Album Reviews

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

Vek is still young, but the six-year gap between releases raises flags about his long-term growth and development as an artist.  Leisure Seizure offers much to get excited about and a great deal of potential from which to build.  However, there is just as much material to skip over, which on the other hand raises concerns about Vek’s DIY mentality.

There’s something endearing about a handwritten note in a promo or review album copy. And that’s what this writer found in Old Californio’s Sundrunk Angels. Some might see it as currying favor, but when an album is this strong, no note is really necessary.

Rabbits on the Run is unequivocally Carlton’s best effort yet; a beautiful culmination of years of soaring highs and devastating lows, rolled into an elegant, thoughtful collection of ten songs.