Mr. Wonderful – Action Bronson – Look, when it comes to white rappers better this Queens native then, say, Asher Roth. Bronson is sensiitive the way Kanye West is sensitive, it’s like there is a screw loosening, and Bronson raps like nobody else, he does sound nearly exactly three years agootherworldly in his originality. All the sample tracks are excellent, and with Bronson he always seems ready to have an emotional breakdown. Mark Ronson sounds better on his two tracks than he does on the entirety of his recent solo album. And Bronson is growing steadily in all directions from the first album. This is a major label move by a guy who wants to try and keep it real when real is being white middle class and from left of Long Island – B+
Bala Brothers – Bala Brothers – Vocal group from South Africa, what can you say about a group that open their album with “Circle Of Life”? That it goes downhill from there though less because of the voices and more because of the arrangement, which are dreary MOR hymnals. Billy Joel’s “And So It Goes” is pretty much good enough – C
Brava – Brodinski – French DJ is the missing link between rap and house and this album is what would happen if Lil Jon went all out for an album, and more, the beats are so fresh even ILOVEMAKONNEN falls into line behind Brondinski. With exceptions it is lyrically negligible but that seems to go with the terrirtory. “Interviews” is major. And I’m still exploring – A-
Lost And Found – Buena Vista Social Club – With the three most important members of the club dead long before direct flights from New York to Cuba were ressurrected, this outtakes plus live tracks is less an album and more of a reminder. But a really good reminder – B+
Time To Go Home – Chastity Belt – Pretty damn good indie rockers with a feel for walls of guitar and a way with a song, and close harmonies in the background – B+
Sometimes I Sit And Think, And Sometimes I Just Sit – Courtney Barnett – Look out kid, it’s something you did… Courtney would be the 21st century Bob Dylan if the only thing Dylan had written was “Subterranean Homesick Blues”. For one song, or even two, for the career making “Avant Gardener” or the other single “Predestrian At Place”, even the third song on the album “An Illustration Of Loneliness (Sleepless In New York)” (about the CMJ Fest apparently) are all powerful, wordy, deepy stories but by the time you reach the fourth song, Courtney’s speak sing gets a little draggy and then you start to wonder if “give me all your money, I’ll make you origami honey” actually say anything of interest. By the time she reaches the change ups near the end, “Kim’s Caravan” and “Boxing Day Blues”, it is too late and any way she drones stuff down instead of melodying em up. Still, I did mention her songs in the same breadth as “Subterranean Homesick Blues” – B+
All My Sisters – The Cribs – Four years on from Johnny Marr joining and leaving the band, and three years on from Steve Albini producing em, this UK trio of brothers latest stands on its own for catchy, tuneful rock and roll. No more, but absolutely no less – B
I Don’t Like Shit, I Don’t Go – Earl Sweatshirt – The first time I saw Earl was at the great Odd Future Hammerstein coming of age gig in 2012 and since than I’ve liked Doris, his debut album, a great deal, and admired his solo gigs. This is more of the same, more or less, less dirgy and downer than he can be, still it is hard pressured horrorcore stuff and while it doesn’t shake you up entirely, it sure does disquiet you. I recommend a collobaroation with Frank Ocean -their sounds were made for each other because, horrorcore or not Sweatshirt, has the genes of a poet or do I mean artist? – B+
Ways Over Water – Fritz Kalkbrenner – Electronic ephemeral ambient – C+
The Scene Between – The Go! Team – If these guys were just a little better, their kitchen sink approach to arrangements, beats, samples, rock guitars, the sound of a beer being poured, would be boatloads less clawing – C+
Chaos And The Calm – James Bay – Mostly the calm from the UK answer to Hozier – B-
Wasted On The Dream – Jeff The Brotherhood – Well, well, indie rock’s answer to the Black Keys are all grown up on this thumping good mainstream rock album. Jake and Jamin Orrall, the brotherhood themselves, fresh from being dropped from Warner Brothers prove once again that rock is dead, by making a fine rock album that will keep em playing the Bowery Ballroom for another couple of years. “Black Cherry Pie” has a great flute solo! – B+
Short Movie – Laura Marling – The Laura goes electric line of thought is something of a dead end street. Consider Short Movie a year in the life of a woman who doesn’t know what she wants but knows it isn’t me – A-
I Don’t Prefer No Blues – Leo “Bud” Welch – I missed this 82 year old Gospel blues man from (where else) Mississippi debut album last year but this more secular take on the blues is ridiculous. Full throttle, hardcore with tons of guitar, all filthy dirty, and a man who sounds his age and that is perfect for the blues. Listen to Welch yelp on “I Don’t Know Her Name” and stand back in awe. from the Delta to your house, this is a great set and a must hear – ALBUM OF THE WEEK – A
My Weekly Reader – Nellie McKay – Look, I love Nellie as well, she was real sweet when I met her, and the cabaret singer does Doris Day to a turn. The Kinks? Not so much on this 60s covers album – C+
Era Of Manifestation – People Of The North – Feedback drenched, obstreperous, guitar noise improvisations – C
Claustrophobia – Scuba – Pretty Lights without the hype – C
All American Boy – Steve Grand – The first openly gay country singer, and good for him. But this is lame mainstream country, and homosexuality is no excuse for ordinary songwriting – C
Toto XIV – Toto – The poster boys for exactly how far studio chops will take you, the band released this the week bassist Mike Porcaro died, so yeah the knives go back in the drawer. There is a market for this but I’m not it – C-
Duets: Reworking The Catalogue – Van Morrison – This isn’t a masterpiece and it isn’t a correction, but for fans it is a tug on the sleeve, a reminder of stuff we aren’t listening to right now and for the rest of the world, maybe there is an “Have I Told You Lately” there somewhere – A-
Complete Strangers – Veviter – Shoegaze meetssinger songwriter somnalulism but not as bad as it sounds with a touch of electronica for good measure – C+
