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Disc of the week |
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 Britney Spears Blackout (Zomba/Sony BMG) “It’s Britney, bitch.” It’s a fitting way to start such an album, a masochistic exercise for a former child star and virgin/whore princess reduced to trashy tabloid bait. As sad and tiresome as she is, this album is more listenable than previous efforts, probably because it’s utterly forgettable, despite Danja’s steady hand at cold, dark, hip hop-laced electroclash. Really, ’80s beats and synths are all over this thing, nearly obscuring the negligible lyrics. Strangely, “Heaven on Earth” sounds so much like Fischerspooner that Casey Spooner’s feather boas are probably forming a storm cloud over New York City. Here’s hoping Ms. Spears will follow him off the radar. 4/10 (Lorraine Carpenter)  The Hives The Black and White Album (A&M/Universal) Too clever by half and damn pleased with themselves for it, Sweden’s answer to Rocket From the Crypt return with a fresh helping of greasy kid stuff for thinking persons, shaggy shout-alongs and blazing bolts of intrepid rock ’n’ roll. Reaching out for range, the achromatically dapper fivesome from Fagersta hand their enhanced garage stomp, laid down in Mississippi, to diverse producers. Jacknife Lee (U2, etc.) radio-readies the brash “Hey Little World,” Pharrell of the Neptunes brings pizzazz to the chunky frat rocker “Well All Right!” and the vainglorious phantom funk of “T.H.E.H.I.V.E.S.” 7.5/10 (Rupert Bottenberg)  Coheed and Cambria No World for Tomorrow (Columbia/Sony BMG) With their arena-sized concept rock, Coheed and Cambria continue their story-based series. But the sequel to their last release, Good Apollo, I’m Burning Star IV, just isn’t as exciting. Settling into their prog-rock groove, C&C have opted for more subtlety this time around, a more straightforward approach than previous efforts, meaning no real surprises and no real standouts. Still, there is more heart and talent behind this than most of the schlock out there. But enough with the Heavy Metal artwork and thematic riffs—when’s the movie coming out? 7/10 (Lateef Martin) By the End of Tonight/Tera Melos Complex Full of Phantoms (Temporary Residence) This split record is sure to appeal to fans of math rock and guitar pyrotechnics (hint: the Fucking Champs). By the End of Tonight know how to razzle and dazzle with metal precision, but Tera Melos put their thumbs on the scale with a bit more sonic superiority and fretboard-tapping frenzies. All said, though, in their spastic, time-signature-defying instrumental complexity, these two bands perfectly complement each other. 7.5/10 (Johnson Cummins) Samara Lubelski Parallel Suns (The Social Registry) This New York-based singer-songwriter is part of the Jackie-O Motherfucker collective, among other bands, including Thurston Moore’s current touring ensemble. She’s also an engineer with a stack of impressive credits, not least of which are her three solo albums. This one feeds off psychedelic sorcery and medieval mystique, fuelling a languid folk-pop sound that rarely fails to mesmerize. Lightweight arrangements of strings, piano and guitars envelop her sinister and whimsical tunes with equal ease, sometimes verging on easy-listening for aging goths, but never lapsing into cliché. 7.5/10 (Lorraine Carpenter)  Gorillaz D-Sides (Parlophone/EMI) Britpop gadfly Damon Albarn followed his cartoon rap-rock band’s eponymous 2001 debut with leftovers and loose ends on G-Sides, and then a disc of dub versions (Laika Come Home). Likewise so now for ’05’s Demon Days, from which the first disc of D-Sides draws demos, outtakes and B-sides. Pleasantly ho-hum, it does cough up the sprawling, Sino-phonic meditation “Hong Kong,” the rusty robo-reggae of “Bill Murray” and “Stop the Dams,” a chiming Icelandic eco-lament with Björk’s old bandmate Einar Örn. Disc two bears remixes—DFA, Soulwax and Junior Sanchez get none too daring with “Dare,” but Hot Chip’s gentle flip of “Kids With Guns” is yummy. 7/10 (Rupert Bottenberg) Various Tight: Modern at the Moment (Saboteur/Outside) On a roll with Omnikrom, numéro# and DJ Champion, whose live DVD came out a minute ago, Montreal’s Saboteur label flashes forward with Tight, showcasing what’s next for them. Champion’s loping reverie “Denis’ Beach” bodes well, as do Mathias Mental’s hilarious “She’s a Character” and tough, dark electro-punk action from FEMME, Jordan Dare and the Brash (the latter with DJ Maüs on vox). Points to le Matos for an uncanny Daft Punk pastiche in “88 MPH,” and points off for Ghetto Pony’s awful “Praymantis.” 7/10 (Rupert Bottenberg) CD launch with FEMME, les Jardiniers, Mathias Mental, Leo Cruz, Jordan Dare, special guest at le Saboteur Ball 5 at la Sala Rossa, Fri., Nov. 23, 9 p.m., $15 (CD incl.)  Brand Nubian Time’s Running Out (Traffic/Fusion III) Back in 1990, when Brand Nubian emerged with their debut LP All for One, they had young hip hop heads everywhere reciting their militant Five Percent Nation rhymes nonstop. Grand Puba, Lord Jamar, Sadat X and DJ Alamo all split to pursue solo careers soon after, but reunited in 1998 to record The Foundation. Time’s Running Out is the legendary lost album, recorded between their first and second LPs, featuring some golden-era hip hop that never saw the light of day. Production is handled by Puba, Jamar, Alamo and Lord Finesse, and highlights some true hip hop originals at their very best. Peace to the Gods and the Earths. 8.5/10 (Scott C)  Cassidy B.A.R.S.: The Barry Adrian Reese Story (J Records/Sony BMG) Much like the Philadelphia MC’s competing personalities duking it out in the album opener, B.A.R.S. is divided into two distinct sides. The first half is a series of mediocre to passable attempts at creating a hit single, from the horrible 50 Cent shoot-’em-up copycat “Where My Niggas At?” to the mistaken-identity storyline of “Innocent,” with Mark Morrison rap-singing. Amazingly, Cassidy overcomes his rhyming deficiencies and goes for sincere and simple on the final seven tracks. “Celebrate” with John Legend is an introspective triumph, making you forget his crutch of same-word rhyming. “All By Myself” is one of the year’s best. 8/10 (Erik Leijon)  Alicia Keys As I Am (Sony BMG) Keys’ latest brings to mind John Legend’s sophomore effort Once Again because, like that album, this set is all about artistry. As such, it’s not surprising that these songs aren’t as instantly accessible as those on 2003’s The Diary of Alicia Keys, and yet the music is as durable, and perhaps more sophisticated. There’s a certain understated quality to songs like the quietly smoldering “Lesson Learned” or the painfully realistic “Like You’ll Never See Me Again.” Not everything here is as good, but when Keys hits her stride on the defiant “Go Ahead” or the universal declaration “Superwoman,” it’s a solid reminder that she’s still one of the premier soul artists around. 8/10 (Gerard Dee)  Allen Eager An Ace Face (Giant Steps) Phil Woods Swingchronicity (Jazzed Media) Two giants in the field of the jazz saxophone are represented here. Tenorman Eager, a favourite of his mentor Lester Young, died in 2003 at the age of 76. His two-CD set shows off a great cross-section of his playing from a 10-year period beginning in 1946. His sessions as a leader are here alongside material with the Buddy Rich big band, Charlie Parker, Stan Getz, Gerry Mulligan and the unsung Tony Fruscella. Woods, primarily an alto player, continues to add to his recorded legacy despite having emphysema. On this 2006 recording, he’s joined by Bob Lark, heard on flugelhorn here along with Chicago’s DePaul University Jazz Ensemble, which he directs. The students show a lot of talent over 10 tracks, with Woods as their guest on the first seven. The material includes “Along Came Betty,” “Stockholm Sweetnin’” and a new one, “Rosenwind,” by the multi-talented Jim McNeely. Both 9.5/10 (Len Dobbin)  Youssou N’Dour Rokku Mi Rokka (Nonesuch/Warner) Youssou N’Dour is one of the best-known African singers in the world. The 48-year-old’s umpteenth release is a multi-faceted album, containing the type of music he’s known for but also so much more. Always infectious, these songs range from N’Dour’s mbalax sound on “Bajjan” to the inspiring strains of “Baay Faal.” Given the success of 1994’s “7 Seconds” it must have seemed like a good idea to bring Neneh Cherry on board for another duet. Unfortunately, “Wake Up (It’s Africa Calling)” doesn’t have the same power and doesn’t live up to the standard of the rest of this album. It’s N’Dour’s work with Malian xalam player Bassekou Kouyate that steals the show here and seems to be the force behind a varied representation of Senegalese music today. 8/10 (Erin Macleod) Youssou N’Dour’s Nov. 23 concert at l’Olympia has been held back to Dec. 11 Mini CD ReviewsNancy Walker Need Another (Timely Manor/Universal) One of Toronto’s finest jazz pianists is joined by hubby Kieran Overs and Ethan Ardelli in a nine-tune set that includes “I Want to Be Happy” and a number of her originals. 9.5 (LD) |
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