Category: Album Reviews

Olav
Making Art and Being a Human
Self-released

Olav released his sophomore album, Making Art and Being a Human (MA&BH) in October 2012. This five-song EP follows closely on the heels of his debut album 2 Age, which was launched in April 2012. The uni- fying element of Olav’s second album is the Tetris-like lashes of joy that occur at varying points in his songs to hook the listener, saying to them, “Don’t be that person that changes songs every 30 seconds.”

I find myself involved differently in each of MA&BH’s tracks. “Error Arp” features rhythmic patterns of new-age electronicism that wash over me, leaving me to mermaid through a sonic sea. “Perc Press” sounds like a song of experimentation, like wallop- ing different utensils against whatever hollow and solid items can be found in a collec- tion of antiques, perhaps at a roadshow—but there’s a sense of detail in the background as well.

The cryptic yet pleas- ant cascading musical details of the album hang accordingly, ensuring MA&BH will suit the mood of many occasions.

–Kim Bilesky

Homeboy Sandman
First of a Living Breed
Stones Throw

Homeboy Sandman is as close to a perfect MC as anyone is ever going to find—intelligent, literate, self-aware and endlessly affable. On his fourth record, his first for the famed Stones Throw label, Queens rapper Homeboy Sandman finds a way to balance all those qualities with a deep connection to the street roots of hip-hop. Songs like caveman stomp “The Ancient” and the opening track “Rain” attack the genre from new, interesting angles with incredibly varying sounds—the former directly from the past and the latter emanating futuristic digital flourishes. The highlight here is “Not Really,” an impossibly laidback meditation on avoiding the trappings of increasing fame; the song is a portrait of an artist with his feet firmly on the ground. “I still don’t let nothing go to waste/Leftovers any given day/I spend about the same/There’s just a lot more left over to give away.” Homeboy Sandman proves here that he is a fresh, important injection into a genre in desperate need of an intelligent new voice.

–Blake Morneau

Alt-J ∆
An Awesome Wave
Canvasback Music

It is too soon to write this review. Alt-J and I have been in a relationship now for just over a week, and I am still in the moony, can’t-go-a-day- without-listening-to-it-at-least- five-times-and-all-other-music- seems-inferior-now phase. This is the debut album for the four-member band from Leeds, England, and it seems they have already created a new, mutt-like genre for themselves.

Like any annoying person in lust, I can’t stop proselytizing the ingenuity of Alt-J (or ∆ if you type the command into your MacBook) to everyone I know. This is partly because I want to be associated as a projection of Alt-J genius, and partly because Alt-J panders to all cravings and tastes, like naan bread. From sexy synth in “Dissolve Me” to poetic a cappella in “Interlude 1” to swoony, acoustic beats in “Ms.”

“This sounds like tribal dubstep,” a friend said of “Fitzpleasure.”

They even make triangles sound sexy in the piano-pounding “Tessellate”: Till morning comes, let’s tessel- late. It’s too soon to tell if this is infatuation or love, but for now, I can’t get Alt-J out of my head. –Cara Spangler

Neil Young & Crazy Horse
Psychedelic Pill
Reprise

A massive undertaking cover- ing more than 80 minutes, Psychedelic Pill finds the God- father of Grunge at his most comfortable—jamming with the legendary Crazy Horse. Extended cuts like the opening 28-minute “Driftin’ Back” and the powerful “Walk Like A Giant” find Young pondering his past over Ralph Molina’s thumping drums and the weav- ing guitars of Frank “Poncho” Sampedro andYoung himself. It’s hard not to feel the intense reaching nostalgia as Young sings, “We were ready to save the world/But then the weather changed and the white got stained/And it fell apart/And it breaks my heart.” Nostalgia doesn’t always have to come with sadness though, as Young proves with the winding country rock of “Born in Ontario.” The song is a beautiful little reminder of simpler, by-gone times and what those mean to someone who’s reached the later stages of life. “That’s where I learned most of what I know/Because you don’t learn much when you start to get old.” NeilYoung seems to never stop pushing boundaries, but on Psychedelic Pill, with his old cohorts in Crazy Horse, Young is more than content to revive an old, familiar sound.

–Blake Morneau

Muse
The 2nd Law
Warner Bros.

I used to be a die-hard Muse fan.

They never used to try to be unique, it just happened. Now they overtly sound like they’re trying to be Queen. I’ll give Matthew Bellamy credit for arguably being the most versatile vocalist since Freddy Mercury. But if I want to listen to Queen, I’ll happily go put on the soundtrack to Flash. I want to listen to Muse for Muse’s sound.

They still have some catchy beats and lingering rhythms. Some still wonder, “To dance, or to headbang; that, is the Muse question.” They’re just not the three-man band they used to be. This album leans extremely heavily on orchestral backing. They’ve hit that stage where they really want to, as so many bands do, “experiment with different sounds and technologies,” and decided that mashing them all together at once is the best way.

And Jeebus, the lyrics have gotten so moralizing and self-righteous at times in the last two albums. There is plenty of anti-political innuendos preaching about the human race’s energy consumption. Funny, coming from a band whose live shows use enough energy to power a small city.

I’m dying hard now.

–Nathan Bain

The Zolas
Ancient Mars
Light Organ Records

This Vancouver duo released their sophomore album Ancient Mars in October 2012 through Light Organ Records. Ancient Mars follows up The Zolas’ 2010 debut Tic Toc Tic in the same progressive style, albeit tinged with disheartened undertones. Zachary Gray puts an oddball twist on otherwise forlorn lyrics and, paired with Tom Dobrzanski’s hoppy piano chords, makes The Zolas’ sound more sing-a-long-chorus indie-pop rock than something melancholic.

The album’s first single, “Cultured Man,”effortlessly sails through no fewer than five tempo changes, each thickening up the anti- quixotic narrative. “Cold Moon” manages to convey the struggles of modern heartbreak through lines such as “I found the stomach to deny/the urge to look you up online” with disconcerting lovability rather than kitsch. The album takes a break from jangly pop-rock with “In Heaven,” which is underpinned by heavier chords and takes a turn to a synthed-out wash on the back end of the song.

At times Gray’s vocals come across as indifferent, more noticeable when the emphatic punch of instrumentals from Dobranski and supporting musicians is lacking, but for the most part, Ancient Mars offers up song writing and riffs that are appreciated for their quirky charm.

–Vanessa Hawk

The Souljazz Orchestra
Solidarity
Strut Records

Ottawa’s Souljazz Orchestra has been creating and perform- ing their unique blend of soul- jazz, afrobeat and diverse Afri- can rhythms since 2003. They have toured Europe several times and are highly acclaimed across the Atlantic. However, they are mostly an unknown commodity in Canada, outside of Ontario and Quebec. One can only hope an album such as Solidarity will change this and that the group will finally be recognized as one of the finest bands in this country.

Solidarity is by far the most diverse, upbeat, percussive and energetic of the band’s five releases to date. Led by their ferocious horn section and stellar guest vocalists from all over the world (Slim Moore, Elage M’baye, Rômmel Ribeiro), The Souljazz Orches- tra clearly created the album with the dance floor in mind. In that sense, Solidarity is very different from the acoustic, more subdued and primarily instrumental soul-jazz of 2010’s Rising Sun. Added to the mix this time are Latin and salsa rhythms, such as in the songs “Cartao Postale” and “Ya Basta,” as well as touches of reggae in “Jericho” and “Kingpin.”

Recorded on vintage 8-track analog gear, Solidarity is a gritty, funky and often politically charged musical ex- pedition showcasing a band at the top of their game, unafraid to explore and expand their sound.

– Nathan Ambrose

The Shins  
Port of Morrow
Columbia Records

Sometimes, well-established indie bands run the risk of falling into the mainstream. Luckily, Port of Marrow, The Shins’ fourth album has retained the band’s wistful uniqueness. There’s longing and affection behind the lyrics, a beautiful construction of words that deconstruct

the listener’s emotions. “September” first comes to mind: Ain’t she lovely/ bone and blood…And love is the ink in the well/ when her body writes.

The album is anything but single-toned and offers a variety of beats. “Simple Song” is simply full of pop-spunk, while tracks like “Fall of ‘82” offer smooth lite- rock (with a trumpet solo!). The Shins create the same sense of nostalgia you feel when you listen to “Summer of ’69,” but their fresh spin ensures you won’t grow tired of the album anytime soon.

–Jenny Boychuk

Building off of the critically acclaimed “Bright Lights” LP, Gary Clark Jr. seriously broadens his musical horizons on “Blak and Blue.” However, blues die-hards may be disappointed by the lack of new guitar-based material. Besides the aforementioned “Numb” and the stripped-back slide guitar on “Next Door Neighbor Blues,” the bulk of feature guitar play on the album comes in the form of old tracks re-recorded for a full-length release. “When My Train Pulls In,” “Bright Lights,” “Things Are Changin’” and “Third Stone From The Sun” are all fantastic songs in their own right, but they certainly fail to add value to an album for those already familiar with this bluesman from Austin, Texas.

As it stands, Blak and Blu offers a little bit of everything for listeners interested in a blend of blues, soul, funk and modern rock. Purists will be left looking for more, but with his latest release, Gary Clark Jr. has made it clear he ain’t messin’ ‘round with his signature guitar sound and will be a dynamic force in music for years to come.

–Kevin Vanstone

Andy Shauf
The Bearer of Bad News
Self-released

Until recently, Andy Shauf had been hand-making all of his CDs. Paper and cardboard sewn together, printouts, labels. Over the last three years, I’ve had the pleasure of listening to most of his albums during car rides with a friend. They are especially endearing because you can always tell he recorded them himself. And then I open up the Bearer of Bad News “gatefold eco-case” to find foldout linear notes, a chic layout for the lyrics—jus- tified, non-lineated, sort of emphasizing the recurrence of dreams in the songs—some good quality paper, and some really soft white-blue artwork.

Wallpaper Music marks a convergence of Jeffrey Novak’s influences that were latent in Cheap Time’s first (Cheap Time) and second (Fantastic Explanations (and similar situations)) full-length releases. Cheap Time, in their most recent incarnation, has found where the fork of un-apologetic, snotty punk and glam-punk melodies meet, and leads them toward artistic maturity. This third album, recorded in Novak’s home studio, features an energetic Ryan Sweeney on drums and a return appearance from Stephen Baren on bass. Novak remains Cheap Time’s only consistent member since he founded the group in 2007.

Released in May 2012, Wallpaper Music is already being heralded as Cheap Time’s greatest work to date. Novak’s sharp abrasive vocals spit out harsh, biting lyrics hosted by complex compositions; however this is not to say their songs have lost their edge: fuzz and lo-fi recording keeps the trio sounding familiar, yet more polished.The ten tracks embellished with screeching guitars and experimental interludes allude to some sort of trajectory for CheapTime—perhaps Novak has found a band that fits, and that

will stick. -AliLopez

Everyone says the ‘80s are back, and until I saw the album cover of Confess, I did not know what that meant. This is the second album for Twin Shadow (the stage name of George Lewis Jr.), who wrote Confess after a motorcycle accident, which makes sense because this album was clearly made for the road. My immediate reaction to the music was a rather ambivalent nostril flare, but by the fourth or fifth listen to “Five Seconds” while driving the logging roads between Port Alberni and Bamfield, I was shoulder swag- gering like a fool (oh, now I get the whole shoulder pads fad). I wasn’t even alive in the ‘80s and this album makes me feel nostalgic with its mounting synth waves and romantic echoing vocals that aren’t really romantic at all when you think about it. In this case, they are more leave-me-alone-I-am-emotionally- unavailable, which I found surprisingly re- freshing.There is something charming about the dubstep intro to “You Call Me On,” as well as the anti-love song “Run My Heart,” but depending on your patience and affin- ity for long, repetitive roads, you might get bored—or need to reach for the Gravol.

- Cara Spangler

The second EP from Victoria’s Coco Jafro marks the beginning of a new era for the group. The local band had been playing around Victoria for several years in various incarnations and had developed its musical chops to the point where the band needed to take the next step towards widening its audience.The addition of vocalist Karina Mo- rin gave the band instant credibility and wid- er appeal from its former jazz-funk niche and Afro-Latin-inspired instrumentals found on the first EP. Morin holds the record together with her rich, dynamic vocals but makes sure to give the rest of the band plenty of room to lay down their grooves.

On Voodoo, Coco Jafro maintains much of the improvisational vibe of their live shows, while often working within a more traditional song structure. The title track is a hypnotic jazzy funk number featuring Mo- rin’s soaring vocals that explodes in the sec- ond half of the song with fiery solos from guitarist Amine Said and saxophonist Eric Hughes.“Siete” is certainly the band’s catchi- est song to date. This Latin-inspired gem’s hook breaks down numbers one through seven en Español, and highlights Said’s San- tana-like guitar licks.Voodoo’s weakest link is “India,” a soft-pop keyboard-driven song that doesn’t seem to fit with the energy and vibe

of the other five songs.

Perhaps this strong, full-length al- bum will be able to push the band toward its true potential of being one of the premier

funk/soul acts in western Canada. – Nathan Ambrose