Disc of the week

Various
Umalali: The Garifuna Women’s Project
(Combancha/Stonetree)
Last year’s brilliant release by Andy Palacio drew many new listeners to the sound of the Garifuna, a people descended from shipwrecked African slaves and the indigenous Arawak and Carib people of Belize. Palacio died suddenly this past January. In the wake of this tragedy, these songs, collected over 10 years by Ivan Duran, Palacio’s producer, are emblematic of the persistence and resilience of Garifuna culture. Some might say that the studio versions of field recordings lack authenticity, but the memorable tonality of Sofia Blanco and her daughter Silvia, among others, demonstrates that it’s not about where or how these songs were recorded. This is a strikingly powerful record, not only communicating the power of Garifuna music, for which Andy Palacio would be proud, but also the power of women’s voices. 10/10 (Erin MacLeod)

Torche
Meanderthal (Hydra Head/Sonic Unyon)
Holy fuck, this is amazing! Miami’s Torche may ride the metres in the red, hammer out riffs with superior heaviosity, tune down to the key of Z, but lying at the core is unapologetic pop music that shines with brilliance. Choruses shine out with harmonies that could make Brian Wilson blush like a teenage girl, while hooks galore sink in and refuse to let go. Torche lace their candy floss with razors on “Across the Shields” and “Triumph of Venus,” while the majestic “Sundown” brings to mind a heavier Jawbox or Chavez. Brilliantly played pop just doesn’t get any more pulverizing than this. You have to own this record! 9/10 (Johnson Cummins)

Clinic
Do It! (Domino/Outside)
Despite their name and penchant for surgical scrubs, it’s clear which side of the doctor-patient divide this distinctive Liverpool quartet belong on, given the kleptomaniac quoting and feverish edge of their eerie, anxious hypno-jams. The tone of Do It!, their fifth album, is less dry and desolate than earlier efforts, the juicier production matched by a new sweetness in a number of tunes. The vicious and the delicious are most notably contrasted on bipolar tunes like “Free Not Free” and opener “Memories,” with their lullaby loveliness punctuated by lacerating licks. 7.5/10 (Rupert Bottenberg) With Shearwater at la Sala Rossa, Sat., May 10, 9 p.m., $15

Gonzales
Soft Power (Arts & Crafts)
“You’re a fuckwit whose musical taste is dictated by joyless hacks,” writes TheQuietUs blog (exploding with smiles, I’m sure), damning the idea of the “guilty pleasure” and defending the soft rock that Gonzales pays tribute to on this LP. Well, gauzy sax solos still make me taste vomit, but old Gonzo’s on target as far as trends go, sliding in between the waves of neo-soul, electrofunk and yacht rock nostalgia with some ’80s emotion, funky ’70s strings, droll piano-man musings and the kind of kiddie sing-alongs made famous by his frequent collaborator, Feist. Soft power it is. 7/10 (Lorraine Carpenter) With le Together Ensemble and guests at la Tulipe, Thurs., May 8, 8:30 p.m., $20

The Long Blondes
Couples (Rough Trade)
Recorded by trendy British DJ Erol Alkan, the production is the star of this sophomore LP by Sheffield’s Long Blondes, and even that’s not saying much. Despite the buzz about their 2006 debut, and their valiant effort at railing against derivative British rock, the record fell a bit flat, and this one follows suit. Dorian Cox’s pedestrian lyrics and alternately meek and brassy vocals make poor centrepieces, and the punchy beats, funky riffs and punk clatter around the edges isn’t enough to compensate. 5/10 (Lorraine Carpenter)

Brant Bjork
Punk Rock Guilt
(Low Desert Punk/Dine Alone)
True, Mr. Bjork once manned the traps for desert-rock legends Kyuss, but if you look past his fu manchu ’stache, hesher haircut and headband, you’ll see a solid songwriter who is far past his past dalliance with Sabbath sludge. Not to say that the man isn’t smoking copious amounts of weed, judging by head-nodding opuses “Lion One” and “Locked and Loaded.” The Funkadelic groove of “Dr. Special” and “This Place” will loosen up your backbone—in fact, when Bjork gets low down and funkified is when he shows his best side. 7/10 (Johnson Cummins)

Ellen Allien
Sool (BPitch Control)
Where Orchestra of Bubbles was robust, warm and extroverted, Sool is a mischievous, psychedelic and at times lonely introspection, a vast, haunted chamber with Allien’s calculated musings at the centre. The listener is pitched to the bottom of the well where all manner of compositional creatures and funky fungal growths dwell, shyly rearing their heads amidst the reverberating clicks and bloops of falling stones and water droplets. Though classical instrumentation adds welcome colour, the album’s glaring limitation is its strict adherence to the narrow auspices of German minimal techno, locked rather unfortunately into a familiar tempo and aesthetic. 7.5/10 (Jack Oatmon) With Sascha Funke, DJ Mini at Overdoese at Parking tonight, Thurs., May 8, 10 p.m.

DL Incognito
A Captured Moment in Time (Urbnet/Fontana North)
DL Incognito’s seasoned delivery reflects his 10 years in the game, grinding out tunes on his own terms and often handling both production and MC duties. This album is no different, with a list of simple but effective beats that complement his straightforward rhyme style. From the underground work ethic of “Too Late Now” to the thoughtful “Thank You (For Listening),” DL expresses himself with confidence, honesty and clarity. A close listen will reveal that he employs the same tone on just about every one of the 12 tracks, but luckily this oversight takes a back seat to what he has to say. 7/10 (Scott C)

Atmosphere
When Life Gives You Lemons, You Paint That Shit Gold (Rhymesayers)
Atmosphere is like catnip for white people, and MC Slug retains his title as head WASP representative with raps about messy break-ups, boredom, arm’s-length pity for others and scarring family history. Slug is less personal than before and therefore more accessible to those not up to speed on his frequently mined laundry list of neuroses. The songs feel too similar during the middle section because the duo used a full band for the arrangements instead of samples, but the last five are among the group’s best, including a Tom Waits beatboxing cameo on the excellent penultimate track “The Waitress.” 7.5/10 (Erik Leijon)

Estelle
Shine (HomeSchool/Warner)
After being dropped from her label following her 2004 British debut 18 Day, U.K. soul vocalist Estelle packed her bags and relocated to the U.S., where a chance encounter with Kayne West led to a meeting with John Legend. That she’s the first artist on Legend’s HomeSchool label speaks volumes. And though the guest appearances—including West (on lead single “American Boy”), Kardinal Offishall (the reggae-fused “Magnificent”) and even Legend himself (“You Are”)—are solid, the real star here is Estelle, perhaps the best singer/rappper since Lauryn Hill. In fact, there are moments here, on tracks like “Wait a Minute (Just a Touch)”—which deftly samples Slave’s “Just a Touch of Love”—where Estelle doesn’t just shine, she shimmers. 9.5/10 (Gerard Dee)

Various
Variations in Time: A Jazz Perspective (Public Transit)
Using his love for the jazz diaspora as a road map, local DJ Andy Williams has unveiled a 13-track exploration of the genre that jumps from spoken word to hip hop to Haitian folk melodies. Known for his first-rate selections, Williams compiled this collection of music by calling on locals like hip hop duo Karma and Lotus, jazz pianist Rickey Pageot and Plateau Afrobeat oufit Follow Follow, but it doesn’t stop at Montreal. Tunes from legends Amina & Amiri Baraka, the Avram Fefer Trio and Franco Micalizzi reflect the breadth of musical styles, and make for a great listen. It also doesn’t hurt that all proceeds from this album are going to the Tyndale St. George’s Community Centre in Little Burgundy. 8/10 (Scott C)

Marcus Shelby Jazz Orchestra
Harriet Tubman (New)
Ms. Tubman was an important cog in the “underground railroad,” the network of sympathizers and safe houses bringing escaped slaves north in the first half of the 19th century. This two-disc set is subtitled Nurse, Spy, Scout and this tribute, an oratorio in two acts, was written by Marcus Shelby, who leads the MSJO, a 15-piece ensemble. Faye Carol, Kenny Washington, Jeannine Anderson and Joseph Mack are the singers on this work inspired by the book Harriet Tubman: Moses of Her People. This is a truly wonderful salute to an important woman in black history. 9.5/10 (Len Dobbin)

Various
Earles and Jensen Present Just Farr a Laugh Vols. 1 & 2: The Greatest Prank Phone Calls Ever! (Matador/Select)
Connoisseurs know it: telephonic tomfuckery is an artform, as my own efforts at age nine, hinging on the homophony twixt “Picasso” and “big asshole,” clearly prove. Those hung up since the Jerky Boys’ hanging up, rejoice, because hipster media machers Andrew Earles and Jeff Jensen have dialed up some conceptual doozies, loaded with surrealist celebrity references. Two discs’ worth, in fact, most of ’em made in Memphis. Supplemented with a fat booklet of apocryphal facts and fibs, peppered with crude doodles by folks like Devendra Banhart and Adam Green, this package is quite frankly fit for filing at the Smithsonian. Does anyone have a number for the Smithsonian? 8/10 (Rupert Bottenberg)

Mini CD Reviews

Oliver Jones Second Time Around (Justin Time/Fusion III) Recorded last August, this trio outing with Eric Lagace and Jim Doxas is a nice mix of originals and standards like “Broadway.” 9 (LD)

Various Impala Eardrums: A Radium Sampler (Radium) Minimalist composer Rhys Chatham may be the bait on this comp but it’s the amazing contributions from Jonathan Kane and Ateleia that will have you hook, line and sinker. 8 (JC)

Various Think Global: Acoustic Brazil (Oxfam/World Music Network) This isn’t a comprehensive compilation of any particular genre of Brazilian music, but it’s good stuff for a good cause. 8 (EM)

Lyrics Born Everywhere at Once (Anti-/FAB) This new LP from LB showcases his theatrical, sing-song rhyme style once again, framed by sample-free beats and genre-jumping shenanigans. 7 (SC)

Animal Collective Water Curses EP (Domino) Brings to mind images of sad clowns in therapy and LSD-affected furries on a ferris wheel—somewhat colourful, but somehow lacking. 6 (LC)

The Parlor Mob And You Were a Crow (Roadrunner/Warner) The success of hard rock revivalists Wolfmother means there’s money in throwbacks like Parlor Mob. 5 (EL)

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