Anthony Hamilton
Ain’t Nobody Worryin’ (Sony BMG)
Hamilton’s previous albums, ’03’s Comin’ From Where I’m From and last year’s Soulife, made it clear that this North Carolina native wasn’t about livin’ large—he was Mr. Everyman, singing about paying bills and getting dumped. And if his gut-wrenching hit “Charlene” established him as a credible soul balladeer, the absorbing love songs “Can’t Let Go” and “Change the World” will only heighten his credentials. But Hamilton casts his net wider, pointing out hypocrisy inside and beyond the church on “Preacher’s Daughter” and eschewing spiritual salvation on “Pass Me Over.” Almost a response to Marvin Gaye’s “What’s Going On,” the title track declares that there’s plenty going on, but nobody cares. Not true. Hamilton cares, and it’s evident in the gritty sincerity that anchors every track on this set. 9/10 (Gerard Dee)
Robert Pollard
From a Compound Eye (Merge/FAB)
Although Pollard has released side projects and things under his own name in the past, the outcome has always been half-baked, compared to his stellar work with Guided By Voices. This CD, however, adds to his musical legacy nicely and proves his best years are still ahead of him. It packs in a whopping 26 tunes that showcase the man’s penchant for pop perfection. Opener “Gold” shows off his admiration for epic Who tunes, while “Field Jacket Blues” lets his pop prowess burst at the seams. If you’ve been waiting since Tusk and London Calling for the perfect double album, this is it. 9/10 (Johnson Cummins)
Sevendust
Next (7Bros/ Universal)
There are advantages to not having a record deal—if you’ve already got a proven track record. Without the pressures of label expectations, Sevendust had the freedom to explore new facets of their talent and damn, this album is hard and relentless. It doesn’t just kick asses, it explodes them. Part of the reason is their leftfield approach, meshing new-school elements seamlessly into their trademark nu-metal sound. You’ll find synths whirring in the background once in a while, and even a straight-up love song in “This Life,” but it’s singer Lajon’s voice (still a powerful and intriguing mix of Living Colour’s Corey Glover and Terrence Trent D’Arby) that pulls it all together. 8.5/10 (Lateef Martin) With Non-Point, Wicked Wisdom at le Spectrum, Tues., Jan. 24, 7 p.m., $29.35, all ages
Circlesquare
Fight Sounds EP (Output)
Hearing about the video installation DMT by Vancouverite Jeremy Shaw, aka Circlesquare—an eight-channel display of people high on DMT, with subtitles describing their experiences directly after they’ve come down—makes even more sense now that I listen to this EP. Disjointed, dark and loosely-bound tracks gush from the speakers like a mild hallucinogenic headrush. Minimalism is still the word here, so don’t expect any lush arrangements, just sparse guitar, throbbing synths and a mid-’90s U.K. flair for vocal melody. These eight tracks of downbeat noir hint at a great album to come. 8.5/10 (Raf Katigbak)
Fire Engines
Codex Teenage Premonition (Domino)
Following last year’s Orange Juice retrospective, Domino has unearthed another long-lost Scottish treasure. The Fire Engines’ sound, straddling poppy rock ’n’ roll and manic post-punk, has aged well, so much so that their version of Franz Ferdinand’s “Jacqueline” sent my mind reeling in confusion—it’s actually a cover, recorded in 2004. The disc features a dozen tracks from 1980–81, half of them recorded in studio, half captured live, and although the live sound is uneven (and three songs are repeated), the band’s wild appeal was clearly amplified on stage. 8/10 (Lorraine Carpenter)
Test Icicles
For Screening Purposes Only (Domino/Outside)
The opening track has the U.K.’s Test Icicles leaning heavily on the no-wave dissonance of Six Finger Satellite and Brainiac, but as the record advances, they succeed in branching out past the copycat legion of disco punks. A killer chorus elbows through the racket on “Pull the Lever” and “Boa vs. Python” provides perfect ear candy, but it’s songs like “Circle, Square, Triangle” that show they keep their best for last. “Catch It,” meanwhile, merges extreme thrash noise with old-school hip hop. You’ve heard this disco-punk-noise before, but with perfect timing and more than a smidgen of talent, Test Icicles could be the band to bring the noise to middle America. 7.5/10 (Johnson Cummins)
The Misteriosos
self-titled (Triptone)
Five minutes in, anyone with a passing knowledge of garage rock will think they have this Philly/NYC band figured out. “Now” is a sharp shot of reptilian male vocals and badass riffs (courtesy JellyRoll), manic drums (Skeeter) and groovy keys (Tula Storm) that segues almost seamlessly into “She Said,” where a long, warped guitar solo begins to derail expectations. On “Any Wonder,” Storm’s ethereal voice and shimmering keys introduce some shoegazing weight/levity, which shares the rest of the record with bursts of psychedelic pop and sprawling, tripped-out jams. It’s as flawed as most debut albums, but tracks like “7 Years” pack a lot of promise. 7/10 (Lorraine Carpenter)
Aoki Takamasa & Tujiko Noriko
28 (Fat Cat/Fusion III)
I first had the pleasure of having my socks blown off by Tujiko Noriko at her Mutek performance in 2003. A twisted and haunting yet playful approach to melodies, a strange fairytale-creature stage presence and innovative and engaging production had me literally on the floor in some kind of experimental pop stupor, images of digital nymphs dancing in my brain. While not as much is known about Takamasa (he released four albums on Japan’s Progressive Form label), his production is crisp, delicate and precise without being too cold. Together it’s a one-two punch of leftfield ambient pop that tickles the part of the brain normally reserved for daydreams. 8/10 (Raf Katigbak)
Various
Legendary Gatherings (ICM)
Montreal hip hop collective Island City Monsters continue their strategic onslaught with yet another release showing their ability to produce quality rap using some of the city’s most talented heads. ICM ought to get picked up soon, simply based on their hustle ethic. LG rakes in some extended crew members, namely Velvet Trench Vibes, who join Meta4ce and David Hodges on “Make You Famous,” and Bless, who joins Second Thought on a tight piece called “Thoughts Concealed.” I like how ICM always shine the light on other MTL hip hop talent while still showcasing the furious styles of their own guys, like Memo, June Sixth, Mana, Meta4ce and DJ Twitch. 7.5/10 (Scott C) CD launch at Lounge Eleven, Fri., Jan. 20, 9 p.m., $5
Various
Late Night With King Britt (Swank)
Philly DJ and producer King Britt has done much over the years to make his name synonymous with lush and soulful productions, so it’s no surprise that Swank chose his keen ear for their Late Night comp series. Trouble is, this playlist seems like late-night lite, or easy-listening house if you will. While there are some great songs here, Britt’s underwater soul is explored with four tracks from his Scuba alias—with lukewarm results. Standout tunes include Motorcitysoul’s “Written in the Stars” and Martino’s “Do What Feels Right,” but other than that, I’m not really sure what Britt was thinking. Tread lightly. 6.5/10 (Scott C)
Catherine Potter
Duniya Project (Shadaj)
Montrealer Potter is Canada’s master bansuri flautist, deftly handling the hollow, windy tones of the venerable Indian instrument and building off a template of North Indian classical music and jazz in a calm but vivid manner. Backed by an ace band including Thom Gossage on drums and Kaba Horo’s Lubo Alexandrov on guitar, and benefiting from Ram Borcar in the production booth, Potter brings a fluid jazz sensibility to her compositions for bansuri and band (all but one track are hers here). “Kali Noire” in particular has a nice, nocturnal quality to it, even a touch of foreboding. “Jaswandi,” meanwhile, suggests flamenco and “Vol Blanc” echoes the tones and patterns of Indonesian gamelan music. 8/10 (Rupert Bottenberg)
The Great Jazz Trio
’S Wonderful (441)
Tommy Flanagan
The Trio (Gambit)
These discs showcase two of the tastiest pianists in jazz history, both associated originally with the Motown jazz scene. Hank Jones has been connected with the Great Jazz Trio for some 30 years, and the recent edition teams him with John Patitucci and Jack DeJohnette. The nine outstanding tracks on ’S Wonderful include jazz standards like “Lover Come Back to Me” (on which Patitucci is superb), Bobby Timmons’ “Moanin’” and—a bit of a surprise—Paul Desmond’s “Take Five.” Flanagan, meanwhile, is joined by Ron Carter and Tony Williams on previously hard-to-find material from 1983. This one leans more on the jazz repertoire over 14 tracks, and the leader’s “Minor Mishap” is here along with “Moose the Mooche,” “Giant Steps,” “Misterioso” and “Afternoon in Paris.” Both 10/10 (Len Dobbin)
Mini CD Reviews
D-Saw/euphorhythm "Track 10:30/Patrik" 12” (Immer/Kompakt) The second volley in Michael Mayer’s series of techno “lost gems.” D-Saw’s A-side is pure mid-’90s ambient Hamburg acid, the flip is Dr. Motte’s big-room peak-time teaser always on the verge of eruption. 8.5 (RK)
Ms B. "Culture Mix" (independent) Ms B. runs a mix featuring Sizzla, I-Wayne, the Niabingi drummers and the Hard Times riddim for starters. Give thanks... 8.5/10 (SC)
Rhoda Scott Encore, Encore, Encore (EmArcy/Universal) This B3 organist makes Paris her home and this duo with drummer Lucien Dobat will appeal to lovers of the organ-jazz genre. 8 (LD) With Andre White at Upstairs tonight, Thurs., Jan. 19
Velma La pointe farinet 2949 m (Monopsone) A Swiss oddity that mashes up atmospheric rock and antique horror-movie scores. 7 (LC)
We Are Scientists With Love and Squalor (Virgin/EMI) Sticking kittens on the cover is a cheap ploy to lure cat people into a web of hokey, sub-Killers sob-rock. 4 (LC)
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