new music

Previously:

Eisley :: Room Noises :: 7/10

Armor for Sleep :: Dream to Make Believe :: 6/10

Bright Eyes :: Cassadaga :: 4/10

The Almost :: Southern Weather :: 9/10

Bedouin Soundclash :: Sounding a Mosaic :: 8/10

Cursive :: The Ugly Organ :: 5/10

Sara Bareilles :: Little Voice :: 6/10

Catch 22 :: Keasbey Nights :: 6/10

Paramore :: Riot! :: 8/10

The Ataris :: So Long, Astoria :: 7/10

Mae :: Singularity :: 8.5/10

Brand New :: The Devil And God Are Raging Inside Me :: 5/10

Kevin Devine :: Put Your Ghost to Rest :: 8/10

The Format :: Dog Problems / Invitations and Lullabies :: 7/10

mewithoutyou :: Brother, Sister :: 9.5/10

Feist :: Let It Die :: 7/10

Artist:  Psalters

Album:  The Divine Liturgy of the Wretched Exiles

iTunes Genre:  Unclassifiable    (that makes me smile)

My Rating:  9/10

Thoughts:  This album is very aptly named.  I love the presentation of it.  Perhaps it's not fair to incorporate my love for the presentation of the album (artwork, lyrics, etc.) since this is one of two of my new music albums where I have more than the CD itself.  But I can't help myself.  The liturgy is beautiful.  More than any new music I've listened to, there is a unity throughout the whole work.  It is one worship experience.  And yes, it is definitely worship - Jesus is first for the Psalters.  Their music is full of emotion, passion.  It's in the way they play and sing and compose and groan and wail and shout.  The dissonant wailing is the only reason they don't match up to mewithoutyou.  It's really powerful, really moving, and generally excellent, but it's just a touch too much for me.  That being said, the more I'm listening to it, the more accustomed I am to it.  I could grow to love the Psalters even more.  Musically, unclassifiable is true.  The Psalters are kind of a genre of their own.  The music is very inventive, the use a variety of implements to make music, some of which you might call instruments.  The harmonies are spectacular.  The guys with the crazy low voices rock.

See the Psalters live if you ever have a chance.  It's extraordinary.

Best Track: Lord's Prayer

Up Next (and last?):  Matt Costa