Quick reviews of some new releases
Nine Inch Nails // With Teeth
I've always sat on the metaphorical sidelines when it comes to NIN. Never really a big fan, not a hater, just kinda in the middle. The Downward Spiral was a great album, With Teeth is a good album. The first song starts slow but it's worth the wait, great opener. About half way through the album it starts to loose steam as some of the tracks become skip-able. The first single, The Hand That Feeds, is a solid effort but not the best NIN single I've heard. Which sums up the album pretty well, good but not the best.
7/10
Stephen Malkmus // Face The Truth
It seems like this album is a retrospective of Malkmus' carreer. There are songs that sound like they should be on Pavement albums while others are more reminiscent of Pig Lib. The guitars take a backseat to the song writing this time and his vocals are more "in-tune" then ever. Overall a solid record and I can imagine it will be blasting out my car stereo with the windows down all summer.
9/10 until, like all of Malkmus' stuff, it grows on me then it will be 10/10
Quasimoto // The Adventures of Lord Quas
Schizophrenic fun! Madlib has officially become my favorite hip-hop artist. The album starts of strong and keeps gaining momentum until the last track. MF Doom shows up for a bit and there's just something about his voice over Madlib's beats that's gold. Pray to the music gods they make another Madvillain record. Even without the Metal Face the record never stops spinning. I predict it will show up on best of 2005 lists everywhere.
10/10
Weezer // Make Believe
Where'd the loud guitars go? The trademark distortion of Weezer is sorely lacking and when it does show up it's weak as fuck. The song writing is the worst of any Weezer albums and the whole thing sounds like they don't even care. There's no energy. Die-hard Weezer fans will probably like this as will a casual pop music fan (because it's familiar). For everyone else it's un-listenable crap.
1/10
Common // Be
Most people hated Electric Circus, I loved it, it was daring and original. This album is a return to the more soulful Like Water For Chocolate. Kanye West's production almost overpowers the fact that it's a Common album. Nevertheless it's a solid record with every track listenable while Common presents himself as the Marvin Gaye of hip-hop.
8/10
Gorillaz // Demon Days
How a cartoon band can pull of a dramatically sad record that's tons of fun is amazing. De La Soul, MF Doom, Booty Brown and Roots Manuva more than make up for no Del. Dan the Automater's absence is unnoticeable, Dangermouse's production is thicker and better. The only former collaborator noticeably missing is Ciba Matto's Miho Hatori. Dennis Hopper even shows up for a spoken word song. Feel Good Inc. is well on it's way to being the single of the year. The only negative thing I can say is that, like their last album, this will be played out.
10/10
Anyone heard Sleater-Kinney // The Woods? I've heard good things...
I've always sat on the metaphorical sidelines when it comes to NIN. Never really a big fan, not a hater, just kinda in the middle. The Downward Spiral was a great album, With Teeth is a good album. The first song starts slow but it's worth the wait, great opener. About half way through the album it starts to loose steam as some of the tracks become skip-able. The first single, The Hand That Feeds, is a solid effort but not the best NIN single I've heard. Which sums up the album pretty well, good but not the best.
7/10
Stephen Malkmus // Face The Truth
It seems like this album is a retrospective of Malkmus' carreer. There are songs that sound like they should be on Pavement albums while others are more reminiscent of Pig Lib. The guitars take a backseat to the song writing this time and his vocals are more "in-tune" then ever. Overall a solid record and I can imagine it will be blasting out my car stereo with the windows down all summer.
9/10 until, like all of Malkmus' stuff, it grows on me then it will be 10/10
Quasimoto // The Adventures of Lord Quas
Schizophrenic fun! Madlib has officially become my favorite hip-hop artist. The album starts of strong and keeps gaining momentum until the last track. MF Doom shows up for a bit and there's just something about his voice over Madlib's beats that's gold. Pray to the music gods they make another Madvillain record. Even without the Metal Face the record never stops spinning. I predict it will show up on best of 2005 lists everywhere.
10/10
Weezer // Make Believe
Where'd the loud guitars go? The trademark distortion of Weezer is sorely lacking and when it does show up it's weak as fuck. The song writing is the worst of any Weezer albums and the whole thing sounds like they don't even care. There's no energy. Die-hard Weezer fans will probably like this as will a casual pop music fan (because it's familiar). For everyone else it's un-listenable crap.
1/10
Common // Be
Most people hated Electric Circus, I loved it, it was daring and original. This album is a return to the more soulful Like Water For Chocolate. Kanye West's production almost overpowers the fact that it's a Common album. Nevertheless it's a solid record with every track listenable while Common presents himself as the Marvin Gaye of hip-hop.
8/10
Gorillaz // Demon Days
How a cartoon band can pull of a dramatically sad record that's tons of fun is amazing. De La Soul, MF Doom, Booty Brown and Roots Manuva more than make up for no Del. Dan the Automater's absence is unnoticeable, Dangermouse's production is thicker and better. The only former collaborator noticeably missing is Ciba Matto's Miho Hatori. Dennis Hopper even shows up for a spoken word song. Feel Good Inc. is well on it's way to being the single of the year. The only negative thing I can say is that, like their last album, this will be played out.
10/10
Anyone heard Sleater-Kinney // The Woods? I've heard good things...
posted by James Harris at 1:58 PM
2 Comments:
I can't believe you'd dog Automater everthing he touches is gold. Check Louvage, Handsome, Deltron 3030, Dr. Octo. Dj. Dangermouse is a good standby but the origantor can't be beat.
Nine Inch Nails - Have heard good things but was never a big fan. Usually when muscians get sober they go away but he seems to be doing better than ever. His show sold out in like 1 hour in Denver. I think it was Trent's kick off for the tour.
Lord Quas - Crazy album. The first is a little more structured, but Van Peebles can make me laugh all the way around. Somtimes the beats he sticks in between songs I wish he would use for a track there just so fucking good.
The rest I can't really comment on.
Not dogging on Automater at all I love what he's done. But that's just it everything he TOUCHED turned to gold. I think he's toward the end of producing good work. Hopefully I'm wrong, regardless, having him on the new Gorillaz album wouldn't have worked. Dangermouse was a good choice. I'd like to see the produces change on subsequent Gorillaz releases. Imagine if RJD2 got behind the boards.
Lord Quas is crazy yeah. I wonder if the album would be better with out some of the crazier shit. Or is that part of it's charm? I think it's the latter.
On a side note, after posting this ealier I've listned to the Malkmus album 3 consecutive times. So, yes, it's already grown on me and up to a 10 in my book.
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