Album Reviews Archives - Page 543 of 713

R.E.M. : Life’s Rich Pageant – 25th Anniversary Edition

Doug Collette August 19, 2011 No Comments

The three remaining members of the original R.E.M. lineup have been more than just dutifully loyal to their legacy since the departure of drummer Bill Berry in 1997 following New Adventures in Hi-Fi. Their respectful attitude–as much as an implicit acknowledgment of their chemistry –compels recognition of their history in the 25th Anniversary packages such as this one devoted to Life’s Rich Pageant.

Natural Child: 1971

Chris Calarco August 17, 2011 No Comments

Natural Child come from Nashville and call themselves “the greatest rock n’ roll band in the world”. Known as much for this bold sense of humor and hard partying ways as much as their rocking live show, the band recently released a 1971 on Infinity Cat Recordings. The sound is raw, loose, and limber, vacillating between the Stones-y demarcation points of bluesy R&B and rollicking acoustic numbers. This ramshackle construction seems to be part of the band’s allure. At any moment self-destruction sounds possible.

Thievery Corporation: Culture of Fear

Gabriel Scheer August 15, 2011 No Comments

Thievery Corporation has a sixth album out called Culture of Fear. Surprising no one, it’s good. Sadly, though, it doesn’t really push the boundaries.

The Parlotones: Live Design

Jason Macneil August 10, 2011 No Comments

Whether it’s fate, the cosmos or just some huge enigma nobody can quite answer, there are some groups that are beloved, legendary icons in their homeland yet for some reason don’t quite make similar inroads internationally. In Canada you could probably say The Tragically Hip fit that bill and in South Africa, perhaps The Parlotones.

The Disco Biscuits: Otherwise Law Abiding Citizens

Chris Calarco August 9, 2011 No Comments

here is a constant dynamism at work on Otherwise Law Abiding Citizens. The band will circle back inside a drum break and build up yet again, deconstructing a jam just to hit you harder when the kick drum dive bombs into your chest. As a whole, this body of songs shines with impeccable, dynamic and grounded production, all accomplished at a full-throttle pace. If you’ve ever felt a Biscuit peak hit and responded by thrusting your fist victoriously in the air, this album is for you.

Marissa Nadler: Marissa Nadler

Peter Zimmerman August 8, 2011 No Comments

Even though Marissa Nadler’s most recent offering, the eponymous Marissa Nadler (out on her own imprint Box of Cedars), is her most articulate and sophisticated release yet, it’s exceedingly difficult to define

Lex Land: Were My Sweetheart to Go

Jeremy Lukens August 8, 2011 No Comments

Were My Sweetheart to Go…, the second album by Austin chanteuse Lex Land, finds the singer continuing to cover themes of loss and unrequited love. A more introspective take on the topics, however, reveals a more confident songstress. The melancholia is still there (“Finally thought something might work out alright, but then it died during the Ides of March”) but Land seems better able to deal with it now.

Jesse Sykes & The Sweet Hereafter: Marble Son

Chris Calarco August 4, 2011 No Comments

Throughout this gorgeous collection of music Sykes’ voice crisscrosses the paper-thin rift between deep pain and true bliss, enabling songs to drift into the ether in between. Slower moments build with a creepy, meandering flow before bursts of swirling psychedelic rock attack that would make Comets on Fire proud. This is heavy.

Karmacoda: Eternal

Gabriel Scheer August 3, 2011 No Comments

One could argue that trip hop as it stood in the mid-90s simply should stay in the past, and that Karmacoda is an evolution of that sound. However, other bands disprove that point: to wit Halou and arguably the Thievery Corporation, and others have beautifully picked up the trip hop banner, regardless whether they carry it explicitly.

William Elliot Whitmore: Field Songs

Jeff Strowe August 3, 2011 No Comments

There is an air of authenticity lent to Field Songs, William Elliott Whitmore’s second full-length release. Growing up and residing on a farm in rural Iowa, Whitmore has worked on and reaped the benefits of the land that he praises and exults throughout the album’s eight tracks.

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