Album Reviews

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Published: Feb 9, 2010

Life After Dark

How could: Hot Chip follow up Made in the Dark, 2008's tight rubber-band ball of cut-a-damn-rug exaltation? Easy: In classic artist-needs-to-grow fashion, they're baby-stepping toward more classic instrumentation. The result: While tracks like the somber "Keep Quiet" explore the new direction (listen to Joe Goddard's docile vocals on "Alley Cats" and tell me it couldn't be a Belle & Sebastian B-side), head-bobbers will dig the galloping optimism of "Thieves in the Night," the swaggering, steel drumming title track or the house-infused "We Have Love."

New American Misery

Remember: When MagFields was a one-man mope-pop synth show? This is No. 3 in a streak of pointedly synth-free albums. Now: Stephin Merritt loves a good contrivance, so it's also an acoustic companion to 2008's feedback fest Distortion, peppered with nifty folk, plinky period pieces and genre breakdowns. Thematically: He's repeating himself — "You Must Be Out of Your Mind" echoes "Long Forgotten Fairytale," while "Better Things" references Distant Plastic Trees' wolfboy. Then again: There are only so many ways to say "I love you, I'm miserable, hope you are, too."

 

Eternal Flame

Granted: Laura Veirs is a master of woozy paeans to natural phenomena, and "Wide-Eyed, Legless" bolsters her reputation. However: July Flame is more stripped down than her last few efforts, with more piano and banjo than Veirs (who plays World Café Live Wed., Feb. 17) has used in years. She's borrowed: My Morning Jacket's Jim James, who sings on four tracks, and Arthur Rimbaud's poem "The Sleeper in the Valley." Extra credit: "Life Is Good Blues" blesses a hot-shit drummer using minimal percussion, while "Carol Kaye" pays homage to the legendary session bassist without any bass at all.

The Best of "Tougher Than the Rest"
Freeway
Eat Your Birthday Cake
Pink Skull
Tegan and Sara
Re: Freshmen
Taken By Trees
Birdie Busch
Jemina Pearl
Leather