Brand New – Science Fiction (Procrastinate! Music Traitors, 2017)
After eight years, pop-punk band Brand New released a great album, Science Fiction. This album is beautiful, dark and explores the tolls of mental health issues in exhaustive detail. Every song on the album has a different sound—some have guitar sounds influenced by southern rock, as well as the band’s classic emo stylings. Jesse Lacey’s deep vocals sound fraught with intense emotion, especially on the songs “Waste” and “Desert.” The lyrics paint a powerful and descriptive picture of personal mental health issues. This line from “Same Logic/Teeth” stuck with me: “Every new layer you uncover reveals something else you hate / And then you cracked your head, and broke some bones / And when you glued them back together you found out you did it wrong.” Although, some songs sounded dull, like “Could Never Be Heaven,” Brand New nonetheless came out with an emotionally potent album that has the potential to resonate with anyone.
You know that edgy kid in high school who wears all black clothing, eyeliner, spiked bracelets and speaks in tongues at the back of the classroom? Well they probably love this XXXTentacion album. Ever since the Florida rapper came onto the scene with his breakthrough hit “Look at Me,” XXXTentacion has become a parody of himself, trading in his hard-hitting rap style for a “too edgy for you” grunge style that no one wanted. Each song features DIY guitar and drum instrumentals that sound like they were mixed inside of a can of SpaghettiOs, while XXXTentacion croons his way through the tracks. What’s unfortunate about 17 is that the songs themselves have potential. The album addresses themes of suicide and depression—topics that need to be talked about. However, the surface level lyrics and disrespectfully bad performances make this one of the worst albums of 2017.
Action Bronson – Blue Chips 7000 (Atlantic Records, 2017)
After a two-year hiatus, Action Bronson has returned to conclude his Blue Chips trilogy, one of the most beloved mixtape series in recent memory. Unfortunately, Blue Chips 7000 fails to live up to previous installments. Bronson’s eccentric, one-of-a-kind personality is simultaneously his biggest strength and his biggest weakness, as his rapping has become formulaic and sometimes repetitive. The album’s biggest strength, though, is its phenomenal production, which carries Bronson’s weaker performances but highlights him at his best. The latter is apparent on tracks like “9-24-7000,” “Let It Rain” and “My Right Lung.” The biggest standout, “La Luna,” includes his best rapping on the project, which is placed over a gorgeous, Alchemist-produced instrumental. Though the album is slightly underwhelming and lacks any significant growth in Bronson, it does contain some of his best songs, funniest lines and gorgeous instrumentals.
Lil Uzi Vert – Luv Is Rage 2 (Atlantic Records, 2017)
Lil Uzi Vert’s latest album, Luv is Rage 2, sees the Philly trap rapper expand on his signature eclectic sound with some of his best songs to date, but also some of his most mundane. The album starts with the song “Two,” a boring run-of-the-mill Uzi song complete with nasally vocals and a complete lack of lyrical substance. Songs like “444+222” and “The Way Life Goes” make up for the lows on the album, but aren’t enough to take away from the fact that Uzi sounds completely uninspired. The album finishes with Uzi’s biggest hit, “XO Tour Life,” which recently won “Song of the Summer” at the MTV Video Music Awards. Uzi’s personal lyrics and flow placed over record producer TM88’s beat makes the song one of the best in his catalogue. But at song 16, “XO Tour Life” is too little too late.
Grizzly Bear’s new album, Painted Ruins, is an airy and ambient journey. Five years since their last album, the band comes back with impeccable production, clean instrumentation and grand vocal performances. The group has constructed an amazing sounding album. “Four Cypresses” features tight drumming, chill guitar riffs, swelling synth sounds and strings. Despite that, the band’s blend of electronic and organic instrumentation sounds like something Beck has done before. The group’s grandiose-sounding vocal performances complement the descriptive yet ambiguous lyrics. The lyrics provide a neat sense of mystery, such as, “Eyes on the lost sons trained in the tricks of the world / Fathers and keepers packed in that crowded room,” from the track “Glass Hillside.” Painted Ruins channels the feeling of walking in a grassy field on a breezy morning with clear blue skies above.
Alternative rock band Queens of the Stone Age collaborated with pop producer Mark Ronson for their newest album, Villains. The product of this collaboration is a new sound for the group — an energetic, stylistically consistent and synth-heavy album. Tracks like “Fortress” and “Feet Don’t Fail Me Now” feature groovy synth leads reminiscent of John Carpenter’s sound. Most of the lyrics seem cliché though, like this line, “With one quick twist, love turns to scar,” from the song “Hideaway.” Josh Homme’s lead vocals are hit or miss. “Un-Born Again” has one of the stronger vocal melodies, akin to Rob Zombie’s “Dragula.” The track “Domesticated Animals,” on the other hand, features a strange, almost baroque vocal performance. The neon-tinged pop sounds and fun hooks of this album pair especially well with the hard rock sound of the band’s earlier albums. Also, the cover art has a rad, sinister vibe. It’s awesome.
Forget the ill-conceived electropop production of Lasers. Forget the laborious politically dense drivel of Food & Liquor 2. Tetsuo & Youth has arrived and with it, the Lupe Fiasco we once loved and cherished has seemingly returned, older, wiser and ruthlessly refuelled. While its sprawling length (a whopping 78 minutes) never quite justifies itself due to a few less than stellar pop-rap tracks that, while never as offensively bland, recall a more confused Lasers-era Fiasco, and its seasonal motif never quite comes to fruition. Lupe nonetheless showcases some of his most focused and ambitious songwriting yet. Take “Mural,” the album’s aptly-titled opener, for example; free of hooks, Lupe paints a vivid, densely packed canvas and effortlessly navigates a lush piano-driven sample from Cortex’ Troupeau Bleu for nearly nine whole minutes, devoid of breaks. It’s a stunning showcase of virtuosic flow and lyrical dexterity and a reminder that, when focused, Lupe Fiasco can rap with the best around today. He’s almost there.
Toro y Moi – Anything In Return (Carpark Records; 2013)
With a major in graphic design from University of South Carolina, Toro y Moi’s Chaz Bundick is interested in creating aesthetic music.
His third studio album is a slight departure from the rigid confines of the “chillwave” sub-genre into something more pop. There are still great vintage R&B and hip hop moments and the production is much clearer than 2011’s Underneath the Pine, but there is nothing overly groundbreaking about Anything In Return, nor should you expect to know all of the “yeah”s and “uh”s of each track.
Bundick’s superficial concern with breaking out of the “chillwave” mold has caused Anything In Return to suffer. With its heavy reliance on vocal samples sounding counter-intuitive and irritating, channeling more of a ‘90s dance vibe rather than something fresh, I find myself wondering if Toro y Moi is worthy of the hype.
Rating: 6/10
Trial Track: “Cola”
– Paul Traunero
Darkstar – News From Nowhere (Warp Records; 2013)
James Young, Aiden Whalley and James Buttery may not been known for their names individually, but collectively as Darkstar, they have surprised and entranced the electronic music crowd since 2007. Their breakout single, “Aidy’s Girl is A Computer,” can be found in the playlists of many electronic music aficionados.
Their latest album, News from Nowhere, has just been released on Warp Records. The album, clocking in at just over 40 minutes in length, is an excellent electronic journey through the mind, with plenty of vocal processing, synthesizers and reverbs.
It’s a tingling experience, with every part having its place, and every place having a part, a no longer common experience on commercial albums. With lyrics “Oh the troubled days / I’m ashamed I’ve known / makes me wild,” the album focuses on feelings and emotions,
If you are a fan of electronic music, this a must-have release.
Rating: 9/10
Trial Track: “A Day’s Pay For A Day’s Work”
-AJ Cordeiro
Dobie – We Will Not Harm You (Big Dada; 2013)
The United Kingdom’s Dobie is a skateboarder, producer and photographer, among other things, that has worked alongside the likes of Bjork and Massive Attack. Being a product of such a colourful background may explain the repetitive, relentless, oftentimes-frustrating yet undeniably hypnotic beat waves radiating off of We Will Not Harm You.
It definitely takes a listener with a passion for glitchy, fidgety electro to even begin to “get” the album. To the average ear it can easily be passed off as a seamless loop of sporadic, low buzzes, swipes, interjections of jazz, and breakbeat that has been slowed to one hundredth of its normal speed.
An unintentionally jarring sequence of childrens’ laughter kicks off “Stan Lee is a Hero of Mine”, repeating throughout. “The Beginning” sounds as if it’s being transmitted through an auditory kaleidoscope. “Snap, Crackle & Pop” is a jazzy production on drugs.
What the hell is going on here? Figure it out for yourself.
Portland rock duo Menomena is back after a two year hiatus with their fifth studio album, Moms. The album boasts unique and captivating intros, riveting bass lines, brass, ballads, and electric guitar fusion solos that cross soundscapes, streams and rivers.
Menomena were a complex amalgam of experimentation and structured talent from their very first album, 2003’s I Am The Fun Blame Monster! Their latest is an artificially-aged bottle of expensive wine; you would swear the process took years and would be fully shocked to see it was made just the other day. Kudos to the men of Menomena on their latest complex and fully enjoyable release, an obvious tribute to the intimate relationships with their respective mumsies.
Trial track: “Pique”
Rating: 8/10
-Jamie Klinger
Mumford and Sons – Babel (2012; Island Records)
Mumford and Sons’ sophomore album, Babel, is good, but not great. Despite the album’s huge sales, it is unimpressive and offers very little departure from their debut, Sigh No More. The band’s reluctance to try anything new might be because they were fearful of losing the fans and the success they garnered with the folk/bluegrass feel of their debut album. The tracks sound more like rejected B-sides from Sigh No More than musical masterpieces that took the band a little over a year to record. Even the lyrics on this album don’t seem to live up to the poetry fans have grown to love. Die-hard fans will recognize some stellar tracks from their 2011 tour, like “Lover’s Eyes” and “Ghosts That We Knew”. These tracks, along with “Broken Crown” and “Hopeless Wanderer” may save this album from passing into history as their sophomore slump.
Trial track: “Lover’s Eyes”
Rating: 7.5/10
-Andria Caputo
Flying Lotus – Until The Quiet Comes (2012; Warp Records)
Stephen Ellison, the electronic music producer better known as Flying Lotus, has returned with his latest work, entitled Until the Quiet Comes. The album is a collage of styles and production, with electronic, jazz, hip-hop, and dubstep. Sonically, the texture blends exceptionally well together, with ethereal vocal tracks, drum beats, synthesizers, etc. Not one track runs more than three minutes in length, resulting in a truly interesting set of temperaments and atmospheres that doesn’t seem overplayed.
Coming off the critical success of his 2010 album Cosmogramma, the album performs and surpasses his previous work. You may see more than a few samples of his music popping up in next summer’s pop hits. Flying Lotus will be at the Société des arts technologiques, on Oct. 12, as part of the tour for the album.
Trial track: “Putty Boy Strut”
Rating: 9.2 / 10
-A.J. Cordeiro
Van Morrison – Born To Sing: No Plan B (2012; Blue Note Records)
It’s been nearly half a century since Van Morrison has been active in the music business. At age 67, the Irish crooner is back with his 34th studio album, aptly titled Born To Sing: No Plan B. Self produced in his hometown of Belfast, this album is jazzier and more cohesive than previous releases. Each track follows a consistent mood, with a laidback sound that is effortless, cool and classy. Morrison weighs in on our current worldwide financial crisis, discussing “the worldwide preoccupation with money, materialism, and the greed that has poisoned society.” In the first single “Open the Door (To Your Heart)” he sings: “money doesn’t make you fulfilled / money’s just to pay the bills.” The contrast between the mellow bluesy musical vibe and politically charged lyrics makes Born To Sing: No Plan B worth a listen.
Triall track: “Open the Door (To Your Heart)”
Rating: 6/10
It was the summer of ’99. MTV still played music videos, usually the pop favourites of Blink 182, The Backstreet Boys, and Sugar Ray. However, one album that stood out in everyone’s summer beach collection was Smash Mouth’s Astro Lounge, with their hit single “All Star.” After a six-year drought and having long since been written off as the typical one-hit wonder band, the group has released Magic. Simple four-chord progressions and love premises, all bathed in a little coat of humour (especially in their song titled “Justin Bieber”) harken to past ‘90s hits. Unfortunately, the stagnation with actual creativity clouds the album’s entire listening experience. Rapper J. Dash, who is featured on two songs, gives the album an unnecessary contemporary radio-hit vibe that seems pasted onto material performed a decade too late. Overall, old fans will enjoy the old song construction, but general listeners will be turned off by its lack of evolution.
Trial track: “Flippin’ Out”
Rating: 5.2/10
-A.J. Cordeiro
The Avett Brothers – The Carpenter (2012; Universal)
If you’ve tuned into CBC Radio 2 lately, you must be familiar with “Live and Die,” a banjo-fueled summer release from American folk-rock group The Avett Brothers. Their latest album, The Carpenter, set to release on Sept. 11, is a rollercoaster of goodbye tunes delivered with a surprising lightness (“Pretty Girl from Michigan”) and bittersweet ballads (“Through My Prayers”) that will have you swaying to and fro quite wholeheartedly. The Carpenter has shaped up to be the perfect soundtrack for reminiscing over those distant summer nights. It is comprised of such a varied collection of tracks that it’s sure to please all fans, new and old. Though they have been compared to such widely-known groups as Mumford and Sons, as well as The Lumineers, the Avett Brothers manage to string together a wide array of music that lends them an enthralling unpredictability their peers simply don’t possess.
Trial track: “I Never Knew You”
Rating: 8/10
-Victoria Kendrick
David Byrne & St Vincent – Love This Giant (2012; 4AD)
The highly anticipated collaboration between Talking Heads frontman David Byrne and indie sweetheart St. Vincent (Annie Clark) has been in the making since their unlikely meeting at a Björk and Dirty Projectors concert in 2009. They began to exchange ideas via email about recording a collaborative album together, which developed into Love This Giant. Mainly constructed around brass instrumentation, Love This Giant, is a creative, funky, conceptual album resting strongly on the shoulders of the duo’s eccentric style and personality. Songs like “Who” and “Weekend In The Dust” bounce and soar through dynamic beats with a sort of calculated chaos. Playful yet profound, with an unashamedly theatrical flair, the core of this album is pure energy. An energy that, despite the 30-year age difference, Byrne and Clark transcend with a quirky sophistication that can only be obtained with their respective influences and life experience. You can Love This Giant too, when David Byrne & St Vincent take their show to the altar of Eglise St-Jean Baptiste as part of the Pop Montreal Festival, on Sept. 21 at 8 p.m. (tickets are $49.50 in advance or $69.50 at the door.)
Memoryhouse – The Slideshow Effect (Sub Pop; 2012)
The opening line of Memoryhouse’s first single, “The Kids Were Wrong,” from their first full-length album, “Go to sleep / nothing’s changing,” is a ballsy lie. Composer Evan Abeele and vocalist Denise Nouvion have made massive strides from their hazy reverberated swells to much more vibrant acoustic endeavours. Nouvion’s voice is front and centre, confronting listeners like that of a lead singer rather than from behind the ambient gauze of The Years (2011). Music moving and shimmering like never before, the pair show that they are more than just another chillwave experiment. A confessed fan of composer Max Richter (who released his debut solo album Memoryhouse in 2002), Abeele brings the same haunted sounds of Richter’s nouveau classical. Lonely strings prowl the first song “Little Expressionless Animals” and most songs carry a sense of longing. The album isn’t perfect, yet it shows a maturity and mastery that can only mean better things from the band.
Rating: 8.0/10
Trial track: “Little Expressionless Animals”
– Patrick Case
Fanfarlo – Rooms Filled with Light (Canvasback Music/Atlantic Records; 2012)
Start teasing that mullet and slip into those skin-tight neon jeans, because the ‘80s are back—at least according to Fanfarlo.
This London-based folk-pop collective initially made their mark on the indie scene with their 2009 debut Reservoir. In a desperate attempt to distance themselves from becoming an Arcade Fire-esque copycat band, they have traded in their scruff for some new wave ‘80s glamour.
In no way do I condone such an overt gimmicky effort. Cashing in on the “retro” appeal of the 1980s is just tacky. Although, I will admit that Fanfarlo has managed to borrow from the past whilst remaining rooted in modernity with lush string sections, the inclusion of brass and a pocketful of irony that would make Urban Outfitters proud. This is a band that seems to be struggling with making sense of the modern world.
Rating: 6.0/10
Trial track: “Shiny Things”
– Paul Traunero
Anti-Flag – The General Strike (SideOneDummy Records; 2012)
Back with their eighth studio album, Pennsylvania’s Anti-Flag presents The General Strike, their second release on SideOneDummy Records.
The LP was recorded by the band at their home studio in Pittsburgh. Angry about United States bailouts and corporate injustice, and providing musical accompaniment to movements like Occupy Wall Street, the band produces some of their most hardcore and pissed off music to date.
At just 27 minutes and 16 seconds long, the album is short, but the record is sure to please punk-rock and anti-establishment fans alike. Its verses are well-written with catchy, infectious guitar riffs, convincing more conservative listeners to sing along. “Get up! Your voices are needed!” screams one of the vocalists. “This ain’t a fad / this ain’t a fashion / This is the world wide anthem,” declares another lyric.
Set for release on March 20, the album will provide an ample soundtrack to striking Concordia students.
Rating: 8.5/10
Trial track: “The Neoliberal Anthem”
– Andre-Joseph Cordeiro
The Church – Of Skins and Heart (EMI/Parlophone; 1981)
Emerging from Sydney, Australia’s rock scene, The Church first recorded a four-track demo, catching the attention of producer Chris Gilbey, who had cut his teeth with AC/DC a decade earlier. As part of his project to resurrect the Australian branch of record label Parlophone, Gilbey signed the band and co-produced Of Skins and Heart as an EMI/Parlophone release in 1981. Even though the album was not as commercially successful as later releases, it became the band’s most mainstream work, predicting the jangly, psychedelic rock of the mid- to late 1980s. The album itself is sonically diverse with post-punk, new wave and alternative rock inspirations. Opener “For a Moment We’re Strangers” is a dance rock gem, while “The Unguarded Moment” features soft/loud dynamics overlaid with singer Steve Kilbey’s coolly detached vocals. An unpretentious pop-rock album reminiscent of The Smiths and The Stone Roses, it paved the way for the later success of catchy alternative rock.
