HANNAH LUTEREK AND MATT TURNER
Specials to The Leader
Hannah’s Choice: “Closer” by Joy Division
Matt’s Take:
Joy Division is undoubtedly one of the biggest and most influential bands to come out of the post-punk music movement, going on to inspire legions of big rock acts including The Cure, Nine Inch Nails and Radiohead. With only two albums released due to the tragic suicide of lead singer Ian Curtis, it is absolutely breathtaking that they did so much with so little.
Surprisingly, I had not listened to “Closer” beginning to end before this review, so Hannah’s recommendation was a very nice reason to finally dig in.
As Joy Division fans know, “Closer” is a very emotionally heavy album, pulling me in from the beginning with an enthrallingly tragic style of sound that is still deeper than today’s rock music. Painfully shredded guitars and droning vocals on the opener, “Atrocity Exhibition,” prove to be both nightmarish and intriguing all at once, begging listeners to take a break before continuing.
Along with this sense of dread imparted on any listener, “Atrocity Exhibition” also brings them in closer so they can see where the next tracks will go.
The album’s emotionally devastating background along with its haunting lyrics and score are sure to get under the listener’s skin. I cannot say that it affected me as much as Joy Division’s iconic debut album “Unknown Pleasures,” but I am glad that I finally listened to “Closer” from beginning to end.
It feels fresh to this day, while also bringing to mind a better sense of appreciation for the influence it has had on the aforementioned artists since its release in 1980.
Three Standout Tracks: “Atrocity Exhibition,” “Twenty Four Hours” and “Decades.”
Score: 8.6/10
Hannah’s Take:
Joy Division consistently offers a dark, angsty release from the everyday world. One listen, and you’re compelled to wear all black and hang out in your local cemetery.
I’d never listened to “Closer” before this week, and I honestly don’t know how. It is obvious that Ian Curtis poured himself into the haunting vocals present throughout the record. Paired with the guitar and the dismal theme of “Closer” as a whole, it is impossible to listen to this album without feeling something.
Whether it be angry sad or maybe even a little scared, Joy Division is successful in achieving what all good art should: making people feel things.
I think this album is spooky for reasons other than the obvious post-punk/goth niche it so perfectly fits into. The lyrics and flow of the album make for a thought-provoking listening experience, one that almost feels the way you do when reflecting on loss.
So, you should absolutely queue this record up when you’re sad about moving on from a place, losing someone you love or even just unhappy about having to get up early to go to work.
I wish “Closer” would have had more songs with the caliber of “Isolation.” In general, many of my favorite songs are faster in pace and louder in vocals, so when an album is on the slower side, I find myself not listening as closely as I typically would. Truly, though, I don’t know how I managed to navigate the post-punk genre without visiting “Closer.”
Joy Division really hits that sweet, existential spot every time, and I will definitely be incorporating my favorite tracks into my normal listening routine.
Three Standout Tracks: “Isolation,” “A Means to an End” and “The Eternal.”
Score: 8.5/10
Matt’s Choice: “Murder Ballads” by Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
Matt’s Take:
As a very casual appreciator of Nick Cave and individual songs he has put out, I have been meaning to actually listen to a full album of his from beginning to end. Seeing as how the spooky season was in full effect, I took this time to listen to one of the supposedly “scarier” rock albums out there: “Murder Ballads.”
Listening to this album while dark clouds filled the sky, wind gusted through the dying trees, and yellow leaves flew through the streets was a fantastic experience. From Cave’s sinister vocals to the undeniably chaotic instrumentals, especially on “The Curse of Millhaven,” to the phenomenal guest singers PJ Harvey and Kylie Minogue, this album had me absolutely hooked every single second.
“Murder Ballads” chugs along like stories of yore chronicling deaths and urban legends which works incredibly well, pulling in listeners for unbelievably grisly murders set to hauntingly beautiful music.
I was not ready for the incredible journey that “Murder Ballads” took me on, each track dropping my jaw even further than the last. Maybe I just listened to this album at the perfect time, but this listening experience was one of the most engaging first-time album listens that I have had this year, and I can only presume this is an album that will grow on me even more upon revisits.
If you want a beautifully disturbing album to listen to, especially with the dreary, snowy weather approaching, you can’t go wrong checking out “Murder Ballads.”
As for myself, I am grateful that I listened to the album, and I cannot wait to dig into the rest of Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds’ discography.
Three Standout Tracks: “Stagger Lee,” “Henry Lee” and “The Curse of Millhaven.”
Score: 9.0/10
Hannah’s Take:
Finding an album that successfully tells a story from start to finish is unusual. “Murder Ballads” is able to achieve this successfully.
In terms of cohesiveness, this album does a great job of drawing listeners into a spooky story of sorts.
Before I dive deep into my thoughts on the actual music the album offers, I should mention that I have never listened to Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds before this album. I’m not sure if they typically offer as much range in their other records as they do in “Murder Ballads,” but I really dig it.
Listening to the album, you’re not quite sure what will come next. Lack of predictability is what this album does very well, in my opinion.
The only consistent factor of the work as a whole is the gripping lyricism present in each song. Whether the song is about death, curses or the parting of two people, you can be sure that the lyrics are extremely well-written and will place you perfectly in the story the band is trying to tell.
The album also makes good use of human sound: screaming, crying, laughing, you name it. Each of these noises contributes to the “spooky” feel I sensed from the record.
I will admit that this album and this particular sector of the alternative rock genre is a bit slow for my liking. It is certainly not something I could integrate into my typical listening routine, simply because it’s not an album you can mindlessly listen to. Rather than amp me up, “Murder Ballads” allowed for me to slow down and think about the way in which stories are told. With that being said, I appreciate Nick Cave’s artistry present in every inch of “Murder Ballads.”
Three Standout Tracks: “Henry Lee,” “Lovely Creature” and “Death Is Not The End.”
Score: 6.8/10