Los Campesinos! – Hello Sadness

I was a little hesitant to listen to Hello Sadness, the fourth/third album from Los Campesinos. I am someone who really enjoyed Hold on Now, Youngster… and We are Beautiful, We are Doomed, but found Romance is Boring to be disappointing. If this album was another disappointment, it would be hard for me to be optimistic about Los Campesinos’ future. But, on the other hand, it’s been a while since I listened to something by these folks. It turns out I missed them. And Hello Sadness, ironically, is enough to give me hope.

If the title didn’t tip you off, it’s probably safe to say that this collection of songs wasn’t inspired by good times. No, the imagery here is dark, the themes miserable – but with that signature Campesinos sardonic wit. It’s all a far cry from the jittery excitement of the first couple albums, but it’s exactly the direction the band had to go in; you can’t sustain something like that. As members have come and gone, the band has pushed lead singer Gareth more into the foreground, and this album is more personal and confident for it. The guy’s pretty good at this.

The rest of the band is still great, of course. There’s plenty to love here for fans of guitars, female backup vocals and more guitars. Yeah, the band’s a little less expansive then it used to be, and you can hear it on this record. However, this is still unmistakably Los Campesinos; the songs still build to amazing highs from humble lows. They’re still a delight to listen to. Or maybe I should say, they’re a delight to listen to again.

Favorite Tracks: “By Your Hand,” “Every Defeat is a Divorce (Three Lions),” “The Black Bird, The Dark Slope”

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3

Do you still like Call of Duty? I don’t mean the WWII shooters that started the franchise, I mean the multiplayer-focused more modern ones that have become as akin to November as the Saw film series was to Halloween. Every year, since 2007, we’ve gotten the latest entry in the series, and it hasn’t really evolved. It hasn’t needed to. Last year’s Black Ops is the best selling game ever. For better or for worse, the Call of Duty franchise is the dominant one for the medium, and the Modern Warfare games define it.

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Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception

One of the seemingly endless stream of “threes” coming to gaming the last few months, Uncharted 3 had the odds stacked against it. After all, while the first game in the series was commendable, it wasn’t especially remarkable. So when that second game came out and basically defined the cinematic gaming experience, it raised expectations considerably higher for the third part of the trilogy. After all, how do you top one of the greatest games of the current generation?

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Battlefield 3

I was definitely on board with the Battlefield franchise as soon as I saw the first game, 1942. It was the first time I ever played a conquest-style game like that before and it really impressed me. I’ve tried to stick with the series over the years, but I was hesitant to get involved in Battlefield 2, as it seemed like a departure from what I originally liked about the series. The Bad Company series kept the franchise relevant, but it had changed and adapted to the post-Modern Warfare world. I thought classic Battlefield was gone. And yet, Battlefield 3 is here, despite there being so many more games in the series than three.

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Coldplay – Mylo Xyloto

When they were on The Colbert Report a little while ago, Coldplay frontman Chris Martin was asked about comparing his band to Radiohead. His reply? “They’re more talented musically, but we’re more handsome.” And that’s it, really. Radiohead has gone on to put out albums that challenge the music industry, genres and even their fans. Coldplay made one Radiohead-esque album and then blew up to be one of the biggest bands in the world. And, in a year with new releases from bands like Radiohead and My Morning Jacket that require a little effort to get into, it’s nice to have something as easy as a new Coldplay album.

I know a lot of people really don’t like Chris Martin, but I appreciate the guy’s earnestness. When I read stuff like the album is inspired by old school American graffiti, the White Rose movement and The Wire, I pay it much mind. Similarly, I don’t spend much time paying attention to his lyrics about love and happiness and whatever. Let the man have his fun. He’s the headman of one of the biggest bands in the world. You should know the vibe Coldplay is going for already, don’t worry about the specifics.

The thing that stands out on Mylo Xyloto is the beats. I feel like the band really kicked up the bass and drums this time around, I mean, just listen to a song like “Paradise.” That shit is deep. Coldplay has definitely taken some inspiration from popular R&B music, I mean they even got Rihanna to sing on a song. Which is perhaps not the direction I expected them to go in, after all I thought Jay-Z’s appearance on the last album more weird than cool, but I’ll allow it. This is a band that sells out stadiums, and that’s the kind of music that does the same.

In the end, the musicianship is as tight as ever, the songs as catchy. No, there’s absolutely no obvious breakouts this time, no “Fix You.” This is more a consistently solid, but never amazing, album. And yes, Coldplay does continue to get farther away from the Parachutes/Rush of Blood sound that made them great in the first place. But it’s easy to get most of this album stuck in your head. I like easy.

Favorite Tracks: “Hurts Like Heaven,” “Charlie Brown,” “Major Minus”