The Delgados
Hate (Mantra/Select)
Consolidating the best elements of emotive balladry, grandiose pop and indie energy, Glasgow’s the Delgados follow their über-lauded The Great Eastern without breaking a sweat, though tears were certainly shed—besides the soaring sadness that engulfs the songs, the bio hints at a personal tragedy that tainted the album’s recording. After working as equal songwriting partners on a heavy film soundtrack, the quartet continued writing in this vein, once again enlisting famed producer Dave Fridmann (Mercury Rev, Flaming Lips), as well as unofficial fifth Delgado Tony Doogan (Belle & Sebastian, Reindeer Section), to refine the rich textures of strings, guitars, keys, ’tronics and beautiful voices into something classic. 9/10 (Lorraine Carpenter)

Add N to (X)
Loud Like Nature (Mute/Fusion III)
Smoothing out the arch curves and urgency that darkened (and livened) previous albums, this fourth effort spills more groovy Moog montages drooling with squeaks, twists and unrelenting live drums. Sounding relaxed, even downright silly at times (“Take Me to Your Leader”), this is basically a party record, a cohesive, if flawed, package of dubby, fuzzy robot rock. Funny, then, that each member’s contribution was written and recorded separately, in London, Sheffield and Idaho. That said, Add N to (X) could continue to hone and homogenize their sound, like Stereolab, at the expense of an engaging listen. 7.5/10 (Lorraine Carpenter) With Les Georges Leningrad at Cabaret on Sun., Nov. 10, 9pm, $17

A Vertical Mosaic
Not Even the Creator of the Universe Knew What the Man Was Going to Say Next (West Island is the Best Island)
A new handmade EP from this thoroughly DIY local trio, and a nice one at that. The post-rock formula’s familiar—languid drumming stitched through with occasional glitchno skitter, sparse bass, delicate guitar plucking and soft, moody vibes ’n’ keys. Little bit of ambient business in there, too, and of course, on some tracks, the whispery vocal harmonies. But it works well, better perhaps than some of the acts AVM have so obviously jacked from. The melodies are solid and it all feels patient, not paralyzed, and moving, not all precious and princessy. AVM see this as the fruition of an intended direction, a door they can now close, so let’s see what creeps out of their budget basement studio next. 7/10 (Rupert Bottenberg)

Cooper Thomson
The New Affair EP (Chesterfield)
In the dusty pop spirit of Lamplight on Hutchison, his 2000 debut, local kid Cooper Thomson offers half a dozen new tunes, homespun with a loving hand. Still tipping the hat to the classic craft of John Lennon and Tom Waits, Thomson is joined by guitarist Ryan Rumsey, drummer Derek Rogers and bass steady Shane Watt, fleshing out these light but passionate ditties with a warm, twangy groove. Thomson’s rare lyrical quality bears emotional depth without sickly sweetness, and sly humour without jokey or ironic irritants. Simply said, this is sweet, smart and well played. 8/10 (Lorraine Carpenter) With Jonathan Richman at Cabaret tonight, Thurs., Nov. 7, 9pm, $15. CD launch with Alexis O’Hara at Jupiter Room, Sat., Nov. 9, 10pm, $5

Safety Scissors vs. Kit Clayton
Ping Pong EP (Carpark/Fusion III)
On this aptly named EP, these two veterans of the San Fran IDM scene create a high-paced volley of sounds, melodies and moods faster than you can say, “Ritalin rock.” Quickly shifting between simple and catchy Casio-core melodies to layered and complex DSP programming, this is schizophonic techno at its best. With Ping Pong the duo has thrown the idea of the epic techno album out the window and embraced an old-school ’80s megamix approach, distilling some great musical moments into 34 tracks and 18 minutes of sonic mayhem, all the while maintaining a playfulness and charm seldom heard in experimental music. 8/10 (Raf Katigbak)

Mr. Scruff
Trouser Jazz (Ninja Tune/Outside)
Mr. Scruff has the extraordinary gift of being able to tailor music that proudly bears the label “one size fits all.” Obviously concerned with crafting tracks that are as odd and quirky as they are emotionally and technically sound, Trouser Jazz highlights Scruff’s ability to effectively do just that. Songs like “Shrimp” and “Come Alive” dive headfirst into chunky analog synth mode, while others like “Ahoy” and “Valley of the Sausages” reflect the lefty sense of humour that often shows up in Scruff’s comic panels. This one’s a sweet potato though, moving around just enough to keep the old brain working, and your feet on the dancefloor. 8.5/10 (Scott C)

Anthony Rother
Hacker (Psi49net/Fusion III)
The Little Computer Person himself, Anthony Rother, is back with a brand new full-length Hacker on Psi49net. After wowing headz with the playful, lo-fi electro-funk-pop of his Little Computer People releases a few years back, this album sees the German producer moving towards a darker, more brooding, futuristic sound. Rother combines his signature punchy beats with ill atmospherics and quasi-industrial vocals (complete with German raps) mutated into a future world where Giorgio Moroder, Mike Oldfield and Kraftwerk form like Voltron to fight Blade Runner replicants. Although not as catchy as his LCP shit, this album is great for anyone into the darker side of electro. 9/10 (Raf Katigbak)

PP Roy
Seven Up EP (Rephlex)
Leave it to Rephlex to put out yet another catchy release of genre-mashing braindance for your head and ass. From the same label that brought you the ’80s-inspired DMX Krew, the acieeeed sounds of Universal Indicator and the ambient pop of Gentle People comes the latest EP by sonic adventurer PP Roy. You may remember Roy from his playful anti-lounge debut LP You Can’t Help Liking… PP Roy. 2002 sees Roy broaden his sonic palette to include hip hop, breakstep, new country, illbient and analog squelchiness, resulting in a mishmash of sounds that are at once smart, silly and funky. 7/10 (Raf Katigbak)

Yohimbe Brothers
Front End Lifter (Rope-a-dope/Outside)
Yohimbe is this African tree-bark goo which, according to the Worldwide Labs Web site, “increases blood flow to the outer areas of the body and also stimulates the spinal ganglia, which controls the erectile tissue of the penis.” That’s right, nature boy, it’s hippie Viagra, and it’s also the conceptual common denominator to this amusement-park ride through fast-forward, funkadelic foolishness. Expect the unexpected as Living Color axeman Vernon Reid and MMW associate DJ Logic, each pimping his instrumental prowess without shame, round up Prince Paul, Slick Rick, Reid’s LC cohorts and many more for a lurid, complex macro-goof. As impressive as it is ridiculous. 7.5/10 (Rupert Bottenberg)

Osunlade
Offering (R2/Fusion III)
Osunlade’s “Yoruban” sound, an incandescent embroidery of tribal, jazzy soul and Latin music, currently inspires a global following of DJs and rhythm junkies. For R2 Records he draws from his Afro spiritual leanings to indulge the listener with a 14-track jaunt through the motherland and the Tropics. Part of the cruise includes his “Black Messiah” mix of a hot DJ sleeper of 2001, Boobjazz’s “Midnight Ceremony.” Jazzanova, Vikter Duplaix and Faze Action are also part of this funky, bouncy romp in the jungle. “Our Music” from Toronto’s Trackheads also gets a whirl as the mix winds down. Offering partly acts as a barometer of where house music is these days, and bodes well for its longevity. 8.5/10 (Peter Lightburn)

Black Renaissance
Body, Mind and Spirit (Ubiquity/Outside)
Evoking the same Afrocentric approach to jazz and soul as Sun Ra or Oneness of Juju, composer/arranger Harry Whitaker couldn’t have known that he was creating what would become one of the most sought after recordings amongst rare groove collectors around the world. “Black Renaissance” is a towering 24-minute opus that was recorded in one take on Martin Luther King Day, Jan. 15, 1976. Amazingly, until this re-issue, the record was only ever released in Japan in the early ’70s, but is already considered a little known classic. The album also features “Magic Ritual,” an obvious companion to the powerful title track. 8/10 (Scott C)

Larry Coryell
Cedars of Avalon (High Note/Fusion III)
Oliver Gannon
Live at the Cellar (Maximum Jazz)
It’s been 36 years since I first heard Coryell in a jazz/rock band called Free Spirits, one that also included Jim Pepper and Bob Moses. Then he became widely known as a member of the pioneering Gary Burton Quartet of 1967. Duos, sessions with Emily Remler and solo guitar workings of Stravinsky, Copland etc. followed. Of late he’s done a series of straight-ahead sessions for Joe Fields, of which this one with Cedar Walton, Buster Williams and Billy Drummond is the latest. Great playing on interesting material like “Bemsha Swing,” “Theme for Ernie” and “D-Natural Blues” are the strong points here. Gannon was born in Dublin and has been an in-demand player on the Canadian West Coast for many years and is well known here for his appearances with Fraser MacPherson. His is a live outing at a famed Vancouver jazz spot wherein he’s joined by Miles Black, Miles Hill and Blaine Wikjord in a well-conceived program including originals like “Strivin’ for a Riff” and material like Bird’s “Bloomdido” and Brubeck’s beautiful “In Your Own Sweet Way.” Both should appeal to lovers of the jazz guitar. Both 9/10 (Len Dobbin)

Brooklyn Soul Boys “Fort Greene Jazzmatazz” 12” (Catch22) » Don’t even doubt it for a minute. The Soul Boys definitely know what’s up. 9 (SC)

Iannis Xenakis Persepolis Remixes (Asphodel/Outside) » A piece originally commissioned by the former Iranian dictator Muhammad Reza Shah gets the experimental remix treatment by heavyweights like Ryoji Ikeda, Francisco Lopez, Otomo Yoshihide and Merzbow. Heavy. 9 (RK)

The Cinch self-titled (Stutter) » Sneering Vancouver co-eds join B-52s harmonies, jangling rock guitars and a Jonathan Richman cover in a sharp, five-song package. 8.5 (LC)

Various Studio One Scorchers (Soul Jazz/Fusion III) » The undersung session boys of early Jamaican pop get their due in this varied and engaging collection of proto-reggae instrumentals. 8.5 (RB)

The Dirtmitts Get On (Sonic Unyon) » B.C. ladies muss their hands with tight yet religiously ’90s alt-rock. 7 (LC)

Dzihan & Kamien Gran Riserva (Six Degrees/Outside) » Swinging and deep grooves from the Vienna-based downtempo duo. For fans of St. Germain and Kruder & Dorfmeister. 7 (RK)

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