Here are some Amazon.com mini-reviews of current major label releases that I’ve been listening to in the past month (click on an album cover on the widget to the right if you’d like to hear it).
The Black Hollies “Casting Shadows”
Put on the black light and smoke the hookah to this album. The Black Hollies retro psychedelic rock fits well with your rainbow quartz groups. Obsessively recreated itchy twanging guitars, vocal reverb and harmonies like The Zombies. Like a lost 60’s psyche classic.
P.J. O’Connell “Careful”
Fans of Tom Petty styled power pop will love this. Mixing Rockpile-like twang and muscle riffs with the country steel petal and piano touches it’s an excellent album. Don’t let this one fly under your radar. O’Connell writes great songs and even his voice sounds like Pettys mixed with Paul Westerberg. Not a single bad track either.
R.E.M. “Accelerate”
Not since “Monster” have we had this aggressive Michael Stipe. I guess this is the backlash of keyboard-heavy, adult-contemporary music of “Around The Sun.” This is a return to form for sure, the music is played with great gusto and other than the ballad “Until the Day is Done” you’ve got a great bunch of catchy rock here. And they don’t pander to today’s trends (unlike “Monster”) and play classic R.E.M. – my favorite track here is “Mr. Richards”
Ray Davies “Working Man’s Cafe”
The master songwriter at his usual best. Ray produces a great album with his unique perspective on things. Globalization is his target on the catchy “Vietnam Cowboys” but the best song here is his answer to his worshipping fans in “You’re Asking Me” (“Don’t take my advice… Get a life”). Also of note, the rockin’ riffs on “Hymn For A New Age” where he takes on religion.
Robyn “Robyn”
Not something I normally listen to, but the buzz on Robyn is loud and deserved. This hip hop pop queen is the heir apparent to Gwen Steffani. Listen to “Bum Like You” and try not to move, I dare you. This is where Janet Jackson should’ve gone by now.
Ron Sexsmith “Exit Strategy Of The Soul”
Sexsmith has such talent, that even this uplifting sermon will squarely inspire pop fans. Rooted in the sounds of Paul McCartney, Harry Nilsson, Paul Simon, from jazz to country to folk, this is his finest album since “Retriever.” Using more horns and piano than usual, listen to “One Last Round” for a good representation.
She & Him “Volume One”
Who knew cute actress Zooey Deschanel had these pipes? One ups Scarlett Johansson, by pairing with M.Ward and emulating those great pop icons with a great selection of songs. If you miss classic Linda Ronstadt and Rita Coolidge soft rock, don’t miss this loving tribute. Notable is the Dusty Springfield-like single “Why Do You Let Me stay Here?”
Yeah, they rediscovered energy in their tempos, and it’s great to finally hear Mills harmonise again, but because of the harshness of the clipped sound on my ears, it’s not something i want to put on of my own volition, especially to the degree where i’d end up loving it.
Aussie power poppers Icecream Hands did much the same thing with their last album, ‘The Good China’. I find i keep turning it down, to the extent that silence is preferable.
I hope this loudness war thing dies off soon.
You are right, as the mixing and mastering job is totally inadequate. But the music is a lot better, no?
Audiophiles will want to avoid the REM album like the plague. It’s one of the loudest ‘Hot’ masters i’ve ever seen.
For example, the opening track has an average RMS of -5.4 dbs. In a song that lasts 3 minutes and 11 seconds, there are 2447 instances of audio ‘clipping’, each of which generates a random noise harmonic and guarantees listener fatigue.
They should be ashamed of the resulting sound. I’ve noticed their commercial decline is directly related to the gradual increase in the mastering loudness of their albums to the degree they regularly and consistently clip, starting with ‘Monster’, which drove away the mass audience.
This is actually the second time around for Robyn. She was the precursor to Britney et al with the same Swedish producers.
Show Me Love from 1997 is still a great song and has stayed in my iTunes library a long time.