Review: MGMT - Congratulations (* * 1/2)

You have to hand it to any band that willfully alienates a good portion of their fan base in the name of progress, though you may wonder if the decision MGMT made was the right one. Their first album left them among the hottest rock bands in the world, receiving critical acclaim and popular attention with hook-filled tunes like “Kids” and “Time to Pretend.” It seemed only logical that they would capitalize on this success by turning in an even more radio-friendly record, but instead MGMT head determinedly in the opposite direction for their second full-length, Congratulations. Of course, given the eclectic nature of their debut, Oracular Spectacular, this decision by the band to continue exploring instead of refining their sound isn’t a complete surprise. Across the album, their ambition results in some genuinely fascinating experiments, but Congratulations more often feels like an awkward first step toward the goal than its attainment. (Continue Reading @ In Review Online)

Reviews in Brief: Drive-By Truckers, Rogue Wave, Morning Benders, jj

Drive-By Truckers - The Big To-Do (* * * 1/2)

Eight albums in and the Drive-By Truckers are still going strong. The Big To-Do is a little shorter and more focused than many of the band's previous efforts, and though it's also a bit less consistent there's little to really complain about as the songwriting and musicianship are mostly top notch. "The Fourth Night of My Drinking" is a typically bleak, yet insightful Truckers song, as is the dark "The Wig He Made Her Wear," but tunes like bassist Shonna Tucker's "(It's Gonna Be) I Told You So" and the rockabilly "Get Downtown" have an unusually bouncy "pop" side to them that adds much to the record's overall appeal. Aside from a couple less-than-inspired numbers, The Big To-Do is a worthy addition to this continually spectacular Southern rock group's considerable catalog. (MySpace)


Rogue Wave - Permalight (* * *)

Zach Rogue and company have had a hard go of things over the course of their fairly brief career. But in between sickness, death and major studio issues, the band continues to remain positive and release albums on a surprisingly regular schedule. Their latest, Permalight, is a smoother, more electronically-inclined release than their last albums, but though that may sound like a poor choice of direction on paper, it occasionally works very well. Granted, critics of the band's past work may not be entirely convinced by the new approach and there's some middling material here, but songs like the strong mid-album run of spacey ballad "Fear Itself," power-pop tune "Right With You" and the schizophrenic "We Will Make a Song Destroy" are quite good and evidence that there's plenty of life left in this optimistic bunch. (MySpace)


Morning Benders - Big Echo (* * * *)

After a good first album, Morning Benders are back with a decidedly better one in Big Echo. The group's second effort takes their previously basic (and a bit bland, to be honest) indie rock style and softens the edges, rounds off the corners, and puts things slightly out of focus for an impressive effect. It's mostly sunny, inviting music, with wonderful harmonies and gorgeous layers of instrumentation enhanced by the production work of Grizzly Bear's Chris Taylor, but these intelligently constructed tunes offer more than just a breezy 40 minutes of relaxation. Over 10 tunes, the record achieves the perfect balance between easy-going and labored-over, an impressive feat for a young band. Highlights from the album include the sweeping opener "Excuses," the very Grizzly Bear-esque "Promises," and the hazily beautiful "Stitches." (MySpace)


jj - jj n° 3 (* * 1/2)

Maybe it's because the mystery is gone now, or maybe this follow-up was simply too much, too soon - but whatever the reason, jj's sophomore LP feels considerably less inspired than last year's debut. The album still has a few genuinely beautiful moments, as we would expect (the compositions on "Let Go" and "Voi Parlate, Lo Gioco" are particularly striking), it's just that the nine tracks comprising this sophomore effort don't impress as completely or as often as before. In other words, jj n° 3 isn't so much a disaster as it is, unfortunately, easily ignored. jj is a group with a bright future ahead of them, though, and the talent to provide something equally brilliant if not more so than their debut. Perhaps they need a bit more time to again create something remarkable. (Let Go - MP3)

Review: Volcano Choir - Unmap (* * 1/2)

Whatever your opinion of his music, you have to admire Justin Vernon, a man determined to push boundaries. When his former band, DeYarmond Edison, fell apart several years ago, Vernon removed himself from society and retreated to the woods of Wisconsin, where with some basic recording equipment, guitars, and very little else he managed to create one of the best albums of 2007 (or 2008 if you count the re-release) and the finest work of his career as Bon Iver. And people noticed – the singer/songwriter, who had before kept an extremely low profile, would suddenly find himself in the indie spotlight amid heaps of critical and popular praise. Not one to simply sit around and bask in his newfound fame, Vernon followed For Emma, Forever Ago with this year’s Blood Bank EP, an experimental four-song set that showed him branching out from his unique brand of melancholy folk in seemingly counterintuitive ways, including an auto-tuned, a capella track (“Woods”) that saw a fairly mixed reception from fans. And now we get Unmap, Vernon’s full-length collaboration with experimental group Collections of Colonies of Bees and another clear indication that he has little inclination to repeat success with a proven formula. (Continue Reading...)

MySpace

Review: The Big Pink - A Brief History of Love (* * 1/2)

The Big Pink is a band following in the tradition of many a commercially successful brit-rock band. Like last year’s breakout act Glasvegas, The Big Pink have for about a year now been releasing singles (some in Japan only) and creating both a popular and critical frenzy in the process. They even won the Philip Hall Radar Award this year, the same honor Glasvegas received in 2008 at the NME Shockwave Awards, adding to the almost uncanny resemblance of the two bands' origin stories. And there are musical similarities as well; The Big Pink, comprised of multi-instrumentalists Robbie Furze and mil Cordell, make songs filled with thundering drums, walls of sound and epic choruses – though they often choose to substitute synthesizers for guitars and generally avoid Glasvegas’s melodramatic lyrical nature. I’ll stop with the comparisons; it’s obvious The Big Pink have leveraged themselves to an enviable position, making their debut album, A Brief History of Love, a release that's been almost impossible to ignore during these past few weeks. (Continue Reading...)

MySpace

Discographer: Wilco (via In Review Online)

Over at In Review Online is a look at the entire studio catalog of Wilco, which you can read in its entirety or you can check out the reviews written by yours truly, the debut A.M. and the inimitable Summerteeth. Links below:

Discographer #2 - Who Are Wilco?

Review - Melody A.M. (* * 1/2) From the ashes of famed country-folk band Uncle Tupelo, both Son Volt and Wilco emerged; the former led by the initial band’s front man, Jay Farrar, the latter by Jeff Tweedy. While the details behind Uncle Tupelo’s breakup aren’t entirely clear, the drama between the two artists resulted in a split that was anything but amicable. Bitterly going their separate ways, both of the singers formed new groups and released albums quickly – Wilco with A.M. and Son Volt with Trace. Though Uncle Tupelo fans were undoubtedly interested to see which record would be the stronger of the two, the band members themselves looked at the releases as a sort of rivalry as well. It quickly became evident by both popular and critical reception that A.M. wasn’t the quality of record Tweedy and company would need to get out from under their previous bandmate’s shadow. (Continue Reading...)

Review - Summerteeth (* * * * 1/2) Following their 1995 debut, A.M., Wilco didn’t so much evolve as they intentionally transformed, barely resembling their twangy former selves as they dove headlong into rock ‘n’ roll on 1996’s double album Being There and then, two years later, turned their attention to arty pop song writing, producing 1999's sprawling Summerteeth. Though the band had started as a fragment of the disbanded Uncle Tupelo, Wilco sought to distance themselves from their former incarnation; and by Summerteeth, any resemblance to the former group would have been slight if not imagined. The new approach was largely defined by the more integral role that multi-instrumentalist Jay Bennett played in the creation of the album. In addition to playing guitar, keys, and occasionally bass and drums, Bennett was responsible for much of the pop-oriented production of frontman Jeff Tweedy’s material. However, and in light of arguments which transpired between Bennett and Tweedy during the Yankee Hotel Foxtrot sessions, it’s clear that Wilco's metamorphosis has always been driven chiefly by Tweedy's ambitions. (Continue Reading...)

Review - Skygreen Leopards - Gorgeous Johnny (* * 1/2)

Donovan Quinn and Glenn Donaldson, core members of low-key pop group Skygreen Leopards, have teamed up with Jason Quever of Papercuts for their latest album, Gorgeous Johnny. The collaboration isn’t much of a surprise given the musicians’ previous work together, and considering the stylistic overlap of the two projects, making this new record sound awful familiar: breezy folk rock as jangly retro-pop. It’s not necessarily a bad template, but it would seem the group is pushing their luck by sticking to such a familiar and basic musical style after returning from a three year hiatus. The good news is that existing fans should find something to enjoy and will know what to expect; the bad is that with such little progress, there isn’t much here to entice newcomers. (Continue Reading...)

Reviews: Los Campesinos!, Kaiser Chiefs, Snow Patrol

This week is a big one for bands hailing from the U.K. Here are a few reviews of albums making their way across the Atlantic.


Los Campesinos! - We Are Beautiful, We Are Doomed (* * *)
Los Campesinos! went into the studio to record an EP and emerged with a full-length album. We Are Beautiful, We Are Doomed, is the group's second release in well under a year and provides another (mercifully) short blast of hyper-literate indie pop sure to have the music scene in a frenzy.

Those who liked Los Campesinos! before will love this record, but it probably won't win over legions of new fans. The opener "Ways To Make It Through The Wall" and the title track showcase the band at their best, full of energetic storytelling and boy/girl harmonies. The act is getting a little worn, though, and by the end of the album I found myself bored. The stories are cleverly and earnestly told, and the music is brimming with ideas, but I became less and less interested in each passing tale of complex relationships and lost love. Even at 32 minutes, the album felt stretched. We Are Beautiful includes some solid songs but not enough to keep me from wishing Los Campesinos! had just stuck with producing what could have been a fantastic EP.

Like I said before, if you liked it then (Hold On Now Youngster), you'll like it now, but don't expect much you haven't heard from them already.


Kaiser Chiefs - Off With Their Heads (* * 1/2)
Kaiser Chiefs bring more of their retro-flavored pop rock with their new release, Off With Their Heads. The five-piece from Leeds shake things up a bit this time around, featuring rapper Sway, Brit-pop queen Lilly Allen, and composer David Arnold during 11 tracks of synth and guitar-driven tunes.

Off With Their Heads is, at least, a fun album, but unfortunately it's also derivative, repetitive and frequently uninteresting. The band certainly seem to be enjoying themselves, especially on upbeat numbers like "Never Miss A Beat" and "Half The Truth," but the hooks wear off fast, and singer Ricky Wilson never seems to have much to say. Granted, simple lyrics don't always sink an album, but the music here isn't so distracting as to draw attention away from some fairly boring writing.

In the end, most of the songs end up sounding like good ideas poorly executed. Nothing on Off With Their Heads is especially bad (with the exception of the rapping on "Half The Truth"), but there is little that's very good either.

Favorite Tracks: "Never Miss A Beat," "You Want History," "Addicted To Drugs"


Snow Patrol - A Hundred Million Suns (* * * 1/2)
Snow Patrol found a smash hit in "Chasing Cars," their 2006 single that vaulted the Scottish lads into superstardom and beyond. Bearing the weight of sky-high commercial expectations, the band release their latest effort A Hundred Million Suns on Tuesday behind the lead single "Take Back The City."

A Hundred Million Suns follows a pattern similar to Snow Patrol's last album, Eyes Open, though it's clear the band intended to take some chances as well. While "Take Back The City" and "Please Just Take These Photos From My Hands" sound like carbon copies of previous hits, the simple, beautiful "Set Down Your Glass," and the 16-minute, 3-part epic that is "The Lightning Strike" are examples of a band trying to stretch themselves while retaining their radio friendliness. Even with improved talent and execution, however, A Hundred Million Suns feels overblown and overlong (almost 60 minutes!) and sounds as if the band can't quite reach the heights to which they aspire.

While Snow Patrol have crafted perhaps their best album (and one that I admit I enjoy), it still feels like a guilty pleasure instead of a truly compelling collection of songs.

Favorite Tracks: "If There's A Rocket Tie Me To It," "Lifeboats," "Set Down Your Glass"

Review: Anberlin - New Surrender (* * 1/2)

Anberlin has been something of a guilty pleasure for me over the last few years. Their sophomore album Never Take Friendship Personal and last year's Cities didn't exactly revolutionize music or expand my horizons, but they provided a healthy dose of singable melodies and catchy songwriting that stood out from a host of other pop/rock/punk albums. There is something about the band's balance of thunderous cries for rebellion and strings-laced songs of love and loss that gets me.

Either Anberlin are running out of new ideas, or I'm just losing interest in the band altogether. I think it's probably both. New Surrender is not a bad album, it just doesn't cover much territory that Anberlin hasn't been all over previously. The sound is slightly bigger, bolder, and more arena-ready this time around, but essentially the album plays like Cities, with a similar mix of ballads and anthems using familiar subject matter. The real shame, though, is "Feel Good Drag," a song lifted directly from Never Take Friendship Personal and tweaked just slightly. An unnecessary revisiting of a decent song that now lacks the same punch of the original.

If I listen to the album with a less critical ear, I find myself reminded of why I liked the band so much in the first place. The opening three tracks are exciting and catchy, and the triumphant choruses of "Burn Out Brighter (Northern Lights)" and "Haight St." showcase Stephen Christian's (how's that for the name of a CCM singer?) impressive vocal abilities, but too often I find myself unsatisfied. I guess I knew from the beginning that the relationship might not last, that this was only a fling. Thanks for the memories, Anberlin, but we both need to start seeing other people.

Favorite Tracks: "The Resistance," "Breaking," "Burn Out Brighter (Northern Lights)"


Listen to the album this week at AOL Music.

Review: Bloc Party - Intimacy (* * 1/2)

Bloc Party remind me of college freshman, who, when confronted with the endless opportunities of education, want to be everything at once. Changing majors, being swept away toward one ideal and then another, never feeling settled or satisfied until they've explored every conceivable option. With bands, this sort of ambition is admirable, but often frustrating, and Bloc Party's new album, "Intimacy," inspires both feelings.

Anyone hoping that Bloc Party would return to their angular alt-punk roots after "A Weekend In The City" was probably exasperated with the "Flux" single that showed they were diving deeper into experimental electronic territory. Where they previously used production and programming to enhance their original sound, they now completely smother almost every track in it. "Intimacy" works best when the guitar and drums are allowed to shine through the haze and when Bloc Party keep things straightforward, as on "Halo," "Trojan Horse," and "One Month Off." Elsewhere, the explosion of sounds and noise are often at the expense of the song itself. An example is "Ares," where vocal production and a terrible screeching chorus take the track from exciting to obnoxious in a minute.

Another issue here is front man Kele Okereke's songwriting. When things are moving quickly, it's less of a problem, but when the music slows and the lyrics are placed front-and-center, they become distracting. "Was my love not strong enough, to bring you back from the dead? If I could eat your cancer I would, but I can't," Kele moans in "Biko." Ugh. He's never been a great lyricist, but here the poor lyrics are a reflection of the overall inconsistency of the album. There are also several places in "Intimacy" that seem to borrow musically from previous songs, like "Zepherus," which contains a chorus that is a complete rehash (melodically) of "Where Is Home?"

Despite the weaknesses of "Intimacy," it isn't without some exciting moments, like the menacing drum and bass combination on "Better Than Heaven," or the more straightforward rock of the three tracks I listed previously. In some ways, "Intimacy" is stronger album than "A Weekend In The City," which was more uniformly mediocre. Bloc Party prove, albeit inconsistently, that all of their ideas and ambition can still produce some very worthwhile material, but the ten tracks that make up "Intimacy" don't offer enough to keep the album from being a frustrating experience for both old and new listeners.

Favorite Tracks: "Trojan Horse," "Better Than Heaven," "One Month Off"