Disc of the week

Sevens Project
self-titled (Dare to Care/Select)
Patrick Watson, Kid Koala, Besnard Lakes, Stars, Bell Orchestre… to namecheck the provenances of all the luminaries of the local indie rock, chamber pop, art funk, jazz and turntablist scenes contributing to this bold, beguiling opus, an offshoot of Moondata’s LabProject nights, would leave no room to sing its praises. Just Google for the credits and know that this is an adroitly assembled, richly atmospheric marvel of musical liberty. 8.5/10 Trial Track: “Elegant Hot Dog” (Rupert Bottenberg)

Peter Gabriel
Scratch My Back (Universal)
Long-suffering PG fans know it could be another decade before his next album, so perhaps it’s for the best his first covers album is a grower. His orchestral re-interpretations of Lou Reed, Paul Simon, Arcade Fire et al. are all dark, depressing and monolithically imposing, so don’t expect the hidden backwards Genesis reunion messages to come leaping from the tasteful arrangements. 7/10 Trial Track: “Mirrorball” (Erik Leijon)

The Knife
Tomorrow, In a Year (Rabid)
A commissioned opera piece attempting to mesh the Knife’s fantastical synth whimsy and weirdly catchy experimentation with a hooting, howling mezzo-soprano may sound like an opportunity for ambitious, genre-bending enlightenment, captivating soundscapes and epic operatic themes. Or it may sound like a way to turn the Swedish duo’s pop genius into an unbridled ear-piercing mess. Several listens in, I’m leaning toward the latter. 4.5/10 Trial Track: “Variation of Birds” (Jack Oatmon)

Shout Out Louds
Work (Merge)
With its pop/rock propulsion, gauzy production by Phil Ek, sentimental lyrics and melodies tinged with melancholy, this Stockholm quintet’s third LP has a nostalgic, gently anthemic power that may elicit goosebumps, even mild swooning. Swedes are known for their pop prowess, and for owning musical subgenres once dominated by Americans and Brits, and this is essentially a decent ’80s Britpop record, standing on the shoulders of the Smiths and the Cure at their pop peaks. 7.5/10 Trial Track: “Fall Hard” (Lorraine Carpenter)

Lonelady
Nerve Up (Warp)
Manchester’s Julie Campbell serves up a striking debut brimming with agitated vocals, hyper beats and wiry guitars. Her songs are fuelled by post-punk tension (clearly under the influence of Martin Hannett and the bands he produced), while bells and other quaint adornments recall pop music of the same period. Though the record fizzles in the end, Campbell’s reverberant vocals, sharp hooks and minimal arrangements are gripping, even when the pace decelerates. 7.5/10 Trial Track: “Marble” (Lorraine Carpenter)

Various
Canada’s Hockey Anthems: Sounds of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games (EMI)
MacKenzie King/ Nickelback/double double/Têtes à claques/Stomping Tom/health care/Stroum-bo-lo-pou-los. Summit Series/prorogation/Mike Myers/First Nations/Red Rider/John McCrae/flooding hits the Saguenay. Canada didn’t start the fire/it’s behind a fence/we’ll take a picture instead. Canada didn’t start the fire/Gretzky tried to light it/but the pole ain’t rising. 1/10 Trial Track: Stompin’ Tom Connors, “The Hockey Song” (Erik Leijon)

This Moment in Black History
Public Square (Smog Veil)
Bowled over by the punk power of TMIBH at SXSW a couple of years back, my expectations ran high for this. Thankfully, these noise-punks hit on all marks, twisting easily between dirge rock, frenetic fuckery and sonic-driven psych. If you dig the more lucid moments of Pissed Jeans, Touch and Go’s more adventurous set and the Wrangler Brutes’ blast, this will be the perfect complement. 8/10 Trial Track: “Forest Whitaker (In An Uncompromising Role)” (Johnson Cummins)

Obie Trice
Special Reserve (Moss Appeal)
Keeping all tracks for himself save “Roughnecks” with Deuce Wonder, Trice keeps his rhymes relentless with production that’s both funky and hard—no snyths or weak, out-of-the-box loops here. A generous dose of scratching slices up tracks like banger “On and On.” No gimmicks or trends on Trice’s third album, his first away from the Shady label. It’s all street tales (“Got Hungry” and “You’ve Been Slain”), sketchy chicks (“Jack My Dick”) and accounts of less-than-glamorous experiences on “What You Want” and “Dope, Jobs, Homeless.” 8/10 Trial Track: “Roughnecks” feat. Deuce Wonder (Lateef Martin)

Galactic
Ya-ka-may (Anti-/FAB)
Titans of the beer-tent jam-band circuit, sturdy New Orleans organ funk outfit Galactic astound with this hometown pile-on. Allen Toussaint, Irma Thomas and more top-tier talent assist on these potently plotted stompers, the tentpoles of which are the rambunctious “Do It Again” and the brass-plated juggernaut “Boe Money.” 8/10 Trial Track: “Do It Again” feat. Cheeky Blakk (Rupert Bottenberg)

Jaheim
Another Round (Atlantic/Warner)
On his fourth set, this round-the-way Teddy Pendergrass sound-alike continues his successful streak of hip hop-flavoured nostalgic soul. Tracks like the sappy “Impossible” undermine Jaheim’s usual swagger, but elsewhere he regains the bounce in his step, with “Ain’t Leaving Without You” and the soulful charmer “Finding My Way Back.” Seems the fourth time around is still the charm. 7.5/10 Trial Track: “Bed Is Listening” (Gerard Dee)

John Hiatt
The Open Road (New West)
To the uninitiated, Hiatt’s high nasal twang may seem a tad harsh, but if you are willing to plunge headlong into his hard-won pearls, his vocals become as comfortable as an old shoe. Hiatt seems to be getting a little stir crazy on this new one, with most songs aimed at hitting the highway while he leaves the ballads by the door and amps things up a bit. Hiatt proves once again he’s a true treasure of the Americana singer/songwriter canon. 7/10 Trial Track: “Go Down Swingin’” (Johnson Cummins)

MINI CD REVIEWS

The Holmes Brothers Feed My Soul (Alligator) Fans of the Stax catalogue, Solomon Burke and ’60s Southern soul should jump on this right now. 7.5 (JC)

Shearwater The Golden Archipelago (Matador/Select) Lush indie folk-rock. It gets lost in its own earnestness at times, but there are instances of epic rockage. 6.5 (EL)

Mr. Something Something Shine Your Face (World) Their hearts are in the right, green place, what with their bike-powered sound system, but these Torontonians’ Afro-beat is still too neat, proper and preppie. 6 (RB) With Sagapool at la Sala Rossa, Fri., Feb. 26, 9 p.m.

Mumford and Sons Sigh No More (Glass Note/Universal) Roots music meets indie pop in an arena, like a Fleet Foxes/Arcade Fire Frankenstein made following months of market research. 6 (LC)

Lightspeed Champion Life Is Sweet! Nice to Meet You (Domino/Outside) A do-it-all songwriter from England proves his versatility, confirms his dullness. 5.5 (EL)

Joey McIntyre Here We Go Again EP (Universal) The baby of New Kids on the Block produces Auto-Tune pop that makes Adam Lambert sound like Justin Timberlake. The video is even worse. 2 (LC)

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