6 - Tuesday, April 2, 2013
The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com
6 - Tuesday, April 2, 2013 The Michigan Daily - michigandailycom
Nothing new in
latest boy-band LP
New Kids on the
Cold War Kids lose
steam on'Lonelyhearts'
Block return with
business as usual
By GREGORY HICKS
Daily Arts Writer
New Kids on the Block's sixth
studio album doesn't disappoint
- assuming that disappointment
implies some
sort of initial C-
expectation.
The group fell 10
hard, and not
even in refer- New Kids on
ence to its peak the Block
in 1989. Since Open Road
its fifth studio
album release,
Interscope and NKOTB parted
ways, leaving the boy band rela-
tively hopeless for acquiring
reputable writers and produc-
ers (hence making themselves
the executive producers of the
album).
Its 2008 comeback, The Block,
boasted many noteworthy pro-
ducers, including RedOne, Polow
da Don, Timbaland, T-Pain, Akon
and Ne-Yo, while 10's most nota-
ble credit is Deekay, who is far
from a celebrated producer. The
record was only moderately suc-
cessful - unsurprising, given the
14-year hiatus between studio
albums - but created a smooth,
suave sound that attracted a
great deal of attention, given the
big names that the album pre-
sented.
Equally depressing is 10's lack
of collaborations, once again, in
contrast to its previous studio
album. The Block pulled together
top-notch contemporary art-
ists like Lady Gaga, Ne-Yo, Akon,
The Pussycat Dolls, Timbaland
and New Edition. 10 barely man-
aged to pull together the boy band
itself.
Melody, production and lyr-
THE BLOCK
Is it still a boy band if they all own minivans?
ics are as basic as can be. Each
track is a hollow-shell version of
the typical boy band music of the
early 1990s - as if each track is a
cheap variation on "Don't Want
You Back" and "It's Gotta Be
You" by the Backstreet Boys. We
get it. She's either bad for you, or
you just can't live without her.
The track titles are as uninter-
esting as the corresponding lyrics
(bonus points for coherency, at
least). Nearly every track is based
from some common song phrase
(e.g. "Take My Breath Away," "We
Own Tonight," "Now or Never")
and, once again, hosts generic
phrases. "I wouldn't have noth-
ing without you / girl you are my
world / cause baby you know I
love you." Not exactly breathtak-
ing lyrics from "Take My Breath
Away." Maybe you just had to be
there.
Even the title is low-effort.
Naming act album after the
number of albums an artist has
released is overdone and tacky,
not to mention that in this case,
it's not entirelytruthful. NKOTB
has released six studio albums,
so this "10" comes from includ-
ing the release of Christmas
albums, compilation albums and
albums released with the Back-
street Boys. Evidently it wanted
to sport a number worthy of
almost 30 years in the industry.
Frankly, NKOTB is not a
group that's meant to perse-
vere in the music industry. An
assemblage of 40-year-olds
hardly constitutes a "boy" band,
let alone the New "Kids" on the
Block. Same goes for you, Back-
street "Boys." It's a wonder that
this album even exists, given the
minimal effort thrown into it.
Donnie Wahlberg could learn
quite a bit from his brother,
Mark, about moving on from a
juvenile music career.
This album will appear on
the setlist of the just-announced
"Package Tour," featuring Boys
II Men and 98 Degrees. It's the
complete "package" of boy band
has-beens.
By SHAMIK GANGULY
Daily Arts Writer
There's a clear turning point
in the studio efforts of Cold War
Kids.At first, its members focused
on writing
outside of B -
the studio
as a band. Dear Miss
Since 2010, Lonelearts
however,
they've given Cold War Kids
more power Downto
to producers
to influence
the band's writing and direction.
For a band so creative and so suc-
cessful in conveying its ideas,
this change in tactics might be
a bad choice. The consequences
are apparent in their new release,
Dear MissLonelyhearts.
The first two albums released
by Cold War Kids feature a pow-
erful, chaotic, pianos-falling-
from-the-sky compositional style,
heavy in rhythm and tension.
Soaring above the noise are lead
singer Nathan Willett's pierc-
ing, soulful vocals, and the con-
trast between an angry, crashing
rhythm section and a heart-ach-
ing, bluesy melody makes a com-
pelling mixture that's hard not to
listen to again and again.
Cold War Kids' last album,
Mine Is Yours, comes from a part-
nership with producer Jacquire
King and marks the band's first
attempt to mold its ideas to the
influence and direction of a pro-
ducer. The changes that surfaced
inMineIs Yoursacontinue to devel-
op in Lonelyhearts, which shows a
softening in the group's rhythm
section. Fresh dissonance gives
way to simpler, more conventional
and more digestible compositions.
The band takes fewer liberties
with tempo and harmony and
essentially leaves it to the vocals
to capture interest. The instru-
ments form more of a background
accompaniment than a driving
force.
Synt
appear
ing a d
once m
bass, gt
That E
well wi
a subtl
buton'
lead sy:
dy and;
Phase,"
1980s g
really p
hs make a noticeable moment unsurprising and less
ance in Lonelyhearts, add- effective. "Tuxedos" features a
Dimension to a band that slap echo so strong that it dis-
ade exclusive use of piano, tracts from the purpose of the
uitar and drums. On "Lost vocals and draws all attention to
asy," smooth synths mesh the effect.
th the vocals and provide This overuse of effects on the
e harmony for the chorus, album could be an attempt to fill
'Bottled Affection," anairy a void created by a loss of soul
nth clashes with the melo- in Nathan Willett's voice - or,
annoys the ear. On "Loner it could have caused the void.
synths build a cheesy Whether by smothering, artistic
roove that the band can't choice or lack of personal invest-
'ull off. ment, the lead singer has lost
some of his biting emotion. He
just can't establish the same per-
oi it with onnectionwiththelistener
that was once so compelling.
hat reverb. This excess of criticism for the
album comes more from disap-
pointment than dislike. Dear Miss
Lonelyhearts still showcases soul-
io effects also overwhelm ful earworms in "Miracle Mile,"
tearts throughout. Every "Lost That Easy" and "Jailbirds,"
takes heavy use of reverb, and when compared to other
me to the point that the material being released today,
ounds distant and muddy. these songs deserve success on
mes, like at the end of the charts. The main problem
tnd Trembling," the track is that a fan with expectations
verb as a transition or fade just won't be satisfied with the
but the overall prominence momentum and strength of the
rb in the record makes this record as awhole.
"I can't go with all the cameras around."
C
t
Stud
Lonelyh
track r
and so
band s
Someti
"Fear a
uses re
effect, 1
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Call: #734-418-4115
Email: dailydisplay@gmail.com
RELEASE DATE-Tuesday, April 2,2013
Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle
Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Nichols Lewis
ACROSS 2 Prefixwith 32Ponders 48 Egg-shaped
1 "SNL"-likeshow cumulus 33 Male sib 49 Harborwall
filmed in Canada 3 See 16-Across 34 "Egad!" in an IM 50 Eight-time All-Star
5"DoctorWho" 4Self-portraitist 35Oppositeof Tonyofthe '60s-
network with a bandaged pales- 70s Minnesota
8 Rafters shoot ear 38 Long in the tooth Twins
them 5 Bodybuilder's 41 Tommy Dorsey 51 Sisterof La Toya
14 Pre-Euro Italian "guns" hit tune 52 Waming signs
coin 6_-Seltzer 43 Less clumsy 53 Elemental
15 Nest egg letters 7 Desert safari 45 Sullen particle
16 With 3-Down, beast 47 Intemet slang 54 Arizona native
way west for 8 Pink-cheeked based on a 55Twinkle-toed
many American 9 Dada pioneer common typo 58 Rev.'s message
pleneers Jean
t17 .-braq War:'80s 10 JGulf: Arabian ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE:
conflict waterway A
18 Crooner Perry's 11 Reason given for
ad? calling in sick A L 0 E A R E A I N L E T
20 Self-righteous sort 12 Roundedroof S A I N T M A R K S C A L P
21 Manicurist's aid 13Winter whiteness K I S S U P E o S A Y
22 Rage inwardly 19 Pizarro's gold R A F T C U S P S
23 Space pilot Han's 24 Broad-brimmed ARSON A R G U E I Q S
abirt? bat
25 Throgh 250haste REEDS BEE A G U A
26 Classic racecars priestesses of B RED ARENA N E A L
27 Lighthouse light ancient Rome O U R S LI IS T S NOR T
30Nouveau _T 27"_app~titr' R N S DECAL M O N E Y
33 U2 frontman's bit 28Fairy tale start S U G A R P E T E
of naughtiness? 29 Dozes C A T T Y A L A R M S
36 Back in the day 30 Like one who
37 Bedevil can't put a book A N K L E APR I L F1010 L
39 PC monitor type down DREAD REAL A L S O
40 Cartoon 31tComposer JARS DAMS R E S T
possum's Stravinsky xwordeditor@aol.com 04/02113
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corporate
symbol?
42 Chilean range
44 Camera stand
45 Roman 1,051
46 Winery container
47 Japanese general
Hideki's
talisman?
53Triumphant cries
55 Disconnect
56 Explosion sound,
in comico
57 Move pooch's
pictre?
59 Poetry unit
60 Church key, e.g.
61 "_ My Party:
Lesley Gore hit
62 Fairly matched
63Great suffering
64 Easteregg dip
65"'That didn'tg
well"
DOWN
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(c)2013 Tribune Media Services, Inc.