New Album Reviews - 4/24/2012 - Jack White, The Dandy Warhols, and Bad Veins

Jack White Blunderbuss

The frontman for The White Stripes, The Raconteurs, and The Dead Weather writes and produces the first solo album of his career.

Although this is being billed as the premier solo album from White, fans of The White Stripes and The Raconteurs know he was the driving force behind those bands' albums so the blues-y and roots rock White gives us on this 13-track solo release won't come as a surprise. 

Thematically the album covers a wide range of topics from the metaphysical exploration of being comforted by belief in a creator ("Yet of the dark I have no fear/But feel as safe as when 'tis light/For I know God is with me there/And He will guard me through the night" from "On and On and On") to more non-sequitur subjects like the random ideas that might pop into a youth's mind ("Moby Dick is a novel novel and I like skittles/Did you eat that bone?/I'm a happy rabbit and your mother called/on the telephone" from "Freedom at 21").

Despite recently going through a divorce and the brooding, Morrisey-esque album cover (a vulture perched on his shoulder--really?!?), there is a real vibrancy and life to the arrangements and melodies that makes the entire album extremely enjoyable even on the songs with the darker themes.

That is not to say that the album is all fun and good spirits as White's songs can spiral through various emotional states all in the span of a four minute track but White does seem to enjoy making the music on the album and that fun he experienced shines brightly through the myriad of instruments he incorporates--two things that had been missing on White's most recent releases.

Blunderbuss ends up being an aural gem from Jack White where he manages to straddle the line between many polar opposites like happy vs. sad and standard blues melodies vs. funky prog-rock arrangements all with great aplomb.  This stellar album has very few faults and is easily White's best solo or group work since the apex of his White Stripes days.

Score: 9/10
Song(s) to Sample: "Missing Pieces" [sample it below], "Love Interruption" and "I'm Shakin'"

The Dandy Warhols This Machine

Over the years The Dandy Warhols have gone through many changes to their sound from power rock to electro pop with frequent stops in the alt rock genres in between.  Now let's find out what kind of music they present to us on their eighth studio album. 

This time around they mostly return back to their garage and power rock roots with tracks chock full of prominent electric guitar riffs and other rock instruments featuring heavy compression.

While I can definitely respect a return to one's roots, there is very little creativity to the individual tracks of the album which leads me to think this change was due more to convenience than inspiration as the album as a whole ends up being very tired-sounding.

Overall, there's just not a lot to love or to hate on this album--it is just kinda bland.  That album isn't overly boring but, on the flip side, it isn't terribly interesting either.  You'll be better off saving your money for a less monotonous album down the road.

Score: 4/10
Song(s) to Sample:  "Sad Vacation" [sample it below]

Bad Veins The Mess We've Made

The indie chamber rocking duo from Ohio known for putting on exciting live shows returns with their sophomore studio album.

The 10-track album opens strong with the infectious "Don't Run" which comes across as a more Pop-y version of a The Killers or a Franz Ferdinand song with its catchy guitar and synthesizer refrains that are more likely to get stuck in your head than the hook of the song. 

That's followed by the equally fun "Nursery Rhyme" and "If Then."  The former follows a more traditional rock format with grittier drums and a crooning style of vocals on the guitar driven track while the latter enchants you from the beginning with its beguiling violin intro in the atmospheric chamber rock song that builds to brilliant crescendo. 

Unfortunately, the album's tracks after that blistering three song opening can't sustain the same levels of enjoyment with more generic song writing in the middle of the album that is not able to conjure up the same magic.  There's nothing inherently wrong with the middle songs, they just don't sparkle like the tracks at the opening.

Towards the end of the album the band lets go a lot more and the album feels more free by going heavier in the chamber rock direction to great effect.  Tracks like the somber ballad "I Turn Around" and the bouncy pop song "Dancing on TV" help bring everything back home after the album loses itself a bit. 

The good news is that Bad Veins avoid the sophomore slump on this front loaded album.  While not a straight-A student this time around, it's definitely a solid B+ GPA for clever sounding songs and the brilliant incorporation of instruments on the heavy chamber rock tracks.

Score: 8/10
Song(s) to Sample: "Don't Run", "Nursery Rhyme" and "I Turn Around"

New Album Reviews - 4/17/2012 - Jason Mraz, Train and SWV

Jason Mraz Love Is a Four Letter Word

The multi-platinum and Grammy Award winning singer/songwriter from Virginia releases his fourth studio album. 

Can Mr. Mraz continue the success he found on his past two albums, both of which ranked in the Top-5 of the U.S. charts?  This time around Mraz takes a more subdued approach to his songs with the majority having a very slow- or medium-tempo.

The album opens with "The Freedom Song" which you might expect to be a breakup song based on the anti-love title of the album but instead it is a song about "how when I feel good/I sing!"  While the song itself is melodic and a pleasant listen, there seems to be a discord right off the bat between expectations based on the title and what is given to us.

Unfortunately, that discord continues over the entire album as the songs seem more concerned with living the "easy and breezy life" like in the track "Living in the Moment" than with exploring why love is a four letter word.  

The second major problem with the album is the slow tempo over the duration of the disc.  In the past, Mraz's best tracks are when he is able to weave his cleverly worded lyrics with bouncy and buoyant melodies that appeal to even the most basic pop sensibilities.  The high levels of fun that was present on all of his past releases are buried deep on this album.  The slower tempo on the album would make more sense if the album's theme followed the album's title more closely but that's a spotty proposition, at best.

Overall, it's an extremely disappointing release from Mraz who attempts to show us his more serious side by forgoing a lot of the peppiness that made his music popular in the first place.  The thing that is is consistent are his silky pop vocals and his clever lyrics rhyming style but those aspects can't bring the album up from the doldrums.

Score: 4/10
Song(s) to Sample: "The Freedom Song" [sample it below] and "Everything Is Sound"

Train California 37

The Grammy Award winning San Franciscan pop & rock trio release a new studio album that tries to replicate the success of their 2009 album that rose up the sales charts thanks to the ubiquitous single "Hey Soul Sister."

Unfortunately for the band there's not another "Hey Soul Sister" to be found on this disc but let us explore what can be found on the album.

It opens with the Billy Joel-wannabe "This'll Be My Year" which comes across as a poor man's "We Didn't Start The Fire" with its quick list-style lyrics that isn't as clever nor as catchy as the song its based upon. 

From there the album ventures more into the roots rock music you've come to expect from the band.  However the most interesting tracks shows the band is not reluctant to venture into other genres as well.

"Bruises" has country-esque guitar licks and guest vocals with Ashley Monroe to create one of the most memorable tracks off the album.  While "50 Ways to Say Goodbye" sounds like it would be a Paul Simon-lite track but instead it comes across in the beginning as cross between 80's Broadway musical (think: Chess) with a Spanish flair before transitioning into a more traditional rock song

California 37 has some bright spots but there are no blinding tracks like their uber-popular "Hey Soul Sister."  It's a mixed bag of an album that will probably still sell well to the masses.

Score: 5/10
Song(s) to Sample: "Bruises" [sample it below] and "50 Ways to Say Goodbye"

SWV I Missed Us

If you are a GenX-er or GenY-er you probably remember the group SWV (Sisters With Voices) with top hits like "Right Here/Human Nature" and "You're The One" from your high school years in the 90's before the trio broke up in 1998. Now the three ladies have gotten back together to release a new album.

What I remember about the band from their original heyday are impassioned lead vocals and luscious vocal harmonies with a tinge of sass, which are mostly still prevalent on this release. 

The sass seems to be more at bay this time around, instead replaced with a mature song writing style that probably comes with age since all three members are now in their 40's.

The album itself is chock full of similar-sounding slow R&B jams with more modern mixing techniques, a good example of which is the first released single from the album "Co-Sign."  Although the ladies still have velvety vocals, the music on the album starts to run together towards the end of the album and becomes more monotonous.

It's good to see the ladies back in action but they won't be able to conjure up anything close to their past successes on this release.

Score: 6/10
Song(s) to Sample: "Co-Sign" [sample it below] and "Keep You Home"

New Album Reviews - 4/10/2012 - Monica and The Black Seeds

Monica New Life

Monica Brown, better known to the world as the Grammy Award winning R&B singer Monica, releases her seventh studio album.

Jeez, has it really been 17 years since Monica first released Miss Thang, the album that skyrocketed her to stardom?  It must be true since Ms. Brown is now in her 30's and her music does have a more adult sound to it.

After a quick throwaway intro that completely wastes Mary J. Blige's guest appearance, the album really opens up with the first official single off the album, "It All Belongs To Me" (with Brandy), that you've probably already heard on the radio.  It's a sweet and satisfying break-up song where Monica and Brandy's vocals compliment each other well although the melody is a little too sweet for a song about having "a fit and slam[ming] the door." 

That album has a consistent adult contemporary R&B sound--no small feat considering that there are over a dozen producers credited on the album (the most famous being Jermaine Dupree and Missy Elliott).  If anything, the album is almost too similar with many of the songs seeming to blend together on repeated listens.  

It's a quality release from the R&B songstress whose weakest point is that there is very little variety in the album overall.  But what Monica does give us is more mature and in-depth than what can be found in her past releases.  It is definitely worth checking out if you're a fan of the genre but this won't be a crossover hit for the lovely Monica.

Score: 6.5/10
Song(s) to Sample: "It All Belongs To Me" (with Brandy) [sample it below] and "Cry"

The Black Seeds Dust And Dirt

The Black Seeds is an eight member dub & funk band from New Zealand that Bret McKenzie (The Flight of the Concords) used to be a member of and is the only band I know of that regularly uses a wood block in their music.

For those of us who aren't Kiwis, The Black Seeds aren't as well known but their previous four studio albums all went Platinum in NZ.  Now let's find out if The Black Seeds are poised to sprout growth in other countries as well.

The album opens with the dark but beguiling "Out of Light" that balances a thumping beat, a spooky melody and restrained vocals to create a very atmospheric track that is more downtempo industrial than pure dub on a track that is easy to be seduced by.

From there the album ventures into a more standard dub music with slightly sinister overtones until the middle of the album when songs like the instrumental jam "Loose Cartilage" bust loose with its 70's style keyboard work, funk guitar riffs and peppy feelings. 

Dust And Dirt ends up being a highly enjoyable and praise-worthy album from the New Zealanders that has it feet firmly planted in dub music but that doesn't prevent the band from expanding their sound into other genres on some tracks.  Hopefully this album helps them grow their audience outside of their home country.

Score: 8.5/10
Song(s) to Sample: "Out of Light" [sample it below], "Loose Cartilage" and "Cracks In Our Crown"

New Album Reviews - 4/3/2012 - Paul van Dyk, Wilson Phillips, and De La Soul's Plug 1 & Plug 2

Paul van Dyk Evolution

To celebrate twenty years of being one of the best known DJs in the biz, PvD releases his sixth studio album.

Jeez, I really feel old now with the realization that PvD has been around for twenty years.  I remember seeing him live back in mid-to-late 90's when he and DJs like Oakenfold and Tiesto were bringing trance to a more mainstream audience.

This release features guest vocalists like Adam Young (from Owl City) and Plumb, among others, on all but one or two tracks of the disc.  All of the tracks, as you would expect, feature tunes falling mainly in the trance genre.

Overall, it's a decent album from the DJ that will bring bouts of pleasure to both longtime fans and newer ones that are just getting into trance music.  Some of the tracks don't bring a lot of freshness to the genre but the beats are solid, the samples are lively and the guest vocalists are a welcome addition. 

Score: 7.5/10
Song(s) to Sample: "I Don't Deserve You" and "A Wonderful Day"

Wilson Phillips Dedicated

Chynna Phillips and Carnie and Wendy Williams are back with an album that covers the hit songs their parents recorded back in their The Beach Boys and The Mommas & The Poppas days. 

Even before listening to the album, I found the concept behind it to be one that was long overdue.

As the daughters of Brian Wilson or of John and Michelle Phillips, I can understand trying to get out from under the long shadows of their famous parents especially in the band's earliest years.  But it has been nearly a quarter of a century since the band began and the ladies are no longer spring chickens so it seems like an apt time to release an homage to their parents' prestiges works.

The band's still sunny vocal harmonies really shine on the majority of the album although the concept of the album is far greater than the execution of it.  Their arrangements of the songs (when the arrangements vary from the originals') show little imagination and turn the tunes into fluffy folk-pop songs.

This might come down to personal preference, but I definitely think the band's unique vocal harmonies work a lot better on The Mommas & The Poppas' songs than on The Beach Boys' songs.

Unfortunately, the overall bland feeling this album leaves you with makes it hard for me to recommend it despite the brilliant and long overdue idea behind it.  If you are interested in picking up a disc of new cover songs, go with the Macy Gray album released last week over this one unless you plan on sharing the album with your own momma and poppa. 

Score: 5/10
Song(s) to Sample: "God Only Knows" and "Monday Monday"

De La Soul's Plug 1 & Plug 2 Present... First Serve

I'm not sure what Maseo (aka Plug 3) has been up to but the other two members of De La Soul, Pos (aka Plug 1) and Dave (aka Plug 2), get back together to release their first collaborative work since the band's 2004 album, The Grind Date.

The album contains 16 topical tracks, three of which are interludes.  At times the progressive hip-hop duo will sample or play homage to bands they have collaborated with in the past like A Tribe Called Quest but this only enhances their sound rather than making it seem dated or derivative.

The overall theme of the album is two musicians whose partnership and friendship are being torn apart by the heartless music industry.  This is actually a giant step of growth for the band whose past albums (specifically Prince Among Thieves) seemed to focus more on the standard ganster-turned-rapper scene and the melodrama that involves rather than telling an overarching opus like they do on this release.  

First Serve is a silky disk that keeps the listener enthralled from start to finish. The two bandmates blend hardcore raps with upbeat piano loops, soaring horns and even the odd harmonica and they manage to make it all sound wonderful.  Even Kanye West would be impressed. 

Score: 8.5/10
Song(s) to Sample: "The Work", "Must B the Music" [sample it below] and "Pop Life"