Northern State "All City" (Columbia) Sounds like: Early Beastie Boys, if they were girls. B
Northern State has certainly come a long way from 2002's eight-song "Dying In Stereo." The rhymes have a bit more finesse, and the members took a beginner course in writing hip-hop hooks. "All City" presents itself a fully developed, flowing monster that is reminiscent of "Paul's Boutique," though without that "EggMan" song. The girls still rap with fervor about everything, anything and nothing at all - from politics on "Speaking for Me" to contemporary feminism on "Girl for All Seasons" to IKEA furniture and petroleum jelly on "Time to Rhyme." With production from Pete Rock, Cypress Hill's Muggs and the Roots' ?uestlove, there's little about the sound of the album to dislike. That is, of course, if one can enjoy the distinctive tones of three white girls from Long Island. It may be simple to write off Northern State as the Beastie Girls, but when was the last time you heard a record like "License to Ill"?
-MATT RAJPUT
Starlite Desperation "Violate Sundae" (Cold Sweat/Capitol) Sounds like: The illegitimate children of Iggy Pop. B-
Since their birth in 1995, Starlite Desperation has been all about old-school guitar riffs and soulful vocals. After a brief hiatus from the Southern California music scene and a roster shakeup, the trio moved operations to Detroit, the home of their two biggest influences: garage rock icons the MC5 and the Stooges. Despite the new label and more attention, "Violate Sundae" doesn't give garage rock fans a whole lot to drool over. The six brief songs on showcase here blend together with an unnatural sort of detachment. There are some cheap thrills to be had in its brief running time, specifically on the tracks "Bourn to Be Happy," perhaps the most overt homage to late-'60s garage bands, as well as the closing guitar solo of "Frustration." Ultimately though, there's really no substance or passion to drive any of these songs past the realm of competence.
The best parts of this album are in the hooks of lead singer and guitarist Dante Adrian-White, who croons like a hybrid of Jim Morrison and Iggy Pop. But the songs he has to work with are dank and wet like old gym socks. If it were all about execution, "Violate Sundae" would get higher marks. But good musicianship is only half the album. If a band can't force your attention on any detail of their work, no matter how simple or complex, the whole record just falls flat. Starlite Desperation has a good sound going for it. It's too bad there's nothing on this record to put it on display.
-NEAL FERSKO
KutMasta Kurt Presents "Dopestyle 1231" Sounds like: Beastie Boys on heroin. B+
KutMasta Kurt produces tight songs and spits smooth-flowing rhymes. At times, his style is reminiscent of mature rappers like the RunDMC gang. The album avoids the repetition of contemporary mainstream hip-hop/rap artists. Not one song was inspired by the artist's "ice" or "bling bling," although they do display the common obsession with the female form. More precisely, the second song on the album, appropriately titled "Size Double D," pays homage to women with very large, though sometimes artificial, breasts. Although it does make you want to bop your head like you do when you hear a Snoop Dogg jam, "Dopestyle 1231" doesn't include any booty-shakin' songs. In fact, most of the lyrics are rather serious and at times quite sinister. The punk-rock riffs show some gothic influence and are clearly displayed on "The Game is over ... Now You Die" and the opening song "Hidden Cauldron of Terror," which play like the background to a cheesy Halloween movie. Those who love old-school rap sprinkled with rock and aren't scared of the dark will love this CD.
-DYANE JEAN FRAN?OIS
Communiqu? "Poison Arrows" (Lookout! Records) Sounds like: Franz Ferdinand taught the Shins to dance. A-
For Duran Duran and David Bowie fans yearning for an 80s revival, Communiqu?'s dance rock may be the antidote to years of mockery. This band returns the pop-punk attitude to rock in a way that hasn't been heard since the heyday of those 80s icons. But don't pull your parachute pants out of the closet just yet. "Poison Arrows," Communiqu?'s debut album, is more than an 80s keyboard dance orgy.
Communiqu? combines the catchy phrasing of Franz Ferdinand with the stylistic eloquence of the Shins, creating a hybrid of shimmering 80s flair and fluent modern intimacy. A band with this unique and infectious a dance sound might ignore the messy task of writing sharp lyrics. But admirably, Communiqu? doesn't cop out. They're no lyrical poets, but they use deft turns of phrase to make this album rewarding for the listener. "If loose lips sink ships, then I'm going down with it," the lead singer confesses in "Ouija Me." With "Poison Arrows," Communiqu? makes music that's attractive enough to dance to, but smart enough to listen to, achieving a tough-to-reach balance. What marks Communiqu? as a true talent is that they make it look easy.
-COLEEN MCCARTHY
Detachment Kit "Of This Blood" (Frenchkiss Records) Sounds like: An amalgamation of beauty, abrasiveness and rock 'n' roll. B+
"Of This Blood" is Detachment Kit's second full-length album on Les Savy Fav's Frenchkiss records. Whether talking about vocals, guitars, bass or drums, the key word with Detachment Kit is range. A single description is not fitting for this CD, with its assortment of sounds producing 14 distinct tracks. Yet "Of This Blood" is still a cohesive album. It starts off strong, falters in the middle and rights itself in the end. "Ricochet" is a beautiful, quiet song driven by its constantly shifting guitar parts. Though screeching vocals work in songs such as "Ted the Electric," they drain songs such as "When You Need..." of emotion. The closer "Spider" is a Wilco-sounding gem that differs from the rest of the CD, but does not feel out of place.
In addition, the liner notes include a board game that is playable by setting the CD to random and using the track numbers as dice; it's a nice extra to a well-above average CD from this up and coming band.
-GARRETT KARRBERG
Trent Dabbs "Quite Often" (Sweet Tea/Terminus Records) Sounds like: Not your typical male singer-songwriter. Think John Mayer but better. B
The debut album from Jacksonville, Miss. native Trent Dabbs is the perfect background music for a lazy Saturday afternoon. The relaxing melodies to each song, all very different in their own right, put the listener to ease. Almost off of the songs on this album are based around Dabbs and his acoustic guitar. This breaks away from most popular music today but doesn't take away from the quality of the album. Dabbs by no means fits into the typical singer-songwriter mold. You can hear the emotion he has coming through on each song, as he sings of what he knows - his life.
One problem Dabbs seems to have is the distinct contrast between some of his songs. Songs range from the upbeat and poppy "It's Not Like That" and "Yesterday's Apology" to the stripped-down, nothing but Dabbs and his guitar in "On Heavy" and the title track "Quite Often." All are good songs, but at times his change in styles seems too forced. Trent Dabbs steps into the music world and sets himself up for much success with his debut album.
- ALICIA KRAWITZ
The Good Life "Lovers Need Lawyers" (Saddle Creek) Sounds like: Cursive without the impressive instrumentals. A-
The Good Life is Cursive frontman Tim Kasher's side project, and while its unflinching lyrics and melodic sound make for good music, it should probably remain a side project. "Lovers Need Lawyers," an unobtrusive six-song EP, is a precursor to the Good Life's upcoming full-length, "Album of the Year," on Saddle Creek.
The six songs on this release retain Kasher's mood-laden vocals that brilliantly front Cursive, but offer a much more quiet instrumental background. Passing up Cursive's signature crashing keyboards and cello for the more typical guitar/bass arrangement on most tracks, the Good Life offers songs that focus more on the songwriting than on trying to be forward and experimental. On the first and last track, Kasher manages to lift himself above Cursive comparisions - "Leaving Omaha" evokes some of Jawbreaker's more moody work, and "For the Love of the Song" has a more folk feel, almost along the lines of something Bob Dylan would write. The Good Life may be the indie rocker's solution to Cursive. "Lovers Need Lawyers" presents Kasher's unique voice without the overpowering instrumentals that make Cursive so brilliant.
-EMILY ZEMLER
Senses Fail "Let It Enfold You " (Drive Thru/Vagrant Records) Sounds like: Alkaline Trio's morbid gloom combined with Glassjaw's intense anger with the catchiness of Finch. B+
Senses Fail's first full-length record, "Let It Enfold You," was completed more than a year ago but went into limbo after the band became entangled in a messy industry battle between Geffen, Drive Thru and Vagrant record labels. When the dust settled, the band was dropped from Drive Thru/Geffen and added to Vagrant's roster. Despite all this extended drama, was it worth the wait? Pretty much, but it is fairly likely that Senses Fail will now have a lot more angry feelings to unleash on their next record.
Senses Fail establishes themselves as creatively morbid lyricists while still retaining a catchy sound that incorporates pop punk, metal and hardcore influences. Not only is "Let It Enfold You" catchy, it also uses some interesting imagery and imaginative concepts in the songs. For example, "Rum Is For Drinking, Not Burning" uses an intense sea battle as a metaphor, and on "Buried A Lie," the band sings about performing an autopsy on a dead girlfriend to prove their innocence of her murder. Often the lyrics seem over-the-top and absurd ("Let me take thee gently with a chainsaw" on "Tie Her Down"), but for the most part they are pretty interesting.
-JORGE DEL PINAL
