David Spencer
Love Like a Symphony
pop
3.5 stars
David Spencer, founding member of the local favorite SpencerAcuff, doesn't stray far from his catchy-pop roots on his first solo album Love Like A Symphony.
The whispery, softer sound that Spencer produces complements his strong, theatrically inclined voice and so-in-love-with-you lyrics.
Naturally, some may not enjoy the bittersweet love songs that infiltrate the record, and since that's all that's offered on Symphony, love cynics are warned to stay away.
But the lack of versatility doesn't hurt what's there, and Spencer's rich voice and dreamy tunes save the record and turn it into a love album to be cherished.
On "Between the Sleep and Wake" he sounds particularly sincere singing, "Sleeping on a train/Trusting in the tracks/Love is gonna find us."
The record's weakest moments occur when sweet turns to sappy, and Symphony becomes an album best served with a happy disposition.
But the overall result, a sophisticated pop debut, is guaranteed to set the mood with a flowing sound and smoother-than-silk lyrics.
-Melissa Brown
M*E
Holy War
hip hop
3 stars
M*E, real name Mustafa Shakir, brings laid-back beats and insightful lyrics with his latest release, Holy War.
The artist's MySpace page states the moniker stands for Mustafa … Effortless, or another way of saying "me."
The effortless part is correct, though. The album seems quite natural. The relaxed rhythms are perfect for M*E's messages concerning poverty, growing up black and religion.
He also keeps the number of interludes and skits to a minimum, with only three non-songs on the 17-track album: a good thing, because M*E can rap.
The biggest drawback is that none of the tracks stand out. In fact, it's hard to tell the difference between "Baby Don't Cry" and "No Lie."
M*E's style is nothing revolutionary. "I Am" and "I Apologize" sound like they could have been outtakes from Kanye West's last record.
Overall though, M*E deserves a listen. Give him a few songs, and you might become a casual fan.
-Sam Wineka
Heavy trash
Going Way Out
rock
3 stars
Matt Verta-Ray gets it right when he declares, "Heavy Trash is hip" on the band's new album, Going Way Out.
Heavy Trash, the collaboration between Speedball Baby's Verta-Ray and Jon Spencer famous for his eponymous Blues Explosion, drips with cool.
The group plays the kind of slapback rockabilly that Johnny Cash and Elvis Presley made at Sun Studios, coupled with garage rock.
The group nails the part of '50s rejects with Spencer's classic yet invigorated riffs and Verta-Ray's yelping vocals.
"Kissy Baby" is a charmingly simple jump blues love song that makes you wish American Bandstand never went off the air.
"Crying Tramp" is "Love Me Tender" given a wry sense of humor as Verta-Ray delivers lines such as "Mama you just keep acting like a fool/But, baby, if you can't get with me, honey, you just ain't cool."
Despite brilliant efforts to update these styles, Heavy Trash can't escape listeners' familiarity with them.
For this reason, the tracks start to get repetitive and Going Way Out isn't particularly memorable.
But Heavy Trash still delivers a catchy, entertaining product sure to remind its listeners why they love reveling in the past.
-Jordan Lawrence
Josh Rouse
Country Mouse City House
pop
3 stars
Eschewing the folky, acoustic sound of 2002's Under Cold Blue Stars, Josh Rouse goes much deeper on Country Mouse City House.
Most of the record is pretty low key, with Rouse's soft, almost awkward voice lamenting old loves over guitar and a variety of other studio instruments, from Bacharach-style horns to banjo and jazzy B-3 organ.
The opening track, "Sweetie," is an absolute knockout, with Rouse's sweet melody lingering over even sweeter flutes.
With lyrics like "We'll sleep on rooftops/We'll ride on bicycles/Maybe we'll get married/Don't you want to, sweetie?," it's the kind of song every lady wishes someone would write for her.
Rouse takes care not to forget his country roots, injecting twangy elements - including that most recognizable of country sounds: steel guitar - into many of his songs.
But Rouse succeeds in moving to a much more polished and mature sound.
Despite sounding a little too much like its predecessors, Country Mouse City House has a comforting, familiar feel that is different enough that it doesn't get boring.
-Rachael Oehring
Mancino
Manners Matter
pop/rock
3 stars
Indie bands are appealing for the same reasons that mainstream bands are: good melodies and instrumental arrangements.
Unfortunately, Nirvana-itis has claimed half of the mainstream, reducing it to grunge-lite, with another 30 percent beating the emo horse into its second afterlife.
It's easy to see why listeners run to underground bands for cover. Rhode Island trio Mancino wants to provide refuge.
A sticker on the cover of promotional copies of Manners Matter promises a blend of '60s pop and circus squawks, which is actually the most accurate way to describe the band's sound. Another way: Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, just not as gifted.
Mancino's got the zany instruments (kazoos for God's sake), and the circusy atmosphere created by them echoes The Beatles on generous doses of LSD.
More conventionally, frontman Michael Grimes is a solid guitarist and percussionist Jonathan Mason packs a lot of punch.
The band of multi-instrumentalists maintains a consistently quirky sound throughout Manners.
Melodically, Grimes is a refreshingly strong rookie, though he still has some room to grow: uneven songwriting keeps some songs towering over others.
When Mancino finally does grow into its style, maybe it'll convince the last remaining Nickelback fans to throw in the towel already.
-Luis Torres
