Album Reviews

NADINE
Strange Seasons
(Trampoline)
Introspective roots rock band Nadine's fourth album is tasteful, heartfelt, well-crafted and melodic. It's also pretty dull. Everything seems to have the same plodding tempo, the same sluggish guitar solos, the same pleading vocal tones and the same air of general malaise—the band itself sounds bored. So how am I supposed to be drawn in? Michael Toland [buy it]

THE POSTER CHILDREN
No more songs about sleep and fire.
(Hidden Agenda)
The Poster Children have been whanging out their jagged postpunk pop for over a decade now, and haven't lost a step. Indeed, if the excellent No more songs about sleep and fire. is any indication, they're only now hitting their stride. This is what I wish Spoon sounded like. Michael Toland [buy it]

THE REPTILE PALACE ORCHESTRA
We know you know
(Omnium)
Another wonderfully weird collection from Madison, Wisconsin's favorite psychedelic Balkan folk rock jazz worldbeat band. The RPO is like sex: when they're good, they're mind-blowing, and when they're bad (was the cover of the Ides of March's "Vehicle" really necessary?), they're still pretty darn good. Michael Toland [buy it]

DON RIGSBY
The Midnight Call
(Sugar Hill)
Mandolinist Rigsby learned the bluegrass ropes by hanging with Ricky Skaggs and Keith Whitley, and it shows in his faith-informed music and sweet and very Whitley-like tenor vocals. Rigsby leans more on songs than breakneck instrumental virtuosity, so The Midnight Call is almost more of an acoustic country record than a bluegrass one. Which means it should have wide appeal outside the usual circle of pickers and grinners. Michael Toland [buy it]

THE SINGLES
Better Than Before
(Rainbow Quartz)
These days Detroit is becoming to jangly, psychedelic guitar pop what Sweden is to heavy rock: a bottomless wellspring of good groups. Sure, the Singles don't do anything the Sights, Outrageous Cherry, etc. haven't already done, but they do the two-minute pop gem thing so well on "I'll Be Good to You," "See You Again," "Until You Came Along" and the rest that it doesn't matter that they're stomping well-trod ground. Produced by Jim Diamond at Ghetto Recorders, of course. Michael Toland [buy it]