Speechwriters LLC "Indifferent Cities" (Handwoven Records) Sounds like: Distance and all that it implies Grade: C+
It's hard not to love a pun like "Indifferent Cities," and it's even harder not to love something that makes such a genuine effort at intimate revelation.
Speechwriters LLC, made up of members Dave Lowensohn and Misha Chellum, describe themselves as "California's indie-folk heroes," according to their press release. They approach their most recent album with a clear theme of movement and with each track named for a location. For anyone with the experience of transience, their lyrics will resonate.
Still, at times the album feels pop-y and cliché, falling short of originality and the folk classification the band claims. In addition, the lyrics' occasional resonance seems hollow and tinny when compared to the depth of the emotions described.
Nevertheless, songs like the opening "Hanoi" and "Southern California" tug on delicate heartstrings stretched across distances, reverberating with sharp fragility and truly forming the emotional center of the album.
"Vietnamese Song" ends the album on an intriguing, if unorthodox, note with slide guitar accompanied by presumably Vietnamese lyrics, proving that despite overarching pop characteristics, Speechwriters LLC refuse to be pigeonholed.
-MADALYN WASILCZUK
Now, Now Every Children "Cars" (Afternoon Records) Sounds like: Anything but what the band's two-person lineup would suggest Grade: B+
Minneapolis band Now, Now Every Children's debut album "Cars" sounds deceptively full, considering everything emanates from only two people: Cacie Dalager on vocals and guitar and Brad Hale on drums.
The duo is entrancing and energizing, varying between the hypnotic "la las" of "Little Brother" and the driving "oh ohs" of "Everyone You Know." It's hard to know whether Dalager or Hale is more accountable for the coursing rhythms that keep "Cars'" audience from sitting still, but their symbiosis is startling from the beginning.
Dalagar's haunting voice sears through every track with steady accuracy, and even her most demure moments ring neither empty nor withdrawn. Likewise, Hale's percussion is a vital contribution even in its subtlety on tracks like "Friends with My Sister."
At times, Now, Now Every Children evoke indie déj? vu, with foot-stomping rhythms a listener would swear he has heard before. Regardless, "Cars" is an exhilarating effort bound to make waves despite the largeness of the indie ocean.
-M.W.
Ashley Tisdale "Guilty Pleasure" (Warner Bros. Records) Sounds like: Sharpay singing Katy Perry's album leftovers Grade: C-
Ashley Tisdale's "Guilty Pleasure" is aptly titled. The first single, "It's Alright, It's OK" has just enough sugary-sweet instrumentals to counteract its break-up anthem lyrics. It's the kind of song you listen to while driving with the windows down - until you get to a red light, where there might be a chance others can hear.
It's immediately apparent that this release is Tisdale's attempt to break out of her Disney and "High School Musical" image. The first track, "Acting Out," seems to prove just that. Tisdale laments, "Don't you judge by the cover/It's so far from what you see" and "I'm letting go of what you know." However, the rest of "Guilty Pleasure" fails to live up to its potential. It's difficult to distinguish one drum- and synth-heavy, vocally distorted track from the next, though each does provide enough of a beat to encourage indiscriminate head nodding.
The dysfunctional, family-oriented tune "How Do You Love Someone" is simply painful. The song sounds ripped right from a 1980s movie soundtrack with cringe-inducing lyrics ("Mama never taught me how to love/Daddy never taught me how to feel") that sound like they should bear the title of another of the album's songs: "Hot Mess." Tisdale's second CD is not bad per sé, but it never tries to be anything more than a chance for her to escape any sweet girl notions her audience may have. She layers more "mature" lyrics with faux-rock guitar and danceable beats attempting to shed her daddy's girl persona. Tisdale's newest album is indeed a guilty pleasure - at most.
-CAITLIN E. MOORE
I Was A King "I Was A King" (The Control Group) Sounds like: New best friends to take to the beach or on a drive through the city Grade: A-
I Was A King exudes charisma, talent and the perfect summer day. Maybe the change in weather is coloring this review, but I prefer to think it's the perfect mixture of retro-chic bounciness, classical elements and the best of upbeat indie rock that drives this Norwegian band's alchemy.
While it may take mention of the guest appearances by indie vanguard Sufjan Stevens in addition to Emil Nikolaisen, Daniel Smith and Gary Olsen to pique interest in what may initially appear to be just another Euro-band, I Was A King more than holds their own against any expectations created by their collaborations.
The album's tracks are short, facilitating its never-boring attitude as the album starts, middles and finishes with strength and enthusiasm. "Still" opens the album with an exuberant chorus that wipes away end-of-the-semester apathy and the record continually renews itself, with classical piano giving way to unabashed rock riffs in "It's All You." While the track is vaguely reminiscent of "Rockin' the Suburbs," it doesn't recall Ben Folds in a mimicking or tired way, rather reviving his '90s ghost to invite him to an indie dance party.
I Was A King's debut full-length is one of the best of the spring, classic and familiar but fresh and intriguing. And lucky for us, they're currently touring stateside with The Constantines and Crystal Antlers.
-M.W.
