CD Review - So Long, Astoria
In the early parts of this review, as I wait for new albums to be released, many CDs that will be reviewed here are personal favorites of mine. One album that I enjoy listening to just about every week is So Long, Astoria by The Ataris. The tracks are nothing ground-breaking, there are not singles that received very high play on the radios, and I’m sure that most music listeners haven’t even heard this band before. What is on So Long, Astoria is a good CD that plays well from the start to the finish.
The album starts out with a song sharing the same name as the CD. The opening song is fast-paced and every part of it work. Its a perfect opening song because it indicates the tone that the rest of the tracks will follow and it also is a song that will get a lot of repeat listens. After “So Long, Astoria,” the CD somewhat changes tone by slowly going slower and sadder until the tone is topped off in “The Saddest Song.”
Now I’m not sure that the sixth song is actually the saddest song I’ve ever heard, but it is quite a relief when the next song, “Summer of ‘69″ comes on. In my opinion this is the strongest track of the album. It is light and upbeat and there are really no hidden meanings within the lyrics. But it is also fun and easy to listen to, the type of song you can imagine playing while going on a roadtrip somewhere during the summer.
The rest of the CD continues at a pretty good price. Almost everyone has heard “The Boys of the Summer” cover the band has done. Don’t worry, this song is, in actuality, one of my least favorites of the album. And that is saying something.
Grade - B+ - A good listen without much lyrical depth.
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