MUSIC REVIEWS
by MIRROR MUSIC
June 2, 2011
ALBUM OF THE WEEK
ESMERINE
La Lechuza
(Constellation)
Featuring Bruce Cawdron and Beckie Foon of the extended godspeed family, minimal chamber-music ensemble Esmerine have dedicated this debut album to Lhasa de Sela. She’s eulogized by Patrick Watson on the gorgeous “Snow Day for Lhasa,” and her own voice emerges from the ether for the last time on the finale, “Fish on Land.” The album is mostly instrumental, its graceful arrangements of cello, marimba, percussion, violin and sax packing as much emotion—even into its most subdued laments—as words could communicate. 8.5/10 Trial Track: “Fish on Land” (Lorraine Carpenter) With Siskiyou at Ukrainian Federation, Sat., June 4, 8 p.m., $17
NKOTBSB
self-titled
(Columbia/ Jive/Sony)
NKOTBSB GH ON 1CD ZOMG ROFLMAO STFU FML LOL. NKOTBSB BFFs SRSLY? AFAIC BTWN NKOTB & BSB ONLY 1 GH 4 BOTH GTFO ORLY? SBS & TRS OMG <33333333, BSB R N00BZ SO PWNED BY NK =/ XCPT IWITW SOOOO AWES 8-D! 2 NU SONGZ W/ BOTH FWIW IMHO DIS SH1T IZ NOT SO K3WLZ. MASHUP IZ MEH. SRY NKOTBSB SSDD HAHA J/K ;) kthxbye xoxo #boringcashgrab 3/10 Trial Track: “Step by Step” (Erik Leijon) With Jordin Sparks and Neverest at the Bell Centre, Tues. Jun. 7, 7:30 p.m., $43–$103, all ages
DEATH CAB FOR CUTIE
Codes and Keys
(Atlantic/ Warner)
The Washington-based melodic rockers have always been about closeness and emotional urgency, but the personal connection is tougher to maintain presiding over an amphitheatre packed with Twilight fans compared to the modest Bait Shop. Death Cab will never fully expunge their cloying sweetness; the group still tackles matters of the heart—they just also need to play music that sounds good coming from big loudspeakers. 4/10 Trial Track: “You Are a Tourist” (Erik Leijon)
BACHELORETTE
self-titled
(Drag City)
Though her songs can feel overly mannered, her lyrics baked beyond the point of edibility, Annabel Alpers has fused the acoustic and the electronic, the organic and the robotic into a fine fluid to rival your favourite tea, or mildly hallucinatory cocktail. The New Zealand singer, songwriter and basement electronic artist is at her best on this third LP when her songs crackle with antique synthetic sound and delve into dark recesses. 6/10 Trial Track: “Polarity Party” (Lorraine Carpenter)
TRAP THEM
Darker Handcraft
(Prosthetic)
With bands like Black Breath and Masakari expanding on the template first laid down by Tragedy and later by Cursed, these are indeed good times for crustcore. Crust stalwarts Trap Them have now released the fiercest of the genre that is just seething with pure white-hot rage and anger. My vote for the heaviest release of the year is cast. 9/10 Trial Track: “Damage Prose” (Johnson Cummins)
ACID MOTHERS TEMPLE AND THE MELTING PARAISO U.F.O.
Pink Lady Lemonade, You’re From Inner Space
(Alien8)
It’s finally here! This quintessential AMT track strewn over a spellbinding hour is nothing short of a psychedelic masterpiece. Split over four parts on this two-LP set, the familiar arpeggio starts things off before guitarist Kawabata Makoto lays down the most masterful fretwork of his career. Note to the drugonauts: this will definitely get yer bong o’ bubblin’. 8.5/10 Trial Track: “Pink Lady Lemonade Part 4” (Johnson Cummins)
THE BCASA
Bateman Begins
(Stomp)
Montreal’s premiere pop-culture-celebrating, beer-flavoured-bubblegum hardcore band pass from the hands of proud NDG label Little Baby to those of goofy ska/punk granddaddies Stomp. Their larger-label debut features a few older tunes (such as the still awesome “You Gotta Get a Cell Phone”) plus new, frenzied, f-bomb-heavy odes to movies and cartoons of the 80s and 90s. 7.5/10 Trial Track: “Don’t Cross the Streams” (Lorraine Carpenter) At Pub St-Ciboire on Sat., June 4, 10 p.m., and at Clydes (Pointe Claire) on Sun., June 5, p.m.
SIDE C
Unemployment
(independent)
Best kept secret or most slept-on rap crew in Montreal? That’s just one of the issues up for debate on Side C’s fourth outing, a 21-track monolith of beats, rhymes and gripes that stands as proof positive that at least some of this city’s jobless artists are more hungry than starving. The samples are dope, the cuts are nice and the lyrics depict daily life in the city with an honesty worth acknowledging. 8/10 Trial Track: “White Rails” ft. Thirstin Howl III (Darcy MacDonald)
BROWN BAG ALLSTARS
Brown Bag Season Vol.1
(Nostomania)
NYC’s seven-man stronghold, composed entirely of former Fat Beats employees, compile here two discs of auditory ambition. The first CD showcases a mix of single tracks released digitally since 2008 plus unreleased material, while the second is handed to Montreal-dwelling DJ Brace for remixes, with the whole package rounded out by a selection of instrumentals. With four diverse MCs and a bounty of broadly reaching production talent, BBAS’ chemistry brings East Coast-posse rap back to its best elements. 8/10 Trial Track: “Dumbin Out” (Darcy MacDonald)
WILLIE NELSON & WYNTON MARSALIS FEAT. NORAH JONES
Here We Go Again: Celebrating the Genius of Ray Charles
(Blue Note)
Though the pairing of Nelson and Marsalis seems intriguing, truth is Nelson struggles to match the clip of Charles’s original phrasing on many of these tracks, his distinctive country drawl not quite up to pace on Charles standards like “Hit the Road Jack.” Jones and Marsalis handle their vocal duties much better, infusing classics like “What’d I Say” with newfound energy. 7.5/10 Trial Track: “Makin’ Whoopee” (Gerard Dee)
VARIOUS
Our Favorite Beres Hammond Songs
(VP)
Beres is one of Jamaica’s most significant and prolific singers since Bob, and his soulful tunes are well-loved by dancehall and one-drop fans alike—especially the ladies. This two-disc set pays tribute to the man with the golden voice. Folks from Busy Signal to Marcia Griffiths to Tarrus Riley all provide unique and entertaining versions of Hammond’s wide-ranging works alongside production by Donovan Germain of Penthouse Productions. 8/10 Trial Track: “Medley: What One Dance Can Do, She Loves Me Now, Come Back to Me” by Richie Stephens (Erin MacLeod)
MINI REVIEWS
SEBADOH Bakesale Deluxe Edition (Sub Pop) Lou Barlow’s band’s biggest, arguably classic-est album from 1994, plus a disc loaded with b-sides and outtakes, from fully formed acoustic ballads to psychedelic experiments with keys, chimes and Led Zeppelin samples. 8 (LC)
MUNESHINE & VINYL FRONTIERS Larger Than Life (independent) Toronto’s Muneshine can rap and make beats, but knows better than to be a showoff, so he’s engaged Netherlands production duo Vinyl Frontiers for a free EP you should grab at tinyurl.com/3c5rfd3. 7.5 (DM)
ONE HUNDRED DOLLARS Songs of Man (Outside) The country-hearted Songs of Man is driven by a leading lady, singer Simone Schmidt, and her earnest character sketches. 7 (EL)
MY MORNING JACKET Circuital (ATO) The Kentucky band slams the brakes on the adventure that was Evil Urges and settles into a safer, solid rock realm. Pretty good, for radio rock. 6.5 (LC)
NAZARETH Big Dogz (Eagle) It’s definitely high time to take these “Big Dogz” behind the barn to be put out of their/our misery. 3 (JC)
SHE WANTS REVENGE Valleyheart (Five Seven/Universal) Nearly every song by She Wants Revenge refers to an unidentified “she.” Who is she? If she really does want revenge, should I be worried? Damn it, tell me! 3 (EL)
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