New Music the Week of 8/24/2010 - Part II

Usher's Versus - Usher follows up his earlier 2010 release with a nine song EP that can be bought individually or as a double-disc with the previously released Raymond v. Raymond.  I've never listened to Raymond in its entirety but I am familiar with some of Usher's earlier albums (Confessions and Here I Stand come to mind) having dated a fan of Usher's a couple of years ago. 

Taken as a whole, Versus comes closer to the lesser Here I Stand album than the superior Confessions.  I'm not just referring to the style of hip-hop given to us but also the overall quality of the album.  "DJ Got Us Fallin in Love (feat. Pitbull)" was seemingly produced to go straight to the turntables of hipster clubs and swinging after parties with its catchy if uninspired techno-lite beat.  Taken alone, the chorus  for that song seems tailor made for letting loose in an after hours dance floor.  "Lingerie" is very catchy and shows off the impressive falsetto range of Mr. Usher.  I actually like the remixed version of Justin Bieber's "Somebody to Love (feat. Justin Bieber)" better than the original, although that might be entirely due to the fact that I generally find Bieber's singing very grating and Usher's voice virtually replaces all of Bieber's parts in this version.  Unfortunately, the rest of the album isn't as good.  "Hot Tottie (feat. Jay-Z)" is a surprisingly lifeless tune and the parts sung by Jay-Z could have been done by anyone.  "Get in My Car (feat. Bun B)" has a great rap in the middle by the guest vocalist but the parts of the song that bookend his work drain all the energy from the song.  Most of the other songs feel like B-Sides that didn't make it onto Raymond. 

Overall, it is an average to above-average R&B/hip-hop album but that could be a disappointment considering the impressive body of work Usher has given us over the years.  If this album were released by a new artist, people might be seriously buzzing about it.  As it is, it seems like a cheap add-on trying to buoy sales by bundling it with the popular Raymond album.  It's not a stinker but there's not that same sparkle that can be found in some of Usher's previous albums.

Score: 6/10
Song(s) to Sample: "DJ Got Us Fallin in Love (feat. Pitbull)" and "Lingerie"

Various Artists' Going the Distance Soundtrack is the soundtrack to a movie I hope I am never forced to see.  And please don't tell me Justin Long and Drew Barrymore are becoming the Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan of the current generation because this movie and He's Just Not That Into You both looked incredibly lame.  In any case, the soundtrack follows the standard Rom-Com movie soundtrack formula of mixing familiar songs by our favorite old bands and new throwaway songs by up and coming modern artists. 

Although I have no interest in seeing the actual film, I had no qualms about listening to the accompanying soundtrack because Rom-Com movie soundtracks are generally very lite, easily palatable, and (on occasion) better than the actual movie.  To satisfy the "favorite old bands" requirement you get songs by bands like The Cure and The Pretenders while the "up and coming modern artists" requirement gets satisfied by artists like Cat Power, The Airborne Toxic, and perennial movie soundtrack favorites Eels.  The real gems are usually found in the eclectic songs that don't fit into either of the above categories.  Of these, the best are the Katie Herzig song "Hey Na-Na" which is one of those perfect summer pop tunes that get stuck in your head without being overly annoying and Passion Pit's "The Reeling (Groove Police Remix)" which has catchy vocals and a swift trance/house beat providing a toe-tapping rhythm.

Overall, it's not a bad Rom-Com soundtrack but there is nothing special about it either.  The two songs that I liked above are both available through other sources so don't feel like you need to buy this album to obtain those songs.  Of the songs that are exclusive to this album, one is a new The Airborne Toxic song and three are by a British band I had never heard of before, The Boxer Rebellion.  One of The Boxer Rebellion songs had some potential but none of the exclusive songs are good enough to make buying this album an imperative. 

Score: 6.5/10
Song(s) to Sample: Katie Herzig's "Hey Na-Na" and Passion Pit's "The Reeling (Groove Police Remix)"

Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin's Let It Sway - SSLYBY transitions to the big time in their second album.  Not only is the album noticeably more polished (thank you Death Cab for Cutie guitarist and sometime producer Chris Walla) but it gets a mid-summer release date which usually means the record label expects something big out of them.  While some might say that takes away a lot of the charm that made first album a minor success, the addition of someone as talented Chris Walla usually is a positive influence unless he completely clashes with the band.

The new album is definitely cleaner than the first one and the band's sound is now very reminiscent of a Band of Horses and a Weezer amalgamation, with a lil' bit of Postal Service thrown in.  The lyrics and title of the lead off song, "Back in the Saddle," loudly announces the band's return with its catchy banjo playing and a chorus of what sounds like mountain men singing. Songs like "Sink/Let It Sway" and "Banned (By the Man)" make Mr. Walla's presence on the album instantly known.  If you liked the sound of their original album, it's still there in songs like "Everlyn"--that sound has just been clarified with more easily distinguished guitar riffs and unsoiled cymbal crashes.  The acoustic "Stuart Gets Lost Dans Le Metro" is an indie ballad that would make even Death Cab or Badly Drawn Boy envious. 

Overall, it's a very solid album. There are a few throw away songs like "In Pairs" and "All Hail Dracula!" that bring down the overall quality of the album but it's still worth a listen if you are a fan of indie music.  On a side note, the digital album includes three bonus tracks including a B-Side that definitely should have made the album, "Cardinal Rules."  "Cardinal Rules" is one of those great summer rock anthems that is ideal for jumping up-and-down to at a large outdoor stadium.

Score: 7.5/10
Song(s) to Sample:  "Sink/Let It Sway" and "Stuart Gets Lost Dans Le Metro"