Default
One Thing Remains
(TVT Records)

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Website: defaultonline.com

Fall Out Boy
From Under the Cork Tree
(Island Records)

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Website: www.falloutboyrock.com

I apologize. I know I’m not supposed to like this album — but I do. I resisted, I struggled, I fought against the catchy riffs and pop-punk melodies. But they won. I am now a pop-punk zombie. I roam the night with a faux-hawk and a lust for blood. All joking aside, this is a very good album, and these guys are masters of their craft. It’s no wonder this album is doing so well. These guys can write infectious music that anyone — regardless of age or sex — will get trapped in their frontal lobes. The lyrics aren’t generic cheese, either. They’re actually fairly interesting and intelligent. Even if you aren’t a fan of the genre, check this album out. Standout tracks include Nobody Puts Baby in Corner; Dance, Dance; and Sugar, We’re Going Down.
Brodie Sanderson

Bloom
Sarah McLachlan
(Nettwerk)

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What’s this wet stuff in my ears? Holy crap, my ears are bleeding! The combination of Sarah’s warbling and dance beats has shattered my eardrums. Nowadays any artist can shuffle their tracks, add beats and call it a remix album. I think I’m going to start remixing these CD reviews. They’ll probably be worse than the originals, but everyone will read them because they’re ‘new’ and exciting. On this sad little number McLachlan calls on some dance-music greats to help reach a wider audience. Tom Middleton remixes Vox with little success, and Thievery Corporation’s cool beats don’t save Dirty Little Secret. Train Wreck isn’t one, thanks to the funky reworking by Sly & Robbie. Another highlight is the Middle Eastern sound on Talvin Singh’s mix of Answer. Despite these standout, ‘Wither’ would have been a more apt title for this release.
Shannon Ander

At first blush it seems frightening to imagine a band that sports two members of progressive rock titans King Crimson recording with two obscure accordion players. That’s right — the instrument that strikes fear into the heart of any non-ethnic music lover around the globe is featured along with the Warr guitar pyrotechnics of Trey Gunn and the cannonading drums of Pat Mastelotto. The eight arms that make this all happen (the other arms belong to Samuli Kosminen and Kimmo Pahjonen of Kluster) lean into the five longish tracks here with a wonderful sense of restraint and artifice that will make your head spin. The accordions actually work, and the Crims heaviness is tempered by the somewhat ambient vibe throughout. Absinthe evokes the same dense plod that Crimson fans adore, and on balance this release rates as a creative peak for all concerned.
Jeff Monk

When your parents are British you grow up wearing trousers, using the loo and you are never allowed to go into the sitting room. The sitting room contains the nice sofa and antique silver. U.K. duo Tom Tyler and James Dyer evoke the feeling of class one has when in the infamous sitting room, where red wine complements the warm hors d’oeuvres. Unlike last year’s disco-licious single Giddy Up, the pair’s debut full-length is mainly a downtempo fusion of dub, jazz and Middle Eastern vibes. A rooster signals the awakening of slow, dubby echoes on Septic Skank, while live drums, deep basslines and rolling percussion get you moving on Swamp Donkey. Luckily we’re in Canada and you don’t need a fancy sitting room to enjoy this disc — even a dirty apartment will do.
Shannon Ander

King’s X has escaped renown for much of its career despite releasing several late-’80s/early-’90s albums that are considered seminal art-rock gems. This, the band’s 11th studio album, finds the trio once again mixing metal and hard rock riffs with vocal harmonies and more delicate parts. As such, Ogre Tones can be disconcerting at times, especially when the seven-minute ballad Sooner or Later is compared to the rocking album opener, Alone. Nevertheless, as far as dark and melodic rock goes, King’s X is still one of the better bands around. Check out Fly if you disagree. The track is heavy enough to rock but still supports waves of harmony and an undeniable groove. Ignore a few duds on Ogre Tunes and you’ve got a solid outing from an underrated band.
Mike Warkentin

Carlene Carter may have coined the juicy catchphrase first, but Old Waylon’s little boy, Shooter Jennings, carries the rebel country music freak flag proudly on his wicked new release. Shooter doesn’t conceal any of his wanton ways on the 11 tracks here. In fact, he writes as earnestly about lost love and heartbreak as he does about his deep disdain for contemporary country music and his love for weed. The blood of his pappy runs deep — he rocks like granite and twangs equally righteously, totally sidestepping any unwritten rules about how to make country music that kicks hard in the saddle. Busted in Baylor County welds hot banjo riffs onto a thundering rock hook like the pair were positively meant for each other. Jennings easily could have milked the family name. Instead, he took the more difficult path and established his own credibility — and it worked.
Jeff Monk

Upcoming rappers such as Syndicate should heed Moses’ 11th commandment: Thou shalt not boast about that which ye cannot back. SV is obviously targeting a more CHR-friendly sound with an A-B-C-1-2-3 rhyme flow backed by an overbearing wall of synths and stock-sounding drum patterns. The production can best be acknowledged as ’98-era Swizz Beats lite. Rhyme-wise, you can hear hints of Eminem-isms sprinkled through an open-mic-rapper flow occasionally backed by Canadian Idol castoffs. Syn’s immaturity is no more evident than on Nympho, a Dub J production that frames the tale of a woman in the club thusly: “I ain’t buyin’ you shit but an iced tea/I just may be harder than Ice-T.” Please. Bif should tighten quality control because there’s simply no room on the shelves for Army of One.
Angelou Flores