Print Edition: October 9, 2013
Kings of Leon
Mechanical Bull
Kings of Leon sky-rocketed to massive heights back in 2008 with Only by the Night, something tough for many bands to maintain in later albums. Unfortunately, a couple years later the band did falter with its follow-up Come Around Sundown. What Only by the Night had going for it was a rich, smoky atmosphere. It was an emotive rock album that dug at your soul. So while Kings of Leon failed to reach that place afterward, I had great hope for its new material. However, after many, many listens all I have is pain from a middling album. Never once does Mechanical Bull come close to what the band is capable of, though it would be a stretch to say that it’s a bad album when calling it mediocre is sufficient. I do suppose this could be marked up to a change of direction, as many of the songs are lighter. They do also spend time exploring new sounds, such as with “Family Tree,” where they take a turn and become a little more blues-oriented. And the better songs on the album are certainly the slower ones like “Wait For Me” and “Beautiful War,” which is actually a beautiful song. Ultimately though, after giving this album many chances to hit me, it comes down to the fact that it is just an all right overall listen and probably won’t remain in my regular rotation.
Joan Jett and the Blackhearts
Unvarnished
With over three decades under their belt, there’s the worry that Joan Jett and the Blackhearts could lose their sense of rock and roll and originality. For those who became fans of Jett from “I Love Rock ‘n’ Roll,” “Bad Reputation,” and “I Hate Myself For Loving You,” the seven-year gap between Unvarnished and their previous release has led to some lyrical maturation, but without giving up the band’s identity. With other artists in their age group experimenting in different sounds, Joan Jett and the Blackhearts have maintained their trademark sound over their ten albums. From the opening track, “Any Weather” featuring Dave Grohl of Foo-Fighters/Nirvana fame, to the final, a ballad entitled “Everybody Needs a Hero,” there is a newfound maturity in comparison to Jett’s previous releases. Although the playfulness of “Bad Reputation” is contained within the album, Jett shows greater songwriting depth. In “Hard to Grow Up” and “Fragile,” she addresses the death of her parents while “Reality Mentality” is an anti-reality television rant. Unvarnished is a great introduction to Joan Jett’s work or simply a recap to fans of what she does best.
Janelle Monae
The Electric Lady
Following the underwhelming sales on her critically acclaimed debut record The ArchAndroid, Janelle Monae remains unfazed and returns as Cindi Mayweather on her new record The Electric Lady. Mayweather, the otherworldly android alter ego of Monae, is an electric funkatronic, time-travelling, laser-blasting, cosmic soulstress, and she fills The Electric Lady with her rebellious and futuristic musings. Suite Four and Suite Five, part of her seven-part Metropolis series, divide the record into two distinct halves. Suite Four is full of radio-ready tunes, featuring an insane run of huge hooks and amazing grooves, all along the lines of her breakout single “Tightrope.” The lead single of Electric Lady, “Dance Apocalyptic,” is an infectious pop tune featuring an unstoppable backbeat and sprightly ukulele, while “Q.U.E.E.N.” is a funky R&B anthem, written for society’s outsiders. Suite Five is a slow burner, but is the emotional core of the album. More personal and revealing than Suite Four, she tones down her android persona on Suite Five, recognizing her limitations. On “Victory” Monae stoically admits, “I’ll just keep singing until the pain goes,” offering the listener solace in knowing that even androids experience heartache and grief.
Said the Whale
Hawaiii
In the first two days after purchasing this album, I listened to the single “Mother” 131 times. I’m still not sick of it. This is a pretty accurate representation of the entire album. It’s so damn catchy that it will never get out of your head. As always, Said the Whale is an earnest band – you can’t listen to this album without picturing them playing the songs and having a blast. The album ranges from songs that lean on their darker earlier sound (“The Weight of the Season”) to songs that dive headfirst into surf rock (“Willow”) to the singles (“Mother”, “I Love You”) which have been making the rounds on alt rock stations all summer and are experienced earworms. There are no weak songs on the album—usually there’s at least one I skip on a regular basis—but Hawaiii sticks together like a jigsaw puzzle. Every piece is exactly where it needs to be and adds to the personality of its neighbours. My biggest question is why Said the Whale released such a peppy, summery album in September; why taunt us with something so deliciously sunny Pacific Northwest when we’re staring down a season of rain and midterms? Flaunting a summertime sound like this is cruel, STW. It’s just cruel.
