CD Reviews

City And Color
Sometimes
(Dine Alone Records)

This 10-song solo project by Dallas Green, otherwise known as the guitarist and vocalist of Alexisonfire, is a surprisingly refreshing aural treat for fans of acoustic folk. Green’s first foray outside his regular punk scene is simple, powerful and hauntingly beautiful. His voice is displayed here in all its glory: strong, unique and with gorgeous clarity, backed purely by guitar and some piano. The lyrics are straightforward but poignant, and on tracks such as “Like Knives”, Green’s vocal range is so incredible that you can’t help but feel the emotion. Sometimes only loses its intimacy and organic intensity when it’s not listened to in the isolated and uninterrupted sonic environment of your headphones, because your stereo doesn’t pick up the album’s subtleties and beauty. A real gem, this is as close as you can get to a perfect album. You won’t be able to turn to off.

4.75/5

– Stephanie Ng Wan

Martha Wainwright
I Will Internalize EP
(Maple Music Recordings)

Martha Wainwright’s I Will Internalize will unfortunately leave fans somewhat disappointed. On the first tracks, Wainwright squeaks, squirms, screams, sighs and hums, never actually indulging in something that bears the slightest resemblance to actual singing. Only at the end of the EP does Wainwright show what she is really capable of. However, all effort is in vain, as she does so with a cover of Barbara’s song “Dis, Quand Reviendras-Tu”, which is, after all, a song no one ever wanted to hear again. Even “Bring Back My Heart”, the duet with her brother Rufus fails to rise to the level of expectation. The result is quite disappointing, as all songs sound all too much alike, rendering the EP inferior to what the Canadian songstress has gotten us used to.

2/5

-Bruno Lapointe

The Fullblast
Short Controlled Busrsts
(Dine Alone Records)

Short Controlled Bursts is an album that is just that. Short, controlled bursts of a band that recorded an album that sounds a lot like other bands that happened to do it a little bit better a little bit earlier. The Fullblast is another punk/emo band that has emerged from the scene in the last two years. They have made a name for themselves by touring with the bigger names. This album isn’t the worst, by far not the best, but nothing special by any means. It sounds like the Ataris’ singer and their guitar arrangements and the strength that Millencolin once had. The intensity, however, was lost after the first track, “Spoons, Gats and Prison Tats”. What a name for a song. Another irritating thing about the album is its boring cover work and CD artwork. This album had no appeal visually or musically. There is nothing specifically wrong with this band, just nothing on this album made a statement of originality, except for the ending, which was abrupt and appropriate.

2/5

-Lindsay Wood

Alexisonfire/Moneen
The Switcheroo Series
(Dine Alone Records)

This is best suited to those already familiar with Alexisonfire and Moneen’s previous work, or else The Switcheroo Series kind of loses its effect since you have nothing to compare and contrast these cover versions of each other’s songs to. Since both are Canadian screamo/punk groups, both lend themselves to a similar sound and singing style and it’s a bit difficult to differentiate between the bands if you’re not already a fan. But if you are, then the album’s certainly a treat, giving you the chance to hear another band’s interpretation of songs you’re so used to hearing a certain way. But it’s a little on the short side, with only three cover tracks per artist, The Switcheroo Series is an interesting concept but could be more accessible by including the songs’ original versions to help us see, or rather, hear, what each group added or subtracted from each other’s songs.
4/5

– Stephanie Ng Wan

Juelz Santana
What the Game’s Been Missing!
(Def Jam Records)

In addition to popularizing extra-long t-shirts, Juelz Santana and his crew, The Diplomats, arguably coined one of the most questionable expressions in the entire English language: No homo. This device entails that remarks with possible homosexual connotations be followed by “no homo” to remove any ambiguity potentially associated with them. Why do The Diplomats advocate that straight males watch their step when speaking? According to Cam’ron, the group’s founder, “It isn’t about being gay; it’s about saying something gay. That’s homo thoughts. (No homo).” Indeed.
While Juelz Santana isn’t a great lyricist, he’s able to carry an album with his charisma alone – not to mention his ability to choose beats well-suited to his style. Because of that, I’m definitely backing him (no homo) on this record.

4/5

-Lucas Wisenthal