G-4rce Album Reviews: <|°_°|>

Alright, I am back in the game. I haven't been very active on TTT for the past couple of months because I'm more busy than I ever was with school. I even got a part-time job as a photographer for the school football team. But now, I'm back and ready to write another review for you guys. I'm gonna try to get in as many reviews as I can in the shortest time possible, because I know I'm behind on schedule. The second seasons for Boku no Hero Academia and Attack on Titan are also coming up so those reviews will be coming probably in July or later depending on how many episodes will be in the seasons. I also plan on doing cartoon review series. I just finished the Gravity Falls series and I feel that it definitely needs a review, and I want to do one for the original Teen Titans, as well. Anyways, with that being said, let's get back into business...

<|°_°|> (Robot Face)
by Caravan Palace
Released October 16, 2015

Okay, Caravan Palace. I would've never expected to run into a group like this and actually enjoy their music, but I'm now really starting to actually get deeper into electronic music, pretty much all thanks to Waterflame. This group produces Electro Swing music, probably one of the most unique music genres I've heard. In all honesty, I was never into music that was, per-se, "too old". I am very critical when it comes to high-definition and dynamic sound, and classic Swing music mostly had drowned-out instrumentals and dated microphones producing cheap recordings. The great thing about Electro Swing is that it takes that classic Swing genre and amplifies it into modern day tone, and it sounds freaking wicked.

This album has a rather unique title to it, but the problem is I always have to go to the Wikipedia page to copy and paste it if I ever want to recommend it to someone. I don't know how to type the degree symbol on my keyboard, if it's even possible. The robot gimmick has stayed with the group throughout their discography, though, much like Kanye West had the Dropout Bear gimmick (I hope he brings it back someday). <|°_°|> is the first album I've listened to from Caravan Palace, but I've just listened to their previous releases, as well, and there's a huge difference in style. Unlike their previous albums, which lean more toward traditional modern swing, <|°_°|> has more of a club and dance hall vibe to it. There are only 11 tracks on the album, which is quite deterring and only adds up to about 40 minutes of runtime.

Normally, I'm not into electronic dance and lounge music, but honestly, that's where this album succeeds. The added Swing themes to each song add a majority of style to them instead of basic *boom-bap, boom-bap, keyboard, boom-bap, boom-bap* played over and over again. The songs have a good diversity in sound mixture, sampling, pacing, and tone. The vocals Zoé Colotis dive in well into anything the group produces, whether they're clearly spoken, pitched higher such as in Comics and Wonderland, or distorted with the volume continuously dropping and increasing every quarter second in Lay Down. Some sampling is also put to good use, which are mostly the classic Swing I previously talked about, in tracks like Aftermath, Tatoos, Russian, and Midnight. My personal favorite sample would be from Mighty, which goes "Get into what they call jumping mood. You know what I mean by jumping mood? Well, we just can't miss." I'm not too sure where this sample comes from, as the scene for it was shown in the music video, but I love the placement of it, and the kids singing in the background afterwards adds to that startup. It feels like an instant turn-on, which immediately gets me into this so-called "jumping mood".

As far as the tracks are concerned separately, they are ridiculously well-produced and hip as hell. Lone Digger, which is the first track on the album, already got me interested in the group, but they've produced other songs that hooked me even harder. Comics has a continuous bounce to it and high-pitched vocals. Of course, with Mighty it's always the first 40 seconds of the song that get me. Aftermath has a well-placed sample and a slower, lounge pace to it. Tattoos has the classic Swing sample repeat and quick pace. In a basic summary, this entire album is completely dance material, and I highly enjoy it. It's not lyrically progressive, nor is any of Caravan Palace's music ever was, but their music concentrates heavily on quick pace for the youngsters out there who want to shake it. That's the main reason why I enjoy this album for what it is.

Best Songs (Favorite to Least Favorite): Comics, Mighty, Lone Digger, Aftermath, Wonderland, Tattoos, Lay Down, Wonda, Human Leather Shoes for Crocodile Dandies, Russian, Midnight

Worst Songs: N/A

Overall Score 9/10 Excellent:
This album is most definitely not for everyone, especially for early fans of the group. It's more clubby, electronic, and can get a bit tiring after Tattoos, but one thing that keeps it alive is its nonstop energy. This album is jumpy, fast-paced, fun, and uplifting for whenever I'm feeling down and I need a stimulant. It's not perfect, but it's one of my personal favorite albums out there because, once again, it gave me another change in musical perspective, and I believe I now have a new favorite band. Whenever I need a good 40 minutes of fun time, <|°_°|> is the place to go. Give it a try.

Comments

YOU KNOW CARAVAN PALACE? - ProPanda (3/22/2017)

You better recognize - visitor (3/22/2017)

Oh my god, I've been waiting for someone on here to mention them in content. - ProPanda (3/23/2017)

I'll check this out - visitor (3/22/2017)