Spoon - They Want My Soul
The Austin indie icons return with their latest album and venture more into the trippy side of music than that typical rock and roll we have come to love and expect from then. Filled with jangling riffs and psychedelic undertones, They Want My Soul is one of the more diverse albums in this bands growing catalog.
FINAL GRADE: A-
Rise Against – The Black Market
The Chicago punks return with their latest album and still
bring forth the same intensity, strife, and political fire like always. While
most bands of their genre have begun to get tame and a bit lame, Rise Against
still flex serious musical muscle that shows why they will be here for the long
haul. While The Black Market is chock full of chomping riffs and screaming
vocals, the finest and heaviest moments of the record come when Tim McIlrath
sings over acoustic guitars and light drums and it is in these moments where
their message packs the most serious punch.
FINAL GRADE: B+
Basement Jaxx – Junto
The pioneering British EDM superstars return with their
first album in five years and while they have been a bit low key in the recent
years, Jaxx show that they were taking their time to perfect the beat. Junto is
a welcomed, whimsical and seriously fun dance album.
FINAL GRADE: B+
Twin Peaks – Wild Onion
The young Chicago punks return with their second album and
it outdoes anything they have done in the past. Twin Peaks, like their
contemporaries, The Front Bottoms, make the perfect blend of pop / punk and
garage that will make anyone a fan right away.
FINAL GRADE: B+
La Roux – Trouble In Paradise
They started off as a duo, now, La Roux is down to Elly
Jackson who carries the torch and now, musical burden of trying to sustain the
magic her band had five years when they arrived. Trouble in Paradise is her
effort and no one elses and she proves she can hold it down on her own and doesn’t
need anyone’s help.
FINAL GRADE: B+
Manic Street Preachers – Futurology
The Welish indie rockers return with their 12th
album and showcase one of the most interesting albums of their entire career.
Instead of feeding off the Britrock scene they came from, Manic’s return with
an album filled with Krautrock and electronic influences that is sure to turn
heads and please fans, new and old.
FINAL GRADE: B+
Antlers – Familiars
The Antlers were a band that rose thanks to their 2009
release, the dark and heavy Hospice. After much acclaim, another two albums and
handful of EP’s in between, The Antlers go back to the heavy and dark spaces
that made them a band to watch five years ago. Familiars is a back to basics
record for the New York band.
FINAL GRADE: B
Trash Talk
The Florida metal / punks came back with a free album for
fans and bring the noise and funk on a release that hears them just being
themselves.
FINAL GRADE: B
Judas Priest – Redeemer of Souls
The British metal gods return with a new album that
showcases they are not fucking around as they get older. Redeemer of Souls is
classic Priest and enough to show the current generation how it is done –
still.
FINAL GRADE: B
Midnight Masses – Departures
The long awaited debut album from one of New York’s most
interesting bands to emerge in recent years has finally arrived. Departures is
Midnight Masses opus to love, death, and trying to pick up the pieces of a life
fallen apart. A somber and beautifully put together album that is heavy in
subject matter but melodic in tone.
FINAL GRADE: B
Morrissey – World Peace is None of Your Business
The King of Pain returned with his much anticipated new
album and following the success of his autobiography, it was surprising that
Moz still has things to say, but then again, someone like him will always have
reasons to flap his gums. While World Peace is not the best solo record his has
put out, it sure does pack a handful of songs that will please long time fans
and those that waited so long for this album.
FINAL GRADE: B
U.S.A. Out of Vietnam - Crashing Diseases and Incurable
Airplanes
For a pack of Canadians to call themselves U.S.A. Out of
Vietnam is pretty ballsy, but it also perfectly sums up their sound and music.
Like their name, their music is balls to the wall pure punk and hardcore that
will engage anyone who is into the genre.
FINAL GRADE: B
Clap Your Hands Say Yeah – Only Run
The Philly indie rock gods return with their fourth album
and this time bring album The National’s Matt Berninger to guest on tune. Only
Run is typical CYHSY and fans will enjoy the added songs to their collection.
FINAL GRADE: B-
The Fresh and Onlys – House of Spirits
The California garage rockers come back with their seventh
album and like CYHSY, bring more music without much change for fans to add to
the collection.
FINAL GRADE: B-
Big Wreck – Ghosts
The Canadian rockers return with their longest album to date
and bring with them engaging riffs, swelling choruses and signature licks that
will please longtime fans of this band.
FINAL GRADE: B-
Sam Smith – In The Lonely Hour
The male Adele has taken the music world by storm with his
fantastic song, “Stay” and his collaboration with Disclosure. However, his
debut, which was tipped to be one of the best of the year falls flat. In fact,
very flat. The album does more ebb than flow and after a spin or two gets very
boring, which is a shame for a man of this talent with a voice like that.
FINAL GRADE: C
Peter Murphy – Lion
The 10th solo album from the former Bauhaus
frontman is an interesting but haphazard achievement. The album was recorded
with many of the songs being improvised and recording in such a rapid manner it
comes across in the music. It feels very rushed and hasty and not as direct or
succinct as we have come to expect and get from him.
FINAL GRADE: C
Phish – Fuego
The Vermont hippies return with their 12th album,
and while the musicianship is phenomenal, the production is decent but ehh,
it’s a Phish record.
FINAL GRADE: C
Deadmau5 – while (1<2)
Canada’s EDM god returns with a double album that proves
again, that this is something that can’t be listened to but needs to be
experienced live.
FINAL GRADE: D
