Album Reviews
THE LONG WINTERS
Ultimatum
(Barsuk)
A stop-gap but more than just a holding pattern, Ultimatum marks time until the Long Winters' new record. Leader John Roderick graces the disk with some top-notch new tunes that really show his heart-stapled-to-sleeve pop at its best advantage. "You play hard to want," he croons on "Delicate Hands" in a voice approaching, but never reaching, anguish, "You're hard to crumble up/I belong to somebody already gone." The title cut, "Everything is Talking" and "The Commander Thinks Aloud" are just as good; a pair of live tracks round things out. Nice! Michael Toland [buy it]
THE LOVETONES
Meditations
(Tee Pee)
Meditations, the Lovetones' second American release, mixes 60s-infused psychedelia with an anthemic streak born from the wide open spaces of the band's native Australia. Leader Matthew J. Tow is a fine songwriter, ranging from Brian Jonestown Massacre-like garage rock ("[I Gotta] Feel") and arena-ready anthems ("Genius," "Come Home") to keyboard-driven prog ("The Color and the Cut") and a kind of widescreen psychedelic balladry ("Across the Sea," "It's Not Over Yet"). Oddly, the album doesn't really hit its stride until about halfway through its 60 minutes, but when it does, it soars. And the prior songs ain't too shabby in any case. Excellent. Michael Toland [buy it]
THE LUCY SHOW
Mania
(Words On Music)
Originally released in 1986, Mania was the second and unfortunately final album by England's Lucy Show. The band, led by singers/songwriters Mark Bandola and Rob Vandeven, specialized in the kind of guitar-driven janglepop so many combos in that era assayed. The Lucy Show didn't have a new twist on the formula, but it did what it did extremely well, with loads of sharp hooks, strong singing and shimmering guitar figures. It's a sound that, in the right hands, is downright refreshing, especially heard now. Words On Music's edition has not only bright, remastered sound but also a nice handful of live cuts and outtakes. Michael Toland [buy it]
MOONLIGHT TOWERS
Like You Were Never There
(Spinster)
You know, progressive rock, psychedelic improvisation, black metal and balls-to-the-wall power rock are all good things, but sometimes you just gotta have some straightforward, no-bullshit songcraft, y'know? Some catchy melodies, heart-on-sleeve lyrics and unfancy performances. Moonlight Towers more than delivers on its latest album Like You Were Never There. The Austin band infuses tight, tuneful cuts like "I Sleep Alone," "Every Second Drags" and the beautiful "Sparks Will Fly" with a dusty, Southwestern edge, keeping slickness at bay while retaining a strong sense of craft. And though frontguy James Stevenson stays within the bounds of taste in his vocals, it's easy to tell that he means every word he sings. Simply wonderful. Michael Toland [buy it]
MY MORNING JACKET
Z
(ATO/RCA)
Z, My Morning Jacket's fourth joint, is the all-important Follow-Up To An Acclaimed Album. After the relative success of It Still Moves, Kentucky's finest have to figure out where to go next to advance the cause. Interestingly, MMJ hooks up with British producer John Leckie (XTC, etc.) to make a lush, diverse record that proves the band can work in any venue it chooses. The quintet confidently adds giddy, keyboard-led pop ("What a Wonderful Man," "Wordless Chorus," "Anytime") and quirky psychedelia ("Off the Record") to its arsenal of anthemic rock ("Lay Low") and delicate ballads ("Knot Comes Loose," "It Beats For You") to excellent effect. The band's telepathic interplay shows off the benefits of constant touring, and leader Jim James' voice seems to grow more soulful with every song. Z expands My Morning Jacket's horizons while enforcing its original virtues, which is what a great follow-up is supposed to accomplish. Michael Toland [buy it]
PETER BJORN AND JOHN
Falling Out
(PB and J/Hidden Agenda)
The alliance of Swedes Peter Morén, Bjorn Yttling and John Eriksson produces an almost unnaturally good pop record in Falling Out. Lyrics obsess over sentiments like "Even little kittens lick the milk they've spoiled," but the brightly-colored hooks and Morén's boyish singing—a perfect blend of Michael Penn and Neil Finn—make the bitter pills slide smoothly gulletward. On "Big Black Coffin," "All Those Expectations" and "It Beats Me Every Time," the trio's arrangements are so friendly and its melodic touch so assured that they can make a song cycle about conflict and loss as irresistibly enticing as a fresh apple pie on an unguarded window sill. Michael Toland [buy it]
THE PLAINTIFFS
La Familia
(Career)
I have a treasured 45 Northwestern by songwriter Joey Kline from the early 90s; I always wondered what happened to him. Besides playing with legends like the Squirrels and Roy Loney, the guitar-slinger leads the Plaintiffs, a hard-driving roots rock/power pop quintet that's like Nick Lowe fronting the Skeletons. Kline nimbly harmonizes a smart-ass outlook with effortless melodicism and a bit of (well-concealed) heart. His flexible voice and energy-spewing band give visions like "Final Chance," "Can I Ever Get Away With Anything" and "One Eye Open" (the first ska-flavored song in two decades that hasn't made me retch) definitive treatment. Catchy, dynamic and more fun than you can usually pack into 33 minutes. Michael Toland [buy it]
REDDY TEDDY/MATTHEW MCKENZIE
Teddy Boy
(Not Lame)
The late Matthew McKenzie is pretty obscure, even in power pop circles, but that doesn't mean his music isn't worth (re)discovery. His work with the 70s band Reddy Teddy represents an earnest and largely successful attempt to blend the sounds of the Who and the Rolling Stones into rocking power pop that bristles with energy without forgetting the hooks. His 70s and 80s solo work isn't quite as raucous as RT, but it's still primarily concerned with melody and vigor. There was a lot of talent in this guy; it's too bad it didn't get more attention while he was alive. Michael Toland [buy it]
BIFF ROSE
The Thorn in Mrs. Rose's Side/Children of Light
(Water)
Biff Rose is the cult figure's cult figure, best-known for a handful of Tonight Show appearances and having his "Fill Your Heart" covered by David Bowie on Hunky Dory. The New Orleans native's and ex-comedian's first two albums, reissued here, remain most often cited by his proponents. His piano-based numbers fit more in the pre-rock tradition of Cole Porter ditties and Broadway show tunes than the 60s rock which was their original milieu, though his patter certainly carries the flavor of a man who's smoked a doobie or two. His smugly eccentric wordplay in "Communist Sympathizer," "Color Blind Blues" and "Buzz the Fuzz" (a well-meaning cop who falls in with a hipster named (groan) Alice D.) might be the height of wit to some folks, but will irritate the fuck out of others. Biff Rose is going to polarize listeners—he truly is a love-him-or-hate-him kind of guy. Me? Put it this way: I'm not gonna be picking out wedding rings anytime soon. Michael Toland [buy it]
