Aloha - Home Acres (2010)

I haven’t listened to Aloha since shortly after Some Echoes (2006) came out, so needless to say, I am not their biggest fan. I do really like their sound, however. It’s guitar-based indie rock with the drums a bit lower in the mix and vocals that echo as if sung in a tunnel, but are more subdued than on past albums. It tries to create an atmosphere rather than simply deliver rock songs. I think Home Acres surpasses Some Echoes by showing stronger overall songwriting and a more accessible sound. Previously their game plan seems to have been to take a pretty melody and sing over it, which works to a point– Some Echoes was a very pleasant album. Every melody was gorgeous, but sometimes the songs didn’t really click. A nice melody only makes for a good song if it meshes nicely with the vocals, which it does throughout Home Acres. To their credit, they have really embraced synthesizers more than ever before, and I think this takes some pressure off the guitars for carrying the songs. The first track to really stick is “Microviolence,” which follows an opener that works more to prepare listeners for their sound than as a song in its own right. “Microviolence” uses an acoustic guitar and drums to create one of the better melodies on the album. “Everything Goes My Way” is a good example of their more melodic approach, instead of focusing primarily on texture. “White Wind” is a slower song that has a folky melody (I think I hear banjo but that might just be a guitar effect); it’s probably my favorite on the album at this point. “Blackout” is more garage-rock than the rest of the album, and I didn’t like it as much as the rest of the album, but that’s more to do with my take on the style than the execution of the song, which is solid. “I’m in Trouble” has a twee vibe to it, maybe caused by the synths, toned-down vocals, and the guitars’s jangle. “Ruins” ends the album on a high note with a longer track that encompasses everything that works well on the tracks before it. It sums up the album nicely, gorgeous synths, intricate percussion, good vocals, and a catchy refrain. The second time through the album, everything I liked about it was still there, but the tracks that didn’t impress me the first time around began to click a bit more. Songs like “Moonless March,” “Cold Storage” and “Waterwheel,” may not be as immediately gripping, but are good songs in their own right. Listening to Home Acres, I found myself torn between being caught up in the beauty of their sound and the catchiness of the songs. That’s a very good thing, and this is a very good album.

Generally, the more I ramble, the stronger my feelings are for a given album. That's the case here.

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