
Ok, I must start off by saying that have gravitated towards about 4-5 songs on this album. That's usually how it goes with mewithoutYou and me. When I have listened through the entire album, I have enjoyed it. However, there are a few songs that truly stand out to me.
"Every Thought a Thought of You"
Really, this song really grabs me from the beginning, the keys and drums leading into the vocals. As with a lot of the band's songs, this one really hits me as a praise song. I'm not one for praise and worship music, instead, I gravitate towards songs that praise God but deviate from the Sunday morning contemporary worship songs. A great opening song.
"The Fox, The Crow, and The Cookie"
This is Melissa's favorite song on the album. It's a whimsical song that tells the story of a fox who tries to steal a treat from the baker's cart. Instead, the crow, seeing the baker traveling throughout the town, swoops down and steals a treat. He succeeds, and the baker uses "most unfriendly words, that the village children had not yet heard." The fox goes to the crow to ask for a piece of the treat because the fox distracted the baker. This plead failed, so the fox plays off of the crow's ego. He asks to hear the crow sing. The crow, being boastful, obliges and drops the cake. At this point, the orchestration really creates a vision of the fox and crow struggling for the treat. The video at the end of this section is a live performance of this song.
"The Angel of Death Came to David's Room"
Starting off quietly, with an acoustic guitar and vocals, it relays a fictitious story of Davis being visited by the Angel of Death. David, of course, tells the Angel that his time has not come, yet the Angel asks David where all his relatives and ancestors are. He says he slew Goliath, but the Angel doesn't care. What really stands out to me is the idea of this song. Even the mightiest of men will ultimately die, whether it's painful or solemn, they will die.
"The King Beetle on a Coconut Estate"
This song is my favorite one on the album. It's a fable that starts out mellow and increases to a booming crescendo. The beetles see a fire set by the workers on the coconut estate. The beetle king summons his men and asks them to travel to the "great light" and return with a report. The first volunteer is a professor, who says he will "be back both successful and proud." When he makes it back though, his wings have been burned and he has to crawl towards the king. The king, frustrated, sweetens the deal with a ring. The next volunteer, a lieutenant, steps out and says he will "earn the king's favor and one day all he [the king] has will be mine." He also returns defeated. Neither the science nor brute strength could determine what the great light is. after and orchestral interlude, the full band kicks in, and the king, at this point, becomes frustrated and says he will exam the light himself. He gathers his kids and tells them that "you've all called me your dad, but your true dad's not me. I lay next to your mom, and your forms were conceived. Your father's the light within all that you see." The light, obviously, has a relationship to God. The king, through faith, must be "utterly changed into fire." What really makes this song beautiful is the orchestration.
"Allah, Allah, Allah"
Plain and simple, a praise song. I read some reviews of this album that said some of the songs sound like campfire songs. Well, this one does. I really love this song for its simplicity and honest nature. Also, I love the fact that I can play it in the car and Juliette will sing along with it, almost word for word.
Rancid--Let the Dominoes Fall
Nothing beats a good punk album during the summer. There's not much that I could say about that band that probably hasn't been said before. So, I will just provide a quick anecdote. Recently, I've been listening to the CD in the car with Juliette, sans the songs with cursing. One day I told her that we were listening to Rancid. Since then, she recognizes the song, "L.A. River," and any other Rancid song I put on. Two days ago, Melissa, Juliette, and I were driving somewhere. I asked Juliette who was playing, she said, "Rancid." Then, I asked her if she liked Rancid. She said, "I like Rancid." Well, Melissa just cringed. This is coming from the three year old that like The Showdown at two.
The album has some really good songs: "Last One to Die," "Up To No Good," "Disconnected" (a good metaphor for the U.S), "New Orleans," "Civilian Ways" (about Tim's brother), "The Bravest Kids," "Skull City," "L.A. River," and all of the rest. The album is great. If you've never listened to Rancid, check em out. If you love a good bass player, you really need to check them out. Matt Freeman is one of, if not, the best I have ever heard.
It's getting late. I'll try to post a few more albums tomorrow.
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