Dinosaur Bones – My Divider
Dinosaur Bones is a band that likes to wear its influences on its sleeve. An easy comparison between the Toronto band’s urbane garage rock swagger and The Strokes is made even more tempting by lead singer Ben Fox’s uncanny vocal resemblance to Julian Casablancas, yet there are also traces of The Smiths’ dark emotionality and even Oasis on My Divider, the quintet’s promising debut record. Dinosaur Bones’ remarkably assured musicianship and pop sensibilities help make tracks like, “Making Light,” “Bombs In the Night,” “Hunters,” and “Ice Hotels,” compelling even after multiple listens. However, much of the remaining 7 tracks tend to sort of blend together. In these instances, there is little to distinguish them from the hordes of other NYC-influenced rock acts emerging over the past few years. There is a lot to like about Dinosaur Bones’ debut, but it remains to be seen whether they will develop a style they can truly call their own on future releases.
– Nick Ubels
Architects UK – The Here and Now
The immediate comparison to bands such as Alexisonfire and The Cancer Bats is inevitable, but for Architects UK that should be considered a good thing. Those two band’s pioneering screamo sound is crystallized here so newcomers to the genre shouldn’t feel too uncomfortable as all its hallmarks are hit on. Yet, for the more experienced listener, there are more engaging subtleties to The Here and Now. Subtle may not be a word that comes to mind for many, but that is exactly what makes screamo so engaging: the raw force and even brutality that is quite obvious from the first second of the album, which is permeated by the smallest and mildest of musical forms and measures. This may not be many people’s idea of a nice musical experience, but it is not meant to be. Those with a taste for “hardcore,” will delight in this newest offering from Architects, from the surprisingly anthemic “Delete, Rewind” to the heart-accelerating opener, “Day in, Day Out” as the band stretches the boundaries of the often inclusive musical style. Simply-put: a must listen for enthusiasts and a gateway for new-comers, comparable to Alexisonfire’s Crisis.
– Paul Falardeau
Ellie Goulding – Lights
Ellie Goulding, a native of Hereford, England, has a voice that, in the right circumstances, might sound right at home on the folk music scene of the 1960’s. However, her debut album, Lights, instead finds it surrounded by club-ready dance floor rhythms and a swirl of synthesizers courtesy of producer Starsmith. A perfect example comes from the lead single “Starry Eyed,” which walks the line between Madonna and Dido. The song is catchy and upbeat and one hit of E away from a great night at the local discothèque, but ultimately falls short on the grander scale. Sure making club music is great fun, but the hints at Goulding’s larger song-writing skills, like odd key changes, make one wonder if she isn’t just another sell-out. After all, it’s easy to turn a buck in the pop game, but everything just seems to be a steaming pile of cliché. It seems like Goulding’s real talent will go largely unnoticed – and that’s her own call. In the meantime, however, we are left with above-average pop, sung with an English accent. God save the queen, indeed.
– Paul Falardeau
Avril Lavigne – Goodbye Lullaby
All her life, Avril Lavigne has been “good, till now.” At least according to “What the Hell,” the second track off her fourth release, Goodbye Lullabye, which hit stores on March 8, 2011. The Canadian bubblegum punkster has smoothed any rough edges entirely off of her repertoire (as if she was ever anything but processed), and this disjointed 19-track attempt at a pop album proves that the only thing she used to have going for her was the hard core gimmick. I spent a lot of time trying to figure out the key demographic this album is trying to reach, and I finally settled on the hard of hearing. Lavigne’s songwriters attempt to string together catchy hooks with generalized abstractions about love, relationships, and heartbreak. While it fails at being genuine, it succeeds at breaking the hearts of anyone unfortunate enough to have to listen to it.
-Sophie Isbister
