I heard Awolnation for the first time on the radio in November 2012, it was the song Kill Your Heroes that came out of the speakers. An interesting, different, but still accessible song with a catchy chorus. I sat alone in the car on my way from Norrkoping to Uppsala (Sweden). A moment of tranquility in a hectic life. It’s only in the car I listen to radio, except intellectual documentaries I download to my mp3 player. Yes, I actually have one. Since I don’t drive very often I don’t hear much radio, and therefore I have a rather poor perception of the world in terms of current, commercial music. If one should define an album from 2011 as "current" music.
Anyway, Kill Your Heroes was interesting enough to justify further investigations on the subject Awolnation, and here I sit today with their first, and so far only, album.
Awolnation is Aaron Bruno who is the composer of all the music, he has previously been a member of Under The Influence Of Giants, amongst other bands. On Megalithic Symphony he was helped by Drew Stewart on guitar, Kenny Carkeet on guitar and keyboards, and Hayden Scott on drums.
The initial feeling when I listened to the album was that it was so-so. It felt a bit too electronic and Aaron also sings in a special way that is more a sort of screaming-singing. This in combination with up-beat songs made the sound environment quite messy. There are clear beats, danceable songs and a lot of energy. But perhaps a little impersonal. This was the first feeling. It changed.
After listening to the album a number of times, I think it's really, really good. One of the few records where all the songs are good with no weak numbers. I still think it’s a somewhat too electronical sound for my taste and I would appreciate more guitar-drums-bass (says the same person who enjoys Kraftwerk, Brian Eno and Tangerine Dream). But since the songs are so good I believe they would stand out even more clearly in a bit more stripped down production. At the same time, the electronical sound/production makes it a fun and varied listening experience.
It's hard to pick out any particular song from the album since the quality is so high throughout. The song Sail can be mentioned as it was a single that reached relatively high on the charts and has been featured in a number of television productions. Knights Of Shame, the album’s final epic 15-minute song might also be mentioned as it, despite its length, doesn’t bore the listener, which is impressive. That is, it’s 15 minutes long if you count the hidden final track and the silence before that. Even the rap works in this final number, which otherwise often feels a bit superimposed in music like this. I enjoy epic tracks like these where the listener is taken on a journey through a varied musical landscape, full of beauty and surprises.
I, who have a deep mistrust of modern music played on the radio, think it's fun to find a modern album to expand my collection with. It's fun to be in touch with today! If that is what I am.
The electronic sound/production and the sometimes noisy acoustic environment meant that it took a while to really embrace this album, now that I've done, it stands out more and more as a masterpiece.
The vinyl is a double album and as the companies in their kindness sometimes do (in this case Red Bull Records), the vinyl buyer also gets the album in digital format with the purchase. Even more use for my mp3 player!
Dance baby, dance like the world is ending!
Tracklist
Side A
1. Megalithic Symphony 0:58
2. Some Sort Of Creature 0:27
3. Soul Wars 3:37
4. People 3:58
Side B
1. Jump On My Shoulders 4:08
2. Burn It Down 2:45
3. Guilty Filthy Soul 3:33
4. Kill Your Heroes 2:59
Side C
1. My Nightmare’s Dream 0:27
2. Sail 4:19
3. Wake Up 3:03
4. Not Your Fault 4:02
Side D
1. All I Need 3:38
2. Knights Of Shame 14:56
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