Rose Hill Drive - Moon is the New Earth

Moon is the New Earth (2008, Megaforce) Rose Hill Drive's second studio album. **1/2

Many critics have already given Rose Hill Drive the flattering comment that they are like Cream; a power trio of sorts who do hard rock. Problem is, that's about all they have in common. Let's get this straight; Rose Hill Drive are not Cream. Cream were innovators, men who fully understood the blues, mixing it with the sounds of psychedelia and setting the stage for hard rock and heavy metal. Cream were masters of their craft in every sense of the word. I cannot say the same for Rose Hill Drive. Yes, all three are very talented with their instruments, particularly Daniel Sproul, who time and again exerts sheer force over the guitar, but in no way are Rose Hill Drive being innovative. What they understand is how to copy songs from the 70's hard rock and heavy metal acts - that's the music they understand. But like Wolfmother, not only do they never show their blues side, they almost tell us that they've no understanding of it. And that is why this music isn't very good, because to play hard rock you must understand the blues, the very foundation of that music itself. And to mix it in with some of the powerpop trends of today is not only lazy but idiotic, as it's been done a thousand times before. Better go back to basics, fellas, because this brand of rock is nothing more than a cheap imitation of the Darkness.

James Jackson Toth - Waiting in Vain

Waiting in Vain (2008, Rykodisc) James Jackson Toth's first studio album. ***

As with so many other albums, it would have been so much better had some of the excess been cut off. It starts off wonderfully, with the easy-listening of "Nothing Hides" and "Doreen," moving straight into the album's pinnacle, the slow and comforting "Look in on Me." Surely the accents he adds occassionally are unwarranted, but Toth's wide array of veritable influences (Mick Jagger, what?!) are interesting to listen to. But the sheer length of the album mixed with some lazy production pull Waiting in Vain down from the heighth it should have achieved.

¡Forward, Russia! - Life Processes

Life Processes (2008, Cooking Vinyl) ¡Forward, Russia!'s second studio album. **1/2

An otherwise interesting album - sonically epic in music and lyrics - is nearly ruined by absolutley ghastly vocal performances. The unrelenting energy of the music is, while engaging, fairly exhausting, but the added layer of a terrible 80's-esque goth-metal impersonation of Win Butler is far too much. So little is working against this album, but it brings it down so much, making it nearly impossible to listen to.

EP Update: The Avett Brothers and One Day As a Lion

The Second Gleam (2008, Ramseur) The Avett Brothers' fourth studio EP. **1/2

The Avett Brothers are a definitive college-esque band. Hippie circles love 'em and they've got enough spunk to attact even offended ears, but on The Second Gleam, the energy is lost. That in itself is not the problem. In fact, if anything, it shows maturity. However, the material is just downright dull from start to finish. In fact, only on "The Greatest Sum" do soulful vocals actually appear, as the rest of the EP is dominated with cliche remembrances of love, family, and death. To say it is bad is one thing; awful, certainly not. But what makes it bad is its own laziness, which is a cumulative would-be effort of simple rhythms and lyrics.

One Day As a Lion (2008, Anti) One Day As a Lion's first studio EP. ****

For a long time there was talk of Zack de la Rocha releasing solo material (apparently material he had been working on even before Rage Against the Machine split), and even more talk when he worked with Trent Reznor. But now we get some sort of taste of what de la Rocha is like on his own, but he equally shares the stage with Jon Theodore, former Mars Volta drummer. As expected, One Day As a Lion is explosive, with de la Rocha spitting hateful messages at the powers-that-be while taking a minimalist effect. The idea is fantastic; Theodore's drumming is superb, playing a central role in not only developing an effective beat, but also being fairly responsible for filling the sound, as de la Rocha's vocals and keyboards are either sparse or start-and-stop. Sure, it sounds like lost Rage material, but it's fairly intimate for what it is, and what it is is fantastic. A full-length LP would be outstanding. On it, boys! (Wild International)

Review on YouTube: One Day as a Lion - One Day as a Lion

Nine Inch Nails - The Slip

The Slip (2008, Null) Nine Inch Nails' seventh studio album. ***1/2

Trent Reznor is even more of a perfectionist than Billy Corgan, lead singer and basically commander of Smashing Pumpkins, a similar role that Reznor plays for Nine Inch Nails; he writes all the music and sings all of it, and the "band" that is Nine Inch Nails has always had a constant rotating group of members, so much so that either NIN is Reznor's alter ego or his back-up band. And that's what shocked everyone when only a few months after the release of Ghosts I-IV, a sprawling four-disc set of instrumentals, he would follow it with The Slip. Normally, Reznor spends years - upwards of five - crafting an album. But now he is free of a major label above his head, and apparently that has inspired him to make more music.

The Slip is a mixed bag, with probably the strangest progression an album has ever taken. The opener is a signature soundscape that leads into the foot-stomping, fist-pumping anthemic "1,000,000," which features a killer riff and hollow but excellently minimalist drum backing. It then drops off for a few songs, which keep the momentum but lose the feeling and inspiration. Easily listenable, sure, and especially so for the fan - who, by the way, should be creaming their pants due to Reznor's sudden awakening - but the slag doesn't wear off until "Head Down," a perfect blend of a factory-like drum rotation with electronic ambience floating and building in the background, topped with Reznor's full delve into an emotional vocal performance. From there the piano ballad of "Lights in the Sky" drones by, echoing classical tastes of Bach, which leads into "Corona Radatia," another model Reznor soundscape. All in all the album has some very strong moments, and while some seem almost half-assed, it still is great listening. Recommended, indeed. (1,000,000, Echoplex, Head Down)

Review on YouTube: Nine Inch Nails - The Slip

Brendan Canning - Something For All of Us...

Something For All of Us... (2008, Arts & Crafts) Brendan Canning's first studio album. ***

When Canning and Drew started Broken Social Scene in 1999, it seemed like a great idea; some of the greatest musicians from Canada getting together and forming a huge supergroup. And it wasn't until 2001 that their first album, Feel Good Lost, appeared. It was frustrating, a collection of nearly all instrumentals from a group that was certainly more capable than that. Eventually the band let loose, and on their second two releases ran wild, especially on the self-titled third album.

Now, Brendan Canning is a talented musician, and his debut is a bit of a head-scratcher. It's all very easy to listen to, and there are moments where a few concurrent songs form together and form an atmosphere. And that's when it's working the way he wants it, but when Something For All of Us... isn't on, well, it's just bleak. The start isn't bad, but it isn't captivating. There's enough energy in the title track, but it all disappears for the dreamy "Chameleon," which, while being a decent tune, isn't the musical landscape Canning believes it is. And it's like this the whole way through; depending on the listener, there are tracks that work and tracks that don't, and it will differ for every set of ears. What Something For All of Us... proves, though, is that Canning can be a decent songwriter without Drew or the rest of the band. And while it isn't stunning in any sense, he joins the list of artists from Broken Social Scene to put out entertaining solo material.

CSS - Donkey

Donkey (2008, Sub Pop) CSS's second studio album. ***

Another addition in the long line of indie-electronica bands, CSS has potential, more potential, than several of their contemporaries. Lovefoxx (the alter ego the lead singer goes by) has a very sexy voice, and she flexes it from time to time. It rings well on "Reggae All Night," an unorthodox dance number as well as on "Move," which sounds like a lost 80's track in the vein of Animotion. That being said, it's clear that CSS functions best when emulating the synthesizer usage and dance tricks of the 80's. Anything else renders Lovefoxx's vocals emotionally inert. It's when CSS forces you onto the dance floor when everything moves together, and beyond that, it's a truly hit-and-miss engagement. (Reggae All Night, Move)

Duds of 2008: Part Three

Here are a handful of albums that hardly deserve a full-length review. Duds consist of albums that have received a rating of two stars or less.

O (2008, Team Love) Tilly and the Wall's fourth studio album. **

Ultimately dry, a very disappointing album from a band that has potential to be a decent underground band. Sure, they're respected there, no doubt. But they could be good.


Partie Traumatic (2008, Columbia) Black Kids' first studio album. **

For anyone who ever entertained the thought of a B-52's and Roger Waters collaboration... and enjoyed it.

Can't Stop Won't Stop (2008, Fearless) The Maine's first studio album. *

Remarkably uncatchy and predictable. The unhookiest hooks since Lit. What more can you say about a band who tries to make an anthem statement with "She makes me feel like shit"?

YouTube Update

The latest reviews on my YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/user/politicianrock

Entry #6: Coldplay - Viva la Vida
Entry #5: The Hold Steady - Stay Positive
Entry #4: Albert Hammond, Jr. - Como Te Llama?
Entry #3: The Raconteurs - Consolers of the Lonely
Entry #2: Beck - Modern Guilt
Entry #1: PoliticianRock Introduction

Thanks all,
Stephen

Radiohead - In Rainbows

In Rainbows (2008, XL Recordings) Radiohead's seventh studio album. *****

There are several artists - Madonna and Bowie come to mind - who are chameleons when it comes to changing times. They are able to adapt to the what is up-and-coming, what the next big sound will be. Radiohead adapts as well, but not to be popular, not to fit in with the times. If anything, Radiohead creates the times, already handsomely showcasing heavy influence on many of today's artists. OK Computer was an album renowned for its ability to blend a three guitar attack with electronic sounds flawlessly. Kid A, while polarizing fans and critics at the time of its release, managed to yet again break new barriers, as it became among the first of the indie-electronica albums, and at that point the most successful. What Kid A also did was show Radiohead's outright refusal of the title of "The Biggest Band in the World."

Over their next two studio albums, they struggled to put out true quality recordings. Surely neither Amnesiac nor Hail to the Thief is bad, but they weren't as visionary as their earlier works, and in the case of Hail to the Thief, seemed like a combination of desperation to not only please the fans, but to squeak out an album to finish their contract with EMI. After that, the speculation as to what Radiohead would do next was tremendous. It wasn't until 2006 that anyone had a real clue as to what their fate might be. After performing at Bonnaroo, Thom Yorke's unexpected solo album The Eraser came out that fall. A flurry started, people claiming that The Eraser was a sign Radiohead was through. Yorke denied this, and finally word of a new album began to leak.

In October of 2007, the monumental In Rainbows was put out, the first of its kind not only in sound, but in its style of release. Fans were able to download the album online or pay for an $80 "discbox" which included two CD's (the album and a second CD of B-sides), two heavyweight 45-speed vinyl, lyrics booklet, and art booklet, all neatly wrapped in a fold-out case. For those who decided just to download, the option of paying whatever you pleased was offered. In the end, Radiohead made more money off of this one release than they had from royalties of all their other releases combined. The reaction from critics was phenomenal; not only was the music brilliant but the release scheme had worked in flying colors.

But In Rainbows isn't about the money, and it isn't about the way it was released. It is, in short, about how Radiohead crafted their best album to date. For a while I wrestled with the idea that In Rainbows was superior to OK Computer, and even after listening to both relentlessly it was hard to decide. What makes Radiohead the best band on the planet today is their ability to do whatever they want; OK Computer and In Rainbows sound nothing alike, yet it is impossible to mistake either for anyone else.

In Rainbows is the most personal Radiohead has ever been, most notably through the lyrics. The change in Thom Yorke's approach was apparent from The Eraser, which with its political message also mixed in songs concerning him and another significant person. The album is also a distinct difference because of the lower amounts of reverb put on Yorke's vocals. Though it is not without it, compared to Kid A, it is remarkably less.

Starting with "15 Step," a song with a blistering beat, Yorke spits out lyrics suggesting that In Rainbows is about a relationship; "You used to be alright/What happened?/Did the cat get your tongue?" And even when the songs are fast-paced and fist-pumping, like "Bodysnatchers," there is still a romantic feel to all of it. It comes through because of the lyrics yet again; "I've no idea what I am talking about/I'm trapped in this body and can't get out." The wistful, sighful "Nude," laments with one of the first entry of a string arrangement, something that becomes more prominent as the album progresses.

"Reckoner" marks one of album's best points, with a beautiful falsetto delivery by Yorke and a superb drum arrangement by Selway. And even when the album closes with the simple though haunting "Videotape," the listener must re-start the journey again. Like any Radiohead release, it is impossible to crack within one outing. In fact, one may miss the subtle details of "All I Need," because it's what marks the differences between it and its similar cousin, "Climbing Up the Walls."

The entire album sounds like a cleaned-up jam session, and while some may say that is a drawback, it isn't, if it is anything at all, it's an element that makes it better. These aren't simple arrangements. There's nothing that isn't compelling about the guitar part kicking into full gear and out of its muddiness on "Bodysnatchers" once the quasi-chorus starts up. There's nothing that isn't short of genius about the meandering in "Weird Fishes/Arpeggi." The jam element also tells us - and it's easy to hear - that the band is enjoying themselves. And anyone who has seen them perform this new material can attest to that. Quite simply, In Rainbows is a spinning blast of sound and color, a journey about the doomed relationship and all the emotions that come with it, a testament to the powers of the classical guitar and the wonders of electronic music, and an unforgettable entry in 21st century art. (15 Step, Bodysnatchers, Nude, Weird Fishes/Arpeggi, All I Need, Faust Arp, Reckoner, House of Cards, Videotape)

Author's Note: Although released as a free download or discbox in 2007, the actual physical release was available on January 1st, 2008. However, due to its prominence last year in "Best-of" lists, it will not be included in any lists on this blog this year.

Review on YouTube: Radiohead - In Rainbows, Part I, Part II

The Notwist - The Devil, You + Me

The Devil, You + Me (2008, Domino) The Notwist's sixth studio album. ***1/2

Electronica is a beautiful thing, because it doesn't necessarily exclude itself to just computers. Look at Hot Chip, for example, they play drums and guitar and all that good stuff. And no album better represents the successful crossover of rock and electronica than Radiohead's 1997 masterpiece OK Computer. But the Notwist have taken an interesting turn with their album, which seems like a more detailed version of Thom Yorke's The Eraser.

What separates this indie electronic album from others is its level of sophistication. All the details are carefully placed, and none of it is for dancing. This is listening music, mood music, and thankfully good music. The Devil, You + Me is full of slow, scratchy beats, sounding like distortions in the final recording, like faults in the master tapes. It's glitchy and trippy, and that becomes apparent early on with "Where in the World," which moderates itself between the bare minimums and the ultimate limitations, being scarce and overflowing with sound at different points. At times it feels like the album is too detailed for its own good, as added layers become unneccessary or irksome. Acher doesn't have the best vocals, either, and his accent, although slight, does seep through too often to be ignored. They've done better, but The Devil, You + Me is still an interesting entry in intelligent electronica. (Where in the World, Your Alphabet, Gravity)