The Week in Albums: May 27

After a week of boring and altogether ignorable releases, The Week in Albums returns with a couple decently reviewed records and one painful reminder of promising talent that has ultimately gone no where. Aww shucks.

#1
Pala
Friendly Fires
XL Records

The past ten years have seen hundreds of English bands mining the post-punk years of the late 70s and early 80s for musical inspiration. However, while most of these groups have gone straight to critically beloved acts like Joy Division or Gang of Four, Hertfordshire trio Friendly Fires have their sights set squarely on Duran Duran. None of that hip moodiness or atmospheric gloom for them, just funky, edgy, dance-friendly pop songs. It's taken the band a while to move past the neseccary imitation stage, but on Pala, their second album, Friendly Fires are finally beginning to sound unique and noteworthy. Singles "Live Those Days Tonight" and "Hawaiian Air" are big, summer-y and quite determined to get parties started. However, the less bombastic tracks (such as the title song) and more experimental attempts ("True Love") hint at an even more promising future for the band. The lyrics throughout are generally horrible, but that hasn't stopped many other bands from turning out high-quality pop. Pala may not be the album of the year, but it's certainly worth hearing and bodes well for a band that was in danger of becoming "just another Brit-rock band."

Simon's Grade:



#2
W
Planningtorock
DFA

Full disclosure time: I know very little about Planningtorock, aka Janine Rostron. This Berlin-based English performer first came to my attention through her collaboration with the Knife on last year's Tomorrow, in a Year, an insanely ambitious electro-opera about Charles Darwin. However, that brief exposure, combined with some positive reviews of her new album W convinced me to check her music out for myself. Long story short, I'm very glad I did. The Knife remains the best comparison here, since Rostron is another female musician who electronically distorts her voice beyond any recognizable gender. Dramatic, artful and perhaps a bit indulgent, this is very theatrical music, far removed from anyone's idea of pop accessibility. However, if you have the patience and/or interest in more avant-garde music, tracks such as "Doorway" and the exceedingly odd "Manifesto" can be quite rewarding. Give W a listen, form your own opinion and decide from there.

Simon's Grade:



#3
Brilliant! Tragic!
Art Brut
Downtown Records

Back in 2005, Art Brut seemed like the next great hope for garage bands. On their debut album, Bang Bang Rock & Roll, frontman Eddie Argos and his band of misfit musicians sang about the simplest things in the simplest ways possible and the result was eighty types of charming. But then we got a second album... and a third... and now we have Brilliant! Tragic!, the latest in a long line of Art Brut albums that are only full of disappointment. This is a band that announced their arrival on the music scene by screaming "formed a band! We formed a band!" but are now recording dreary intro tracks like "Clever, Clever Jazz," where Argos shouts about jazz appreciation for a few directionless minutes. Likewise, the softer tracks, such as "Lost Weekend," can't measure up to the "Emily Kane"s of albums past. It's never fair to constantly measure a band's latest songs against the stuff that made them famous... but in Art Brut's case, each new track only reminds us fans that we're never going to get another Bang Bang Rock & Roll ever again. Forgive me for being bitter about that.

Simon's Grade:

The Week in Albums: May 13

This was another busy week for releases, with at least half a dozen major new albums hitting shelves. Many of them got very good reviews, so the three profiled below are only the tip of the iceberg. I'll try to cover a few more of the highlights over the coming weeks.

#1
Smother
Wild Beasts
Domino Records

First things first: there just aren't any bands out there these days that sound anything like Wild Beasts. With their hypnotizing combination of percussion, silky guitar lines and Hayden Thorpe's falsetto vocal style, this English quartet have carved out a very specific niche for themselves following their 2009 breakthrough, Two Dancers. The past two years have been fairly quiet for the band, but here they are, releasing their much-anticipated third album, Smother. All of the elements that made Two Dancers so memorable have returned, but the album dives even further into the murky, libidinous world hinted at in the band's earlier work. On the album's best tracks, particularly "Bed of Nails" and "Plaything," Wild Beasts find a way to reconcile an indie rock musical sensibility with the palpable sexiness of good R&B. Mind you, it's a complex type of sexuality, where pain and uncertainty seem as important as pleasure, but given the general aversion to sex in most hipster-approved music, Wild Beasts' willingness to create songs this blatantly sexual is both admirable and welcomed. Especially given the vocal interplay between Thorpe and Tom Fleming, the band's secondary vocalist and all-purpose foil to Thorpe's dramatics, Smother recasts the whole genre into a gender-bending, androgynous space of beauty. There are Smiths comparisons to be made here, along with nods to lesser known artists such as the Associates and even a bit of Marc Almond, but much of what Wild Beasts are doing here is completely their own. It's wonderful to see this unique band building upon their established strengths and releasing one of the absolute highlights of the year so far.

[Note: sadly, the songs I want you to hear are not available through YouTube. So, here's the video for Smother's first single, "Albatross," instead.]

Simon's Grade:



#2
Burst Apart
The Antlers
Frenchkiss Records

Speaking of unconventional, uncompromising bands, New York's the Antlers scored big this week with Burst Apart, the follow-up to their own big breakthrough album, Hospice. Despite operating at dangerous levels of earnestness (the whole album is about watching a loved one die of cancer), Hospice succeeded thanks to some breathtaking melodies and an shameless ability to reach for epic musical moments. In lesser hands, such heavily conceptual and overblown antics would feel pretentious or just plain irritating, but the Antlers' leader, Peter Silberman, manages to stick the landings. Burst Apart finds the band scaling back a bit, counting on quality songwriting to carry the weight rather than high concept narratives. For the most part, the songs are up to the task. "Parentheses" is probably my favorite thing the band has ever done, blending queasy atmospherics with sudden, jarring bursts of guitar riffage. Similarly, "No Windows" and "Every Night My Teeth are Falling Out" are catchy and compelling, often referencing electronic dance music more than traditional guitar rock. Only towards the end of the album, when things start drifting into power balladry and corniness, does the album show signs of weakness. The Antlers have proven that they're not afraid of making unusual musical gestures and with the release of Burst Apart, they're looking more and more like a reliably great band.

Simon's Grade:



#3
Goblin
Tyler, the Creator
XL Records

Finally, in keeping with the theme of challenging new albums, we have the difficult case of Tyler, the Creator and his polarizing second album, Goblin. For those who haven't been anywhere near the internet in the past year, Tyler Okonma is the 20-year-old leader of Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All (or OFWGKTA), a group of extremely young Los Angeles rappers who have achieved substantial popularity. They've developed a well-deserved reputation for making iconoclastic, difficult music, far removed from mainstream hip-hop... or contemporary moral values. Accusations of misogyny and homophobia are certainly justified by their lyrics, while murder and general violence are common themes throughout everything they've released. Ahh, but then we have the Eminem factor: the group possesses immense musical talent. Tyler is definitely the star of the show and here, on Goblin, we see him at his best and worst. On one hand, the music here is powerful and refreshingly direct, best heard on lead single "Yonkers." Tyler's gruff voice is a feat in and of itself, given that he's several years younger than me but sounds as grizzled as they come. Then you've got songs that depict imaginary conversations between Tyler and his therapist, such as the title song, which are fascinating attempts to unravel the relationship Tyler has with the media and his public persona. These songs are dark and insightful... but for every one of these gems, there's something like "Radicals" or "Transylvania," which are just lazy exercises in shock value. Perhaps Goblin needed an editor. Maybe Tyler is just an immature young man. Either way, judging the album and the rest of the OFWGKTA output remains difficult. I won't tell you that there isn't redeeming musical value here, because some of these tracks are incredible. But there's also a lot of pointless hate and anger, and Tyler hasn't yet reached Eminem's level of channeling that energy into interesting music. So, listen at your own risk.

Simon's Grade:



Also this week: Eye Contact by Gang Gang Dance (3.5 pretzels) and I Am Very Far by Okkervil River (3 pretzels)

The Week in Albums: May 6

The first week of May brings with it two big releases from high profile artists. Rounding out this post is another highly acclaimed album from earlier in the year that slipped through the cracks.

#1
Helplessness Blues
Fleet Foxes
Sub Pop

Arguably the biggest musical export out of my hometown of Seattle since the 90s, Fleet Foxes burst onto the scene in 2008 with their self-titled debut. Their careful combination of traditional American folk and indie/songwriter sensibilities struck a resounding chord with critics and the record-buying public alike. It has since been crowned as one of the finest releases on the 2000s and has been sold in every self-respecting coffee shop around. So, now bandleader Robin Pecknold and his associates have been tasked with delivering a satisfying follow-up. Many bands have floundered when it comes time to record a second album, but I'm pleased to announce that Fleet Foxes have completely escaped the sophomore slump. In fact, Helplessness Blues is their best album yet. As one of the three people on Earth who weren't totally in love with their debut, all reservations and doubts I had about Fleet Foxes have been dispelled by this assured and rich album. The title track serves as a solid entry point, but the heart of the album lies in the smaller or more challenging songs, like the agile "Bedouin Dress" or the cacophonous sprawl that overwhelms "The Shrine/An Argument." The melodies are compelling, the lyrics are evocative and Fleet Foxes' music has never been deeper. I have little doubt that Helplessness Blues will be seen as one of the masterpieces of the year.

Simon's Grade:



#2
Hot Sauce Committee Part Two
Beastie Boys
Capitol Records

Yup, they're still around. The Beastie Boys have been doing this whole music thing since the 1980s and they've returned here in 2011 with their eighth album. Unfortunately, the group's age is starting to show. Unlike their earlier, more vital works, the music on Hot Sauce Committee feels a bit weary and worn around the edges. Singles "Too Many Rappers" and "Make Some Noise" are big, loud and energetic, but they aren't fun, which is something every Beastie Boys single should be. There just isn't anything memorable here. This isn't to say the music is bad, but it feels unfinished and a bit lazy. The rhymes don't hit like they once did and the hooks are nowhere to be found. Cameos from Nas and Santogold are welcomed, but they sure don't save the project as a whole. You're better off digging up a copy of Paul's Boutique and enjoying this great group performing at the height of their abilities.

Simon's Grade:



#3
Diamond Mine
King Creosote & Jon Hopkins
Domino Records

More or less ignored by the American music press, this beautiful collaboration between Scottish songwriter Kenny Anderson (aka King Creosote) and electronic experimenter Jon Hopkins snuck into the world back in late March. Diamond Mine is a brief album, barely exceeding half-an-hour, but the combination of Anderson's lilting songs with the majestic acoustic space created by Hopkins is enchanting. Songs like "John Taylor's Month Away" and "Running On Fumes" are perfect for late-night listening, when music this calm and spacious sounds its best. This is small, still music, but there are certainly times and places from those qualities. This has rapidly become one of my favorite hidden gems of the year.

Simon's Grade:

The Week in Albums: Apr. 29

Another quiet week for releases. I'm covering two moderately reviewed indie-friendly albums, plus an intense metal album that got some great reviews earlier in the year.

#1
Take Care, Take Care, Take Care
Explosions in the Sky
Temporary Residence

As I sit here, only days away from being done with college, it's easy to reflect back on the past four years of my life. One random observation? I've never, ever gotten into post-rock. That horribly named subgenre, with its noodling instrumental virtuosity and wide-screen epicness, is usually seen as tailor-made for the collegiate masses. It all sounds "so deep... man," which suits an environment already rife with introspection, pretentiousness and lots of discussing the meaning of life. Explosions in the Sky are one of the more beloved post-rock bands operating today, but thus far I've managed to avoid their supposed charms and Take Care, Take Care, Take Care is doing nothing to change that fact. Over forty-six minutes, the band churns out pretty guitar instrumentals, but ones that feel devoid of any tension, emotion or drive. Occasionally things get noisy, but not noisy enough. If I wanted big, sparkly grandeur, I'd play a Sigur Ros album. So there you have it. The world will shortly have one more college graduate who isn't into Explosions in the Sky. Count us while you can, 'cause we're a dying breed.

Simon's Grade:



#2
Wit's End
Cass McCombs
Domino Records

The latest in Pitchfork's endless string of left-of-center Best New Music nominees, Cass McCombs' Wit's End continues the Californian songwriter's run of good-not-great albums of tender balladry. After last year's Catacombs raised his profile, Wit's End has been getting more attention than any album in McCombs' history, mostly for the better. His songs are gentle, often sad and more than a little influenced by the radio-friendly pop-rock of the 1970s. It's an odd combination, especially given today's love of all things shoddy and low-fi, but McCombs mostly sticks the landing. Particularly with the moody opener "County Line" and the sprawling piano drama of "Saturday Song," Wit's End is packed with emotionally charged moments, bursting with pathos and minor key chord progressions. Is it all a bit schlocky? Perhaps, but there are some solid melodies and lyrical gems hidden in there. Those things are always good in my book.

Simon's Grade:



#3
Angels of Darkness, Demons of Light I
Earth
Southern Lord Record

Drone metal can be a bit of a tough sell, but I honestly find it one of the most accessible types of hard rock. Since it usually veers away from the throat-shredding vocals, growling and general scariness people associate with the genre, I think drone has plenty of crossover potential. Sure, there's that whole "seventeen-minute-songs-themed-around-death" side of things, but nobody's perfect. Angels of Darkness, however, the latest release from my fellow Seattlites Earth, provides an excellent example of how listenable drone metal can really be. Over the album's five, extremely lengthy tracks, the band runs through a series of musical themes and riffs, all with funereal pacing and a fairly gloomy atmosphere. Angels of Darkness excels due to the raw, emotional cello that underpins much of the guitar dirge, as well as some excellent use of tension and musical catharsis. The album got plenty of critical nods upon its release in February and I have a hard time saying it doesn't deserve the praise. So, go check it out. Drone metal might not seem like your thing, but Angels of Darkness makes it surprisingly palatable.

Simon's Grade: