Record Review: M. Ward - Hold Time (A+)

M. Ward - Hold Time

Merge Records
2/17/2009

Sure it's been ten months since the last Tweak The Eq record review, and if for no other reason that should be enough for you to rush out and buy this record. Hold Time, M. Ward's latest effort isn't just another great indie-folk record from the Jenny Watson / Bright Eyes set. This one takes Ward's willingness to experiment with alternative beat structures, instrumentation, and production techniques and creates an experience in sound. The production is much busier than on Ward's Post War, and one is reminded of the Phil Spector wall of sound technique, but this wall is grungy, and a little distorted, which is why it seems so strange that the overall effect is so calming and happy. Zooey Deschanel returns in a couple places on this album, this time as backup, and there are a few other featured backup singers as well. Ward holds sway, however, and each song is his song. I was a little surprised at the religious themes of some of the tracks, but there was certainly nothing threatening about it. It may even help to find a wider audience. Click-through purchasing is down right now (a victim of the ten-month sabbatical) but you can find the album here.

Record Review: The Kooks - Konk (B+)

Konk

Astralwerks
April 15, 2008

The Kooks (you remember, those guys that gave us "Jackie Big Tits" and that fantastic cover of "Young Folks"), have returned with a grand album loaded with doo-doos and ooh-oohs the likes of which we've never seen. It's around this time of year that we start to consider what the great summer records might be, and at this point in the game I'm willing to offer applications from the Brit-Pop community (perhaps seriously for the first time since 1999). Konk is every single album that The Arctic Monkeys were supposed to have given us but never really seemed capable of delivering.

Lyrically, they're Blur when Damon isn't enduring a terrible separation, musically they're Oasis while Noel is enduring a terrible separation. While it's certainly disposable pop music, it's disposable pop music in that British sort of way… the only culture that seems to have the power to make disposable summertime pop records become decade-old, genre defining anthems. To suggest that Konk has the power to do such a thing would be silly, however, I'd wager that most critics didn't expect to hear My Chemical Romance covering "Song 2" roughly a decade later.

While Luke Pritchard (one of the best names in rock & roll) may not have the enigmatic star-power of Pete Dougherty, he has one thing that Mr. Kate Moss never had… genuine talent. I may stand alone in my aggression toward all things Libertines, but one listen to the Doobie Brothers influenced "Gap" serves as a strong reminder that in a post-Oasis world, very few bands ever came close to deserving a sniff of the torch. While many became walking caricatures of themselves, others chose to buy up every Undertones B-Side and cram their faces into speakers blasting BBC 1. Hey, sometimes it hurts, and every now and then it requires a slight bit more than a heroin habit and a bowler hat.

Record Review: Jamie Lidell - Jim (A+)

Jim
Warp Records
4/28/2008

As if the world wasn't difficult enough to comprehend, we have Jamie Lidell to contend with. The British techno-soul-beatbox-pyromaniac has made a career out of vexing audiences with a stylistic flavor draped in the melodies of Al Green and Sly Stone while maintaining the stage presence of the bastard child of Stiv Bators and Iggy Pop. Somewhere in the middle of punk rock and soul lies this… thing. And, well, it's amazing.

To judge Lidell on his theatrics is akin to judging Van Gogh on his penchant for self-mutilation… the sideshow is fantastic, but it's the art you've come to realize is his true accomplishment. With Jim, Jamie Lidell has created yet another masterpiece of nu-soul, so void of the "nu" that it can only be considered "soul." This is the album that finds common ground between the bleakest coffee-shop trilobite and his or her grandmother's gold lamet stretch pants. It's everything perfect about the music of the past, and everything that should be perfect about music of the now.

To choose any specific song on this album as a standout is an utter waste of time. "Jim" is a modern masterpiece, the likes of which have become so shockingly uncommon that the mere suggestion of such is now (I believe) a criminal offense. While modern music begs us all to discover our own self-awareness through a series of beeps and boops, Jamie has managed to bring us back to earth. He gives us that Van Morrison feel, that Al Green feel, that Isaac Hayes feel, but without ever feeling hackneyed or repetitive. If, after one listen, you question the greatness of this album, I ask you to do this: dim the lights, pour a glass of wine, put on "All I Wanna Do," and relax in your favorite chair with the woman you love. If, at any point during that process, you find yourself thinking of Thom Yorke, then I highly suggest you reevaluate your life… or at least see a couples' therapist.

Record Review: The B52's - Funplex (C)

Funplex

Astralwerks
03/25/2008

Funplex is that giant box that catches your eye in the waning hours of Christmas Eve. It's that gift that's slightly obscured by the limbs of the tree that just by its size has to be the greatest gift ever given. You approach, cautiously, and the sparkling paper dazzles the senses. You take the card into your clammy hand, open the fold, and see that your grandmother has signed the bottom. Your heart sinks, because despite the exquisite trappings and the promise of grandeur, you know that it's just a huge box of underwear.

2008 has revealed a sad truth, the idea of a new B-52's album is far more exciting than the actual result. While "Hot Corner" is undoubtedly one of the great dance songs of the year, it is surrounded by a supporting cast weak enough to make Johnny Bravo into a star, even in his current-day physique. Fred Schneider is impossibly both under and over used… figure that one out. When his barking, flamboyant vocals are needed they seem auspiciously absent, and when totally inappropriate you can expect to hear a heartbreaking soliloquy while waiting anxiously for your cue to scream "ROCK LOBSTER!"

The true tragedy of this record is how close it came to actually being great. I can't overstress how fantastic "Hot Corner" and "Ultraviolet" are, being the kind of song that only the B-52's are capable of creating. They transcend genre and time, managing to be the kind of masterpiece that "Love Shack" echoed for both subsequent and prior generations. However, a single (or two) surrounded by an album's worth of filler doesn't impress, it only disappoints. While Athens' Finest released a career defining album only a week earlier, the B-52's have created a promotional single for a reunion tour.

Record Review: She and Him - Volume One (A)

Volume One

Merge Records
03/18/2008

Just when I thought I'd heard the best record I'd hear all week, I happened across M. Ward's newest project. Arising after he and collaborator Zooey Deschanel were brought together to cover a Richard and Linda Thompson tune for the movie The Go-Getter, She and Him - Volume One is an instant classic. It combines Ward's haunting arrangements with the smooth, beautiful voice of Zooey Deschanel. On first listen I began to wonder if I wasn't listening to Jenny Lewis. Famous as an actress, Deschanel carries the vocal weight here, and reportedly wrote most of the lyrics. Matt occasionally gets a few words in, but its his musicianship that pulls it together. If you like Jenny Lewis mostly for her voice, or for that matter if you like Patsy Cline at all, you should buy this album right now. If you're just dying to hear M. Ward craft and sing another lyrical masterpiece, you'll have to wait a bit longer, but to give an update, his backup lyrics on "You Really Got a Hold on Me" are perfect.

Record Review: The Trews - No Time For Later (A)

No Time For Later

Bumstead Productions Ltd.
02/19/2008

The Trews first album since 2005, No Time For Later is good ol' fashioned rock at its best. The Trews have used the interim well, delivering thirteen excellent songs, with no filler whatsoever. The clean production qualities allow each musician to shine, while at the same time every lyric is clear. Colin MacDonald's voice delivers crisp, pleasant vocals with intelligent meaningful lyrics. The Trews excel at the ability to create interesting lyrical hooks, i.e. the chorus of "Can't Stop Laughing." Every song is catchy and memorable and fun to listen to. That's probably the reason why The Trews have gained a reputation as being one of the best live acts in Canada. Only the lack of a great deal of variety in style and tempo keep this album from getting an A+.

Most Anticipated: Ike Reilly - Poison, The Hit Parade

Ike Reilly releases a new record April 8th, only 8 days from now. After Sparkle in the Finish was so incredibly good, fans were a little disappointed in the direction that Ike and company took on the next couple studio albums. This album is all solo recordings, no Assassination to speak of, and if the track on Ike's web site's splash screen is any indication, this record could be as good as Sparkle. Look for the review right here.