Antithesis Of Light - Evoken

Advantages: Lyrics, sounds
Disadvantages:

...This is a classic album. Following on from the mediocre 'Pablo honey', 'The Bends' represents a massive change in direction for Radiohead. Gone are the jangly, upbeat guitars of previous, to be replaced by a moody, brooding sound that is bordering on the suicidal. You just have to look at the cover of this album to discover the antithesis that this album represents: is the person showing pain or pleasure; there is definitely a certain Mona Lisa-esque grimace. Pain or pleasure? I am not sure if the band themselves know, but what we have been given is a real gem, from the beautiful 'High and dry' through to the downbeat 'Street spirit'.... Read review

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Advantages: Good production, good tunes and sentiments, doesn't outstay it's welcome
Disadvantages: If you're not in the mood, it can seem borderline whiny

...too. Visually, The Arcade Fire are an antithesis to garage rock fashion, and the varied instrumentations (featuring violin) pull the spotlight away from the Hendrix tool. You can hear Talking Heads in the quirky and polished tunes, and in singer Win Butler's voice (a bit of Bjork in wife and co-singer Regine Chassagne), and then I'm able to hear European portions in the Abba-esque grandeur, an occasional bit of Pulp, a bit of U2, and the Blondie 'Atomic' beat Franz Ferdinand built a career on. And yet, mixing all this together doesn't appear to be a non-working hotchpotch. This is something different and raw. With a title like Funeral (born of out members family tragedies), it's easy to estimate the weight of the album. But unlike say, Coldplay, it's not false despair. Infact it's easy to digest the sadness as it it's sincere... Read review

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Advantages: A return to meaningful music
Disadvantages: I can't get it out of my CD player!

...the hurt and recognizing that although his ex has treated him badly, forgiveness is the only way that he can move on. Be warned: this whole middle section of the album could be categorized ‘uneasy listening’, except if you’ve been there yourself and can appreciate the passion with which it has been produced. Consider this also – this is all from the guy who has been much-maligned in the past for his world-famous ballads such as Truly Madly Deeply and Insatiable. The innocence and purity of these songs is evident in Light and Feel, but love has most definitely been lost along the way. Even the most traditional Darren Hayes/Savage Garden track – Dublin Sky – is the antithesis of these ballads as he remembers the uneasiness as a relationship slipped through his fingers. This one is a real tear-jerker, and I think could be a massive hit... Read review

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