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Disc of the week |
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 David Usher Wake Up and Say Goodbye (MapleMusic/Universal) A Montrealer again after a four-year spell in NYC, the effusive former Moist frontman—who could still make singing about porridge seem like a cataclysmic event—presents another album mining ’90s Britpop with an adult contemporary flair. Usher’s latest won’t change anyone’s opinion of the singer, although this is his most stripped down, rock-oriented project yet. “Airplanes” stands out as a cold dance rocker with an indie rock riff and toned-down vocals. Usher takes his first turn as producer and does a commendable job keeping things low-key, but his trademark overwrought delivery and trite soul-searching lyrics remain annoying. 5/10 Trial Track: “Airplanes” (Erik Leijon) Jaguar Love Take Me to the Sea (Matador/Select) This supergroup trio, made up of the Blood Brothers’ Johnny Whitney and Cody Votolato, and J Clark of Pretty Girls Make Graves, seems like a logical progression for any PGMG fan, but their dabbling in quirky pop may bum out fans of BB’s more cryptic moments. Whitney’s helium-squeal vocals are what will really draw the line in the sand here, but lofty reaching on “Bats Over the Pacific Ocean” almost seems suited for the soundtrack to The Hills. The sheer balls of serving up this saccharine-coated pop is commendable, but sadly it just falls short. Fans of Blood Brothers, ignore. Fans of PGMG, step right up. 6/10 Trial Track: “Jaguar Pirates” (Johnson Cummins)  Civet Hell Hath No Fury (Hellcat/FAB) Epitaph offshoot Hellcat’s black-kitty logo has long served as an advisory, warning of mediocre punk rock, and these tattooed hotties stick to the tradition. Production is over-baked and refuses to breathe while vocal tracks are multitracked to death, draining any rawness or aggression completely out of the mix—which of course is a major punk rock no-no. Songs like “Son of a Bitch” and “Brooklyn” are almost tailor-made for the Hot Topic mall punks, while retreads like “Bad Luck” are just straight-up embarrassing. 6/10 Trial Track: “All I Want” (Johnson Cummins)  You Say Party! We Say Die! Remik’s Cube (Paper Bag/Universal) 2007’s Lose All Time saw Vancouver YSP!WSD! honing their strain of electro party punk (agitated and engaging) with a point and purpose (agitating and engaged). The whole album gets reconfigured, notably by a number of Canadians, on Remik’s Cube. Kevvy Mental’s mix of “Giant Hands” seems an homage to Björk while Waterloo’s Bocce go big and tough on “Poison,” giving it the hydraulic pull of Daft Punk and their ilk. Stop Die Resuscitate’s migraine mangling of “Quiet World” just annoys, but then Texans the Octopus Project take “Like I Give a Care” to wondrous new places. 7/10 Trial Track: “Opportunity” (Montag’s I Love Her Remix) (Rupert Bottenberg) With Beast, Winter Gloves at la Tulipe, Wed., Oct. 1, 9 p.m., $17  Winter Gloves About a Girl (Paper Bag/Universal) Mmmm, “Factories.” The opening track on this local trio’s debut album comes on with such a seductive riff, such an inviting, invigorating beat, it’s like a kick drum to the heart, with complementary rhythms and melodies hammering away at your other organs. Too bad there’s little else to match that level of melodic, rhythmic, lyrical intensity—with a couple of exceptions (“Invisible” and the title track), the rest of the record sticks to the yellow line, its Wurlitzer, synth, bass and drums falling into predictable, forgettable patterns. Still, even with only a few luminescent tracks, this could be the basis for a bright future. 6.5/10 Trial Track: “Factories.” (Lorraine Carpenter) With You Say Party! We Say Die!, Beast at la Tulipe, Wed., Oct. 1, 9 p.m., $17, and at Maison des Arts de Laval (1395 de la Concorde) on Thurs., Oct. 2, 8 p.m., $12  Parlovr self-titled (independent) This local trio of self-professed “sloppy” rockers carve out a kind of pop art brut, a beautiful mess of raw (but never ridiculous) emotion and rough (but never unintelligible) textures, with bold, tender melodies standing tall from end to end. Despite the absence of an orchestra, choir and mid-Atlantic stylings, Parlovr have what some would identify as “the Montreal sound,” and not merely because of the occasional Win Butler-ish vocal fissure. It’s their manic enthusiasm, their heavy hands and hearts, their way with a tune, and the semblance, at least, of a kitchen-sink approach (abetted by producer Martin Horn) that makes this record resonate with echoes of homegrown indie rock, for better more than worse . 8/10 Trial Track: “Sever My Ties” (Lorraine Carpenter) With Zeroes, Mathias Mental at Zoobizarre, Thurs., Oct. 2, 9 p.m., and at Maison des Arts de Laval (1395 de la Concorde) on Thurs., Oct. 2, 8 p.m., $12 LL Cool J Terry Lynn Kingstonlogic 2.0 (Last Gang) Down-the-middle dancehall is in short supply on the Last Gang debut by Jamaica’s Terry Lynn, a decidedly tough and leftfield—left hook?!—effort biting bits of ghettotech, B-more, darkwave, trashy Euro-techno and a hint of Bollywood here and there. The album’s hard touch is accentuated by the arresting liner photos of Peter Dean Rickards of the Afflicted Yard. It’s not without numbers that are stiff in their joints, though, and equally cumbersome are some of Terry Lynn’s socio-political protestations. But she shines on the impressive title track, hijacking Daft Punk’s “Technologic,” the bonus-track reprise of which, “Kingston Rockers,” surprises with its playful bounce. Not be overlooked is the bow-out, a striking take on the sweet reggae classic “Rivers of Babylon.” 7.5/10 Trial Track: “System” (Rupert Bottenberg)  Terrence Howard Shine Through It (Sony BMG) You might think from the rap skills that Howard demonstrated in his pivotal role in 2005’s Hustle & Flow that his musical debut would lean heavily on hip hop. Instead, the actor demonstrates his musical versatility by opting for a set that favours jazz, soul and folk in varying measures. Howard’s unpolished vocals lend themselves well to the storytelling style of tracks like “She Was Mine” and the urgent “War.” But his overdramatic take on other songs, particularly the overblown “No. 1 Fan,” is amateurish. However, when Howard takes a more low-key approach, as he does with the title track and the emotive “Love Makes You Beautiful,” his performance truly shines through. 7.5/10 Trial Track: “Mr. Johnson’s Lawn” (Gerard Dee) Chet Doxas Sidewalk Etiquette (Justin Time/Fusion III) Tim Hagans Alone Together (Pirouet) Doxas is one of the very best young reedmen in Canada, and he’s joined on his debut CD by John Roney’s keyboards, Zack Lober’s bass and brother Jim Doxas on drums on eight pieces, including one each by Joe Zawinul and John Coltrane, and Chet’s “Unsung (for Jimmy Giuffre),” which borrows from Carla Bley’s “Jesus Maria.” Hagans, a first class, experienced trumpeter, is joined here by the first rate trio of Marc Copland, Drew Gress and Jochen Rückert over seven tracks recorded in Munich for this superb European label. Five Copland originals are here, along with three standards. Doxas 9, Hagans 9.5/10 Trial Tracks: Doxas “Unsung,” Hagans “Stella By Starlight” (Len Dobbin) Chet Doxas with Tim Hagans at Upstairs, Fri.–Sat., Sept. 26–27, 7:30 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. Mini CD ReviewsOsvaldo Golijov La Pasion Segun San Marcos (Hanssler) One of the most rhythmic Passions in classical music history – played over two CDs with plenty of Latin and Afro-Cuban rhythms, improvisation and the voice of Luciana Souza. Its ending is in Aramaic. 10 (LD) |
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