Album Reviews Archives - Page 555 of 712

Matisyahu: Live at Stubb

Nick Gunther February 1, 2011 No Comments

Since the release of his highly acclaimed 2005 album, Live at Stubb’s, Matisyahu has grown as a singer, songwriter, artist and beat box virtuoso. So when Matisyahu returned to Austin, Texas last August it was somewhat of a homecoming. Stubb’s [Volume I] was a defining album that separated critics and identified his voice in a music community that, at the time, did not have a Hasidic reggae rapper-singer-songwriter present.

Bob Marley & The Wailers: Live Forever

Nathan Rodriguez January 31, 2011 No Comments

Live Forever is the 40th posthumous Bob Marley-related release. Fortunately, it’s one of the better efforts, thanks to generally pristine audio quality and the significance of the show itself – Marley’s final concert, in which nearly all his utterances seem imbued with a prophetic quality.

PJ Harvey: Let England Shake

Peter Zimmerman January 28, 2011 No Comments

It’d be easy to file Let England Shake as a political missive—an accessible but dense album of musings about the state of our world through the lens of Harvey’s home country England. Yet, PJ Harvey’s continual (and in many ways insatiable) desire to reinvent both her persona and music make classifications exceedingly difficult. She does not seek to push the limits of her catalog but wholly redefine it, experimenting with vocal techniques, varied instrumentation or poetic structures that both destabilize her oeuvre while creating new spaces in which to exist.

Cake: Showroom of Compassion

Jeff Strowe January 27, 2011 No Comments

One can’t help but wonder if this is John McCrea circa 2010, looking back on his band’s heyday and comparing the earlier glory to the difficult task ahead of starting over, attempting to acquire a new audience while at the same time inspiring a new group of fans who may have missed Cake’s previous chart-topping run of hits. Like the syndicated sitcoms, Cake may not be must-see TV, but they are good enough to get you through the evening.

Social Distortion: Hard Times and Nursery Rhymes

Chris Calarco January 25, 2011 No Comments

Social D ‘aint changing for nobody. Rocking the soul country punk since the Carter administration, Mike Ness and the boys return for the first time since 2004 with Hard Times and Nursery Rhymes. Storming out of the gates with the instrumental “Road Zombie”, the band declares their intention to pick up exactly where they left off – chunky power chords remain front and center and the pounding, punchy drums thrash on.

Corinne Bailey Rae: The Love EP

Nick Gunther January 24, 2011 No Comments

Traveling the world extensively in support of The Sea has supplied Rae with much time for experimentation and personal reflection on songs that have been of meaning, and conveniently, that has shaped her latest set of recordings, a covers album titled The Love EP.

Over the Rhine: The Long Surrender

Peter Zimmerman January 24, 2011 No Comments

Over the Rhine has negotiated their space among contemporary music as inhabiting both old and new, bringing in elements of the past and updating them with intimate production, razor-sharp arrangements and excellent songwriting. One of their main weaknesses, however, has been in the parallel and often uniform sound that they have across their oeuvre, and that's fairly apparent on The Long Surrender.

Five O Clock Heroes: Different Times

Jeff Strowe January 21, 2011 No Comments

Five O’ Clock Heroes, a band of UK expats living in New York City, have released their first proper American album. A healthy, smart mix of pop jangle, the band wears its various influences on its sleeve, blending together a medley of crisp guitars, bass, and soulful organ fills into something distinctly familiar yet satisfying and enjoyable.

Gregg Allman: Low Country Blues

Shane Handler January 20, 2011 No Comments

Low Country Blues, Allman’s first solo album since 1997 and produced by – who else these days T Bone Burnett- pays homage to his roots with a reworking of songs from Muddy Waters, B.B. King, Otis Rush, Skip James and more. Burnett has assembled a band that includes guitarist Doyle Bramhall II and Dr. John to capture the spirit of swamps blues and themes of regret, tears and redemption. Allman’s voice stars front and center, a breather from competing with the guitar acrobats of the fertile gunslingers in his “other” band.

Brooke Fraser: Flags

Brian Palmer January 18, 2011 No Comments

On Flags, Brooke Fraser demonstrates that she is not just another in a long line of pop singer-songwriters who get by on their looks and marginal talent. Her observations alone about the human condition cause this collection of songs to rise above the efforts of many of her contemporaries, and her rich vocals combine with the plethora of piano pop rock sounds and sometimes otherworldly accompaniments to make the whole experience even more impressive.

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