A QUICK BASHING
Posted on August 27th, 2007 by ekkoAt last! Someone else didn’t like the new Rilo Kiley album! I didn’t hate it, but I really don’t get all the showering of praise. It can’t be just because Jenny Lewis is cute. The songs are all fine, but every single one makes me think of another song by another artist. There are certainly some fun songs to listen to on it, particularly “Silver Lining,” but overall there’s just not a lot of Rilo Kiley in it. In other words, I find it derivative.
Of course, I’m the same shmuck who is brave enough to say that the new M.I.A. album isn’t that good either. It’s a lot of the same stuff over and over, with old-school techno beats that could and should have been way more interesting (as they were on her first record).
There, I said it. Now you can all never read my blog again because I’m obviously just an asshole who knows nothing blah blah blah. There, I said it for you.
Comment By: Charbarred
August 27th, 2007 at 7:12 am
I’m with you on the MIA thing mate
Comment By: martin
August 27th, 2007 at 8:43 am
Who ever said you needed to be brave for saying someone’s produced a bad album in the first place…to each his own, and I second (or third) your opinion on the new MIA. Not entirely on the Rilo though. Sure its different from their previous stuff, but the made the choice to go pop and they’ve made some pretty good popsongs I think.
Comment By: dizz
August 27th, 2007 at 11:35 am
I been waiting for someone to say that about the new M.I.A forever its really not that good
Comment By: Anonymous
August 27th, 2007 at 1:10 pm
You just don’t like Rilo because she changed and grew as an artist. You’re so stupid. The album is great pop music, not that complex stupid shit like Neurtral Milk Hotel that you usually write about. you’re so pretentious.
MIA is good too–you’re just a racist becuase you don’t like rap that isn’t about niggas with gats.
Comment By: ekko
August 27th, 2007 at 1:14 pm
Martin–I said brave because I expected a lot more comments than just “Anonymous” telling me how I don’t know anything and offering all kinds of music nerd facts to prove I’m an idiot. I do like the Rilo album, in the sense that it’s accessible pop, but it lacks any of the inventiveness or playfulness, or depth, of their earlier releases. And with them, I miss it. When Liz Phair released her eponymous album people criticized her for the same thing, but I kind of liked her pop turn because her lyrics continued to be clever and generally she seemed to be winking at the Britneys of the world.
As for me being a racist for disliking MIA, you’re right. I’m bigoted against dull rap. But as for gangstas, some of my favorite rappers are neurotics (Eminem) or conscious rappers (The Coup). In fact, almost all the gangsta rap I like is old (NWA, Game, older Luda). I don’t listen to a lot of it.
So, nyah nyah.
Comment By: martin
August 28th, 2007 at 6:19 am
Ekko — agreed on the ‘missing the inventiveness’ part. Lets just see how long we keep playing this album. Might be a good entry for a halftime report, but for a year-end-list (like a lot of buzz is saying)…hmm, not so sure.
Btw must be a first, being called a racist for not liking a certain album…djeez, what’s the blogosphere turning into…
Comment By: ack
August 30th, 2007 at 4:15 pm
I think that the Rilo Kiley album is too all over the place to really hit home with anyone. Disco, country and everything in between. I like Silver Lining, but with each new song on the album I found myself waiting for something I could get into… only to be left waiting. I like Blake’s guitar work, but I think they tried to do too much with the record, and as a result, ended up missing the mark.
But on the plus side, the anonymous hater let me know a new fact – Rilo Kiley is actually just Jenny – and she’s what changed, even though it’s the guitar work and instrumentation that changed the most.