CD Reviews
Lightspeed Champion
Falling Off The Lavender Bridge Domino / 2008 ♥♥♥♥ |
Dev Hynes — the mind behind Lightspeed Champion — is best known for his work with the short-lived but very loud Test Icicles. No one but Hynes could have known that, after his noise-rock past, the present would find this British native recording in Omaha, Neb. with Saddle Creek producer Mike Mogis, exploring roots-tinged indie-pop under the Lightspeed Champion moniker. The album is a thoroughly pleasant surprise and one of the best releases of the new year (that may not sound like great praise, but let us consider that 2008 has already seen new releases from The Mountain Goats, Cat Power, Black Mountain and The Magnetic Fields — heady company for Hynes). “Galaxy of the Lost” was released as part of a promotional EP last November and it still stands up as one of the strongest tracks on the album, but the quality of this album is uniformly high, so “Galaxy” flows beautifully into “Tell Me What It’s Worth,” and the gorgeously orchestrated “All To Shit.” That brief ditty segues to “Midnight Surprise,” which is wonderfully layered by Mogis to provide a rich atmosphere for Hynes’ warm tenor. If you aren’t won over by the time this nearly 10-minute-long epic is over, you’re unlikely to ever fall for Falling Off . . . but really, that’s the least of your problems. — Michael Elves, volunteer staff |
Flogging Molly
Float Side One Dummy / 2008 ♥♥♥♥ |
Somewhere between The Pogues and Dropkick Murphys exists Irish-American celt-punk band, Flogging Molly. Their latest release does not stray far away from the territory they laid out since their 2000 studio debut, Swagger. The persistent energy of the drums and fiddle run through your body while the still youthful howling of lead vocalist (and multi-instrumentalist) brings your spirit to a late night at your favourite pub, and if you don’t have a favourite pub, you’ll want to find one as soon as possible, so that you and your mates can join in a beer-fuelled chorus. It is just this sort of music that makes you realize that painful or mournful subject matter can still be very energizing in music. Even the title track tells of attempts to get through the lower points in life. Rock music, and its countless subgenres, has always insisted that painful subjects could be delivered fast and hard, but Flogging Molly reminds us to be jovial. — William O’Donnell, staff |
Raul Midón
A World Within a World Manhattan Records / 2007 ♥♥♥♥♥ |
Raul Midón gathered a sizeable adult audience for his mildly eclectic acoustic offerings on his excellent debut album, State of Mind, but also risked facile (and unfair) categorization as another Norah Jones chaser onto the adult contemporary charts. Fortunately, his latest release is a very special treat, packed full of well-produced, well-written, accessible tunes with R&B, folk grooves and lots of Latin soul. In a tremendous performance, Midón spiritually delivers 10 tracks with deep, insightful lyrics and an abundance of superior musicianship from a supporting cast. An excellent follow up to his debut album, he has progressed from an artist who sounded like any other great soul singer to one of distinction and originality. His influences are rooted in many genres of music including R&B/soul (“Pick Somebody Up”), folk (“Save My Life”), and South American rhythms (“Tembererana,” and “Caminando”). In addition, his lyrics are pure poetry, filled with social commentary (“All the Answers,” an ode to the age of BlackBerries and instant gratification), love (“Save My Life”), social responsibility in the face of injustice (“Tembererana”) and mourning (“Song for Sandra”). And while nothing on A World Within a World is particularly radio-ready, the songs hang together as a package. Midon plays his guitar in a most rhythmic and beautiful manner while augmenting the melody with a voice that reminds me of the depth and warmth of Billy Ocean. At one point, he even mimics a trumpet. If you pick up just one R&B album in the near future, make sure it’s this one. — Ian Baxter, volunteer staff |
