Album Reviews
QUALONE
Qualone
(Lucid Haze)
One of the problems I have with a lot of the early 70s journeymen metalheads like Cactus and Trapeze is that they're so…earthbound, mundane even. They just don't sound like they've taken enough acid, ya know? Georgia's Qualone solves that problem by injecting a healthy dose of lysergic goo right into their riff-rocking veins. Like a ten-ton diesel barreling down the highway carrying a payload of mushrooms, the quartet weaves from powerhouse rockers like "Another Way" and "I'll Be Gone" to psilocybin-laced sludge like "Mind Cloud" and the closing "Mushroom Flower," proving themselves expert drivers stoned or sober. I'm most fond of the tunes that crossbreed thug and flowerchild—check out "Insanity Ride," "The Kind" and the frenzied instrumental "Thetan Stomp" for the coolest kicks. Oh yeah, this is the good shit. Michael Toland [buy it]
DAVID SINGER & THE SWEET SCIENCE
The Stars Burn Out
(Engine Studios)
Wags might ask the question: does the world really need another piano-pop singer/songwriter who's too smart for his own good? Well, if said songwriter's tunes are as good as David Singer's, why the hell not? As comfortable with Jimmy Webbed ballads as with Joe Jacksoned rock, Singer runs from sneeringly smartass ("Is Anybody Out There?") to painfully poignant ("They Called Her Styrene"). He's got a nice voice and the Sweet Science contributes appropriate backup. Yeah, it's nothing new stylistically, but the world always needs another distinctive songwriting voice, and Singer's got that. So there. Michael Toland [buy it]
SPOCK'S BEARD
Octane
(InsideOut)
On the second album since the departure of original bandleader Neal Morse and striking out in a heavier direction, Spock's Beard returns to form. Of course, the L.A. band does it by almost meticulously copying its Morse-era sound. That's no crime, of course—it's arguable that the group's artistic choices were as much a product of the chemistry of this particular collection of players as it was of Morse's writing. But the ballads, the keyboard-heavy arrangements, the dynamic melodies and drummer/singer Nick D'Virgilio's newfound rasp all point to a deliberate attempt to ape past Beard triumphs like Day For Night. While the writing hasn't quite hit that peak yet, the band's got the style nailed, as well it should. Longtime Beard fans should be happy. Michael Toland [buy it]
TWO TIME POLKA
The Very Best of Two Time Polka
(Toucan Cove/Madacy)
It may be because I have a natural affinity for silliness, but I really enjoyed listening to this record. I also have to admire a band so impressed with itself that its third album is a best-of collection. But there is no arguing with the music. Two Time Polka is a group of gifted musicians and their cocktail of zydecajun and bluegrass is a sticky-smooth combination. Calling this a polka record is really selling it short; while the disc gets off to a decidedly Polish flavor with "Bayou Pompon," it quickly transitions into the very Cajun "J'etais au bal." Other tracks of particular interest are "Tom and Jerry," an instrumental feast with amazing picking by Ray Barron and the boys, and a cover of the Rolling Stones' "No Expectations." The Very Best of Two Time Polka is fun for the whole family. Lance Looper [buy it]
WATCHERS
Dunes Phase
(Gern Blandsten)
Chicago's Watchers make an earnest attempt at combining hard-driving straight funk with the kind of new wave dissonance pioneered by Gang of Four, filtered through dub. I love the concept, but I don't think the band has quite got the execution down yet. I like the group best when it's riding a groove, as on the opening track "To the Rooftops," or just going for straight new wave action, as with "Blik 'em," rather than when they try to mix it up. Not that it's impossible to do so, just that Watchers haven't quite hit the sweet spot yet. Michael Toland [buy it]
THE ZINEDINES
Take Me Take Me
(Rainbow Quartz)
The Spanish pop group is back with its third album Take Me Take Me, a guitar-heavy approach to psychedelic rock. Manel Martinez has a relaxed cadence in his vocals that contrast the ultra full sound of the band's trippy style. The songs are rhythmic and steady, and avoid cheesy instrumentals that are rampant on most new psycho pop records. Miguel Martinez' guitar playing is exquisite, with seamless transitions and focused riffs. For fans of the genre, Take Me Take Me will likely see heavy rotation. Lance Looper [buy it]
