I have a love/hate relationship with the internet. On one hand, it has a strong tendency to bring out the worst in people, and makes it so that they can very easily use that hatred to make other people’s lives worse. Also social media is the Stupidest Goddamn Thing and I don’t understand how it’s taken over the world.
On the other hand, the internet affords me the ability to buy pretty much anything on a whim. While I’m very happy to have this convenience, it’s kinda dangerous for someone like me who has a terrible habit of impulse buying. I’ve sunk far more money that I should have into eBay, Humbe Bundle, and iTunes purchases over the last year, and the Mastercard people are laughing about it all the way to the bank.
And all that just to say that I purchsed some random album on iTunes yesterday. Goldenheart by The Organ Beats, to be specific. And how did I get around to picking out this album that nobody’s ever heard of? It’s pretty simple. The lead singer is Noelle LeBlanc, formerly of Damone, a band that I was pretty into back in aught-seven. I liked her previous work, so I bet $10 on her new(er) band. It was mostly worth it.
I haven’t been listening to very much in the way of new music lately, but it seems like a lot of the bands I’m currently into like to pump up their drums while sort of tucking the guitars away in the noise, only turning up their levels for solos. The Organ Beats went pretty much the opposite way in their mixing, and put the guitars front and center with the drums in the background, keeping the beat the way drums are wont to do.
The one thing about Goldenheart that I really take issue with is that they either recorded the vocals really poorly, or turned down their volume for some reason. Noelle is basically inaudible for half the album, which is a huge bummer because I think she’s a pretty good singer. Well, usually. It seems like she kinda phoned this one in. Maybe it’s just the mixing, but her singing just isn’t as strong as I’m used to.
Of course, she could have also been singing half-heartedly on purpose, because apparently (and I’m going entirely by the video embedded below) she wants to be the indiest motherbuzzer out there.
Stupid hat? Check. Scraggly hair? Check. Walking down a street trying to look deep? Double-check. Yep, that’s about as indie as you get. They just need to pop an air of self-righteousness in there and it would be totally unbearable. Oh, and also much, much worse music.
As an ironic twist, the vocals do finally stand out on the last song, “Don’t You Ever Feel Like Dying?” which pretty much just as dreary and depressing as it sounds.
Of course that all betrays the fact that The Organ Beats are a pretty hard rockin’ band, and I’m really digging them. They just need to turn Noelle’s levels up a bit next time, and they could be the next big thing for me. For now though, I’ll take it. Ten bucks well spent.