It’s been a long time since I have come across an album that I fall in love with from the first listen. I like to browse bandcamp.com and listen to what people are doing. Some of it is really bad and some of it is really good. Every once in a while you come across something amazing. That was the case with Your Meteor’s release The Retroscope.
Your Meteor is: Thomas Roberts (lead vocals, guitars, keys, and fun machine), Andrew Goldring (drums, lead guitars, background vocals, and drum machines), Zeke Hartmann (bass, vocals and guitar solo on "Woman”), Zephan Hwang (keyboards on "Nintendo") and Alex Shrimpton (sound effects on "Woman).
The first cut “Retrospect” starts with a clean guitar that reminds me a little of “Purple Rain” by Prince, but quickly moves into an entirely different direction. It walks the line between a delicate ballad and something heavier. I am taken aback by how unique Robert’s voice is. It has a thin, yet soulful quality to it.
The next track “Roomful of Mirrors” picks up the pace quite a bit with clean, funky guitars and equally funky bass moving the earth beneath it. The song weaves its way through some great instrumental parts showcasing some of the bands inventive musicianship. “The Master Plan” is a nice example of some great jazz piano and guitar. Like all the songs on The Retroscope the song builds into something more complex and modern, taking it to a new place where no one has been before.
The track that really made me fall in love with this band was “Nintendo (Taught me everything I know)”. This song should be Nintendo’s theme song. Just like the baby boomers had “My Generation” as their theme song, generation “Y” should grasp on to this one. It’s extremely catchy, upbeat and smart. I even learned that, “The heart is just an organ pumping blood throughout your body, and if you were in an oven it would be the last to burn”.
The band proves once again how diverse they are by playing a soul/blues piece “Woman,” with about the scratchiest, thick blues voice you’ve heard. The drums really keep this song flowing well with all the fills and pauses. Not sure if the bass in this is an upright, but it has that upright sound. The song finishes with a great guitar solo as it fades out leaving you wanting more.
I could write a paragraph about every song on The Retroscope, but I couldn’t do justice to the experience of actually listening to the album. The songs are full of layers of intricate parts and the lyrics are unbelievably creative. The songs take complex, unexpected turns. Most of all I really enjoy the unique sound of the vocals and the impeccable production. The Retroscope is the most innovative album I have heard so far this year.
Key Tracks: Retrospect, Nintenedo (Taught me everything I know), Gold Paint
Kirk Bullough – Muzikreviews.com Staff
June 26, 2012
