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 PJ Harvey and John Parish
A Woman a Man Walked By (Island/Universal)
A lucky 13 years after their 1996 album Dance Hall at Louse Point, Harvey and Parish have crafted a bolder dose of weird blues. Those who dug Harvey’s White Chalk (2007) will appreciate the Wiccan balladry, while connoisseurs of her ’90s material will relish the more ribald tracks, full of cursing and jeering and strutting of stuff. 8.5/10 Trial Track: “Pig Will Not” (Lorraine Carpenter)
 The Yeah Yeah Yeahs
It’s Blitz! (Interscope/Universal)
Bridging the energy of 2003’s Fever to Tell and the nuance of 2006’s Show Your Bones, It’s Blitz! is neither as lean and mean as the trio’s debut, nor as downtempo and monotone as its follow-up, favouring arena-sized production, graceful textures, refined grooves and universal lyrics. Gripping, dynamic and unabashedly pop, this disc isn’t likely to gather dust. 8/10 Trial Track: “Zero” (Lorraine Carpenter)
 Metric
Fantasies (Last Gang)
Synergizing the best intentions of their first record’s electro-pop and their schoolyard punk follow-up, Metric’s third strike is slickly polished and surgically sterile—a perfect companion for singer Emily Haines’s disinterested vocals and infantile, repetitious lyrics. First joint-quality philosophizing rings hollow, although Haines seems more at ease belting out a Damon Albarn woo-hoo on the appropriately titled, soon-to-be adver-tune “Stadium Love.” 4/10 Trial Track: “Stadium Love” (Erik Leijon)
 Neil Young
Fork in the Road (Reprise/Warner)
Young plays by nobody’s rules and will continue to infuriate some of his crustier folkie folks, but for fans of his blues-rock moments, this should hit it out of the park. Young is again preaching about environmental and economic issues while lamenting the slow death of the auto industry. If you like Young as the crotchety ol’ crank… 7/10 Trial Track: “Fork in the Road” (Johnson Cummins)
 Paul Cargnello & the Frontline
Bras Coupé (Anubis/Outside)
Montreal’s Cargnello repays his sizeable francophone fanbase with an almost entirely French effort that doubles as a stylistic expansion, seeing his socially conscious firebrand folk-rock supplemented with forays into Afrobeat, bruised blues and Big Easy soul-jazz. The lone English track, “Morning & Night,” is a passable pastiche of latter-day Beatles while “La Chanson” approaches melodic perfection. 7.5/10 Trial Track: “La Chanson” (Rupert Bottenberg) CD launch with Hugo Fleury at Petit Campus, Wed., April 15, 8 p.m., $12
 The Lodge
Take That, Devil (Gooseberry)
Comprising members of your favourite ’90s Halifax bands (Inbreds, Thrush Hermit, Superfriendz), it’s no surprise Take That, Devil sounds like a welcome time warp, where quirky songwriting and warbled vocals were king. What separates the Lodge from other post-grunge, wonky guitar throwbacks is how they manage to capture the precise feeling of those awkward Canadian college radio nuggets. 7/10 Trial Track: “Vortex” (Erik Leijon)
 John Doe and the Sadies
Country Club (Outside)
One of punks greatest crooners with the backing of Canadas greatest twang blasters? Count me in! This perfect pairing takes on classics by Roger Miller, Waylon Jennings, Hank Snow and Porter Wagoner, with a couple of self-penned tunes that easily stack up to these heavy hitters. 8/10 Trial Track: Take These Chains From My Heart (Johnson Cummins)
 Mike Evin
Good Watermelon (Just Friends/Sonic Unyon)
With some notable Canuck talent assisting, Montreal’s Mike Evin delivers a short but effective dose of his engagingly unceremonious piano pop—think Nilsson, Newman or Folds, with sharp edges sanded down. Handclaps, posse vocals and such, particularly on the title track and “Rockin’ Receptionist,” give this short but sweet effort a definite back-porch party feel. 7/10 Trial Track: “Great Pop Song” (Rupert Bottenberg) CD launch with Leif Vollebekk at Divan Orange, Wed., April 15, 9 p.m., $6
 Les Claypool
Of Fungi and Foe (Prawn Song)
Originally written for two video games, Claypools new batch of weird offers his trademark bass adventurism for post-Primus heads, bongwater drinkers and fans of stark, experimental forays into the silly and bizarre. You Cant Tell Errol Anything is a dark echo of Primus and Mushroom Men demonstrates his knack for offbeat themes à la Robot Chicken. Tossed into the gumbo is Eugene Hutz, frontman of Gogol Bordello. 7.5/10 Trial Track: Amanitas (Lateef Martin)
 Del tha Funky
Homospapien Funk Man (The Stimulus Package) (Hieroglyphics)
Now almost 20 years deep into his signature style, the Bay Area poster boy for funky, hallucinogenic rap is as ripe as ever. Full of longwinded, mind-bending rhyme patterns, notably on tracks like “Young Adrenaline” and “Get It Right Now,” Del presents the cuts on the album as a 13-point stimulus plan to rescue funk and rap music—entirely free for download. 8/10 Trial Track: “Young Adrenaline” (Morgan Steiker)
Simian Mobile Disco
Synthesise/10000 Horses Cant Be Wrong (Beatport)
Both Beatport exclusives, these two singles tantalize ahead of SMDs second full length, out later this year. Horses is both simple and majestic, exploiting the duos signature echoing analog techno and enormous dynamic range, while Synthesise is an uncharacteristic divergence into classic house, with big bass, catchy licks and a Todd Rundgren vocal to boot. 9.5/10 Trial Track: Synthesise (Jack Oatmon)
 Various
White Is Pure 8 (Playground/Select)
This year’s edition of the Bal en Blanc’s companion release is a double-disc extravaganza mixed by none other than Brazilian DJ Ana Paula. She hand-picks tracks by everyone from Offer Nissim (“Love Me”) to Lady Gaga (“Just Dance”), and blends them together as effortlessly as she does during her club sets. Paula caters to house and techno tastes in equal measure. 8.5/10 Trial Track: Suzanne Palmer “Eye Can See You” (Gerard Dee)
Bud Shank
Againist the Tide (Jazzed Media)
Shank, who died on April 2, is heard on this double-disc release. The DVD includes music and interviews while the CD has some flute and oboe duets, an appearance with Ellington’s band and recordings on alto sax with Bill Holman, a duet with Bill Mays and his own quartet of Mike Wofford, Bob Magnuson and Joe LaBarbera. 9.5/10 Trial Track: “The Gift” (Len Dobbin)
Mini CD Reviews
Fern Lindzon Moments Like This (Iatros) Great singer/pianist, songs and musicians like Don Thompson and Reg Schwager—mostly duets. 9 (LD)
Midival Punditz Hello Hello (Six Degrees/Outside) Gooey Desi electronica with guest Karsh Kale. Betrays no sign of evolution since the late-’90s Asian Underground wave. 5.5 (RB)
Marianne Faithfull Easy Come Easy Go (Decca/Universal) Cheers to her for such a staggering guest list (Keith Richards, Nick Cave, Cat Power etc) and the intriguing covers, but boy, is her voice shot. 5 (LC)
Queensryche American Soldier (Atco/Warner) This “epic concept album” about war from the soldier’s perspective is all well and good—if not for the fact that it’s Queensryche’s. 5 (JC)
This Providence Who Are You Now? (Fueled By Ramen/Warner) Who are they now? My guess would be Hot Hot Heat. 3 (EL)
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