New Album Reviews - 1/31/2012 - The Asteroids Galaxy and K'naan

The Asteroids Galaxy Tour Out of Frequency

This indie pop band from Denmark is probably best known for their single "Around The Bend" which was featured in an iPod commercial a few years ago as well as in TV shows like episodes of Chuck and Gossip Girl.  This is the band's second studio album.

On this release, The Asteroids Galaxy Tour have a much lusher sound than your typical indie pop band with booming refrains that are buoyed by a boisterous horn section or clever synthesizer-driven melodies. 

In addition to the fun horn section which skews some of their songs towards an acid jazz feel, there's a strong electro feel on the other tracks where the horns are dialed down or missing altogether.  Blond bombshell and frontwoman Mette Lindberg adds a lot emotion with her slightly accented warbling although she doesn't showcase much of a vocal range. 

Overall, Out of Frequency is an album with a lot of fun and life bubbling from it.  The songs that skew more towards the acid side are the superior tracks with the electropop tracks, while still strong, have a peppy, Shonen Knife-esque feel to them. 

Score: 8/10
Song(s) to Sample:  "Heart Attack" [sample it below], "Ghost in My Head" and "Mafia"

 K'naan More Beautiful Than Silence (EP)

The multiple-Juno award winning Somali/Canadian singer, rapper and songwriter releases his first solo disc (albeit in EP form) since 2009's Troubadour.

There are five tracks total on this release and the EP lasts just under 20-minutes in length.  In addition, K'naan gets a helping hand (or, rather, voice) on separate tracks from Nas and Nelly Furtado. 

I actually am enjoying this release more than I did the very respectable Troubadour.  It might have something to do with the limited number of tracks, but the only song I found disappointing was the eponymous song which has a standard R&B melody that doesn't stand out in any way and actually drains the life from the songs that surround it.

Those other four tracks though are real standouts.  "Is Anybody Out There" and "Better" are primed to be breakout club hits with fast moving melodies and catchy hooks.  "Nothing to Lose" and "Coming to America" are rap-driven tracks with the cleverly written lyrics being worth the price of admission.  The former, which is the song featuring Nas, is clearly the superior of the two rap-heavy songs but both are worthy listens. 

The only thing that prevents this release from getting a perfect score is that it is only an EP and not a full-length album.

Score: 9/10
Song(s) to Sample: "Is There Anybody Out There", "Nothing to Lose" and "Better" [sample it below]

New Music Reviews - 1/24/2012 - The Darcys, Nada Surf, and Chairlift

The Darcys Aja

The alternative rocking quartet from our neighbors to the North (i.e. Canada, for those not in the U.S.) do a song-for-song cover of the classic jazz-rock album from the band Steely Dan.

The tracks are presented in the same order as the original so direct comparisons are easily made.  While the original version cemented its classic album status by weaving jazz harmonies into classic rock songs to create intricate and indelible song structures this new incarnation tries to push the envelope one step further by incorporating acid jazz and trip-hop beats into their versions of the songs. 

This updating works better on some songs than it does on others.  For songs like the already trippy "Aja" and "Home at Last," it seems like a more natural update to make the song more palatable for a post-millenium audience.  However for songs like the more standard-sounding "Peg" and "Josie," the integration of modern techniques actually takes away from the simple beauty that allowed you to examine the hidden depth of the songs. 

While it was a grand idea to remake an album that relied heavily on its jazz-rock sound and updating it with a more modern acid-jazz take, this release from The Darcy's fails to improve upon the original.  Then again, when you're trying to improve upon one of the greatest rock albums of the 70's, there's not a lot of room to move up.  This album gets an above average score for its sound and its creativity but the original is still a ten out of ten.

Score: 7/10
Song(s) to Sample: "Deacon Blues" and "I Got The News"

Nada Surf The Stars Are Indifferent To Astronomy

The rockers from New York release their seventh studio album.

This time around the band takes a lighter stance than on their previous albums forgoing the darker sound that permeates some of their older releases.  Even the slower, more reflective songs like "When I Was Young" don't have the harder edge you might expect from the band instead turning the song into one of serious introspection.

The album is also meticulously crafted such that even if you aren't a fan of the type of music the band churns out you should at least appreciate the clean and expertly engineered sound from the disc.  The music is richly layered with both instruments and vocals coming across clean and well balanced.

While the music on this disc is the lightest and most accessible of the band's career, it doesn't have the depth nor the complexity of their best works.  It's a great introduction for new listeners but fans of the band will find a couple of tracks to their liking but, more likely, will be left wanting.

Score: 6/10
Song(s) to Sample: "When I Was Young" [sample it below] and "Teenage Dreams"

Chairlift Something

Also hailing from New York, Chairlift is a electronica/synthpop duo who are best known for either their 2009 MTV Breakthrough Video nomination for "Evident Utensil" or, more likely, their 2008 song "Bruises" which was featured in a heavily played iPod commercial. 

On this album they go for a greater throwback feel with heavy 80's-esque synthesizer work mixed with mid-90's downtempo house music melodies.  The overall effect is you get less catchy and more overproduced songs than on their last album.  That's not to say that the music is bad on this album, but instead of going for something new-sounding and original we get more soothing, retro-inspired synth driven tracks.

Overall, Something is a very good sophomore album but let's hope for more growth by the time we get to album number three.  There's nothing wrong with looking back musically but the somber and sometimes simplistic songs on this disc hide the potential that once shown so brightly on their debut album. 

Score: 7.5/10
Song(s) to Sample:  "Amanaemonesia" [sample it below] and "I Belong In Your Arms"

New Music Reviews - 1/17/2012 - Snow Patrol & Jamuel Saxon

Snow Patrol Fallen Empires

 The alternative rockers from Northern Ireland release their first album since 2008's A Hundred Million Suns.  This album was released in the UK and in parts of Europe as early as November of last year but, for us Yanks, it arrived in stores last week.

The best thing about the album is frontman Gary Lightbody's distinctive crooning and storytelling style that we've come to love on their previous album is still as distinctive and unique as ever.  Unfortunately, the sweeping, melodic tracks that the band is known for are toned down on this disc and the songs run on the boring side.

The band spent extra time crafting these tracks but they lack the depth of the band's previous works.  The first two singles, "Called Out In the Dark" and "This Isn't Everything," are the rare tracks from the album that showcase the magic of old but even their most recent single, "New York," is more plodding that enjoyable.

Fans of the band like myself will find a handful of songs to like on this 14-tracks but overall Fallen Empires ends up being a disappointment on multiple levels.  The songs are less catchy in general, the melodies are less buoyant, and the lyrics are less inspired than what came before.  If this is the sound the band creates when they have extra time to craft songs, please return to the basics. 

Score: 6/10
Song(s) to Sample: "Called Out In the Dark" [sample it below] and "The Garden Rules"

Jamuel Saxon Pre-Madonna

This obviously pun-loving trio hails from San Diego and, according to a couple of friends I have living in the area, put on a really good live show that really highlights the band's ability to mix electronica and pop in a way that is beyond electropop.  I wasn't familiar with the band so I jumped at the chance to review their latest release out this week.

The music presented to us is definitely electropop although its more like trance and house beats with lyrics overlaid than what I would traditionally associate with a more standard electropop band.  A third of the 9-tracks disc feature raps by guest Scarub which also skews the music away from shoehorning the songs into a standard genre.

Like on the track "Swear Me" with Scarub, the band goes one step further giving us a Daft Punk-esque trance heavy electronic backing and Scarub's rapping is limited to a small section but the song is elevated to something greater due to the careful and intricate blending of the various styles.

The other tracks aren't bad by any means but other than one or two ("Fernetik" definitely springs to mind as a fun gem) but they do have less appeal.  Overall it's an album that is far from perfect but definitely shows enough spunk for me to recommend to both electronica and electropop fans.

Score: 8/10
Song(s) to Sample: "Fake Yr Death", "Fernetik" and "Swear Me"

Best and Worst of 2011 (Part II)

Happy New Year!  My apologies for the tardiness of this posting but this week we continue our countdown of the best and worst from the world of music from 2011.  Next week we return with more new album reviews including the latest from Snow Patrol!

Best Hip-Hop, Rap or R&B Album

Honorable Mentions:

1. Kanye West & Jay-Z - Watch The Throne
2. The Roots - Undun

 

Winner:

1. Raphael Saadiq - Stone Rollin' - The former member of Tony! Toni! Tone!'s album of old school R&B jams is a blast to listen to.  He borrows from past greats but he is able to create new gems that Motown wishes it could still create.

 

 

 

Best Electronica Album

Honorable Mentions:

1. Shine 2009 - Realism
2. Thievery Corporation - Culture of Fear

Winner:

1. Mocean Worker - Candygram For MoWo! - Mocean Worker eschews his reliable heavy drum and bass sound instead adding the Acid to more traditional jazz melodies that is highly danceable and extremely enjoyable.  Think the catchiest songs of St. Germain mixed with the best of Zero 7 and you have the music given to us on this superb album. 

 

 

 

 

 

Best Pop, Rock or Indie Album

Honorable Mentions:

1. Starfucker - Reptilians 
2. Clive Tanaka Y Su Orquesta - Jet Set Siempre 1°
3. Oh Land - Oh Land
4. Radiohead - The King of Limbs
5. Foster the People - Torches

Winner:

1. Danger Mouse & Daniel Luppi - Rome - This absolutely stunning soundtrack to a non-existent Western movie is both moving and beautiful.  The sound is only elevated by the sublime vocal work of Jack White and Norah Jones on the tracks featuring lyrics.  I could listen to this album endlessly. 

 

 

 

 

 

Worst Album of 2011

"Honorable" Mention:

1. Mitch Winehouse - Rush of Love

"Winner":

1. Kate Bush - 50 Words For Snow - Mitch Winehouse's album could definitely be sitting in this spot but I already picked it last week for Worst Cover Song of the year so I'm spreading the wealth with the very disappointing, puts-you-to-sleep-in-under-five-minutes release from Kate Bush.  If you need a nap, watch and listen to the video below.