New Music from 2/8/2011 - Cut Copy, Nicole Atkins, and ...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead

Cut Copy Zonoscope - The four person synth/electropop band from Down Under release their third full-length album.  I saw them live about five years ago when they were the opening act for what I believe was a Franz Ferdinand show.  On this album they have a pretty cool photo montage cover with the Empire State building being buffeted by a deluge of water but now, more importantly,  let's see if this album manages to sink or swim.  (Silly rhetorical question: If an Australian band drops an album internationally in February, would that be considered a summer or winter release?)

"Need You Now" begins the party with a downtempo trance beat that slowly builds to a cheery crescendo as the six minute song closes.  "Take Me Over" is the first single off the album and it's easy to see why with its airy music and breezy vocals creating a fun summer pop song.  "Where I'm Going" is structured like a more traditional pop song with a slower tempo and a more customary singing style.  "Pharaohs and Pyramids" really showcases the band's songwriting skills using house music synthesized beeps and bloops and turning them into a really catchy melody.  The album closes with the very distinct and clever "Sun God" which is a fifteen minute track that will take you on a journey that's part New Order, part Paul Oakenfold, and part Pink Floyd. 

Zonoscope is a more synth heavy album from Cut Copy.  Less of the songs are guitar driven on this album than on their previous two, instead going for a stronger electropop feel.  However, the overall tone of the album is more complete and complex than their previous releases, with crafty songwriting and catchy arrangements in the individual songs, a well thought out track layout, and top-notch production work.  There are a couple of throwaway songs with the vocal work being the most inconsistent aspect of the disc but the album succeeds as a whole on many different levels and is best digested in one happy sitting. 

Score: 9/10
Song(s) to Sample: "Take Me Over" [sample it below] and "Sun God"

...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead Tao of the Dead - The hard jamming progrock quartet from Texas release their second album since they left the Interscope Records label and seventh full-length album overall.  Producer Chris Coady (Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Beach House) works with the band for the first time on this album.   This disc gets a normal and deluxe version releases although I haven't been able to determine the difference between the two from my research online. 

The disc starts with the purely acoustic "Let Us Experiment" which begins with a heavy ambient feel before guitars and drums start rolling in to shock the song to life.  That segues to "Pure Radio Cosplay" that has hard rocking and feedback heavy guitar riffs over subtle drum work.  The most enjoyable track on the album is "The Wasteland" which opens with a slow acoustic guitar riff and then builds to  a more standard hard rock feel as the song progresses with an extremely catchy hook.  "Weight of the Sun (or the Post-Modern Prometheus)" is another standout song that somehow manages to credibly blend a pop feel that opens the song with some not-messing-around hard rock guitar and vocal work during the chorus.

Tao of the Dead is a well made and complexly layered album although the psych/hard/prog rock music still will not appeal to more mainstream listeners.  I was pleasantly surprised how well put together and the elaborateness of the sound on the disc given the fact that the band is now independently produced.  I was never a huge fan of the band before but I found myself enjoying the journey this album took me on.  Trail of Dead probably will win over only a few new fans with this album but their existing fans should be very happy because this release shows more growth in the band's music while not shunning their hard rocking style. 

Score:  7/10
Song(s) to Sample: "The Wasteland" and "Weight of the Sun (or the Post-Modern Prometheus)" [sample it below]

Nicole Atkins Mondo Amore - American singer/songwriter Nicole Atkins releases her second full-length solo album.  Some people might be familiar with her work in the band Nicole Atkins & the Sea although I suspect more people will be unwittingly familiar with her because two of her songs from her last full-length album, 2007's Neptune City, were used on TV commercials here in the States a few years back (one was an American Express commercial and the other was for Gap Old Navy).

The disc opens with "Vultures" which has seductive guitar and violin work, a simple beat, and raucous vocals to create an interesting if not great blues-y opening for the album.  The  generally pleasing although a bit too standard during the bridge and chorus "Cry Cry Cry" follows and lightens the mood of the album despite the somewhat ominous title.  "You Come to Me" has toe-tapping beat and sounds like an alt blues/rock song from the late 70's or early 80's (think a faster tempo Siouxie & The Banshees-esque song) while "My Baby Don't Lie" has a more classic blues feel.  "You Were the Devil" has a sexier feel that sounded like a song from the 70's with its haunting violin work laying the groundwork for the subdued but salient lead guitar moments. 

Overall, Mondo Amore is a mixed bag of songs.  The album is at its best during the slower, blues inspired tracks where Atkins sexily husky singing voice can add a level of moodiness and tension ("Vultures" and "You Were the Devil") or on the tracks inspired by music from past decades ("You Come to Me").  It was actually some of the uptempo songs that felt more generic to me with less of Atkins' personality able to shine through the tepidness of the arrangements ("Cry Cry Cry").  There's a couple of really gratifying songs on the disc but it's not an album that will get played regularly on my iPod.

Score:  6.5/10
Song(s) to Sample: "You Come to Me" and "You Were the Devil" [sample it below]