Album Reviews

THE BLACK JETTS
Right On Sound
(Dead Beat)
Good to know Las Vegas isn't all about family-friendly sin—there's still some of the old-fashioned, hide-it-from-the-spouse, feel-bad-about-it-in-the-morning kind left as well. The Black Jetts' powerhouse punk & roll speaks of long nights, rough sex and the kind of memories that put a smile on your face while jeopardizing your chances of ever getting into Heaven. Sure, the Dead Boys have done this before, but they're not around anymore and the Black Jetts are, so come get your speakers and other sundry body parts blown. Michael Toland

BRITISH SEA POWER
Open Season
(Rough Trade)
The follow-up to its highly acclaimed debut The Decline of British Sea Power, BSP's Open Season scales back the postpunk noisiness of its prior work for a more tuneful take. Catchier melodies and arrangements that really let the performances breathe make songs like "Victorian Ice," "The Land Beyond" and "Be Gone" instantly winning. Put this batch of songs together with the band's usual widescreen live presentation and British Sea Power will calmly take over the world. Michael Toland [buy it]

CALLISTO
True Nature Unfolds
(Earache)
Callisto puts a Scandinavia spin on the kind of atmospheric death metal produced by Stateside bands like Isis. The Nordic band moves organically from moody hum to bombastic smash with a more pronounced Gothic influence, and its clean vocals come from a female outsider. "Worlds Collide" even draws from melancholic folk rock for its elegiac melody. The quartet still falls under Isis' shadow, but it's got the talent to pull out as it continues to develop. Michael Toland [buy it]

THE CAPITOL YEARS
Let Them Drink
(Burn and Shiver)
The Capitol Years continues its odyssey through the ins and outs of power poppin' indie rock on its latest album Let Them Drink. The Philly band hasn't refined its sound much, though it doesn't need to, either—its mid-fi, mildly psych-inflected guitar pop wears well. But bandleader Shai, Son of Eli continues to polish his songwriting; melodic gems like "Solid Gold," Nothing to Say" and the title tune are the band's best cuts yet. The quartet still hasn't made the absolute killer it no doubt has in it, but Let Them Drink gets it closer. Michael Toland [buy it]

DOVES
Some Cities
(Capitol)
Manchester's Doves proudly carry on the tradition of Big British Pop on their third album Some Cities. Themes of radical urban change, and the growing pains that come with it, meet melodies suited to climbing the stars. Much of the record has a claustrophobic, subdued feel, as if the trio is trapped under glass. But the clouds can't suppress excellent tunes like "Walk in Fire," "The Storm" and the appropriate single "Black and White Town." Michael Toland [buy it]

EMOK
Shove Your Head into the Ground and Feed It to the Earth
(Wrong)
Israeli power trio Emok combines the psychedelized Zepmetal of Jane's Addiction and the dynamic and rhythmic shifts of Dillinger Escape Plan with a dash of Middle Eastern spice. Sometimes it seems like the songs on the group's debut jerk hither and yon without warning, giving the music a disoriented feel I don't think was intended. But when the band emphasizes the Middle Eastern shadings on "Revival" and the brilliant "Kasba," it hits on a winning and fairly distinctive heavy rock sound. Watching Emok develop its raw material should prove to be pretty exciting. Michael Toland [buy it]

GZR
Ohmwork
(Sanctuary)
GZR (AKA G/Z/R or Geezer) is, of course, Black Sabbath bassist Geezer Butler's band. Those expecting the combo's third album to be a Sab clone will come away disappointed—Ohmwork is very much a modern metal record. Butler, longtime guitarist Pedro Howse, singer Clark Brown and drummer Chad Smith belch out loud, angst-ridden but riff-driven tunes that would slide in well beside today's Headbanger's Ball stars, especially those inspired by Alice in Chains and Fear Factory. Kudos also for the track "I Believe," a rare acoustic song that's not a sappy ballad. Solid stuff all the way 'round. Michael Toland [buy it]

HALF-HANDED CLOUD
Thy is a Word + Feet Need Lamps.
(Asthmatic Kitty/Sounds Familyre)
John Ringhofer, AKA Half-Handed Cloud, hails from the extended family of Christian indie rock eccentrics Danielson and Sufjan Stevens. The tunes on HHC's third record are allegedly based on lesser-known Bible verses from the Old Testament. I've no idea how true that might be, though I suppose a song like "Disaster Will Come Upon You + And You Will Not Know How to Conjure It Away" probably speaks for itself. But oddball little pop tunes like "Considered It a Loan" and "Let's Go Javelin'" definitely don't preach, and will probably find open ears on heads that enjoy Of Montreal and its ilk. Michael Toland [buy it]

HEY MOOK
Never Gets You Anywhere
(Chiltone)
This bafflingly-named band hails from Tasmania, but neither its sobriquet nor its location tell you anything about its music. The band's third album contains beautifully crafted, deeply felt roots pop tunes that would sit comfortably on the same shelf as fellow Oceanic denizens like the Triffids (without the pomp) and the Go-Betweens. Add excellent tunes like "I Signed a Heartbeat" (which boasts a pronounced soul influence) and "$50 Haircut" to leader Kim Pearce's personable singing and you've got tuneage that's hard to resist. About that name, though… Michael Toland

HIGHWATER RISING
The In Between
(Box Twenty Nine)
Highwater Rising may be the most-played band you've never heard of. Songs from The In Between have been licensed by everybody from Sex in the City to North Shore. The San Francisco-based band has recorded a disc full of hits. The record reminds me of Counting Crows' August and Everything After, deeply emotional, bordering on obsession. Aiden Hawken's voice is smooth, with kind of Jack Johnson's laid back surfer vibe happening. The In Between is full of great songs. Be prepared to utilize the repeat function on your player. Lance Looper [buy it]

THE LOVETHUGS
Babylon Fading
(Rainbow Quartz)
Norway's Lovethugs explore that mid-60s gray area, when pop music first started experimenting with acid, but before it became overtly psychedelic. This has been and is being done all over the place in the last 40 years, and it's hard to make a case for the Lovethugs being anything truly special in that regard. That said, cuts like "Wonder" and "Save My Soul" will definitely feed the jones of those with this particular capering monkey attached to the spinal cord. Michael Toland [buy it]

MAGELLAN
Symphony For a Misanthrope
(InsideOut)
Some wags might argue that progressive rock is over and done, but don't tell that to the thriving prog underground. At this point, California's Magellan is a veteran of the new breed's slow and steady rise; Symphony For a Misanthrope is the duo's sixth album. Hearkening back to the more classically-inclined style of the band's first records (see the massive epic "Cranium Reef Suite"), Magellan upholds the traditions of challenging song-structures and unusual melodies without becoming bloated on solos and pointless virtuosity. The band's humanist outlook shines on "Every Bullet Needs Blood" and "Why Water Weeds?" One of the best contemporary prog groups working, Magellan is in top form with this Symphony. Michael Toland [buy it]

THEE MISSOURI
In Voodoorama
(BlueDisguise/Tapete)
Thee Missouri practices a very curious style of enigmatic barroom balladry. The German quartet balances atmospheric washes of keyboards and pedal steel and a singer who sounds resigned to his fate on percolating electronic beats that (mostly) stay far away from dance music. Though the group keeps its sense of humor, it still makes somber music—what do song titles like "If They Ever Steal Your Amazing Grace," "This is For When You Come Too Early and Leave Too Late" and "Laughing Over My Grave" (a Ray Stevens cover!) suggest about the mindset here? This is music for late night pondering of exactly why she walked out the door. Michael Toland [buy it]