Boxes of Berries

A Silent Film – Sand and Snow

This is a really great album and will probably be on my top 5 for the year.  I feel this band is very much underrated and more Americans have to find out about this band.  Their first album The City That Sleeps I listened to a thousand times and loved every song.  I can’t compare this album to the first because the first was such a surprise to the senses. 

The one thing about this album is that it sounds very much like Keane.  It took me a couple of listens for me to shake that off. 

A Silent Film has a knack infusing their music with a kinetic energy that soars and pirouettes. You can feel the wind blow through the green holler.  Even though the name of the album is Sand and Snow, I get a much more green with a chill in the air vibe.  The writing is solid; it’s obtuse but not arty.  The music is creative without being obscure.  Its mainstream but not covered in pink glitter and autotuned.  Everyone from teens to grandma could listen to this and find things they like.

The single is Danny, Dakota, and the Wishing Well.

A must buy if you like Keane, British bands, adult alternative, or if you miss the green valleys of England.

Jason Mraz - Love Is A Four Letter Word

Jason Mraz’s Love Is A Four Letter Word is bunch of love songs. If you are at a time in your life where you are going through some stuff, and maybe your heart isn’t open to skipping-happily-though-the-meadow love songs, skip this one until times are better.

But for those who are in better times, this is a pretty good Jason Mraz album.  Most of the time he is ridiculously happy but there are still songs about fear and hesitation.  I appreciated this touch because he pulled the album back to earth.  This is no Romeo and Juliet teenage star-crossed lovers’ tale.

His clever wordplay is taking a backseat to stronger vocals.  He is a good singer and I can really hear how much he has improved since his early days.  But I miss the hiphop-esque vocals where he would dance over his words.  Perhaps he has outgrown this mischievous side of his songwriting.

Jason Mraz has added some new vibes. He is a summer’s child. (To me, his music sounds like summer.)  He has added a heaping spoonful of smooth jazz/blues. His style is so relaxed; I swear I hear a country vibe.  Really. Jason Mraz has his big toe dipped in country music.

In short, worth a full album download if you are a Jason Mraz fan or if you are planning a wedding.

For the cherrypickers, the first 4 tracks are where it’s at. And track 7 – 93 million miles.

Fun. - Some Nights

So I listened to the band Fun.’s album Some Nights.  I liked it…mostly. It reminded me of Queen in that Queen blended Rock and big opera/broadway vocals.  When Queen came along, we discovered that the two genres go together like peanut butter and jelly.  Fun. is doing a similar thing by mixing big broadway vocals with electronic/dance.  The singles are the less electronic of the bunch, and I can tell they are made for radio.  But he gets pretty bold and drifts into almost dubstep which is very strange to hear. But I have to give him much respect for the brassy decision because it did made me think a little and had to adjust my ears.

I should qualify this review by saying that I do not like Glee or Broadway music and I do not like pop music. So I should have outright hated this.  But I didn’t.  That surprised me.

I give it 7/10. If you like pop or Glee, then this is your jam.  If not, still give it a chance. Fun. is brassy and bold and will surprise you.  It may not be your favorite album of the year, but it will earn your respect.