Disc of the week

Gnarls Barkley
The Odd Couple (Downtown/Warner)
After driving everyone crazy with “Crazy” two years ago, the Laurel & Hardy of lugubrious, left-handed soul-pop and dysfunction funk are back with a follow-up that, while diverse, is hardly the erratic funhouse ride St. Elsewhere was. That means less wrong turns and limited-return gimcracks, though, as producer Danger Mouse and singer Cee-Lo, the latter’s lyrics drawn from a deep well of troubled waters, venture their next-gen variants on vintage soul with a frequent lysergic tint. Lead single “Run (I’m a Natural Disaster)” replaces the languor of “Crazy” with a giddy rollercoaster rush, while “Whatever” is a garage rock anthem for antisocial teens, “Charity Case” a shimmering shuffle, and “Surprise” a sour dose of cynicism soaked in sunshine. 8.5/10 (Rupert Bottenberg)

The Breeders
Mountain Battles (4AD/Select)
The Breeders’ 2002 comeback felt mediocre, given the bar they’d set with Last Splash, and the nine-year wait. By that kind of math, this album isn’t as disappointing, yet it’s not as good as Title TK. Aside from the ecstatic mantra “Overglazed,” the stone-cold rawk of “No Way” and the dark monotone ballad “Night of Joy,” the songs aren’t particularly memorable, despite having hooks that temporarily catch. The Deal sisters and co. experiment with German and Spanish and country and Dinosaur Jr. riffs, which is all well and good, but without classics, shelf life is limited. That said, here’s hoping they play Montreal. 6/10 (Lorraine Carpenter)

The Black Keys
Attack & Release (Nonesuch/Warner)
2006’s tribute to Junior Kimbrough, Chulahoma, and their following full-length Magic Potion unfortunately showed this Akron, Ohio blues-tinged duo at a creative standstill. Now under the watchful eye of hip hop producer Danger Mouse, the Black Keys are once again firing on all cylinders. This fifth release has the band pushing the envelope in a lot of directions, but in case you think they’ve strayed too far from their blues and garage roots, “I Got Mine” and “Remember When (Side B)” toss some serious bones to old fans. 8/10 (Johnson Cummins)

Tapes ’N Tapes
Walk It Off (XL/Select)
The Minneapolis-based indie rockers’ aggressive sophomore effort is as much a slow burner as their jangly, country-fied debut. Mostly hookless, Tapes ’N Tapes are a tough initial listen. Walk It Off screeches from section to section with few refrains and only explosive ’90s alternative breakdowns to signal a song’s end. Lead singer Josh Grier sounds like a cross between Win Butler and Spencer Krug, and his muffled, incomprehensible singing blends well with the dominant strumming guitars. “Conquest” and “Say Back Something” show the band’s skill for great thematic build-ups. The Pavement comparison is thankfully less obvious this time. 7.5/10 (Erik Leijon) With White Denim at Cabaret, Tues., April 15, 9 p.m., $15, all ages

Bonjour Brumaire
De la nature des foules (Indica/Outside)
There’s no denying Malajube’s influence on these local francophones, who hooked up hastily in January ’07, began recording with Malajube producer Ryan Battistuzzi three months in, and were playing big festivals and winning small prizes by year’s end. Like Malajube, they eschew a lot of the trappings of Québécois tradition, but Bonjour Brumaire retain the chanson touch, those familiar vocals and observational lyrics delivered straight and stark alongside plainly strummed and picked guitars. Rock arrangements and anthemic choruses sweeten the pot some, but pop excesses and an overall lack of finesse weigh the record down in the end. 7/10 (Lorraine Carpenter)

Eric Avery
Help Wanted (Dangerbird)
Jane’s Addiction bassist Eric Avery helms his own project, blending the sombre and the euphoric. A departure from the party days with Perry Farrell and Dave Navarro, Help Wanted is a low-key, introspective work laced with mostly monotone vocals and spoken word. Distorted guitar and subtle synth share as much space as programmed beats and drummage care of Foo Fighters’ Talyor Hawkins. Shirley Manson shares vocals on the head-trippy “Maybe” while Red Hot Chili Pepper Flea provides the blasts of brass on the slow dirge “Song in Silence.” 7.5/10 (Lateef Martin)

Foals
Antidotes (Transgressive/Warner)
Kickoff track “The French Open” is indicative of what this Oxford, U.K. five-piece get up to, leavened and caffeinated dancefloor math-punk with incensed nerd-squawk vocals and a bubbling African flavour to the guitar and bass. It’s all too reminiscent of the now-defunct Supersystem, though the latter never dragged in Antibalas boys for brass jabs like those on “Cassius” and “Heavy Water.” The online rumours of post-partum rancour with producer Dave Sitek of TVOTR can be dismissed, as Sitek’s striking ideas about sound and art clearly inform Antidotes end to end. 7/10 (Rupert Bottenberg)

Boys Noize
Oi Oi Oi Remixed (Turbo/Last Gang)
A half dozen respected electro producers’ remixes bring colour and bandwidth to what was a disappointingly one-dimensional album, particularly given Alex “Boys Noize” Ridha’s usually limitless talent for sonic boundary-pushing. Particularly noteworthy is Apparat’s arpeggiated agglomeration of “Shine Shine” featuring incredibly subtle yet effective climaxes and breakdowns with subliminal hooks buried in the chromatic chaos, something Ridha himself is generally known to be a guru of. Also interesting is Feadz’s overhaul of “Lava Lava,” where Thomas Bangalter’s fun-loving club techno approach is applied to the hideous mess of distorted genius that is Boys Noize. 7.5/10 (Jack Oatmon)

Elephant Man
Let’s Get Physical (VP/Bad Boy/Warner)
Jamaica’s king of the dance crazes, the lisping so-called Energy God, makes his bid for the mainstream. Rihanna, Wyclef, Swizz Beats, Busta Rhymes, Shaggy and Diddy himself all take turns upping the odds that Bad Boy’s experiment with dancehall will find success somewhere on U.S. charts. The best tunes are those that stay true to the best bits of Elephant Man: speedy delivery, equally speedy and over-the-top rhythms, and ridiculous samples—check “Physical.” Tracks like “The Way We Roll” and “Throw Your Hands Up” sound capable of getting folks dancing, and it thankfully looks like Elephant Man has left his controversial lyrics about homosexuality behind. 8/10 (Erin MacLeod)

Plantlife
Time Traveller (Rapster)
The quirky falsetto soul of Jack Splash and Plantlife have returned with a rollerskate-ready LP brimming with playful funk and underground disco leanings. Splash’s unmistakable voice is not quite Curtis Mayfield’s, but goes a long way to show the frontman’s dedication to the group’s unique sound. “Sumthin About Her” pops with a tight show-band quality, providing the perfect bump on the dancefloor, while the cheeky “They Pay Me for This” proves that Splash has a firm grasp on just how hilarious it is that Plantlife has been extremely well received. Along with a few slower, meditative joints, this is feel-great music made to make you move. 8/10 (Scott C)

Catherine Russell
Sentimental Streak (World Village/Fusion III)
Jazz singer Catherine Russell’s sophomore effort takes a dreamy walk down memory lane, carrying recollections of everyone, from blues singers Bessie Smith and Alberta Hunter to American songbook icon Frank Sinatra, with her. She stays true to the jazz and blues standards she covers, preferring to vary her vocals by subtle shades rather than going all diva-esque and belting them out. The results may seem old-fashioned, but tend to keep songs like “New Orleans” and “My Old Daddy’s Got a Brand New Way to Love” true to their initial intentions. Her original composition “Luci” brings the flavour of classic jazz full circle into a fitting contemporary setting. 7.5/10 (Gerard Dee)

Oscar Pettiford
Oscar Rides Again (Proper Box)
A budget-priced four-disc set featuring the great bassist of the bebop era. Eighty wonderful tracks, on some of which he switches to cello. The set begins in 1943 and spans some 12 years. From the Esquire All-Stars through the leader’s superb big band, Pettiford is heard in the company of giants like Coleman Hawkins, Duke Ellington, Charles Mingus, Dizzy Gillespie, Woody Herman and Lucky Thompson. A must for any serious collector. The transfers are excellent, as are the notes included in Joop Visser’s enclosed booklet. 10/10 (Len Dobbin)

Debashish Bhattacharya
Calcutta Chronicles: Indian Slide
Guitar Odyssey (Riverboat/Fusion III)
Thoroughly schooled in Indian classical music, Bhattacharya discovered the Hawaiian slide guitar at a young age and promptly set about fusing the two principles in both composition and instrument building. In the process, he carved out a unique niche for himself, showcasing his talent, originality and effusive charm. His latest, while ever based in the venerable raga form, nods liberally to Sufi and Gypsy influences. It’s less a guessing game, though, than the lovely aural journey the last word in its title suggests. 8/10 (Rupert Bottenberg)

Mini CD Reviews

Various Nigeria Disco Funk Special: Sound of the Underground Lagos Dancefloor 1974-79 (Soundway/Fusion III) Sweet Jesus, this is some funky shit. Asiko Rock Group’s “Lagos City” simply destroys, while Dr. Adolf Aonotu’s “Ijere” twists your gourd. 9.5 (RB)

Brew Moore The Kerouac Connection (Giant Steps) This unsung follower of Lester Young opened the Jazz Workshop in Montreal in 1953, and the sides he did here with Bird, plus a rare Claude Thornhill look at “Godchild,” are among the 41 tracks here. 9 (LD)

Beehoover The Sun Behind the Dustbin (Exile on Mainstream/Southern) This heavy-handed bass/drums duo is sure to be compared to Big Business, but their doom-laden psych is undeniable. 8 (JC)

Elika Trying Got Us Nowhere (Fiercely Indie) Fine minor-key electropop dotted with shoegazer guitars and very Madonna vocals. Avoid if Dame Botox gives you boils or black hairy tongue. 7 (LC)

Kelley Stoltz Circular Sounds (Sub Pop) Approximating the late ’60s sound from California to London, with hippie jammers, pop composers and celebrity meditators in one tent. 7 (LC) With the Dirtbombs and Ashtray Heart at Cabaret Juste pour rire on Sun., April 13, 8:30 p.m., $18.50

The Priddle Concern self-titled (Sparks) Once Treble Charger’s original songwriter, Bill Priddle, has grown into a mature alterna-rocker. 5 (EL)

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MIRROR ARCHIVES » Apr 10 Apr 16 2008: INSIDE - COVER | ARCHIVES INDEX | CURRENT ISSUE