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: Ben Folds - Way To Normal (* * *)

Some people never grow up; Ben Folds is one of them. Now over the hill, Folds shows no signs of maturing musically or otherwise, preferring to stick with his unique brand of high-energy, sometimes expletive-filled, piano pop. That in itself is not a bad thing; in fact, it's one of his greatest strengths. The ability to explain the world in simple, creative, and unapologetic terms has gained him a legion of very loyal fans across a wide range of ages. Combine that with overflowing musical talent, and Ben Folds' appeal becomes apparent.

You have to wonder, though, whether Folds is pushing his luck this time around with Way To Normal. With Rockin' The Suburbs and Songs For Silverman, he managed to balance sincerity with sarcasm, sweetness with bitterness. On his latest album, Folds rarely lets us see his sensitive side, instead presenting a series of angry social and emotional rants. "The Frown Song" takes a jab a fashion-conscious yuppies spreading their misery, "Bitch Went Nuts" tells the story of a crazy girlfriend, and "Brainwascht" apparently was written in response to a song slamming Ben (no details yet; I'm looking into it). It's all done with his usual dramatic piano style and sense of melody, but it's also a little juvenile and unflattering.

Elsewhere, Folds deals with empty relationships, small-town struggles, and loneliness. It's a wild, fun ride throughout, despite the subject matter, and he certainly seems to be having a good time, especially during rave-ups like "Dr. Yang," where Folds delivers a fantastic pounding piano solo. While there are a few disposable tracks ("Errant Dog," "Free Coffee"), most of the songs are at least decent, and he even gets sentimental in his own way with the album's two ballads, "Cologne" and "Kylie From Connecticut." In many ways it's classic Ben Folds, and fans will certainly find plenty to love.

Maybe it's my problem then, that I can't see the charm and appeal in Way To Normal that I did in Rockin' The Suburbs and earlier projects. But I can't help feeling that Ben Folds now sounds almost like a parody of himself; having a good time at the expense of creating something a little more meaningful, relevant, and...mature. I really do hate to say it, but sometimes I wish he'd just grow up.

Favorite Tracks: "Dr. Yang," "The Frown Song," "You Don't Know Me"



As mentioned earlier, the album is available to stream this week at Spinner.com

This Week: Spinner Full CD Listening Party

I've said it before, and I'll continue to praise Spinner.com for their Full CD Listening Party that streams full albums the week they're released. There are always at least a few gems to be found, and this week is no exception. Here's what I recommend:

Ben Folds - Way To Normal
Folds is back to his irreverent, piano-pop ways with his latest release. It's a bit of a mixed bag, but there are some great tunes. I'll have a review up soon.

Black Gold - Tragedy & Legacy
An interesting EP release from Eric Ronick of Panic At The Disco and Than Luu. Sounds like an experiment worth paying attention to.

Dear And The Headlights - Drunk Like Bible Times
I saw this band live a while ago and was impressed. I had forgotten about them until today when I saw them on Spinner. It's complex, yet melodic indie rock that gives a great first impression.

Dungen - 4
I don't know much about Scandinavian musician Gustav Ejstes, but I'm intrigued but his new album recorded under the name Dungen. He mixes a variety of sounds and instruments to create a hazy psych-rock sound unlike anything I've heard.

Joseph Arthur And The Lonely Astronauts - Temporary People
I've never really gotten into Joseph Arthur, but I know he's been around for a while. At first listen, Temporary People appears to be a solid low-key rock album.

Angus and Julia Stone - Just A Boy EP
Quaint boy/girl indie rock. Nothing spectacular, but worth a listen.


There are another dozen albums this week, so check it out!

Review: Blitzen Trapper - Furr (* * * *)

Disclaimer: I LOVE late sixties/early seventies folk rock music. And when it comes to bands that emulate that classic sound well, it becomes difficult for me to resist. So it should come as no surprise that I am really digging the latest effort by Oregon-based indie band Blitzen Trapper. Full of acoustic guitars, pounding piano, and old-school vocal harmonies, Furr plays something like ablast from the past, and is a more consistent and enjoyable album than the band's 2007 release Wild Mountain Nation.

While Blitzen Trapper were previously concerned with exploring every aspect of their favorite genres or perhaps seeking to create a new one, Furr finds the band attempting to narrow down their past influences to find a sound to call their own. The eclecticism is still there, but slightly muted, giving the album diversity with fewer head-spinning stylistic transitions. In fact, the best moments are those that embrace a more relaxed folk style. "Furr," the story of a boy becoming a wolf and "Black River Killer," a truly creepy song about a spiritually tormented murderer, are two simple, quirky gems that rely on melody and writing rather than pushing the experimental envelope.

Elsewhere on the album Blitzen Trapper gets a little groovy ("Saturday Nite"), twangy ("Stolen Shoes & a Rifle"), and even make time for a ballad ("Not Your Lover'). It all works better than one would expect, mostly thanks to front man Eric Earley's ability to make the whole project seem effortless. Only on the atrocious "Love U" does the band take things too far, throwing melody and taste right out the window. It's a confusing misstep in an otherwise strong album, but I suppose they just had to get it out of their system.

To say that Blitzen Trapper is not at least a little derivative is probably giving the band more credit than they're due. Neil Young, James Taylor and a dozen other influences spring to mind as the album progresses, but Furr combines them with the band's own kooky style, resulting in a fun and engaging listen.

Favorite Tracks: "Furr," "God & Suicide," "Black River Killer"


You still have a few days to catch the full album at Spinner.com

Review: Cold War Kids - Loyalty To Loyalty (* * * 1/2)

When Cold War Kids stormed onto the scene a couple years ago, they brought all that comes with an extreme amount of blogger buzz. Some praised the Kids for their jangly, bluesy retro-rock sound, others dismissed them as nothing more than overhyped copycats. This time around, the band seek to avoid the sophomore slump and qualify themselves as a legitimate indie rock act.

Loyalty To Loyalty, released on Tuesday, shows a softer, more experimental, and more thoughtful side of Cold War Kids. Where they previously loaded the album with plenty of noise and bombast, the band now uses dynamics with more caution and, frequently, greater effectiveness. The slow-burning opener "Against Piracy" meanders through some hazy guitar lines before building into an instrumental climax, leading into the catchier, brighter "Mexican Dogs" and "Every Valley Is Not A Lake," the latter of which includes a piano line reminiscent of Carol King's "I Feel The Earth Move." Some highlights include the first single "Something Is Not Right With Me" and "I've Seen Enough."

The lyrics on Loyalty To Loyalty are strong throughout, and often exceptional. The storytelling on "Dreams Old Men Dream" and "Every Man I Fall For" is vivid and gripping, while lines like "I tried to call you collect/You said you would not accept/your friends are laughin' 'cause nobody uses payphones" almost force a sing-along the second time through. What ultimately keeps the album from achieving lift-off are too many sluggish tunes, especially near the end of the record. The last few tracks are extremely dense and offer little in the way of hooks, and the album is disrupted halfway through by the downright obnoxious "Avalanche In B." It's almost as if Loyalty To Loyalty wasn't made to be listened to all at once. Actually, I would submit that the album would have been stronger at just a trim ten songs.

The effort is easy to appreciate, the talent aparent, and you have to admire Cold War Kids for refusing to take the easy way out, but sometimes I found myself wishing they wouldn't try so hard. Loyalty To Loyalty has too many great moments to dismiss it, but too few to reach its lofty goals.

Favorite Tracks: "Dreams Old Men Dream," "Something Is Not Right With Me," "I've Seen Enough"

Changes

I'm trying out some new looks for the blog. Nothing major, just changing the colors around a little. If you like/hate what you see, let me know.

I'll be switching thing around for a while, so I apologize in advance for any confusion, distress, or anguish this causes anyone.

Right now I'm trying to decide if I like this accidental "fall" theme, I think maybe it's a bit much...

This Week at Spinner

Spinner.com has become one of my favorite music sites because of their "Full CD Listening Party," a weekly updated collection of new streaming albums. They often have a nice selection, and I've made some excellent discoveries there from time to time.

Here are some favorites from this week:

Cold War Kids - Loyalty To Loyalty
I know I already posted a link about this album being streamed elsewhere, but I think it's worth mentioning again. Review forthcoming.

Jenny Lewis - Acid Tongue
From what I've heard so far, Acid Tongue is another standout album from the Rilo Kiley front woman.

These United States - Crimes
An interesting alt-rock album with folk and Americana influences. Much stronger than their previous effort.

Blitzen Trapper - Furr
A blast back to the past filled with Neil Young-style folk rock songs and strange stories. Review forthcoming.

Ed Laurie - Meanwhile In The Park
I don't know much about Ed Laurie, but his seven song debut album immediately caught my attention. For fans of folk music in the vein of Nick Drake.

Mason Proper - Olly Oxen Free
An album reminiscent of 90's indie rock. Subtle, melodic, and well-written.

Gay Blades - Ghosts
An odd mix of punk, folk, and alt-rock from this guitar and drum duo determined to shake things up.


Take some time and check these new albums (and others) out this week.

Review: TV On The Radio - Dear Science, (* * * * *)

In 2006, TV On The Radio exploded in a big way with their critically (and I would imagine somewhat commercially) successful Return To Cookie Mountain. It was deemed an instant classic, an album to which all other albums were measured against that year. It was unique, fascinating, visionary, and I didn’t really like it. I know, I know. Maybe it was just beyond my capacity to understand and appreciate. Whatever the reason, the album didn’t do it for me. I decide to give TV On The Radio another shot with Dear Science (I'm going to leave the comma out of the album name for punctuation's sake), one of the most anticipated releases of the year and an impossible one to ignore. It completely blew me away and has immediately become one of my favorite albums this year.


Dear Science marks TV On The Radio’s foray into modern pop music territory. I realize that might sound scary to some, but with the plethora of ideas and amount of experience the band brings to the table, nobody should be worried. While borrowing from a variety of bands and styles (“Golden Age” sounds like it was co-produced by Beck; “Crying” has all the funk and falsetto of Prince), TV On The Radio never sound derivative, providing their unique signature to each song. Credit should go to multi-instrumentalist and producer David Sitek for giving the album a warm, full sound and finding the balance between familiarity and experimentation. The menacing horns on “Red Dress” make for a danceable apocalyptic party tune, strings and keys add to the poignancy of “Family Tree,” and “DLZ”s distant thundering percussion is gripping and intense.


Of course, the true test of any album is not the production, but the songwriting, and Dear Science passes with flying colors. Lyricists and singers Tunde Adebimpe and Kyp Malone are in fine form here; using their melodic and emotional voices to great effect. The beautiful harmonies and catchy choruses often belie very serious lyrical undertones dealing with death, change, and fighting the powers (Bush, probably) that be. Even if the tracks are easy to enjoy on a more superficial level, the depth of the writing makes the album truly special. The songs are both immediately accessible, and immensely rewarding upon subsequent listens.


Blending an eclectic mix of styles, cultures, and sounds, TV On The Radio have created what should once again serve as a measure for albums made not only this year, but well into the future. Dear Science is a triumphant testament to the vitality of pop music.


Favorite Tracks: “Golden Age,” “Red Dress,” “Crying”

Hear the full album on their MySpace Page

Review: Johnny Foreigner - Waited Up Til It Was Light (* * * 1/2)

Johnny Foreigner's debut full-length album, Waited Up Til It Was Light plays something like Bloc Party's Silent Alarm and Los Campesinos' Hold On Now Youngster... if they were somehow combined and played at 2x speed. When Alexei Berrow starts to sing, you might mistake him for Kele Okereke actually having a good time, which is a weird experience. Johnny Foreigner have a unique and exciting sound, though, and are sure to develop a loyal following among the indie crowd with this energetic debut which drops in the States Tuesday.

Waited Up Til It Was Light is a punk record at heart; a head-spinning mess of shouted vocals, spastic guitar lines, and frenetic drumming. Berrow and bandmate ­­­ Kelly Southern don’t as much harmonize as they yell in unison, swap phrases, and occasionally test the limits of what human ears can withstand. It’s noisy and sloppy, but the melody usually manages to shine through, like on the catchy “Eyes Wide Terrified” and “Our Bipolar Friends.” It’s a fun experience throughout, occasionally silly and often exhilarating


By the end of the album, though, the energy isn’t enough to keep the music from becoming a little uninteresting. “Sometimes, In The Bullring” and “Yr All Just Jealous” suffer from their placement at the end of the record, providing nothing that hasn’t been heard in the previous nine songs. One of the best moments of the record is the delicate “DJ’s Get Doubts,” when acoustic guitars and strings are the only background for the two vocalists. I enjoyed it so much I found myself disappointed when the next track sprang back into the same frantic pace of the first half.


Though the album may wear out its welcome before it’s over, Waited Up Til It Was Light is an enjoyable and exciting burst of energy that should certainly make some waves. I look forward to hearing what Johnny Foreigner comes up with next.


Favorite Tracks: “Our Bipolar Friends,” “The End and Everything After,” “DJ’s Get Doubts”



Johnny Foreigner's MySpace

Review: Kings of Leon - Only By The Night (* * *)

Just last year, Kings of Leon released their fantastic third album Because Of The Times, one of my favorite rock records of 2007. Though they alienated a portion of their fan base (just read the iTunes reviews) with their smoother, arena-rock sound, it seems they had no trouble in gaining new followers. With their upcoming release Only By The Night, Kings of Leon continue to separate themselves from the gritty, dirty sound of their older material, opting for U2-esque guitars, polished production, and more ballads than you can shake a stick at. This time around I think I might be among the disillusioned.

That's not to say that Only By The Night is a terrible album, because it's not. Nor am I referring only to the stylistic changes, though that's part of my frustration. The real problem here is the uneven nature of the songwriting. Singer Caleb Followill, one of three brothers in the band along with their paternal cousin, turns in some of his finest vocal performances, but they seem wasted on the weaker material. In earlier albums, the lyrics were passable because they were simple and second to the music. Here, the lyrics get a chance to shine front-and-center and occasionally it's a problem. For instance, it’s possible to get away with lines like "So we dance all night, and dance all day, I say!” or “yeah, your sex is on fire!” but when sung with such fervor they become impossible to ignore.


Musically, when the band turns up the volume and brings the heat, the smoother new sound works. "Crawl," "Be Somebody," and "Sex On Fire" are solid rock songs which might not have the edge of the band's best, but the soaring vocals and big guitars are hard to resist. Unfortunately, the amplifiers don't get turned to '11' all that often, and when the pace slows, some of the songs seem tedious. The bland "Use Somebody," and the creepy, cowbell-heavy (thanks Bruce!) "I Want You" are the worst offenders. Though not all of the ballads are unsuccessful ("Notion" is fantastic), most of the remaining songs fall into the good-but-not-great category. Only By The Night just doesn’t reach frequently enough the standard set by its predecessors.


Kings of Leon are a talented band with great ambition, and Only By The Night is a decent album, especially if heard without referencing their previous work. It’s hard not to feel disappointed, though, when you know the band is capable of much more.


Favorite Tracks: “Crawl,” “Sex On Fire,” “Notion”