Reviews: Breeders, Nick Cave, OMD, Carbon/Silicon and more
Tuesday April 08, 2008 @ 03:00 PM
By: ChartAttack.com Staff

A WEATHER Cove (Team Love/Outside)
Bands will say a number of ridiculous things on their MySpace page in an effort to look cool, but when A Weather write that they sound like "the things that stuffed animals might tell you if they'd had a few too many," they aren't joking. On the whole, Cove comes across as a whispered aside propelled by a carefully subdued soundtrack. It's about as soothing and relaxing as pop music can get, but A Weather luckily don't sacrifice melody along with energy. Lyrically, music lovers couldn't ask for much more. An early candidate for line of the year: "I can't believe you said 'I couldn't love you any more.' Did you mean 'to no greater extent,' or is it over now for sure?" Those familiar with the Kings Of Convenience or Slow Dazzle should find a lot to like here. Mid-album track "Pinky Toe" will stay with you for days. Scott Bryson

THE BREEDERS Mountain Battles (4AD/Beggars)
The Breeders' fourth studio release, Mountain Battles, is the sound of a band using a proven formula while moving forward at the same time. Of course, the disc features the typical '90s guitar rock you'll find on their previous albums. "Bang On" bounces along to a thick beat and a slinky, almost cheeky rock riff and should soon become a favourite in indie clubs. Meanwhile, "Walk It Off" and "No Way" could easily fit on Last Splash. But the midsection is where things get really interesting. The fantastic cover of "Regalame Esta Noche" is sung overtop beautifully strummed guitar in near perfectly pronounced Spanish. On the other hand, "German Studies" is sung in (what's probably purposely) mispronounced German over a typical Breeders riff. Then there's the almost folky "Here No More," on which the Deal sisters will sing you to sleep, which is actually a good thing. Mountain Battles is a great update from one of the best bands of the '90s. Kate Harper

CARBON/SILICON The Last Post (Caroline/EMI)
The name might not be immediately familiar, but the group members and their pedigrees should be: singer/guitarist Mick Jones (The Clash, Big Audio Dynamite); guitarist Tony James (Generation X, Sigue Sigue Sputnik); bassist Leo Williams (B.A.D.); and drummer Dominic Greensmith (Reef). James and Jones wrote and produced this debut disc's 12 songs, of which the closing "Why Do Men Fight?" dates all the way back to May 2002. The album-opening lead single "The News" is an upbeat, danceable and optimistic tune ("Here's the news, and all of it is good") that should remind listeners of vintage B.A.D., as should "Acton Zulus" to a lesser degree. "War On Culture" has a melody approximating The Clash's "Somebody Got Murdered," while "Oilwell" is a socio-politically conscious song where Carbon/Silicon want to "make a humanitarian case for dropping some love on the human race." Jones doesn't have a classic singing voice, and these aren't his best lyrics, but there's more than enough here for me to fall hard for. Welcome back, Mick. Steve McLean

THE CARPS Waves And Shambles (Urbnet/Universal)
The Carps' website states that the Scarborough, Ont. duo "sound like nothing you could imagine, and everything you'd like to." I know that sounds vague, but oddly enough, it hits the mark. Waves And Shambles is a mish-mash of musical styles from drummer/guitarist/vocalist Jahmal Tonge and bassist/synth player Neil White. Tonge induces the R&B and Motown feel, while White is primarily responsible for the garage rock/pop/punk. Somehow, when these two collided, they created a six-song EP that changes drastically from one song to the next. Their breadth is both enticing and entertaining, from the crunchy Death From Above 1979 guitars softened with danceable synths on "Gretta Edris" to the rap/R&B track "Heaven's Gates And Hell's Flames (ReDux)", to the slower, psychedelic "Thomas I Love You..." While Tonge's smooth vocals sometimes sound like Lenny Kravitz, their raw and unique sound saves this from being a negative. Jen White

KATE FENNER Magnet (Independent)
Boasting one of Canada's most distinctive voices and a legacy that continues to grow, Fenner returns with another engaging collection of slowly drawn mood music. The Toronto-via-New York songstress cut her teeth with the infamous Bourbon Tabernacle Choir but her gleeful grooviness has long been traded in for a more mature approach, as the nine songs on Magnet demonstrate. There's more than a bit of Joni Mitchell cast over this album and the songs would likely be described as jazzy — at least by people who've never heard jazz before. The quasi-epic "Paris" is perhaps the standout track and with guest contributions from current- and ex-members of Broken Social Scene, Pere Ubu and The Lounge Lizards, Magnet should appeal to consumers waiting on the next Feist full-length. Cameron Gordon

GHOST BEES Tasseomancy (Youth Club)
Ghost Bees are a folk team with Canadian twin sisters at the core, but comparisons to Tegan And Sara stop right there. Tasseomancy is unique, enterprising and even trailblazing. It's likely that listeners will go one of two ways upon hearing it: It'll come across as beautiful and soothing, or the mandolin and sickly sweet voices will cause headphones to be thrown to the ground in fury. It may seem an odd association, but at their foundation, this minstrel-folk duo have a lot in common with The Decemberists. Lyrically, the tracks on their debut album have a very ancient, counts-and-courtesans feel about them. Topics include vampires, Pol Pot, fortune-telling and births from a baby's perspective. It clocks in at just 35 minutes, but this is an awful lot to absorb. If you're the type that finds Joanna Newsom a little creepy, it's best you shy away from this disc. Scott Bryson

THE HEAVY Great Vengeance And Furious Fire (Counter/Ninja Tune)
The Heavy are truly cosmic when they get it right, such as on "Coleen," which sounds like Curtis Mayfield inexplicably fronting the Lo Fidelity Allstars with The Ikettes on back-up. The supersonic blast of "That Kind Of Man" is even better. A hands-in-the-air ass-shaker propelled by a wall of a thousand horns, it's enough to make Sly Stone come out of hiding. Fortified by the shameless Groove Armada cribbing of "Girl," all the ingredients are there for a hot 'n' sexy intergalactic dance party. Then there are the not-so-cosmic moments. "Doing Fine" is the unfortunate answer to the question "What happens when you combine Beck and Everlast-as-Whitey Ford?" And "Dignity" is an unfocused rip on "Dance To The Music." Still, for pure booty-bouncing dance music in its most traditional sense, Great Vengeance And Furious Fire will satisfy. Aaron Brophy

PETER MOREN The Last Tycoon (Quarterstick/Touch And Go)
Moren is one-third of Swedish indie rockers Peter Bjorn And John, but is standing on his own on The Last Tycoon. He delivers a quieter, folkier sound on his solo debut, relying mainly on his voice and a guitar. Strings, synths, percussion and vibraphones also make appearances and, while there's no whistling a la "Young Folks," there's ample use of handclaps and harmonica. The Last Tycoon mixes upbeat, poppier songs like "Tell Me In Time" and "Social Competence" with the folky "Missing Link" and toe-tapper "This Is What I Came For." The atmospheric and slightly darker "My Match" adds another tone to the mix. Album closer "I Don't Gaze At The Sky For Long" actually sounds like Moren is playing in your living room, reinforcing sincerity in his songwriting and voice. Jen White

NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!! (Anti-/Epitaph)
The Grinderman is gone and Australia's favourite wandering, murder ballad-singing, ex-heroin-using frontman is back with his Bad Seeds. I admit I don't really love the group's last effort, the double-disc Abbatoir Blues, but Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!! has made me forget my misgivings. Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds are once again one of the most creative and intense bands on Earth. From the lizard lounge stylings of the title track to the all-out rock of "Albert Goes West" and "We Call Upon The Author," this is, hands-down, one of the best efforts of Cave's lengthy career. The singer is at his poetic, vicious best on the latter track, singing, "I feel like a vacuum cleaner — a complete sucker/It's fucked up and he is a fucker/But what an enormous and encyclopedic brain/I call upon the author to explain." He's nearly this frantic on every one of the up-tempo tracks, and equally romantic on the ballads. Some musicians burn out as the years pass them by. Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds are inexplicably only getting better. Noah Love

JIM NOIR Jim Noir (Barsuk/Outside)
On Noir's sophomore disc, the Manchester-based progressive pop weirdo once again aims to fuse old and new, and only sometimes succeeds in merging his vinyl-steeped enthusiasm and modern electronic leanings into a coherent sound. Noir gets off to a rough start by cutting the intriguing Beatles Revolver-esque opener "Welcome Commander Jameson" short, only to follow it with "All Right," a flighty piece of vocodered space pop that, while not bad, sounds cold and detached by comparison. Thankfully, "What U Gonna Do" kicks the album into shape with its jaunty guitar licks, playful organ banter and mid-song bluesy breakdown. The pacing improves and the songs get better. "Happy Day Today" masterfully pairs synths and drum machines with Beach Boys-style harmonies, while "Look Around You" reveals Noir's talent for crafting spooky psych-pop. Still, it sounds like Noir needs to spend less time listening to his favourite records and a little more refining his own. Matt Reeder

ORCHESTRAL MANOEUVRES IN THE DARK Live: Architecture & Morality & More (Eagle/Universal)
OMD's Architecture & Morality spawned three top five singles in the U.K. when it was released in 1981, entrenching them as one of the era's top electro-pop acts before they broke up later that decade. The band reformed in 2006 and this album was recorded live at London, England's Hammersmith Apollo last May. It includes Architecture & Morality's nine songs and four others, even though the packaging lists 17 tracks. While the promised "Locomotion" is definitely missed, there's enough quality material here to make up for its absence. "Enola Gay," named after the plane that dropped the first atomic bomb, may be the greatest synth-pop song of the ‘80s. "If You Leave," the group's biggest North American hit through its inclusion in the Pretty In Pink soundtrack, is slightly slower than the original. The beautiful "Souvenir" is a classy pop number and there are lovely harmonies on "(Forever) Live And Die." "Joan Of Arc" is dramatic but unpretentious, and you can just dance along to "Georgia." A DVD featuring the entire concert and band member interviews will follow in June. Steve McLean

JUSTIN RUTLEDGE Man Descending (Six Shooter/Warner)
Rutledge's sound has improved and evolved on each release. His third album is no exception. Its subtle and understated arrangements are some of the most beautiful he's written. "Greenwich Time" begins with simple guitar, but by the time it finishes, it's turned into a mini choral opus of sorts, which improves upon ideas introduced on The Devil On A Bench In Stanley Park's "Does It Make You Rain?" You'll also discover Rutledge's lyrics are stronger than ever on Man Descending. "A Penny For The Band" is already beautiful with its delicate piano, guitar and cello, but when you add lyrical couplets like "This life is like a set list scrawled across the nation/If I miss you at the sound check then I'll see you at the station," it becomes a winner. This is his best album yet. Kate Harper

SCARLET SINS Scarlet Sins (Independent)
Someone's playing a bad joke. Not bad because it isn't funny (it's actually pretty hilarious), but because all-girl Toronto goth metal group Scarlet Sins don't seem to realize how ridiculous they are. Of all the people to attempt to resurrect the double-kick infested heyday of '80s heavy metal, Scarlet Sins are the hardest to take seriously. Just look at bassist Tanya Nicklaus' picture in the liner notes. She's trying to look real dark and mysterious and hide the fact that she's an SUV away from being a soccer mom. The actual music has all the danger, creativity and riffage of Rock Star: Supernova (doubtless a favourite with the band). It must have cost quite a bit of money to record something so polished. Have pity. Anyone with lyrics like, "I won't let you drown/I won't let you down/I won't let you hit the ground" probably can't help it. There's even a power ballad, but just one. Jared Morano

SUPERGRASS Diamond Hoo Ha (Parlophone/EMI)
My rule on music careers from artists I love is, you give me four great records and I'll excuse whatever comes after, before or in between — or rather, I'll simply forget it. That's my feeling on Road To Rouen, Supergrass's last full-length and hands down their worst. It's with complete surprise and delight that Diamond Hoo Ha is absolutely nothing like its predecessor. It's full of the pounding energy that drove the group's first three albums, though musically closer to Life On Other Planets. The key is that Diamond Hoo Ha is fun. It's not intellectual (the title kind of rules that out straight away), the melodies are retardedly catchy and Gaz Coombes sounds as excited to be fronting a rock band as he did on In It For The Money. Ultimately, Diamond Hoo Ha stands comfortably among the band's first three classics and possibly taller than LOOP, thanks to dynamos "345" and the album-closing "Butterfly." Noah Love

TAD Busted Circuits And Ringing Ears (MVD Visual)
A hefty guitar god of somewhat generous proportions, Tad Doyle was a butcher-turned-axeman and a true dark horse of the original grunge movement. His band, conveniently also named Tad, subscribed to the "everything heavier than everything else" philosophy. Their head-pounding exploits are documented in this fantastic new rockumentary, Busted Circuits And Ringing Ears. Their story isn't dissimilar from thousands of other bands that came before and the themes like drug addictions, dementia and battles with major labels, are accordingly far from fresh. Luckily, new interviews with various Tad alumni and other famous faces from the Seattle scene (including that dude with the beard from Soundgarden and Sub Pop founders Bruce Pavitt and Jonathan Poneman) offer a firsthand glimpse at just how revered Doyle and friends were during the original grunge movement. Cameron Gordon

WYE OAK If Children (Merge/FAB)
Wye Oak are currently named after Maryland's state tree, but they were recently known as Monarch (not to be confused with French doom band Monarch!). To get a grasp on their debut under the new moniker, imagine the results if you made a mixtape of alternating Cat Power and Do Make Say Think songs, and you'll have a fairly accurate picture of what If Children sounds like. There are two very different ideas at work here and the outcome, while well-polished, is seriously lacking flow. Taken individually, there are a number of very good songs on this disc, but the Baltimore duo need to make a decision: Are they folk, or are they post-rock? If Children has been touted as shoegaze, but the fuzz is too minimal and Jenn Wasner's voice is just too prominent for that kind of classification. Scott Bryson

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