Disc of the week

Andre Ethier
Born of Blue Fog (Blue Fog)
This former Deadly Snakes screamer has taken it down a couple of notches in the sonic department throughout his solo career, but on his third solo outing, his croon has only become more razor-sharp, making his tales of desperation and redemption burrow just that much deeper. Ethier slings pearls here but his words really find a home through his expert baritone vocal delivery. Ethier can’t take all of the credit, though, as amazing string arrangements, saxophone, vibraphone and organ are what really elevate his simple ditties to epic proportions. Fans of Nick Drake and Mark Lanegan, take note. 8/10 Trial Track: “Easiest Game” (Johnson Cummins)

Fall Out Boy
Folie à Deux (Fueled by Ramen/Universal)
All-American Rejects
When the World Comes Down
(Interscope/Universal)
Forget the awkward teens, nothing can be more perilous than a couple of smug pop-punk bands growing into adulthood, suddenly cognizant of the musical missteps of their youth. As Fall Out Boy refine their banal, blue-eyed soul-pop-rock (much to the chagrin of their pint-sized punk fanbase), the more effortlessly enjoyable they become. No longer imprisoned by attention-demanding gimmickry, Fall Out Boy wisely explore their natural predisposition for infectious pop rock built on memorable hooks and Patrick Stump’s expressive vocals. All-American Rejects were never as well-endowed musically, and the quartet can only speed through recycled ideas in the hopes no one can recognize their love of ’90s American radio rock. FOB 8/10, AAR 3/10 Trial Tracks: FOB “(Coffee’s for Closers),” AAR “Real World” (Erik Leijon)

The Magnificents
Year of Explorers (Mush/Sonic Unyon)
Talk about false advertising. It’s another Scottish band and another stab at rocking the dancefloor, powered by bygone riffs and rhythms. The lead track could pass for a lost pop nugget from 1983, with huge hairdos and oversized overcoats to match. But the band quickly careens into aggro excess, piling trashy synths and jock chants on tiresome guitars that trigger memories of heinous ’90s punk. The album closes with three decent tunes (new wave brooder, brisk pop song, noisy banger), but it’s too late after such a long slog through mediocrity, the worst crime against music these days. There’s no time for filler with so much music at our fingertips. 4/10 Trial Track: “Ring Ring Oo Oo” (Lorraine Carpenter)

Passion Pit
Chunk of Change EP (Frenchkiss)
In theory, an un-danceable Cut Copy record or a more romantic Postal Service sounds unbearable, even more so when you realize the castrato vocals come from a bearded, flannel-wearing Boston resident. Much like the misleading, blog-approved, traditional-Irish-folk-song-sampling minor hit “Sleepyhead,” Chunk of Change keeps listeners on their toes with an impressive array of analog synths and irregular song structures. Singer Mike Angelakos similarly reaches painful high-pitched falsetto at times, but can also sound as detached as Bernard Sumner when necessary. It’s nauseatingly optimistic, dreamy and awkward, which makes sense considering its origins as a Valentine’s present. 7.5/10 Trial Track: “Better Things” (Erik Leijon)

B. Fleischmann
Angst Is Not a Weltanschauung! (Morr/Forced Exposure)
“Angst is not a (philosophy of life)!” So ends an appeal for calm and compassion, printed right on the cover of this album, the first from Vienna’s Bernhard Fleischmann since 2006. The sentiment is echoed in the music, minus the exclamation point, with wistful melodies emanating from gentle pianos, acoustic guitars and accordions, arranged over cascading beats. Half instrumental, the album features four singers (including the John Cale-esque Sweet William Van Ghost—best name ever) and a string of melancholy narratives, though Daniel Johnston’s strange interlude, a retelling of King Kong, is downright tragic. 8/10 Trial Track: “24.12” (Lorraine Carpenter)

Psychic Ills
Mirror Eye (The Social Registry)
Whether this NYC outfit’s album will cause or cure maladies of the mind’s eye hinges on your appreciation of eerie, largely synthesizer-based mantra music. There’s a wonderful creepiness to these psychedelic serial jams (“Meta,” with its phantom chants and wiggly hook, gets some serious shivers going), a sonic sensibility comparable to that freaky green pyramid poster that came with Pink Floyd’s Dark Side—in fact, Mirror Eye, for all its electronics (and it’s a Moog meltdown, make no mistake), speaks of an expansive open zone devoid of recognizably human life, much less mundane machinery. Seem to be a lot of peyote cacti there, though. 8/10 Trial Track: “Fingernail Tea” (Rupert Bottenberg)

Auresia
self-titled (independent)
Empire Isis
Brand New Style (Universal)
With Auresia and Empire Isis, Montreal has produced two artists who can run the range of Jamaican influence. Both take reggae as their basis, but then go off in completely divergent directions. Tunes like “Give a Little Time” and “Jah Goddess” are emblematic of Auresia’s golden-era-styled reggae, reaching back to the 1970s, melodica and all—though she adds in a little contemporary influence, her sweet, soft voice becoming a little less so on a track like “What Is Right.” A competent debut from a talented artist who knows how to combine a folk-driven style with the roots of reggae. Isis, on the other hand, lives up to her title. Though the Prayon-produced “Participate,” with its cutesy children’s chorus, is a little piece of positive pop, “Don’t Go Home” is an autotuned number with just enough darkness—both the sound and the lyrics nod toward recent dancehall hits. Isis does quite well with this range of shiny new beats. No surprise, as she’s always been one to combine styles, but here she’s much less scattered, focusing on poppy dancehall with an R&B twist. Both 8/10 Trial Tracks: Auresia “Give a Little Time,” Isis “False Friend” (Erin MacLeod) Empire Isis CD launch at Club Soda, Wed., Jan. 21, 5:30 p.m., free

Jamie FoxX
Intuition (J/Sony BMG)
Foxx’s 1994 set Peep This wasn’t really taken seriously, but his Oscar-winning turn as Ray Charles in 2004’s Ray resulted in 2005’s Unpredictable, a big-production project that gave Foxx credibility as a singer. No doubt the actor can sing, and his latest features a who’s-who of hip hop including T.I., Lil Wayne, T-Pain and Ne-Yo. Nevertheless, too much of Intuition is unremarkable, with tracks like “Weekend Lover” and “Digital Girl” becoming forgettable almost before the songs end. Foxx does better when he slows things down on “Why” and “Love Brings Change,” where more of his personality shines through, but mainly, Intuition could have used a lot more inspiration. 7/10 Trial Track: “Don’t Need It” (Gerard Dee)

Keyshia Cole
A Different Me (Geffen/Universal)
It seemed, when Cole debuted in 2005 with The Way It Is, that she was almost Mary J. lite, full of dramatic musical sweeps and done-me-wrong songs sung like a true disciple of the queen of hip hop/soul. But with 2007’s Just Like You, it was clear Cole had grown into her own, a round-the-way girl with both the chops and the guts to convey love’s rough ’n’ tumble nature. A Different Me introduces a new twist—happiness. Here, the dramatic sweeps support blissful love songs like “You Complete Me” and sensuous bedroom teasers like “Erotic.” And on “Oh-Oh, Yeah-Yea,” a guest shot by Nas takes Cole to the zenith of musical satisfaction. 8/10 Trial Track: “Oh-Oh, Yeah-Yea” (Gerard Dee)

Turtleboy
self-titled (independent)
Silver medallists in the Best Jazz Act category of the Mirror’s 2007 Best of Montreal, this inventive jazz-plus trio—slinging sax, six-string, sticks and skins—come out of their shell (sorry, I had to) with this engaging debut. Reserved yet hardly restrained, Turtleboy turns on the charm as it brings fresh flavour to a fairly familiar jazz template. Ugly skronk and excessive intricacy are studiously avoided while drummer Adam Miller and guitarist Ryan Butler often play an abstracted rock angle off Jonathan Lindhorst’s expressive if trad tenor playing—Butler’s piece, “Recycled Air,” showcases this dynamic, as does the sharp, sinewy “Puggle Attack!!!,” hinting at Joe Jackson and the Police. 7.5/10 Trial Track: “Hug and Pug” (Rupert
Bottenberg) CD launch with Sick Friend at Casa del Popolo, Wed., Jan. 21, 9:30 p.m., $5 ($15 w/CD)

The Dutch Jazz Orchestra
The Lady Who Swings the Band (Challenge)
People Like Us
Ever Wonder Why (Ride Symbol)
The first disc offers a baker’s dozen of music by the great Mary Lou Williams, played by a wonderful big band directed by John Ruocco, a band with a number of excellent soloists. Included are “Lonely Moments,” the first Mary Lou item I ever owned, as well as “Medi II,” “O.W.,” “Scratchin’ in the Gravel” (one of a number of pieces written for the Duke Ellington band) and “Walkin’ and Swingin’,” a forerunner of Monk’s “Rhythm-A-Ning.” People Like Us, meanwhile, is a quirky quartet led by pianist-composer Joel Forrester, formerly of the Microscopic Septet. The leader has a great sense of humour in his playing, compositions and titles (even the name of the record company). He’s ably assisted here by the wonderful baritone sax of Claire Daly, bassist David Hofstra and new drummer, Ronnie Williams. “Blue Mary Lou” and another dedication, “Frank Strozier” are among the highlights. Both 9.5/10 Trial Tracks: DJO “Shafi,” PLU “Bebop Cowpoke” (Len Dobbin)

Mini CD Reviews

New World Symphony New World Jazz (Sony BMG) Michael Tilson Thomas conducts jazz-inspired works by John Adams, George Antheil, Paul Hindemith, Stravinsky and others—a most interesting collection. 9 (LD)

B.o.B. Who the Fuck Is B.O.B.? (Grand Hustle) A free online mixtape starring the massively hyped Atlanta MC. Only a million inopportune DJ IDs put a damper on this eclectic, at times brilliant, album primer. 8 (EL)

Jef and the Holograms The Truth About Candy (independent) A bittersweet slice of ’80s pop with a positive message about dental hygiene, care of “post-gay” singer Jef Bar and “Impressionist” composer Mélanie Levitte. More to come. 8 (LC)

Paper Moon What Are You Going to Do With Me? EP (Endearing) The forecast looks bright for this Prairie pop band, offering two new songs, a remix and covers of Hot Little Rocket and Lindy ahead of their next LP. 8 (LC)

>> Music Listings

MIRROR ARCHIVES » Jan 15 Jan 21 2008: INSIDE - COVER | ARCHIVES INDEX | CURRENT ISSUE