Album Reviews

The emotional rock and roll comes back to close things as “Be Mine” and “On Your Way” both burn in the vein of a textured, rich Southern style.  Boys & Girls is a song focused effort from Alabama Shakes, showing off their talent as writers excellently; those searching for blissful blues/soul/rock in 2012 need look no further.     

M. Ward is one of a few remaining artists whose music still sounds best on vinyl. The crackles and pops from a record on a turntable provide a fitting ambiance for the singer-songwriter’s timeless sound. A Wasteland Companion, Ward’s latest release, is no different.

Kurt Wagner and company have always operated on a different plane than others, making many beautiful albums worth of strange bedfellows, marrying rock, country, folk, and orchestral sounds into a conglomerate of tunes so distinct and intriguing that classification seems a pointless exercise. Mr. M is no exception as again the traits that make Lambchop one of a kind are on full display. 

Simone Felice’s first true solo work upon departing from The Felice Brothers consists of ten vivid tales recounting people in places not just obscured by shadows, but also lost in them, searching search for enlightenment to erase the sense of dislocation that afflicts such characters as the principle of “Hey Bobby Ray,”

The New Brunswick, NJ punk/power trio Screaming Females have continually produced some of the most kick ass music in this country over the last few years, now they release their newest effort that keeps the bar high, Ugly.  The disk has a lot in common with the band’s 2010 Castle Talk but also steers a bit darker, especially when it comes to the lyrics/vocal theatrics from front female, Marissa Paternoster.    

Felony Flats is a slight downgrade from 2009’s Britt Daniel-influenced Slow & Steady Seduction: Phase II, but that is a testament to the greatness of the latter, rather than a criticism of the former. By adding electronic dance vibes, swelling feedback and crunching guitars to her sonic palette, Marina crafts a visceral work of art pleads, teases, draws you close, and then moves on with the shrug of a shoulder.

It will be most interesting to see how Poor Moon’s distinctive rattle and strum will evolve on their forthcoming full-length due out on Sub Pop later this year. But if Illusion is any indication, whatever variation of this unique fusion of vintage pop harmony and dour acoustic melancholy will be quite a treat with these immensely talented players at the helm—regardless of what name they might be going by at that point.

Playing with a dynamic group of musicians that includes Nels Cline, John Medeski, Alan Licht and SY drummer Steve Shelley (as well as others) has Lee Ranaldo focusing on song oriented offerings that are tight yet far from restrictive. 

The format of musical structure that represented Esperanza Spalding’s 2010 release Chamber Music Society is one that is centuries old.  It’s a presentation of music that had birthed itself in classical realms within a very intimate environment.  Originally Spalding was looking to release that record as a double effort alongside a possibly more familiar sounding arrangement, made available for an additional audience, but success has left time as a premium and that project would wait to unveil itself, until now in the form of Radio Music Society.

Maybe it's the isolation of being Icelandic that gives Of Monsters and Men their charm. Maybe it's their rose-tinted sincerity or their ability to make dramatic yet inviting folk rock. Perhaps it is merely a combination of all of these that make Of Monsters and Men seem so universally appealing.

What differentiates Civil Twilight’s latest record Holy Weather from their debut record is a lesser fascination inside the storied characterization the lyrics set themselves within.  You could picture what was occurring in the minds of the musicians through what was presented, and it was exciting.

Long celebrated for his ability to capture the mood of a specific American moment (New Jersey 1975, USA 1985, New York post 9/11,) Bruce Springsteen had his work cut out for him with his new album, Wrecking Ball. For such an earnest songwriter to strike a resonant tone in perhaps the greatest social, economic, and cultural upheaval in American history is no easy task

Part of the thing that makes the Swedish indie pop trio Miike Snow so intriguing is their unflinching love of variety. Not content to simply make great dance cuts like “Sylvia” and “Black and Blue” as they did on their first release, they dip into the surreal with equal aplomb and dabble in a host of sounds and genres. This is the sort of creativity that helps define bands’ greatness and the desire to try new things is what makes their music noteworthy.

Beauty pervades even the saddest situations, and Happy Book gives the impression that the perpetually ornery Jerry Joseph is coming to grips with that and maybe loosening up a bit.

Coming of Age is an amazingly crafted debut from a young band we’ll hopefully hear more from as time progresses.  It will be interesting to see how their songwriting and thematic elements develop as they age and matriculate among the rock and roll lifestyle.  They’ve captured a particular slice of life well this time around.  Here’s to hoping they keep it up and reward us with a long career.

Always facing the specter of a comparison to 69 Love Songs, Merritt and company have produced an album that maintains their classic factors of fun, wit and innovation while coupling it all with a palpable sense of maturity that will make longtime listeners nostalgic for their older work while enjoying the progression that this album represents.

As a band, The Asteroids Galaxy Tour possess raw talent and a keen eye for strong production technique– the only ingredient missing is musical maturity.

In another life, Vince Herman, along with his first band of brothers, Leftover Salmon, was often associated with music festivals. These days there are new words from Vince Herman and it's with his newer band, Great American Taxi (Thirty Tiger Label). Shedding a “jam band” and creating a band with a unique sound, all while combining many musical roots isn't easy. In Great American Taxi's third studio effort, that's exactly what they have accomplished. Paradise Lost has a genuine sound and serves as their most polished album to date.

The casual listener might be surprised to learn Live at the Golden Bear 1983 is the third live Plimsouls album to be release in recent years. One listen to Beach Town Confidential from start to finish, however, will explain why the demand is there: this is blood and guts rock transcending fashion (both the punk and new wave of its era), the likes of which will always stand the test of time.

For their third album, the five members of Delta Spirit have lit the fuse, opening up the overall sound and punching through with a sonic boom.  Gone is the rootsy Americana of 2010’s History From Below and their 2008 debut, Ode To Sunshine.  In its place is a big modern rock cacophony that may initially catch listeners off guard but is more in tune with what the band has had in mind all along.