Electric Blood – Biters – Like it is 1975, brawny power pop from Atlanta goes through the lyrical motions with a musical purpose: to find a place where Kiss meets Cheap Trick – C
Abyss – Chelsea Wolfe – Still grim, still grime, little glow – C-
Compton – Dr. Dre – The latest in a long line of albums not worth the weight of the wait, since 2008!, this is still a helluva fun ride, filled to the brim with sounds and rhymes, guests, and Dre who sounds nothing like the sound of NWA or The Chronic or even Compton 2015 even with Kendrick channelling Vince Staples: “fuck ya dead homies”? Back atcha – B
Today (Legacy Edition) – Elvis Presley – This has been out for a month now, and for its 40th anniversary they’ve included versions of the songs culled from his final professional recording studio session before overdubs, and a live from 1975 concert. The man could sing anything, with every passing Legacy release my respect increases , if it wasn’t a reissue it would be my album of the week – A
Genuxus – Fear Factor – I bet this ends up on the charts next week, industrial metal, strong but not overwhelming – C+
Positive Songs For Negative – Frank Turner – This generations Billy Bragg has yet to write a “Should I Paint You Picture”, let alone a “New England”. This continues the trend of songs that just don’t quite make it though “Mittens” is pretty good – B-
Death Magic – Health – If the only thing these indie rocker gothish boys have going for them is the sound of drums, drums, and more drums, how bad can that be? Not terrible but a coupla cracker songs would help – C+
21 EP – Hunter Hayes – This is the price of modern country, terrible overdone country pop crap – C-
The Trackless Woods – Iris Dement – The late Russian poet Anna Akhmatova’s words are translated, put to music, and then made to rhyme, leaving you twice removed from the originals. Though with an adopted Russian daughter, Dement has more reason than most to change though respecting Anna’s words -she could hardly do a crib sheet. Which she does, on an album that while a relative disappointment, and slow, thoughtful, and did I mention slow?, has enough songs with the brilliance of a “Broad Gold” and “Listening Is Singing”, to make it more than rewarding enough. Or would you rather listen to Luke Bryan? – ALBUM OF THE WEEK – B+
Kill The Lights – Luke Bryan – Spring Break can’t last forever, and so Bro Country pioneer gets his hair mussed up and records an album of country rock and country blues tracks all pop based twang by a total of 25 songwriters. Listening to it for the first time it was annoying without making me homicidal, but trying to pinpoint good songs, a second listen I found myself getting in murderous vein… wait, maybe “Fast” is alright? – C-
Deathless – Miss May I -emocore? Not bad – C+
Black Cat – Never Shout Never – The indie rockers had their moment maybe four, five years ago, here they perfect a emoish indie rock sound and if you like it, you like it – C+
Love Is Free EP – Robyn And La Bagatelle Magique – Robyn is always good even if she hasn’t been great in awhile, this is electronic beats go disco and it is all dance tracks for the masses beating out most competitors with ease – B+
This Is Not A Test – Tobymac – Christian hip hop with a more secular bent, so, yeah as good as can be expected – C-
Imaginary Life – Worriers – Snappy rock and roll album by the excellent Don Giovanni recording artists who perform fast pop rockers taking on exes and the police, and most points in between. They need a couple more stand out tracks but that’s all they need. The fuzzed out guitars on “Yes All Cops” kills the cliche – B+
