CD Reviews
Dust Poets
Lovesick Town
Independent, 2006
3 out of 5
The latest CD from the Dust Poets, Lovesick Town, is a blend of pop, folk, jazz, roots and swing and is teeming with songs about love. So obviously these 11 tracks don’t fit into a single genre. One moment you’re listening to a mandolin-heavy tune with four-part harmonies. The next moment you’re listening to drum brushes, scatting and leisurely saxophone.
The contrasts also lie within the lyrics, as main songwriter and singer Murray D. Evans writes phrases that are simultaneously romantic and hilarious. Take the upbeat, accordion-infused “Lovesick Town,” with its arresting phrase, “I love you as far as I can spit/ and every little drip.” It’s hard to know whether one should cry or laugh or do both.
Clearly the songs are placed in the roots/country/folk genres, as many of them feature harmonica, mandolin and accordion. It’s commendable that they present several different styles of music on this disc, and each song itself sounds polished and agreeable, but in the end it’s a little annoying. It leaves you feeling undecided. It’s like when you go to 7-11 and just can’t decide which flavour you want for your Slurpee so you end up getting a “swamp” Slurpee, a muddy-coloured mixture of all the flavours. Lovesick Town is an untidy concoction of different types of songs. But had they been presented together with their respective genres, they would’ve gone down a whole lot better.
Jeanne Fronda Staff
Morningwood
Morningwood
Capitol / EMI, 2006
3½ out of 5
This album is way more fun than it has any conceivable right to be.
New York City retro pop-rockers Morningwood have put out their self-titled debut album, and anybody looking to make fun of them definitely has a lot to work with. The influences are obvious to the point of blatant; combine equal parts Blondie and Garbage, add a heavy dose of mid-90s production (courtesy of Gil Norton, formerly the producer for Echo & The Bunnymen and the Pixies), and purposefully subtract about 20 IQ points. The songwriting is extremely simple, even the stolen stuff, and most of the time the lyrics are dead in the water (the first single, “Nth Degree,” for example, consists almost entirely of the band’s name being spelled out letter by letter). Hell, the band has old members of Spacehog and the Wallflowers in it! It’s basically the mockery equivalent of open season!
Despite all of this being quite apparent from the outset, somehow the album is still a blast to listen to. Have you ever listened to a song on the radio, said “this is stupid” out loud, and then found yourself bobbing your head to it anyway? That’s this album in its entirety. Morningwood is energetic, cheeky, catchy and a whole lot of fun; it’s stupid and derivative fun, yes, but very fun nonetheless.
James Howard Volunteer Staff
The Old Soul
The Old Soul
Hand of God Records /Universal, 2006
3 out of 5
The Old Soul is the self-titled debut album from an eight-piece Toronto power-pop outfit best described as the Polyphonic Spree’s dorky Canadian little brother. Minus the full choir, I mean.
The Old Soul is comprised of members from several different Toronto-scene bands and led by the notoriously loopy Luca Maoloni, who wrote the album as a strange sort of tribute to his favourite pop acts of the last 50 years. It has an interesting approach — writing songs in various familiar pop styles, then playing them as jangle-y experimentation rock — and for the most part it pays off, albeit not tremendously.
Maoloni has the vocal chops to pull off all his songs (even if his lyrics are distractingly goofy), the backing band keeps everything together quite well, and the production adds every effect and affectation it can fit in without going completely over the top; it doesn’t add up to anything spectacular, but everything fits well enough to move along nicely. Often, however, the band wanders way too deep into left field — usually as the result of overproduction, although the lyrics certainly don’t help.
This is a good album, and its spirit of experimentation will appeal to audiences who don’t mind hearty doses of wackiness, but The Old Soul is a classic example of an album being too clever by half.
James Howard Volunteer Staff
Slave to the System
Slave to the System
Spitfire, 2006
4 out of 5
First impressions are what will draw the music fan either towardsor away from the self-titled, debut album from Slave to the System.
This Queensrÿche and Brother Cane combination would seem like one of two things, depending on your previous experience with either of the former bands. Slave to the System could be seen as either another insertion in the growing population of bands that have enlisted in the combination fad, or as just far enough apart on the music spectrum to create something amazing. As a matter of fact, Slave to the System on paper would seem to be some sort of metallic Pink Floyd. This, however, is not the case, as the signature prog rock of Queensrÿche is all but absent from the album. The debut album from STTS contains both heavy, radio-friendly tunes, as well as softer, melodic ballads.
The fan who’s looking for a raw edge and a political element will be slightly disappointed. The protest element that’s expected from the name Slave to the System is a false hope. This is not a total loss for fans of protest music, for they know that songs with great political meaning can have incredible songwriting ability behind them, and that’s exactly what STTS delivers; when that’s combined with catchy riffs, it produces an album that is just fun to listen to.
Shaun McLarty
4th Avenue Jones
Stereo: The Evolution of Hiprocksoul
Lookalive/Gotee Records, 2005
1 out of 5
Personally, I blame Limp Bizkit. Thanks to Fred Durst and co. I can’t listen to rap-tinged rock (nor rock-tinged rap, I suppose) without them coming to mind. I have no problem with other amalgams of sounds or blending of genres, but my distaste for rock/rap leads to my having difficulty listening to “Walk This Way.”
I had picked up The Evolution of Hiprocksoul based on the fact that the album is on Gotee Records, a label responsible for releasing some great California hip-hop from the L.A. Symphony, and it seemed like the label was on to something. I suppose this is a little like thinking that because Universal Records releases the Roots albums, it’d be a good idea to pick up the Krazie Bone record.
Perhaps it’s a little unfair of me to review this album after only one complete spin, but it’s all I could manage. Refreshing my memory before writing this review, I had my finger poised on the skip button to ensure I only heard as much as was absolutely necessary.
Gotee needs to find some more quality underground hip-hop to release, and you and I need to find another record to listen to.
Michael Elves Volunteer Staff
Shane Phillips
Everybody
Mile End Records, 2006
2½ out of 5
If only I were just reviewing the lead-off-title-track here. If so, I could tell you that if you give the song 47 seconds, you’d go ape-shit for it and love it like your first-born. That’s what has happened to everyone for whom I’ve played “Everybody.”
Unfortunately, after hooking listeners with that first track (and keeping them hooked on the “Everybody Outro” instrumental that succeeds the song), things begin to go awry, and by the end of the LP, it’s difficult to remember that initial high point and why the record seemed so great.
The problem with Everybody is Phillip’s voice — it just never completely gels with the songs (apart from the aforementioned title-track, where it doesn’t fit for the first 46 seconds and then suddenly, miraculously, works). I think he’s trying for an Al Green-esque vocal styling with the raspy, breathy sound. But unlike the good Reverend, he doesn’t have the range or the unassailable verve to pull it off. Consider “In The Meanwhile,” where Phillips goes up on “don’t ask questions” and the ‘ons’ syllable sounds like ‘uh-ns.’ Strained doesn’t do it justice.
What’s most unfortunate is that the material is uniformly strong apart from the vocals. Warm lead guitar lines and great washes of organ and keyboard play atop a solid rhythm section; Phillips shows a steady hand in his production duties, with sounds coming in and out with expert timing. I just can’t get over the voice.
Michael Elves Volunteer Staff
Jack Johnson and Friends
Sing-A-Longs and Lullabies for the
film Curious George
Brushfire Records , 2006
4 out of 5
Jack Johnson sings that easy Sunday afternoon music. Johnson’s acoustic rock sound is some of the calmest in music today. Never loud or offensive, the smooth-voiced surfer usually speaks introspectively and often about social issues. This time around, commissioned by the makers of the film Curious George, Johnson gets his chance to test his chops with simple nursery rhymes. This album is sure to be a hit with elementary and pre-school teachers, as well as the hip fans of Johnson’s acclaimed work on both On and On (2003) and In Between Dreams (2005). Without a doubt, classrooms in North America will play this album. Who needs Fred Penner now?
Johnson skilfully covers the White Stripes’ ode to elementary school “We Are Going to Be Friends.” He teaches us how to reduce, reuse and recycle on “The 3 Rs,” and “The Sharing Song” is sure to have good advice for the children. But children’s music aside, the soundtrack standouts are those melodies that could have easily fit in a traditional Jack Johnson album. Similarly, like most of his other albums, common collaborators G. Love, Matt Costa and Ben Harper end up stopping by.
But Johnson shines on solo tracks: “Questions,” “Broken,” “Upside Down” and “Wrong Turn.” All four of these songs show Johnson’s uncompromising lyrics and optimistic attitude. This is genuine, feel-good music so laid-back that anyone can enjoy it.
Navin Bahl Staff
Dilated Peoples
20/20
Capitol Records, 2006
2½ out of 5
To their dedicated fans, the Dilated Peoples are the West Coast’s most consistent hip-hop collective. On their fourth offering, Dilated Peoples bring nothing new to their usual repertoire. They stick to the script and please their current following. Successful veteran groups like Tha Alkaholiks and Beatnuts have used the recipe of excellent production and average rhymes throughout their entire careers. Typically, these groups do tend to fade away after their fourth or fifth album.
Thus far, every album of the Dilated Peoples was launched alongside a huge promotional push for their first single, which usually ended up becoming a street anthem. On 20/20, they continue the tradition with snare-heavy “Back Again.” They address the Bush Administration often on the 12 songs but more specifically on “Firepower (The Tables Have to Turn)” with reggae artist Capleton, who adds the most of the fuel for the flame. Even acclaimed lyricist Talib Kweli outshines emcees Rakaa Iriscience and Evidence on “Kindness for Weakness.”
The Dilated Peoples have the production that other artists seek, two emcees that can deliver sharp poetry and one of the world’s finest DJs. But why do they remain underground and never really hit it big? Hooks. Their choruses lack a sing-along appeal that most Top 40 hip-hop has (see Kanye West, Nelly and Eminem).
Navin Bahl Staff
Park-Like Setting
Craftsmen
Peanuts & Corn, 2005
4 out of 5
Still holding down a chart position on UMFM, after debuting there in November of last year, this sophomore Park-Like Setting album is exactly what you’d expect from the Craftsmen who put it together: finely honed hip-hop. Collectively, emcees mcenroe, John Smith and Yy prove themselves to be the Bob Vilas of hip-hop.
PLS returns with a bang on “Wax On, Wax Off,” which is not an obituary tribute to the late Pat Morita, but rather an ultimatum to the DJs to stop playing wack shit and drop the needle on this new shit. Yy is a new addition to the PLS since 2000’s School Day 2, Garbage Day 4, and his distinctive cadence and flow is suitably different from Smitty’s and mcenroe’s, as it adds a new dynamic to the material. When these three emcees trade bars as they do on the title track, there is a great interplay that bolsters the material.
mcenroe continues to amaze with his ever-evolving production work. There’s an edge and dark brooding to some of the material here that he’s only hinted at on previous P&C releases.
As with most P&C releases, there is a posse cut, and Craftsmen is no exception. The killer “Eight Bars Each” features label-mates Gruf and Birdapres as well as up-and-comer Cadence Weapon, whose own LP Breaking Kayfabe is one to get. After you pick up Craftsmen, of course.
