album reviews

★★1/2

It is clear that Nicki Minaj was not exactly sure what type of album she wanted to make when approaching her latest offering, Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded. Caught between making a “hardcore” rap album and a happy-go-lucky pop album, Roman Reloaded sounds confused at best and horribly disjointed at worst. Individual songs may be strong, but as an album, Roman Reloaded is bipolar, transitioning abruptly from violent, absurdist lyrics to sing-song hooks and dance beats.

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Anthony Gonzalez, the driving force behind M83, has described his group’s latest effort as “very, very, very epic.” Most reviewers seem to agree that he’s spot on, but it would appear that the bulk of the music press has taken his assessment to mean something entirely different. Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming was released in October to overwhelmingly positive reviews from the cream of the crop of indie taste-making journalism. I’m an M83 fan, but I can’t jump on-board with their glowing assessment of what I can only describe as a sprawling, dull, and overwhelmingly long album, littered with far too many interludes. Read More »

Commenting on band names is a bit like asking people to explain the slogans on their graphic t-shirts. The name Gauntlet Hair, however, can’t escape mention. While the group’s name choice still eludes me, the idea behind Gauntlet Hair is pretty easy to pin down. Their sound is a consistent and oddly current blend of chillwave fuzz and the Myths of the Near Future-era Klaxons with a touch of Jane’s Addiction shouty-ness and vibe.

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J. Cole’s name has been floating around the hip-hop community for a few years now, but nobody quite knew what to expect from Cole World: The Sideline Story. Releasing an album isn’t nearly as easy as it used to be, and gone are the days when a debut album was truly a debut. To release an album in the hip-hop world today, an artist must first establish themselves by releasing hundreds of free songs and multiple successful mixtapes. Cole has done this over the past 4 years or so, but getting a record label (in Cole’s case Roc Nation) to approve a debut album is merely the beginning. Often times labels will force artists to commercialize their music to boost sales, causing artists to abandon the style which garnered them fans. Couple this with the expectations that accompany an album years in the making, and artists face the seemingly impossible challenge of pleasing both fans and their label, while still putting out a quality piece of work that is true to the vision of the artist.

These were all concerns that I and many others rightfully had as Cole’s album was continually pushed back, particularly because Cole has a raw style that is tough to release to a broad audience. However, the album finally arrived, and to the relief of many he stayed true to himself and released an album marked by its impressive production, creative lyrics, and unmatched rhymes. Read More »

Jens Lekman produces enough witticisms and oddball humor in his new EP An Argument with Myself to convince someone that he’s actually a sarcastic English-lit major moonlighting as a Swedish indie-pop musician. Indeed, while listening to his songs, I felt distracted – in a good way – by his lyrics from the actual music, which is a shame because I thought the music was quite interesting itself. Archaic string samples and percussion beats with a more international flare are heavily dispersed throughout Lekman’s guitar-based pop. Definitely interesting, but sometimes a bit out of place – this time, not in a good way. Read More »

A musical artist makes a very bold statement when he (or she) names his musical act after himself. He not only chooses to be the seen as the sole creative force behind the music, but also ties the personal identity of his person with the nature of the music. It is because of this dynamic that the most powerful tool of the singer-songwriter is the ability to cultivate intimacy, and the easiest way to access the creative and artistic inklings of another human is through the human voice.

It is apparent from “Freeclouds’” first track that Carter Tanton can sing. The former songwriter, guitarist, and lead singer of the now defunct act Tulsa has a voice which is effortlessly expansive yet manages to remain tender and softly intimate. Listening to Tanton sing on “Murderous Joy:” “I need just a little time, to sing you a line, you won’t soon forget,” you can’t help but wonder how Tanton manages to make his skinny, reedy voice sound so big. Read More »

As the leaves start changing colors, I begin feeling nostalgic for summer adventures and being carefree. Luckily, the upbeat rock sounds of GROUPLOVE’s debut full-length album lift my spirits and evoke memories of running care-freely under the summer sun. Never Trust a Happy Song, released on September 13, 2011 by Atlantic Records, is comprised of 12 fast-tempo songs that illustrate the satisfactions of being young and lighthearted. Read More »

To start off this column, Don’t Miss This, I’m going to go with a classic of the 2000s, by a band that continues to dominate its music scene, Death Cab for Cutie. The band released Plans in 2005, and what made the album different from everything the band released previously was the attention to detail; this is not an album that can be fully heard through your laptop speakers. Seriously, listen to “Different Names for the Same Thing” with headphones if you haven’t before. Read More »