New music!

My brother knows what to get me for my birthday and for Christmas: gift cards! Yes, he thinks that they are really impersonal (and I guess that they are to a degree), but when I get a gift card it's as if the person is saying to me, "I know that you'll pick something out that you really want, and I probably wouldn't get you exactly what you were hoping for."

What's impersonal about that? So, you didn't get me a shirt that I'd probably just take back anyways? How many CD's have been given to me in very well-meaning attitude to collect dust on my shelf after one listen through? To be honest, my family doesn't blow it when they give me CD's -- probably because they have good musical taste and because I like a wide variety of things.

So, my brother Bill got me a gift card to Best Buy and that can only mean one thing: to try to catch up on all of the CD's I should own but never budget money towards. Here's what I got and what I think of them (like you really care...):

Coldplay "X&Y": This is a CD that's been out for a while but I've had a *ahem* special copy of it that I've been listening to. Why should I go on for paragraphs about how incredible this album is? It's Coldplay and I haven't heard a Coldplay song that I haven't liked yet! I do appreciate that each of their three studio albums are unique and different, but have common threads. I'd have to say that I still favor "A Rush of Blood to the Head" to "X&Y" but that doesn't mean that I haven't been playing "X&Y" constantly. It's brilliant, but in a way that "Rush" wasn't.

By the way, I can't find my copy of their first album, "Parachutes." It's a really good disc and if you've seemed to borrow it or can remember who I lent it to, would you please bring it back to me? Thanks!

The other CD I picked up was Trey Anastasio's solo album "Shine." All things being equal, I wish I had bought something else. First let me discuss why I'm wrong to say that: Trey is an accomplished guitarist and songwriter and that definitely is present on "Shine." But, it starts to feel like these were the ideas that might not have worked with his previous band, Phish. There are probably two or three songs that I could listen to over and over, but they are unfortunately scattered throughout the disc and I get an awful guily feeling when I skip songs on a CD.

It some ways the album is charming in that it is simplistic and the arrangements aren't very thick. But, I think this may be why I've already tired of it: there's nothing new to capture my interest on repeat listens. "X&Y?" Yes! This thing has been out a year (at least) and I'm still hearing new things in it! Sufjan Stevens is notoriously thickly orchestrated, but not to a point of distraction (not to me anyhow) and I can listen to his stuff for months on end (and have done so!).

"Shine" has some glimpses of Phish in it -- afterall, Trey was the tour de force of the group -- but when he might have been able to create some nice moments, he resorts to weird progressions and sounds and non-sensical lyrics that are really off-putting. Those sorts of directions would have worked better with Phish because the strength of the band was the individual musicianship. Each member could take an idea and expand on it within their personality creating a possibly endless set of options, while "Shine" is Trey's baby and the studio band doesn't get in the way or try to take over. That's right. It's a solo album -- they did the right thing. But, maybe some of the musical ideas don't flourish in this setting...

Does Trey have massive guitar chops? Heck yes. Are they demonstrated here? Absolutely. Is that worth a listen? Definitely. A purchase? you decide.

Instead of buying "Shine" maybe I should have gone ahead replaced my copy of "Parachutes..."


Note: this post was written while listening to "X&Y." It's not gotten old yet. And I have a feeling that it won't.