Album Reviews

Hot Chip's One Life Stand is one of the most genuine, unpretentious albums of the young year. Without trying to re-invent the wheel, the band has steadily produced albums of increasing quality throughout their career. One Life Stand is the next logical progression in their timeline, a deliciously and deceptively simple affair that showcases the band's best qualities. The subtle differences in their sound aren't forced or fabricated, making the album a unique listen while comforting the listener with a consistent, dance-driven pop style.

Garage-y guitar driven for the most part, bands such as Woven Bones (“Spirits Roam”) and Dikes Of Holland’s “Little City Girl” would give Band Of Skulls a run for the money in the near future.

The forces of nature, to which we know, all act in balance and in accordance to one another.  Seasons change and adaptations occur to maintain equilibrium, and sometimes nature produces extraordinary events.  In his new solo project and upcoming record titled Orchestrion, Pat Metheny creates a controlled universe where all acoustic and mechanical instruments work in synchronization together to produce the composed sound that is echoing in his mind.

Tori Amos has made a career out of being unordinary, and most of her albums are better because of this fact. Here on Midwinter Graces, she’s still giving a max effort, it’s just that not much stands out. The holiday-themed album has a nice overall feel and flow, but it’s probably best served for background music at a party, something that can’t be said of any of Amos’ prior work. If you’re an Amos completist, by all means, get your copy—just don’t expect the magic you’re used to.