Monika Roscher Bigband - Witchy Activities and the Maple Death VS. Fleetwood Mac - Fleetwood Mac
Monika Roscher Bigband - Witchy Activities and the Maple Death
I have a huge amount of respect and love for Fleetwood Mac, and considering that this self-titled reboot contains one of the finest songs ever written (I’m looking at you, Rhiannon), it would seem that this would be a shoe-in. Based solely on its high points, I think that this would be the case. I am, however, a full album listener, and one that is unencumbered by any nostalgia for Fleetwood Mac in its entirety. With that in mind, there are several ho-hum tunes on the album (often ones penned by Christine McVie) that I think drag down the overall experience. In comparison, Witchy Activities and the Maple Death consistently and confidently sits at the nexus of a variety of jazz, progressive rock, electronica, and avant-garde styles in a way that I find personally exciting. It has emerged as one of my absolute favorites from this Spring.
Keith Jarrett - My Song VS. Jethro Tull - Thick as a Brick
Keith Jarrett - My Song
Thick as a Brick is another album that carries no small amount of nostalgic baggage for people. It is, for many, an absolute prog classic - a status that I think is justified. Its compositional and conceptual strengths absolutely hold up in comparison to other classic prog albums like Close to the Edge and In the Court of the Crimson King. As a prog fan, it's a pretty huge upset for Thick as a Brick to lose out to nearly anything, so selecting a fair comparative listen seemed nearly impossible. However, as musically adventurous and cohesive as Jethro Tull was at this stage of their career, Keith Jarrett’s deep virtuosity handily surpasses them. The muted tone of My Song may not immediately reveal its genius, but just a few moments of active listening during any point on the album reveals a constantly shifting, yet intuitively cohesive harmonic landscape whose boundaries lie way beyond those of Thick as a Brick. It's extradimensional in a way that only a musical seeker/master could achieve.
Mo Troper - Svengali VS. Meer - Wheels Within Wheels
Meer - Wheels Within Wheels
In my roundup post, I applauded Mo Troper’s ability to write satisfying short-form songs, and I still hold this opinion. The problem with the album, however, shows up in its instrumental tracks. The Svengali Themes Parts 1-6 show an instrumental aspect to Troper’s work that is interesting, but the presentation feels fragmented and incomplete. I think he could have gotten better mileage out of these ideas by incorporating them into the songs as instrumental excursions. While this approach may alter the respectable directness of Troper’s songs in their current form, it could also generate more compositional nuances and expand narrative capacities. While Meer might justifiably draw some criticisms in terms of its dangerously sanitary production, it's comparatively difficult to find fault with their compositions and storytelling.
Health - Rat Wars VS. The Tongue of Eden - Fallow
The Tongue of Eden - Fallow
Sonically speaking, I think that these albums actually have more in common than not. They share a compelling mix of metal and electronica that places them both, at least partially, in industrial music realms. As industrial music has its roots in clubbing and dance, the sensual melodicism and crushing melancholy of Rat Wars would make it an easy choice for a rave, aligning it most closely with the traditions of the genre. Fallow, however, gives up broad accessibility for innovation. Its unique combination of synthwave and extreme metal creates engaging juxtapositions that offset the limitations of pervasive non-pitched vocals and, by extension, keeps my interest.
Viewer’s Choice Results
Monika Roscher Bigband - Witchy Activities and the Maple Death VS. Fleetwood Mac - Fleetwood Mac
Fleetwood Mac - Fleetwood Mac
Keith Jarrett - My Song VS. Jethro Tull - Thick as a Brick
Jethro Tull - Thick as a Brick
Mo Troper - Svengali VS. Meer - Wheels Within Wheels
Meer - Wheels Within Wheels
Health - Rat Wars VS. The Tongue of Eden - Fallow
Health - Rat Wars
