Be Here Now: Snapshot Reviews Of New Album Releases February 4th, 2014
Three voices for the price of one
The Haden Triplets – The Haden Triplets – Expert back up singers for decades, Jack White got them in the studio for this album of Americana folk songs in very close harmony. The great Ry Cooder produced and this is an album of extreme beauty echoing roots early country – ALBUM OF THE WEEK – B+
After The Disco – Broken Bells – Downbeat sodden electronic indie. This band won’t change your life – D+
Salute – Little Mix – The all girl group continue to mine post-post-Spice Girls disco pop on their second album. Big in the UK, there isn’t much to recommend it it for a US audience – C+
Hydra – Within Temptation – Hybrid metal and symphonic rock, it is a Goth metal plus chick lead singer plus guest stars but the songs are uniformly dreadful – C-
Love, Marriage, Divorce – Toni Braxton, Babyface – “Rollercoaster”? “Sweat”? “Reunited”? Shouldn’t these songs be a little livelier? No, they are all slow jams and I like this stuff pretty much, and these two are both pros. But this is moods for 40 something divorcees and not one song breaks loose from the concept. Still, it is Babyface so just go with it – B
Love Songs – Tina Turner – As we eagerly await her grand return to recording, this will do well enough as a stop gap. You own em all, now own em again – B
Love Songs – Tim McGraw – How can you over sing “Tiny Dancer”? McGraw does it, like he does most things, in his sleep – D+
Eric Paslay – Eric Paslay – He wrote “Barefoot Blue Jean Night” as well as a slew of other hits, enough for EMI Nashville to sign him up and release this generic country boy album – C
The Lego Movie – Mark Mothersbaugh – “Everything Is Awesome” is awesome but the rest of this is just the musical score for the most part – C
So Long, See You Tomorrow – Bombay Bicycle Club – Pretty melodies but bland indie pop. I am getting really tired of writing those words, though this one is from London – C+
Augustines – Augustines – Piano based indie pop, not bad but at least it’s not guitars and synths – C+
