Album Reviews

MAKTUB
Say What You Mean
(Velour)
Say What You Mean, the third album from Maktub, finds the Seattle quintet making no radical departures from its previously established soul/rock sound. Instead, the band refines its style, improving its songwriting and tightening its cocktail of slinky/strongarmed guitars, analog keyboards and nimble grooves. Singer Reggie Watts keeps his husky vocals in check, avoiding showy ululations and just riding the melodies. Maktub still hasn't quite come up with that truly killer track that will make it undeniable, but cuts like "20 Years," "Seeing is Believing" and the title track come damned close. One more album and Maktub may yet take over the universe. Michael Toland [buy it]

VAN MORRISON
Magic Time
(Geffen)
The title of Van Morrison's gazillionth record is pretty ballsy, but we are talking about Van the Man here, so we'll give him his props. Magic Time presents Morrison's typical blend of jazz, blues and balladry, showcasing his smooth arrangements and ever-roughening voice—if not for his ties to rock, he'd be considered the latter-day Louis Armstrong. That's hardly a bad thing, as few artists sound like this these days. Morrison's his usual moody self here, swinging from resigned heartbreak ("Lonely and Blue") and soulful romance ("This Love of Mine," "Celtic New Year") to old-coot crankiness ("They Sold Me Out," "Keep Mediocrity at Bay") to, well, old-coot resignation ("The Lion This Time," "Gypsy in My Soul"). Nothing keeps him down, though, as evidenced by "Carry On Regardless." You do that, Van, you do that. Michael Toland [buy it]

NRA
Machine
(Gearhead)
Dutch punk band NRA has finally released Machine in the states and it is much worth the wait. The disk is crammed with energetic and loud punk rock. With over 15 years in the business, the title seems like a natural fit: the band burns through the disk with machine-like precision and unrelenting power. It would be hard for any of their contemporaries to keep the pace with NRA, age be damned. It's difficult to form an opinion on any one song because the pace of the record is so brisk, with each tune exploding before the last one ends. Maybe my ear for punk has softened over the years, but it's been a while since I have listened to a band like this and I loved it. Lance Looper [buy it]

THE ORANGE PEELS
Circling the Sun
(Parasol)
The Orange Peels return with Circling the Sun, an album of pop music so aggressively catchy you'll find yourself singing along to songs you've heard only once. Ringing guitars, propulsive percussion and bittersweet harmonies rain down on leader Allan Clapp's bright melodies like a refreshing shower after sex. Clapp isn't the happiest of campers—the sadness running through "Long Cold Summer" and "I Don't Wanna Shine" adds a dash of arsenic to the punch. But the shimmering production and brightly colored hooks of "Circling the Sun," "Tonight Changes Everything" and the gorgeous opener "Something in You" attest to Clapp's belief that a great song can make everything all right. Michael Toland [buy it]

ROBERT PLANT & THE STRANGE SENSATION
Mighty Rearranger
(Sanctuary/Es Paranza)
Though he'll always be known as the singer for Led Zeppelin, Robert Plant has enjoyed a varied, creatively fruitful solo career. Expanding on the ideas raised on the last album Dreamland, Plant and his fabulous band the Strange Sensation streamline psychedelic arrangements, worldbeat rhythms and bluesy melodies into a thickly-textured, shiny rock juggernaut called Mighty Rearranger. Guitarists Justin Adams and Skin Tyson weave a gorgeous tapestry on the loom constructed by bassist Billy Fuller and drummer Clive Deamer; keyboardist John Baggott fills in the spaces and sprinkles just the right amount of electronic fairy dust. Plant's singing may be age-roughened just a tad, but he's still able to croon and howl as in days of old. The band waxes heavy on "Takamba" and "Tin Pan Valley" and softly on "Dancing in Heaven" and "All the King's Horses," sounding happiest mixing it all together in "Let the Four Winds Blow," the epic "The Enchanter" and the should-be-a-hit "Shine It All Around." The title track puts Plant's old blues rock through the band's psychedelic filter, while "Brother Ray" pays obtuse tribute to a key inspiration. Mighty Rearranger is one of the most accomplished and passionate records in Robert Plant's four-decade career. Michael Toland [buy it]

PRESTO BALLET
Peace Among the Ruins
(InsideOut)
Beneath the beer-and-bloody leather image of your average thrash metalhead beats a wine-and-silken robes progressive rock heart. At least that's the case with Kurdt Vanderhoof; the Metal Church guitarist lets his prog flag fly with his new project Presto Ballet. His metallic roots show only in his power chords, and even then he's pretty restrained. Singer Scott Albright sounds like he could ascend to a poodle-haircut shriek at any moment, but he never does. Brian Cokeley's analog keyboards share equal time in the arrangements with Vanderhoof's ax on melodies that hearken to 70s symphonic rock grooves rather than metal bombast. It's not all gold; the first half of "Find the Time" comes a little close to lighter-waving power balladry (Albright's imitation of the Scorpions' singer doesn't help), and "Slave" goes for Dream Theater territory. But "Sunshine," "Seasons" and "The Fringe" hit every progressive rock note just right. From metal cheese to prog glory—who would've guessed? Lance Looper [buy it]

REVUE NOIR
Revue Noir
(Projekt)
Revue Noir is black tape for a blue girl leader Sam Rosenthal and solo artist Nicki Jaine (plus a violinist); the partnership was born when Jaine toured with black tape as both opening act and auxiliary bandmate. Rosenthal's electronic ornamentation takes a back seat as Jaine's tastefully theatrical song stylings center each tracks on this three-song single. Rosenthal's "The Gravediggers" strikes a properly stentorian tone, while Jaine's "A Girl, a Smoke" and "Amsterdam" revel in carefully pruned bathos. Revue Noir flirts with the top, but, thanks the talent and taste of its participants, never comes close to going over it. Michael Toland [buy it]

MARC RIBOT
Spiritual Unity
(Pi)
Though released under guitarist Marc Ribot's name, this is really the work of a group sharing the record's title. Ribot, trumpeter Roy Campbell, bassist Henry Grimes and drummer Chad Taylor bring their diverse yet similar backgrounds in experimental music and their awesome chops to a set of tunes designed for "re-creating the collective musical process of Albert Ayler." Not, alas, having heard Ayler (the most spiritual of free jazzers), I've no idea if they pulled that off or not, though the presence of longtime Ayler bassist Grimes helps, I'm sure. But dynamic collective improvisations on Ayler's "Truth is Marching In," "Bells" and "Saints" and Ribot's beautiful "Invocation" definitely chase spirits in and out of the halls of calm, dissonance, humor, energy and beauty. Michael Toland [buy it]