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Uptown Magazine - Winnipeg's Online Source for Arts, Entertainment & News

February 28, 2008


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2008-02-28

ALO

Roses & Clover

(Brushfire Records)

Website: http://www.alomusic.com

A simplified review of this album from feel- good California rockers ALO would mention that the band has toured with Dave Matthews Band and is signed to the personal record label of barefoot troubadour Jack Johnson. Jam bands such as ALO pride themselves on playing with taste and finesse, and Roses & Clover, while a fairly pleasing listen, lacks any kind of edge or danger quotient - but that's exactly the point. At times, the quartet has a bit of an Allman Brothers feel, mixed with a side of light funk and even reggae. It's not an album for the ages, but while it's spinning, you can easily slide into a summery trance - and for that reason it's at least worth a listen.
— Jeff Monk

Annihilator

Metal

(SPV)

B+

Website: http://www.annihilatormetal.com

Aside from a few nasty duds, Metal is one hell of a thrash album. As always, guitarist/bassist Jeff Waters is the heart and soul of Annihilator, but on his latest he's surrounded himself with a host of gnarly guests, each of whom brings the noise. Alexi Laiho (Children of Bodom), Jesper Stromblad (In Flames) and Willie Adler (Lamb of God) all make appearances, and tracks such as Downright Dominate, Haunted and Chasing the High rock accordingly. Metal anthem Army of One is one god-awful stinker to be avoided, but I'd recommend this disc to anyone who raises the Horns with the thumb in.
— Mike Warkentin

Birdman

Five Star Stunna

(Cash Money/Universal)

Website: http://www.cashmoney-records.com

Cash Money Records honcho Bryan "Birdman" Williams isn't anything special on the mic, but the rapper/businessman has a number of cards up his sleeve, most notably Lil Wayne. Although Birdman proves he can hold his own on tracks such as I'm A Stunna, the album's vague Mafia theme and repetitive subject matter (money, money and, um, money) gets old quick. Thankfully, Lil Wayne's typically bizarre appearances turn tunes such as Believe Dat and Make Way into insta-hits. Unfortunately, at 21 tracks, this one's a bit of a chore to listen to from beginning to end.
— Sam Thompson

Freeway

Free At Last

(Roc-A-Fella/Def Jam)

B-

Website: http://www.freewayatlast.com

It's hard to know what to expect from an album when all you know about the artist is that he has a righteous beard. Thankfully, Muslim MC Freeway has more to offer than just facial hair. He's held back by beats that are too soft for his frenetic flow, but Freeway proves a compelling storyteller on this sophomore disc. So what if some of his grunts and groans make him sound constipated? The album's mid-point, Spit That Shit, is the unstoppable standout, but closer I Cry - a soulful meditation on life, death and Allah - will have you reaching for 'rewind.'
— Sam Thompson

Ill Scarlett

All Day With It

(Sony)

C-

Website: http://www.illscarlet.com

Remember Sublime? So do Ill Scarlett. The punky reggae party of All Day With It sounds like the result of listening to 40 Oz. to Freedom on permanent repeat. But, while Sublime's songs cleverly referenced and updated Jamaican classics, Ill Scarlett's influences are all second-hand. The Mississauga four-piece is adept at delivering surfer-dude reggae, often with catchy results (NTF, Pacino), but everything from the turntables to Alex Norman's pained wail is a tired retread of something that was done better more than a decade ago. Ill Scarlett probably pulls off a killer Badfish cover live, but that's not a good enough reason to listen to its record.
— Sam Thompson

Yellowcard

Paper Walls

(Capitol)

C-

Website: http://www.yellowcardrock.com

In a record label office far, far away, there was a meeting that may or may not have gone something like this: A greasy A&R guy who was hoping to sign the next big thing says to his bosses: "I got these guys who play watered down pop-punk." The reps sigh in dissatisfaction. The suit adds: "But they have a violin!" The board room explodes in enthusiasm and high fives. "Fuck yeah! We're going platinum!" Yellowcard is proof that the major labels have no idea about real music, and are years behind what music lovers are actually listening to. Enough said.
— Ashley McCurdy

Ray Bonneville

Goin' By Feel

(Red House Records)

B-

Website: http://www.raybonneville.com

Six albums in 10 years and a Juno for best blues album in 2000 have earned Ray Bonneville critical notice and enough of a roadhouse audience to keep him going. These songs are spare folk, blues, rock guitar and percussion tracks, serving as vehicles for a detailed, lyric-driven songwriting vision that fits into the increasingly popular Americana genre. Bonneville invites comparisons to JJ Cale (What Katy Did), Bob Dylan (Shy Star), Bruce Springsteen (Crow John), John Hiatt (I Am The Big Easy) but most of all, to the excellent storytelling solo work of Mark Knopfler (Sabine River). If you appreciate those artists, you're likely to be drawn in by this moody, melancholy music.
— Jim Millican

Palmerston

(Loud and Profound Records)

C-

Website: http://www.myspace.com/palmerston

This very mainstream modern rock band from Hollywood via Toronto is precisely that, a very mainstream modern rock band. No serious musical infractions happen on this album, which keeps it at a ho-hum level. If slow guitar galloping and a young male shouting words that rhyme just a little too much is your thing, then this three-piece is what you're after. Sure, these guys are willing to push some boundaries - by incorporating a quick Spanish guitar solo, for instance - but, sadly, they refrain from leaving their comfort zone which, by the sounds of it, means being tortured, eye liner-wearing juvenile delinquents.
— Erin Chatelain

Sara Bareilles

Little Voice

(Epic)

Website: http://www.sarabmusic.com

Disc of the Week
There is nothing little about Sara Bareilles' voice - it is strong and hits both high and low ranges with ease. Not a newbie to the singing world, this young songstress spent her earlier years singing with choirs and school musicals - and it's paid off. Bareilles' falsetto will shock you as it winds itself around a rainbow of colourful tunes. This California native grew up in the shadows of the state's magnificent redwood forest where she obviously developed a dynamic imagination. With undertones of Nora Jones and Elton John combined with a tight, soul-sprinkled guitar, Bareilles' sound is sweet and warm. And, as the sole writer of the songs and the main pianist on the album, this young flame is burning hot.
— Erin Chatelain

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