★★★★
Australian band Pond’s fourth release may not differ extensively from its parent band Tame Impala, with which it shares two members, but whether or not they sound the same, good music is good music. Following in the psychedelic footsteps of Tame Impala, Beard, Wives, Denim gives listeners a second dose of much needed guitar heavy rock-pop. Read More »
Rock artist Brian Lopez confesses that his new album, Ultra, can’t be easily categorized into a single genre. Lopez’s Tucson upbringing plays an obvious role in his first full-length work, with its drawling melodies and instrumentation, but his sound is far from typical. While Ultra begins with a stereotypical rock song, the subtleties of his slower and layered, both musically and emotionally, pieces make the album worth a listen.
One of the most unique features of this album is its bilingualism. Lopez primarily sings in English and but several tracks feature Spanish, including “El Vagabundo” and “El Pajaro y El Ciervo.” Generally the use of Spanish added a depth to the music, but the overemphasis of traditional Hispanic elements such as mariachi in “El Vagabundo” seemed gimmicky and more appropriate for either an Antonio Banderas or old western film. Read More »
★★★★
Grimes, alias of Canadian musician Claire Boucher, is not an artist for the faint of heart. Her sound is far from accessible for the masses, but for those who appreciate her eclectic style, her fourth album Visions may be just the album they’re looking for. Released by 4AD, Visions offers listeners a trippy and ethereal saga of electro-pop music.
Feist is not Zooey Deschanel. Sure, her song “Mushaboom” might have been featured in the latter’s film 500 Days of Summer and her hit “1234” was in an infectious commercial for Apple’s iPod nano, but the Canadian singer’s latest album proves that she is more than a simple folk-pop artist with a penchant for catchy and upbeat tunes.
The monumental success of 2007’s The Reminder is a tough act to follow. It took Feist four years to pump out Metals, which was released by Cherrytree/Interscope Records to eagerly awaiting fans. Unlike some artists who change their sound to suit mass audiences, Feist seems to have returned to her folksy roots. Although she has been an on-and-off member of Broken Social Scene since 2002, Metals is not a product of her time with that band nor does it seem to follow the trajectory of her past two albums, The Reminder and Let It Die (2004). Read More »
