Customer Reviews

Mind Chaos

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Other than having heard the song "Too Fake," I knew nothing about the band called Hockey before purchasing this CD. All I knew was that the song "Too Fake" had a groovy early Rod Stewart feel to it and I found myself playing it over and over again. Now that I have had the chance to listen to the full CD I find myself just putting the entire album on repeat. This effort from Hockey is rock/pop brilliance.

It is hard to categorize Hockey's sound. Think Rod Stewart meets Talking Heads, with a bit of Tom Tom Club and funk thrown in, and yet that still does not do complete justice in describing Hockey. They have such a cool 80s vibe to them, but they are not stuck in the 80s merely trying to imitate anything in particular. "Mind Chaos" is just really well-conceived music from start to finish. The vast majority of songs are upbeat, with driving rhythm guitar and bass. Each song has a unique character and adds something to the album.

The album itself contains eleven songs and weighs in at just over 45 minutes. Every one of the songs is strong, which is highly unusual in this day and age. The packaging is extremely minimalist. The CD comes in a thin cardboard slipcase, with no booklet. On the left inside of the packaging is the listing of the band members and some artwork, and on the right inside flap is the track listing and some artwork.

"Mind Chaos" will certainly go down as one of the musical bright spots of 2009. It gets my fullest and most enthusiastic recommendation. I can see myself listening to it for many years to come. I certainly hope Hockey has a long career and puts out more albums in the future. This group is special.

Way back in 1982, ABC put out what is hands down the most clever, infectious, danceable, smart pop record that has ever been recorded, "Lexicon of Love". (If you have heard it, you know what I am talking about, and if you haven't, get this album now.) While the album produced two hits- "Poison Arrow" and "Look of Love"- and universal critical praise, it never took hold and earned the reputation for the classic album that it is. Hockey's "Mind Chaos" is the first album I have heard since that elicits the same feelings of warmth, joy, and appreciation.
At its basic, this is a great pop album with many danceable moments. The hooks fly at you faster than Mohammad Ali's left during the Rumble in the Jungle. If you are not humming along with at least half the songs by the end of your first listen, then you may be deaf. The music is infectious, catchy, and is brilliantly produced, bringing out the punch in the bass and the shimmy in the cymbals.
If that was all it had going for it, this would be a good album. Lucky for us, the lyrics take each song to a whole other level and curse this band with a debut that is great. Like MGMT before them, the music is firmly rooted in the past- sometimes in a reinterpretative way, sometimes as straight copy while the lyrics openly acknowledge this obvious debt in a way that verges on apologetic but are smart enough to never truly go there. The first song is titled "Too Fake", and so when that first chorus hits two minutes into the ridiculously catchy opener, this declaration of being "Too Fake" seems clever and slightly amusing. Okay, they know, you think to yourself. During "Song Away", the singer acknowledges stealing his identity and owns up to writing a song with an "80's groove", while name dropping Roxy Music. And let's be honest- by the time the 7th song rolls around and you realize that the song is titled "Wanna Be Black", and that yes, it's about wanting to be black, again, you just can't help but smile.
The only misstep is the Bob Dylan/Wallflowers sounding "Four Holy Photos", which is not even as good as Blitzen Trapper on a bad day. But other than this, this is an amazing album. Singeable, danceable, hummable, and smart enough to be lyrically analyzed- "Mind Chaos" will not disappoint.

Why is it that we actually have to search for bands as good as Hockey? I'm so tired of hearing sound on the radio which I am told to like and told is actual music when its nothing more than an assembly line product.

Hockey is the real deal: Fun, inventive, and crafted by musicians for people who want to treat their ears to an audio feast.

It's top of my playlist right now because it's not just strictly one thing or another. Hockey has a hit of a debut album here. I bought it on a whim and it has ended up being my go to cd of the last several months. Crisp pop sound and some very catchy lyrics mixed with some old school Bob Dylan or Clapton influence. There's even a little bit of dance club music going on in this indie rock group and they pull it off with the spit and polish of seasoned vets. A definite buy for any music fan.
I cannot stress enough how fantastic this disc is because every song is its own few minutes of pure music bliss. A must buy for any music fan.

I really loved this CD! It's great to listen to. A few of the songs are mellow and some are really upbeat, which is a really good combination. It mixes things up a bit. I can just play this when I'm chilling out. I'd definitely recommend it to others. Also, if you like Bob Dylan, you may like this CD. Not that they sound exactly like Bob Dylan, but certain aspects of their music remind me of him.

Brilliant....this album is brilliant. I've been waiting a long time for their follow-up...where is it? Don't keep you fans waiting too long.

This album is so good, filled with catchy yet somehow raw tunes that you can either dance to or just enjoy as they are. A unique album by a great band. Love it.

great music by this band.i like several songs on the album..

worth buying.

The variety in this album is amazing. I don't think there is a song on this album that I didn't enjoy.

Overall album is solid (one physical downside being the lack of an MP3 download code with the vinyl version). Some tracks that seem completely out of character for what I interpreted as an indie rock band with classic rock roots. You'll listen to the A-Side a ton because of "Too Fake," one of my favorite tracks of 2009 ([...]).

The first time I heard this track was when a friend e-mailed the (seemingly unavailable everywhere) Fallon performance [by Hockey]. It was a day before the band was scheduled to play in Syracuse with Portugal the Man. They ended up canceling their set, and it's the biggest musical disappointment I had in `09 in wake of "Too Fake's" brilliance. The rest of the album doesn't stay within the same style, but "Too Fake" is a dirty-night club, indie rock gem. There's a heavy bass lead, vocals that are on the verge of shouting and a steady off-beat hi-hat to keep you moving throughout.