Unexpected Arrival – Diggy – RUN DMC's kid 17 year old Diggy is thorough on this soul hop album of intense beauty, smarts and prettiness. I am not crazy about Diggy's voice, but the songs are all the bomb, especially "88" and "Unforgiveable Blackness" and thematic he worries about the devolution of the Black American dream. Grade: A-
Hi Heels And Low-Lifes – Josh Baze – A first class pop move by a big time songwriter who name checks bBiggie, but cmon, his mind is on Babyface. This is hip how with both feet in classic not neo soul. Grade: A-
The Of Tapes – Odd Future – I may get around to a full review in a couple of weeks but the headline reads: everything is a little better and a little deeper than 12 Songs, except maybe Tyler who has no "Bastard" moment. Grade: A
Between The Time And The Tides – Lee Renaldo – Neither the songs, nor the voice, nor the guitar, ever get better than nothing much. Grade: C+
Court The Storm – Y La Bamba – If Carolina Chocolate Drops got abducted to Rio, it might sound something like this very strange but not not pretty indie something album. Grade: B+
The Hunger Games – Soundtrack – Surprisingly good, original songs written based on the kids movie story and arranged together by T. Bone Burnett, who is well up to it. Much better than the first Twilinglight Soundtrack. Between "Take The Heartland" and his cover of "Under My Thumb" at the Stones tribute, Glen Hassard is absolutely on my radar. Taylor Swift redeems herself after her first stab, Kid Cudi beats out his WIZRD album, the Decemberists, Maroon 5, Civil War… this is all very, very good. And I loved the Arcade Fire track, I don't care what any one says. The sound is a little samey but that's Burnett's fault. Grade: B+
Port Of Morrow – The Shins – I disliked the first two singles so I dismissed the album without giving it a real chance. But it is really pretty good. Maybe half of these songs are ace, and only a quarter are straight out dogs. The guitar on "No Way Down" forgives a lot of sins. Grade: B+
Rot Gut, Domestic – Margot And The Nuclear So And Sos – This is the one where the band sheds its perennial kid brother indie staus and proves its the real thing. A terrific album that leaves them with a simple problem: if this doesn't break them, what on Earth will? Grade: A-