Album Reviews
A collection of album and EP reviews written and published from 2004 onward.
- Haunted House “Guess Who’s Not Coming To Dinner” Review ()
In a time when bands are able to buff out their every last blemish by way of modern production techniques, Mike Watton’s embrace of his monotone growl seems that much more unusual. On his band Haunted House‘s debut, Guess Who’s Not Coming To Dinner, the singer’s peculiar tone is the first sign of just how […]
- Lookbook “Wild at Heart” Review ()
Minneapolis is becoming increasingly known for being a hotbed of hip-hop and rock/noise acts, but somewhere in the shadows of the city lurks a stellar electronic scene that is just as remarkable. This often overlooked niche is arguably led by the duo of Grant Cutler (Passions) and Maggie Morrison (Digitata) who, under the Lookbook moniker, […]
- Red Pens “Reasons” Review ()
“It’s not every year that the winner of our Picked to Click poll blows the rest of the competition out of the water, but every so often a band comes along that manages to win over the hearts of the entire music scene.” Though a tad hyperbolic, City Pages‘ recent introduction of this year’s best […]
- Lucy Michelle and the Velvet Lapelles “Special Party Time for Everybody” Review ()
The past year has offered a world of change to the six members of Lucy Michelle and the Velvet Lapelles. Dropping the independently released Orange Peels and Rattlesnakes in the summer of 2008 only added to the budding attention that the band had already been attracting for its live performances around the Twin Cities. By […]
- Total Babe “Heavewave EP” Review ()
Following a brief musical introduction Clara Salyer opens Total Babe’s six song EP with the welcomed sound of her voice. Her gently slurred verses are slightly elevated over the guitar, drums and organ throughout the song, allowing her distinct hum to immediately make an impact. And even though I can’t really tell you exactly what […]
- Pearl Jam “Backspacer” Review ()
At that particular time in my life I had heard of Pearl Jam. I was familiar with whatever radio-friendly singles they had in rotation on the local classic rock radio station, and was a casual fan. But my first real introduction to the band came during the 1996 Grammy Awards. At the time I was […]
- The Dead Weather “Horehound” Review ()
A select number of video editors make their living from re-cutting films into two minute promotional trailers. It’s their job to hook the viewer by presenting them with an excerpt of footage that will entice them to want to see more. Likewise, it’s the sign of a good marketer to do something similar with records […]
- Grizzly Bear “Veckatimest” Review ()
There’s something to be said for following the advice of others… sometimes. Those largely unfamiliar with Grizzly Bear could easily find its latest album achingly dull. Much of Veckatimest sounds as though the band is casually treading through the recording, adding instruments and a quilted padding of sound below each track to magnify their impressiveness. […]
- Phoenix “Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix” Review ()
When Phoenix recently performed on Saturday Night Live, there was a general sense of “who are these guys?” and “why are they on SNL?” that wafted out of the uninformed blogosphere (myself included). While the hype surrounding Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix certainly had to have helped the band land the spot, there is so much more […]
- Moby “Wait For Me” Review ()
Last Night, Moby’s last studio release, was an attempt by the musician to return to something comfortable. Quoting the album’s liner notes, “To me this record sounds like a night out in New York with all the sex and the weirdness and the disorientation and the celebration and the compelling chaos.” And the album encapsulated […]
- Green Day “21st Century Breakdown” Review ()
After selling over 12 million copies of the album, many have certified Green Day’s American Idiot a modern classic. The band’s concept album not only reintroduced the group to the mainstream, but American Idiot quickly became Green Day’s second highest selling album since its major label debut, Dookie, in 1994. With the album, Green Day […]
- Eminem “Relapse” Review ()
The idea of relapsing isn’t one that’s solely aimed at addiction, especially so in the case of Eminem. Coming four and a half years after Encore, Relapse is a wildcard; an album coming from an unpredictable emcee, one of the world’s most popular and recognizable musical figures, and one that has been looming his entire […]
- St. Vincent “Actor” Review ()
At times, Actor is exactly what I expected it to be. Conversely, it’s also scattered with tracks that sound nothing like what I had anticipated. The first half of the album adopts an interesting mash of choppy, distorted guitar with Clark playfully breathing life into lyrics that might otherwise come across as desperate or woeful. […]
- Blueprint “Sign Language” Review ()
In a move slightly more akin to his Soul Position partner, RJD2, Blueprint focuses primarily on his beats while wading through a sea of organ and soulful samples on his latest album Sign Language. A true followup to Blueprint’s 2004 instrumental release, Chamber Music, Sign Language is a largely instrumental mix that combines down-tempo grooves […]
- Doves “Kingdom of Rust” Review ()
Kingdom of Rust immediately dives into classic rock territory with the band’s spiraling, Steve Miller Band-like electronics in the album’s lead track “Jetstream.” Fitting that from there, the album initially succeeds by tracing the history of bands who had all but vanished a couple decades ago. Aside from the rushed sounds of “The Outsiders,” the […]
- Dan Israel “See the Morning Light” Review ()
From a place of personal crisis comes See the Morning Light, the 10th solo album in roughly a decade from Dan Israel. Following 2007’s rousing Turning, an album recorded with an uplifting spirit guided by the help of countless friends, Israel hit an emotional low, one that left him in the grip of depression, from which it took him nearly […]
- Jon Hopkins “Insides” Review ()
Whether it be the gloomy Maritime ambiance of “The Wider Sun,” or the layered funk of “Wire,” Jon Hopkins’ third studio album is a tremendous expansion on 1990’s electronica, offering 10 tracks that comfortably balance sounds with contrasting musical textures. Fortunately, Insides is far more consistent than Hopkins’ resume as of late: most recently the […]
- Neil Young “Fork In The Road” Review ()
Leading up to the release of 2006’s Living with War, Neil Young defended the anti-war, anti-Bush album by saying, “I was hoping some young person would come along and say this and sing some songs about it, but I didn’t see anybody, so I’m doing it myself.” It’s not that Neil Young needs to release […]
- Prince “LotusFlow3r” Review ()
In describing First Avenue to someone from outside of the Twin Cites, it’s easiest to just explain it as “that club” in Purple Rain; Prince returned to “that club” for the first time in two decades as one of three shows he played in Minneapolis on July 7, 2007. Following an in-store at Macy’s and […]
- Fever Ray “Fever Ray” Review ()
It took over half a decade of creating music together as the Knife before the brother-sister duo of Karin Dreijer Andersson and Olof Dreijer performed in public. Their attempts at removing focus on the individual are as notorious as they are futile. They decided to wear masks when promoting and performing their music, which simply […]
- His Mischief “The Perfect Lover” Review ()
The perfect lover. For each individual those words are likely to conjure a variety images. One might dream of Burt Reynolds tastefully covered in Vaseline, wearing nothing but a Speedo and cowboy boots; another, Jamie Lee Curtis erotically knocking back single serving after single serving of Activia Yogurt. And while we may never know what […]
- Kelly Clarkson “All I Ever Wanted” Review ()
The release of Kelly Clarkson’s fourth album, All I Ever Wanted, has to come as a relief for the singer, especially considering the drama that surrounded 2007’s My December. Between the label’s outspoken dissatisfaction with her songs and Clive Davis supposedly having offered Clarkson $10 million to scrap five of its tracks in favor of […]
- P.O.S “Never Better” Review ()
Three minutes into Never Better, P.O.S has already taken stabs at the government, gawked at the recession, used Macho Man as a verb, referenced The Dude, and gave shout-outs to both his crew (Doomtree) and his label (Rhymesayers). And “Let it Rattle” is one of the mellowest tracks on the MC’s third full-length release. Never […]
- Antony and the Johnsons’ “The Crying Light” Review ()
Despite the adulation generously thrown at Antony and the Johnsons for 2005’s I Am A Bird Now, the album is far from easily accessible. And up until the release of last year’s Hercules and Love Affair album, to which Antony Hegarty contributed, I stood firmly by my initial reaction to his music. Upon the first […]
- Deerhunter “Microcastle” Review ()
Opening with the comparatively quiet “Cover Me (Slowly),” Deerhunter’s Microcastle quickly evolves into something less abstract and inherently more familiar than the band’s previous offerings. While 2007’s breakthrough Cryptograms was applauded for its abrasive intangibles, Microcastle sounds harnessed and reflective of, rather than in conflict with, the band’s inspirations. But rather than just sounding like […]
- Kanye West “808s & Heartbreak” Review ()
In three months Kanye West has stirred up a ridiculous level of hysteria surrounding 808s & Heartbreak, putting the album’s hype on par with any other release this year (almost). That being said, the album is just as much an experimental artistic venture as it is an experimental study in digital market and consumer behavior. […]
- Britney Spears “Circus” Review ()
On pop-merit alone, “Womanizer” is enough of an earworm to draw interest to Britney Spears’ new album from even the most hesitant of listeners. The single, which is her first chart-topper since 1999’s “…Baby One More Time,” continues Spears’ trend of having about as much lyrical zest as Metallica’s James Hetfield. That being said, it […]
- Guns N’ Roses “Chinese Democracy” Review ()
“Chinese Democracy” opens with a shrieking Axl Rose whose voice overwhelms a surprisingly sharp rhythm section. The song ignites the near-mythological album, also tossing aside any preconceived notion of what Chinese Democracy should sound like. But at this point in time, any interested listener has had access to various bits and pieces of the album […]
- Japanese Motors “Japanese Motors” Review ()
Singer Alex Knost’s slow, purposeful drawl follows an echoing introduction on “Single Fins & Safety Pins,” the lead track from Japanese Motors. Considering the generally laid back feel of the Orange Country quartet’s entire album, the track is a fitting opener – wading in a cool tide of sound with no real rush to go […]
- The Upsidedown “Human Destination” Review ()
After releasing its retro-sounding debut, Trust Electricity, in 2004, the Portland, Oregon-based Upsidedown was written off by many as having no new ideas. But follow-up Human Destination shows the band moving away from distorted shoegaze, instead emphasizing the musicians understated dexterity. The Upsidedown haven’t completely released themselves into the wild unknown of experimentation. But a transformation is evident in […]