Album Reviews

Aloe Blacc's ability to re-interpret and reinvigorate the beloved soul sound with remarkable song arrangements makes this debut stand out from the oftentimes cookie cutter format of two chord vamps and throaty vocals.  Good Things is a grower, gazing toward the classics for inspiration and standing tall next to the modern champions. Let its charm slowly burn.    

Boasting the presence of Wynton Marsalis and Allen Toussaint, Clapton does carry the distinction of impeccable craftsmanship, but without the famous name(s) attached to it, the album might not command much attention at all.

Röyksopp's new album, Senior, essentially eliminates the upbeat, focusing instead on the duo’s more ambient explorations. It is meant as a complement to its predecessor, the upbeat Junior, and in that sense it serves wonderfully

Third Day is a Grammy and Dove award winning southern rock band from Marietta, Georgia who have recorded over 14 albums and were inducted into the Georgia Music Hall of Fame in 2009 with fellow Georgia rockers, Widespread Panic.  Third Day continue to progress and enhance their sound with each album, while managing to stay true to their southern rock sound.

Yep – Psychedelphia knows how to shape-shift and genre-morph, fo’ sure. At times, you might come close to accusing them of musical ADD, but if you put an ear to what’s happening, you can usually find the common thread that connects the various passages. And they’re versatile: they can do the spacey/loopy/how-are-they-ever-going-to-land-this-thing stuff (“Nano”) as well as breathe underwater courtesy of the air trapped inside big ol’ bass bubbles (“Submerged”).

New Idea Society have crafted a sonic landscape that relies on nuance and sleight of hand rather than a routine pop rock formula. Though the music has a minimalist approach, its layered quality rewards repeated listening, with each play revealing something new. Sounds that don’t traditionally go together are combined, such as the frenzied drum rolls and jangling guitars of “Autumn You” or the marching drums and brooding melody of “Come Outside.”

Belle and Sebastian have never offered easy answers, instead they just write challenging lyrics that ask the listener to follow closely and make assumptions.  Write About Love is no different, another success in a long line of great musical accomplishments. 

For every “All Along the Watchtower” moments of perfection, the flip side, such as Zac Brown covering “Oh My Sweet Carolina” leaves you looking for the nearest pair of earplugs and questioning why more stringent copyright laws don’t exist.  Fortunately for listeners, John Legend and The Roots have hooked up and fall into the former category by collaborating on a series of 12 funk-soul covers that pack a punch and take you back to 1972, both musically and thematically. 

73 years into this life, Charles Lloyd is truly the master of soul-fired saxophone – and the ability to infuse an ensemble with that same vibe. With Mirror, the first studio effort from Lloyd’s present band (their recorded debut was 2008’s live Rabo de Nube), the music is rich and full; both easily digestible and as deep as you want it to be at the same time.

More akin to Crosby Stills and Nash then the recent Monsters of Folk, Fistful Of Mercy play with light and airy textures minus CSN’s political bent.  Songs about love dominate as do violins and ultra repetitive choruses that allow the trio to mesh harmonically but never say anything lasting.