Album Reviews: Ciarán, Flaming Lips, Queens of the Stone Age

Ciarán – Róisín
Belfast, Northern Ireland

Coming off their work in Brockhampton, Ciarán (FKA Bearface) has something to prove, and does so in spades on their new record. Equally devastating and hypnotic, this record is a wonder of production and imagination, showing Ciarán was bringing a lot more to Brockhampton than we even realized. There’s a frantic cacophony that sets “K-Bar” into a more tender, intimate place, as Ciarán tunes out the noise and pulls you closer. This smooth and groovy focus makes the ramp-up in sonic colours so brilliant on “Houston” as you feel like you’re slowly being pulled into an emotional explosion with the rising harmonies and soundscapes. “Galvarino” calls back to some of that Brockhampton density, with a washed-out distortion burning out so much of the song as the frustration of regret overpowers the mix. Like D’Angelo on acid, “Red 99” can be the smoothest R&B at times, feeling like being tossed through the air in slow-motion in acoustic form.

The Flaming Lips – God Will Control the Werewolves (Single)
Oklahoma City, OK

Taking a relaxing, soothing approach on their latest single, The Flaming Lips take you through a misty lagoon. Wayne Coyne’s voice feels like a sprite dancing through the leaves in waves of harmonies and organs, as you slowly get singed by how bright some of the tones can be. The track can at times feel gospel, and at other times like a lounge act on steroids, with the sound overpowering the roots behind it. But when that beat drops in, it’s like a thousand stars lighting up the skies at once, with a new run of wonder and warmth coming with them. This all cascades into the galactic solo, with a fat and guttural tone taking you through the cosmos with Coyne.

Queens of the Stone Age – Perfecth
Palm Desert, California

While a more acoustic-focused record would normally signal concern or a desperation for some bands, Queens of the Stone Age find a new dynamic powerhouse by harnessing the calm before the storm on their latest record. Their tones are richer, there’s a sense of personal nostalgia, and the band merge everything they’ve ever done right and weird into one new, fascinating record that shouldn’t work as well as it does! “It’s Only Love” sets the record off in a disturbing preview of what’s to come, blending a soft churn of guitar with a demented blend of groaning distortion and wailing strings, all woven together in a macabre dance. The swing that runs through “Insignificant Other” leaves you dancing at first, but in typical Queens fashion, there’s a more demonic, polka-infused alternate side to this track, providing a perfect contrast that really makes the track a bizarre and startling beast to listen to once the two elements fully intertwine. The return to early-record sounds on “Where the Goth Girls At?” contrasts with its otherwise goofy title, as the band runs you from their self-titled-era sounds to the complex insanity of their later work in one dazzling brushstroke. While “Easy Street” is perhaps their most intriguingly clean play on the record, “Run Away from the Mob” feels the most honest to their overall sound, feeling like a Songs from the Deaf return while punching with the harmonies of their newer work, and finding something new to say sonically in the mix.

Chvrches – Overthinker
Glasgow, Scotland

Chvrches’ latest single rings out with a more anthemic and cinematic approach, feeling dramatic, yes, but full of might and power all the same. This opens the track into a delightful bell and synth run, showing a world of excitement at endless possibilities. That joy gives the immediate whip to an even more explosive chorus, such a fiery feeling, like going off a springboard and being launched even higher by a second unexpected one. The result is something akin to “Where the Streets Have No Name” by U2, with its own sense of fireworks and loud provocation. The song’s power lies in trying to parse the good from the bad, or perhaps rather, accepting that they come as a package deal, and that one has to accept oneself. It’s the way the overthinking pays off in the dense and limitless layers of the production, however, that we find there’s a power this double-edged sword has lent the band.

Deux Visages – Call It Goodbye
Philadelphia, PA/Miami, FL

Few bands can merge metal, pop and shoegaze into one tight sound, but Deux Visages might be the strongest blend yet. With the depth of sound to ground some of the most instantly addictive pop in ages, this is a band that knows what they like, knows their craft, and has figured out exactly how to make them work for each other. With their shoegaze sound roaring like a dying dragon, “Disengage” sets the album off with a bonfire, the shrill high-end vocals cutting through with icy cool amid all the destruction of the guitars. The undertow is overwhelming on “Always You,” and makes it easy to get caught up in its tight pop hooks, as the band takes you through a whirlpool of heavy riffs and infectious hooks. You get the rushing drive through the breakneck speed of “Pixelate,” as it straps you to a rocket headed to the stratosphere, and all the fallout around it. The thumping beats of “Call It Goodbye” merge the tones of a thrash-metal stomper with anime-intro excitement, resulting in a shimmering, fiery track.

More music reviews from Owen Maxwell