PHOTOS
Mike Evans
SILVER JEWS - Lookout Mountain, Lookout Sea
THE GOOD: David Berman and his indie rock collective Silver Jews give us their sixth satisfying collection.
THE BAD: Perfection? Not here, but the band comes amazingly close.
THE NITTY GRITTY: Berman has always painted his records with a dry wit, lazy delivery and sprawling homespun sound - something between southern rock drawl and Pavement (probably because SJ began as a sort of Pavement side project many eons ago). Lookout Sea shifts moods often, but underneath it all is a kind of desert vibe - lots of low echo-drenched guitars and steady rhythms that flow best after dark. As usual Berman's wife Cassie is along for the ride, supplying the female harmonies and bringing a little light into the blackness.
Highlights include the rolling "Aloysius, Bluegrass Drummer" - a not-so-romantic tale of love lost at an all-night diner. The steady "Suffering Jukebox" is a shimmering slice of anti-folk, made all the more melancholy by Cassie's vocals. "San Francisco B.C." plays like a Dylan-esque story-song brimming with shattered romance and crime, but with a better rhythmic kick.
BUY IT?: Sure. Silver Jews' brand of roots rock is both inspired and unpredictable.
AIMEE MANN - @#%&*! Smilers
THE GOOD: Aimee Mann comes back with another stunning collection of intelligent pop songs.
THE BAD: Those who have never ventured outside the mainstream don't know what they're missing. For too many, Mann is simply the former spiky-haired lead vocalist of '80s new wavers Til Tuesday. But ever since hearing the Voices Carry album at the age of 14 (of course I still have it), I knew the lady possessed "something."
THE NITTY GRITTY: Truth is, Mann is probably one of the most underrated singer/songwriters of our time. The woman has never stopped making music and her solo catalog surpasses anything she ever did with her aforementioned band.
Smilers is her latest triumph and after flirting with Christmas and concept albums, the new disc is a welcome return to form - Mann composing smart character studies and delivering them with her rich subdued voice. Whether it's the woman abandoning that bad relationship ("Phoenix") or the victim suffering an early midlife crisis ("Thirty One Today"), Mann's subjects draw us deep into their stories while the folk-laced rock churns in the background.
BUY IT?: Definitely. Mann continues to make great music on her own terms and we're the benefactors.
WOLF PARADE - At Mount Zoomer
THE GOOD: Canadian indie rockers go for the grandiose on their sophomore effort.
THE BAD: At Mount Zoomer takes awhile to digest. Patience please!
THE NITTY GRITTY: Actually, the band was trying to make an album that would HAVE TO be taken as a whole. Songwriters Spencer Krug and Dan Boeckner were going for something with no discernable singles or radio tracks. They only somewhat succeeded.
Sure, much of Zoomer is jagged hollow "difficult" indie rock - tracks with intricate shifting arrangements and hidden melodies - 10-minute closer "Kissing The Beehive" being a prime example. And yes, the album does work best when taken in all at once.
However despite the band's best efforts at achieving the contrary, there are some spectacularly infectious moments tucked away in this set, and some songs that stand exceedingly well on their own. Think fellow Canadians Arcade Fire teetering on the edge of a cliff.
"Language City" pulls us in with its snappy piano riffs while "California Dreamer" builds to a loose yet satisfying climax. And "The Grey Estates" is strictly power pop disguised for hipster credibility.
BUY IT?: Yes. Zoomer is definitely a case where the weird and wonderful work in equal amounts.
THIS WEEKEND'S NEW RELEASES - CD
BLUES TRAVELER - North Hollywood Shootout
MISSY ELLIOTT - Block Party
THE GAME - LAX
SLIPKNOT - All Hope Is Gone
THE VERVE - Forth
THIS WEEKEND'S NEW RELEASES - DVD
WHAT HAPPENS IN VEGAS with Ashton Kutcher and Cameron Diaz