Album Reviews

Kathleen Edwards: Asking For Flowers

It took some time, but Asking for Flowers reveals that there is plenty of fuel left in the tank for Edwards to rule the highways and bridges that connect from Ottawa to New Orleans.

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Lafcadio: Kibosh

In a nutshell, Lafcadio could be described as King Crimson meets Dillinger Escape Plan meets Black Flag meets Black Sabbath meets Shel Silverstein.

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Chick Corea and Gary Burton: The New Crystal Silence

Thirty-five years ago, Chick Corea and Gary Burton’s Crystal Silence began to unite the improvisational spirit of jazz with a classical formalism. The fruits of that collaboration continue with a sequel, The New Crystal Silence that is a logical extension of the original work of the duet, right down to its evocative cover art.

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Big Head Todd & The Monsters: All the Love You Need

it’s not apparent by now, after eight official studio albums and the de rigueur double live set, Big Head Todd and the Monsters are not going to blow anyone away. But on the basis of the new All the Love You Need, they have learned how to avoid the pitfalls of the AOR subgenre in which they reside.

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Vampire Weekend: Vampire Weekend

It’s hard to imagine anyone not getting sucked into Vampire Weekend’s whole-hearted goodness, and in fact, I’d be concerned about anyone who didn’t. Hype may be one thing, but it’s hard to argue with a solid record that guarantees a good time with every spin.

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Mike Doughty: Golden Delicious

Doughty knows what he’s best at and that propensity makes Golden Delicious comfort food for those that like their lyrics and melody on the quirky side.

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Kelley Stoltz: Circular Sounds

With his fourth LP and second release on Sub Pop, Kelley Stoltz is often surrounded by the “fi” words: low, mid and hi His latest Circular Sounds is a departure from the lo and mid-fi’s of his first three releases and explores the sonic rich production of hi-fi.

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Donna Jean & the Tricksters: Donna Jean & the Tricksters

The first CD of the collaboration between Donna Jean Godchaux-Mackay and The Zen Tricksters is greater by far than the sum of its parts. Rather than merely an alliance of a former Grateful Dead vocalist and a once and future Grateful Dead cover band, Donna Jean & the Tricksters is a logical extension of the former's main influences and the band’s natural inclination to improvise.

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Thao Nguyen: We Brave Bee Stings and All

We Brave Bee Stings and All begins and ends like it may be a simple twee pop album. Both songs have a thin, light pop sound that could be mistaken for a novelty. What happens between those two songs, however, is anything but.

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