MUSIC REVIEWS

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FLORENCE AND THE MACHINE
Ceremonials
(Universal)
Florence Welch recognizes her “incorrigible maximalism,” a trait she seems to share with her producer Paul Epworth (and the photographer behind her CD booklet). And it’s a pity, because the urge to whip nearly every song on this over-long double album into a surging tidal wave of emotional purging delivered via overwrought vocal heaving seems greater than the songwriting talent at hand. 6/10 Trial Track: “All This and Heaven Too” (Lorraine Carpenter)

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NOEL GALLAGHER’S HIGH FLYING BIRDS
self-titled
(Sour Mash/ Universal)
The more Oasis-y of the two post-split albums—understandable given that the elder Gallagher wrote the band’s best tunes—but anyone expecting a What’s the Story-level return to form will wonder why this bird never quite soars. Freed from the shackles of his attention-hogging bro, Noel seems content to lie in the same lazy mid-tempo guitar-strum funk that dominated the last few Oasis albums. This bird, in a word: unadventurous. 6/10 Trial Track: “AKA…What a Life!” (Erik Leijon)

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TOM WAITS
Bad As Me
(Anti/Epitaph)
Whenever Waits announces he’s pushing out another record, I am instantly perplexed as I feel equal amounts of trepidation and excitement. Waits has never really delivered a dud, but some eras certainly resonate far more than others in his rich body of work. While he continues to travel new roads on this record, it also finds him looking back a little weepy-eyed. A good, hell, great record, but with the wealth of previously released pure genius casting such a dark shadow, it unfortunately won’t shine out. 8/10 Trial Track: “Hell Broke Luce” (Johnson Cummins)

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ABSU
Abzu
(Candlelight)
Absu describe themselves as “mythological occult metal,” but to the rest of us, they’re plain old technical black metal, and that’s not a bad thing. Absu’s biggest triumph is throwing the odd death-defying technical head-spinner into some seething blast-beat pounding. If you’re digging current black metal trends but are a bit put off by the plunge into dark ambience, Absu can still cast their spell on you. 8/10 Trial Track: “Abraxas Connexus” (Johnson Cummins)

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EVANESCENCE
self-titled
(Wind-Up/EMI)
Despite the delays along the way (switching producers and approaches to songwriting), Evanescence find their footing on their third release. The hooks are addictive, with solid guitar work and singer Amy Lee’s signature (yet somehow generic) wail. The result is an album rooted in thematic pop-rock that sounds like it belongs in the credits of a Michael Bay movie. If you’re not careful, you might end up liking it. 7.5/10 Trial Track: “Made of Stone” (Lateef Martin)

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K-OS
MuchMusic Presents: K-os Live
(Crown Loyalist)
With his more recent output tending toward redundancy, K-os re-ignites the spark here to phenomenal effect. The combined power of these stunning arrangements with his vocal per­formance suggest he has perhaps been taken for granted and just maybe that has been the issue, creatively. Supporting that theory, the new direction of the three new studio tracks begs further exploration. True fans will be impressed all over again, for the right reasons. 8.5/10 Trial Track: “B-Boy Stance” ft. Shad (Darcy MacDonald)

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EXILE
4Trk Mind
(Soulspazm)
In the face of predictable blogger doubt, latter-day beat saint Exile, canonized for MPC miracles and deeds of crossfader excellence, picks up the mic here in an act of selfless indulgence that speaks volumes about how little credit he gives the magnificence of his holy goofiness. The remaining three, easy tracks turn sanctified samples to bottomless barrels of sparkling dirty moonshine, which speak in the subtly psychedelic hagiography of of Dilla, Madlib, Edan and DOOM. 10/10 Trial Track: “The Man” (Darcy MacDonald)

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KESHIA CHANTÉ
Night & Day
(Tanjola/ Universal)
With Chanté’s latest, she takes another stab at becoming Canada’s pop/R&B/dance princess. Problem is, her sweet vocals lack distinction, and slick dance/pop like “Edt, Cut & Delete U,” while designed to be all things to all people, still won’t help her stand out. Furthermore, pleasant but forgettable tracks like “Hotline” may eventually keep the princess from the crown. 7/10 Trial Track: “Set U Free” (Gerard Dee)

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BURAKA SOM SISTEMA
Komba
(Enchufada)
The Angolan Kuduro sound of Buraka’s first record, Black Diamond, was a relentless blend of heavy bass, techno tweet and shouty, catchy vocals. It’s no surprise that Komba keeps the pedal to the floor. Jamaica’s Terry Lynn and Colombia’s Bomba Estereo are invited to the party, bringing new sounds into the Som Sistema mix. When Blaya and Roses Gabor sing “We Stay Up All Night,” they provide a pretty good indication of Buraka’s M.O. 8.5/10 Trial Track: “Hangover (BaBaBa)” (Erin MacLeod)

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TRAVIS LAPLANTE
Heart Protector
(Skirl)
Depressed from a severe case of vertigo, Laplante’s turn towards self-healing ultimately led to these five tracks of solo tenor sax. Colin Stetson fans will recognize the key click and over­tone-driven multiple streams on “Five Points,” but this 28-year-old New Yorker honks out a horn full of tricks. Slowly shifting drones dominate the title track, while “She Heals as She Harms” alternates piercing shrieks with angular lines. Emotionally satisfying and highly listenable. 8.5/10 Trial Track: “She Heals as She Harms” (Lawrence Joseph) At l’Envers tonight, Thurs., Nov. 10, 9 p.m., $8

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MINI REVIEWS

GREGORY ISAACS Reggae Anthology: The Ruler 1972–1990 (17 North Parade) A three-CD set worthy of the Cool Ruler himself. Every crucial roots, reggae and lovers tune plus a classic live recording of Mr. Isaacs in Brixton back in 1984. 9 (EM)

VARIOUS National Parks Project (filmCAN/Last Gang) Some of this country’s finest indie musicians go back to the land, recording 20 original tunes in federally sanctioned green space. All profits go to the Nature Conservancy of Canada. 8.5 (LC)

BLACK COBRA Invernal (Southern Lord) This duo have leapt and bounded so much since their debut, Chronomega, they almost sound like a completely new band. 8 (JC)

MELISSA HORN Innan jag kände dig (Sony) Two Swedish delicacies capable of reducing me to tears: an especially pungent surströmming and this über-sad folk record. 8 (EL)

PUSCIFER Conditions of My Parole (Puscifer Entertainment) Contrary to Puscifer’s entire fanbase (I.T. techs and music store employees), I hope singer M. J. Keenan never returns to Tool. 7 (JC)

SCYN-N-SHELZ Getting Recognition (independent) For the murder part, or the face part? These two MTL mic stranglers put the “pro” in “promo use only” with a well worthy mixtape at bit.ly/u6sHsK. 7 (DM)

SKINNY PUPPY hanDover (SPV) Album 11. Noise-influenced industrial sonic waste. Great for killing bad guys in virtual worlds. 7 (LM)

ROBERTS & LORD Eponymous (Asthmatic Kitty) Quirky, somewhat sardonic, vocal-heavy, pop-aping arty duo with memorably goofy lyrics. 6 (EL)

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