Album Reviews


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Published: Mar 31, 2010

Has To Be Beautiful

Listen: Twee means small, not feeble, so underestimate tiny British pop-folk duo Slow Club at your own risk. Yeah: A lot of songs start pretty, all boy-girl harmonies and gentle plucking. But: Half the time they're warming up to something else: a dance beat, a rock 'n' roll hook, a perky, life-loving chorus. It's always pretty, though. Even: Songs like "Because We're Dead" and "When I Go" — ones that wallow in heartache, loss and death — can't shake the band's overarching upbeat defiance. Sounds like: The meek are tired of waiting for their inheritance.

—Patrick Rapa

Weirdos Exposed

Let's not forget: We're a hotbed of weird. On trails blazed by latter-day Philly avants Need New Body and current standard bearers Man Man, we now see groups like Da Comrade and Circadian Rhythms scurrying adventurously along the fringes. Almost to a fault: The latter's self-titled debut is loose. "Sister Sadie" is a mishmash of thumby keyboards and missed guitar notes. The indulgent "La Di Da My Lady" dwells in distant grunts and growls that probably didn't impress the titular paramour. But in the same style, "Sunrise" succeeds with pots-n-pans percussion and a comical bleating horn. Totally Rain Dogs. "Mirror" is a breezy psych-pop road trip shuffle; the playful "Feat" might be Roy Orbison reimagined by Frank Zappa. While: Circadian Rhythms is not without misfires, it delightfully hits the mark more often than not. We'll take bold, weird adventure anytime.

—John Vettese

Are you dead?

Stop: Like Best Coast, Dum Dum Girls might be a product of the new twee LA, but there's no need to worry about preciousness overload when they play Making Time (April 2). Indeed: Their beats speed, their melodies soar and their lyrics celebrate stuff like Nancy Drew ("Blank Girl") or adolescent crushes ("Yours Alone"). But darkness abounds: The irresistible "Jail La La" is a nervous, neurotic account of waking up from a blackout at a freaky show ("This woman's clearly out of her mind/ She's covered in shit and high as a kite.") The Throwing Muses-y "Bhang Bhang I'm a Burnout" wonders, "In your head, are you dead?" while the quiet closer "Baby Don't Go" is breathtaking in its melancholic desperation. Screw innocence: This album's most forgettable moments ("Rest of Our Lives") are actually its more typical romantic pop songs. Bring the noise.

—John Vettese

Joined At The Hipsters

Who: Conjoined, singing, ukulele-playing sisters (or maybe it's just Dresden Dolls' Amanda Palmer and Seattle busker Jason Webley). What: A sort of vaudevillian musical tall tale that follows our curiously bland heroines from the sideshow to the stage. OK: These are some choice guest stars: Margaret Cho, "Weird" Al Yankovic, Eugene Mirman, Tegan and Sara, Frances Cobain. And the ambition, shticky/grotesque humor and wacky drama-rama of it all are admirable, but the yawning narration and uneven tone keep the listener from getting lost in the story. And, while there are a few jingle-licious melodies, there's really no need to listen twice. Plus: For all its quirks, Evelyn Evelyn feels like familiar territory. It's: Post-post-modern art rock. Or hipsterized magic realism. It's also: Big Fish with Pitchfork references.

—Patrick Rapa