Yes, it has been a long, long time. So long in fact that dust and cobwebs lay an inch thick and psychologically the site had been left for dead. But thanks to a plethora of on-line self-help, motivational sites, the repetitious chant of "just put words to paper" and then get those words out there finally reached to me. So here are some new words about...
the no longer new album by Rupa and the April Fishes, an eclectic band out of San Francisco. Build is a bit of a shift from their previous albums. It still has that visceral flavor of horns and clanging bits of metal muffled by fog (evoking the Bay Area mystique), but now with an underlying reggae beat. That may sound a bit counter-intuitive or otherwise at odds, but the combination really works. Rupa, the polyglot, continues her lead with songs in English, French and Spanish complemented by the backing instrumentation and well-polished sound quality of the recording.
I'd roughly classify this as a good vibe album, one for dinner parties with your hip friends. The music is fun and interesting but the tone of the songs themselves feels very familiar. I'd argue that their previous albums were more diverse in terms of their songs and this one is more homogeneous. That said, my favorites on the album include "The Guns of Brixton," "Gone" and "Cochabamba."
Again good music as a backdrop for victuals and libations, but for more discerning listening I'd suggest Extraordinary Rendition (2008) or Este Mundo (2009). Six nods of the head as it's good but not their best.
the no longer new album by Rupa and the April Fishes, an eclectic band out of San Francisco. Build is a bit of a shift from their previous albums. It still has that visceral flavor of horns and clanging bits of metal muffled by fog (evoking the Bay Area mystique), but now with an underlying reggae beat. That may sound a bit counter-intuitive or otherwise at odds, but the combination really works. Rupa, the polyglot, continues her lead with songs in English, French and Spanish complemented by the backing instrumentation and well-polished sound quality of the recording.
I'd roughly classify this as a good vibe album, one for dinner parties with your hip friends. The music is fun and interesting but the tone of the songs themselves feels very familiar. I'd argue that their previous albums were more diverse in terms of their songs and this one is more homogeneous. That said, my favorites on the album include "The Guns of Brixton," "Gone" and "Cochabamba." Again good music as a backdrop for victuals and libations, but for more discerning listening I'd suggest Extraordinary Rendition (2008) or Este Mundo (2009). Six nods of the head as it's good but not their best.
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