Review: The Black Keys - El Camino (4 Stars)

Alright, so playing catchup here because I ACTUALLY WROTE A FULL REVIEW and then didn't put it up here.

Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney are the hard-working rockers that could. With a modest beginning ten years ago and a steady rise to both critical acclaim and, eventually, mainstream popularity (not to mention Grammy awards), you could almost consider the Black Keys the musical manifestation of the American dream. Their determination and consistency make them easy to root for, but more importantly, they're making rock-'n'-roll that people actually listen to. Perhaps that doesn't mean much to everyone, but consider, for a moment, the bands currently occupying space on the Billboard Top 200 Chart that even remotely resemble rock music: Nickleback, Coldplay, and…Florence + the Machine, maybe? While you could argue that Jack White helps the cause by continuing to release records through his various projects, the point that popular rock-'n'-roll is scarce these days is all too easy to make. I give that context not as an excuse to continue my tradition of heaping praise upon the Black Keys, but to offer an estimation that the band's latest record, El Camino, is the perfect rock-'n'-roll album for 2011. (Continue reading @ In Review Online)

Review: Cake - Showroom of Compassion (* * * 1/2)

I had pretty much lost track of Cake after their 2001 album, Comfort Eagle. I didn't even hear 2004's Pressure Chief until at least a year (maybe two) afterward, and by that time I guess I just wasn't especially interested in the band anymore. So I can't quite explain my excitement at hearing news about Showroom of Compassion, Cake's sixth album and first in seven years. Maybe I just figured Cake had good reason to return to music after such a lengthy hiatus, or perhaps I was feeling nostalgic. Mostly I was just curious to know if this record would be any good, and as it turns out, Showroom of Compassion is a fine addition to Cake's catalog, despite being a bit uneven.

If your only exposure to this record is the first single "Sick of You," you might be disappointed with how strikingly similar it is to some of the band's other popular songs. But while it's true that Cake often sticks to their established style on Showroom of Compassion, they have much more to offer than a bland rehash of their past material. "Long Time," for instance, uses the group's key ingredients--John McRae's half-sung vocals, lively bass and guitar lines, and trumpet solos--to create a funky rock tune that feels refreshingly relevant, while the admittedly familiar-sounding "Mustache Man" has a sharp combination of menace and melody that make it one of Cake's best songs to date. The eerie, synth-infused rocker "Easy to Crash" and the melancholy ballad "The Winter" are a bit more adventurous, providing some welcome variety and helping to further distance Showroom of Compassion from past albums in the group's catalog. If nothing else, fans should enjoy hearing these alt-rock veterans successfully explore some new avenues without straying uncomfortably far into unfamiliar territory.

Showroom of Compassion has more than enough solid tunes to make it easy to overlook missteps like the aforementioned "Sick of You" and the psychedelia-tinged opener "Federal Funding," though there are certainly some songs that work more convincingly than others. For example, "Got to Move" is decent, but pales in comparison to the record's best tracks and "Teenage Pregnancy" is only a mildly entertaining instrumental piece. As a whole, however, Showroom of Compassion is a fun and surprisingly strong record, a welcome return for a band that will hopefully be more active over the next seven years.

Best of 2010: Albums

It's definitely time to unveil my picks for the best albums of the year. I'm just doing 25 this year (though really I think I could have done 100 if I had all the time in the world) and I'm not going to bother writing a blurb about each or finding all the artwork, mostly because I'm lazy.

If you want to read more about my top 10 picks, you can find a beautifully arranged article I wrote over at In Review Online. Also, you would do well to visit InRO for top 10 features from Sam Mac and Jordon Cronk, who are both superb writers with very unique tastes in music:

My Top 10 albums feature
Jordan Cronk's top 10 albums
Sam C. Mac's top 10 albums

And now, the moment you've all been waiting for (I'm sure):


1. Joanna Newsom - Have One On Me

2. The Tallest Man On Earth - The Wild Hunt / Sometimes the Blues Is Just a Passing Bird

3. Janelle Monáe - The ArchAndroid

4. Arcade Fire - The Suburbs

5. Will Stratton - New Vanguard Blues

6. Owen Pallett - Heartland

7. The Black Keys - Brothers

8. Mavis Staples - You Are Not Alone

9. White Denim - Last Day of Summer

10. Josh Ritter - So Runs the World Away

11. Menomena - Mines
12. Robyn - Body Talk
13. Wolf Parade - Expo 86
14. Baths - Cerulean
15. Kanye West - My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
16. Maps & Atlases - Perch Patchwork
17. Spoon - Transference
18. Big Boi - Sir Lucious Left Foot...The Son of Chico Dusty
19. Patty Griffin - Downtown Church
20. Anais Mitchell - Hadestown
21. Villagers - Becoming a Jackal
22. Woods - At Echo Lake
23. David Karsten Daniels & Fight the Big Bull - I Mean to Live Here Still
24. Sufjan Stevens - The Age of Adz
25. Cloud Cult - Light Chasers


Feel free to tell me how inspired my choices are or argue if you feel the need. Keep in mind that there are some albums I've omitted from this list because I can't stand them (Best Coast's Crazy for You, for example) and a few that I probably should have heard that I haven't yet. I guess what I'm admitting here is that these technically aren't the best albums of 2010 by any standard, just mine.

Review: Black Mountain - Wilderness Heart (* * * *)

Stephen McBean has never seemed particularly interested in keeping his two bands as entirely separate entities. Black Mountain and Pink Mountaintops have more in common than just their similar titles; McBean enlists many of the same musicians to play for both projects and it can be difficult to tell at times where he draws the dividing line between the two band’s. But while McBean doesn’t often vary from the basic ingredients, any direct comparison of the previous efforts by each project reveals fundamental differences in trajectory, with Black Mountain’s In the Future working through various forms of guitar-heavy psychedelia and Pink Mountaintops’ Outside Love incorporating a mellower blend of pop and experimental elements. With Wilderness Heart, however, McBean tempers Black Mountain’s more epic tendencies. (Continue reading @ In Review Online)

Review: Will Stratton - New Vanguard Blues (* * * * 1/2)

Patience is a virtue, sure, but one that tends to slow things down and occasionally even seems completely unnecessary. Will Stratton’s third album, New Vanguard Blues, serves as a reminder that impatience can be just as valuable a trait. After offering one of my favorite records of 2009—the consistently stunning No Wonder— Stratton apparently didn’t want to bother taking the traditional route in releasing his third full-length. Recorded and mixed by the songwriter himself over the weekend of July 9th, the album was made available online only a couple weeks later, an unusual but certainly welcome decision as New Vanguard Blues is in many ways Stratton's best effort to date. Shedding the varied sonic decorations that enhanced the tunes on No Wonder, his latest is simple and stripped-down, resulting in a tighter, more focused set of songs that relies almost exclusively on his impressive guitar work for accompaniment. But the album mostly succeeds for the same reason the last one did: Stratton’s singular songwriting, which has only gotten better with time. (Continue reading at In Review Online. . .)

Review: The Thermals - Personal Life (* * * 1/2)

The Thermals have always been more interesting than the majority of their pop-punk peers, mostly because they have so much to say about so many topics. Where their previous effort, 2009'sNow We Can See, focused on the purpose of life through the lens of death, and the two before that—2006's The Body, The Blood, The Machine and 2004's F****n A—were scathing rebukes of conservative American politics, the band’s latest turns inward, as its title might suggest, and takes a look at the complexity of relationships. “I’m gonna change your life/I’m gonna steal your soul” insists Hutch Harris on the first line of opener “I’m Gonna Change Your Life,” and somehow that kinda sums up the nature of the 32 minutes that comprise the remainder of the band’s fifth album. Looking introspectively through his cracked yet ultimately hopeful perspective, Harris proves that though his typically fiery indignation seems somewhat abated (or set aside, at least), his passion and lyricism remain a compelling combination. Less focused and less consistent perhaps than the band’s previous two albums,Personal Life may disappoint fans of Harris’s bigger statements, but the record has too many great moments to be ignored. (Continue at In Review Online. . .)

Review: Mountain Man - Made the Harbor (* * * 1/2)

After a few years filled with the emergence of high-profile indie bands like Girls and Women, both of which are comprised entirely of males, perhaps we shouldn’t be at all surprised to find that a band named Mountain Man is not, in fact, a man, but three women. And really that’s a welcome surprise in this case, as such a seemingly straightforward moniker conjures thoughts of yet another sup-par songwriter attempting to follow the success of breakout acts Fleet Foxes, Tallest Man On Earth, and the like. These girls will still appropriately be lumped in with their fellow folk revivalists due to their earthy, sparse sound and nature-themed lyrics, but Vermont’s Molly Erin Sarle, Alexandra Sauser-Monnig and Amelia Randall Meath have created something uniquely lovely on their debut full-length, Made the Harbor. (Continue @ In Review Online)

Review: The Drums - The Drums (* * * 1/2)

In the past, any noteworthy Beach Boys emulators seemed to hail from Southern California or somewhere similarly beach-oriented, but with the re-popularization of the surf/pop/rock genre, it’s anybody’s guess as to where new bands of that sort come from these days. Initially, with last year’s Summertime! EP, New York City’s own the Drums seemed a prime example of a young band whose sun-and-surf-obsessed songs put them at odds with their locale, especially on their most notable tune, the '60s-style pop anthem “Let’s Go Surfing.” But with the release of their self-titled full-length debut, the group incorporates a greater range of their other sonic and lyrical influences into the mix, revealing themselves to be a more complex and interesting band than we (or I, at least) might have given them credit for initially. Blending their love of sun-soaked hooks with a darker, '80s indebted vibe à la Joy Division, the boys craft a fine first effort that—while containing a few misfires—manages to build upon the promise of their early releases. (Read the rest @ In Review Online)

Review: Best Coast - Crazy for You (* *)

For young writers and aspiring musicians, some of the most frequently heard advice has got to be “write what you know.” This is obvious counsel, to be sure, but true in many respects, especially in the realm of pop music where people generally respect honesty in songwriting. We like artists who share their stories with us and reveal the more intimate details of their lives, allowing us to connect with them through their experiences. But sometimes, even when a musician is eager to get personal, we find there simply isn’t much about them that we care to hear. Such is the case with the latest lo-fi, beach-pop phenomenon Best Coast, fronted by puzzlingly popular newcomer Bethany Cosentino and featuring former Vivian Girl Ali Koehler along with Bethany’s former babysitter (seriously), mutli-instrumentalist Bobb Bruno. Adrift somewhere between SBhe & Him-style balladry, polka-dotted 50s girl groups, and fuzzy, Vivian Girls-esque pop-punk, Best Coast makes music that is hazy and sun-soaked, and it’s not difficult to hear the appeal in Cosentino’s casually strong voice. But on the band’s debut, Crazy for You, Cosentino’s inane songwriting fails to engage on any level and her vacuous insights into love and loneliness reveal no depth whatsoever to her personality. (Read the rest @ In Review Online)

Review: The Gaslight Anthem - American Slang (* * * 1/2)

From some bands we expect consistent innovation and change. Such artists must evidence a legitimate step forward in one way or another with every album, something new and exciting which assures fans that the group remains inspired and worthy of their attention. New Jersey’s the Gaslight Anthem are not one of those bands. They represent a genre that creates an entirely different set of expectations, one centered around consistency and reliability rather than exploration. That’s not to say frontman Brian Fallon and Co. could afford to remain completely static, but it seems unlikely that they would feel the need for true reinvention at any point in their career. There’s nothing wrong with this; dependability is a value well suited to the band’s updated take on classic blue-collar rock and they’re damn good at what they do. In this light, their third LP, American Slang, is the perfect step for them to take, showing a few signs of artistic development while sticking primarily to what worked the last time around. Though the album doesn’t hit quite as hard as 2008’s The 59 Sound, it should still go some way in establishing the Gaslight Anthem as one of America’s most steadfast young rock bands. (Read the rest of this review at In Review Online)

Review: The Acorn - No Ghost (* * * 1/2)

It’s a risky move releasing a concept album early in your career, but Canada's the Acorn proved quite capable of doing just that with their 2007 sophomore effort, Glory Hope Mountain. That record chronicles the life of singer Rolf Klausener’s mother (whose journey from Honduras included a great deal of drama and adventure) over the course of twelve woodsy folk songs featuring delicate harmonies and intricate guitar signatures, revealing impressive musicianship for such a young group. The songs work both as part of the whole and are engaging individually—no small achievement given the source material—and the record showed the Acorn could be ambitious without overreaching. So while Glory Hope Mountain didn’t make overnight sensations of the band, they gathered enough fans that high expectations were instated for future endeavors. Their third album, No Ghost, appears uninterested in an overarching concept, and in fact feels more modest than their previous release despite its broader stylistic range. It doesn’t quite propel the band forward or equal the considerable quality of what preceded it, but No Ghost is at least an enjoyable entry in the band’s catalog. (Please read the rest of my review @ In Review Online)

Review: The Black Keys - Brothers (* * * *)

Over the past few years, Patrick Carney and Dan Auerbach have done much in the name of progress. Working with Danger Mouse to produce their 2008 album Attack & Release, providing the rhythm section for the rap-rock experiment Blakroc, and taking the time to focus on side projects last year definitely served to shake things up for a duo that was previously known more for their impressive consistency than for their innovation. Yet somehow it’s their latest record, Brothers, that feels like the most ingenuous step forward for the band in quite some time—and tellingly, with this new effort the Black Keys needed little outside assistance to accomplish that. While Brothers may be considered a return to the basics for the Akron, OH natives by some, the spread of ideas here sets the album apart from the band’s earliest material while the quality of the songs themselves makes this recent collection their strongest in some time, rivaled perhaps only by 2004's excellent Rubber Factory. (Read the rest @ In Review Online!)

Review: Jamie Lidell - Compass (* * *)

Ordinarily, an artist doesn't release their breakout album after 30, but then, Jamie Lidell’s story is anything but ordinary. Formerly in experimental electronica (both solo and as half of Super_Collider), Lidell’s seemingly swift transition into soul was both surprising and totally successful—as his 2005 record, Multiply, emphatically proves. He distanced himself even further from his digital roots with 2008’s Jim, which doesn't match the explosive creative energy that defined his debut, but is a fine pop album in its own right, allowing him to flirt a little with mainstream success in the process. But if there were any who figured Lidell would attempt to complete his late-blooming transformation into a radio-ready pop icon on his third go-round, they would most certainly be wrong. Instead, we find the artist in a highly experimental mode on Compass, still churning out danceable, soulful tunes but with decidedly more exploratory edge that sometimes enhances and sometimes distracts from the quality of the songs themselves. Enlisting the help of Beck and Chris Taylor (of Grizzly Bear) as producers, along with a slew of other collaborators, Lidell’s latest is a fascinating though unfortunately not very successful effort. (Read my full review @ In Review Online)

Review: Delta Spirit - History From Below (* * * *)

When Delta Spirit arrived on the scene two years ago, they did so with a sort of fiery retro-rock sound that was about impossible to ignore. Ode to Sunshine, their debut, was as bombastic as it was melodic, with crunchy guitars, clanging piano and singer Matt Vasquez's emphatic wail making for an enjoyably noisy racket. So subtlety wasn't part of the equation, but their lack of restraint is part of what made the record such a great listen. This time around however, with History From Below, Delta Spirit take a decidedly different approach. There are still moments of the brash rock 'n' roll that characterized the band's first effort, but the new album is generally much more subdued than its predecessor, focusing on songwriting and lyricism over instant impact. The results are less immediate, but ultimately more powerful.

Starting the record are a couple tracks that remain relatively more true to the band's initial formula. "911" rolls along with Dr. Dog-esque harmonies and a 70s rock vibe while "Bushwick" rumbles with a smoother edge than before but to a similarly successful end. But then "Salt in the Wind" takes an early detour with a lengthy ballad-style folk aesthetic featuring gentle percussion and arpeggiated piano lines. It's the first of many unusual moves for the band, including a smoldering psych-rock number ("White Table"), a deceptively gentle kidnapping tale ("Ransom Man") and a beautiful goodbye to a friend ("Devil Knows You're Dead"), all of which appear in sequence following "Salt in the Wind." Eventually the band gets back to traditional business with the fantastic rocker "Golden State," but the songs before and after that will surely be received with mixed feelings from Delta Spirit fans given the music's more deliberate pace and restrained nature. After a few listens, however, and after coming to the terms with the fact that History From Below is in no way intended to be Ode to Sunshine part II, the quality of the songwriting and breadth of ideas here ultimately proves worth the changes the band underwent to present them.

Only once does Delta Spirit truly miss the mark (the dragging "Vivian"), but there's no shortage of great tunes on this sophomore effort, and together they form a cohesive and consistent whole that reveals a remarkable amount of maturity from this young crew. The lyrical and musical growth exhibited throughout the record's 11 tracks may only serve to disappoint or frustrate some, and that's a shame not only because it produces some fantastic results, but because it's impossible to deny the good things it bodes for the band's future. History From Below is an album following a blueprint that likely won't be nearly as effective if used a second time around, and I would imagine the band will return to stompin' and hollerin' on disc three, but the risks they've taken here pay off at almost every turn.

MySpace

Review: Band of Horses - Infinite Arms (* * * 1/2)

I didn’t see or hear much about Band of Horses moving to a major label for the release of their third effort, Infinite Arms. This kind of news is often received with a heavy dose of skepticism about the effect such a transition will have on the quality of future output, but for Band of Horses it just didn’t seem to cause much of a stir. I suppose that’s probably because this move wasn’t exactly unexpected; Band of Horses seemed almost destined for the kind of post-indie fame enjoyed by the likes of Death Cab for Cutie, due to the accessible nature of the former’s music. Perhaps most figured it just wouldn’t make much of a difference in their sound anyway. In that regard, I guess it’s true that any trepidation on our part would have been unnecessary. An even with all the effort expended (the album took 16 months to complete) and band members exchanged (frontman Ben Bridwell is now the lone original member), Infinite Arms is—in many respects—very similar to the group’s first two releases. Of course, you may or may not consider that good news, and your view on that subject will probably determine your reception of the band’s latest. (Read the rest @ In Review Online)

Review: The National - High Violet (* * * 1/2)

Any band that relegates a guest list including Sufjan Stevens and Justin Vernon to tiny font in the liner notes obviously sees no need to capitalize on the recognition recording with these artists might bring. And it’s true the National don’t need to be famous by association. These five gentlemen from Brooklyn have—in what could perhaps be described as a most traditional and unspectacular manner—transitioned into one of the indie world’s most revered rock bands. Now, with their fifth release, High Violet, they've about reached superstar status, and they’re ready for their close-ups, as it were. A quick look at the band’s two appearances on Letterman—the first to do Boxer highlight “Fake Empire” and the most recent to perform new single “Afraid of Everyone”—best exhibits what I mean. No longer does frontman Matt Berninger stand nervously clutching the mic, staring at the floor while delivering lines like he’s reading excerpts from his journal. Nowadays he gazes almost assertively outward, dressed to kill and sounding fantastic, while he and the band display previously unseen confidence as they run through a charismatic, dynamic performance. (Read the rest @ In Review Online)

Review: Sam Amidon - I See the Sign (* * * *)

Given the unusual way in which Sam Amidon approached his first two albums, you might expect him to either be relegated to the smallest of niche markets or to feel pressure to write a record using more conventional methods. Instead, the young folk musician has found his unique songcraft to be quite sustainable, and he's garnered increased acclaim over the past few years—especially with 2008’s lovely All Is Well. Of course, Amidon isn’t the first person to take traditional folk tunes and reinterpret them with a personal twist, but the obscurity of his chosen songs and the lengths to which he goes to make them his own labels him as a genuinely fascinating artist. His third effort, I See the Sign, is once again a collection of covers, though as is par for the course, it’s unlikely (with but one notable exception) that you’ve heard them before—and with his often dramatic rearrangements, it would hardly matter if you had. The new record isn’t necessarily better than its predecessor, but the growth Amidon shows here in the complexity of his arrangements and in the confidence of his presentation make it his most compelling to date. (Read the rest @ In Review Online)

Reviews in Brief: Roky Erickson, Aqualung, Apples in Stereo

Roky Erickson - True Love Cast Out All Evil (* * * *)

Roky Erickson's life and career have been marred by pretty severe personal turmoil (to say the least), but his latest record, True Love Cast Out All Evil, proves he's been able to put that behind him and still make great music. Recording with indie mainstays Okkervil River, the psychedelic rock legend offers a gritty, rough and ultimately uplifting set of bluesy rock tunes that appropriately focuses on such topics as faith, sorrow, love and redemption. Whether playing simple ballads ("Ain't Blues Too Sad") or upbeat rockers ("Bring Back the Past"), Erickson's songwriting and delivery are surprisingly strong, and the personal nature of these songs is easily felt and appreciated--especially for those familiar with the artist's difficult past. Okkervil River's superb musicianship helps make cuts like the spacey "Goodbye Sweet Dreams" and the gospel-esque title track absolutely riveting, meshing smoothly with Erickson's distinctive growl. True Love Cast Out All Evil a real triumph of a rock record. (MySpace)


Aqualung - Magnetic North (* * * 1/2)

I've never been particularly interested in the music of Matt Hales (known as Aqualung), but I'll admit I've found his latest effort, Magnetic North, to be a surprisingly enjoyable pop-rock record. Incorporating influences from The Beatles to Beck, Hales offers a set of tunes that is a generally upbeat, uplifting affair--one that shows his ear for infectious melodies and big, piano-centric hooks. Occasionally Hales veers uncomfortably close to mainstream piano-pop blandness, but more often he manages to be both accessible and interesting enough to hold your attention for the length of his new album. As for highlights, "Reel Me In" is a sunny, soaring number, "Fingertip" is impossibly catchy with its hand-claps and soothing vocal harmony, and "Thin Air" is a simply gorgeous ballad. This sort of earnest, straightforward approach may not appeal to those who spurn anything radio-friendly, but Magnetic North is an intelligent and charming album that has good reason to be heard. (MySpace)


Apples in Stereo - Travellers in Space and Time (* * * *)
It's once again obvious by listening to Apples In Stereo's latest record that the band has no intention of converting non-believers. What I mean is, if you liked it before you'll certainly like it now (perhaps even more so), but if haven't previously been convinced, it's unlikely you'll change your mind this time around. But speaking from the perspective of a casual fan, I can say Travellers in Space and Time is one of the best records the band has released. The eclectic, synth-driven pop tracks comprising the record are universally impossibly to resist, filled with quirky hooks and melodies that just about demand not only your attention but your best dance moves. You'll find most of the best tracks up front; the bouncy "Dream About the Future," the sexy and funky "Hey Elevator," and slinky "Dance Floor" are all excellent, unabashedly cheesy and all about having a good time. Maybe I should take that first statement back--I really can't imagine anyone not at least enjoying a few of these tunes. (MySpace)

Review: The New Pornographers - Together (* * *)

Let’s face it: even on an off day, the New Pornographers make some pretty good music. And given that the group incorporates the collective talents of AC Newman, Neko Case and Dan Bejar, you would probably expect that to be the case. But even a great band becomes a lot less interesting when they release a by-the-numbers type record. There is something to be said for the fact that the Pornographers have album construction down to a science; and getting what you expect in terms of structure and style certainly isn’t a bad thing (especially after 2007’s Challengers disappointed many—myself not included). But while the group's latest album, Together, sees them return to the speed and form expected of them, it also sounds an awful lot like a less inspired version of albums that came before it. As a result, it plays as if it were composed by a band that’s merely coasting—and we all know the Pornographers have much more to offer us than that. (Continue Reading @ In Review Online)

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)