Music shorts for October 2

Jenny Lewis

Acid Tongue

folk/rock

(3.5 of 5 stars)


Jenny Lewis is at once coyly seductive and bitingly self-assured on her sophomore solo effort, Acid Tongue.

Using her warm vocals to cut through well-worn narratives like a dull blade through a thick skin, Lewis achieves a level of immediacy rarely achieved by the vast majority of No-Cal country-rock revelry.

Taking the logical next step from the stripped-back folk of her solo debut, Rabbit Fur Coat, Lewis opts for fuller instrumentation and guest appearances from the likes of M. Ward and Elvis Costello.

But, while the increased scope of the songs is a welcome advancement, the times when Lewis indulges a little too much tend to have a devastating effect on the pace of the record.

A key example is the nearly eight-minute, “The Next Messiah,” which should logically end about four minutes in, only to trod on for four more.

When it hits, though, it hits hard, as on the near-perfect title track.

“To be lonely is a habit, like smoking or taking drugs/And I quit them both/But man was it rough,” Lewis sings.

This statement of vulnerability presents a stark contrast to the cocksure declaration that Lewis has, in fact, been down to Dixie and dropped acid on her tongue.

And it is this paradox that illustrates the mood of the entire release. For every brash and bold statement (“See Fernando” or “Carpetbaggers”) there are a few lamenting ballads (“Godspeeed”).

And while Lewis’ range as a writer and singer are clearly the stars of the release, the jarring contrasts in mood and tone from song to song tend to take away from the cohesive quality that is the mark of a truly great record.



-Jamie Williams

The Broken West

Now or Heaven

(3 of 5 stars)

rock/pop


Now or Heaven is exactly the kind of indie rock record that mainstream radio is looking for.

On album opener “Gwen, Now and Then,” The Broken West modernize ’90s radio pop-rock with a propulsive electric beat and clever lyrics such as “Tonight you show up in disguise/A diamond in a bag of ice, impossible to find,” and turn it into an irresistible singe.

In fact, the entire album is full of witty, catchy and wonderfully unobtrusive songs that force their way into the listener’s brain without being distracting.

“Perfect Game” distills the arena ready anthems of U2 into a fist-pumping jam more fit for a small house party, and “Terror for Two” is a skittery and incessantly bouncy ballad about fearing commitment.

But, even though the quality of the record never wanes, none of the songs really possess any traits that make them recognizably The Broken West’s, making it ultimately forgettable.

So while the singles might be ready for a stint on radio, Now or Heaven isn’t likely to last long in many CD players.



-Jordan Lawrence

Catfish Haven

Devastator

(3 of 5 stars)

rock


One thing Catfish Haven’s Devastator has is soul. The Chicago-based band’s newest album is 46 minutes of good old-fashioned rock ’n’ roll.

Riding an unwaveringly high level of energy, songs such as “Set In Stone” establish the pace for the entirety of Devastator.

Although the album is enjoyable, many of the songs have a similar sound. Granted, some of this can be attributed to singer George Hunter’s distinct vocal delivery. There is a gravelly quality to Hunter’s voice that begs comparison to artists such as Joe Cocker or Creedence Clearwater Revival’s John Fogerty. In fact, the blues-tinged “Tripping in Memphis” sounds like it would be perfectly at home on an album of Cocker’s.

Due to the almost continuous flow of raucous, up-tempo rock, listening to this album takes a certain amount of stamina. And because of the unnecessarily high volume and screeching guitars, Devastator will be enjoyed best if one is not experiencing the beginnings of a migraine.



-Cassie Perez

The Iguanas

If You Should Ever Fall On Hard Times

(3 of 5 stars)

rock



The breeze picks up, the palm trees sway and the band at the beach bar picks up its instruments. The men sport the essential tacky flowered shirts and do the most awful rendition of a Bob Marley song.

Subtract the bad renditions and the token vacation shirt and you get an idea of The Iguanas. If You Should Ever Fall On Hard Times carries the listener away into a tidal wave of easy, eclectic sound.

The band’s style will inevitably make the listener sway with catchy hooks and a few Spanish numbers. With roots in blues and Tex-Mex, it takes listeners to far away sandy beaches and sunsets.

Despite being the group’s first album in five years, The Iguanas have created an unforgettable sound with a range of instruments including guitar and accordion. Songs like “Dancing for Dollars Again” epitomize the band’s mellow feel, while “If You Should Ever Fall on Hard Times” highlight the band’s soft side.

It’s easy to appreciate the avoidance of the fast beats and emotionally dependent lyrics of modern music. With lyrics that embody the most nonchalant attitudes, most of the songs seem to be plucked right out of past decades, and yet carry a fresh approach that only makes their sound more endearing.

But like that band in the Mexican cabana, the album plays best as background music while the listener lays back, sips a margarita and watches the sunset.

-Rachel Arnett

Terry Lynn

Kingstonlogic 2.0

(1.5 of 5 stars)

electro/reggae



If you’re going to begin your debut full length with a direct rip of a three year old song, at least try and bring something exciting to the table.

Terry Lynn’s Kingstonlogic 2.0 kicks out of the gates with the title song, riffing off of the exact same delivery used by Daft Punk in their 2005 smash, “Technologic.” The track pumps a strong but basic, electro beat with Lynn rhyming her patois about life in the ghetto, crime, violence, etc.

While definitely catchy, the song lacks inspiration on the part of Lynn. Maybe this is expecting too much, to want an original delivery of a song saying new things in a new way that hasn’t been rehashed by better artists over the past few years.

The album is definitely darker than most contemporary reggae or dance hall records with production moving from an electro ragga blend to the skittery rhythms of the UK-based dubstep genre.

 The main problem is that Lynn is basically restating the obvious for an entire record and presenting it in such a lackluster manner that it’s hard to even care.

She writes about the prevalent gang violence that plagues the Jamaican landscape, the drug issues and lack of political interest in the country’s problems.

Whether or not her claims and background are legitimate is inconsequential. Her delivery of what is in fact depressing material seems forced over overtly heavy beats on a melodramatic record of reggae clichés and political redundancies.



-Ben Pittard

Metallica


Death Magnetic

(1 of 5 stars)

thrash/metal


OBITUARY:

Former thrash metal kings and current modern rock jokes Metallica finally killed themselves on Sept. 12 with the release of its horrendous new record Death Magnetic.

The band’s star had been fading slowly since the radio-rock drivel of Load and Reload, and the failed attempt at come back sealed the deal.

The cause of death stemmed from lead-singer James Hetfield’s cliche, psycho-babbling lyrics which reached their worst point on unnecessary trilogy completer “Unforgiven III.”

“How can I be lost/In remembrance I relive/And how can I blame you/When it’s me I can’t forgive?” Hetfield sings in the overly dramatic mope showing off the worst song-writing of his career.

Throughout the record the band tried in vain to recapture the fury of its ’80s run. What they ended up with is vapid lumbering that puts into sharp relief just how far the band had fallen.

Guitarist Kirk Hammet alone found his stride, doing his best to revive the doomed outfit.

His playing was electric and vigorous, ripping right through the listener’s ears.

And though Metallica produced one great song with the ferocious intensity and monster chorus of “All Nightmare Long,” it’s clear from one listen to the record that the band was barely breathing.

The white coffin on the album’s cover seems all the more appropriate now, as the corpse of the once thrilling and creative group is now dead and buried.

-Jordan Lawrence