Mini-Reviews: Peter Murphy, Holy Other, Ford & Lopatin, and Planningtorock

Peter Murphy
Ninth
Rating: Yeah Daddy Make Me Want It

Ninth is a nice return to form for the ex-Bauhaus singer. While it is no Deep, it is his most consistent record in years. His lovely baritone is still what draws you in to this set of guitar heavy tracks. Less experimental than his most recent work, Ninth finds him putting forth rich melodies and catchy hooks, like the driving "Seasaw Sway," the stately "The Prince & Old Lady Shade," and the industrial grind of "Uneven & Brittle." He only falters on some overly melodramatic numbers like "Secret Silk Society," "Velocity Bird," and "Peace to Each." Aside from these missteps, it is a very solid record, and easily fits alongside his best work.

Holy Other
With U EP
Rating: Yeah Daddy Make Me Want It

Mining similar territory as artists like Burial and Desolate, Manchester producer Holy Other releases his first EP of stark, haunting post-dubstep. The 5 tracks each unfold slowly, usually over a deliberate percussive bed and minimal synth washes, vocal samples pitch-shifted and heavily reverbed. After the first couple of tracks, it almost feels like he has shown his cards and that you are listening to a one track pony, but by the time "Touch" appears, the gradual evolution of his sound unfolds. The songs get more aggressive and bold, featuring skittering percussion and lots of low end bass rumbles. Title track "With U" builds forcefully like a Fuck Buttons song, with the vocal samples and string synths merging into a lovely coda. "Feel Something" rounds out the EP with clanging, industrial percussion over heavily edited vocal samples. With U is a nice introduction to a new electronic artist that reminds me of the early work of James Blake and Mount Kimbie, who showed their range and experimentation on their first EPs.

Ford & Lopatin
Channel Pressure
Rating: Yeah Daddy Make Me Want It

Formerly known as Games, Ford & Lopatin is Joel Ford of Tigercity, and Daniel Lopatin, the drone artist known as Oneohtrix Point Never. As Ford & Lopatin, they focus heavily on technicolor synthpop and R&B, almost sounding like a cross between Prince, Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam, and the soundtrack from Weird Science. Channel Pressure is one weird trip, full of synthetic percussion, goofy synth lines, and slap bass, moving so fast through genres it gives you whiplash. The album is so infectious it is difficult not to crack a smile when certain tracks pop up, like the Thomas Dolby aping track "Emergency Room," the disco synth funk of "Too Much MIDI (Please Forgive Me)," or the fizzy dance track "World of Regret." The album is so bubblegum sweet, it can get cloying at times, but overall, you couldn't ask for a better summer party album.

Planningtorock
W
Rating: Tragicistani

I was very excited when I heard about Planningtorock, as performance artist/musician Janine Rostron frequently works with The Knife, and Rostron and The Knife's Karin Dreijer Andersson both enjoy creating moody, atmospheric pop with heavy use of pitch-shifted vocals. With W, all the right elements are there, minimal, slightly Asian percussion, creepy synths and keyboards, horns and woodwinds, and bizarre vocals and lyrical conceits. Unlike the work of Fever Ray, however, nothing really gels into something interesting or compelling. All you get are elements, with no connection. Not a single song on this record moved me or stayed with me. In fact, I haven't heard a record this unlistenable in a long while (this was before I heard the new John Maus album). Save your money, or be prepared to get carpal tunnel syndrome from hitting the skip button.



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 releases 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 polished, trimmed, or re-thought.

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.

Mini-Reviews

Adele
21
Rating: Meh

Let me get this out of the way first: I love Adele's voice. It's supple, strong, and very expressive. I only wish she would find a way to showcase it better. 21 is a lot more varied than her debut 19, that for me was only notable for the amazing single "Chasing Pavements." 19 feel off the rails with too many songs following the same traditional structure and using the same instrumentation. 21 starts off very strong with the meaty first single "Rolling In The Deep," the rollicking "Rumor Has It," and standout ballad "Turning Tables," that highlights her amazing range. Then the album just derails again for me, with stretch of indistinguishable songs all in the same tempo, and a completely misbegotten cover of The Cure's "Lovesong." She salvages the downward spiral with another stunning song, "Someone Like You," but by then it is just too late. I am not giving up on Adele, as I think her voice is an amazing instrument; she just needs to find a producer/collaborator that will take her out of the rut she is finding herself mired in.

Toro Y Moi
Underneath The Pines
Rating: Meh

Toro Y Moi rode high on the chillwave band wagon last year with his debut cd Causers of This. I enjoyed that album's beats and smooth vibe, but noted that the majority of songs kept to the same template and needed to be varied a little more. As the chillwave genre begins to fade into the background, Toro Y Moi releases his second album Underneath The Pine, that takes an almost completely different approach. Instead of the hazy, gauzy chillwave of the last record, he begins to mine sounds and ideas from the 70s disco and light rock era. Is this change successful? In some ways yes; first single "New Beat," is a blast of liquidy disco. "Go With You," slinks, slides, and moves effortlessly. "Divina" is a gorgeous instrumental, refreshing the light electronica of Air. But the same problems remain. A lot of the tracks feel like sketches that are not fully formed. And Chaz' voice is just too weak to hold interest over an entire album. He would do better to remain more in the background and have guest vocalists.

Dark Party
Light Years
Rating: Yeah Daddy Make Me Want It

Producers Eliot Lipp and Leo 123 make up the electro-duo Dark Party. Their debut album Light Years is a frothy mix of slinky beats, old-school synths and bass, and whole lot of fun. From the Daft Punk-isms of "Patrol Patrol," the Nu Shooz aping synth cut-up "Flats," and the icy tech beats of "Fifth," Dark Party keeps things moving swiftly. There is nothing very innovative about Light Years, but sometimes all that's needed is a good album you can put on and bob your head to.

Salva
Complex Housing
Rating: Grrrr

West Coast producer Paul Salva certainly knows his way around a production studio. His debut cd Complex Housing runs the gamut in styles from standard hip-hop, electro-house, LA beat obsessives, Dirty South, to dubstep, barely letting the listener catch their breath. Even with so many different genres, each track still flows together seamlessly. Standout tracks are the hyper-programmed "Issey Miyake," glitchy throbbing bass-heavy "Blue," and the re-imagining of Robert Owen's Chicago house classic "I'll Be Your Friend." Complex Housing is constantly morphing itself, new sounds and textures emerge and disappear, all floating in a perfect mix; it is definitely worth taking a listen.



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.

Mini-Reviews Part Trois

Simian Mobile Disco
Delicacies
Rating: Grrrr

After the debacle that was their sophomore release, Temporary Pleasures, which showed them trying to put far too many guests into the mix, Simian Mobile Disco return to form with the lengthy Delicacies. Each song is named after a bizarre gastronomical delicacy, which seems appropriate given the tracks are meant for a decidedly discerning crowd; most tracks push the 8+ minute mark, and are mostly deep house or tech house bangers. Luckily, this suits them far greater than their attempt to appeal to everyone on the last album.

Teengirl Fantasy
7AM
Rating: Grrrr

Another in a long line of bands that are basically unclassifiable. You would be right if you put them in with the chillwavers, deep housers, dream poppers, or even the Animal Collective-like experimenters, and you would be right, and also very wrong. They mix a variety of influences together into their own sound, basically making whatever kind of track they like at the moment, from the R&B sampling "Cheaters," the video game 8-bit ping pong of "Floor to Floor," or the deep house of "Koi Pond." 7AM is a stunning debut.

PVT
Church With No Magic
Rating: Yeah Daddy Make Me Want It

Although they used to be known as Pivot, the Australian band ditched the vowels and now are known simply as PVT. Apparently, they also streamlined their sound from the dense post-punk with electronic flourishes of their previous albums and have almost fully embraced their electronic side. Most of the songs on Church With No Magic are instrumentally based, and based on their video for single "Window," the songs are intricately arranged such that one piece missing would destroy the entire effect. The dense soundscapes lack the playfulness of similar band Battles, instead choosing to lean towards a more alienating and anxious feeling. For this reason, the album is difficult to love but very easy to appreciate. With a little more variety of sounds, it will make for a more enjoyable listen.

John Roberts
Glass Eights
Rating: Grrrr

Gorgeous and stark, John Robert's Glass Eights could be the direction that Talk Talk eventually merged into, taking free form organic textures and melting them with electronic sounds. Similar to James Blake, Roberts takes the base of house music and dubstep and introduces ghostly piano, acoustic bass, shards of R&B vocal samples and creates an amazing fusion. Built more for contemplation and headphones than a busy night on the dancefloor, Glass Eights signals the debut of a fascinating new talent.



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.

Mini-Reviews Part Deux

Belle and Sebastian
Belle and Sebastian Write About Love
Rating: Woof Daddy

I tend to forget how amazing Stuart Murdoch and co. are.  Unlike most of my favorite bands, when I hear of a new Belle and Sebastian album coming out I don't get excited and thrilled and anxious to hear it.  I usually say to myself, "oh, there is a new B&S album, I'll get it sometime."  Then I hear it, and I have to ask why I waited so long.  Of course, the trend continued with Belle and Sebastian Write About Love.  I waited until the last couple of weeks to listen to it, and now, predictably, I can't stop playing it.  I will actually venture to say this is one of their strongest albums, even better than The Life Pursuit, which was almost flawless.  Full of charming and wry lyrics, and some of their sunniest, most agile melodies, this album is the perfect antidote to a grey day.

 

Deftones
Diamond Eyes
Rating: Grrrr

Deftones have always been one of the more interesting metal acts to me, not so much for their harder edged material, but for their willingness to expand their boundaries to encompass more alternative-type music, such as shoegaze, electronic, and even pop music. Diamond Eyes doesn't stray much from their usual template of heavy material interspersed with more textural sounds, like the gorgeously gauzy "Beauty School" and "Sextape." But this is hardly a criticism, as why fix something that is not broken. However, the downside to such an approach is that if you are not already a fan of Deftones, this album will not likely change your opinion of them. If are a convert, it is another strong release in their catalog.

Lone
Emerald Fantasy Tracks
Rating: Grrrr

This album is a total guilty pleasure for me. It is not forward thinking dance music, it is pure unadulterated house/techno that borrows liberally from all of my electronic music touchstones (808 State acid house, Chemical Brothers big beat, Prodigy rave) but makes it all about having fun and getting your ass on the dancefloor.

Toro Y Moi
Causers of This
Rating: Yeah Daddy Make Me Want It

Toro Y Moi (aka Chazwick Bundick) is lumped into the genre known as chillwave (though no band that I know of wants to be known as such) with other acts such as Washed Out, Memory Tapes and Neon Indian.  The music is reliant on heavily processed vocals, guitars, and gauzy keyboards, creating a sound that seems nostalgic but can't be pinpointed to one era.  Causers of This, the debut from Toro Y Moi, is a strong album, owing to his playfulness with the sounds and melodies, seemingly taking an almost Flying Lotus approach to his music and adding a more pop bent to the songs.  However, this is also the downfall of the record, in that every song pretty much adheres to the same template of silly, crazy, processed sounds and beats with a hazy vocal overlay.  After awhile, the sugary-sweetness becomes too much.  With a little polishing and more variety in their sound, I can definitely see him put together a classic record.



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.

Mini-Reviews

Frank (Just Frank)
The Brutal Wave
Rating: Grrrr

For their debut album, French duo Frank (Just Frank take cues from Pornography era Cure, mining the dark side of goth and gloom with icy keyboards and guitars mixed with pummeling drum machines. While they can easily be lumped in with other genre enthusiasts such as A Place To Bury Strangers, they tend to lean towards the more melodic side of the coin, rather than the harsher side. At any rate, it is pure pop gold.

Digital Mystikz
Return II Space
Rating: Grrrr

Not so much a full album than a brief primer from the grime godfather. Showing a merging of grime with the stumbling cadences and wobbly bass of dubstep, Digital Mystikz takes his sound in a more headphone friendly, and less dance floor direction.

Dylan Ettinger
New Age Outlaws
Rating: Meh

Let me say right off the bat that this album is a beautifully constructed set of Tangerine Dream-esque electronic pieces. My problem with it is that the album sticks to almost one tone throughout and rarely makes any sort of impression aside from, "well, that was pretty." I could easily put this on as music for a dinner party and no one would complain about it, or even much notice it.

Autre Ne Veut
Autre Ne Veut
Rating: Grrrr

The flip side to How To Dress Well's insular bedsit R&B. Instead of retreating within, Autre Ne Veut goes outward with lots of sunny and gorgeous textures. It's a bit too experimental to be called "pop" music, but there is definitely a pop leaning towards it. Highly recommended.

Shed
The Traveller
Rating: Grrrr

Gorgeous album that doesn't fit neatly within any set genres.  Deep house, house, techno, dubstep; all of these are fitting for separate tracks and even within several tracks.  The album is made up of mostly short fragments, keeping the listener in an almost agitated state, as if "The Traveler" of the album title is on a disjointed journey.  He covers so many beautiful terrains and vistas though, it is a journey well worth taking.



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.

Mini-Reviews

David Sylvian
Sleepwalkers
Rating: Yeah Daddy Make Me Want It

Probably the only constant throughout David Sylvian's over 30 year career has been his supple and gorgeous baritone.  He has effortlessly moved through glam punk, new romanticism, pop stylism, new age, extreme experimentalism, and back again, making the kind of music he feels like making.  Sleepwalkers is not a "new" David Sylvian release, but mainly a compilation of collaborations he has made over the last decade.  Strangely, considering the myriad of styles he has engaged in over the last ten years, the album is remarkably cohesive.  The highlights of the cd are the blues lament "Ballad of a Deadman" (a duet with Joan Wasser of Joan as Police Woman), the gorgeous and haunting ballad "World Citizen (I Won't Be Disappointed) (a collaboration with Ryuichi Sakamoto), and the minimal/harsh "Transit" (with Christian Fennesz).  Sleepwalkers is definitely not the place to start with Sylvian.  For that, I would suggest the double album Everything and Nothing.  But for those who can't get enough material from Sylvian, Sleepwalkers is a welcome addition to his catalogue.

Curren$y
Pilot Talk
Rating: Grrrr

I rarely feel qualified to review rap cds, so I tend to just give short reviews to them, and it is more based on whether I enjoy the beats and the production of the songs, rather than anything having to do with the flow of the rapper him or herself. A friend recommended Curren$y to me, and, for me, it falls squarely in the stoner rap category. Most of the songs have something to do with smoking pot and playing video games, and aside from this less than brilliant subject matter, I find myself laughing at the simple stupidity of it all. And the production is just very laid back and head-bobbing. There is something to be said these days for a record that is just nice to put on and relax to, without any huge expectations.

Rihanna
Loud
Rating: Meh

I am pretty huge Rihanna fan I will admit.  Though I will also state that I think she is much better singles artist than an album artist.  She tends to try and please every listener on her full lengths, and as such, her albums have been very hit or miss for me.  When she comes out with a greatest hits collection, that will be the one release of hers to own.  Following up last year's harder edged Rated R, Rihanna quickly follows up with Loud, which instead of showing a more in control artist, shows Rihanna falling back to the same problems I have with her other albums.  Usually there are 4-5 brilliant singles mixed in with a lot of filler, however, here there are only about 2 standout tracks, and they are even of lesser quality then usual.   I liked the somewhat silly, I am into wild sex "S&M" and her duet with Drake, "What's My Name."  But then the album just meanders for the next 45 minutes with dreck like the Avril Lavinge (wtf?????) sampling "Cheers (Drink to That)," Fergie-esque balladry like "California King Bed," and the almost laughable reggae-tinged "Man Down."  Even her collaboration with rap-minx Nicki Minaj, "Raining Me," appears warmed over and out of date.  Here's hoping Rihanna recovers from this misstep and gets back to her usually impeccable choice of songs to use as singles.

Nicki Minaj
Pink Friday
Rating: Meh

Sort of a cross between the surreal rhymes of Missy Elliot and the sexy/slutty camp of Lil' Kim and Foxy Brown, Nicki Minaj is anything but predictable.  I first came to hear her on Kanye West's new, amazing cd, and was really intrigued to here what she would come up on her own.  After listening to single "Did It On 'Em," with the hilariously vuglar lines "if I had a dick/I'd pull it out/ and piss on 'em."  Her insane delivery and the air-raid siren production attack I was practically salivating.  Then I get my copy of Pink Friday, and the words that come out are a decided, so what?  It sounds like the cd was made by committee.  Almost erased are the sassy bravado and smuttiness that make her stand out from a crowded field of other singers.  Aside from "Did It On 'Em," the out of the pocket boasting "I'm The Best," and the surprisingly decent collaboration with Eminem "Roman's Revenge," the remainder of the cd sounds like Rihanna-lite.    Oddly, there is a collaboration with Rhianna, and at times it is difficult to determine who is singing.  The cd just goes more downhill from there; the "Video Killed The Radio Star"-sampling collaboration with will.i.am is plain embarassing,  along with the nauseatingly banal balladry of "Save Me," and "Your Love."  Only the late in game collaboration with Kanye West "Blazin," seems to inject any life into this release. 



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.

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.

Mini-Reviews

Another attempt to keep up with the constant stream of new releases on a daily basis has failed miserably. Once again, I must clear off space from my hard drive and take a quick stab at a bunch of new (and some a little bit old) releases that have been taunting me.

Brian Eno

Small Craft On A Milk Sea
Rating: Yeah Daddy Make Me Want It

Art rock and ambient music pioneer and renowned producer Brian Eno releases his first new album of solo material in over 5 years on the latest release Small Craft On A Milk Sea. The pieces flow in one of two discernible styles: ambient pieces which recall his most well known 70s work, or densely programmed, almost tribal like electronic tracks. The album suffers from a lack of fluidity from one track to the next, and the ambient pieces really bring nothing much to the table. Where the album succeeds is largely from the more programmed tracks, which skitter and scrape and create an almost unbearable tension. If the album had been sequenced more in that vein, it would have been a greater success.

Glasser
Ring
Rating: Yeah Daddy Make Me Want It

Working in an intimate style that recalls strong, quasi-mystical female artists such as Bat for Lashes, Fever Ray, Zola Jesus, and Florence and the Machine, Cameron Mesirow who performs under the moniker Glasser brings forth an excellent debut. While it is thin on originality, she owns the songs, which have delicate drum programming, odd, Asian-influenced percussion, swirling strings and keyboards, and her gorgeous, flexible voice, bringing forth a truly beautiful vision. Really looking forward to what she does in the future.

Killing Joke
Absolute Dissent
Rating: Meh

First album in 28 years from the original lineup of 80s punk and post-punk stalwarts Killing Joke is almost a relentlessly dour affair. The first half of the album is a murky slog with lengthy tracks pummelling the listener with a mostly monotone pallet of industrial strength drum beats, guttural vocals, and metal guitar. Finally towards the end of the cd, they relinquish their grip and let some texture and contrast seep into the murk with tracks like "The Raven King," "Honour The Fire," and the almost reggae-like "Ghost of Ladbroke Grove." Had Absolute Dissent strove for more balance, the impact of the songs would have been stronger. As it is, the grey pallor that haunts the album sinks it.

Owen Pallett
Heartland
Rating: Woof Daddy

I had no idea what to expect from Owen Pallett before I saw him open for The National a couple of weeks ago. Based on his name, I guess I thought he would be another acoustic, singer-songwriter that I would most likely sleep through. Imagine my surprise when a very slight, almost fey, Canadian gay man sauntered on stage with a violin and stood in front of keyboard and bevy of loop pedals and proceeded to create his songs step by step with only the loop pedals. It was an amazing experience. I immediately bought Heartland, and have been completely awestruck as to how he recreated his intricate and densely layered songs in a live setting. Heartland is ostensibly a concept record about an ultra-violent farmer named Lewis, who is overseen by a godlike narrator named Owen. According to Pallett, the songs are one-sided dialogues with Lewis speaking to his creator. You don't need to understand or even follow this premise to enjoy the record which is almost filled to bursting with creativity and originality. The songs are almost Disney-like in their melodic beauty, but tempered with a more adult, and cynical bent. It is a brilliant record, and I can't recommend it highly enough.



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.

Mini Reviews

Deerhunter
Halcyon Digest
Rating: Woof Daddy

Taking their music farther away from their wall of noise sound and more to a 50s-60s style, Deerhunter returns with the follow up to Microcastles, Halycon Digest.  Full of strong pop hooks, the album shows more mature and focused song writing from Branford Cox.  Fans of their earlier, more confrontational music and live shows might cry foul at a more subded Deerhunter, however, Cox's music has always been strongest in a quieter mode (as further evidenced by his solo project Atlas Sound).  Whether this loses older fans and gains new ones, it doesn't seem to matter to them.  They continue to make the music they like and make no apologies for it.

Twin Shadow
Forget
Rating: Woof Daddy

Mining the 1980s new wave for its pure pop hooks and melodies, Twin Shadow is no mere nostalgia trip.  Evoking a pained childhood, the songs flow into each other like a font of memories looked back on from the comfort of age and experience.  Working with a limited range of instruments, primarily analog synths, tinny drum machines, and rudimentary guitars, Twin Shadow, along with producer Chris Taylor of Grizzly Bear, forges a wonderful debut that constantly unearths hidden treasures upon each listen. 

Sufjan Stevens
The Age of Adz
Rating: Grrrr

I will admit that I have not really been a fan of Sufjan's prior to this album.  There was something missing to me with his very traditional alternative guitar rock.  Where The National to me transcend those limitations, Sufjan just seemed to mire in the them.  Now, he has taken a page from the Radiohead playbook and has embraced technology, making a record steeped in glitchy electronic textures.  The album is no Kid A in terms of breadth, depth, and focus, but it shows a willingness to go beyond his comfort zone to make something very immediate and gripping.

Gonjasufi
A Sufi And A Killer
Rating: Grrrr

For the better part of the year, my music friend in crime Matthew has been relentlessly touting this album to me and I have been very reluctant to give in.  Matthew and I share similar, yet disturbingly divergent tastes in music.  We usually have very heated arguments about why we think artists are good or bad.  Generally, he likes extremely obscure and "difficult" music; albums that are not easy to dive into without riot gear.  Finally, after the 80th time of him trying to persuade me, I gave in and got A Sufi And A Killer and I had to mea culpa to him that it is actually pretty wonderful.  Gonjasufi is a peer of Flying Lotus, and I guess one could see the similarities with the two; both make very cutting edge, dense electronic music.  Gonjasufi actually sings/raps behind his compositions in a raspy, bluesy voice that can swing from an unearthly falsetto to a dirty death rasp, all in the space of two seconds.  His music is very difficult to jump into, but the artistry and the sheer talent makes him a force to be reckoned with, and makes him an artist to definitely follow and watch.

James Blake
CMYK
Rating: Grrrr

21 year-old London electronic producer has only produced a couple of EPs but he is already someone to look out for. Building off carefully integrated samples from late 90's and early 00's R&B, Blake creates gorgeously nuanced music that never becomes a game of spot the influence (even though you can sometimes easily tell which samples he uses: Kelis and Aaliyah in the title track) but expertly fuses genres such as dubstep and house, and sometimes the LA beat infused sounds of Flying Lotus and Nosaj Thing, into a distinct sound of his own.  He recently showed his breadth with his second EP Klaiverwerke, which is mainly low-key piano based pieces.  I am eagerly anticipating his first full length.



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 good; 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.