Live At Wembley Arena – Abba – From 1979, so way late, they only had another album and no hits left to release, so the biggies are in place so that’s one reason to buy it. So is the promise of a never heard again song. But “I’m Still Alive” was written by Bjorn (lyrics) and Agnetha (music) and nothing much. and the set suffered through long drifts of deep album tracks. And they were as much a live band as an album band. Still, it is definitely ABBA – B-
Bringing Back The Sunshine – Blake Shelton – This won’t sell as well as Based On A True Story… because there is no “Boys ‘Round Here” but it will sell well any way because it is a fine exercise in modern country with enough good will and humor, not to mention depth, to pull through the lack of that one killer track – B+
A New Testament – Christopher Owens – As the front Girl, Owens was a pop rocker with a back beat, now he is a modern singer songwriter with a gift for melody. On the first track he channels Gospel through Presley movie soundtracks and his own indelible goodwill. ON THE FIRST TRACK – A-
Gypsy Heart – Colbie Caillat – This is better than the EP because on the EP, Colbie let her MOR songwriting skills fly, and here she merges it with her So Cal popstress abilities – B+
Dark Waves – Dark Waves – Named after the post-new wave form (?) these are sweetly dark pop rock songs with a very good lead singer – B
Innerworld – Electric Youth – Literally: electric synth pop mood music – B
Englebert Calling – Englebert Humperdick – Englebert was to Tom Jones what the Monkees were to the Beatles: not in the same league but still in their own league. This duets album has moments mostly because, well who can hate Gene Simmons joining him on “Spinning wheels”? Don’t answer, I’m keen to guess – B-
Hesitant Alien – Gerard Way – Way’s problem is he can’t live up to his earliest works with My Chemical Romance however hard he tries… and he tries everything. His saving grace is that he doesn’t have to and this collection of glam rockers is just fine – B
In The Mood – Herb Alpert – Herb takes on late 50s early 60s pop tunes, including two be the Everly Brothers, and has lost nothing in his tone, there is a controlled sweetness to his sound that isn’t background but isn’t foreground ether – B
Dig The Classics – Jeff The Brotherhood – Classics? Here a Pixie, there a Beck everywhere a MBV – B
The Big Picture – Kat Edmondson – Great voice, it sounds like it should be trilling but it isn’t and it sounds like it should be lightweight but she carries every song in her left pocket, jazz as pop as vocal gymnastics – B+
747 – Lady Antebellum – It’s not that they can’t write songs, “Bartender” here is killer, it is that they mope even when they’re not moping and sound shallow and proforma even when they are invading the country charts time after time after time. This is more of the same – C+
Boom – Laleh – Sweden via Iran, we’ve heard a lot like this in the past month alone, but this will get to you if you give it time The question is, how much time? The answer is, not that much on title track – B
Lenanchka – Lenanchka – Pretty voice with a certain undertow, unremarkable songs though “Good Luck” might be a grower – B-
Down Where The Spirit Meets The Bone – Lucinda Williams – How much of “Magnolia” did you get through? I haven’t been a fan since “Passionate Kisses” and the few times I’ve seen her live she put me to sleep. She sings like she’s gurgling and she has about one shading left. But, you know, if you like her you’ll love it and if you don’t, she wins on points anyway. I got right through “Magnolia” – B+
Right From Real – Lydia Ainsworth – Electronic pop soundscapes that don’t forget the song at all – B+
Phantom – Madi Diaz – Superior Nashville songwriter who seems to transcend genre and who calls a song “White Lightning” and still sounds like a singer songwriter – B-
This Is M.E. – Melissa Etheridge – she is a female Jon Bon Jovi and she has been doing it nearly as long, so if you don’t like it, and I am completely unmoved though the first song is OK, don’t listen – C
Art Official Age – Prince – R&B songwriting album and compared to most people pretty good and therein lies a big problem, for the most part the songs miss as Prince songs and certainly from the man who wrote so many classics, hell “One Of Your Tears” to name a song off the top of my head, this isn’t gonna cut it – C+
PLECTRUMELECTRUM – Prince, 3rdEyeGirl – Prince brings out his guitar and plays some funk, some licks, some tasty parts But not enough at all and the chicks make Vanity Six look like keepers – C+
Blue Planet Eyes – The Preternaturals – Well, this pop band lives up to the hype and then some on this excellent indie pop rocker via Australia – B+
Puig Destroyer – Puig Destroyer – Awesome noise hardcore by the guy from Thrice, who they are not as heavy as maybe because the songs are about baseball… Best song title ever? “Stop Fucking Bunting” – B+
Come Alive – Rachel Taylor – Torch pop tracks – B
50 St. Drive – Robin Gibb – – One more chance to hear that wonderful falsetto on a terrific and beautiful pop album. On “Don’t Cry Alone” he sounds operatic and glorious and if the tempo is a little too slow too often, he wrote it right after Maurice died and everything will get to you. Hold on for the Bee Gees cover A great send off – ALBUM OF THE WEEK – A-
Love And Logic – Sons Of Bill – Americana. When you start your first song by nicking a George Harrison lick, and continue by lifting a portion of “Me And Bobby McGee”, you better know what you’re doing. These guys do – B
Still The Waves – These Ghost – quietly built guitar sounds via London – B
Queen Of The Clouds – Tove Lo – Stuck trying to follow up “Habits”, she keeps the mood similar for nearly an hour in the hopes something sticks. Fortunately a few things do stick – B
Completement Fou – Yelle – Translates to completely crazy and produced by Dr. Luke it retains Yelle distinctive weirdness and includes hooks aplenty. It will be huge in France,, in the States she needed to translate a coupla tracks into English to get some traction – B+
