Lots of big albums hit this week. So I'm actually going to split the feature up into two sections. Without further ado...
My pick of the week:
Apostle of Hustle - National Anthem of Nowhere
After a very freak-folk debut, AoH return with a more streamlined sound. National Anthem of Nowhere sounds a lot like a Broken Social Scene record, which makes sense because he is one of the main contributors. It may not be as groundbreaking as some of his early work, but for fans of the BSS's "indie-rock" will find a lot to love in this little gem. The songs have the perfect mix of experimentation and pop sensibility. Making for a overly solid record, with few complaints. On a couple tracks, the cuban-inspired, guitar player does his best to add to that genre. Sadly these tracks are ultimately forgettable, and don't fit with the rest of the record's overall sound. It won't bother you too much, when great tracks like "National Anthem of Nowhere", "Justine, Beckoning" and "Cheap Like Sebastian" will have you singing along with the chorus in no time.
8.2 / 10.0
AIR - Pocket Symphony
Oh AIR, what happened? You were once at the cutting-edge of electronica. Pocket Symphony may have a few moments, but at too many occasions I felt like I was listening to an Enya record. Compared to the last AIR record Talkie Walkie, Pocket Symphony is a complete bore. A slow and monotonous mess with bad french lyrics throughout. "I'm a little boy, your'e a little girl, once upon a time." Can anyone really listen to this without cringing? Not this cynical bastard, I don't own any Cirque De Soleil soundtracks for a reason. Ok, it's not that bad, just not what I wanted from AIR at all. To be completely honest, I could never make it through the entire album. I guess if you ran out of sleeping pills, this would be a nice solution.
5.5/10.0
The Stooges - The Weirdness
Where do I begin? Oh that's easy, the first track. Entitled "Trollin'", Iggy describes himself having sex with some random female, while he's "trollin". Now I know Iggy is one fucked up cat, but do I really want to hear about his drugged fueled sex life? You're not 23 Iggy, listening to this isn't making you sound hardcore, it's making you into a dirty old man. The rest of the album doesn't do much for me at all. It's all pretty generic, and not much of a reunion album. Not to say reunion albums ever turn out good (with the exception od Dinosaur Jr's Beyond, but that's for another day). This isn't a complete disaster like Jane Addictions so-called reunion record. I'd just rather pop in Funhouse or Raw Power, you know when they were actually a dangerous young band. Not a bunch of old junkies trying to re-live the past with new "hip" lingo. I still love Iggy though, just not that much.
6/10
That's about it for Part 1. Stay tuned for Part 2, where I give my final verdict on one of the most anticipated Indie Rock albums of the year, Arcade Fire's Neon Bible. I will also have a special review of the new Wilco album due out in May. The band decided to share it with the world last Saturday night, and I've got plenty to say. (hint: it's good)
So stay tuned for more week in music soon.
- Sauer.