The Weeping Cherry -Ambrosia Parsley – Heartfelt singer songwriter, but she falls on her metaphor once too often and this lacks a sticky track, still she has real talent – C+
American Wrestler – American Wrestler – UK singer songwriter from bedsitland, who has songs, really good ones, here, with titles like “There’s No One Crying Over Me Either”. American Wrestler is Gary McClure and yes, he could do with an editor but this is as consistently great as a young singer songwriter gets – B+
The Magic Whip – Blur – A culture adrift in Hong Kong adds to the alienation and also adds to the catalog of Britpop stalwarts first album of new material in twelve years… mixed results – B
Deep In The Iris – Braids – Not bad shoegaze, nice singer, though a little on the twee side. It takes time and nobody has any – B-
Musique De Film Imagine – The Brian Jonestown Massacre – Anton Newcombe may be a nutcase and a nasty piece of work but he is a nutcase and a nasty piece of work with the power of his convictions. Here the title tells the story, incidental music and not much more – C
Never Were The Way She Was – Colin Stetson And Sarah Neufeld – Ridiculously beautiful instrumentals featuring a saxophonist who has opened for Bon Iver and a member of Arcade Fire who plays violin. It works best in the background, a sort of intense ambient sound, but isn’t bad foreground either. A little goes a long way – B
In Remembrance – Delia Gonzalez – Sculptor, performance artist, DFA recording artist and apparently pianist, these are remixes from the soundtrack to an exhibition. I think you had to be there -C+
Forever Man – Eric Clapton – Just what the world needs, another Clapton compilation. 51 songs from all over the place and really not terrible – B
The Positions – Gang Of Youths – Australian art rockers, the lead singer has a nice undertow to his voice and the songs are pretty good and pretty catchy. Lead off “Vital Signs” is big time, and by the time you’re nearing the end you’re impressed, until the long arty one at the end where they overstay their welcome.
Fading Love – George FitzGerald – Electro pop from London, but better than you think it is: the songs click and so do the electronics and the DJ’s debut album sounds spectacular and dubstep low key at the same time – B+
Stages – Josh Groban – Josh takes on Broadway from “Les Miz” to “Carousel” without improving or equalling anything, also without belittling anything. But when even “Children Will Listen” has you heading for the next button, it is nothing you’ll want to listen to ever again – D+
+- – Mew – Danish art poppers who have been around for over 20 years without making the slightest impression on me. I see no reason for that to change now – C
True Brew – Millencolin – “Autopilot Mode” is a great song but everything here by these guys nearing their quarter century of punk via Denmark are a little ordinary – C+
MG – MG – Martin Gore releases sixteen tracks of modern electronica instrumentals. An acquired taste – C+
Smoke Machine – Nick Catchdubs – The co-owner of Fool’s Gold Records (with the great A-Trak) is pretty great himself. This is hip-hop meets dance, but the sounds are really different and they are really different on every track. “Don’t let it drop” is more than an aesthetic it is a point of view, and every single track here gets through in the end. Nick’s debut album, and as good as this genre can possibly get. – ALBUM OF THE WEEK – B+
Odessa – Odessa – Not unpleasant synth pop via Scotland, “I Will Be There” is lovely – B
35th Anniversary Tour (Live) – Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo – Love is still a battlefield, for over eight minutes here – C
Fly International Luxurious Art – Raekwon – The prolific Wu Tang member has been promising this Gangsta rap for a coupla years now, and here it is with a featured artists from fellow Wu Ghostface Killah to young thugging A$AP Rocky to ubiquitous Snoop, to best voice in the biz Rick Ross, for more of the same. And the same was more fun circa Cuban Linx 2 -B-
Cool It – Sam Cohen – Talented musician but this singer songwriter album is a bore – C
Actions – Turn To Crime – Pretty good electronic pop – B
Suffer In Peace – Tyler Farr – His dad played guitar in George Jones touring band, so you know he has the pedigree. But this sounds too erstwhile country, like it should be great and has the heart to be great, but falls flat but doesn’t flatline. “I Don’t Even Want This Beer” has a tasty guitar solo – C+
Sirens – The Weepies – I really liked that album they did with Mandy Moore way back, but otherwise these folkies bore the hell out of me – C-
Cascade – William Basinski – 40 minutes of ambience – C+
Made Us Strangers – The Young Novelists – Like the Decemberists but rockier and less quirky, like Americana but quirkier and rockier, a talented Toronto outfit and “Singer Songwriter” is a terrific song… the instrumental break is fundamental. No promises but this could sound major after a coupla more listens – B+
JEKYLL – HYDE – The Zac Brown Band – The country band as jam band and on their fourth album are the bland losers they’ve always been, and adding Sara Bareilles on a slice of boogie woogie or Chris Cornell on a faux-grunge knock off, back to back, isn’t Jekyll and Hyde, it is dumb and dumber – D+
