PHOTOS
PHOTOS
Mike Evans
ARCTIC MONKEYS — Humbug
THE GOOD: England’s Arctic Monkeys continue to progress on their third outing.
THE BAD: While not exactly a far cry from the band’s panicked 2006 debut Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not, Humbug may catch some listeners off guard.
THE NITTY GRITTY: Between this record and the band’s last full-length, Favourite Worst Nightmare, frontman Alex Turner spent some time on the more dramatic and down-tempo side project Last Shadow Puppets. LSP produced one of last year’s finest records; the guy proving he was more than just a young punk with attitude.
Intentional or not, there are definitely some LSP influences on Humbug. The songs are still packed with energy, but the end results are more multi-dimensional. Echo-drenched production, spy flick guitar riffs, sweeping melodies and more complex arrangements all seep into Humbug’s tunes. There’s a certain sense of “darkness” to the proceedings. At the same time, the sounds are more organic and free-flowing. This could also be the influence of Queens of the Stone Age’s Josh Homme, who produced about half the record.
BUY IT?: Yep. Humbug displays a band in a constant state of change, and they’re only getting better.
PEARL JAM — Backspacer
THE GOOD: On their ninth proper studio effort, Pearl Jam proves they can still crank and deliver the goods.
THE BAD: No gripes — this one is lean and mean.
THE NITTY GRITTY: The band sounds re-energized; their focus is definitely sharper. Backspacer is a heavy crunchy upbeat rock album — pure and simple. It’s one of those records that never lose its punch. A couple of fine delicate moments aside — the bittersweet “Just Breathe” and the introspective closer “The End” — the disc is brash and bold.
Eddie Vedder delivers his vocals with passionate abandon. Mike McCready and Stone Gossard seem to shred their guitars with a new found fury. Jeff Ament and Matt Cameron remain a fierce rhythm section. Everything seems to come together over and over again throughout the album. Quick sharp flashes of brilliance include the reggae-tinged “Got Some,” the power-pop infused “Supersonic” and the more dramatic “Force of Nature.” But there really isn’t a bad cut in the bunch.
BUY IT?: I’ve never been a Pearl Jam fanatic, but I was impressed. Backspacer is both a satisfying set for the diehards and a great place for newbies to discover the band.
JET — Shaka Rock
THE GOOD: Ummm …
THE BAD: Australian retro rockers Jet are back with their third “crankin’” collection.
THE NITTY GRITTY: I guess it all depends upon your point of view. The best thing I can say about Shaka Rock is that it’s a damn good guilty pleasure. Tracks like “Beat on Repeat” and “La Di Da” do pull you in with their hip-shaking backbeats and rudimentary hooks. I mean, you can cruise around town with the top down to this stuff (maybe not today because it’s a bit chilly, but there’s always next spring).
But this is Jet — a band that lives for ripping off AC/DC, The Rolling Stones, The Kinks and about a bajillion other bands that do (or did) this kind of thing better. There’s absolutely no innovation — no identity. Even if you’ve never heard a cut from the album, you already know them all by heart. We’ve all been here before. Do we really need to support a glorified cover band? I guess the boys get a “thumbs down,” not because Shaka Rock is necessarily bad, but rather because it’s time for this band to simply move forward or break up.
BUY IT?: Why bother?
NEW RELEASES — CD
CARRIE UNDERWOOD — Play On
WEEZER — Raditude
NEW RELEASES — DVD
ALIENS IN THE ATTIC with Kevin Nealon and Doris Roberts
FOOD, INC.
G.I. JOE: THE RISE OF COBRA with Dennis Quaid and Sienna Miller
I LOVE YOU, BETH COOPER
THE TAKING OF PELHAM 123 with John Travolta and Denzel Washington