ALBUM REVIEW: DAVID YOW - Tonight You Look Like a Spider

DAVID YOW - Tonight You Look Like a Spider (Joyful Noise)

An unsettling but rewarding album of experimental pieces with a cinematic quality from the Jesus Lizard/Scratch Acid frontman.

Going into my first listen of David Yow's first solo album I knew that anything could happen, so I was prepared for what ever weirdness or aural assault he could muster. I went in KNOWING that my expectations would be defied and challenged, yet he threw such a curve ball that I was still caught off guard in the best possible way. The only other artist I can think of that broadsided me as much with such a radical twisting of preconceptions is Scott Walker.

It would have been easy for Yow to stick close to the abrasive noise rock of his former bands, Scratch Acid and Jesus Lizard. But instead he courageously walks away from that template and explores entirely unfamiliar territory. Tonight You Look Like a Spider is an often unsettling, mostly instrumental collection of experimental pieces. It has an avante garde cinematic quality to it, like the soundtrack to some unknown David Fincher movie. Or a warped Ennio Morricone soundtrack played on a turntable with a loose belt.

Yow made this album by himself over almost fifteen years as he learned ProTools, which sounds like the recipe for a bloated, self-indulgent mess. But he pulls it off wonderfully. The compositions and arrangements are deliberate and balanced. It's weird without sounding weird-for-weird's-sake. He doesn't play it for yucks or push unnecessarily into some "ain't this crazy shit?" zone. But there is some crazy shit here. There's oddly tuned piano tinkering, distorted voice bits, unidentifiable sounds that float in and out of pieces, shifting time signatures, and what I'm pretty sure if one of those cow moo tube toys that you turn upside down to get a moo, but greatly slowed down.

Other than "Roundhouse", which has hints of Jesus Lizards "Fly on the Wall" in the bassline, there's not much to directly identify Tonight You Look Like a Spider with Yow. A few parts remind me a bit of Resident's Third Reich and Roll or elements of Scraping Foetus Off The Wheel, but I also hear equal parts of Bernard Herrmann turned inside out or the above mentioned Morricone. Especially Morricone's Crime and Dissonance collection, which would make sense, since this album was once planned to come out on Mike Patton's Ipecac label.

David Yow has proven that he's a more complex artist than I gave him credit for. I was not expecting this to be an album that I would feel compelled to come back to multiple times, but it's bizarrely captivating. I'm hoping that he doesn't take so long for the next album.

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ALBUM REVIEW: the WOGGLES - Big Beat

the WOGGLES - Big Beat (Wicked Cool)

Supercharged party rock from one of the most reliable garage revival bands working today.

For over 20 years Georgia's Woggles have been kicking out relentlessly fun garage rock of the highest quality. When you put on a Woggles album you can count on having a good time. A really fucking good time. You're going tap your toes. You're going to shake your head. You're going to want to get up and dance. With this new one you're going to probably HAVE to get up and dance. And then thirty-some minutes later you're going to feel compelled play it again and dance some more.

The Woggles never played the cooler-than-thou tough-guy brand of garage that was in vogue when they hit the scene in the early 90's. Even on their early, harder rocking albums and singles, the Woggles still had a maximum R&B feel that made their records sound like a kick-ass party. Over the years they've honed that vibe and made the grooves stronger. The Woggles capture the spirit of the first garage bands playing frat parties and teen dances when the main objective was making the kids dance and to have a good time. Few bands seem as committed to keeping that spirit alive as the Woggles are. They remind me a lot of the Fleshtones in their heyday (a comparison I don't make lightly - the Fleshtones are gods).

The Woggles are super-tight and totally energized on Big Beat, which pushes everything into overdrive. At times I hear a garage-ified Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels. Other times they sound like a more primal Easybeats. There's a little Kinks, Sonics, and Animals in there as well. The songs are so solid across the board that it plays like a singles collection. Not a weak song in the bunch. They even deliver a stellar take on the much covered Frankie Laine standard, "Jezebel", a song I was sure that I didn't need to hear anyone else do. But they take ownership of it and make it work.

Big Beat is one of the best garage albums of the last few years. Probably the strongest album in the band's stellar catalog. It rocks. It swings. It's fun as hell!

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ALBUM REVIEW: OMD - English Electric

OMD - English Electric (BMG)

For their second album since reuniting the classic line-up, OMD deliver a very likable collection of songs recalls some of their best work of the 80's.

In 2010 OMD released History of Modern, which was the first album reuniting the classic OMD lineup since 1986's Pacific Age. The album hinted at what the band could achieve, but perfomances lacked spark and the songs weren't very memorable. It was the shell of the OMD sound, but lacked focus and sounded a bit too generic. Outside of Andy McCluskey's instantly recognizable vocals and a few trademark OMD synth tones, it sounded more like a band influenced by OMD than actually being OMD.

English Electric is their second album since returning, and it's a huge leap forward. This is OMD in "give the fans what they want" mode, featuring songs that highlight the strengths of their glory days while still sounding fresh. This time they embrace the distinctly OMD feel of their 80's albums, incorporating various elements of their first five or six albums. There's a nice balance of deceptively simple electropop, moodier downbeat melancholia, and big mainstream pop numbers with instantly catchy melodies. It's a very familiar sounding album with at least a few songs that could seamlessly fit onto that first Best of OMD singles collection. Or on the soundtrack to an imaginary John Hughes movie.

They've always owed a debt to Kraftwerk, and at several points on the album that influence is more apparent than on anything else they've done before. OMD don't retread their past, but they don't stray very far what they've done before either. This isn't the album for big innovations or an advancement in their sound. But it's also not a step back. The songs are well crafted and it's obvious that a lot of passion and attention went into making the record.

English Electric is instantly likable and consistently solid from start to finish. Despite the pristine and occasional almost-too-slick production (even by OMD's meticulous standards) there's a warmth to the whole thing that's very welcoming. It's not going to change the world, but there's great comfort in hearing OMD playing to all of their strengths.

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ALBUM REVIEW: the OBLIVIANS - Desperation

the OBLIVIANS - Desperation (In the Red) 

After 17 years the Memphis trash garage ne'er-do-wells pick up right where they left off.

For my money the Oblivians were the definitive Crypt Records band. They ripped through supersharged lofi garage punk that was light on finesse but heavy on attitude. They were relentless in their assault, creating of a muddled hybrid of garage, punk, blues, and rock & roll. They put out 3 albums in the second half of the 90's and then called it quits. Over the years the three members stayed busy with various projects (fronting the Reigning Sound; producing, writing, and/or playing with artists like the Detroit Cobras, Mary Weiss, Panther Burns, Jay Reatard; and running Goner Records label), making it seem unlikely that they'd return.

But 17 years after their last full length, ...Play 9 Songs with Mr Quintron, the Memphis trash garage ne'er-do-wells are back, picking up right where they left off. The production is a little better (nowhere close to being overproduced - it's still lo-fi) and they're more experienced musicians now, but they still tear it up with the same reckless abandon of the Oblivians of twenty years earlier. As with most great garage albums, there are some fine covers. The blistering cover of Paul Butterfield's "Lovin Cup" is fabulous, but the genius cover is taking a simple zydeco  party number, Stephanie McDee's "Call the Police", and turning it into a massive, pounding garage anthem.

Desperation is noisy, dumb-fun garage rock. Exactly what I want from the Oblivians.

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ALBUM REVIEW: EDWYN COLLINS - Understated

EDWYN COLLINS - Understated (AED)

A wonderfully strong British pop record filled with Northern Soul goodness from the former Orange Juice frontman’s eighth solo album.

Edwyn's eighth solo album is a joyous occasion, filled with bright melodies and toe-tapping rhythms. It's also a joyous album lyrically, filled with the life-affirming declarations of the man that suffered two brain hemorrhages less than a decade ago. Edwyn's sweet spot has always been the intersection of post-punk indie pop and Northern Soul, and that's exactly where Understated hits. And it hits hard, showcasing a mastery of pop songwriting that seems effortless (but when you know the backstory it's anything but). The spirit and vintage sounds of Motown and Stax are deep in the grooves, but he never actually copies any specific reference point. The feel of those soul records is so ingrained into his psyche that it comes out naturally in his songwriting. It never sounds calculated, as it does in the hands of so many of his contemporaries. The record sounds fresh and natural, maybe the most consistent album in his thirty plus year career.

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ALBUM REVIEW: the LOST PATROL - Driven

the LOST PATROL - Driven (Lost Patrol)

Lost Patrol makes shimmering dream pop with a muscular edge that incorporates a wide palette of stylistic influences into one cohesive and gorgeous album.

New York trio the Lost Patrol are not an easy band to pigeonhole or even accurately describe in brief synopsis. They play ethereal pop with roots in goth and shoegazer, but their sound is too wide reaching to comfortably fit within the rigid parameters often associated with those genres. They build on their songs by integrating elements of other genres in innovative ways without ever sounding forced or gimmicky. Rich surf guitar tones flow into lush dreamy soundscapes with bits of Ennio Morricone added to the mix. They comfortably shift between moody electronica and sunnier jangle pop and then throw in a wonderful twist on girl group dramatics. The thing that amazes me most about Driven is how well the album flows considering all of the change-ups they incorporate.

Mollie Israel's vocals are absolutely gorgeous while still packing a powerful punch. At times her voice reminds me of Shirley Manson, Slowdive's Rachel Goswell, or Blonde Readhead's Kazu Makino. Driven is lush album with some epic moments, but it manages to maintain an intimacy and warmth that could have easily been lost in lesser hands. The only song that doesn't work entirely for me is "Just Go", which is a convincing WWII era sounding vocal pop number with an equally convincing period delivery (piano, stand up bass, and drum brushwork), but it's the only moment on the record where the band's diversity is distracting. But that's a small complaint, especially since they pull it off so well.

I'm new to Lost Patrol, so I not only get the joy of this fabulous album, but I'm also looking forward to digging into their catalog.

ALBUM REVIEW: NOAH & the WHALE - Heart Of Nowhere

NOAH & the WHALE - Heart Of Nowhere (Mercury UK May 7, 2013)

The Twickenham band continues in the same light-pop-meets-arena-sing-alongs of 2011's wonderful Last Night On Earth, choosing not to vary the sound much.

On their fourth album, Noah & the Whale songs push and pull between intimate folky pop and big, swing-for-the-fences arena-ready sing-alongs. Often that struggle happens in the same song. It doesn't always work, but when it does, the results are exceptionally wonderful. At their best, Noah & the Whale is one of the strongest British acts currently making records. At their worst, the songs are still enjoyable, but a bit generic and samey. Tying it all together are the lyrics, which are interesting character studies and stories of people looking for hope, love, and inspiration.

I'm a big fan of 2011's Last Night on Earth. It was my #5 album of the year and hardly a month has passed since that I haven't played it. But even then I called it really good "empty calorie feelgood pop". Noah & the Whale started out as part of England's new folk indie pop scene of the mid part of the last decade, but quickly evolved into a more anthematic band with bigger production and songs with a wider reaching scope. The songs are catchy and instantly likable; uplifting despite the underlying melancholia that Charlie Fink's vocals veer toward. The songs are given extra depth thanks to a balance of organic performances and electronic drums and synth flourishes and smatterings of bouncy strings.

Part of me wishes that Noah & the Whale would vary their sound a little more. On their own every song is solid, but back-to-back they tend to blend together. Especially on the slower songs that don't have driving rhythms and larger-than-life choruses. That being said, Heart of Nowhere is an album deserving of many plays and Noah & the Whale are band ready for a larger audience.

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ALBUM REVIEW: WAVVES - Afraid of Heights

WAVVES - Afraid of Heights (Warner Bros)

The San Diego band's fourth album is an adrenaline rush of angsty guitar charged beach pop fun with hyper melodies.

Wavves' supercharged slacker punk pop sounds like a more reckless version of Weezer. They have no shortage of oversized hooks or bratty exuberance, filling every song with sing-along choruses with pogo inducing energy. They create the illusion that it could all fall apart at any second, but rather than sounding dangerous they come off as good natured trouble makers.

Much has been made of this being the band's first album for a major label and their working with a name producer in John Hill (Pink, Santigold. MIA, Devo, Christina Aguilera). The band's sound is tighter and cleaner, but it still has most of the lofi edge of their earlier work. I'm not sure if it's possible to make a big production values lo-fi record, but if it is, this is it. Much of what makes the label transition work so well is  frontman/songwriter Nathan Williams' sharper focus and coming in with a great batch of songs.

Individually every single song is solid and worth hearing. The only problem I have with the record is that it gets a bit samey. There's not much variety in the arrangements or production, so everything sort of blends together into one grungy sugar rush. That being said, it's one of my most played albums of the year hits the spot when I'm up for some angsty fun.

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ALBUM REVIEW: MAN OR ASTRO-MAN? - Defcon 5...4...3...2...1

MAN OR ASTRO-MAN? - Defcon 5...4...3...2...1 (Warm Electronic Recordings)

Auburn, Alabama's #1 Sci-Fi-Spy-Surf group return with their first album in a dozen years and a slightly more muscular sound.

It was a hell of a great surprise to find out that Man or Astro-Man? were back together and had a new album out. They've played a few shows and released a few singles since reuniting in 2010, but somehow that news never made it to me. The band has evolved in several ways since their last album. They're a bit more rocking this time round and at times deliberately downplay their surfy roots in favor of grungier indie rock. They've practically abandoned the found sound movie drop-ins that were one of their trademarks. And they've put more emphasis on vocals - almost half of the songs here have vocals. If the band name wasn't on the cover I don't think I would guessed who this was. There are some very classic Man or Astro-Man moments, but there is also a little lo-fi electronica and even some poor man's Sonic Youth. The album doesn't always work, but when it does, it's quite fun. When it doesn't quite work it's still interesting, but I'm not sure how often I'll return to it once the novelty of having a new Man or Astro-Man? album wears out.

The song below is one of the more traditional Man or Astro-Man moments from the new album.

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ALBUM REVIEW: HOUSE OF LOVE - She Paints Words In Red

HOUSE OF LOVE - She Paints Words In Red (Cherry Red)

House of Love deliver beautiful jangly psychedelia with rich pastoral melodies and their best album since the 1990 self titled album (aka Fonatana/Butterfly)

House of love took their time between 2005's underrated comeback album and the follow up, but the results are well worth the wait. I was a big fan of Days Run Away, putting it at #6 in 2005 year end list (which with hindsight might have been a bit too eager on my part). The songs were individually quite strong, but it was missing something that I couldn't quite put my finger on. Upon first listen of She Paints Words In Red I realized what was missing from Days Run Away was the overall feel. The new album FEELS like a House of Love record. It lures you in the way the first two albums did, and it captivates in a way that you could lose yourself in the grooves.

Middle aged House of Love are mellower. Acoustic guitars play a larger role now than ever before. But that only adds to the elegant pastoral sound that hits right in Guy Chadwick's sweetspot. There are still plenty of shimmering guitars, but they're more relaxed and organic. 2013 House of Love make jangly psychedelia with roots in 1990's Britpop, but now they're letting their mid 60's influences stretch out more. I hear bits of Rain Parade and the Church on much of the album, with a few songs dipping into the same terrain as Robyn Hitchcock or mid 80's REM. She Paints Words in Red is hardly an adventurous album, but it's one that feels perfectly natural for House of Love and exactly the type of album I hoped for.

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ALBUM REVIEW: BOMBINO - Nomad

BOMBINO - Nomad (Nonesuch) 

Mesmerizing desert blues from the highly talented West African guitarist/singer's third album gets a little help from the Black Keys' Dan Auerbach.

Like many Westerners, I first became aware of Tuareg desert blues through the music of the genre's breakout group, Tinariwen. That band's 2007 album Aman Iman was a personal favorite and one of my most played albums for the next year or so. I picked up several other Tuareg albums, most notably the Tinariwen followups and albums by Etran Finatawa and Tartit. But they lacked the charm of Aman Iman, or sounded just a bit too similar. I've been looking for a new Tuareg record to get excited about ever since, and I finally found one in Nomad, the third album from Omara "Bombino" Moctar.

Bombino is a singer-songwriter and gifted guitarist from Agadez, Niger, who plays traditional Tuareg melodies. But the plays them with a few subtle differences than most of contemporaries that make his sound a bit more Western friendly. The layered guitar lines serpentine throughout the songs, playfully dancing with the hypnotic rhythms. Two percussionists and plenty of hand claps in various tempo African time signatures drive the songs, but it's the sinewy acoustic and electric guitars that really captivate. That and Bombino's relaxed vocals, occasionally chanted, but always sung in sung in his native Tamashe.

One of the thing that separates Nomad from other Tuareg recordings is the addition of Dan Auerbach of the Black Keys behind the producer's desk. Recorded in Nashville, he gives Bombino lots of freedom to do what he does best, capturing the loose and flowing vibe of the music. But he adds very subtle bits that fill out the sound. There's a little bit of pedal steel, some vibes, an occasional organ riff, and I'm sure he encouraged the use of a few extra guitar pedals. Much like he did so well with Dr John last year, Auerbach nudges Bombino more than directing him, allowing the artist's organic energy to ultimately decide where the journey ends. In this case, it ends with a very enjoyable and uplifting album that I'm sure I'll be playing for many years to come.

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ALBUM REVIEW: BLEACHED - Ride Your Heart

BLEACHED - Ride Your Heart (Dead Oceans)

Bleached's punked up take on 60's girl group pop is loaded with sugary pop goodness, making it a perfect soundtrack for a Summer road trip.

On their debut album, Bleached make perky pop with sugary melodies and just the right amount of fuzz. The songs are firmly rooted in 60's girl-group pop, but with a modern indie-pop attack. The arrangements are straight forward and without much in terms of frills, like the early Ramones albums. The focus is on the alluring melodies and the spirited vocals, which sound like a cross between the Primitives' Tracy Tracy and Katy Goodman of La Sera/Vivian Girls. In fact, this album reminds me quite a bit of La Sera's Sees the Light album, which was one of my favorite albums of 2012. Both albums expertly move between mid-tempo pop and punky rockers that race by. And both feature vocals that are technically limited, but have enough charm to pull off anything they reach for.

Jessica and Jennifer Clavin were previously in the beloved LA punk garage band Mika Miko, so they're no strangers to buzzing guitars and hyper tempos. Ride Your Heart has plenty of that, but more refined and with a strong California beach culture feel. This is perfect Summer ear candy. The type of record that makes me smile every time I put it on.

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ALBUM REVIEW: PALMA VIOLETS - 180

PALMA VIOLETS - 180 (Rough Trade US)

Much buzzed debut album from a London four piece is a raucous blast of organ heavy garagey fun.

The Palma Violets tread where many bands have gone before, playing punchy rock with a little sleaze and a lot of laddish energy. Based on their raucous live shows easy-to-grab hooks they became a UK "it" band before their debut album was even out (including an NME cover and the obligatory backlash that comes with it).

They play a no-frills brand of garagey indie rock with a simple (and a bit sloppy) drum/bass/guitar attack. But what really separates them from the pack is the fuzzy psychedelic organ that fills out the sound and takes them from being just another Libertines to bringing in bits of Modern Lovers, Stranglers, and Caesars. The production is filled with reverb and is deliberately muddy, which adds to the reckless feel, but still has a professionalism to it that keeps it from sounding lo-fi. The band's style is easy to like right out of the box; a bunch of jaunty songs that make you want to jump around and mouth along the words that you don't quite know. I'm not sure what kind of staying Palma Violets will have, but for now the album is a splendid burst of fun every time I put it on.

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ALBUM REVIEW: KINGSBURY MANX - Bronze Age

KINGSBURY MANX - Bronze Age (Odessa)

Album number six from the Chapel Hill folk pop group turns up the psychedelia as they evolve into a more upbeat version of their earlier records.

At their best, Kingsbury Manx remind me an American take on Belle and Sebastian. They excel at songs that are firmly rooted in folk, but built up with captivating pop hooks and an eclectic palette of flourishes. They perfectly nailed it on their 4th album, 2005's the Fast Rise and Fall of the South, which made my Top 20 and still gets regular play through my headphones. Kingsbury Manx were never a band to settle into a groove and ride it; they're creatively restless and always evolving.

On much of the new album they pick up the tempo, filling out the sound with psychedlic (and at times proggy) richness and a clearly more rocking delivery. I don't recall their guitars ever being that fuzzy or the swirling keyboards being so full and upfront. They don't reinvent themselves to the degree of being jarring for fans of their earlier work, but like Wilco they are willing to risk stepping into new terrains without losing sight of what they do best. On a casual listen it's a pleasant album filled with memorable hooks and some wonderful pastoral pop. But when you dig in deeper, you can hear how meticulously crafted the whole thing is and how intricate the arrangements are. At times they come close to overthinking or overworking every detail, but never quite cross that line to distract from the top notch songwriting. This is a record that offers new things on repeated listens - the more you live with it the more it delivers subtle surprises.

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ALBUM REVIEW: WIRE - Change Becomes Us

WIRE - Change Becomes Us (Pink Flag)

Using unfinished 30 year old snippets as the starting point, the post-punk legends make their most rewarding album since reforming.

It never feels accurate to describe Wire as reinventing themselves since their very foundation is built around constant experimentation and defying expectations. The band is always changing and evolving, but they never lose sight of their very distinct identity - you always know a Wire song (from any era) when you hear it. Throughout their on-again-off-again thirty five year career Wire have had an uneasy relationship with their past, which is why it was such a surprise to find out that their new album was built around unfinished song ideas from the end of their first era circa 1980.

Much of Change Becomes Us sounds like a continuation of what they were doing on the last album of their first era, 154 (as well as Colin Newman's first solo album, A-Z). But it hardly sounds like a museum piece or a nostalgic return to their past. Those thirty year old song blueprints are just the starting point to be reworked, rebuilt, and re imagined by a much more experienced band. I've never heard the live album Document And Eyewitness, where some of the original snippets appeared back in 1981, but from everything I've read most of the changes are pretty radical.

Wire's last album, 2011's Red Barked Tree, hinted at what Change Becomes Us delivers. That album had some wonderful moments, but most of it was missing the tension that is an essential part of Wire's sound. The new album is full of tension. Even the quieter songs have an edge (and occasionally even sound a little dangerous). As with the other post 2000 Wire releases, my early faves are the ones where they rock the fuck out. And they do that quite a bit this time round; recalling the intensity of the 2002 Read & Burn EPs and the 2003's Send album. But ultimately it's the slow burn of the more atmospheric pieces that showcase what Colin Newman, Robert Grey, and Graham Lewis (along with new guitarist Matt Simms) do better than anyone else.

Change Becomes Us is a record that any fan of Wire could love, no matter which era of their eclectic catalog you prefer. But it's also a very current sounding album from a band that finally sounds comfortable enough with its past to confidently twist it into its modern self.

ALBUM REVIEW: CHELSEA LIGHT MOVING - Chelsea Light Moving

CHELSEA LIGHT MOVING - Chelsea Light Moving (Matador)

With his new band Thurston Moore delivers a sludgier and much looser back-to-basics take on the Sonic Youth template.

After years of very deliberately trying to keep his extracurricular projects from sounding too much like Sonic youth, Thurston Moore can finally embrace that sound now that his former band is no more. There's no mistaking that Chelsea Light Moving is fronted by the key architect of Sonic Youth, but rather than sounding like a retread of what that band had already done, this sounds like a peek at what that band might have become.

The weirdly tuned dissonant guitar riffing is here along with Thruston's half spoken vocal poetry and the occasional enthusiastic yelping. But CLM are much looser than Sonic Youth ever were. It's not quite in-studio improv, but the songs lack conventional structure (even by modern SY standards) in favor of grabbing hold of a riff and riding it out. My original complaint with the album was that there was too much dicking around, but I've warmed up to free-from casualness that makes it feel a bit like a noisy postpunk prog album. Occasionally they edge close to self-indulgent jamming, like one of Greg Ginn's many SST projects, but they never actually cross that line.

Thurston's new guitar foil comes in the form of Keith Wood of Hush Arbors, who brings a muddier guitar sound rather than trying to emulate Lee Ranaldo's precision. Much of the album is heavier than anything Moore has tackled in the past, at times veering into the sludgy territory of Mudhoney or Melvins. Chelsea Light Moving isn't a great album, but it's solid enough to merit repeated listens and could be the start of a great new chapter in Moore's career. I take it as a good sign that my pick for favorite song on the album keeps shifting as I hear new things or listen in different moods.

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ALBUM REVIEW: KARL BARTOS - Off the Record

KARL BARTOS - Off the Record (Bureau B)

Second solo album from Kraftwerk core member is filled with retro synthpop that recall his former band's glory days.

At their peak, Kraftwerk sounded like the future. That future has come and gone and now the robotic vocals, synthesized bleeps, and mechanical electro pop rhythms have a charmingly nostalgic quality to them. That doesn't take anything away from how innovative and alive those records still sound today, or how much stronger the songs are over the countess bands they've inspired. Listening to Kraftwerk is still exciting and often I wish there was just one more album from that Trans-Europe Express / Man-Machine / Computer World era. In a way, Karl Bartos has granted that wish.

Karl Bartos was one-fourth of the classic 1975-90 Kraftwerk lineup (Radio-Activity through Electric Cafe), contributing writing, electronic percussion, and the occassional vocal. This album, Bartos' second solo, started as a collection of unused ideas from the Kraftwerk days updated for 2013. There is absolutely no way to separate Off the Record from Bartos's Kraftwerk past, which I think is part of the idea.

The sound and feel of the entire album is Kraftwerk circa 1980, but there's just enough modern production to keep it from sounding like a collection of Kraftwerk outtakes. Overall the songs are solid and occasionally stand up to the glory days - namely on the OMDish "Without a Trace of Emotion" and the hypnotic electro-groove of "Musica Ex Machina". But I might be giving the whole album a style-over-substance pass. But damn, he does the style so well. Between this album and his Elektric Music music I wonder if he influenced the band's sound a bit more than he's given credit for. For me this album is worth it just for the sensation of having a few more Kraftwerk nuggets to enjoy.

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ALBUM REVIEW: BAD RELIGION - True North

BAD RELIGION - True North (Epitaph)

On album number 16 Bad Religion proves to still be one of the most vital and engaging punk bands making records, with more power and relevance than band's half their age.

True North is the most vital album from Bad Religion in almost 20 years (1994's Stranger than Fiction being the last Bad Religion album I've loved start-to-finish). Everything I love about the band is represented here in force: giant melodies, relentless energy, aggressive guitars, a pummeling rhythm section, hyper-intelligent lyrics, and those well placed backing "oooh-oh" vocals (Bad Religion are second only to Naked Raygun in harnessing the power of "whoah-oh" harmonies).

This is a record that only Bad Religion could make. They don't stray far from the template they've mastered over the years, but this time everything is a bit sharper and more on point. They sound totally recharged and determined to deliver one of the strongest records of their career. Which they succeed at.

They've stripped the arrangements to the essentials and brought the song lengths back down to their more economical punk roots (only one of the 16 songs breaks the 3 minute mark). About the only frill or luxury is the triple guitar assault of Brett Gurewitz, Greg Hetson, and Brian Baker. And that guitar line is about as perfect as punk rock guitar gets. The production is clean and uncluttered, which only highlights even more how incredibly the band really is. Only Bad Religion can get away with their level of vocabulary punk intellectualism and make it sound natural.

This is an exciting and ferocious album from a band that sounds absolutely rejuvenated without stepping outside of their comfort zone.

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ALBUM REVIEW: JOHNNY MARR - the Messenger

JOHNNY MARR - the Messenger (Sire/Ada February 26, 2013)

After more than two decades of side projects and hired gun sessions Johnny Marr finally steps into the frontman role with a diverse collection of songs that showcase his guitar and songwriting chops.

Hearing how effortless Johnny Marr's first official solo album feels it seems odd to that it took him twenty five years after the Smiths break-up to get around to making it. The Messenger is diverse and wide reaching in it's styles, which could make it sound like a compilation rather than an actual album. But the cohesive songwriting and performances along with excellent sequencing make it work as a whole album. A whole album with a lot of potential singles. This isn't one of those record where you can call out the two or three best songs, it's loaded with strong songs.

The record has a youthful energy to it, but is crafted in a way that only a skilled veteran could pull off. Marr touches on points throughout his entire career, offering hints at other songs without ever sounding he's trying replicate a particular reference. Along with the Smiths, Electronic, and the Healers he served briefly in The The, Modest Mouse, and the Cribs. Plus as a session player he's worked with an impressive range of talents, including Talking Heads, Edwyn Collins, Billy Bragg, Tom Jones, Kirsty MacColl, Bryan Ferry, Pretenders, and Pet Shop Boys. Obviously Marr took notes over the years, cherry picking skills and processes to be used at a future date.

No one needs to reminded of what a great guitarist Marr is - he's proven himself many times with both incredibly large riffs as well as a subtly and restraint that many of the guitar heroes lack. As a songwriter he's been properly vetted in the past, but here he really gets to stand on his own and prove once and for all that he has mastered the entire songwriting process. I've seen some disparaging comments about the vocals, which I don't get. The vocals aren't necessarily dynamic, but they're strong enough that I had to check the credits and verify that it was him singing and not a "professional" vocalist.

This is one of my most played albums of the year so far, and as we go into Summer I only see those plays getting more frequent. If you're looking for bright jangly Britpop loaded with infectious melodies the Messenger is the place to start. This is the record that Smiths fans have been waiting for for many years. But it's so much more than that.

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ALBUM REVIEW: GODFATHERS - Jukebox Fury

GODFATHERS - Jukebox Fury (Godfathers' Recordings)

The first studio album in 17 years from Godfathers hints at past glories, but unfortunately misses the mark.

Godfathers songs have always sounded huge. Even when the songs themselves aren't quite so grand, they rose above thanks to the passion of the music and the conviction of vocalist Peter Coyne. For a few years in the late 80's they were one of London's most powerful bands, thanks in part to the duel guitar attack of Kris Dollimore and Michael Gibson. By the mid 90's they had lost some of their edge, but still made compelling records that sadly many people never heard (or even knew about). Then they called it quits.

The band reformed in various lineups for some shows before finally settling on a lineup for their return to the studio. The only remaining members of the classic lineup are Peter Coyne on vocals and brother Chris on bass. In an inspired bit of self referential nostalgia, they've brought in the guitarist from their pre-Godfathers band, Sid Presley Experience. The band sounds energized, with Coyne's vocal snarl just as menacing as it was twenty years earlier and the hard edged R&B riffs are solid with some ripping guitar. But despite some promising moments, the album feels hollow. They have all the right ingredients for a great Godfathers record, but despite the best of intentions it didn't quite gel. Rather than a stellar return, they ended up with a record that sounds like a collection of More Songs About Love & Hate and Unreal World b-sides.

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