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She’s never been the most prolific artist, but since entering the ‘domestic bliss’ portion of her life, Sarah McLachlan has established a recording schedule that would make Enya jealous, releasing only one album of original material in the last decade. Give Arista credit for doing what it can to stuff the gap, though — Rarities, B-Sides, and Other Stuff Volume 2 comes on the heels of a deluxe reissue of her Mirrorball live album, which itself followed her second live album, Afterglow Live. Given this paucity of new material, it would be wonderful to be able to say that the 14 songs collected here present some sort of significant value for McLachlan fans, but they really don’t. Her voice sounds beautiful no matter what she’s using it for, but the bulk of Volume 2 consists of goopy soundtrack cuts (like “Ordinary Miracle”) and live cuts. And who let Bryan Adams in here? Or thought it would be a good idea for anyone else to hear McLachlan playing hook girl on DMC’s god-awful “cover” of “Cat’s in the Cradle”? There are a few cool things in here, but do yourself a favor and cherry-pick them from your favorite digital storefront and leave the rest. (Arista 2008) |
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Swedish singer/songwriter Anna Ternheim’s apparent musical ambitions are best summed up with her cover of Fleetwood Mac’s “Little Lies,” featured here: All 10,000 layers of plastic ‘80s bombast are stripped away, leaving Christine McVie’s lover’s lament huddled, naked and shivering in the corner, and changing it in the process from an FM-friendly pop song into something darker and deeper. There’s something vaguely disquieting about Ternheim’s wind-chilled delivery here, and it threatens to coalesce in the first half of Halfway to Fivepoints, but the bulk of the album’s back half meanders from one pale mid-tempo ballad to another; between sixth track “No Subtle Men” and penultimate song “Black Widow,” you’re liable to catch yourself thinking about your grocery list, your doctor’s appointment, your projects at work…pretty much anything but the music. There are nice touches throughout, and Ternheim’s a likable enough performer, but she doesn’t have the material to carry her perpetually detached, smooth-to-a-fault vocals. For background music, you could certainly do worse, but who needs more of that? (Decca 2008) |
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Bar none the sauciest pop record released this year, the songs on Waves and the Both of Us, the debut by 20-year-old Charlotte Sometimes (name taken from the book and not the Cure song, thank you) are deceptively complex. The airy, hook-laden melodies flow innocently enough, but the lyrics are thick with sex, jealousy and contempt, like Natalie Imbruglia singing songs from Jagged Little Pill. The title track, for example, sounds like a prom theme, until Charlotte instructs her subject, “I take off your shirt /You pull up my skirt,” then informs him that he “better slide into me.” Now take into account the slick, within-an-edge-of-its-life production by S*A*M and Sluggo (with some much-needed assistance from Jack Joseph Puig, a.k.a. The Man with the Golden Ears), and you have a record whose mind is very much at odds with its body. Unless, of course, they’re targeting oversexed teenagers, in which case they hit the bulls-eye. As contemporary pop records go, this is definitely smarter and catchier than the usual drivel, but pray your daughter doesn’t hear it until she turns 25. (Geffen) |
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The first edition of this compilation of former “American Idol” contestants was pretty bad, and while Volume 2 is itself pretty bland, the songs as a whole are a little better this time around. This round of singers is also moderately talented, but you can’t listen to this album without feeling like you’re hearing glorified karaoke. Maybe it’s the production, maybe it’s the arrangements, or maybe it’s the talent compared to everything else being released in the pop world, but there is just something missing. Alaina Alexander from Season 6 delivers three tracks that probably won’t have you humming along, and her voice isn’t all that memorable either. Rudy Cardenas, also from last season, has three distinct styles on here — R&B/pop/Jason Mraz, rock, and sappy ballad — and the third one is so bad that it evens out the fact that the first two songs are pretty decent. Then there is Sarah Mather from Season 4, who has a decent enough voice, but the songs are only average. Finally, Gedeon McKinney chose to write all of his own material, which was not a good idea. McKinney’s material is very amateurish, and brought the rating of this whole set down a full half-star. So we’re halfway with these four Volumes, and by this time next year, it’s likely that you’ll all have forgotten about these four singers from Volume 2 the same way you did when their seasons on “Idol” ended. (LABEL: Artists Addiction/Rocket Science) Website: www.artistsaddiction.com Filed under: Rock and Pop and Alternative and CD Reviews and American Idol and CD QuickTakes Comments: None |
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Think of it as the Chairman of the Board’s version of those 1 albums that Elvis Presley and the Beatles released a few years ago. Granted, the songs collected on Nothing but the Best are not all Number One singles – in fact, it’s startling to see how many of these well-known songs didn’t even crack the Top 40 – but this is as bulletproof as Reprise-era Sinatra compilations get. “Strangers in the Night,” “Somethin’ Stupid,” “A Very Good Year,” “My Kind of Town,” “Fly Me to the Moon,” “Luck Be a Lady,” “Theme from New York, New York,” they’re all here. Of course, this album has no reason whatsoever to exist – Sinatra’s catalog has gone through the “reissue, repackage, repackage” machine more than anyone outside of, well, Elvis and the Beatles – but if you are one of the ten people left that do not own any of Sinatra’s music, you have officially run out of excuses. (Label: Reprise) |
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You can tell that Guy Strzepeck and Craig Maseratti, the duo who form Audiocrash, are really trying here on their album Time Sensitive Material. But perhaps they’re trying too hard. Honestly, it’s hard to think of the last time I’ve heard a CD where the lead singer sounds as corny as he does on this disc. Guy is straining far too hard for the cool rock dude sound in his voice, going for one of those raw, throaty deliveries that sounds like the kind of thing Trey Parker hilariously parodies on any given episode of “South Park” or in the “Team America” flick. Songs like “Captain America” and “I Can’t Feel You Anymore” is the stuff bad rock nightmares are made of. Then there’s the production, which is just too damn sterile for its own good. This undoubtedly has to do with Maseratti handling all the instrumental and production duties himself. The songs sound like they’ve been suffocated in some sort of plastic coating with no room to breathe. Still, I suppose you can’t fault them for trying, and the music overall isn’t as bad as the worst I’ve heard. Perhaps their live show is better, but as far as what these guys have to work with on this CD, they’re honestly not going to get very far. Another DIY demo gussied up to look like a finished work. Pass. (Label: Dirty Garage Records, 2008) |
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In today’s age of needing a “spin” or a “hook” in order to make a product appealing, Leeds quintet Your Vegas is refreshingly gimmick-free. Their Editors-meets-Keane form of epic pop rock doesn’t try to change the world or reinvent the wheel; indeed, they seem perfectly content to take turns rocking out (“Aurora”) or inciting a lighter/cell phone-waving moment (“How the War Was Won”). And while these songs show an impressive level of songcraft in their arrangements and sky-high choruses, many of the songs are missing that extra umph to push them to the next level. It’s all extremely pleasant while it’s playing, but much of it will be forgotten once it’s finished. Still, there is talent here, so here’s hoping they step up on album number two. (Label: Universal/Republic) |
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If it seems like there’s been an overabundance of both male and female singer/songwriters the past five years, that’s because, well, there has been. Maybe it’s because recording technology has allowed more and more artists to make albums, but too many of them think they can and really can’t. Those who know how to write solid songs are the ones who stand out, and the ones who have strong vocal ability on top of that stand out even further. New Zealand native Brooke Fraser has all that and more, and her sophomore album, Albertine, is very likely to put her on the map here in the States. Fraser has a breathy, sexy voice, and a pop sensibility brought out by acclaimed producer Marshall Altman (Marc Broussard, Matt Nathanson). You might hear hints of Chantal Kreviazuk or another Down Under artist, Natalie Imbruglia. But Fraser has the kind of songs, some of them inspired by a trip to Rwanda in 2005, that should have her surpassing both of those names in global popularity—if not now, then definitely soon. (Columbia/Wood & Bone) |
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The NME has said that Shy Child “are to Kraftwerk what the White Stripes are to Led Zeppelin,” but it might be more accurate to compare drummer Nate Smith and keyboardist/vocalist Pete Cafarella to Brendan Fraser in “Encino Man” – like his miraculously preserved caveman, this keytar-rockin’ duo comes straight out of a bygone era. Not that that’s a bad thing, mind you – especially if you’ve ever wondered what it might sound like if your favorite early ‘80s New Wave band had survived the last quarter century intact. (Duran Duran doesn’t count.) As the album’s title promises, Smith and Cafarella make an incredible racket here, spinning an impressively dense web of sound out of their drums ‘n’ keys setup. And oh, those keys – you haven’t heard synth tones like this since the closing credits of “Revenge of the Nerds.” Repeated listening to the keyboard solo in “What’s It Feel Like?” may cause spontaneous hair-feathering. It’s all a lot of fun, honestly, even if the endlessly uptempo beats do start to get a little ear-numbing after awhile; Cafarella’s gulping vocals are perfect for the material, and it’s a blast hearing actual drums on a dance record. You probably won’t find yourself humming any of these songs after they’re over, but after 40 solid minutes of ass-shaking, who feels like humming anyway? (Kill Rock Stars 2008) |
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Glen Phillips was the main voice of ‘90’s pop band Toad The Wet Sprocket, a band that had a pretty nice run of success. But since the band split, there has been a noticeable lack of magic coming from Phillips’ music. His solo efforts, including 2006’ Mr. Lemons, have been good, but not coming close to some of the great Toad material. Now, with a short detour into unique subject matter, Phillips has returned with a six-song EP called Secrets of the New Explorers. Phillips’ buddy John Askew collaborated on this effort, and though Phillips came from scientist parents, the subject matter idea was sparked by a conversation the two had when they began writing the songs. The result? An extremely interesting diversion for Phillips, with song titles like “Solar Flare” and “Space Elevator.” Most of the tracks are decent, but there are flashes of brilliances, such as on “They’ll Find Me” and “The Spirit of Shackleton.” On those, if you change the lyrical content, they could have come straight from Toad’s stunning Dulcinea album. (LABEL: Umami Music) |
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David Fagin, former front man of the controversial group the Rosenbergs, has arrived with his debut solo effort, For Promotional Use Only. Fagin has been outspoken in his my-way-or-the-highway approach to the music industry, and was one of the first artists to realize that you can make money on your own without the help of a record label, and that in doing so you can retain creative control. Through it all, Fagin has remained true to himself and his fans, and has created a set of blissful, harmony-drenched pop that is a bit more personal and introspective than the straight-ahead fare of his former band. And while most of the 11 tracks are nicely arranged, and at times oddly happy sounding breakup tunes (“Mess of Love” and “Cry”), there are a few numbers here that are a cut above the rest. “Dust” is a driving, haunting rocker, and the dreamy “Neverland” is not only the best song on this album, it’s one of the best on anyone’s album this year. (Noshpit) |
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What Made Milwaukee Famous hails from Austin, Texas. (Insert geographical joke here.) But seriously, like fellow Austinites Spoon, WMMF’s wheelhouse is perfectly hooky indie rock. The album’s signature song, “The Right Place,” is two minutes of bliss accentuated by the steep changes in frontman Michael Kingcaid’s vocals. The band pulls off an update of Billy Joel’s “My Life” on the infectious “Sultan,” which combines that classic acoustic guitar with a horn section, some keyboard play and a few drum flourishes. Some might find “Middle of the Night” repetitive, but the chorus (or is it the verse?) – “somewhere in the middle of the night / everything’s gonna be all right” – followed by the verse (or is it the chorus?) – “what you need is love / sweet love” – is so damned basic and pretty that it’s the perfect pick-me-up after a bad day. (If this sounds good, go back and listen to “Bldg. a Boat from the Boards in Your Eye” from Trying Never to Catch Up, the band’s debut.) What Doesn’t Kill Us isn’t going to win any Grammys, but it’s a strong sophomore effort full of good, if not great, songs. (Barsuk 2008) |
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After a teaser of a four-song EP in 2007, Chicago rock band Absentstar is back with their debut full-length on Columbia Records, Sea Trials. This quintet has a Brit-pop feel, resembling a cross between the Killers, Keane, and a more melodic version of Blue October. Produced by Semisonic’s Dan Wilson, Absentstar delivers a 12-song set of blazing pop tunes with interesting arrangements and soaring choruses. Lead singer Derek Ingersoll tends to overdo it with that fake British vocal thing, but there’s no denying that this is a talented band with some solid songs. “Half Life” and “For God’s Sakes” are no-brainers as some of the best work here, and were also on the EP. But there is beauty in some of the newly released tracks, such as the haunting “Life Support,” which is driven by raunchy guitar riffs; and “All is Forgotten,” a really pretty piano anthem. Absentstar is not going to set the world on fire, but Sea Trials is certainly a promising debut. (Columbia) |
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Seth Timbs and his mates in Fluid Ounces better check their playbooks, because Washington D.C. trio Jukebox the Ghost lifted entire chapters of it for their debut Let Live and Let Ghosts. “Where Are All the Scientists Now?” in particular feels like Fluid Ounces’ In the New Old Fashioned Way album rolled into one song which, for the uninitiated, is a very, very good thing. Granted, the explosive piano work by singer Ben Thornewill is sure to draw more comparisons to Ben Folds than Timbs, but the sad truth is that Folds hasn’t made a record this effervescent in over a decade. Jukebox the Ghost takes the three-man approach of Ben Folds Five, replaces the bass with a guitar, and creates music that merges Queen’s bombastic spirit with the minimalist approach of the White Stripes. Prog rock for sissies, if you will. It’s quirky and undeniably fun, but a few more hooks would take this material a long way. Love the attitude and approach, though. (The Rebel Group 2008) |
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Give OMD credit for knowing the limits of their marketplace potential, and serving up a live record that is right in the wheelhouse of the very people (only people?) who would still consider buying an OMD album at this point in time. Live: Architecture & Morality & More, on paper, is a die-hard’s dream come true, a track-by-track performance of the band’s most highly regarded album, fleshed out with various hit singles from the rest of the band’s catalog. The execution, however, is another matter. The mostly down-tempo album doesn’t exactly leap out of the speakers, Paul Humphreys’ keyboard tracks lack the punch of their studio equivalents, and on the two songs where Humphreys sings lead (“Souvenir” and “(Forever) Live and Die),” his voice wavers all over the place. Such a tantalizing idea – how sweet would it be to see ABC do The Lexicon of Love, or the Human League do Dare, in a similar environment – but two more weeks of rehearsal would have done wonders. (Eagle Records) |
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