Marissa Nadler – Strangers & Kings of Leon – WALLS

Matthew Murphy wrote for Pitchfork that while it “might not sound like a compelling proposition… Nadler has the sort of voice that you’d follow straight to Hades.” It’s a pretty accurate description, as Marissa Nadler’s voice is truly angelic, like siren’s calling sailors in folklore. Her music doesn’t have the lyrical material of seducing someone by leading them to their deaths however, but with titles like “All the Colors of the Dark” and “Dissolve” it’s not life-giving either. It’s also not an endearing listen, but I can see why some people went head-over-heels for her. Personally, it’s a bit too “off-the-ground” for my tastes.

As for something completely different (I just happened to listen to these two albums near the same time), for all the flack Kings of Leon get, Only by the Night was actually a really good album.

It’s been a bit rocky for the group ever since, but as over-played as “Sex on Fire” or “Use Somebody” were, they were still massive hits. The sad thing about Kings of Leon thereafter was that they fit a template, which is especially strong here on “Waste A Moment,” the opener from WALLS, in which someone could easily sing any of their hits over top of the “new” melody here. Not even Taylor Swift’s rumored writing of “Over” could save this band. They did get a good shoutout from Kanye West back in 2010 though.