Mini-Reviews

Smith Westerns
Dye It Blonde
Rating: Grrrr

American Brit-poppers Smith Western return with their second album of melodic pop. Their debut album propelled forward on a winning formula of low-fi production value and a great melodic sense. Dye It Blond retains the great melodies but ups the production value considerably. Now the songs have greater depth and detail. While not as baroque as Grizzly Bear, Smith Westerns are comparable, in that each release shows significant movement forward in bettering their sound. You can definitely tell the band has been listening a lot to old Electric Light Orchestra with the stunning, bright eyed production on tracks like the stand out "Imagine Part 3," "End of the Night," and "Weekend." For me though, the best tracks are the slower, more intricate songs like the delicate "Still New," with its gorgeous interlocking acoustic and electric guitars, and the starry synths and pianos of "Smile." Dye It Blond is a stunning step forward for the band, and is a great album to consistently lose yourself in.

Frank Ocean
Nostalgia
Rating: Yeah Daddy Make Me Want It

Frank Ocean is part of the LA hip-hop collective Odd Future, and is truly the odd man out, as he is a smooth R&B crooner rather than a rapper. His debut album Nostalgia is a great introduction to his sound. His voice is honeyed and supple, effortlessly gliding over gorgeous beats. A lot of the time, and when the album hits its highs, it sounds like a mix of Drake backed by Sade's backing band. Specifically, he hits it out of the park with the gorgeous ballads "We All Try" and "Swim Good," and even on a stirring cover of Coldplay's "Strawberry Swing." The album is not perfect. There can be an over reliance on auto-tune, and there are some misbegotten samples, including the beyond strange use of The Eagles' "Hotel California" on "American Wedding." However, with a little more care and better editing, he is sure to come up with a classic soon. Due to label troubles, Ocean self-released this album and it is available for free download here:

http://www.mediafire.com/?viafqiwfgicp5v8

Elbow
Build A Rocket Boys!
Rating: Yeah Daddy make Me Want it

Elbow has always been Radiohead lite to me. I enjoyed their debut album, but then subsequent releases have always mystified me as to why they were so well heralded. Their sound has barely progressed since their debut; although their earnestness has gone through the roof. They appear so desperate to be taken seriously, that it comes across as the runt puppy wanting attention. I am still at a loss as to why even this album is getting as much acclaim as it is. It is by the numbers Elbow basically. Honestly, you can take any song from here and put it on another album of theirs and it would sound like it fit. So, why am I rating it fairly high? Good question. Musically, I would rate it a Meh at best. It is all one note and fairly flat-lined throughout the release. The lyrics, however, I would definitely rate a Grrrr. It is a beautiful set of songs about looking back at your past and contemplating how it has led to your present and affects your future. Some of his lyrics are shatteringly beautiful. I only wish the music backing them had been more adventurous. Thus, I decided to give it a merged rating.

Britney Spears
Femme Fatale
Rating: Meh

Why am I reviewing Britney? I'm not a huge fan of hers by any stretch of the imagination, however, every so often she puts out a killer single ("Circus," "Me and the Music," "I'm A Slave 4U") or gets remixed by an up and coming producer that I wouldn't expect her to use. And I am pretty much a sucker for someone who hits rock bottom and makes it back. Femme Fatale is basically by the book Britney. There are relatively few surprises here, the only ones being some dubstep-like sonics on a few tracks, specifically the breakdown on lead single "Hold It Against Me." The rest is just a mix of standard dance and club tracks, including the ubiquitous use of will.i.am as producer on the laughable track "Big Fat Bass." Though, she does have a way with a great single at times, and by far the two standouts track on the album is the Bloodshy & Avant produced electro-confection "Trip To Your Heart," and the frothy, synth heavy "I Wanna Go." With more attempts like that, the album would have soared. Instead, it just falls flat. I doubt seriously that Britney needs any money at this point. I wish she would really stretch herself and put out a leftfield dance record, and not the usual auto-tuned to hell dreck she has been surrounding herself with.







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.