"Magnetic," Andi Camp
The packaging for Andi Camp's "Magnetic" lives up to the name. The case, made and numbered by Camp herself, snaps open and shut by a magnet - and that's not the only thing about the album that's magnetic.
In the album, Camp, formerly the lead singer of the band Ribbon Fix, combines her articulate piano with her sultry vocals to create a unique piano-pop sound.
Her piano prowess is impressive and definitely the driving force behind the album. The opening title track engulfs the listener in her almost frantic, but still smooth piano style. The rhythms of the piano are a nice medium between Something Corporate's fluidity and Ben Folds' complexity.
Even though her piano riffs are intricate, her style and music is straightforward and simple. The only sound, other than her piano and voice, is the articulate drumming of Ryan Heise.
This simple setup showcases Camp's piano and voice. She doesn't have the best singing skills - she displays much more potential on the ivory - but her voice conveys so much emotion. It's very open, and her laid-back voice balances the sometimes frenetic pace of the piano, especially in the track "Billy."
She also shows her versatility when she slows things down in "Motorboats." The piano becomes more simple, and she still expresses great emotion in just a few notes.
Camp's soulful voice and rolling piano rhythms are a great listen for those looking for an upbeat and relaxing album. Her music is as beautiful as its packaging, probably because Andi Camp made both.
"2005," Decahedron
A decahedron is a three-dimensional figure with 10 faces. The band's logo, plastered in the album case and on the CD, is an octagon, a two-dimensional figure with eight sides. The two-dimensional figure is acceptable, but wouldn't a 10-sided shape make more sense?
Maybe this problem in counting accounts for the lack of lyrics on Decahedron's six-track EP "2005." Four of the six the songs on the album are written by the band. Fittingly, one of the songs not written by the band, "Cause and Effect," is the only song that has more than 14 lines.
The best track on the album is the opening song, "Movement A," mainly because it doesn't have the distraction of singer Shelby Cinca shouting the same inane lyrics over and over.
Decahedron's musical skills are much better than their lyrics illustrate. Cinca's guitar work gives "2005" a brutal and edgy overtone, and Jason Hamacher's drum skills complement Cinca and give the album a solid beat and foundation.
Decahedron isn't anything unique, though. They sound like they're trying to be Rage Against The Machine, but they come off as quasi-angsty rockers who have no idea how to say what they want to say - if they're trying to say anything at all.
