Category: CD QuickTakes (Page 43 of 149)

Straight No Chaser: Christmas Cheers

December 18, 2009 /


RIYL: Quirky, comedy infused classic holiday vocal music

There really isn’t another group like Straight No Chaser. All they do is holiday-themed music, and they do it their own way – that is, a cappella. With their new one, Christmas Cheers, the follow up to 2008’s Holiday Spirits, the group took even more risks than before. The soulful, R&B-infused vocal runs, techniques and harmonies are all there, and they effectively weave comedic bits into classic material without skipping a beat. That’s all well and good, but the novelty has worn off with just 12 months between releases, and some of these tracks tend to run into one another. The opening track, “The Christmas Can-Can,” is really funny with terms like “Shop until you lose your mind.” And some of the other really pretty classics include “Christmastime is Here” and “O Holy Night,” and there is a hilarious yet nicely done version of “You’re A Mean One, Mister Grinch.” But maybe the best track of all is the studio version of “The 12 Days of Christmas,” a track the group released as a live take last year and which has become their trademark. So give Christmas Cheers a fair listen, but be warned – you may not make it past two or three listens before January. (Atlantic 2009)

Straight No Chaser MySpace Page

CD QuickTakes, CD Reviews, Vocal

Curtains for You: What a Lovely Surprise to Wake Up Here

December 16, 2009 /


RIYL: Shoes, Spongetones, Jellyfish

There may be no better example of the sheer effusive joy power pop has to offer than that offered by the band that calls itself Curtains for You. If sheer enthusiasm could be bottled and bought, this outfit could rival any soft drink factory in terms of its turnout. Here’s a band that believes in the age-old precept that insistent hooks and catchy melodies constitute the only surefire formula when it comes to making rock ‘n’ roll that matters.

The Seattle combo’s sophomore album, What a Lovely Surprise to Wake Up Here, clearly ups the ante in terms of vivacious, uninhibited pop frenzy. From ebullient opener “The Nuclear Age” with its exuberant Beach Boys harmonies, through the unabashed hook-laden refrains of “Dumb Angel” (a subtle reference to an aborted Brian Wilson title) and the gleeful “Bop-bop-shoo-op” chorus of “Title Bout,” these Curtains consistently rise on joyful set-ups. And while the relatively subdued pace of “Chain Link Fence” and the ragtime vamp of “Small Change” seem on the surface a momentary respite, that irrepressible glow remains undiminished throughout. What a lovely surprise, indeed. (Spark and Shine 2009)

Curtains for You MySpace page

CD QuickTakes, CD Reviews, Power Pop, Rock

Proud Simon: Anchors Aweigh

December 10, 2009 /


RIYL: Train, Maroon Five, Great Lakes Swimmers

Given their generally unabashed, straightforward pop perspective, Proud Simon runs the danger of being mistaken for just another modern rock contender. Under ordinary circumstances, that predicament might ensure some anonymity, and subsequently doom them to the ranks of the also-rans. Fortunately, the band’s steely attitude and clear devotion to duty shows a decided sophistication that suppresses any frivolous tendencies while making them an outfit well worth considering.

Still, as a follow-up to the band’s thoroughly impressive sophomore effort, Night of Criminals, this five-song EP falls short of the high bar set previously, and for that reason, falters by comparison. Happily, opening track “Anchors Aweigh” shows their better instincts remain intact, and while the songs that follow vary somewhat in terms of quality, each offers sufficient cause for further listening. EPs are generally a stopgap offering anyway, so there’s every reason to expect that succeeding efforts will keep the quality intact. As things stand now, Proud Simon has no need to be humble. (Proud Simon 2009)

Proud Simon MySpace page

Alternative, CD QuickTakes, CD Reviews, Melodramatic, Pop, Power Pop, Rock

Zero 7: Yeah Ghost

December 10, 2009 /


RIYL: Radiohead, Jose Gonzalez, Sneaker Pimps

Zero 7 is a project more than a band – so while Zero 7 tours as a group and has actual band members, it’s still technically the brainchild of British producers Sam Hardaker and Henry Binns. And some of those “band members” are rotated out every album or so. Once you get a grasp on that, it doesn’t take much effort to like what Zero 7 is doing. And on their fourth album, Yeah Ghost, there is still the same electronica-driven pop, but with a few added dimensions this time around. In particular, singers Eska and Martha Tilston are new to the project, rounding out a lineup that includes a few regulars like Eddie Stevens, Tom Skinner and Robin Mullarkey. After a subtle opening instrumental, “Count Me Out,” there are some bouncy dance tracks, with Eska’s power-meets-soul vocal at the forefront of awesome tracks like “Medicine Man” and “Mr. McGee.” “Pop Art Blue” features Tilston’s folky timbre and there are some fine, if quirky, instrumentals, like the haunting “Solastalgia.” But the best track on here is “Swing,” an uber-catchy ditty that still has the Zero 7 “chill” trademark – and a song that immediately has the feel of an iPod commercial. This may not be the best Zero 7 album yet, but it’s not a huge regression, either. (Atlantic 2009)

Zero 7 MySpace Page

Alternative, Ambient, CD QuickTakes, CD Reviews, Electronica, Folk, Pop

Timbaland: Shock Value II

December 9, 2009 /


RIYL: Scott Storch, Dr. Dre, Pharrell Williams

It has the Roman numeral II after its title, but Timbaland’s latest effort has more in common with the artistically bankrupt misery common to watered-down later sequels – think “The Karate Kid III,” “Jason X,” and “Superman IV: The Quest for Peace” – than any mere sophomore jinx can explain. As with 2007’s Shock Value, Timbaland assembles an eclectic-by-modern-standards group of guest vocalists to try and create a sort of jukebox effect; problem is, the once-innovative producer didn’t bother to come up with any interesting beats, and most of the artists in question – including Miley Cyrus, Katy Perry, and the dreaded Chad Kroeger – don’t have enough personality to carry these pedestrian tracks on their own.

Timbaland_01

All things considered, there really should be some shock value in Timbaland collaborating with the likes of Daughtry and Jet, but there isn’t a song in the bunch that feels like anything more than calculated pandering, and the album lacks the kind of savvy songcraft that makes this kind of blatant soullessness forgivable. As competent as it is deeply unmemorable, Shock Value II will probably squeak out a few hits, but that’ll be more about the marquee value of participants like Justin Timberlake and Drake than anything to do with the music. Modern R&B at its most mechanized and least inspired. (Interscope/Mosley 2009)

Timbaland MySpace page

CD QuickTakes, CD Reviews, Pop, R&B

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