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Check out
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Check out
this week’s
online CD reviews by our
music staff |
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Bruce Springsteen
Devils and Dust
(Columbia/SonyBMG)
B
Website: www.brucespringsteen.net
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As much as Bruuuuuuce
has mastered the meaningful, singalong anthem of Everyman, I love
it when Springsteen gets all quiet. Nebraska’s Highway Patrolman
and Johnny 99 still resonate after 20-plus years, while The Ghost
of Tom Joad was The Boss’ most significant work of the ’90s.
Devils and Dust sees Bruce stripping it down to just song and
guitar, which is generally a fine thing as it gives him a chance
to breathe and sketch any number of songscapes. There’s
bluesy Bruce, singing in a strained falsetto (All I’m Thinkin’
About), mumbling Bruce (The Hitter), and then there’s Bruce
as Woody (the title track). These performances are expressive,
but some of the songs — Jesus Was an Only Son, Leah, Metamoros
Banks — simply feel slight. They may be well-written but
they’re not fully realized, which they must be to really
matter on a quiet, acoustic Bruce album.
John Kendle
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Cephalic Carnage
Anomalies
(Relapse Records)
B+
Website: www.cephaliccarnage.net
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If you’re not
into extreme metal, Cephalic Carnage’s Anomalies will
have you hiding under your bed. Hell, even some death-heads
will soil themselves after listening to this. It’s some
scary shit. After the pants wetting, Anomalies turns out to
be a very satisfying disc. The riffs are relentless, switching
from sickly heavy grooves to ultra-fast, bludgeoning attacks.
The sheer speed of the drums will have you thinking your CD
is skipping. The terrorizing screams and growls of band leader
Lenzig are absolutely bone-chilling, and you can actually understand
what he’s yelling — sometimes. Your initial shock
at his death/grind album may soon turn to sickly enjoyment,
but I recommend only listening to one song at a time. Two songs
in a row results in praying to the dark lord — three and
there’s blood all over the walls.
Jared Story |
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Molly
Hatchet
Warriors of the Rainbow Bridge
(SPV/Fusion 3)
C+
Website: www.mollyhatchet.com
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f you like your rock ’n’
roll Southern fried and served with a a helping of grits, Molly
Hatchet has got a dish for you. These good ol’ boys have
been at it since the late ’70s, and they’re still
riding blues-based riffage and rugged vocals into a Florida sunset.
This a summer party disc, something to throw in after some idiot
plays Sweet Home Alabama for the fifth goddamn time. The riffs
aren’t all that imaginative for the most part, but this
kind of music isn’t about innovation but rather feeling
and soul, ya dig? Molly Hatchet certainly has both qualities in
spades, and the singalong choruses — most notably on Son
of the South — will be a sure hit while driving the General
Lee to the theatre to see the Dukes of Hazzard movie.
Mike Warkentin |
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Dave Young Quintet
Mainly Mingus
(Justin Time Records)
B
Website: www.justin-time.com
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As the title of this album
suggests, the compositions of the great bassist Charles Mingus
are highlighted. The music is straight-ahead hard bop, and there
are some strong solos, particularly from the leader and trumpeter
Kevin Turcotte. On Nostalgia in Times Square, Turcotte shows a
strong blues element in his playing to go along with boppish lines
and a pinch of growling. The sombre Self-Portrait in Three Colors
begins with Young, accompanied by pianist Gary Williamson, stating
the theme in singing fashion, and the solos maintain the mood
of contemplation or reflection. Bass Clef is one of two tunes
penned by Young and features some engaging drumming from Terry
Clarke, who trades eights with Turcotte, Williamson and saxophonist
Perry White. There are few surprises to this album, but the compositions
are excellent.
Paul Ryan |
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Sébastien Schuller
Happiness
(Catalogue)
B-
Website: www.catalogue-records.com
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Get out the Kleenex. This
is one of the saddest discs I’ve heard in a while. Even
the cute little cartoon characters on the cover look upset as
they walk in the rain. In 1978, the pianos pull you back to a
time when you felt like it was the end of the world, then the
beats start slowly pounding and make you feel even worse. Weeping
Willow could incite even the sanest person to contemplate suicide
with its affirmations that you feel funny in this world. Schuller
is a classically trained percussionist and is apparently also
very experienced in the art of pessimism. Ride Along the Cliff
is a heavy track with rough guitars inciting you to let out the
devil inside, and Tears Coming Home is the final straw. Schuller
must have some sort of deal with Zoloft. You’ll need a pill
or two after this.
Shannon Ander
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The
Raveonettes
Pretty In Black
(Columbia)
C
Website: www.theraveonettes.com.com
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The Raveonettes, Sune
Rose Wagner and the photogenic Sharin Foo, along with added instrumentation
this time around, have concocted a reasonably entertaining left-of-centre
and somewhat clever 13-tracker. They have a kind of a David Lynchian,
art-a-billy sound featuring some swishy Spectorian production
values courtesy of like-minded old-school producer Richard Gottehrer.
The Raveonettes conquer the stripped-down esthetic using their
breathy vocals and some haunting reverberations to get their ghostly
roots-pop over. Guests include Ronnie Spector, Martin Rev and
Moe Tucker. The stylish disco beat of Red Tan reveals something
about the pair’s true musical nature. This is unhappy bar
room melancholia at its finest — and you can dance to it
while the glitter ball fades and the last sodden patron staggers
down the boulevard of broken dreams.
Jeff Monk |
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Silicone Soul
Staring Into Space
(Soma Recordings Ltd.)
B+
Website: www.somarecords.com
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Before focusing on
electronic music, Glaswegian guys Graeme Reedie and Craig Morrison
toured as a punk band but quickly traded in their howling for
house music. Staring into space is a daily occurrence for most,
and this release will make your wasted time more enjoyable.
Take a cue from Folie à Deux and invite a friend over
to your cubicle for maximum laziness at work. Inferno is a tasty
slice of dubbed-out goodness with echoing vocals reminiscent
of Thievery Corporation. You’ll get more of those dubby
bubbles on Smoke and Mirrors. The upcoming single, The Poisoner’s
Diary, is a synth-lover’s dream but may be a little too
much stimulation after an hour of relaxation. Nevertheless,
twinkly stars, swizzly space sounds and a sprinkling of soul
make this disc the perfect companion for parking in the dark
with the moon roof open.
Shannon Ander |
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Various
Artists
Meet Me In The Time Tunnel: Obscure Powerpop from fhe Land of the Lost 1978-1985
(Wizzard In Vinyl)
B
Website: www.wizzard-in-vinyl.com
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What do Honolulu, Tokyo,
Braband (Denmark) and Hollywood have in common musically? Well
these otherwise disparate burgs, and a few others represented
on this 20-track compilation, provided the ages with some genuinely
heroic power-pop bands you have never heard of. According to
the band-provided bios, all these groups had their 15 minutes
of fame and then basically drifted into that obscure zone of
has-beens who generally never were. Time Tunnel delivers a rare
feeling, the chill that tingles your musical nervous system,
with this selection of rough diamonds. Lost classics include
grinding pop nuggets from unknowns such as The Headaches (Teenage
Sex), The Reactors (Pearl Harbour) and The Foreign Objects (Plan
Nine). This will have you relentlessly pogo-ing on your patio.
Guaranteed to please.
Jeff Monk |
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Victor Wooten
Soul Circus
(Vanguard)
B
Website: www.victorwooten.com
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Bassist Vic Wooten
is most recognizable as the four-string wrangler in Béla
Fleck’s band The Flecktones. There’s hardly a hint
of Wooten’s day job on Soul Circus, which features about
as much low-toned funk and groovy soul as a person can stand
in one listening. Third song in, the old-school funk-down Bass
Tribute (as well as the album-closing Reprise) gives props to
ALL the name bassists from about the last 40 years or so. Wooten’s
own skills are estimable, and he has the boom-thwap and pop
of Larry Graham mixed warmly into a Jaco Pastorious melodic
flow. Wooten also isn’t afraid to be goofy (Cell Phone)
if it means the funk will roll. There is a dose of world-wise
spirituality here as well, which proves that Wooten looks at
life from a pretty rounded viewpoint supported by lot of soul.
Jeff Monk |
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