Mar 8, 2024

 

Best of the Week

Crown Lands - Fearless

2023   9 tracks   (58:14)

Crown Lands may sound like their countrymates Rush, but as far as I’m concerned, they beat them by a country mile. The sounds are similar, from Cody Bowles high octave vocals to some of the rhythmic melodies with expressive guitars. Rush may rule the anthem single, but they never made an equivalent of the eighteen minute opener, “Starlifter: Fearless Pt. II”. It’s a stellar piece filled with great moments that sustains through the whole epic. After such a great start, can the remaining titles on the record hold up? Pretty much so. “Reflections” and “Lady of the Lake” are strong songs that sandwich the acoustic song “Penny”. Fuck it, it’s great. It has cool artwork too.  A

Erland Dahlen - Racoons

2023   7 tracks   (37:31)

You would think a percussionist putting out a solo album would be one note, filled with bombastic displays of rhythm on the backbone of weak sauce music. Not so. Dahlen creates full soundscapes filled with soaring synths, odd little burps of electronic moog sounds, natural bells, and of course, drumming (acoustic, not electronic) with high and low timbre strikes. If one was to go to a nighttime laser show, this is exactly the kind of music that would be perfect. Beautiful, lively, full of depth, every song runs chills up and down body parts. Sheer delight.   A

Venus Principle - Stand in Your Light

2022   11 tracks   (1:08:10)

Really good album that was chosen only after reading some of the Crippled Black Phoenix members decided to split and form this band. Strong melodies, haunting textures, great vocals all make this a fantastic first effort by this group. The two lead vocalists offer something that is seldom heard in a doom metal band - harmonies. That is the reason they are thought of as a soft metal or “gaian” doom band by just offering a hint of folk or ambient. The melodies are an important element because without good execution the album’s slower tempo and similarities would have made it somewhat ponderous. Instead, you just want more, like whatever comes up on the next album.  A

Interesting Finds

Gong - Unending Ascending

2023   8 tracks   (40:03)

Gong has gone through so many changes since inception it is hard to say if this is really Gong. But, who cares? This is terrific and it still seems to carry the essence of Gong. Some of the spacey tunes are weaved around guitars, electronics, and horns. The lyrics are typical of Gong’s own fantasy world which means there is no connection to reality. No song sounds like another; it can be good/great (“My Guitar is a Spaceship”, “Choose Your Goddess”) or it can be puzzling (“Ship Of Ishtar”). At this rate, Gong could go another twenty years.  A-

Trevor Rabin - Rio

2023   10 tracks   (55:06)

This is a strange album because of its multiple personalities in the songs, sometimes within the songs themselves. Some of it is very powerful, notably, “Oklahoma” though it starts out as a twangy country song, evolves to a somber reflective segment before becoming a symphonic mess. There is a great tune in there that is obscured by production. There are country elements throughout regardless of Rabin’s South African roots. There are moments of the Yes sound, not surprising given his recent alliance with the current Yes lineup as the main guitarist. He’s a good vocalist and the album is well produced. I get the feeling there was a better album like a Flying Colors album but just didn’t emerge.  B

Astral Magic - Ad Infinitum

2023   5 tracks   (39:47)

Astral Magic is led by Finnish guitarist Santtu Laasko with the help of special friends. Mainly instrumental, there are some vocals by Bridget Wishart. The flavor of rock is considered space rock, kraut rock, math rock, psychedelic rock and you-name-it rock. Four of the songs are about five minutes each with the last track running more than eighteen minutes. All of it is decent dreamy electronic music with bits of guitar and percussion thrown in. The guitar sections have that David Gilmour wail that is so appealing in this type of music. Amazing how the quality level stays given Laasko puts out an album about every two months.  B

The Chronicles of Father Robin - The Songs & Tales of Airoea Book 1

2023   6 tracks   (46:17)

Actually comprised of several Norwegian musicians from different groups, this musical project spans three separate releases of which this is the first. True prog rock uses influences from Yes, Jethro Tull, and Genesis to piece together musical movements within the long tracks. It is thick with ideas, most of which work to sound as elaborate as the cover art. It would have been better if some of the music maintained a theme rather than venture scatterbrained in several directions, but it is still a worthy outing.  B

Plini - Mirage

2023   5 tracks   (23:02)

This new EP by Australian phenom Plini has a lot of fire in its 23 short minutes. The trick of being a master guitarist is to make sure the music is more important than the technique, which this does. Along with fingering pyrotechnics, there is some strong accompanying work. The bass lines are particularly strong. This isn’t just a straight up rock album like most fret masters, there is a new age metal component that is refreshing to hear. Is he going to push Joe Satriani into retirement? No, he’s got a ways to go before he unseats the big Kahuna. But this is a fine start that has something more to offer.  B+ 

Shylmagoghnar - Convergence

2023   10 tracks   (1:06:30)

Shyl… started out as two Dutch friends making heavy metal music together, but now continue as one. As heavy and dense as it gets, it still comes across as…melodic?? The wall of guitars and pounding bass and drums don’t disguise the fact that the music swings in a beautiful manner. Unfortunately, they decide to shit on their fine work by OPENING THEIR FUCKING MOUTHS with some of the most atrocious singing (sic) using throat vocals that bypass the vocal chords. I know, I know, it’s a thing with doom metal bands and this may be the worst example of it ever. They spared four of the cuts and one cut where it’s a whisper instead of the incomprehensible gravel growl they think is singing. This could have been one of my favorite albums but just sucked the life out of half of it.  B

Dance With the Dead - Driven to Madness

2022   10 tracks   (39:07)

This was surprisingly good. Dance With the Dead is a duo, one plays synthesizer and the other plays electric guitars. Thus they are categorized as a synth darkwave band, a combination of electronic music with metal elements. No vocals, all instrumentals. If Chester Bennington had been around, these songs could have passed for Linkin Park. It’s a little repetitive like many EDM bands are, but the quality stands up.  B

Earth - The Bees Made Honey in the Lions’s Skull

2008   7 tracks   (53:23)

A dark moody slow tempo album by a band headed by Dylan Carlson, best known for being Kurt Cobain’s friend who gave him a shotgun used to kill himself. This is more of an album of soundscapes rather than songs by using droning guitars and pondering bass lines at extremely low tempos. Most of it is interesting and probably suited to background music. For what it is, its fine. Just don’t throw a party and use it for dance music.  B-

Django Django - Off Planet

2023   21 tracks   (1:19:57)

A double helping of fun danceable up tempo electronic rock but with an alternative edge that makes DD better than most bands of this type. They don’t get into a beat rut. Some of the songs sound more like songs rather than changing a few notes to the same beat. Listening to the whole album does not develop the same kind of fatigue that a !!! or EDM album will. There are numerous guest singers that add more depth as well. Still, with 21 songs, it isn’t likely they all satisfy and there are only a few standouts. I don’t mind there is some dilution in the quality with the quantity because nothing is objectionable. B+

Bleacher - Bleachers

2024   14 tracks   (48:04)

It may be self-titled but it’s the fourth Bleachers album. The key element is super producer main songwriter and singer Jack Antonoff, a ten-time Grammy winner for Taylor Swift among others. Boy, does it start out a house afire. The first six songs are from good to great (great being “Modern Girl” and “I Am Right On Time”). Then it turns into pop mediocrity. As you would expect from a master record producer, the production is magnificent, but they would have benefited with better material.  B-

Forgettable

Kyuss - Welcome to Sky Valley (poorly recorded basement rock)

Feb 17, 2024

 

Best of the Week

Kiev - Falling Bough Wisdom Teeth

2013   13 tracks  (59:59)

How is this possible? How does a band make a brilliant album and never see the light of day again? This is an astounding work by an Orange County band that apparently still gets together and plays music but are in no rush (or even interest) in putting out more music. The music reminds me of the best studio work of the group Goose, featuring the same laid back vocals, precision musicianship, and a tremendous flexibility in arrangements. Oh, and the songs are great. Unfortunately, there are other titles out there under the name Kiev by a different artist (a hip-hop one at that) that isn’t good. Only this album and a few other tracks predating the album are of the O.C. band. Maybe they will show again in the future. We can only hope.

Interesting Finds

Aphrodite’s Child - 666

1970   24 tracks   (1:18:09)

A small marvel from 1970, Aphrodite’s Child was mainly the collaboration of Vangelis and Demis Roussos who each went very separate directions after this album. Considered a cult album and considered one of the spawning points of the progressive rock idea, it must have been a shock to the system by anyone who listened to it at the time. While the two previous releases had more mainstream approaches, this breaks all the rules. Parts of it are brilliant and parts of it are dumb, but taken as a whole it is clearly the dawn of a new era of rock. Filled with moments of psychedelia, short non-sequiturs, outlandish extensive scores, abrupt sudden departures, this is what the Beatles “Number 9” is twisted and turned on its ear. Not all of it is enjoyable but parts of it are pure wonderment.  A-  

Gaupa - Gaupa

2018   5 tracks   (28:02)

This debut EP by Gaupa is hopefully a sign of what is more to come. A combination of stoner rock and heavy metal is highly enjoyable. The pounding guitar, bass and drums blends well with the female vocalist. I don’t know what is in the Swedish water, but I hope it continues to bring out music like this. 

The Kilimanjaro Darkjazz Ensemble - The Kilimanjaro Darkjazz Ensemble

2006   11 tracks   (1:09:12)

Pretty much self-descriptive, the TKDE is a band using electronics as a base for many string and horn instruments to produce a stark sparse form of jazz like sounds. It isn’t really jazz, probably closer to a progressive ambient music. It is dark in nature but a very listenable dark timbre. The rhythm interplay with the electronic beats is interesting. The last song is a 20 minute piece that sounds like a Bernard Herrman suspense movie music score. It isn’t a “fun” listen, but enjoyable. B-

How To Destroy Angels 

2009   6 tracks   (28:47)

Nine Inch Nails is a big thing, but how do they improve or at least offer something a little different? Change your name and have Trent Reznor’s wife, Mariqueen sing. Boy, does it work. The sound is unmistakably Reznor/Ross, but it’s a little tighter and structured. Maandig’s vocals take a big edge off the music but doesn’t remove any of the punch. It gets into a nice healthy groove and still inserts those little snippets of chaos we love about NIN. Nothing is wrong with this album except that it clocks in under 30 minutes. We was robbed!  A

The Answer Lies In The Black Void - Thou Shalt

2023   9 tracks   (44:54)

Most doom metal bands try to bludgeon your senses with overpowering grunge thumping bass and a constant staccato of drums. This band does not. First, it’s not a band but a duo. Second, the singer of the duo has an airy angelic voice crying out for help in the sea of angst. It makes for a hell of a contrast and allows a song to be built with layers. Even so, it still has moments that are mind numbing and makes you weary of the journey, like jet lag. It has its moments. B-

Real Estate - Daniel

2024   11 tracks   (38:02)

At first listening to the lead couple of tracks, I was caught up in the easy jangle guitars and soft vocals thinking this would be a pretty good album. But then, the sameness started to wear thin and by the end of the fourth track, I was bored. There is no change-up whatsoever. I don’t think the singer’s voice ever leaves the same octave. Very little is thrown in to vary the texture or rhythm of the songs. Total lack of inventiveness. It isn’t bad, just too much of the same.  D

!!! (Chk Chk Chk) - Strange Weather, Isn’t It?

2010   10 tracks   (46:14)

Infectious record from start to finish. Oddly, it has a similar problem that the Real Estate album before has, that element that repeats through the whole album. But, !!! deals with it by changing the elements, sometimes five or six times a song, to give it a fresher feel. Sometimes it’s guitar flurry, other times a keyboard tone poem, sometimes throwing in a horn blast. It makes a huge difference to make these little alterations. Oh, you are almost compelled to dance on each track. They make it a thing, so do it!   B+

Marika Hackman - Big Sigh

2024   10 tracks   (35:46)

This has been quite a month in discovering female singer songwriters with Katherine Priddy and Jane Weaver. Now we can add Marika Hackman to this vaunted list. While her voice isn’t quite the caliber of Priddy and Weaver, her songwriting and playing is at least as good, and that is high praise. But the words just zing you time and time again. It’s an elegant album and has too many good songs to ignore.  A-

Packs - Melt the Honey

2024   11 tracks    (28:31)

Most of the juice of this indie band from Canada is supplied by singer songwriter Madeline Link. Mostly short songs are delivered in slow tempo shoegaze style with seemingly disinterested vocals. A few of the tunes find their way out of the sludge and provide a burst of energy. It wouldn’t be wrong to call it alternative folk given the strumming acoustic guitars and occasional flurry of electric guitar. It’s not a bad listen but doesn’t cross into must-listen category either.  C

Siena Root - A New Day Dawning

2003   13 tracks    (1:07:45)

When this Swedish group formed in the 90’s, the 60’s and 70’s basic rock wasn’t that far back. Another generation has passed and it tries to sound really old now. If you are going to recreate the Steppenwolf and Grand Funk Railroad sound, you better be able to bring it and Siena Root falls just a tad short. All the songs are okay and hearing the prevalent sound of a Hammond organ is fun, but it doesn’t hold up to sustained listening.  C

The Last Dinner Party - Prelude to Ecstasy

2024   12 tracks   (41:17)

A strong first release by this English quintet of rocking women. The group has elements of smart pop of the nature of XTC and use arrangements to present a baroque pop sound with the addition of strings and other soft sounds. They also augment lead singer Abigail Morris’ vocals with multipart harmonies from the other band members. The songs “Burn Alive”, “Sinner”, and “Nothing Matters” stand out.  B+

Forgettable

Elsiane - Ecclesia (Cabaret music with squeaky high vocals)

Al Lover - Sacred Drugs (Short disconnected songs of ambient music)

Chastity Belt - I Used to Spend So Much Time Alone (Odd key songs)

Feb 12, 2024

 

Best of the Week

The Pineapple Thief - It Leads to This

2024   8 tracks   (40:50)

Another terrific album by The Pineapple Thief with Bruce Soord and Gavin Harrison driving the writing bus and sound production. Ever since TPT became a collaborative effort between Soord and Harrison, the band has a distinct focused sound that is no longer just a Bruce Soord album with a bunch of guys. It’s helped them deliver a quality progressive rock album while Soord gets to stretch his solo work into a separate vehicle. This roars a little more as demonstrated by the songs “Rubicon” and “All That’s Left”. “Now It’s Yours” sounds like something out of the Steve Wilson school of alternative rock. I can already see that this album is going to be on my top ten list for 2024.  A+

Jane Weaver - The Silver Globe

2014   10 tracks   (47:02)

Though she has been recording since the mid-90’s, Jane Weaver is a new name to me. She has been described as psychedelic folk, electronica, alternative rock, acoustic artist, and probably others, there is a reason for this - she is all of those categories. A great soaring voice with the backdrop of an unfathomable array of music sources, she uses simple melodies with complicated arrangements that is breathtaking. No, you don’t know what she will throw at you next which is both exhilarating and refreshing.  A

Ghost - 13 Commandments

2023   13 tracks   (1:02:13)

Normally, a heavy metal gothic rock band from Sweden would sound like any other Swedish band of similar ilk, but Ghost is different. Some of their songs have the same captivating catchiness of a band like Toto. The song “Spillways” should be an all time hit. Not far from the mark are the songs “Square Hammer”, “Mary on a Cross”, and “Rats”. There is heaviness with power guitar chords and pounding rhythms, but there is also quality songwriting effort. A big and welcome surprise. A-

Squirrel Flower - Tomorrow’s Fire

2023  10 tracks  (34:18)

Squirrel Flower is the artist name of Ella Williams who plays a dense fuzz guitar laden form of folk music. A capable writer and singer, she has created a number of solid tunes that are compelling and impactful. It is a total wonderment that her soft delicate vocals pairs so well with the near hard-core garage rock instruments. It is hard to pick a standout cut because they are all solid in their own right. What a problem to have. A

Interesting Finds

New Model Army - Unbroken

2024  11 tracks  (45:15)

A strong album by the Irish rockers. They stick to the formula that has worked well over the years; strong drumming, passionate singing, straight forward rock. The songs still cover topics that are important to them, from “I Did Nothing Wrong” (rallying against UK oppression), “Legend” (family), and “Do You Really Want to Go There?” (corporate monitoring). Justin Sullivan never had the prettiest singing voice, but nobody listens to NMA for their robust singing anyway.  B

Palehound - Eye on the Bat

2023   10 tracks   (29:11)

Palehound is fronted by singer songwriter and guitarist El Kempner who knows how to write smart insightful songs and bang them out with gritty effect. It is a form of indie alternative rock she calls journal rock that takes simple subjects without any tricks, just straight forward guitar based rock. Her voice may not be the most beautiful, but it has character. A decent release that may not have the killer hit, just a set of nice tunes. B-

Bachelor - Doomin’ Sun

2021   10 tracks   (33:30)

Bachelor is made up of El Kempner (Palehound) and Melina Duterte (Jay Som). The album has the same feel as Palehound’s Eye on the Bat mentioned earlier making comparisons easier. This album is more expansive in using studio tricks to bring out more of the song. The duets are terrific. The songs are a little spottier, lower lows and higher highs. “Stay in the Car” is a great tune, probably the most Pixie sounding song since the early Pixies. “Sand Angel” just kind of made me scratch my head.  B

Japanese Breakfast - Jubilee

2021   10 tracks   (37:03)

I picked this album because of the fascination in Michelle Zauner’s story and growing reputation in the art rock landscape. It turns out the synthesizer and brass horn emphasis plus the soft pop timbre of the music is not appealing to me at all. I can recognize the musical skill and intricate pop melody nature of the work, but it just isn’t for me. I think I will pass on all future releases.  D

Mercury Rev - Strange Attractor

2008   11 tracks   (40:23)

Mercury Rev stands in a unique place in the ambient space rock arena. Oh sure, there are copious amounts of synthesizer sourced soundscapes. But throw in some bass and electric guitar and outworldly percussion and you have a totally different musical experience. Most of it is very good, even with its mixture of melody heavy songs such as “In My Heart, A Strange Attractor” and not so melodic songs like “Love Is Pure”. B

Lau - The Bell That Never Rang

2015   6 tracks   (44:00)

This has some lovely moments to savor, starting with “First Homecoming” and the last track, “Ghosts”. Described as a Celtic Folk band, it is more than that. The bass drum beats, soaring fiddle notes, and Irish vocals all scream folk, but some of the driving moments allows for wandering into other realms. However, the title track is mystifying, a seventeen minute meandering instrumental without a focused point could have well been left off. Everything else is good to great, so just skip it.  B

Various Artists - Tell Everybody!

2023   12 tracks   (44:22)

A collection of modern blues songs by a number of blues and rock artists from the small record label Easy Eye Sound. Co-ordinated by Dan Auerbach of the Black Keys, he has assembled some artists that are well known (Black Keys, Gabe Carter, Glenn Schwartz) and a number of lesser known but should be known (R.L. Boyce, Robert Finley, Leo Welch). These are well recorded (though a couple in mono for some reason) and worth a listen. Not exactly playlist material, just good drinkin’ music. B-

Forgettable

Night Beats - Rajan (Cold remote recording of psychedelic pop featuring squeaky vocals)

Crooked Still - Some Strange Country (Allison Krauss lite)

Genghis Tron - Dead Mountain Mouth (Unfortunate scream fest)

Jan 29, 2024

 

Best of the Week

Lindstrom - Everyone Else is a Stranger

2023  4 tracks  (37:000

Most of the time electronic nu-disco dance music is innocuously similar because it's all about the beat, not the melody. Here, the beat takes a back seat to the melody yielding a better listening experience. These songs are much longer, thus allowing time to shift and adjust musical lines. The first song is “Syreen” and it’s a good basic rhythmic song that sets the tone of the whole album. “Nightswim” has a hook that sounds a lot like Joe Jackson’s “Steppin’ Out”. “The Rind” adds a little spaciness to the bouncing rhythms. The last, “Everybody Else is a Stranger” brings it all together with choral vocals, symphonic sounds, and various solos. Excellent source material for the player.  A-

Allah-Las - Zuma 85

2023  13 tracks  (47:32)

This is Allah-Las fifth album after a four year absence from the last. The intentional sound of the band is mid-fi, not quite lo-fi. Stylistically, they are part surf rock, jangle pop, and moody psychedelic rock with the songs landing somewhere on one of those descriptors. “Jelly” is pop, “Hadal Zone” more psych rock, and the solid “Right on Time” more surf rock. I like “Fontaine” too for its shoegaze and terrific harmonies to the backdrop of fuzz guitars. It’s a fun enjoyable album.  A-

KT Tunstall - Wax

2018  11 tracks  (41:42)

When a performer shoots out of the gate with great success, such as KT Tunstall did, you wonder how much is left in the tank for future releases. It appears KT has an infinite reservoir of pop creativity. The songs are catchy, her voice still rocks, and the producers know how to make the most of her work. The first four tracks, “Little Red Thread”, “Human Being”, “The River”, and “The Mountain”, are all killers. The rest of the album ranges from decent to really good. Everything except a couple are all up tempo rockers. Maybe she hasn’t “progressed” to a new level of music, but so what? What was once good is still good.  A-

Interesting Finds

King Creosote - I DES

2023  10 tracks  (1:22:48)

It is reported that King Creosote has released around a hundred albums though mostly through his small recording company. Once in a while, we get trinkets, the last trinket being Astronaut Meets Appleman some six years ago. But, they are great trinkets. The new album has ten tracks which I would say are eight songs, a long lament that rings in at thirteen minutes, and a 36-minute drone. The eight songs are what we all expect from KC, rich flowing melodies about life, love, and friendship, with the occasional oddity (“Love is a Curse”) thrown in. “Blue Marbled Elm Trees” is a great tune that seems to be his overall life lesson statement. On the other end of the spectrum is “Burial Bleak” that focuses on death and how useless it is to think we can cheat it. Gee, where does Kenny go on the next album after those heady topics? The lament (“Please Come Back I Will Listen, I Will Behave, I Will Toe The Line”) sounds like a person who lost someone close. The final cut, “Drone in B#”, is the lengthy series of chord progressions subtly staggered. Background music? If this is the last we see of King Creosote, it is an odd ending.  B

Kordhell - A Million Ways to Murder

2023  15 tracks  (31:44)

At first listen, I thought any comment was destined for the Forgettable list. The pounding DJ hip-hop treated vocals with overly distorted bass designed to use car amplifiers in order to turn them into dust is prevalent and usually without much originality. But I caught myself moving to the music and even tagging music destined for my player. It ain’t all bad and I’ve definitely heard worse. The 15 tracks breezes by in a tidy sub-32 minute set. Nothing overstays its welcome. I’m not a fan of titles like “A Million Ways to Murder” and “Shoot to Kill”, we have too much violence culture without adding to it, but I’m not the morality police. C-

Wolf Alice - Blue Weekend

2021  11 tracks  (40:11)

This English rock group, often labeled as alternative indie, won much acclaim for this album. The music is not overly dense and the tempo tends to be at shoegaze level. More often than not, the songs are worthwhile and enjoyable. My first run through generated a combination of interested and perplexed. More reflection is needed on this album and maybe the newer release that is available.  B?

Nine Inch Nails - Add Violence

2017  5 tracks  (27:13)

Nine Inch Nails deserves its own category rather than call it industrial rock, nu metal, alternative metal, electro rock, whatever. Nobody copies or does anything close to Trent Reznor. The music always has an edge and this edition is no different. Sometimes sounding like the tense soundtrack from the Batman movies, he screams and plays angst with heart-throbbing visceral machine noise. I don’t know if any acoustic instruments are used (maybe drums?) certainly doesn’t seem like it. This, being an EP, gives us four regulation length tracks and the finale (“The Background World”) runs almost twelve minutes. The problem is the last track that starts in a good groove but gradually deteriorates (intentionally) into random noise, making the last half nearly unlistenable. Why? Well, enjoy the first four tunes and call it a day. B-

Cass McCombs - Mangy Love

2016  12 tracks  (59:17)

This middle of the road mid-tempo pop with Cass providing the basic guitar and sultry vocals. Yawn! The songs are soft and pretty, except for “Rancid Girl” which is just pointless. I understand McCombs made an impact in the early 2000’s with his first releases, but this is better than Sominex. D

Jon Durant, Stephan Thelen - Crossings

2021  7 tracks  (1:05:42)

Both Durant and Thelen are guitarists and play a contemporary style of music similar to Terje Rypdal played for ECM. The music is minimalist, airy, with a light jazz component. Though primarily guitarists, they add in many sound treatments and basic electric keyboards to enrichen the numbers that are typically 7-10 minutes long. More relaxing than energizing, it’s great for an evening of light listening.  B

White Moth Black Butterfly - Atone

2017  11 tracks  (37:48)

Usually KScope records acts are interesting and dynamic. This is the rare exception. The brand of alternative pop is built on deep production and simple pop melodies. Lots of it is beautifully done but filled with empty calories. It just doesn’t stir the senses. C-

Storm Corrosion - Storm Corrosion

2012  6 tracks  (47:52)

A collaboration by Steven Wilson and Mikael Akerfedt (Opeth) would seem to be a sure fire winner. Got to say, it’s a bit of a disappointment. Part of the disappointment is knowing these two put out great prog rock. There are some good moments, but it seems like they are often working to build up a moment and then just let it go down the drain. The production is as good as anything Wilson has done. The three pieces running about ten minutes lead to nowhere and lay there like dead ducks. What can you say? It was a bad day at the office for Wilson and Akerfedt.  C-

Tesseract - Polaris

2015  9 tracks  (46:40)

Tesseract was one of the early influencers of djent progressive metal, the abrupt and varied changes in tempo of the music. They often sound a lot like Haken in these moments of rhythm changes. It puts a lot more of the onus on the bass and drum players to deliver the right sound. This is a solid effort without much in the way of lulls. The band had gone through a number of changes by this point, including the main vocalists, but you can’t tell it based on the delivery of very polished material. B+

Being Dead - When Horses Would Run

2023  13 tracks  (35:58)

Cute and quirky, Being Dead brings the surf music vibe along with a humorous bent. What they do right is harmonize the three vocalists and match it up with the ratatatat guitar strums in a highly echoed space. Nothing serious unless you’re worried about buffalos (“Last Living Buffalo”, whether God reads his own Bible (“God vs. Bible”), and if a trip to Payless is important (“Muriel’s Big Day Off”). The only thing is that cute wears off eventually. Keep that in mind. Meanwhile, just enjoy the knockout harmonies which are the star of the show. B

Paul Gilbert - Werewolves of Portland

2021  10 tracks  (47:46)

Guitar virtuoso Paul Gilbert wrote, arranged, recorded, and played all the instruments on this album as a project to do during Covid shutdown. His musicianship is definitely not in question. The only question is whether he can make a compelling work ala Joe Satriani or other great guitar master. I found many of his songs sounding similar, a lot of the riffs done and redone, and many songs main theme meanders in tempo and melody. He can sure play, no doubt. I just not really much on his work as a composer. C-

Suzi Quatro, KT Tunstall - Face to Face

2023  10 tracks  (32:06)

The meeting between two forces in rock should produce exceptional results. Quatro and Tunstall are a generation apart but are of the same cloth. All the songs are credited to both artists, but it is possible to figure out who wrote what. This is a good album, not great. There isn’t a bad song on the record and they sing together well, however it does lack a great tune. I liked “Shine a Light”, “Scars”, “Truth as My Weapon”, and “The Ladies’ Room” the best. It seems like the music doesn’t have Tunstall’s fire which is why her songs work. B

Forgettable

Illenium - Fallen Embers (The DJ genre is overrun by mediocre songwriting talent - case in point)

CHVRCHES - Love is Dead (Very generic unoriginal synth-pop dance and disco music)

The Pineapple Thief - The Soord Sessions 1-4 (Bruce Soord unplugged, not TPT)

Oxbow - Fuckfest (Too experimental for musical enjoyment)

Geese - 3D Country (Country-fied rock/pop/soul with lounge singer vocals)

Claud - Supermodels (Standard pop, average songs)