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Album Reviews [Combo Pack]

I'm back on the deck, hurrah!
I'm so missing myself writing a proper readable post, the less-curhat less-sok-poetic post, even 'tho I'm not sure people are even into my music shits...but it feels good to be back on the deck!(?)
These are my reviews of not-so-new-released albums that I listen to (not so) recently, ujian and college stuffs really took that much of my time-_- I wish I can come out with fresh recommendations but this is just all I have, here it goes, enjoy!

The Temper Trap -  Acoustic Sessions EP
Sepertinya The Temper Trap berhasil menemukan formula untuk menelurkan album yang flawless dan sangat pas: make it an EP (nggak sesimpel single dan nggak sepanjang LP) consists of six acoustic version of their best songs, here's when things couldn't go wrong.
Sewaktu jaman intensif Inten, kerjaan gue kalo di rumah emang suka curi-curi waktu buat hal nggak penting yang bahkan di waktu luang aja nggak pernah gue lakuin, kayak randomly buka iTunes dan menelusuri tab recommendations dari para recommendations itu sendiri (?) recommenception. Bertemulah gue dengan EP penuh kemesraan suara Dougie Mandagi ini dan langsung jatuh cinta lewat preview Love Lost. Dideskripsikan dalam kata sifat EP ini itu; manis, intim, dan painful.

Track List:
1. Need Your Love (2:52) 
2. Trembling Hands (4:43)
3. The Sea Calling (4:05)
4. Love Lost (3:40)
5. Science of Fear (3:57)
6. Fools (3:38)

Gue pribadi emang penggila acoustic session, makanya pas nemu album ini langsung kejang-kejang hehe. Bagi orang-orang yang protes sama warna album kedua The Temper Trap (self-titled 2012) yang lebih dancy dan rame, kayak lagu Need Your Love misalnya, di versi akustik ini jadi lebih intim dan lebih sampe pesannya -liriknya. Kalo di versi aslinya kesannya si Dougie lagi joget-joget bilang 'I need your love! I need your love!' dengan maksa, di versi akustiknya si Dougie jadi cowok unyu yang penuh kasih sayang. Lagu mereka yang udah perfecto seperti Love Lost juga nggak kehilangan 'seni'nya di album ini, meskipun jatohnya jadi galau berat, but that's just what acoustic all about. Kalo disuruh pilih mana best track, gue nggak bisa milih satu karena keenamnya beneran indah semua, tapi yang dibawakan paling baik dibanding original versionnya jatoh ke Need Your Love. Play this for your lullaby and feel the magic :D

She & Him - Volume 3
Ah, the dynamic quircky duo is back! Album pertama She & Him sejak my adorkable twin sister divorced with Ben Gibbard. And no, ini bukan album curhat pasca perceraian, ini album She & Him yang sangat easy-listening dan menyenangkan seperti biasa. Zooey seperti biasa juga, selalu berhasil menulis lagu-lagu indie-pop manis yang disambut baik juga oleh The Him, M. Ward. Buat para laki-laki, ati-ati aja abis dengerin full album ini jadi pengen keluar rumah pake sundress sambil makan es krim warna-warni dan jalan-jalan naik piaggio warna kuning. This album tastes like a yummy cupcake.
Entah gue yang emang mellow-dramatic-gooey-hopeless-romantic atau gimana, tapi dengerin album ini selalu menimbulkan mellow-dramatic-gooey-hopeless-romantic side of mine. Disamping keluar rumah pake sundress naik piaggio, album ini enaknya dinikmati sore hari + with that special someone + cute convos + susu pisang. Pecah. Uhm, and no, that imagination is my imagination only #loner.
Seperti yang sudah-sudah juga, album ini membuktikan gimana Zooey sangat nyaman being herself, aduh gitu deh maksudnya...when you wnat to describe her into songs, it will be her own songs. Men, this girl is so perfect...and no one can do it like Zooey do Zooey.
Recommended Tracks: I've Got Your Number Son, I Could've Been Your Girl, Baby, Sunday Girl

Triangle - The Triangle
Gue nggak tau ini album rilisan 2013 atau 2012 atau malah sebelumnya, yang jelas gue udah pernah denger salah satu tracknya, Moving On, di album kompilasi: Radio Killed The TV Stars juga lagu How Could You? di soundtrack Perahu Kertas. Maret kemarin (iya bukan kemarin, empat bulan yang lalu lebih tepatnya) gue berhasil membajak satu album dari penemuan CDnya di CD binder Tedo yang udah kayak katalog toko CD, then again, empat bulan setelahnya baru sempet ngereview. #HufTB4ng3dh. Udah lama nggak dengerin proper-indonesian-album since I can remember, sejak Maliq merilis Sriwedari dan memasukkan unsur dangdut dan I don't even know what to do with my life anymore. Album ini lumayan menjadi kelegaan tersendiri, termasuk albumnya Daryl Wezy dan album ke-3nya Adhitia Sofyan dan single barunya Sore (karena belom denger full album).
Inti dari album ini? Kesendirian dan nostalgia. Yaelah galau mulu hahaha, tapi tenang, sisi melankolis Triangle dikemas dalam alternative indie-rock yang nggak menye-menye. Ya...dari segi lirik emang menye-menye sih, tapi nggak terkesan jiji kok. Keseluruhan albumnya emang gloomy kecuali lagu Moving On yang lebih hopeful dan Last Days. Favorit gue saat ini adalah satu-satunya lagu berjudul dan berlirik Indonesia, Tentang Kita, yang menurut gue termasuk lagu paling intens. Album ini pasnya didengerin di calon kamar kosan, sendirian, Bandung lagi ujan, terus ngerjain tugas sambil nangis. Bottomline, this is a perfect companion to your loneliness.
Recommended Tracks: How Could You?, Tentang Kita, Shadow Fall, Tranquility of Solitude, Last Days, Should I

Albums you SHOULD listen without the need of my review: Sigur Ros- Kveikur, Daft Punk - Random Access Memory, Adhitia Sofyan - How To Stop Time
Songs you SHOULD listen that I haven't heard the whole album yet: Bloc Party - Ratchet (The Nextwave Sessions EP to be released), Arctic Monkeys - Do I Wanna Know?, Mikal Cronin - Weight 


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