Album Reviews

THE SHARP THINGS
Foxes & Hounds
(Bar/None)
The Sharp Things continue their orchestral pop odyssey on their second album Foxes & Hounds. Pianist/singer Perry Serpa's tunes draw as much from the low-key soul of the 70s as the psychedelic whimsy of the 60s and the poetic craftspersonship of every era. Thus the band is equally comfortable with the Philly funk underpinnings of "The Suicide Bombers" as with the angular psych pop of "There Will Be Violins" and the adult contemporary balladry of "Hard Life." Serpa's husky baritone never overreaches, giving an unsentimental poignancy to the deceptively upbeat "These Dreams of You Are So Much Sweeter Than the Truth" and unexpected gravitus to the sardonic "I'll Always Be Your Loser, Honey." There are so many opportunities on Foxes & Hounds for the band to go over the top with sentimentality or cleverness, but it never does. Good taste and strong tunes reign in the world of the Sharp Things. Michael Toland [buy it]

SMASHING ORANGE
1991
(Elephant Stone)
Smashing Orange was a minor band in the early 90s alt.rock universe, with a couple of LPs to its credit. 1991, however, argues that the band's best work came before that; the album collects tracks originally released in Great Britain, where the American quintet found a more welcome reception for its Ride/My Bloody Valentine-style psychedelia. This kind of shoegazer dreampop (or whatever pet name you have for it) can be languid to the point of tedium, but not in Smashing Orange's hands. "Felt Like Nothing," "Cherry Rider" and "Any Further, It's All Over" boast an aggression and drive that recall 60s garage rock more than the dreamy waves employed by so many of the band's contemporaries. It also helps that leader Rob Montejo's songwriting favors substance over sound. There's nothing new here, but fans of Swervedriver, early Brian Jonestown Massacre and the angrier side of Spacemen 3 will definitely see colors. Michael Toland [buy it]

SON VOLT
A Retrospective: 1995-2000
(Warner Bros./Rhino)
Trace, Son Volt's 1995 debut album, is one of the greatest roots rock records ever released, arguably the pinnacle of the so-called alt.country movement in the 90s. Unfortunately, bandleader Jay Farrar has spent the rest of his career trying to match it and failing, as the other two Son Volt records (Straightaways and Wide Swing Tremolo) and a series of ever more lackluster solo records all sound like pale imitations of Trace. This collection samples all three Volt albums, adding a pair of Trace demos, a live cut and a surprising number of covers of everyone from Leadbelly to Big Star. The record rescues some of the better cuts from the second ("Back Into Your World") and third ("Tulsa County") albums, and is probably the most listenable Volt album since the debut. But if you've never heard Son Volt before, it's more worth your trouble to acquire Trace and save A Retrospective: 1995-2000 for when (if) you're converted. Michael Toland [buy it]

THE STONEAGE HEARTS
Guilty as Sin
(Alive)
Singer/guitarist Dom Mariani is a legend in Australia, a garage rock/power pop avatar with impeccable credentials (the Someloves, the DM3) and next to no presence outside his homeland. Too bad for us, if his latest combo the Stoneage Hearts is any indication. Tightly crafted, rawly recorded and enthusiastically performed, Guilty as Sin jolts Mariani and co-writer Ian Wettenhall's terrific power pop tunes with enough electricity to make Frankenstein's monster do the Freddy. "Get Down," "Eye of a Lie" and "Rock 'n' Roll Boys Rock 'n' Roll Girls" invite hearty singalongs, but rock the heck out as well. That goes triple for "Your Greed," a sizzling pounder that epitomizes the Stoneage Hearts' delicious chocolate crunch. Michael Toland [buy it]

TEENAGE FANCLUB
Man-Made
(Merge)
As Teenage Fanclub creeps up on its (gasp) 20th anniversary, the Glasgow quartet shows no signs of slowing down. Softening up a bit, though—that's another story. The band is at its quietest and most sedate on Man-Made, favoring mid-tempo pop tunes and clean-toned guitars. Only "Born Under a Good Sign" brings the noise to its party. That's just fine, though, as the uncluttered arrangements let the band's dissection of adult relationships glisten brightly. "Slow Fade," "Time Stops" and "Don't Hide" prove that mature pop music need not be uninvolving. Michael Toland [buy it]

THRONES
Day Late, Dollar Short
(Southern Lord)
Along with his work as bassist for the Melvins (formerly) and High On Fire (currently), Joe Preston also wrangles the studio as Thrones, churning out all manner of low-end insanity. Day Late, Dollar Short collects singles, compilation cuts and outtakes onto a handy sampler of the kind of madness in which the journeyman auteur indulges in his spare time. Preston excretes fuzz-choked basslines, merciless drum machine patterns (that avoid dance beats, thank you), queasy, occasionally regal ("Epicus Doomicus Bumpitus") synthesizers and a variety of agonzied vocals, all subjected to various kinds of digital fuckery. There's all sorts of crazy shit on this disk: pounding hard rock ("Simon Degree"), computerized wackiness ("Piano Handjob"), covers of Blue Oyster Cult, Ultravox, the Residents, the Who and Rush (part of "2112," no less) and a kind of bowel-loosening weirdness ("Davids Rib," "Obolus," "The Suckling," "Meddleman") that fits only into the genre in Preston's head. Brilliant, maddening, exciting and annoying, Day Late, Dollar Short ain't for everyone, not by a long shot. But anyone with a taste for the unselfconsciously oddball may find Thrones to be just the tonic for this chaotic universe. Lance Looper [buy it]

THE VACATION
Band From World War Zero
(Echo/World's Fair)
The Vacation's Tegel brothers may have based their band in Hollywood, but they come from St. Louis, and Band From World War Zero splits the difference between the regions' approach to rock & roll. Singer Ben has more than a touch of L.A. sleaze in his oozing drawl, and the lyrics definitely reflect a vision of big city street life. But that vision is more sadly sympathetic than celebratory, and guitarist Steve gives the hooky tunes a forthright, Midwestern rock sound that's more about Soul Asylum than any Hollywood glampires. "Make Up Your Mind," "I'm No Good" and "Hollywood Forever" explode with hooks and attitude, but never become campy or dissolute. There's a lot of promise here, already on its way to being fulfilled. Michael Toland [buy it]

VARIOUS ARTISTS
Gospel For J.F.P. III: Tribute to Jaco Pastorius
(Moonjune)
Most literature on and/or tributes to the late Jaco Pastorius focus on his innovations as a bass guitarist. Which is fine—he's not considered the Jimi Hendrix of the bass for nothing. Gospel For J.F.P. III takes a refreshingly different tack, however, concentrating on Pastorius' compositional skill. So while there's plenty of bass (both acoustic and electric, from stars and unknowns), the main thrust of these tracks is on Pastorious' often Latin-influenced melodies. The Michael Gerber Trio's "Dania" and "Microcosm," from the threesome Rich Franks, Alex Darqui and John Patitucci, prove that the bassist's tunes hold up as traditional jazz, while Gerber's "Continuum" (featuring guitarist Mike Stern) and Kenwood Dennard's "Teen Town" emphasize the fusion side for which Pastorius is best known. The best cuts here, though, are the most radical. Guitarists Hiram Bullock and Bireli Lagrene ditch the rhythm section and team up with vocal ensemble Contrafarsa for a regal "Three Views of a Secret," while Gil Goldstein daringly reinterprets "Punk Jazz" using nothing but his own overdubbed accordions. It's that kind of risk-taking Pastorius would have appreciated. Michael Toland [buy it]