Nic Armstrong and The Thieves "The Greatest White Liar" (New West Records) Sounds like: The crusty, '60s blues-rock vinyl you find at every single garage sale. B
For the most part, the garage rock revival acts that have taken off since 2001 have incorporated remnants of punk, proto-punk, glam, or '80s dance into an exciting hybrid. Lurking behind every Hives or Strokes record are The Damned, Television, and The New York Dolls, grinning visibly in the background.
Nic Armstrong's style is so oblivious to each of these movements that listeners will have a tough time convincing people that "The Greatest White Liar" was released just this year. It's typical to see indie rock bands make overtures to recent trends, as if to place themselves firmly in a particular decade, or even a particular year. But Armstrong's songs act as if the groups of the moment are Herman's Hermits and The Monkees. Coinciding with heavy Yardbird-like blues numbers like "Natural Flair" and "Broken Mouth Blues" are bubblegum folk rock reminders of pre-Sergeant Pepper yesteryear, like "She Changes Like the Weather."
All philosophical arguments aside, "The Greatest White Liar" is an incredibly solid record that's dynamic enough to break free of being a curious anachronism. Armstrong gets a pass this time for skillfully injecting youth into a musical movement buried in oldies radio hell for the last 20 years. But he can't structure every album like this for long, without getting bored at some point.
-NEAL FERSKO
Her Next Friend "Her Next Friend" (EP) (Antipoison Records) Sounds like: Unobtrusive background music for a laid-back date. B-
The debut of northern Virginian John Whitfield Burton's new rock band Her Next Friend is fun, in a non-threatening kind of way. The self-titled EP's five tracks sound like they'd go great with a date and a beer when the band plays Georgetown's Grog and Tankard on May 7, but the CD itself is nothing extraordinary. It's the kind of music you enjoy while it's coming out of the speakers, but largely forget about once it stops.
Although the album as a whole is a bit boring, none of the songs are terrible, and two are actually pretty decent. High-energy opener "Cats in the Garage" is a cross between British and American mid-'90s sensibilities, sounding like Graham Coxon jamming with Semisonic. The last song, "Rain Days," is the most interesting of the set: a haunting four and half minute journey of finger-picked acoustic and electric solos.
Although it's difficult to recommend buying the CD, one really can't go wrong checking out Her Next Friend live this May. The band probably isn't going to blow you away, but they could make you smile.
-ADAM BENDER
The Mountain Goats "The Sunset Tree" (4AD) Sounds like: "We Shall All Be Healed" redux B+
Sounding exactly like something else doesn't necessarily have to be a bad thing. There's something about things ain't bein' broken and the presumed wherewithal for repairs. The latest from ultra-prolific John Darnielle/The Mountain Goats, "The Sunset Tree," could quite easily be considered an extension of 2004's "We Shall All be Healed."
The first three tracks and then the fifth blend together so seamlessly that it's almost ridiculous. It's that fourth, "Dilaudid," that rocks listeners' worlds, with apocalyptic cello playing and such. It's borderline gothic and a little weird, considering Darnielle comes off as the happiest man on the planet on his Web site, lastplanetojakarta.com. Then cue the perky, piano-laden upswing of the proceeding track, "Dance Music," and it's just a hip-swiveling block party in the headphones. Aw.
Perhaps one reason Darnielle seems practically cookie-cutter is his dependence on little more than his reedy vocals and harsh guitar strums. No matter the chord progression or melody or lyrics, each song resonates with some residual sensation from all the others. And there are lots to choose from.
"Song for Dennis Brown" is the maker of those intimate moments of goofy existential bliss felt when listening to an album for the first time. Through some magical recording trick, Darnielle's voice sounds like it's right next to you, while maintaining the oddly comforting scratch of his guitar, no matter how angelically he strums it. Okay, but the line "it took all the coke in town to bring down Dennis Brown" seriously needs to be overlooked.
Greatness also hides in the album's opener, "You or Your Memory." This man has a firm grasp on solid opening tracks (see also: "Jaipur" off "The Coroner's Gambit," "Slow West Vultures" off "We Shall All Be Healed" and that one about teenage death metal on "All Hail West Texas"). "You or Your Memory" sets a somewhat low-key mood that seems to promise newfound lucidity for Darnielle. Hopefully.
-JEN TURNER
Ivy "In the Clear" (Nettwerk) Sounds like: '90's alternative rock in the vein of Saint Etienne B+
The long, impressive run of side project junkies Ivy is epitomized by their sexy, ambient fifth album, "In the Clear." The entire work is meshed together into a conglomerate of French beauty Dominique Durand's seductive voice and a reoccurring haze of mid-tempo beats.
Durand's voice is often distorted for a distant echo effect, and the delicate mood of the violins and synthesizer creates a feeling that pervades the entire album, sometimes making the transition from track to track unnoticeable. Picture being from a small town, coming to a big city and looking up at a row of skyscrapers - the ambience this track flow delivers is just like being faced with something bigger than yourself.
The only problem is that it's hard to distinguish between songs. "Tess Don't Tell" appears to be the standout track just because it's slower than the rest. The whirlwind of same-sounding rhythms and vocal parts causes a delayed reaction to the end of the album - only about a minute after the disc ends does realization hit that it's over. However, Durand's sugary voice encrusting the lyrics and Adam Schlessinger's (of Fountains of Wayne fame) swaying bass lines are enough to make this album a viable option to define a city lights evening.
-REBECCA ARMENDARIZ
Prefuse 73 "Surrounded by Silence" (Warp) Sounds like: Scott Herren's headphone-spinning treatment of hip-hop as a hazy amalgam. With awesome guests! A-
Scott Herren is a busy guy, and if he has anything to do with the future of hip-hop, there are truly great things on its horizon. He, as Prefuse 73, tapped into the seminal brilliance of yesteryear with 2001's "Vocal Studies and Uprock Narratives" and 2003's "One Word Extinguisher," but added his own innovative approach. Composed of truly organic sound collages, these albums are beginning to redefine this whole business of getting down.
Now, there's "Surrounded by Silence," a completely agreeable follow-up to Prefuse 73's previous stuff. It's good - great, even - but not as fresh as his previous work. Who can blame Herren for potentially seeming lazy? Insanely great side projects (Savath y Savalas, Piano Overlord, remixing everything under the sun) abound, and Herren recently began working on a release with the venerable Books. "Surrounded by Silence" just seems to reflect on Herren's love for collaboration.
Perhaps it is this homage to collaboration that's really allowing Herren to reconnect with the roots of hip-hop and its emphasis on community. The single, "Hideyaface," gets help from MCs Ghostface and El-P and is, in a word, awesome. "Pagina Dos" has Herren working with the aforementioned Books, incorporating their trademark banjo with his ingenious production. Prefuse 73 and the Books seemed like an unlikely collaboration at first, but they turn out to be one of the most intriguing. The track with Aesop Rock, "Sabbatical with Options," is also laden with the quasi-folk lines that make the Books collaboration seem so raw. Hopefully this means good things are still to come.
It's unfair to condemn Herren for not transcending the expectations established by "Vocal Studies" and "One Word Extinguisher." The sound is still practically macrobiotic, and comes off as refined. Herren, with all the work that he does, is busy providing hope for modern hip-hop.
-J.T.
Levy "Rotten Love" (Levy) Sounds like: Chris Martin's americanized vocals mixed with a synthed-up Travis A
Levy's "Rotten Love" overflows with lovesick lyrics and desperate cries for past loyalties. However, the band manages to set their mopey, amorous feelings over truly beautiful guitar and synth parts. The click of the snare drum moves the album from song to song, pulling at various stages of the band members' heartache.
The title track is about Russian beauty and musician Regina Spektor, who's also rumored to have dated Julian Casablancas of the Strokes and James Levy (lead singer and guitarist), delicately places his puppy dog lyrics about how much he misses her over light, descending guitar riffs. The entire song has a sweet hush about it, and gives the listener a hint to quiet down and contemplate and pine for relationships past.
The album picks up on occasion, but it's the slow jams that really melt the heart's crust. "For years, I've dreamed of you," James Levy sings in a strained, teary wail on "Rector St." On "Fall for You," the sexiest, most raunchy song on the album, Levy rasps with a defiant sneer, "You're in my head with a loaded gun/But I will not fall for you."
Some of the songs are obviously influenced by the band's place of origin, the lower east side of New York City. The Strokes poke through on "Jewel" in particular, which has those easy-to-imitate-via-air-guitar riffs and similar lyrics line. However, James Levy uses his natural vocal talent to highlight the track, differing his band from its New York counterparts. -R.A.
Baroness "First" (EP) Hyperrealist records Sounds like: Black Sabbath and Neurosis jamming together A+
Every now and then a band emerges out of nowhere and records an album that destroys and then reconstructs a particular genre. Out of the depths of the dirty South comes Baroness with their debut EP "First," deconstructing and reinventing metal unlike any band to come before them.
Combining the classic metal sound of bands like Black Sabbath and Metallica, the technical precision of Scandinavian black metal, the gloom of the stoner/doom metal bands like Sleep and Neurosis, and the dirty raw power of hardcore acts like His Hero is Gone, Baroness concocts a sound that is immediately familiar, yet unlike anything ever heard. The three songs on "First" are all unique compositions, demonstrating quite innovative songwriting, while staying true to their metal roots.
Not content with the sound of an ordinary electric guitar, the band mates of Baroness drop their guitars down nearly a full octave from the standard E tuning to a low G, allowing them to produce tones low enough to shake your bowels. However, underneath the raw surface and soaring bass tones lies some truly beautiful music. This juxtaposition of beauty and raw ugliness is the root of the power that makes Baroness one of the best metal acts to emerge in recent memory. -CARNI KLIRS
