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May 15, 2008
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2008-05-15 
Reviews - CD
Paul Fenton and Peter Lazz
Rattlesnakin' Daddy
(Independent)

B+

Paul Fenton and Peter Lazz

On Rattlesnakin' Daddy, Peter Lazz and Paul Fenton, aided by a boss rhythm section, lay out some pretty convincing delta blues. Lazz delivers the kind of smoky, road-tested vocal chops that will please aficionados but it's Fenton's searing slide work and brawny sustain on electric blues guitar that really make the album. Sure, tracks such as Tampa Red's It Hurts Me Too, Willie Dixon's Little Red Rooster and Muddy Waters' I Just Can't Be Satisfied have been recorded to death by oodles of hacks, but these coarse cats manage to bring something new to the table.
— Jeff Monk
The Kooks
Konk
(Virgin)

D

The Kooks

On its second full-length, The Kooks sounds like kids trying to be adults. You can hear the group's influences - The Beatles, Bowie, The Kinks - but the band doesn't have the maturity to pull it off. First off, the lyrics lack subtlety. Do You Wanna finds Luke Pritchard proclaiming, "I know you wanna make love to me," without even a hint of irony in his voice. At least he hasn't let success go to his head. Musically, the band has found a sound it likes, and it sticks with it for the entire album. Everything on here is by-the-numbers Britrock. There's nothing here that hasn't been done already - and done much better.
— Mike Sherby
Madonna
Hard Candy
(Warner Bros)

B

Madonna

There's something about Hard Candy that tastes a bit like Madonna's very early work. It's very of-the-moment, back-to-basics, grassroots stuff. Of course, collaborations with pop stalwarts Timbaland, Justin Timberland, Pharrell Williams and Kanye West help to create that contemporary feeling. This is an ambitious project for an aging icon but, largely, she pulls it off and about half the tracks on Hard Candy are damn credible tunes - among those are She's Not Me, Voices and Incredible. Madonna's voice may not be the strongest - but since when did we adore Madonna for her vocal skills?
— Liz Hover
Nine Inch Nails
The Slip
(Independent)

B+

Nine Inch Nails

The Slip is NIN's fourth album in 13 months, and is currently available for free download. Bordering on predictable, the collection falls in the same vein as With Teeth or Year Zero, though it's still better than anything else on rock radio. Prolific artists seem to have this tendency to release everything they record, nessessary or not but for this price, why complain? Reznor seems to have perfected the solid rock record - as exemplified on 1,000,000 - but for nearly two decades we've had the same hate-filled (and almost laughable) lyrics from an artist who I can't believe is still so angry.
— Nick Friesen
Os Mutantes
Barbican Theatre, London
(Luaka Bop)

A

Os Mutantes

Never mind how a band that was hot and happening in Brazil in the 1960s got back together after 30 years for a Tropicalia festival in London, England - just recognize that Os Mutantes could rule the world now if it wanted to. Aided by a super sympathetic orchestra, the original band members lay out 21 head-shakingly brilliant tracks from their original catalog and make it seem like we are all back suspended in some kind of psychedelic jungle. If you crave musical ingenuity with a slippery, sexy boogaloo backbeat, you should seek out this two-disc treasure right away.
— Jeff Monk
Various Artists
Putumayo Kids Presents: Hawaiian Playground
(Putumayo)

C

Various Artists

They invented surfing, that amusing 'hang loose' hand wave and colourful beach shirts, so it makes sense that an album full of children's songs with a Hawaiian theme would be a pretty easy listen. Don't worry if your little ones haven't heard of artists such as Raiatea, Imua or Willie K. - the vibe on offer will be the only thing they remember anyway. It works for curious adults, too. The combination of sunny vibrations, easy-grooving ook-ah-lay-lays and a complete disregard for being serious in any way makes this worth a listen when you're feeling like summer may never really get here.
— Jeff Monk
Willie Nelson
Moment of Forever
(Lost Highway)

C+

Willie Nelson

Willie Nelson, it's well documented, will try just about anything (see 2005's Countryman album of reggae covers). Here, the legendary anti-Nashville/anti-hero stoner teams up with new-country star Kenny Chesney and his establishment producer Buddy Cannon for a set that is much slicker than Nelson's usual studio approach. Uneven is the best description for a set that veers from the achingly beautiful (Kristofferson/Timms' Moment of Forever) to the cringingly awful (Big & Rich's The Bob Song) to the inspired (Randy Newman's Louisiana). Some of the covers are strange choices (Dave Matthews' Grave Digger) while some are just plain ordinary (Dylan's You Gotta Serve Somebody).
— Jim Millican
Shelby Lynne
Just A Little Lovin'
(Lost Highway)

A

Shelby Lynne

This set is a win-win for fans of both Dusty Springfield and Shelby Lynne. It's more than time for a tribute to both Springfield's under-appreciated pop brilliance and the great songs she carved into pop history. It's also been way too long, more than two years, since Shelby Lynne satisfied the cravings of her fanbase with a new album. Lynne has always drawn comparisons to Springfield and clearly idolizes her, but she avoids any imitation by simply performing these songs as if she wrote them, with more raw hurt and heartbreak than Springfield ever did.
— Jim Millican
Death Cab For Cutie
Narrow Stairs
(Atlantic)

A

Death Cab For Cutie

 Disc of the Week

On its sixth full-length album, Seattle indie darling Death Cab For Cutie finally gets it right, finding the perfect balance of ballads (Cath.), rockers (the catchy Long Division) and epics (the eight-minute opus I Will Possess Your Heart). Narrow Stairs was recorded on straight-to-analog tape, giving the album an warmer feel and somehow bringing more sincerity to Ben Gibbard's school-boy warble (the standout track is the Phil Spector-esque You Can Do Better Than Me). Death Cab makes songs for breakups and healing hearts, and this record is perfect for lying on your bed and staring at the glow-in-the-dark stars on your ceiling.
— Nick Friesen
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