Cold War Kids - Mine Is Yours

Even though their last album was not received well, I still liked it and would argue the everlasting hotness of "Against Privacy" until I die. So, I'm giving this album a listen even though initial reports have CWK trying to bank on a Kings Of Leon-style crossover. I'm afraid we're going to mire too deep in the pop and the insipidness. No offense to KoL, of course.

But that's what they do throughout the whole record. Any experimentation is downplayed. Songs are tight and streamlined. Choruses are big. And the band that has written songs about artist culture, alcoholic fathers, till-stealing homeless, and... isn't their biggest hit just about clothes? Anyway, they now stick feet firmly planted in lover's lane.

Now, I don't want to be a mopey unromantic type. I like a good love song like any good Hagarite should. But it's still a bummer pop-calculation move. And unlike the Kings, whose hooks on their breakthrough were absurdly undeniable - the CWK doesn't play things up that big. I still think that "Finally Begin" and "Bulldozer" has every making of a Train / Maroon 5 hit- but it's too far away from what I like about them.

There is one that got me. A pop tune with admittedly silly lyrics that inexplicably I'm a fan of. Just as inexplicable, is whatever reason some skaters made "Broken Open" their backing track to the video below.

So, the album has the stuff that could make it successful; but it won't make the Kids into Kings. (2.5 of 5 stars)

Fergus & Geronimo - Unlearn

First post in a while and I've decided to start with a completely new discovery. When doing so, I simply scour the new release list for the word "garage" and give it a listen. Whether it's an adjective for rock/punk/dance. A "garage" descriptor is better than "neo-" anything.

You're going to admire their pluck. They have chops to create some memorable minimalist tunes. Maybe they lean a little too heavy on that flute-sound from their distorted Casio. Also- the title of the songs themselves is all the irony they need to project. I get it; you're disdainful of the hipster scene that you're damned to all eternity to play for. You don't have to sing with that monotoned bored-to-death vocal as you do on "Wanna Know What Would I Do If I Was You" to over-emphasize.

But this is a duo (ish), and that's just one of the guys. The very next track, "Powerful Lovin'" does a fine job conjuring up the psyche-surf ballads of someday gone by. Send-ups, yes- I'm in. Parody-type plays to form some ironic pretense, I'm out. I would've said the same to Frank Zappa, but he's a much better musician than you guys.



Don't get me wrong. I'm just a little sensitive to people who get that chance to make a record use the opportunity to bitch about the people listening to their record. These guys aren't really bad at all. If there's a Top-10 Lof-Fi list of 2011, "Michael Kelly" might be on it. And the title track is the best (if only) doo-wop influenced track I've heard in years. (2.5 of 5 stars)

Birds Of Avalon

The self-titled NOT debut from the Birds Of Avalon is reportedly a departure. Previously a garage-rock band, this new one is decidedly more psychedelic. But unlike, say, a Portugal. The Man- the Birds are quite sloppy. Not the Beatles-influence at all. Actually, at their best, these guys can even resemble an early '70s Aerosmith. But not the boogie part. This album's "Invasion" sounds like a Rush-infused "Seasons Of Wither". Make sense?

There some backward guitar leads of basic rock riffs. Someone will have maracas to keep the beats less intense. And sometimes a keyboard is underneath it all. Sloppy, like garage style - but a lot more instrumentation than garage rock. And the song lengths are more on the psychedelic end of the spectrum (+5:00)

Another thing needed by garage rockers that is lacking here is attitude. Singer Paul Siler is one of the most matter-of-fact singers I've heard this side of Britt Daniel. And if you're going to lack attitude, you should at least bring some songwriting and melody to the table, which is not here either. What's left is a collection of songs that is trying to focus on the instrumentation to get it through. And the Birds are not jammy or qualified enough to make that dog hunt. (2 of 5 stars)

Antony And The Johnsons - Swanlights

Word on the street is that the new album by my old friend / bitter balladeer / morose master Antony is actually more on the positive end of the rainbow. A change I don't have to be too afraid of. Yes, Antony does darkness better than most, but his falsetto wail could be just as effective in songs of praise.

One of the additions that may have lead to an emotional shift is that the Johnsons, a small set of multi-instrumentalists focusing on bass registers, have employed a full classical chamber orchestra. This is apparent on album opener, "Everything Is New"- which has no other lyrical dimension than just to set up the feel.

And that orchestra is fairly dynamic and adds a film score like quality to the proceedings. But Antony's lyrics this time around seem to be even more oblique than usual. Having said that, this album has two of probably the most straightforward songs of Antony's career. "I'm In Love"- almost sounding R.E.M.-like with the Mike Mills organ underlying the effort. And the previously released single, "Thank You For Your Love", which could have been a cast off from Ray Lamontagne's horn-soaked days.

So other than a little less than half, it's not overly "happy". But the songs are not so easily defined and the dynamics of both Antony's vocals and the chamber orchestra are too confined. I would have expected Antony, and the Johnsons, to burst in the light with as much aplomb that they wallow in the darkness. (2.5 of 5 stars)

Torche - Songs for Singles

Released as an EP, it's still 8 songs long. And I call that a motherfucking album. I saw these guys in a small bar last year and look forward to the jams this cold icy afternoon.

And Torche really brings it. They have two other full length albums and are a great example of uniqueness. They've got a stoner rock sensibility in their deep fuzz tones, but they play fast with ~1:30 length songs (not a lot of droning). Plus, singer Steve Brooks has a knack for catching a good hook and singing it well. He's not pop, mind you. His voice is reminiscent of Helmet's Page Hamilton. But within that range is a great pop smidge.

This collection is that kind of good. Fast blasts of greatness fill up your first half. "UFO"; "Hideaway"; "Arrowhead". You won't go wrong. Drummer Rick Smith comes from a Keith-Moon-via-Dave-Grohl school; which is meant to be a total compliment.



"Shine On My Old Ways" reminds me somehow of a pop-metal Priest song, "Solar Angels". I can't really explain it past that. "Face The Wall" is the one that does drone on a little bit. A bit too far on the side of tedium. The closer "Out Again" is nearly fantastic, with the biggest chorus, but rides the riff out for six minutes when it doesn't need to.

I'm nitpicking though. Break this out at your next backyard beer & bbq. Before the bonghits. (4 of 5 stars)

Jamey Johnson - The Guitar Song

Being late in my blog updates, I do get the benefit of knowing a reputation of some late-year releases that already have a good reputation. And this is going to be one of the rare country albums in this blog forever. So...

Come track 5 of disc one and nothing has blown me away yet. Nothing's offensive. I certainly appreciate a well-played minor chord in "Cover Your Eyes". Everything's generally smart and Jamey's vocals are true. He's a baritone, but it would be awesome if he were more gruff. But none of these songs on the "black" disc are really that dark. He misses his daughter, he drinks and dances to the classics and L.A. is a fake city. Whoopittee-doo.

A few more tracks and I still see the juxstaposition of a guy who uses phrases like: "You can take my word but you can't cash my checks" (good line) next to "the rooster crowin' reminds me I need to fee him" (dumb line). And I don't know what "Heartache" is. Kind of like that god-awful "Lullabye" song.

At the end of the day, I think everyone got so excited at an anti-Hollywood Nashville singer that they considered him the second coming. I was hoping for as much. What I got was just a mostly well-written country record. But... it's still country. (2.5 of 5 stars)

Fabienne Delsol - On My Mind

Retro-sounding '60s psychedelic pop, like Tommy James with a chick singer. Or take any one of your British pop songstresses from the 1060s: Lulu, Lesley Gore, what have you. Now, obviously Fabienne is French, but sings mostly in English. Her voice is sweet and fun, but doesn't jump around the scales too much. Not a requirement for this kind of music- just sayin'.

Listeners to this are going to fall in one of two camps. People who love this style in its entirety. They will see no wrong with any of it and will probably be girls. They'll even stick around for the ballad that really could have been skipped in this collection.

Others of us will see some pleasantness here. We'll put a song or two in our iPods, especially the French-language songs, play it at parties. Our friends will be impressed. Especially once Wes Anderson puts a song or two in a movie (he simply has to)- proving we're ahead of the game. But we will also know that overall, the style of each song doesn't change too much and not a lot to differentiate one song to the next.

Or maybe you're a full on rocker, who isn't into sweet pop. Check out "I Feel So Blue" for some jammin' surf guitar riffs. Fun will be had. (3 of 5 stars)