Goodness! I got so excited about some of the albums coming out this week that I forgot to write about them. There are some great new albums hitting shelves across North America and a few that I have been eagerly anticipating. I think between the awesome news of Better Than Ezra's new material in almost five years, some classic tunage from Queen and/or Robert Plant, and a dash of heavy metal from Swedish pioneers In Flames makes this week a rather interesting batch of goodies.
Oh and let's not forget about some homegrown Canadian music from Sloan and Toronto groups Death From Above 1979 and Crimson Shadows! These albums will be sure to keep you motivated wherever you are in the day. So be a doll and make my blog writing worthwhile by hitting up a local record store, online retailer, or an authorized digital source to purchase these great albums! Cheers and enjoy the music.
(Interpol - El Pintor)
As a result, 'El Pintor' is worlds apart from the difficult, dirge-y 'Interpol'. Instead, it circles back around to the sonorous, tremulous sounds of the glory days, emulating their first two albums 'Turn On The Bright Lights' and 'Antics' while adding new ideas along the way. 'Same Town, New Story' subtly showcases Banks' love of hip-hop with a synth motif that would be more at home on the rap instrumentals of Clams Casino, while 'Twice As Hard''s urban leanings are so pronounced they even drop a "boo" into its opening verse. Elsewhere, falsetto litters the record - from the restrained murmurs of centrepiece 'My Blue Supreme' to the opening coos of the desolate 'Everything Is Wrong' - softening the frontman's more abrasive vocals. -NME
(Sloan - Commonwealth)
Rather than presenting their eclectic material in the usual intermingled way, Commonwealth splits them up across four sides of a vinyl double-LP to feature each musician writing and singing his own song cycle: This is Sloan’s miniaturized version of Kiss’s simultaneously released 1978 solo albums. But unlike the session-musician-enabled Kiss discs, every member of this unusually democratic act plays on one another’s songs, and the drummer’s stuff most definitely doesn’t suck. -Wondering Sound
(Robert Plant - Lullaby and... The Ceaseless Roar)
The Ceaseless Roar may not get loud -- usually, when it rocks it sounds like a kissing cousin to a folk rave-up; sometimes, as on "Somebody There," it's chiming, crystalline, and bright like the Byrds -- but it is intensely meditative, finding sustenance within mystery. Plant is reflecting on where he's been -- singing "And if the sun refuses to shine" on "Pocketful of Golden," he tips a hat to his Zeppelin past; elsewhere he speaks of getting lost in America -- yet gingerly avoiding questions of mortality and resisting the allure of easy sentimentality. It's possible to hear the weight of his years on lullaby and... The Ceaseless Roar -- it is, in the best sense, mature music, dense in its rhythms and allusions, subtle in its melodies -- but he never feels weary, nor does he traffic in false nostalgia. He's building upon the past, both his own and the larger traditions of his homeland, both spiritual and actual, and that gives lullaby and... The Ceaseless Roar a bewitching depth. It's an album to get lost in. -All Music
(Better Than Ezra - All Together Now)
The band’s seventh album, All Together Now, is a mixed bag. The Americana-twinged, sweet smooth “Crazy Lucky” possesses a cool edge particularly the way Kevin Griffin sings crazy with his laid-back southern accent. The super catchy “Undeniable” with its piano melody and choppy singing might be the best song on the album. It’s clever and unusual. The fast-paced rather groovy “Insane” spins and rolls with upbeat goodness. “Gonna Get Better” and “The Great Unknown” are rather bland quickly forgettable songs that would only sound good in the background of a bar. Positive that Better than Ezra would be a marvelous good time live. They’ve written some hits, some solid songs when they want to it’s just that sometimes they don’t put in the effort so you get a less-than album. A shame. These might be one of those albums where people buy per single. I hear that’s what the kids are doing anyway. -Entertainment Realm
(Ryan Adams - Ryan Adams)
Though the overall sound of Ryan Adams may be a mask, hiding lyrics that are every bit as heartbroken, confused, lost, and struggling as ever, with those metaphorical fingers crossed behind his back, the gift that Adams has given fans disguised as a Steve Earle or John Hiatt record isn’t hard to extrapolate from an otherwise uncool recording style. As Earle, Hiatt, and many others have proven in the past, rock and roll faithfulness isn’t necessarily antiquated, especially in the hands of a captivating songwriter like Ryan Adams. The result is an honest record disguised as a lie, a personal release that can be mistaken for a retreat, an essential album passed off as the alternate take for the one he really wanted to make. -Consequence of Sound
(Death From Above 1979 - The Physical World)
Still, we’d much rather have DFA around now than them not even be on speaking terms, because when they do get it right, as they frequently do on The Physical World, it does provide you with more than a simple nostalgia fix. So here’s hoping that Keeler and Grainger hold it down this time round so we can hear them react to the times once more in the not-so-dis -Drowned In Sound
(KMFDM - We Are KMFDM: Live 30th Anniversary)
Indeed, KMFDM are a legend and so this live cut-through several sets of celebratory tours isn’t something off the radar of many of its and genre’s fans, who will also know that a new album ‘Our Time Will Come’ is following a month after, so if they are impatient this is just going to be a small Pavlov’s offering. On the other hand is this short space a good idea? Are you likely to spend money on two releases by one of your favourite bands or opt out for two bands you like (unless indeed your budget is unlimited or perhaps the band doesn’t mind being ripped off)? Regardless, though the album spans right over the last three quarters of KMFDM catalogue the last album ‘Kunst’ (2013) is heavily represented, a logical step but not the best one. It starts good with ‘Sucks – Intro’ and ‘Kunst’, but ‘Amnesia’ and ‘Ave Maria’ are a hindrance. They are weak songs that if included should have been spread out more – losing interest at the start of the album is a risky idea that had me nearly wishing to switch it off right there and then. -Reflections of Darkness
(Emarosa - Versus)
Not only is there the anticipation of a new Emarosa record in general, there is also the question of whether or not Walden can adequately fill Jonny’s shoes. Luckily, Walden does quite a good job in resurrecting the band, and making it (slightly) more approachable.
So, while Versus isn’t the best record to come from Emarosa (it probably ranks at spot three), it’s still a very well written and interesting release worth your close inspection. It definitely contains moments of grandeur, and Walden has done a good enough job that Emarosa won’t be soon forgotten. And that’s what you should walk away with here. -New Noise Magazine
(Crimson Shadows - Kings Among Men)
With Kings Among Men Crimson Shadows should be able to escape the dreaded accusation of just being yet another clone of the originators of this style, showing a remarkable talent for dynamics born out of tremendous energy generated throughout the album, spiced up with great melodies and topped off with a dual vocal approach that brings an extra dimension to their sound. If you need energy, look no further than this Canadian powerhouse! -Metal Observer
(In Flames - Siren Charms)
Those reactions may have been a bit stronger when it comes to In Flames, and Siren Charms won’t placate those who want a return to their ‘90s era albums. It follows a similar path to 2011‘s Sounds Of A Playground Fading. You’ll hear plenty of electronic elements and melodic vocals.
While not a perfect album by any means, Siren Charms is not the abomination some have made it out to be. There are plenty of solid songs, with the album’s charms diminished by a few uneven ones. -About.com
(Queen - Live At The Rainbow '74)
Following the huge success of the ‘Killer Queen’ single in the fall of ’74, Queen returned to the Rainbow for two sold-out shows, which were also recorded and filmed. Highlights from those concerts, which were released on video only in England as part of 1992′s ‘Box of Tricks,’ are also included in this new set. The full track listing can be found below.
‘Queen: Live at the Rainbow ’74′ has been newly mixed and mastered, and will be available in the usual variety of formats, including double-CD, DVD, Blu-ray, and the obligatory ‘Super Deluxe Collector’s Edition,’ which will feature all of the above as well as a 60-page hardback book, miscellaneous memorabilia, concert program, poster, and more. Vinyl and digital versions will also be available. -Ultimate Classic Rock
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