Little Joy;Self-Titled

The Strokes drummer Fabrizio Moretti has the perfect recipe for one of this year’s most enjoyable albums. Rocker Moretti teamed up with Rodrigo Amarante of Brazillian indie-rock band Los Hermanos and instrumentalist Binki Shapiro. Little Joy’s self titled album is sweetly innocent and perfect. There is an island-esqu, 50’s style sound that is consistently evident in every song and each track blending into the next with ease. Brand New Start is a sweet up tempo love song that embraces and encourages a second chance at love “All this time they had me thinking/Love's a boat that's slowly sinking/; Ain't no lover like the one I've got/She and I have a brand new start”. No Ones Better Sake is sunny and laced with background organs that provide a fuller element; you’d never think this would be a break up song; ‘So is this how it ends/Oh with a whimper instead of bang/I can't defend you truly/When I worry about smoke instead of putting out the fire’. In How To Hang A Warhol, Moretti sings stories of telling mom and dad dreams of being an artist or orchestra conductor and when that all fails he’ll still be singing and playing in a band; “But as long as I can't get into Carnagie Hall/I'll keep writing them songs/That are all mine/Very simple and dumb/Like I've always have done. Little Joy delivers something unique that can be listened to anywhere at anytime with anyone.

A

Conor Oberst and The Mystic Valley Band: Conor Oberst

Oberst has a sound on a much more positive and happy note with The Mystic Valley Band than compared to his albums released with his previous band Bright Eyes. This 12 track self titled album was recorded during a month long stint in Mexico last winter. While Oberst’s unique atypical voice is either one that you love or hate, there is no doubt his lyrics are crafted with intricate care. Cape Canaveral starts off the journey with a smooth lullaby acoustics where he admits “Victory is sweet even deep in the cheap seats”. Moab is an upbeat electric tune about a man’s travels and how being on the road is able to fix anything, “See those headlights coming towards us?/That’s someone going back to a town/They said they’d never/Thy swore it on their lives/’ ‘There’s nothing that the road cannot heal”. Sausalito is an automatic mood lifter with a poppy beat and breezy melodies and lyrics ‘We should move to Sausalito/Livings easy on a houseboat/Let the ocean rock us back and forth to sleep”. This album is refreshing and delicately eye opening.

B

Ryan Adams and the Cardinals: Cardinlology

Tantrums, drugs and alcohol fueled Ryan Adams previous albums, no doubt. The cleaned up Adams is clearly evident throughout Cardinology. The common sounding theme in every track is country rock meets classic rock.

Adams kicks off the album with “Born into a Light”, a mid-tempo, yet, catchy tune where he prays for friends and himself to get through tough times and” For everyone alone I wish you faith and hope/ And all the strength to cope/ To be your own best friend have confidence and keep the faith”. Next in line is “Go Easy” is a heartfelt love song littered with southern-rock hooks. “Magick” picks up the pace with a familiar ‘raw garage rock out session’ feel; with lyrics like “You’re like a missile strike/Government goes underground/Warhead on legs/What goes around comes around”.

The last half of the album slows down and eventually closes down and almost brings you to tears with “Stop”, a solo piano and Adam’s fragile voice weeping through lyrics about his battles in rehab “I know a sickness/So ancient and cross/ No crucifix/ Could ever fix enough”

The album keeps relaxed vibe but Adams has never sounded so rational. Blame it on sobriety or blame it on growing up. Ryan Adams has brought new light to his one of a kind sound.

C

Of Montreal: Skeletal Lamping

Wow. All bets are off. It’s hard to believe lead singer and songwriter Kevin Barnes has been fighting depression. Skeletal Lamping is another level of creativity. Every element is endearing and just plain weird. With a voice that combines the stylings of Freddie Mercury and Prince to unfold 15 tracks of funk, disco and indie rock. Yes, it’s possible. Opening track Non Perils of Favor begins with delicate strings before erupting into a punchy confession of truly needing the person he loves “You were always there on the tip of my tongue/ and I needed you to happen/And now you happened” before going on to profusely thank the lucky girl (or guy). Barnes is known for his sexual antics and gender confusion but with For Our Elegant Caste he seems to proudly own every last bit of it as he bluntly sings “We can do it soft core/But you should know that I go both ways” he says. There are new discoveries in every song, new sounds and lots of ‘ooh ooh ooh’s’. Gallery Piece is painfully aware of the contradictions of being in a love hate relationship the need for couple’s therapy. With the intoxicating rhythm and Barnes shoves lyrics like “I want to be your love/I want to make you cry and sweep you off your feet/I want to hurt your pride” in your jaw dropped face. Touched Somethings Hollow begins with piano and the similar treading light voice of Devandra Banhart where he sounds sadly broken and asks “Why am I so damaged girl/Why am I such poison girl/I don’t know how long I can hold on/If it’s gonna be like this forever”. This record is chock full of sexuality, soul, psychedelics and lyrics so descriptive they would have made even George Carlin blush. What else would expect from a Detroit born rock star whose alter ego is a black transvestite?

B

Cold War Kids: Loyalty To Loyalty

Imagine you’re slumped in some crushed velvet covered booth in a dark smoke filled jazz lounge. In walk four scruffy, bed headed guys heading straight to the stage and effortlessly rock out a smooth set. This is what the Kids sophomore release Loyalty to Loyalty delivers. The hooks and melodies are instantly addictive. Singer Nathan Willet exudes a raw conviction in every word and line that leaves you anxiously waiting to hear what he’ll say next. These California boys shamelessly mean what they say and say what they mean. Key track Relief has a certain sexiness and taunting rhythm; the chorus rolls out of Nathan’s mouth as he relays ‘You never really know what you cant really see/I’ll be fair I’ll be fair/You made it out alive oh what a relief’. Golden Gate Jumpers is a narrative of a suicidal woman on the verge of jumping off the historic bridge but The Kids bring an uplifting and soothing piano element that softens the blow of the otherwise morbid verse ‘Bodies float to the shore/Bloated purple and blue/If the sharks don’t get to you first/The crabs will have their way with you’. The lazy sounding Every Man I fall For should be dedicated to all the chicks out there who have bad taste in men with ‘Love hate tattooed on his knuckles’,’ Keeps his anger on a string and holds it tight’ that leaves a poor girl restless. The entire album is loaded with catchy beats and vivid stories. The songs are perfectly under produced and organic, yet infused with absolute rock ability. This album gets better with every listen.

B+

Oasis: Dig Out Your Soul

The once alcohol infused, disturbingly arrogant, fist fighting and F-bomb dropping Brit boys called Oasis, have put out their seventh album. Dig Out Your Soul has exactly the sound of a seventh album. It’ll never live up to the previous six. Bag It Up starts the party off right with typical electric guitar keeping a mediocre rhythm and the melody is somewhat catchy but the disheveled outro is messily irksome. Keyboards are peppered throughout the album perhaps in hope of adding substance. Im Outta Time strangely resembles a dreamy Lennon ditty asking ‘If I were to fall would you be there to applaud/ Or would you hide behind them all/Because I’m outta time’. Radio friendly Be Where There’s Life displays a catchy beat and Liam Gallagher’s proposal of taking you “Over the light/Under the signs/In through locked doors to secret floors”. By the end of the album the foursomes take a bluesy route. The Nature of Reality starts off with the sound of disappointment but an elementary drum beat and bluesy electric guitar are hurdled in to catch you before you decide to jump. Wrapping up the eleven track collection is Soldier On; a solid, drawn out tune with relaxed vocals. Only, you won’t have Oasis’s closing track replaying in your head, rather, Nirvana’s cover ‘Where Did You Sleep Last Night’. Oasis has attempted squeeze the last few drops of pure rock n’ roll bad ass out themselves but that may not be enough to ensure this album a memorable place in music’s heart or score any new fans.

D+

Ra Ra Riot: The Rhumb Line

Lyrics delicately branch off a classically strung trunk and The National sounding drums lure you in for the pleasantly surprising indie rock band Ra Ra Riots 2008 release The Rhumb Line. While this album may be the bands way of coping with the drowning death of their drummer John Ryan Pike they are recovering with grace. Opening track Ghost Under Rocks throws you for a loop when it starts out with an incredibly low and weeping cello thumping when a tight and steady drum beat shows up on the scene. The balance between classical instrumentation and ‘Vampire Weekend like’ modern day rock melodies is effortlessly blended throughout this entire record. If you were walking in the spring with new flowers in bloom Winter ’05 would probably be playing in the background. The short strums of the violin and beautifully toned voice of Wesley Miles holds your hand the whole way through ‘if you were here then Id have a choice to live not being alone”. Just when you’re lulled into your special place, Dying is Fine pumps out a high tempo and chirping yet heavy electric guitar. 80’s throwback synth is slightly nauseating when memories of big hair, eyeliner and pale skin come flooding back in the most alive track on the album Too Too Fast but mid-song it somehow redeems its self with a heavy rock out. Now your dreaming your at an Irish carnival with this fun waltzy tune Suspended In Graffa complete with crashing symbols. While the music itself is endearing and is sure to grab your attention, the lyrics aren’t as interesting and easily blend into the sound.

B-

Kings Of Leon: Only By The Night

The Followill boys, as in Caleb, Nathan, Matthew and Jared are still going strong as ever. The Kings fourth album ‘Only by the Night’ captures a more mature sound, yet still enchants fans with every turn it takes. The boys from Tennessee have a sound all their own. By this I mean guitars that will drag you through mud and full bodied wreckage. Caleb’s unique, strained “tried singing the second I woke up” voice is among the best in rock ‘n’ roll since Jimmy Page or Kurt Cobain. Opening track Closer grabs your attention with a guitar intro that eerily resembles the sound of a beeping heart monitor in a dark hospital room with a drum beat that fits the part while Caleb croons over a women who ”Took my heart/I think she took my soul”. Next in line Crawl is steely and intense. The multi-dimensional follow up track Use Somebody makes clear that Caleb is advertising his heart on is sleeve and that tone is kept throughout the album. The fourth track Sex is on Fire, is addicting; the voice, the poppy bass line and the galloping drum keeps an insanely melodic hold on you. Anyone who has sabotaged a relationship only to realize what they’re now missing can relate to Revelry, where Caleb admits “Just know that it was you all along who had a hold on my heart/but the demon in me was the best of friends from the start’. Cold Desert wraps up the album takes you on a slow drawn Dylan-esqu ride where he sadly weeps “Jesus don’t love me”. The Kings have introduced new sounds with this album. Keyboards and woozy background vocals are the icing on the cake. The Kings of Leon are running like a well oiled southern rock, tight jean wearing ass kicking machine. Oh yeah, and not to mention the album comes with a bonus disk including seven live tracks all from previous albums. If this isn’t enough to blow your mind, I’m not sure what will.

A+