Album Review: Woodhands - Heart Attack

Originally published September 26, 2008 in Soundcheck Magazine.
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Woodhands
Heart Attack
Paper Bag Records

Before superstar athletes such as Michael Phelps hit Beijing for the Olympics, Toronto-based electro duo Woodhands chalked one up for Canada. Woodhands’ Chinese debut in May made a splash with two electrifying performances that reached energy levels of Olympic proportions. Without skipping a beat, Woodhands backs up the well-received performances with its sophomore release, Heart Attack.

Heart Attack is the first Woodhands album on Toronto’s independent label, Paper Bag Records, home to Broken Social Scene and Tokyo Police Club’s back catalog. Staying true to the label’s dynamic roster, Woodhands opts out from the laptop route of making electronic music and instead records and performs with more conventional instruments. Woodhands is composed of Dan Werb on vocals, keytar, synthesizers, and drum machines and Paul Banwatt on drums and vocals. The outcome is a loud mix of piercing beats and punchy sounds that rival the high spirits of other 2008 dance records such as Hot Chip’s Made in the Dark and Girl Talk’s Feed the Animals.

Not only do Werb and Banwatt create songs that can fuel a dance party well into the night, but they also add an element of surprise to each track. “In the Woods” begins with gritty synthesizers and pounding bass, but it ends with the organic sound of hand drums. Banwatt’s drumming really stands out and is refreshing against the synthesizers and loops.

Other surprise treats include guest vocals by fellow Canadian and Henri Fabergé and The Adorables member Maylee Todd on “Dancer”. Todd’s voice on the track is graceful and wistful; unfortunately, Werb tries to add contrast with brash vocoder shouts, which end up sounding a little too harsh and distracting. Werb alters his voice on quite a few occasions, but he sounds best when his less-abrasive and natural voice is tweaked to sound spacey and robotic.

Heart Attack ends on an elegant note with the softer “Straighten the Curtain” and “Sailboats” signaling the end of the dance party but leaving the listener with anticipation for the next one.

Album Review: Pop Levi - Never Never Love

Originally published September 26, 2008 in Soundcheck Magazine.
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Pop Levi
Never Never Love
Counter Records

Pop Levi makes music for the alter ego in all of us. One moment he is exuberant and confident, and the next he is shy and vulnerable. Levi is a complicated man, but one thing is for sure: if you opened his brain, lavish amounts of bright colors, geometric shapes, and sonic passion would burst out.

Nothing other than passion should be expected from an album recorded at Quincy Jones’ old studio, Westlake, the same place where Michael Jackson recorded Thriller and Off the Wall. The studio’s history can be clearly heard on Levi’s sophomore release, Never Never Love, but there is also something futuristic in its sound. Levi (who was born in London but now resides in Los Angeles) takes notes from Prince and Bob Dylan and puts them through a time warp to the future and back.

The “futuristic” element in Levi’s euphoric pop songs may be credited to his time spent as Ladytron’s touring bassist. The first half of Never Never Love is filled with an array of gadgets, handclaps, and colorful beats. The title track sounds like a toy factory where knobs are pulled, paint is slapped on, and characters are wound up like a Jack-in-the-box surprise. Levi’s voice is radiant and attention-grabbing, while gritty guitars and funky baselines keep the music from becoming a joke.

The album stays strong through the eccentric-folk “Semi-Babe” and the bizarre but charming “Mai’s Space”. However, Levi loses momentum on the second half of the album when he channels what seems to be his more reflective alter ego. By softening the loud guitars and adding a gentle piano, Levi showcases his soothing vocals: he remains flamboyant, but sometimes too over-the-top. “Everything & Finally” is the closest Levi comes to singing a tribute to Prince, but gets a little carried away. On a few parts, Levi sounds like he is stuck in a room filled with helium.

Levi likes experimenting with his voice and has diverse music tastes, but Never Never Love lacks balance. The album presents Levi at a fork in the road. Without a more narrow focus, he can become the token oddball troubadour, whereas, songs like the swaggering “Dita Dimoné”, make Levi a credible musician without sacrificing his zest. For the sake of variety in pop music, let’s hope he continues with the latter.