Alt J – This Is All Yours – The sophomore album by the Radiohead via Coldplay Public School boys and is better than the first because it has a few more songs where they let go and a few more where their better living by science hits you deeper, show me an album with a song as great as “Every Other Freckle” and I won’t show you Ghost Stories – ALBUM OF THE WEEK – A-
Syro – Aphex Twin – All basslines all the time, this is the Richard James after noting that there is a correlation between electronica and dance on his first album in 13 years. But like all Aphex Twin it takes forever to sink in – B+
Bittersweet July – Dev – Pop r&b via California, and built to hit the charts which since she is pretty, sings breathy and has been there before, it well might – B
Encyclopedia – The Drums – “Kiss Me Again” is everything we hoped the new Drums album would be, the same as the first two with more textures and more left turns, but too much of the rest of the album misses the pleasure zone… not by much, but still misses – B
Empires – Orphans – There must be a huge audience for this exceedingly powerful and sleek and lovely album, if I am not a part of the audience consider it a mix of ageism and finite time – B
Gary Clark Jr Live – Gary Clark Jr – Has this career stalled or what? While Gary sure is better live then on record, still to have his sophomore effort an over 145 minute live extravaganza is overkill and then some. Yes, Blak And Blu was botched on quite a few levels, but it was a serious attempt to position Clark as a pop star while Live is better, often much better, but is the antithesis of ambition – B-
GRMLN – Soon Away – Especially catchy indie pop, everything here kicks hard in that indie chiming modern pop way but better than most – B+
Tribal – Imelda May – More rockabilly cum blues rave ups by the retro wild woman – B
JHUD – Jennifer Hudson – The problem here is the same as it has been over the last coupla albums, I wish she’d play more 80s soul songs, her voice lends itself to Babyface covers. This is mainstream r&b with hip hop beats and productions – B
Different Shades Of Blue – Joe Bonamassa – An earlier iteration of Gary Clark, good sure, but not good enough. This stuff sounds old – B
Plain Spoken – John Mellencamp – Or is that croakin’? Straighforward folk minimalism, and while there is always something too arrogant about the guy, he is always trying to empathise with the pink houses and failing, still this is a strong collection of songs – B
Tyranny – Julian Casablancas And The Voidz – If I could go back in time, I wouldn’t walk out of his solo gig at Governors ball earlier this year. This obstreperous nerve wracking noise filled album takes awhile but kicks in hard eventually – B+
The Big Revival – Kenny Chesney – Yeah, “Flora-Bama” is a goodie. I toldja that a month ago – C
Black Moon Spell – King Tuff – Very pleasant hard rock fuzzed out psychedelic glam rock – B
The Way I’m Livin’ – Lee Ann Womack – I have no taste for country blues and that is the only question mark on this first rate collection of songs. “Chances Are” is a wonderful thing – B+
Strut – Lenny Kravitz – what’s the word they are all using? Gritty, I should live so long as to consider this stuff gritty – C
Popular Problems – Leonard Cohen – His second great album this decade… it’s not because he’s old – A
Little Machines – Lights – Impressive synth pop with a back beat – B
Luke James – Luke James – This is the way r&b should sound in the 2010s,the production is very now, very deep beats manipulated but the singer doesn’t care and carries away his melody. Could be a major player – B+
Hey Hey – Mapei – This is Swedish pop with a better than average singer, but still the sort of electronic thud you would expect from the land of electronica – B
Oz – Missy Higgins – Singer songwriter from Australia – B-
Mr. Twin Sister – Mr. Twin Sister – Pretty but somewhat soporific synth mood music – C+
Neulore – Animal Evolve – Modern folk, or Americana, deeply deeply emotive – C+
Perfume Genius – Too Bright – ”Don’t you know your queen? Cracked, peeling, riddled with disease. Don’t you know me?” Yes, folks, this will do it, just ask Alyson Camus here. This will break him big – A-
Next to Nothing – Riitz – Is every white rapper a Eminem wannabe?Apparently and this Atlanta guy is the real deal in a world of G-Easys. “Bounce” is major – B
Run The Jewel – Run The Jewel – OK, it is time for Killer Mike to go solo again – C
Jacksonville – Ryan Adams – Three country rockers, all great – A-
The Reggae Power – Sly And Robbie, Spicy Chocolate – what does it mean when the first voice you hear belongs to Beenie Man? It means Sly & Robbie remain producers first of all. Spicy Chocolate is a great singer and every single thing clicks. Hang around and Mr. Vegas drops by to pay his respects – B+
Cheek To Cheek – Tony Bennett And Lady Gaga – what can I say? Gaga can’t sing this stuff very well, Bennett can. “Nature Boy” is plainly painful – C-
Sukeirae – Tweedy – Performed with his son on drums, written for his wife who has cancer, this is Jeff’s best work since Foxtrot. Sadness marked in equal measure with joy, Jeff is right, it isn’t a requiem, but it is tinged with fear – B
