Day 289: Xanadu by Rush // 7.5

-
Related imageGENRE: rock
I don't remember the last time I've looked at such a long song. Sitting at 11 minutes, it's definitely the thiccest Rush song I know. At such a length, I expect a display of a mastered craft befitting of Rush's caliber.

Just hearing the beginning, I can already expect as such. Whenever you hear a song that progressively builds off of ambient, nature-esque sounds, you really know you're on a journey. I'm loving that seemingly syncopated beat around the 3-minute song. I love it when I mistake something to be in irregular time when in fact it was 4/4 the whole time. After all, it's the creativity that makes them great, not their ostentatious use of irregular time signatures.

Gosh, Geddy Lee's vocals don't enter until 5 minutes in. Under the guise of a fantasy setting, this song is inspired by one a particular poem, Kubla Khan. One critique I do have about the song is the seemingly disjointed segments. I feel like I hit a stop sign before going again down the same road. I wish it was a bit more streamlined, with one section leading to the other seamlessly. The mature and great thing is that they do double back and reference previous sections. I just wish they developed it a bit more rather than repeating it. Overall, it's still a solid Rush song. It walks like Rush. It sounds like Rush. It definitely jams like Rush.

Rating: 7.5/10


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Day 311: holy terrain by FKA twigs // 4

-
Image
GENRE: electronic I regarded FKA Twigs  as a more experimental electronic, modern artist. Today's song feels quite grounded in conventional techniques. Nothing stands out to me as groundbreaking or pushing the boundaries of the genre. I did not expect someone else to be featured on this album either. Unfortunately it doesn't add up to much on the album. In the best case scenario, it adds to the already plain and monotonous sound. Rating: 4/10
Read more

Day 309: White Gloves by Khruangbin // 5

-
Image
GENRE: indie I can't quite my finger on why I find this three-piece so alluring. They've got a style to them that evokes a carefree sensibility. That much can be seen in their song, White Gloves . Apparently it's part their first album to feature vocals, and it's a welcome addition to the canvas. No one instrument stands out any farther and more unique than the others. Each instrument is featured and mixed pretty evenly, giving me a sense of noiselessness and soothing comfort. However, I think part of that plays against their favor. It plays more like a lo-fi ditty than a fully realized song. At about 3 and a half minutes, I would expect a bit more to be fleshed out. Rating: 5/10
Read more