Album Reviews
PAUL DUNCAN
Be Careful What You Call Home
(Home Tapes)
Despite a touch of weirdness, Be Careful What You Call Home is a pretty listenable disc. Paul Duncan's vocals are smooth, backed by haunting instruments. The electronica sound is wearing thin these days, but Duncan is just original enough to bring something new with this record. The disc gets repetitive at times, like on "Toy Bell," which actually gave me headache. But that was essentially the only hiccup in an otherwise totally cool record. Michael Toland [buy it]
DUNGEN
Ta Det Lugnt
(Subliminal Sounds/Kemado)
This is the album that made Swedish psychedelic avatar Dungen a big name in the indie rock underground. And no wonder: Ta Det Lugnt (essentially "Take It Easy") is an utter delight for anyone with even a half-interest in psychedelic rock. Like England's Bevis Frond, Dungen takes 60s psychedelia and updates it for a modern audience without downplaying what made it special in the first place. Bandleader Gustav Ejstes is good at every permutation: garage rock, acid folk, jangly pop, aggressive jamming, jazzy meditations, feedback scree—you name it. It's all on display here (especially on the Kemado version, which has an extra disk's worth of tunes), tightly focused by Ejstes' personable voice and masterful songwriting. Believe the hype. Michael Toland [buy it]
ELECTRIC EEL SHOCK
Beat Me
(Gearhead)
With a seemingly quick follow-up to Go USA! (ain't international distribution fun?), Japan's Electric Eel Shock is back for another synapse-pounding round of sneering rock action on Beat Me. There's a distinct 70s heavy rock vibe here; Thin Lizzy and Motörhead must have replaced the Ramones and the MC5 on the Shock's turntable. There's also an audible tightening of the reins; tunes like "Rock & Roll Kills the Blues," "I Can Hear the Sex Noise" and a funky cover of the Sabs' "Iron Man" practically tremble with barely-restrained energy. The anarchic edge may be under control, but EES still sounds like a nuclear explosion waiting to happen. Brian Briscoe [buy it]
FEAR FALLS BURNING
he spoke in dead tongues
(Ikon/Projekt)
Two disks' worth of long, drawn-out guitar drones from Belgian instrumentalist vidnaObmana. He spoke in dead tongues floats in the same pool as Steve Roach, Earth and even Sunn 0)), though without the menacing aura of the latter or the classical creds of the former. This is pretty much the definition of ambient, and you're either into this kind of unobtrusive audio wallpaper or you're not. Your choice, bucko. Michael Toland [buy it]
THE FIREBALL MINISTRY
Their Rock is Not Our Rock
(Liquor and Poker)
L.A.'s Fireball Ministry return with a new bassist (again) and a heavier sound on Their Rock is Not Our Rock. An abundance of power chord riffs and traditionalist hard rock melodies keep tunes like "Under the Thunder," "Hellspeak" and "Save the Saved" at a furious boil. A band like the Ministry isn't likely to be known for its innovation, but I doubt these guys care. If you want some no-nonsense heavy rockin', the Fireball Ministry will soothe your soul. Michael Toland [buy it]
MARY FLOWER
Bywater Dance
(Yellow Dog)
Mary Flower's Yellow Dog debut Bywater Dance is a classic blues record, and I was blown away. When I opened up the case and saw her picture, I thought about how out of place she seemed. Then I started listening. She is a fantastic musician, picking her way through the songs with enough attitude for all of New Orleans. She is joined by some of the town's best musicians and the recent devastation of the city makes this record particularly relevant. Lance Looper [buy it]
JOHN FOGERTY
The Long Road Home
(Fantasy)
Celebrating his dubious re-signing with his old nemesis Fantasy Records, John Fogerty issues The Long Road Home, the first compilation to encompass both his solo work and Creedence Clearwater Revival. Fogerty is one of the most consistent songwriters in rock, and mixing 80s and 90s cuts like "The Old Man Down the Road," "Déjà Vu (All Over Again)" and "Hot Rod Heart" with the usual CCR classics (you know what they are) makes perfect sense. I could quibble with song selection, of course (Nothing from Eye of the Zombie? Not even "Change in the Weather?"), but it's impossible to deny the pleasures of that voice, that guitar and those songs, even when I've heard them a million times before. The only unreleased tracks are a handful of live recordings from his most recent tour, with eccentric choices like "Bootleg" and "Keep On Chooglin'," which is oddly preceded by a Yngwie Malmsteen-like classical metal intro. Michael Toland [buy it]
FRIENDS OF DEAN MARTINEZ
Lost Horizon
(Aero)
Now that's service—Friends of Dean Martinez quickly follows up its excellent live album Club 2 with a new studio record. Lost Horizon has a tad more aggression, in the form of more distortion on Mike Semple's guitar and Bill Elm's pedal steel, though the tempos are as leisurely and the melodies as stately as ever. There are some seriously gnarly tones here, but somehow the distortion just adds to the beauty of the songs' wide open spaces. Michael Toland [buy it]
THE IDAHO FALLS
Concrete Prairie
(Tone2)
The Idaho Falls' new Concrete Prairie takes a rib-poking approach to alt.country. Void of the rockabilly attitude and droning lyrics, this record stands apart from the growing pack of urban hillbilly music. The band sings with a sense of humor, though my own sense of humor is not sharp enough to catch on to whether or not it is intentional. I love Heather Goldberg's voice, and my only valid beef with this album is there should have been more of her wailing. "Concrete Prairie" is my favorite, jumpy and unexpected. The Idaho Falls have discovered a pretty good formula with this record. Michael Toland [buy it]
DAN ISRAEL
Dan Israel
(Eclectone)
Dan Israel's sixth CD is self-titled for good reason: it's probably the most representative of his artistic soul of anything he's done. His first record since the birth of his son, Dan Israel channels the Minneapolis-based songwriter's love of pop melody, roots rock instrumentation and lyrical acumen into the tightest, most focused set of songs in his career. This is the sound of a man channeling his soul into your speakers, giving the gift of life. Dan Israel is Dan Israel. Michael Toland [buy it]
