Keith Urban & Nicole Kidman: The Fighter
Anohni Hopelessness Antony Hegarty is no more. Now shes simply Anohni. Its not the only big change in her world since 2010s Swanlights. The former Johnsons leaders latest release Hopelessness unveils a drastic artistic reinvention, discarding the baroque chamber-pop of her former persona for edgy, experimental soundscapes created in collaboration with electronica composer-producers Hudson Mohawke and Oneohtrix Point Never. The shadowy, skittery, scratchy and sometimes strange surroundings arent totally unfamiliar, though; her rich voice retains the tremulous, throaty passion of her previous life, while her poetic lyrics continue to tackle everything from intensely personal topics like death and love to universal themes like global warming and drone warfare. So even though it may sometimes live up to its bleak title, it is more about living up to great expectations than giving in to despair.
RATING: 4 (out of 5)
James Blake The Colour in Anything
Colour him anything but foolish. Or unprepared. Less than two weeks after making a standout cameo on Beyonces surprise smash album, British post-modern singer-keyboardist Blake strikes while the Lemonade is still hot with a surprise album of his own. And anyone who appreciated Beys Forward or his two previous albums should have no complaints about this 76-minute batch of lusciously styled electro-soul ballads that mix haunting high-tech ambience with his mournfully trembling croon and yearning lyrics (and sweeten it with input from Frank Ocean, Bon Iver and Rick Rubin). Beyonce isnt the only one who knows what to do with lemons.
RATING: 4 (out of 5)
Pierce the Veil Misadventures
Im not a kid anymore, admits PTVs Vic Fuentes on Misadventures. Indeed not: But that doesnt deter the baby-faced singer-guitarist from acting like one. Or screaming like one. The 33-year-old punk continues to channel his angst-fuelled inner teen on the San Diego bands long-awaited fourth album, venting his emotions atop a stylishly produced but stylistically stereotypical collection of intricately knotted guitars and cathartically propulsive post-hardcore all pitched straight at the alienated youth inside your house (or heart). Not an adolescent (arrested or otherwise)? Youll wish Fuentes and co. would grow up already.
RATING: 2.5 (out of 5)
BOX SETS Day of the Dead Various Artists
American beauties. And a few Canadian ones for good measure. Compiled and curated by The Nationals Aaron and Bryce Dessner, the Red Hot fundraiser Day of the Dead is probably the largest Grateful Dead tribute album in history: 59 songs by nearly that many performers, spread across five CDs that last nearly five and a half hours. Arguably, it is also the coolest compilation of its kind, thanks to a roster crammed with beloved indie artists of all stylistic stripes, with nary a major-label ringer or sore-thumb popster in sight. Something else its crammed with: Dozens of inspired reinterpretations and more than a few radical reinventions that honour the Deads restless creative spirit as much as their words and lyrics. Among the highlights: The War on Drugs breezy 80s flashback on Touch of Grey; Phosphorescent and Jenny Lewiss granola crunching Sugaree; Kurt Vile and J Mascis jangling Box of Rain; Courtney Barnetts slow-rolling New Speedway Boogie; Wilco and Bob Weirs live version of St. Stephen; Charles Bradley and Menahan Streets down n dirty Cumberland Blues; Marijuana Deathsquads noisy freakout on Truckin; Lucinda Williams dirge-like Goin Down the Road Feelin Bad; Tal Nationals lilting Eyes of the World; The Walkmens old-timey Ripple; Unknown Mortal Orchestras squiggle-funk take on Shakedown Street; Stephen Maklmus & The Jicks epic noodlefest China Cat Sunflower -> I Know You Rider; Fed Ups punkadelic Cream Puff War; Flaming Lips interstellar voyage to Dark Star; and several superior selections from the Dessners and National. A long, strange and very satisfying trip.
RATING: 4.5 (out of 5)Jethro Tull Aqualung: 40th Anniversary Adapted Edition
When is a 40th anniversary edition not a 40th anniversary edition? When its this 40th anniversary edition of Jethro Tulls Aqualung, my friend. The main problem: Ian Anderson and the British prog-rockers landmark fourth album came out in 1971 45 years ago and was already celebrated with a 40th anniversary Special Edition in 2011. So why is it back just five years later in a so-called Adapted Edition? Well, supposedly because fans disliked the mastering on the previous go-round. So the powers that be brought in remix master Steven Wilson who has already handled several other titles in Tulls recent reissue series to give it a shot. And its hard to grumble about the results: As usual, Wilson subtly improves and cleans up the sound quality while maintaining the integrity of flute-rock classics like Cross-Eyed Mary, Hymn 43, Locomotive Breath and the title cut. Like its predecessor, this version also includes a second CD of excellent associated recordings including outtakes and the Life is a Love Song EP along with one DVD of 5.1 audio mixes, another featuring an old quad mix, hi-res flat transfers of all the music and a short promo film. And theres an 80-page book containing a 6,000 word essay, anecdotes from the bandmembers, lyrics, photos, tour itineraries and more. It doesnt have the vinyl and Blu-ray audio of the previous edition, but its been repackaged into the same book-box formula as previous reissues like WarChild and A Passion Play, so it will fit in seamlessly on your shelf. More simply: If you already own the 2011 box and arent too picky, youre good. But if youd like to upgrade your old CD or vinyl version, theres never been a better time and likely wont be until 2021.
RATING: 4.5 (out of 5)
NOW HEAR THIS
Mike Posner At Night, Alone.
Fame is lonely. Touring is hard. And pop stardom can suck. Posner has learned those hard lessons. And on his overdue second disc, he voices them in soul-searching ballads that favour emotional honesty over commerciality. Ironically, he ends up with his most substantive album and his biggest hit in I Took a Pill in Ibiza. Looks like he wont be much happier anytime soon.
RATING: 3.5 (out of 5)Keith Urban Ripcord
Remember when Keith Urban was a country singer? Well, not these days. Taking up where he left off on 2013s Fuse, the Australian hunk-turned-Idol judge continues to infuse his banjo-picked melodies and nice-guy lyrics with pop-chart elements like dance beats, hick-hop grooves, electronics and cameos by Pitbull and Nile Rodgers. Go ahead and jump.
RATING: 3.5 (out of 5)
Meghan Trainor Thank You
It isnt all about that bass anymore. With this eagerly anticipated follow-up to her starmaking, Grammy-nominated 2015 debut Title, Trainor embraces her inner diva with more lyrical attitude and confidence and deepens her tropical R&B and pop with a host of new collaborators who outfit her with bigger hooks, melodies and arrangements. Youre welcome.
RATING: 3.5 (out of 5)
James McCartney The Blackberry Train
File Under: Jumping the tracks. But in an interesting way. Paul and Lindas son changes direction and rocks out on his sophomore album, enlisting notoriously uncompromising engineer Steve Albini for numbers that add gritty guitar lines and harder sonic edges to the impeccable, timeless songcraft that clearly runs in the family. An interesting journey.
RATING: 3 (out of 5)
The Rides Pierced Arrow
Theyre in second gear. Three years after their debut, the triumvirate of Stephen Stills, Kenny Wayne Shepherd and Electric Flag keyboardist Barry Goldberg head out for another spin with a casual blend of electric blues-rockers, mellower fare reminiscent of CSNY, and a couple of tasteful classic covers. More of a Sunday cruise than a drag race, but still swell.
RATING: 3 (out of 5)
Damon Albarn Songs From Wonder.Land
We are through the looking glass, people. And down the digital rabbit hole thanks to Damon Albarn. The prolific polymath wrote the score for this high-tech update of Lewis Carrolls Alice and Wonderland tales so naturally, it balances showtuney numbers sung by kids against eccentric pop-rockers about avatars, reality and identity. Curiouser and curiouser.
RATING: 3 (out of 5)
Martina McBride Reckless
Reckless? Whos she kidding? The Nashville vets 13th disc could be the least impetuous thing Martina has done. Retreating to her earnest country-ballad comfort zone after 2014s soulful Everlasting, McBride plays it safe with hired-gun hitmakers, covers of Lady A and O.A.R., and a Keith Urban duet. Its about as risky as flipping a two-headed coin.
RATING: 2 (out of 5) Skydiggers Here Without You: The Songs of Gene Clark
Eight Miles High and back down to earth. The Canadian roots mainstays (and producer Michael Timmins) celebrate the late great former Byrds member Clark by respectfully deconstructing eight of his classics, stripping away the folk-rock hippie jangle and recasting them as everything from bare-bones folk to experimental art-rock. Stranger than known.
RATING: 3.5 (out of 5)
Andy Black The Shadow Side
Back as Black. But not in Black. Lets start again: Black Veil Brides frontman Andy Biersack changes his handle for his first solo album and changes his tune to go along with, tempering the guitar-driven glam-slam metal of his day job for a far more commercial sound based around electronics and big anthemic choruses. Why? Only his Shadow knows.
RATING: 3 (out of 5) Niki & The Dove Everybodys Heart is Broken Now
Well, not everybody. But someone in this female-fronted Swedish dance-pop duo seems to have been on the wrong end of a breakup. And on their second album, that translates into a ballad-heavy set that lowers the tempo and tone on their amalgam of 70s Fleetwood Mac pop and Princely 80s synth-funk. It may be a heartbreaker, but its no dealbreaker.
RATING: 3 (out of 5)
Texas Hippie Coalition Dark Side of Black
Despite their name (and its acronym), THC are not hippies. They are a thunderingly aggressive metal band, fronted by Big Dad Ritch, a man-mountain with the vocal stylings of a Mack Truck rumbling uphill. And their fifth disc is another mammoth blast of sludgy riff-metal laced with evil lyrics about drugs, wimmen, likker and killing. Ignore them at your peril.
RATING: 3.5 (out of 5)
Kid Congo & The Pink Monkey Birds La Araa Es La Vida
What has eight legs and rules the underground? The Teotihuacan Spider Woman. Though we would also accept Kid Congo Powers and his Pink Monkey Birds, who worship the ancient Mexican goddess on their latest album when they arent bashing out noisy nuggets of garage-punk psychedelia and twang-laced Chicano-rock instrumentals. Qu chido.
RATING: 3.5 (out of 5)
Jean-Michel Jarre Electronica 2: The Heart of Noise
Some guys never get tired of pushing buttons. After enlisting everyone from John Carpenter to Pete Townshend for Electronica 1, Jarre doubles down with more pulsing, pumping, sweeping, bleeping, twitchy and/or glitchy synth-rock duets this time with Pet Shop Boys, Primal Scream, Peaches and even Edward Snowden. Speaking of pushing buttons.
RATING: 2 (out of 5)
Head Wound City A New Wave of Violence
Time heals all wounds. A decade after their sole EP, noise-punk supergroup HWC starring members of Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Blood Brothers and Locust finally reconvene. And make up for lost time with this feverishly intense collision of fuzz-grind guitars, frenzy-shriek vocals and unpredictably shifting beats. Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Violence.
RATING: 4 (out of 5)
Gregory Porter Take Me to the Alley
Is there an alley behind Easy Street? Because thats where Porter is these days, thanks to his 2013 Grammy-winning platinum release Liquid Spirit. This followup proves that was no fluke, as the California singer-songwriter takes his seductive baritone for another smooth stroll between the worlds of jazz, gospel, soul and R&B. Its right up his you know.
RATING: 4 (out of 5)
Kaytranada 99.9%
Up from the underground. Literally. Haitian-born Montreal DJ Louis (Kaytranada) Celestin reportedly still shares a basement bedroom with his brother. But his official debut discs effortlessly endearing tracks and low-key jams laced with cameos by Craig David, Anderson .Paak and AlunaGeorge, among others show his star is quickly rising. Pure joy.
RATING: 3.5 (out of 5)
IN THE PIPELINE
May 20
Barenaked Ladies, BNL Rocks Red Rocks Car Seat Headrest, Teens of Denial Eric Clapton, I Still Do Bob Dylan, Fallen Angels Ariana Grande, Dangerous Woman Ziggy Marley, Ziggy Marley Mudcrutch, 2 Laura Mvula, The Dreaming Room Blake Shelton, If Im Honest Tiger Army, V
Twitter: @darryl_sterdan dsterdan@postmedia.com
Source: http://www.torontosun.com/2016/05/13/anohni-meghan-trainor-keith-urban-and-james-blake-top-this-weeks-new-music
