Mini-Reviews

Once again the pile of cds I need to comment on is about to topple over and crush me. Here are some brief mini-reviews to get me through the danger period.

Kylesa
Spiral Shadow
Rating: Grrrr

Melodic stoner metal from my hometown Savannah, Georgia.  Backed by two drummers and three separate vocalists, Kylesa merge typical metal sounds with elements of shoegaze, punk, and alt-rock.  The album has surprises around every corner, and sounds completely fresh in a very crowded field.  In making their more accessible sound, the band has clearly been listening to a lot of alt-rock from the 80s and 90s, borrowing and adapting loosely from artists like Sonic Youth, My Bloody Valentine, and the Pixies, to give the music texture and substance.  First single, and standout track "Don't Look Back" could easily be a forgotten Pixies gem.

Local Natives
Gorilla Manor
Rating: Grrrr

Sort of like a California, sun-kissed version of Grizzly Bear, Local Natives provide more brightness in their dense, beautiful pop music.  Gorgeous harmonies, delicate percussion, and guitars that bridge the gap between Grizzly Bear's baroqueness and Vampire Weekend's Afro-beat mannerisms, Gorilla Manor is derivative, yet stands on its own and its charms are very easily succumbed to.

Fang Island
Fang Island
Rating: Meh

Almost like that perky office co-worker who tries to chat you up in the mornings before you've had a massive dose of caffeine, Fang Island doesn't seem to know when too much is too much.  It's all high-fives and bluster in your face and you feel beaten into submission by record's end.  Whereas similar bands, like the late lamented Mae Shi and The Go! Team, know that incessant perkiness can only get you so far, and it has to be tempered with something less invasive.  Hopefully, Fang Island will learn that lesson soon.  Now, where did I put that bottle of aspirin?

The Radio Dept.
Clinging To A Scheme
Rating: Grrrr

Sweden's The Radio Dept. have moved from shoegaze retreaders to Pet Shop Boys wannabes alighting now at a place where Belle and Sebastian have laid up with Saint Etienne.  Beautiful pastoral folk laced with a heavy dose of Baleric pop.  The Radio Dept. packs a lot of tight melodies and hooks into a brief 35 minute running time.  Just as you are settling in for the pleasant journey it is all but over.  Which of course, just means you keep driving around the block, mesmerized by the wonder of it all.

Mount Kimbie
Crooks & Lovers
Rating: Grrrr

Deceptively lowkey, Crooks & Lovers is a record that takes time to unveil its considerable charms.  Moving effortlessly between different genres of electronic music, be it the Boards of Canada-like pastoral soundscapes ("Adriatic"),  modernized two-step ("Carbonated"), or full on dubstep swagger ("Blind Night Errand"), Mount Kimbie show surprising depth in a genre not known for taking on a full length record.  While the music may feel lowkey on initial listens, it long stays with you, and your finger will be hitting that repeat button over and over.

Tame Impala
Innerspeaker
Rating: Grrrr

Tight and intense stoner psych rock from Australia's Tame Impala.  In lesser hands, this could easily come across as rote pastiche, but the trio of Kevin Parker (vocals/guitar), Dominic Simper (bass) and Jay Watson  (drums), know how to build a nice foundation of groove and atmosphere, then jack up the melody for added distinctiveness.  None of the individual songs really stick out as "singles" per se, but the entire record flows like a suite of music.  A very impressive debut.




Rating Guide

Chilfos: masterpiece; coolest thing I've heard in ages.

Woof Daddy: excellent; just a hair away from being a masterpiece.

Grrrr: very good; will definitely be considered for my top albums of the year.

Yeah Daddy Make Me Want It: good; definitely invites further listens and peaks one's interest for more material.

Meh: not horrible, but certainly not great; could have either been trimmed or polished.

Jeez Lady: what the hell happened? Just plain bad. They should hang their heads in shame and be forced to listen to Lady Gaga ad nauseam as penance.

Tragicistani: so bad, armed villagers with pitchforks and torches should run the artist out of the country for inflicting this abomination on the human race.