Reviews

El Perro Del MarEl Perro Del Mar(Control Group)El Perro del Mar has a song called “Coming Down the Hill,” calling up Kate Bush’s classic song, “Running Up that Hill.” In fact, the Bush influence seeps into this entire album. Swede Sarah Assbring (the one-woman-show that is El Perro Del Mar) favours Bush-isms, especially in the […]

Dean & BrittaBack Numbers(Zoe)Dean Wareham’s music over the last 20 years—in the influential Galaxie 500 and the consistently pleasing Luna—has always maintained a certain level of understated brilliance. So it is no surprise that his first disc post-Luna continues weaving similar threads he has skillfully cultured before, albeit with a nod to sultrier, sweeter melodic […]

The Bird & The BeeThe Bird & The Bee(Blue Note)Given lead singer Inara George’s coy Hepburnish looks and their home on Blue Note Records, it would be easy to mistake this LA duo as an innocent sunshine jazz outfit. That is, until you hear their electronica cover of Peaches’ “Fucking Boyfriend.” A mix of Burt […]

AqueductOr Give Me Death(Barsuk)The second full release from Seattle, Washington-based Aqueduct (AKA one-man-band David Terry) shows the influence of piano-driven ’60s pop with an ’80s synthesiser sound. It’s Brian Wilson wrapped in dry wit, resulting in satisfying tunes. A good example is the opening track “Lying in the Bed I’ve Made‚” where Terry sings “Sorry […]

Elliott SmithNew Moon(Kill Rock Stars)Compared to Kurt Cobain, Biggie Smalls and so many other prematurely dead rock stars, Elliott Smith’s talent and body of work has remained in relative obscurity despite its critical acclaim and praise from fellow artists. His suicide in 2003 was the final exclamation mark on a life that shied away from […]

Black Rebel Motorcycle ClubBaby 81(RCA)After the retread of its self-titled second album and the acoustic detour of Howl, BRMC returns to form with Baby 81. Although the band doesn’t move away from the sonic template it’s become known for, this San Francisco psych-rock three-piece proves once again why it is one of the underrated singles […]

White StripesIcky Thump(Warner)From the the opening bars of Icky Thump, it’s blissfully clear that the White Stripes are back on top of their game. Not that they really left it, but Get Behind Me Satan was a little less than what everyone had come to expect ever since White Blood Cells stuck a stick into […]

Crowded HouseTime on Earth(ATO/Maple)Neil Finn is one of the most underrated artists in modern pop. So often the talk about him—the appreciation of him—relates to the surface sound: rich and sunny melodies, hummable tunes, playful and heartfelt songs. There is all that, but oh, there’s so much more dwelling beneath on this album by a […]

Richard ThompsonSweet Warrior(Shout Factory)On this release Thompson sets his sights on the political front. Several tunes focus on the Iraq war. Whether it’s the soldiers’ daily life (“Dad’s Gonna Kill Me”), the military family (“Johnny’s Far Away”) or Bush/right wing politics (“Mr.Stupid, I’ll Never Give Up”), Thompson aims with a sharp tongue and a pen […]

Bedouin SoundclashStreet GospelsDine AloneWhen Zellers included “When The Night Feels My Song” in an ad, Bedouin Soundclash’s sophomore release Building a Mosaic was blasted out of the gate. But Zellers’ help was a double-edged sword—the album shot up the charts, but it did so with an air of novelty. Three years later, the Kingston trio […]

ChamillionaireUltimate VictoryMotownThere is a fine line between making pop culture references and simply dropping names. Unfortunately, Chamillionaire fails to recognize where that line is drawn. Ultimate Victory is overshadowed by the fact that this talented emcee feels the need to recite a laundry list of names throughout the disc. It would be one thing if […]

Andre 3000Whole FoodsThink DifferentlyThis album smells like a pile of fragments and retreads until Andre’s Outkast cohort Big Boi joins him near the disc’s conclusion. The eight-minute “Liberation,” also featuring Cee-lo and Erykah Badu, builds like a spiritual, with cascading harmonies and moody piano. The catchiest meld of rapping and singing is “Long Way to […]