Die Antwoord
Ten$ion
(Downtown/Zef)
The music of South Africa's Die Antwoord is difficult to explain. Superficially, it's a blend of hip hop and '90s techno. But that doesn't capture the cacophonous insanity of Ten$ion. The album is complex and multi-layered but in a totally chaotic way, like a pile of nonsense in a hoarder's garage. Basically, this is the music the voices in your head listen to when they're not ranting about chemtrails and the Illuminati. Lead vocalist Ninja delivers possibly ironic gangsta rhymes in a menacingly guttural Afrikaans accent on songs like "Fok Julle Naaiers." And every verse from the comically high voice of Yo-Landi Vi$$er feels like being threatened by Tinkerbell, especially on "Baby's on Fire." The production's heavy on retro rave beats and urgent electronic blasts, creating a bizarre, aggressive but entirely captivating album.
Rating: 4 out of 5
--Al Kratina, Postmedia News
Bahamas
Barchords
(Universal)
Part of the fun listening to Bahamas, a.k.a., Toronto musician Afie Jurvanen, is in detecting the pop craft blinking out from under the indie-rock clothing.
A touring musician for Feist, Jurvanen's second outing as Bahamas is not as stripped-back as debut, Pink Strat, but the songwriting is just as strong and economical. In many ways, Jurvanen is as assured a craftsman as Ron Sexsmith, even if the production often suggests something more raw and intimate.
The basement-style recording is boosted by female backing vocals and Jurvanen's ringing guitar riffs. Things start to sag by the middle, but opener "Lost in the Light" is haunting, the frantic "Caught Me Thinking" sounds like a lost Joe Jackson track, and "Montreal" is a beautifully fragile ballad. Still, the standout may be "Your Sweet Touch," a laid-back, slow-burning soulful gem that ends with a furious jangle of garage-rock guitar.
Rating: 3 out of 5
--Eric Volmers, Postmedia News
The Fray
Scars & Stories
(Epic)
U2 lite, or maybe the poor man's Coldplay? You choose. But it doesn't matter, because you could listen to these 12 offerings from the Denver band's third -- produced by Brendan O'Brien -- a dozen times and still not be able to match the titles to a song. That's because most of these tracks are so undistinguished that they evaporate as soon as they leave the speakers, while your mind seeks any possible diversion. Corporate arena-rock clangers mix with soppy piano-and-strings ballads featuring falsetto vocals, all of it aimed clearly at highly emotional teens or synchro rights. When you hear a Duran Duran-ish sort-of-rocker like "Here We Are" or a near-stirring chord riff like the one in "48 to Go," you feel almost grateful. Almost.
Rating: 2 out of 5
--Bernard Perusse, Postmedia News
Mark Lanegan Band
Blues Funeral
(4AD)
Mark Lanegan has been more prolific as a collaborator than as a solo artist, lending his shadowy baritone to Queens of the Stone Age, the Gutter Twins, Soulsavers and demonic/angelic duets with Isobel Campbell. Those partnerships mask the unbending solitude at the heart of his own writing; the magnificent Blues Funeral traverses isolated streets, lonely seas and cemetery pathways. Lanegan's ravaged growl is the perfect vehicle for these songs, and the range recalls his resume: Soulsavers' spiritual blues ("Bleeding Muddy Water"), Queens' all-consuming stoner buzz ("Riot in My House"), the Campbell albums' dusty roots ("Deep Black Vanishing Train"). Add the relentless shuddering dread of "The Gravedigger's Song" and "Ode to Sad Disco's" after-hours pulse, and it's hard to imagine a shade of darkness that Lanegan couldn't wear like a regal robe.
Rating: 4 out of 5
--Jordan Zivitz, Postmedia News
Of Montreal
Paralytic Stalks
(Polyvinyl)
At what point does a compelling musical adventure become unfocused self-indulgence? The question hangs in the air with the 11th studio album by Kevin Barnes and company. But if the query seems to suggest a thumbs-down, it really doesn't. In a wilfully uncommercial effort, the Athens, Ga., group might be testing our patience with pretentious, atonal hokum like the hostile collage "Exorcismic Breeding Knife" and the rambling 13-minute prog-ish closer "Authentic Pyrrhic Remission," but there are challenging treasures in the group's kitchen-sink approach. Look for echoes of David Bowie's Berlin trilogy in "We Will Commit Wolf Murder" and "Spiteful Intervention" and check out the robotic disco underpinning of "Ye, Renew the Plaintiff." The steel guitar-and-Broadway chaos of "Wintered Debts" could go either way.
Rating: 3 out of 5
--Bernard Perusse, Postmedia News
Sharon Van Etten
Tramp
(Jagjaguwar)
After the first listen to "Warsaw," Tramp's opening track, you might think you've fully absorbed its garage-y jangle and stomp. Then it hits you: the way Sharon Van Etten's voice can sound lilting or sneering, yearning or deadpan, depending on the angle from which you approach her deceptively elemental songs. As a member of the National, producer Aaron Dessner knows how to reveal layers of meaning with repeated visits: once the track's haunting slide guitar comes into sharp focus, a touching bit of melancholy pierces the toughened exterior of "Serpents." One needs to be patient with Tramp, and after a half-dozen spins, some heavy-handed percussion remains distracting. But as ghostly halos start to emerge from "Give Out's" earthy introspection, Van Etten offers a steadfast argument against instant gratification.
Rating: 3.5 out of 5
--Jordan Zivitz, Postmedia News
© Copyright (c) dose.ca
