Sound: Regina worked with four different veteran pop/rock producers on Far and the result is the slickest album she’s released to date—her piano-driven, chirpy pop songs and precious meditations lack the rough edges of the past. And even though you can’t help but think of Tori Amos or Fiona Apple when she gets darker and more dramatic, Regina’s sugary sweet demeanor makes her music much safer than her distinguished predecessors’.
Heavy Rotation track: “Folding Chair”; “The Calculation”
Medium Rotation tracks: “Machine”; “Human of the Year”; “Eet”
Recommended: On 2006’s Begin to Hope (my #13 album of 2006), Regina impressively graduated beyond the quirky novelty of her previous work. But on Far, she’s back to more of the theatrical silliness. She dares you to be annoyed by her oddball whimsy and repetitive phrases, and with the squeaky clean production there’s no place for her adorable personality to hide. Fortunately, she writes some solid melodies and music that make for a pleasing listen. But your overall enjoyment will depend on how much of her vocals and lyrics you can take in one sitting.
Grade: B
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Sound: Fuzzy guitars, electro hip-hop beats, anthemic, fist-pumping choruses and epic, psychedelic journeys are what you expect from Kasabian, and West Ryder has all of the above. But there are some unexpected surprises on here - Kinks-like, jangly acoustic guitar, classic Brit poppy melodies and more traditional song structures (as opposed to extended, club-friendly grooves).
Heavy Rotation tracks: “Take Aim”
Medium Rotation tracks: “Where Did All the Love Go?”; “Vlad the Impaler”; “Fire”; “Underdog”; “Fast Fuse”
Recommended: For all the ambition and bombast on display on West Ryder—and everything Kasabian does—the end result actually sounds pretty safe and simplistic. The songs are all fairly catchy—though none super-memorable or impressive—and if you’re a fan of classic Brit pop or psychedelic British rock, the sounds will be pleasing to your ears. It’s an accomplished effort, but little on here captures the excitement of the standout tracks of their first two albums or their live show.
Grade: B
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Sound: A diverse collection of indie hip-hop beats that bounce between exotic—psychedelic Bollywood, mystical Middle Eastern, funky samba —and domestic—nostalgic soulful, spooky cinematic and synthetic anthemic. Mos Def handles the majority of the vocals—mostly rapping but some singing, too—as the only guest rhymes come from the legendary Slick Rick and Mos’ former Black Star partner Talib Kweli.
Heavy Rotation track: “Revelations”
Medium Rotation tracks: “Auditorium” featuring Slick Rick; “Roses”; “Pretty Dancer”; “The Embassy”
Recommended: The Ecstatic is definitely more inspired and captivating than Mos Def’s last two albums, but it is dense and challenging. Its bold eclecticism and the fact that most songs feel like sketched fragments—ending just as they hit their stride—make it difficult for the listener to get in a groove. And there really aren’t any true standout tracks. But The Ecstatic has several rhymes and even more beats to get excited about.
Grade: B
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Sound: A mix of psychedelic folk with hippie-friendly harmonies (think Crosby, Stills & Nash, Buffalo Springfield and Jefferson Airplane), dreamy, wall-of-sound orchestrations with warm falsetto melodies and otherworldly choirs (think Pet Sounds-era Beach Boys), trippy jazz-fusion rock (think early Pink Floyd) and progressive chamber pop (think Gentle Giant). The majority of these gorgeous, vintage sounds don’t necessary feel like they were recorded in the late ‘60s and early ‘70s. Most of the time, they incorporate modern, indie rock elements like swirling electric guitars, fuzzy basslines, and punchy organs, along with just enough contemporary fidelity to make these bold compositions sound current—with a strong nod to the past.
Heavy Rotation tracks: “While You Wait For The Others” (Top 20 Songs of 2009 Candidate); “Two Weeks”; “All We Ask”; “Fine For Now”
Medium Rotation tracks: “Cheerleader”; “Southern Point”; “Foreground”
Recommended: If you thought Grizzly Bear’s previous work (including the Department of Eagles side project) lacked enough of a pulse and focus to keep you interested for a whole album, Veckatimest has come along to change the way you think about Grizzly Bear. The first five tracks stunningly push their sound into exciting new directions, and the album finishes strong. If the middle section had a little more oomph, this could be a masterpiece. Regardless, the majority of the album captures the imagination and announces the arrival of a band trying—and mostly succeeding—to make spectacular music.
Grade: A- (Strong Top 20 Albums of 2009 Candidate)
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Sound: Spoon frontman Britt Daniel produced this follow-up to White Rabbits’ stellar debut Fort Nightly (my #4 album of 2007), and you can definitely hear his influence. Upbeat and danceable (buoyant basslines, flickering acoustic guitars) meets dark and downtown chic (ominous piano lines, jabbing electric guitars). Some of the decadent, communal honky tonk flavor of their debut remains, but much of it has been replaced by an eerier, brooding sound reminiscent of The Walkmen, favoring mood over memorable melodies.
Heavy Rotation tracks: none
Medium Rotation tracks: “Percussion Gun”; “Rudie Fails”; “Lionesse”
Recommended: If you thought Spoon’s 2007 album Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga was worth listening to—despite it’s maddening lack of good hooks—or you don’t get bored after listening to a few tracks on a Walkmen album—despite the music’s ability to meander into aimless dissonance—then there’s a good chance you’ll like this new direction for White Rabbits. But those who loved Fort Nightly may be quite disappointed by It’s Frightening. As the title suggests, they do a decent job creating a scary, unsettling landscape, but they don’t fill it with any standout tracks and the vocals feel somewhat uninspired.
Grade: B-
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Note: It’s been 10 years since Blackout!, the classic debut album from these two legendary MCs and on-screen co-stars. They’ve released solo albums (and Method Man’s recorded Wu-Tang Clan albums) since then, but this is their official sophomore release as a duo.
Sound: A mixed bag of contemporary hip-hop styles – ominous gangsta grooves, r&b-flavored party jams, digitally pulsing street anthems, cinematic throwback funk and a Wu Tang-esque, horn-blasting banger.
Heavy Rotation tracks: none
Medium Rotation tracks: “City Lights” featuring Bun B; “Four Minutes to Lock Down” featuring Raekwon & Ghostface Killah; “Hey Zulu”
Recommended: Blackout! 2 suffers from an identity crisis. By having such a wide range of by-the-numbers sounds, the album lacks the consistent vibe of Blackout! And with more modern-sounding production, you might expect more modern lyrics. But often—Redman in particular—they get caught up in retro references about Club Nouveau, Tango & Cash, Herbie Hancock, NWA and more. Despite Blackout! 2’s disappointing qualities, it is still pretty satisfying to hear a new album’s worth of the rugged, carefree, comical and weed-loving rhyming we’ve come to expect from Red & Meth.
Grade: B-
Note: Relapse is Eminem’s first full-length studio album in five years.
Sound: Dr. Dre unleashes a bevy of gleaming, grand, gangsta beats. Some have a club-ready bounce, but more of them have the dramatic tension of a horror flick thanks to his signature synths, strings, piano and live drums.
Lyrics: Eminem returns in top form as the murderous, drug-addicted, sexually predatory, demon-filled and downright demented Slim Shady, the guy with the nasal, piercing and razor sharp flow that’s so precise and hypnotic you can’t help but pay attention. While he revisits an abundance of familiar topics, he’s at his freshest when he offers new perspective on his battles with drug addiction and how he inherited his problems from his drug-dependent mother.
Heavy Rotation tracks: “3 a.m.” (Top 20 Songs of 2009 Candidate); “My Mom”
Medium Rotation tracks: “We Made You”; “Crack a Bottle” featuring Dr. Dre & 50 Cent; “Insane”; “Déjà Vu”
Recommended: In a pop culture climate where the nihilistic character of The Dark Night’s Joker was endlessly praised, it’s hard to disparage Eminem too much for revisiting the sick and twisted character that made him a megastar, because he’s so good at it—though Heath Ledger’s character was Rated-R and seemingly just a character, whereas Eminem’s Silm Shady is Rated-X and more autobiographical, though exaggerated. But as impressive as a return to form as this is for Em, it does get tiresome to hear him tackle a lot of the same topics he did on his first couple of albums. 2002’s instant classic “Lose Yourself” hinted at the potential for new, more uplifting lyrical directions. And in 2004, at a time when the U.S. was sharply divided politically, Eminem had a chance to truly speak out and have an impact. He did, with the track and video for “Mosh,” but he wasn’t very good at activism. Pills, homicidal dream fantasies, off-color celebrity-baiting barbs and wrestling with the baggage of his childhood. That’s what Eminem’s good at—really good. So if you’re still interested in hearing about those topics, delivered with stunning musical dexterity, there’s plenty to like on Relapse.
Grade: B+
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Sound: Each track is like a piece from a different, imaginary film score. With fluttering woodwinds, cascading strings, dramatic percussion, haunted choirs and sinister lyrics, the songs are overtly cinematic—often eerie, sometimes wide-eyed and dreamy. And while some of these compositions remain stuck in the world of film, the more successful and innovative tunes incorporate elements of pop and rock—a crunchy riff, folky guitar picking, shimmying drum beats, an electro funk groove, twinkling synths, memorable melodies, sweet vocal harmonies and more.
Heavy Rotation tracks: “Laughing With a Mouth of Blood”; “Save Me From What I Want”; “The Strangers”;
Medium Rotation tracks: “The Neighbors”; “Actor Out of Work”; “Marrow”; “The Bed”
Recommended: The Strangers contains some of the most challenging pop music ever recorded. It’s creepy and dense, and when it combines classical art and popular music elements, it can be fascinating. Fans of Bjork, Feist, Regina Spektor, Fiona Apple, Goldfrapp and last year’s Portishead album should find satisfying sounds on here.
Grade: B+
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Note: Ain’t Too Bright is the debut album from a band formed in the wake of The Comas’ (who had my #39 album of 2007 with Spells) indefinite hiatus. Comas co-founder Andy Herod is the singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist/producer behind Electric Owls, and he’s joined by Jason Caperton (The Comas) on guitar, Matt Gentling (Band of Horses, Archers of Loaf) on bass and Cully Symington (The Gutter Twins) on drums.
Sound: Folky strumming frequently collides with cosmic synthesizers as the vocals slice and soar melodically and effortlessly through the atmosphere. The ambitious mix of sounds is part country hoedown, part dreamy psychedelia and part glammy, arena-sized rock. You can hear little bits of MGMT, Pink Floyd, Band of Horses, Arcade Fire, George Harrison and latter day Superchunk.
Heavy Rotation tracks**: “Kamiakin”; “Put, the Candle, Back!”
Medium Rotation tracks**: The rest, except for “Haint in the Holler”
Recommended: Nearly every track is an exciting blend of disparate musical ideas with clean and catchy melodies. And though the sounds are innovative and invigorating, the songs all feel a bit unrealized (the album clocks in at a lean 36 minutes and feels like it should be longer). After a couple of minutes, they get to a point where they could evolve one more step and blow you away, but instead hold back, fall into repetition or meander. Regardless, Ain’t Too Bright is a strong debut. Here’s hoping they make another album and push themselves even further next time.
Grade: A- (Top 20 Albums of 2009 Candidate)
** As of this posting, the track listing on Amazon, iTunes and emusic is inaccurate. So if you download this album, there’s a good chance your songs will be mislabeled. See allmusic.com for the correct track listing.
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Note: This is the first album credited to Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band (i.e. the group of musicians that played on Conor’s 2008 self-titled album and have been touring with him for the past year). The big difference between this full-length and last year’s release is that his bandmates write and sing lead vocals on nearly half the songs, a drastic difference from any of Conor’s previous releases as a solo artist or as the mastermind behind Bright Eyes and Desaparecidos.
Sound: Tight, polished, roots rock (riffing electric guitars, strumming acoustic guitars, driving organs, nimble piano and sing-along choruses) with a classic singer/songwriter feel is the most prevalent vibe on here. But there’s also room for some mellow, folky reflections and quirky indie pop.
Heavy Rotation tracks: “Slowly (Oh So Slowly)”; “Nikorette”
Medium Rotation tracks: “Roosevelt Room”; “Ten Women”; “Spoiled”; “Air Mattress”
Recommended: It finally happened. After a decade of releasing one classic album after another (as Bright Eyes, Desaparecidos or as a solo artist), Conor finally put out a mediocre album (note: 2005’s experimental Digital Ash in A Digital Urn was also quite average, but it was released on the same day as the excellent I’m Wide Awake It’s Morning—my #2 album of 2005—so it was pretty easy to dismiss Digital Ash and focus on the perfection of Wide Awake). The biggest problem on Outer South is that Conor’s too democratic. Passing the mic to his bandmates is a nice gesture, but when you’re the premier songwriter of your generation, you can’t expect the quality of their tunes to match yours—and it doesn’t. Half of the Mystic Valley Band’s tracks are pretty decent actually, but the other half are laborious. Plus, Conor’s lyrics often lack the potency we expect from him, perhaps he dialed them down in an effort to let his buddies shine. The end result yields a handful of highlights, but far too many unnecessary tracks. The best part about Outer South is the musicianship. The Mystic Valley Band has developed into an impressive, rockin’ unit.
Grade: B
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