Herbie Hancock – Head Hunters: This sacred cow doesn’t deserve a full slaughter but it certainly does warrant some harsh criticism. Hancock took two genres that were at a creative peak—the sonic experimentation of late ‘60s jazz and the funk milestones from the early ‘70s—and created a lukewarm fusion whose sum is far, far less than its parts. Worse, this… Read more »
Miss Grit – Under My Umbrella | Gia Margaret – Singing: The vocal refrain on “Tourist Mind,” the opening track of Under My Umbrella, is one of those odd English quirks that could be interpreted in two opposite ways. Maybe when Margaret Sohn sings, “I’ve never wanted to be so alone,” they mean they’re bathing in a joyously introverted quiet… Read more »
Slayyyter – Wor$t Girl in America: This record is filled with so many things I hate—‘80s new wave, ‘90s industrial pop, ‘00s European big beat, the timeless insufferable attitudes of drunk twenty-somethings on the dance floor—that I almost turned it off a dozen times in the first six songs. But the deeper I got into the album, the more it… Read more »
U2 – Easter Lily EP: The Days of Ash EP disappointed me so completely that I came into Easter Lily with no hope for a good record. Maybe my low expectations colored my opinion, but this might be the best U2 release since All That You Can’t Leave Behind. Every song taps into the enormity of U2, and the music… Read more »
Flea – Honora: Before I found my voice as a bassist, I bought a lot of albums by bass players whose technical skills appealed to my head but failed to reach my heart. Honora is not one of those albums. Flea—who shines more on trumpet than bass—and his bandmates’ performances possess far more heart than head. “A Plea” quickly evolves… Read more »
Mexican Institute of Sound and Meridian Brothers – “Cumbia fantasia”This is like an electronic version of the second wave ska band The Selecter. It has a definite ska rhythm, but is more angular, bridging the last 45 years wonderfully.Listen: Yes Effie – “Red Horse”I really struggled to get anything out of pullup to busan 4 morE hypEr summEr …, but… Read more »
Grace Ives – Girlfriend: Although I’ve gained more appreciation for pop in middle age and have become a genuine fan of a handful of pop artists, most pop albums leave me unenthused. Girlfriend is an exception. This pushes hard against pop’s boundaries while staying anchored in songs that are structurally perfect. Producers Ariel Rechtshaid and John DeBold help Ives move… Read more »
Em Beihold – Tales of a Failed Shapeshifter: Every once in a while, I imagine doing record reviews in the spirit of Jessica Hagy’s Indexed Venn diagrams, but I’ve tried and it’s way harder than it looks. Not for Shapeshifter, though. This is where Lily Allen and Regina Spektor intersect with a good bit of Queen and a little slice… Read more »
U2 – Days of Ash EPIt is never good sign when an artist of any kind does something similar to a past success and it falls short. “American Obituary” wants to be to Renee Good what “Pride” was to MLK. But it just isn’t the same. This isn’t a reflection on Good versus MLK, but of Bono no longer trusting… Read more »
Laurel Halo – Midnight Zone: I turned this off twice in the first three songs. Not because it’s bad (it’s not; it’s extraordinary) but because it messed with my head. Shortly into the opening track, “Sunlight Zone,” the music harmonized with my tinnitus and I felt as if my ears were being pummeled from both the inside and outside. It… Read more »