Date Posted: June 30, 2011
Print Edition: June 24, 2011
Black Lips – Arabia Mountain
Black Lips have been cranking out a mixture of garage punk and rock’n’roll songs for over a decade now and upon first listen, obvious inspiration can be attributed to the likes of 1970s punk acts the Stooges and the Ramones. However, their recent release Arabia Mountain shows the band digging deeper into the roots of punk. The Sonics, the Byrds, and the Premiers come to mind when songs like “Family Tree,” “Modern Art,” and “Get Up And Go” come through the speakers. By employing Mark Robinson, Amy Winehouse’s producer, to handle the album, you get the sense that the Black Lips are more serious about cleaning up their lo-fi sound, which can sometimes end up a sprawling mess. Robinson wisely steers clear from attempting to transform the Black Lips’ sound and plays ball with the band, making Arabia Mountain the worthy follow up to Good Bad Not Evil where 200 Million Thousand failed.
– Tim Ubels
Jill Scott – The Light of the Sun
Jill Scott’s newest album is a catchy and soulful collection of songs that range from anthems to ballads that would have been right at home in the Motown era. Her history is indicative of the album’s sound: she began her artistic career as a spoken word artist and then cut her musical eye-teeth with live recordings. The album’s many extended raps and the pure, melodic accompanying voice, then, makes sense. Unfortunately, The Light of the Sun’s shortcoming is its musical accompaniment. The overuse of harps and chime trees is reminiscent of the final Spice Girls album – or perhaps a twelve year old girls’ idea of a, like, totally romantic sound. Still, other songs (the ones that aren’t too heavy on the synthesizer, that is) resonate with a sort of nouveaux sensuality. If you can ignore the beatboxing (yes, really) that shows up in other tracks, and all the other evils this album is marred with, it’s worth listening to for Scott’s vocal and lyrical mastery.
– Karen Aney
The Vaccines – What Did You Expect From the Vaccines?
The debut record from the NME-hyped London quartet The Vaccines is a mixed bag of vague Brit-rock influences bereft of the heart or substance of the band’s predecessors. Singles “Post Break-Up Sex,” and “If You Wanna” shine brightly, but such moments are fleeting and far between on the rest of the album. In fact, these tracks serve to bring into sharper relief the record’s many failures. It is a frustrating exercise that seems shrugged off and forgettable yet is punctuated by glimpses of what could have been. Alienating the listener even further is a slick varnish of reverb that coats every song and deadens the album’s few memorable hooks considerably. The sleek production is geared toward stadium anthems but it isn’t earned by the songs themselves. What can you expect from The Vaccines? Some temporary relief, but no radio cure.
– Nick Ubels
Bon Iver – Bon Iver
Bon Iver, which means “good winter,” seems to have found the inevitable spring with their self-titled second album. With a total of ten tracks, this indie-folk band brings Justin Vernon’s songs and voice to a new level thanks to a little more maturity and a little more confidence. The album, which is released on June 21, makes excellent use of the wide range of musical talents within the band itself, as well as those of contributors to the album. Each track represents a different place, whether it is a real location like “Calgary” or a fictional one like “Hinnom, TX.” Vernon gives each song its own voice, while also allowing the entire track list to be cohesive as one. While their first album was recorded in a cabin, this one found a home in a remodeled veterinary clinic, proving this band has something different to offer listeners.
– Amy Van Veen
