Konichiwa! Amazing to believe that we are slightly 3/4 of the way through the ultimate Japan trip! In the time since my last post I have continued to fill my belly with yummy food. I literally had the BEST ramen ever in my life & part of the meal the chef even set fire to it! I've cycled through Kyoto on push bike & visited temples, fed monkeys & even hand fed wild deer!
Definately have been making memories & it's been a fabulous break. After such a good break I'm looking forward to tackling my second last subject of my degree with full enthusiasm. The best thing about travel, is your perspective is realigned. I love that feeling of finally doing what you say your going to do - so uni bring it on!!
As promised I have another full album review from an album that only recently hit the shelves late September. I'm talking about The Ocean Party's fifth & latest album "Restless". This weeks album review has been conducted *ba doom tish* during an overnight bullet train to Hiroshima (my second last destination before I head back to Australia!) So together lets go through it & listen to it! & like Kylie Minogue sings "Get things in motion, you gotta move your hips now, let's do the locomotion baby!"
Restless - Well isn't this just a perfect track for where I am. I'm on a sleepy train to Hiroshima & looking out the window it's dark & slightly sprinkly. The opening line of this track "Didn't feel like anything, was coming easy" is slightly peaceful & melancholy. The self titled track & lyrics match perfectly as the song echoes between my ears. Then all of a sudden you get a louder "Restless" & boom the goosebumps hit & the sexy saxophone wriggles it's way in. What I'm feeling from the track is we all go through parts of our life where you are trying to figure out the best thing to go with. Life is unpredictable but also slightly predictable but you want to make everything memorable. & you know what it's ok to be restless, it's ok to be slightly stuck, things eventually over time have a way of working out. Totally love the piano & saxophone throughout this track.
Hunters - I love when tracks begin with a guitar rift of sorts. The beginning song of this track can be quite hummable & catchy. Slightly more upbeat, but also quite melancholy.
Back Bar - A dancey little track, I love the introduction to this song. It's got a tempo where you could easily have a shimmie to. "The sky was falling, I couldn't hold it back, I knew that it was no good crying, everyone saw the cracks". Then funky synth wriggles through & then so do the punchier lyrics "Kick the bucket on the wall, old man to fall, you gotta learn to fall, eat the mud off the floor". As the lyrics say things aren't easy & at some point you are just going to have to get up & do what you wanna do, no one is going to do it for you.
Decent Living - Ahh the youth have a lot on their plate & we aren't even that young! Crippling house prices, expensive avocados, people who are older "assuming" that many/all "younger" than them are lazy. When bottom line we just want a decent living. "Existence is still just persisting in the face of it all" & I believe anyone of any age & background can feel that. After living in an apartment all of my life if there was one big thing I truly want one day is a house with a backyard - a girl can dream can't she? & I personally understand that if it's something that I want I'll work hard for it regardless of other people's opinions. The point of this song is people crave just the ability to pay bills & eat - nobody has a choice to switch off from responsibilities such as that.
Teachers - There's a mysterious start to this track. But I also feel this track is slightly darker than the others. This song is basically reflecting on your own life & your own purpose in life but in the most mundane way possible. "Study hard then die, work hard then die"
Better Off - This track I feel is about admitting that we aren't as tough as we think. "Harder to breathe"/ "Time to wise up". Admitting at times that we need help, it's easier then trying to do it all on your own. This track is quite rock & roll about it all, so throughout the emotion theirs a good tempo.
Pressure - This track was also quite dark & more about having weaker confidence within self & weaker confidence on what is going on around. It could reflect even on pressures of work/life balance. The world right is going through quite a lot, new presidency in the United States, Global warming, poverty & humanity. This track gets you thinking "Where are we going?" & especially which direction is next.
Reach - "The change didn't shake me, it just faded in". Well this track has got to be in my top 4. This track seems basically about relationships, a relationship has just recently ended & they don't know what to follow. Do you call or not? Do you leave it to rest & move on? My favourite line is "I know everything changes, you think it wouldn't feel the same". As surely something so close you you, so close to home feels so familiar. When a relationship ends you feel as if you are left to your own devices. Well there is strong proof that you get out alive. Yes there are songs & sayings & thoughts cross your mind time to time. But I feel overall yes people can be missed but I also feel it's how the memories made you feel that you really miss truly in the end. & really sometimes in cases it's better to be that different kind of lonely then to crawl back into the arms of someone who doesn't really care.
Second Guess - I digged the track second guess, its quite a dancey track with just a little funk! Love the elements of saxophone throughout & it definately got me toe tapping.
West Koast - Absolutely loved the guitar in this. This track is upbeat & summery sounding. Takes me to the beach, even though I'm sitting on a bullet train to Hiroshima! This track is definately in my top 4. Loved the mix of synth, drums & percussion throughly. I'm dancing in my seat.
Locked Up - Out of all the songs on the album, this track was probably the quietest. About a journey of someone carrying guilt on their shoulder surgery, knowing something that others have no clue about just yet. Once again feeling caught in the life cycle & their going through the same old country towns & eveything just feels like it's remained the same.
"Restless" spans across 11 tracks which are a mix of melancholy & slight tempo. When I shut my eyes I hear many influences I think The Cure, Dick Diver, Darwin Deez, Two Door Cinema Club, Surfer Blood, Interpol, Placebo & Pet Shop Boys. The percussion, piano & sax are perfect compliments to the vocals. Perfect album to listen to as you chill at homecoming, go for a drive or even sitting on a train! There is emotion of different kinds throughout each of the tracks but my four notable tracks of choosing would be "West Koast", "Reach" (fave), "Back Bar" & also self titled track "Restless". I found it to be rather enjoyable to listen to so I'll give it 4 out of 5.
This weeks track is another older track, but a super dancey rock track & these boys are known for their dancey rock tracks. Wrap your eyes & ears around it below:
Glass Towers are a indie rock band based in Byron Bay, Australia. Established in 2008 the band consists of lead vocalist/guitarist Benjamin Hannam & drummer Daniel Muszynski who actually met in a music class during high school days in 2008. The band is currently signed in Australia to Hub The Label/Inertia Records. I've always had a soft spot for Glass Towers & this track always puts me in a great mood!!
I love when you come across a track that at some point was constantly played over & over till you couldn't listen anymore. But when it creeps back on your playlist, you get such a good feel buzz.
**Also in case you were interested in finding out more about The Ocean Party, they are actually playing live this weekend to launching "Restless" at "The Tote" in Melbourne.
Would have been cool to go! But I'm in a different country as well as a different part of Australia. National tour soon I hope though boys!
Have an amazing week & I'll see you all when I'm back in Oz next week!
Cheers