Super Review: Sleeping At Last, The Lighthouse & The Whaler, Camera Obscura, Lemuria

Sleeping At Last
New Release: Atlas: Light (also, Atlas: Darkness)
Release Date: June 10, 2013 (January 29, 2013)
Record Label: self-released
Sounds Like: Her Space Holiday (NMT); Hey Rosetta! (NMT)
Location: Wheaton, Ill.

To follow up last week's review of a Stephin Merritt project with a similarly prolific and adventurous artist seems altogether appropriate. While Merritt's material can range from range from brooding and antagonistic to electronic experimentation, the volumes of work supplied by Sleeping At Last's Ryan O'Neal trends more towards uplifting and organic, if a tad too ethereal at times. Like Merritt, O'Neal culls his output into less conventional formats, including short EPs and multi-volume collections. Light and Darkness are part of O'Neal's Atlas series of six-track EPs, which will ultimately include a total of six records released every few months, and are "inspired by the origins, emergence and experiences of life," according to O'Neal. The series the natural successor to his Yearbook collection from 2010 and 2011, which yielded a new three-song EP tailored for each month of the year.

Although O'Neil tends to organize his releases in a fashion similar to Merritt, his musical style is more akin to Her Space Holiday's Marc Bianchi, with intricate orchestral arrangements spanning a wealth of genres from folk to progressive rock. Meanwhile, his vocal phrasing is more reminiscent of Hey Rosetta's Tim Baker or Mike Viola of The Candy Butchers: a high, sweeping tenor range that often begins gentle and a touch fragile at first, but can build and swirl when called upon in service to epics and anthems. 

This review will include not only the most recent volume of the Atlas series, Light, but its debut offering from January, Darkness, which O'Neal intended to be considered as two sides of a vinyl record. This intention is borne out by the contrast between "Uneven Odds" off Darkness and the title track off Light, which tells the story of the same character, the former from the viewpoint of a guardian of a child whose parents had recently passed, and the latter reflecting the thoughts of that same child – now as an adult – on the birth of a child of their own, the lyrics to which could be an eye-watering credo for any new parent as the instrumentation swells with resolve and hope:

"May these words be the first to find your ears:

All is bright and in the sun now that you're here;

Though your eyes will need some time to adjust 

to the overwhelming light surrounding us; 

I'll give you everything I have, I'll teach you everything I know,

I promise I'll do better...

I will always hold you close but I will learn to let you go,

I promise I'll do better...

I will soften every edge, I'll hold the world to its best,

and I'll do better...

With every heartbeat I have left I will defend your every breath

and I'll do better...

Cause you are loved, you are loved, more than you know,

I hereby pledge all of my days to prove its so,

though your heart is far too young to realize the unimaginable light you hold inside..."

There's little impression O'Neal is just simply aiming for a tearjerker here. I feel the same about the equally sentimental but just as sincere "We're So Far Away" by Mae. I dare you not to be convicted.

Come for: "Light" (see above)
Stay for: "You Are Enough" (light and intricate)
You'll be surprised by: "Heirloom" (surprisingly folksy, with acoustic guitars and fiddles; continues the motivational tale from father to son begin in "Light"
Solid efforts: "The Projectionist" (I think the first line, "When I was young, I fell in love with stories" is enough to make the whole track worthwhile); "Overture" (gentle at first, but picks up in intensity, mostly via a simple mandolin part); "I'll Keep You Safe" (very lush, illustrative lyricism); "Uneven Odds" (tune in for the set-up of "Light," despite its morose subject matter)
Meh: "In the Embers" (slow and somber); "Woodwork" (this is what I meant by a touch too ethereal, and its just a little repetitive); "Bad Blood" (nothing wrong per se, but I guess a collection entitled Darkness will have more slow, restrained numbers than not)
Skip to next track: nothing too objectionable

The Lighthouse & The Whaler
New Release: This Is an Adventure
Release Date: September 18, 2012
Record Label: self-released
Sounds Like: Ra Ra Riot (NMT), Hey Marseilles (NMT), Vampire Weekend
Location: Cleveland, Ohio

Don't worry, everybody – I've found it! Found what, you ask. Well, only the record that Ra Ra Riot should have released as its fourth album instead of the electronic schlock of Beta Love. Strangely enough, it turns out it comes via the Seattle indie folk-rock quartet The Lighthouse & The Whaler's sophomore release, This Is an Adventure, which came out last September but which I was only recently made aware of. There's the same faux-Sting vocals from frontman Michael LoPresti that made Ra Ra Riot's Wes Miles stand out, and the same mix of Vampire Weekend-style Afropop and synth-rock and strings-forward, baroque-pop that defines groups like Hey Marseilles and Rah Rah (NMT). 

Come for: "Pioneers" (good blend of their previous folk-oriented catalog with their new, more rubbery sound; catchy hook)
Stay for: "Chromatic" (although its nearly a knock-off of Ra Ra Riot's "Too Dramatic," that was a great tune these should have no shame in trying to rip-off; combination of glockenspiel, strings and keys add even greater buoyancy to slinky guitars and bouncy bass)
You'll be surprised by: "This Is an Adventure" (could be a breakout hit for the band)
Solid efforts: "Venice" (not too heavy; compliment to leisure travel); "The Adriatic" (strings take center stage here; intriguing chorus); "Burst Apart" (if you've listened to any of the group's previous material, you'd never suspect they'd turn out something as loose and floaty as this); "Iron Doors" (kind of heavy as the title suggests, but not a bad choice to slow things down by a step on an otherwise pretty peppy production); "We've Got the Most" (once again, could double as a Ra Ra Riot number; I still have no problem with it); "Untitled" (love guitarist Mark Poro's figures here) 
Meh: "Little Vessels" (never seems to catch the current it needs to get going properly, but otherwise its okay)
Skip to next track: it's all aiight

Camera Obscura
New Release: Desire Lines
Release Date: June 11, 2013
Record Label: 4AD
Sounds Like: 10,000 Maniacs, A.C. Newman (NMT), She & Him, Of Monsters & Men (NMT)
Location: Glasgow, Scotland

Just a few seconds of interaction with "Do It Again" – the leadoff single from the Scottish sextet's fifth full-length release – should tell you all you need to know about the group's power and potential. Unfortunately, much of that talent is well, obscured here with mid-paced numbers that are pleasant enough, but don't churn along with the same sort of urgency and vigor as demonstrated on just a few tracks here, or elsewhere through their past portfolio. I know I harp on my 3-2-1 ratio over and over, but this record is truly the case study in why uptempo numbers need to be the bulk of any collection, followed by lesser numbers of mid-paced and slower selections. This is really a shame since I've routinely cited Camera Obscura as possessing much of the template for what I consider to be the ingredients for good music: many performers of both genders – often Canadian or Scottish – playing all sorts of instruments with the ability to span multiple genres and possessing the knack for catchy tunes. I just wish we'd heard more of it on Desire Lines.

Come for: "Do It Again" (nearly as good and hooky as their all-time best, 2006's "Let's Get Out of This Country;" lead vocalist Tracyanne Campbell demonstrates why she's one of the best in the business when she's on her game)
Stay for: "Break it to You Gently" (good energy and sturdy drumming from Lee Thompson)
You'll be surprised by: "This Is Love (Feels Alright)" (the slow-paced stuff starts early, but this one's early enough that it's still interesting; some good strings and horns matched with multi-instrumentalist Carey Lander's organ balances out the bluesy rhythm section of Thompson and bassist Gavin Dunbar)
Solid efforts: "Troublemaker" (its just a small step off from being very catchy; sort of an 80s college rock vibe); "New Year's Resolution" (another good latent melody, but could use a jolt of power behind it; otherwise too hazy); "Every Weekday" (fun, tropical-flavored riff from guitarist Kenny McKeeve along with Lander's hovering organ salvages this one); "I Missed Your Party" (lighthearted; horns are a welcome addition; more nimble guitar work from McKeeve)
Meh: "William's Heart" (a lulling waltz that comes close to yawn-invoking; once more, McKeeve is able to add some worthwhile contributions); "Fifth in Line To The Throne" (again, I don't mind Thompson and Dunbar's blues foundation – and if this were the 1 in my 3-2-1 ratio, it could fit as a You'll Be Surprised By pick – but, alas, it's just another slow song here); "Desire Lines" (as a traditional closing track it's no problem, but good luck finding the appetite for more slow stuff if you make it this far)
Skip to next track: "Intro" (only 30 seconds, and this isn't really a concept record, so what's the need of a prelude?); "Cri Du Coeur" (might find its higher purpose as a sedative)

Lemuria
New Release: The Distance Is So Big
Release Date: June 18, 2013
Record Label: Bridge 9 Records
Sounds Like: The Tins (NMT), Rah Rah (NMT), Slater-Kinney
Location: Buffalo, N.Y.

If you heard Buffalo, N.Y.'s The Tins when we profiled them last year, the quirky, time signature-defying work of their fellow Nickel City-based trio should serve as a good follow-up. Guitarist Sheena Ozzella and drummer Alex Kerns share lead vocals, while the pair along with bassist Max Gregor churn through a variety of progressive and slightly odd takes on the traditional rock format, much like Primus did to a larger scale through the 1990s, albeit here with less spiffy studio production, which at times is a little distracting. (Listen to the full record via NPR's First Listen)

Come for: "Brilliant Dancer" (good bouncy hook; Ozzella's vocals are flighty like if Taylor Swift found her way to prog-rock; note the first example of shifting time signatures around the 1:55 mark)
Stay for: "Clay Baby" (Kerns is a few notches shy of Ozzellla's vocal talents – he can occasionally sound like a low-register John Linnell – but the melody vaguely reflects Modern English's "I Melt With You," which is fun)
You'll be surprised by: "Scienceless" (thick and meaty riffs)
Solid efforts: "Dream Eater" (hard-charging, neat rolling bass line from Gregor; hooky chorus); "Chihuly" (titled for the famous glass artists, the trade-offs and interplay between Ozzella and Kerns brings a good deal of fun as we hear about an "amateur astronomer" and the "butterscotch shattering Chihuly"); "Bluffing Statistics" (I'm not wild about the disjointed percussion here, but the song concept is interesting nonetheless); "Public Opinion Bath" ("one minute you're stuck between two proud parents and a studio audience" from Kerns might be the most interesting lyric on the baker's dozen tracks; satisfyingly short at 2:12); "Congratulations Sex" (not quite Rilo Kiley's "Potions for Foxes," but still pretty humorously lurid); "Ruby" (packs plenty of punch for a closing number; Ozzella's vocals sound like a slight nod to The Cranberries' Delores O'Riordan)
Meh: "Paint the Youth" (the rhythm seems a bit clunky and out of synch; do like the trippy organ, though); "Oahu, Hawaii" (another hint of a famous melody, this time via Queen's "Radio Ga Ga," but the rest of the track is a bit sparse); "Survivors' Guilt" (a little too slow and dark for their sound profile)
Skip to next track: "Michael and Stephan Moon" (much like Camera Obscura's "Intro," it serves little purpose)

NMT's Favorite Singers

In the previous post on Neko Case's most recent solo album (NMT), I anointed her "the best vocalist in contemporary music." Which is to say she is my favorite singer currently releasing relevant new material. Obviously, there's no objective standard for ratings of this kind, merely just personal preference. I will provide warrants to support the claims I make, but there's no scientific or mathematical formula behind it. And I should explain that while singers have a wide range of impact on the songs they record and perform, what I'm talking about here is sheer vocal talent. For instance, Craig Finn (NMT) is – by form – not a particularly great singer, but is a perfect frontman for The Hold Steady (NMT). Likewise, The Rural Alberta Advantage's (NMT, NMT) Nils Edenloff has a voice as smooth as vinegar, but that's irrelevant as he tears through "Deathbridge in Lethbridge." Neither will make an appearance on this list.

Another key note before getting underway is originally this list was going to be a Best Female Singers list. But as I prepared and thought about the list, the gender distinction is unnecessary. Great singers are simply great singers. Moreover, I was having trouble putting together a list that had more great male singers than female. The selections below will bear that out, so here they are in descending order from 10 to 1.

10) Mikel Jollett – Airborne Toxic Event (NMT)

Baritone frontmen are rarities (think of The National's Matt Beringer and Pearl Jam's Eddie Vedder) and Jollett's rich, meaty stylings represent the only deep register selection here. Jollett possesses a strong, sustaining vibrato (the ability of vocal chords to quiver on a given note) and enjoys hanging on to long phrases. His stylistic range encompasses everything from punk to new wave, and as I noted in my review of 2011's All At Once, can conjure reflections of Bono and Neil Diamond as easily as some of his more contemporary peers.


9) Greta Morgan – Gold Motel (NMT), The Hush Sound  

Imagine if Sheryl Crow had more consistently produced songs that weren't merely photocopies of previous material geared only for Top 40 radio. That's what Greta Morgan does in her work with Gold Motel. No doubt her crisp vocals are ideally suited for very accessible pop-rock, but what she has to work with is far more enjoyable than anything Crow did after Tuesday Night Music Club. Her carefree performance on the bouncy exuberant "Safe in L.A." is what earned her a spot on my list.

8) Wes Miles – Ra Ra Riot (NMT)

Blending faux-Reggae vocal syncopation of Sting with intricate, yet buoyant chamber pop structures is Ra Ra Riot's Wes Miles. Over the band's first few records, Miles (who's name sounds too similar to a certain LSU head football coach) established a playful, genre-bending use of his tenor range that matched perfectly with the group's overall quirky vibe. It's a shame that the outfit's third full-length release from earlier this year, Beta Love, was such an unnecessary diversion to dance and electronica – so much so that I refused to review it – and wasted much of Miles' unique charm.

7) Erin Passmore – Rah Rah (NMT)

The temptation to discuss Ra Ra Riot and Rah Rah within a few sentences of each other is just too hard to resist, which is why the latter's co-lead vocalist winds up at #7. Think of Regine Chassagne from The Arcade Fire (NMT) as an alto and a more accessible tone, while replicating her same mult-instrumental talents (when I saw Rah Rah live earlier this year, Passmore played drums, guitar and keyboards, although she could learn a few tricks from Chassagne on stage presence). Her standout "Prairie Girl" off The Poet's Dead – released last fall – will tell you everything you need to know about her vocal capabilities and should be all the band needs to hear to offer more time at the lead mic.

6) Nate Ruess – fun. (NMT, NMT), The Format

By far, my greatest discovery during the course of this blog's tenure is fun., which is now a Grammy Award-winning, large venue act just a few years after I helped them load out gear in the alley outside the 9:30 Club while opening for Jack's Mannequin. No small part of the groups skyrocketing place in mainstream pop is due to their frontman, Nate Ruess. After making fantastically catchy pop-rock tunes with The Format but finding little broad appeal, he shifted to fun., producing some of the most elaborate and purposeful pop music since Jeff Lyne's Electric Light Orchestra. Ruess' style is schizophrenic at times and can occasionally crack at the upper limits of his first tenor range, but check out his show-stopping performances in "Barlights" and "At Least I'm Not As Sad As I Used To Be" off the group's 2009 debut, Aim & Ignite, or the intro to the 2012 commercial smash, Some Nights, to hear a singer in full command of both their talent and their mission.

5) Tracyanne Campbell – Camera Obscura (NMT)

As the only foreign entry on this collection – and therefore the only Scot – Camera Obscura's Tracyanne Campbell has well-qualified to represent the world's premiere singers on this list. While her quintet's folk-rock tendencies don't present her with the same anthemic opportunities as some of her peers here, Campbell nonetheless shines among band's rich instrumental tapestries. Spend some time with 2006's Let's Get Out of This Country – and, in particular, its title track – and you should come away impressed with Campbell's enjoyable mix of tone and delivery. 

4) Sherri DuPree Bemis – Eisley (NMT)

We're decidedly entering the power territory of this ranking, the domain of large lung capacity, full-throated chorus anthems and healthy vibrato. One of the defining characterises of these power vocalists – a trait shared by all Top 4 singers on this list – is their ability to deliver great volumes of sound in an effortless fashion. Among these is decidedly the strongest voice in the North Texas-based, family-only power-pop quintet Eisely. Sherri DuPree Bemis' vocals – especially on the band's third full-length release in 2011, The Valley – is striking in both the force she injects in numbers powerful anthemic rockers like "Better Love" and "Smarter" with the restraint to hold back some of that muscle on ballads such as "Mr. Moon."


3) Jenny Lewis – Rilo Kiley (NMT), Solo

If you've paid attention to this blog in recent months, you'll notice my several statements of regret in missing the active lifespan of the Los Angeles-based quartet, Rilo Kiley. The contributions of the group's primary vocalist, Jenny Lewis, are the reason why. Lewis' vocal approach is frank, determined and nearly always beautiful. Her signature moments at the mic include heart-wrenching, bluesy ballads like "Does He Love You?" and "I Never" as well as thundering rockers like "Spectacular Views" and "It'll Get You There," not to mention the pop-rock hit, "Potions For Foxes." Lewis often makes you feel guilty and abused for the sake of her characters, and that's no small consequence of her persuasive and demanding delivery.

2) Aaron Perrino – Dear Leader (NMT), The Sheila Divine

Full disclosure on this one: Perrino is originally from Western New York, and I consider it a grave injustice to the cosmos that his acts never received broader recognition outside Buffalo and Boston. I remember the first time I saw Perrino and The Sheila Divine live. It was sometime in the fall of 1999 and the band was opening for another of my favorite Buffalo/Boston acts, Tugboat Annie, at Nietzhe's in Allentown. I'd never forget them after I heard Perrino wail away at Morrisey-via-U2 rock anthems like "Hum" and "Like A Criminal." He possesses a once-in-a-generation mix of power and vibrato that fuel antagonistic, often political numbers in both acts to arena rock territory. Dig up "Glacier" off Dear Leader's 2006 release, All I Ever Wanted Was Tonight, and be captivated in the song's titanic crescendo as Perrino's vocals transform into the tidal wave his lyrics suggest. 

 

1) Neko Case – The New Pornographers (NMT), Solo (NMT)

This should be no surprise given the lede. As a Case apologist, I simply need to point to her extensive solo catalog and time with The New Pornographers. Her solo work demonstrates her emotional delivery range – incorporating everything from multi-layered gospel choruses to rusty alt country – while her explosive power is self-evident in nearly everything she touches with The New Pornographers. The latter is often labeled as an indie-rock supergroup; it's doubtful it would have achieved that title without Case's thundering presence on numbers such as "Letter From An Occupant" or "The Laws Have Changed." Perhaps the greatest barometer for her overall capabilities is frequent New Porngraphers' main set closer, "The Bleeding Heart Show." At first, its a tad sleepy as frontman A.C. Newman leads the group through the verses, but Case absolutely dominates during the track's seemingly-unending chorus, although it should be noted drummer Kurt Dahle provides crucial fuel to the fire there.

Super Review – January

So, since it should be evident that posting weekly is now beyond my capacity, I'm now going to focus on delivering one post each month in the Super Review format I used in early October. Of course, I'll still reserve the right to float a one-off, weekly post on a specific band or artist if I'm particularly motivated. So, on to the reviews...

In general, this crop of profilees fall into one of two categories: 1) Solid, but not earth-shattering releases from North American acts, and 2) promising groups from the United Kingdom, but whom have yet to release a full-length record. Don't read too much (meaning: anything) into the order of these profiles.

METZ
New Release: METZ
Release Date: October 15, 2012
Record Label: Sub Pop Records
Sounds Like: The Strokes, John Spencer Blues Explosion
Location: Ottawa, Ont.

One of my chief obstacles to writing about new music lately has been the general tepidness of what I've heard, especially from North American groups. A review of one act that seemed initially promising used the phrase "ambient folk pop" as a compliment. Now, everyone's entitled to their own tastes, but if you've been following this space, you'll know that's not at all what I'm interested in hearing. The converse of this problem is what makes the relentless, thrashing self-titled debut of this Ottawa-based trio so compelling. It's loud, not particularly tidy and unashamed of that reality. Individually, most tracks are a tad noisier and more shouty than what usually hits my bull's eye, but there's hints of crunching choruses and solid song structures that suggests a more thorough sound, and are even more attractive when combined with the group's snotty and hard-nosed veneer.

Come for: "Get Off" (brisk, snarly)
Stay for: "Wet Blanket" (thundering)
You'll be surprised by: "Rats" (not exactly an outlier, but the crispest sound on the collection)
Solid efforts: "Knife in the Water" (big drums; dark and sludgy); "The Mule" (fierce); "Sad Pricks" (witty punk); "Headache" (brash)
Meh: "Wasted" (too slow); "Negative Space" (too long)
Skip to next track: "Nausea" (a minute-plus of instrumental leftovers on only a 10-track album isn't a very valuable contribution)

So Many Wizards
New Release: Warm Nothing
Release Date: August 7, 2012
Record Label: Frenchkiss Label Group
Sounds Like: Sufjan Stevens (NMT), Neutral Milk Hotel, Oh, No! Oh, My! (NMT)
Location:  Los Angeles, Calif.

I mentioned how I feel much new stuff is too dreamy and ethereal for my tastes. Half of Warm Nothing – the first full-length release from this Los Angeles indie-folk rock quartet – suffers from this condition. There's a few well-constructed, indie-pop offerings ("Yeah Right," "Into the Sun"), but others just hover around without achieving any real direction. I'd like to hear some greater refinement and less experimentation on future efforts, but for now, it's a good start.

Come for: "Yeah Right" (hooky, breezy)
Stay for: "Loose Your Mind" (measured, but purposeful)
You'll be surprised by: "Inner City" (vaguely eastern melody; slippery backbeat)
Solid efforts: "I Like It Here" (restrained, but brightens as it goes); "In the Sun" (peppy, simple); "Peru" (starts wimpy, but stiffens up); "Joshua (Kill Us Both)" (short and sweet); "Never Wake Up" (refreshing, sounds suited for a beach setting)
Meh: "Happy Birthday" (never really gets going); "Into a Daze" (a little trippy, but not too meandering)
Skip to next track: "Deep Down" (makes one contemplate offing oneself from the tedium; a horrible lead-off track); "Best Friends" (fragile and monotonous); "Sleepwalk" (aptly titled; unfocused and directionless)

Of Monsters and Men
New Release: My Head is an Animal
Release Date: April 3, 2012 (North America); September 20, 2011 (Europe)
Record Label: Universal Records
Sounds Like: Camera Obscura, The Arcade Fire (NMT), Los Campesinos! (NMT), Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros
Location: Garour, Iceland

Normally, Of Monsters and Men is exactly the type of band I'd be promoting in a stand-alone post, and I probably should have. They're a five-piece, two-gender folk-pop ensemble from another country with several very catchy and complex tunes that demonstrate excitement and ambition. However, they're being reflexively punished here because the first song I heard from them – "From Finner" – came across my radar on a SXSW sampler and it's not among their best material, so I took a pass on them in the spring. The other day, my ears perked up when I heard their second single off My Head is an Animal, "Mountain Sound," on a restaurant playlist and rediscovered them. While not their fault, had that song or their breakout single, "Little Talks" had found their way onto that sampler, I'd have likely heralded them earlier.

Come for: "Little Talks" (chipper folk rock with horns; reminds me of Los Campesinos! "A Heat Rash in the Shape of the Show-Me State")
Stay for: "Mountain Sound" (sheer ebullience in 3:32)
You'll be surprised by: "Six Weeks" (approaches epicness at times)
Solid efforts: "Dirty Paws" (slow at first, but builds); "King and Lionheart" (folksy foundation, grows to fulfill the narrative); "Slow and Steady" (as the name implies; becomes very Arcade Fire-flavored at its zenith); "Your Bones" (more horns re-emerge; kinda Mumford & Sons-y); "Sloom" (another ballad, but acoustic and brighter than "Love Love Love"); "Lakehouse" (fits nicely with "King and Lionheart" and "Six Weeks"); "Numb Bears" (horns again; fun-spirited)
Meh: "From Finner" (takes too long, but may be worth the wait depending on your patience); "Love Love Love" (a fine ballad showcasing co-lead singer Nanna Bryndis Hilmarsdottir, but not much more); "Yellow Light" (not a lot of movement here, but some pleasant bells and whistles - literally – at the end)
Skip to next track: nothing not worth listening to at least once...

China Rats
New Release: To Be Like I (EP)
Release Date: April, 2012
Record Label: Once Upon a Time Records
Sounds Like: The Kinks, The Ramones, The Vaccines, The Gaslight Anthem (NMT)
Location: Leeds, U.K.

Straight-ahead rock with a punk sneer, destined for bigger things in the coming year. Also, how old are these kids?! As the old rock adage goes, the closer you are to 21 and broke, the better rock music is...

Come for: "To Be Like I" (arena-rock level sound)
Stay for: "N.O.M.O.N.E.Y." (punk-party anthem)
You'll be surprised by: "Les Transmusicales" (hey, an acoustic track!) 
Solid efforts: "(At Least Those) Kids Are Getting Fed" (really snarly, Kinks style); "Fly Solo" (unrefined, but promising); "Take No Prisoners" (befitting its name, but less punky than other numbers);
Meh: "Ghost Train" (their sludgiest offering; not sure it fits where they're heading, but not bad)

Eliza and the Bear
New Release: "Upon the North" (single)
Release Date: December, 2012
Record Label: self-promoted
Sounds Like: Of Monsters and Men, The Head & The Heart (NMT), Grouplove (NMT), Givers (NMT)
Location: London, U.K.

I am looking forward to hearing much more from this big-sounding London quintet. So far, all we've got to go with are "Upon the North," its preceding single, "Brother's Boat" and the video for "The Southern Wild," all of which are grandiose and sweeping pieces of power-folk rock, with plenty of horns, strings and other instruments of merriment.

Randolph's Leap
New Release: Hermit (EP)
Release Date: October 26, 2012
Record Label: Fence Records
Sounds Like: Camera Obscura, Belle and Sebastian, Los Campesinos! (NMT), Frightened Rabbit  
Location: Glasgow, Scotland

Yet another one of these big-profile sounds, with strings, horns, organs and other assorted toys layered atop a folk foundation. The group released a series of five EPs over the course of 2012, each adding more punch and complexity to the mix. Here, the trio of the title track, "Mutiny" and "Zombie" demonstrate the eight-piece's range and nimbleness. 

**SUPER REVIEW**

The last few weeks have brought not only a surge in personal activity that hadn't yielded much opportunity for reviewing (Nats pennant run, new dog, etc), but at the same time, a slew of new records have been released I had intents on reviewing here. Due to those confluence of trends, this post will be substantially different from most. I'll be offering snapshot assessments of six new albums, with each including a brief overview of the band and the direction the new material is taking them, continuation of my previous "Come for," "Stay for" and "You'll be surprised by" selections along with new categories for "Sounds like" (some peer comparisons of the band/artist), "Solid efforts" (quality tracks that didn't make my previously established selection standards), "Meh" (so-so tracks that I didn't love but didn't hate) and "Skip to next track" (songs I'd avoid if I were you). Of course – like usual – these are just my opinions and reflect my deep-seeded preferences on the type of music I like. I'd encourage you to listen to these records in their entirety in case something appeals more to you than I. Additionally, there are several other recently-released albums (Grizzly Bear, Mumford & Sons, The Killers, Muse) that many readers of this space might enjoy that I have no plans on reviewing, so you might want to check those out, as well.

A couple other quick notes: 1) these snapshot reviews are arranged according to my familiarity with the band/artist prior to the new material's release. Don't read any other preference into the order of the reviews; 2) I'll do my best to include brief, illustrative comments on each song in parenthesis; 3) There will also be some additional / related thoughts after some reviews that don't quite fit in this format at the end of each review. Those thoughts will be designated with an asterisk (*).

The Tragically Hip
New Release: Now For Plan A
Release Date: October 2nd
Record Label: Universal Music
Sounds like: R.E.M., Pearl Jam
Location: Kingston, Ont.

As Canada's premier modern rock band for nearly three decades, the Tragically Hip (or The Hip to longtime fans) has built their extensive catalog (a full dozen records including Now For Plan A) on a foundation of straightforward rock with undercurrents of murky blues and experimental grunge. This is a band I've desperately wanted to cover in this space, but their most recent output (2009's We Are The Same) predated this blog's creation. While often labeled as Canada's R.E.M. (NMT) due to frontman Gordon Downie's poetic, stream-of-consciousness lyrics in comparison to Michael Stipe, the twin lead-guitar approach of Paul Langlois and Rob Baker ofter mirrors the same output as Pearl Jam's Stone Gossard and Mike McCready. For Downie, a good portion of understanding his words is borne out in the group's live shows – they're currently on an extensive North American tour – where Downie fuses much of Eddie Vedder's conviction with a Mick Jagger swagger. For the larger unit, the band's sound has transitioned from their early, chugging blues rockers of their early years through the alternative arena-rock found on Road Apples thru Phantom Power, followed by the aimless early millennial efforts of Music @ Work, In Violet Light and In Between Evolution and the transformational pairing of the Bob Rock-produced World Container and We Are The Same. The new work is not quite as cohesive or revelatory as their efforts with Bob Rock, nor as sturdy as its foundational collections, but not quite as meandering as its early-2000s period.

Come for: "The Lookahead" (crisp, but potent)
Stay for: "The Modern Spirit" (emphatic!)
You'll be surprised by: "Goodnight Attawapiskat" (starts like a slow, bluesy chugger like their early stuff, builds to forceful; continues Hip tradition of obscure geographic references ["Bobcaygeon," "Chagrin Falls," Moonbeam, Ontario; Mistaken Point, Newfoundland])
Solid efforts: "Streets Ahead" (brisk, charging); "About This Map" (who doesn't like a song about a good map*); "Take Forever" (heartland rock, spirited)
Meh: "We Want To Be It" (overuse of "drip, drip, drip" just grates on my ears and mind, but the chorus is decent); "Done And Done" (not much happening)
Skip to next track: "At Transformation" (too sludgy*); "Man Machine Poem" (too preachy); "Now For Plan A" (I'm glad this wasn't their actual Plan A)

* Notes: Other good map songs – "Law Abiding Citizen," Southeast Engine (NMT), "Lost Coastlines," Okkervil River (NMT); "At Transformation," in particular, is one track I didn't particularly enjoy on the record that might be rejuvenated in a live setting.

Green Day
New Release: "¡Uno!"
Release Date: September 24
Record Label: Reprise / Warner Brothers
Sounds Like: The Who, Cheap Trick, The Clash, NOFX
Location: Oakland, Calif.  

Before the creation of this blog, two records especially convinced me to begin a regular stream of reviews of new material I was interested in sharing with people: The Decemberists' The Hazards of Love in 2009 and Green Day's 21st Century Breakdown that same year. While the former group afforded me the opportunity to review The King Is Dead (NMT), Green Day – like The Tragically Hip – has waited three years between records to deliver new material. Without spending much time on frontman Billy Joe Armstrong's recent onstage meltdown in Las Vegas and subsequent trip to alcohol abuse treatment, ¡Uno! represents the first of three new albums that are a return-to-basics approach of swift, hooky power-punk following the group's politically-driven concept albums, American Idiot (2004) and 21st Century Breakdown. It's an ambitious effort for a band that seems to work best with ambitious goals: the shift back to the snotty, three-chord punk rompers that launched the trio's mainstream popularity in the early-to-mid '90s while producing a similarly high level of output that defined the American Idiot-21st Century Breakdown era.

Come for: "Let Yourself Go" (punchy, driving)
Stay for: "Angel Blue" (hard-nosed, snappy chorus hook)
You'll be surprised by: "Oh Love" (recalls the very The Who-inspired sound of 21st Century Breakdown*)
Solid efforts: "Nuclear Family," "Stay The Night" (slight nod to "Christian's Inferno" off 21st Century Breakdown); "Fell For You" (lots of Cheap Trick sound going on here); "Loss Of Control" (good platform for drummer Tre Cool's talents); "Sweet 16" (fits nicely with American Idiot's "Whatsername")
Meh: "Carpe Diem," "Troublemaker" (both are a bit cliched in lyricism); "Rusty James" (a poor man's substitute for American Idiot's "Letterbomb" and too long for the new album's style)
Skip to next track: I didn't find anything I'd outright avoid.

* Notes: Green Day was on quite The Who crush on their preceding record, so much they recorded a pretty faithful version of their idols' "A Quick One While He's Away" on the extended version of 21st Century Breakdown. Here, through, "Oh Love" is just too recidivist. 

A.C. Newman
New Release: Shut Down the Streets
Release Date: October 9
Record Label: Matador Records
Sounds Like*: New Pornographers (NMT), Camera Obscura, The 1900s (NMT), 10,000 Maniacs, Essex Green
Location: Woodstock, N.Y.

Longtime readers of this space will note your blogger's love of the Canadian indie-rock supergroup, The New Pornographers. Their chief songwriter, Allan Carl (A.C.) Newman, adds to his impressive portfolio this week with third solo release, Shut Down the Streets. Newman's work with The New Pornographers is defined by a quirky, electric/electronic foundation that spreads the wealth equally among the band's eight members. In contrast, his solo material is much earthier, with acoustic guitars receiving the main treatment, and strings moving ahead of keyboards and computers as his main flourishing elements. Still, the gap between the two sounds is more of a lake than an ocean, and his chief vocal foil in his main band – the omnipresent indie queen, Neko Case – adds her talents throughout the 10-track collection.

Come for: "I'm Not Talking" (refreshing, full; hints of Camera Obscura)
Stay for: "Encyclopedia Of Classic Takedowns" (would not be out of place on any New Pornographers record, but with mandolin)
You'll be surprised by: "Hostages" (a great blend of his more rustic solo sound and New Pornographers indie-rock)
Solid efforts: "Do Your Own Time" (intricate, fun, well-paced); "Strings" (measured; the banjo is nice); "There's Money In New Wave" (a good transition piece for New Pornographers fans); "The Troubadour" (if there was rock in the Middle Ages, it might have sounded like this; I like the banjo again, then the chorus picks up with good orchestration)
Meh: "Wasted English" (would be pretty tedious without Neko in the background); "They Should Have Shut Down The Streets" (he does some interesting things with unusual instruments and sounds, but otherwise, it has too much of a death march vibe for my taste) 
Skip to next track: "You Could Get Lost Out Here" (sounds like A.C. did get lost on this one, far too meandering)

* Notes: if you noticed, the groups listed in the Sounds Like references all include strong female singers (a nod to Niko's involvement here), but also mark an arch of lushly-orchestrated compositions. If you're unfamiliar with any or all of these acts, you may want to check them out if you enjoy this new stuff from A.C. Newman.

The Wallflowers
New Release: Glad All Over
Release Date: September 28
Record Label: Columbia Records
Sounds Like: Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers, Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan*, Counting Crows
Location: Los Angeles, Calif.

Back after a much longer hiatus than either The Tragically Hip or Green Day are The Wallflowers, who return to the studio after seven years. In recent years, the band had gone without seminal organist and keyboardist Rami Jaffi. Jaffi's wafting organ parts added warmth and texture to Jakob Dylan's gravely voice and plow-ahead song structures (much in the same manner Franz Nicolay had done with The Hold Steady until his departure prior to Heaven Is Whenever (NMT), an absence that band has not yet rectified). Here, the five-piece returns with its Americana style, with some western and country flair likely influenced by Dylan's solo records released during the band's time off.

Come for: "Hospital For Sinners" (harder edge than much of the band's catalog; outlaw temperament)
Stay for: "Have Mercy On Him Now" (Springsteenian, driving)
You'll be surprised by: "Constellation Blues" (light, good hitting-the-open-road tune)
Solid efforts: "Misfits And Lovers*" (prickly, but with backbone); "It's A Dream" (another western tableau, but good pep); "Love Is A Country" (bright, uncomplicated Americana); "It Won't Be Long (Till We're Not Wrong Anymore)" (see "Have Mercy On Him Now" and cross-apply here)
Meh: "First One In The Car" (good narrative, but not much instrumental imagination); "The Devil's Waltz" (there might have been a good concept here, but it comes across too unfocused); "One Set Of Wings" (classic not great, not awful last track)
Skip to the next track: "Reboot The Mission*" (Dylan and company can't pull-off fake funky, stick to the sincere stuff)

* Notes: If you're reading this blog, you're probably aware enough of contemporary music to know that Jakob Dylan is Bob Dylan's son. If you're not, now you know. Also, both "Misfits and Lovers" and "Reboot The Mission" feature vocal contributions from Mick Jones, former guitarist in The Clash.

Band of Horses
New Release: Mirage Rock
Release Date: September 18
Record Label: Columbia Records
Sounds Like: Neil Young, The Eagles, Uncle Tueplo, Son Volt, Crosby, Stills & Nash, The Replacements
Location: Charleston, S.C.

Band of Horses is the type of band that's skirted on the periphery of my awareness for the last few years, kind of like Grizzly Bear, Bon Iver, The Walkmen and a few others. I'd heard a few things before and they were alright, but nothing to captivate my attention in the way that less established acts like .fun (NMT, NMT) and The Sheepdogs (NMT, NMT) have done. But, with Mirage Rock, the alt-country quintet from Charleston-by-way-of-Seattle has delivered an effort in line with what I enjoy most in music: its original while incorporating appropriate nods to their predecessors in their genre, has a cohesive sonic and lyrical approach and matches that approach with the latent talents of its members.

Come for: "Knock Knock" (gnarly, but a kicking vibe; great opening or closing live number)
Stay for: "How To Live" (countrified twang with stripped-down rock core; good harmonies)
You'll be surprised by: "Slow Cruel Hands Of Time" (honest and beautiful, somewhere between "Here Comes The Sun" and The Sheepdogs' throwback motif; touches of both Neil Young and Glen Frey; Mainstreet USA narrative)
Solid efforts: "A Little Biblical" (muted but crunching guitars, hooky chorus; strains of early Jeff Tweedy songwriting); "Shut-In Tourist" (the type of front porch ballad Rascal Flats wishes they could write; heavy CSN&Y vocals); "Dumpster World" (should lose points for a near carbon-copy ripoff of "Horse With No Name," but the mid-track electric kick-in is a new twist, and they execute the whole thing very well, although it might be a challenge to recreate live); "Electric Music" (look up "Take It Easy" and fun.'s "Benson Hedges" in your chosen music library and play this between those tracks; road anthem); "Everything's Gonna Be Undone" (fantastic harmonies in this campfire singalong); "Feud" (loud and boisterous in the tradition of Neil Young's best rockers); "Long Vows" (dusty trails ballad in the same vein as Father John Misty's (NMT) "Every Man Needs A Companion," but with – surprise – Neil Young structure and Eagles' vocals); "Heartbreak On The 101" (guitarist Tyler Ramsey takes a turn at the lead mic on this dusty ballad with swirling strings at the end)
Meh / Skip to next track: I didn't find a thing I didn't like

Rah Rah
New Release: The Poet's Dead
Release Date: October 2
Record Label: Hidden Pony Records
Sounds Like: Cowboy Junkies, Great Lake Swimmers, The Replacements, 54-40
Location: Regina, Saskatchewan 

What's the deal with Canadian indie-rock outfits with large numbers of co-ed members? The previously-referenced New Pornographers, The Arcade Fire (NMT), Broken Social Scene, Library Voices (NMT), Hey Rosetta! (NMT) and others all feature at least five members (on average, a big band) and feature both guys and girls in pivotal roles. Add to this list is another sprawling, mixed-gender unit: the currently six-member alt/indie country act, Rah Rah. On their third full-length release – which includes most participants switching instruments regularly – the group parlays 10 tracks of chugging indie-rock flavored with country influences via accordions, various strings and mandolins. While it's hard to say precisely who does what, I'd like to hear a little bit more of Erin Passmore's rich alto and a little less of Marshall Burns' nasally whine. Passmore's turn on first single "Prairie Girl" is the standard the group should reach for going forward. They also could have done a better job in separating Burns' and Passmore's tracks in the record's mid-section. A new album should never have back-to-back numbers with "Dead" in the title.

Come for: "Prairie Girl" (confident, builds to a heartland rock masterpiece)
Stay for: "Art & A Wife" (tongue-in-cheek clever; slows down Nirvana's three-chord sequence in "Sliver"; brief fragments of what made The Arcade Fire so successful)
You'll be surprised by: "Saint" (far more depth than one normally expects in a closing track)
Solid efforts: "First Kiss" (builds as it goes); "20s" (anthemic, but wish the mix was more clear to refine the chaos going on); "Run" (as kinetic as its title suggests); "Fake Our Love"
Meh: "The Poet's Dead" (kinda bland); "I'm A Killer" (its fine in the middle, but the programmed drum track at the beginning and end is annoying)
Skip to next track: "Dead Men" (its not as grand an opus as they seem to think it is)

The Tins
New Release: Life's A Gas
Release Date: October 2
Record Label: self-released
Sounds Like: Primus, M83, moe., Grouplove (NMT)
Location: Buffalo, N.Y.

No one should be surprised to find a Buffalo band receiving coverage here given its your blogger's home and native land, but this actually marks the first bonafide act out of Nickel City to find attention here. The trio mixes layered, jam-style riffs with hooky indie pop and dashes of electronica on their first full-length release. There's odd themes and instrumental concepts that point back to similar well-executed absurdity you may familiar with via groups like Primus and The Flaming Lips, but deployed in a more accessible manner you might expect from more contemporary, poppy peers like Grouplove and Library Voices. 

Come for: "Please Be Kind" (bouncy, with a meaty riff from guitarist Adam Putzer; if it's the first single, why is it so buried on the tracklist?)
Stay for: "Hit And Miss" (intro's a little trippy, but merges into something far more jubilant, like Grouplove's "Tongue Tied")
You'll be surprised by: "Midnight Crowd" (a touch silly, but definitely an interesting idea)
Solid efforts: "Taking Liberties" (old school, lo-fi vibe with organ part by keyboardist Mike Santillo and stabbing guitars by Putzer); "Spies" (exuberant harmonies, arena-sized riffs); "16 Colors" (fun and offbeat); "Whiteout" (a nice change of pace with a more straightforward approach)
Meh: "Vicki" (not crazy about the off-kilter organ here and the bridge just rubs me the wrong way); "Shozo Hirono" (I expected more from this track); "Halo" (its a bit thin at first, and the organ is too strong in the mix, but not bad conceptually)
Skip to next track: Nothing I outright disliked, but I could understand if the overall sound is a bit too far out there for your taste