Despite all the hype, it's hard to walk away disappointed.
As explained in Part I, Gnarls Barkley has suddenly surged from being a moderately-anticipated, yet primarily underground release to what could very well become one of the few indie hip-hop acts to fully impact the mainstream. The album opens beautifully with "Go-Go Gadget Gospel," featuring hard-hitting productions brought on by Danger Mouse and Cee-Lo almost effortlessly singing along. From here the album then transcends to the hit single "Crazy," which will probably win the award for "Most Overplayed Song for the Summer," but it will be worth every single play, it's just that solid. Both the title track and "Gone Daddy Gone" (which is a Violent Femmes cover) are very intriguing. With the title track it remains effective despite being a somewhat disjointed track, and never feels over the top. Similarly "Gone Daddy Gone" carries over the somewhat minimalist vibraphone background, which contrasts nicely to the otherwise grandiose production that takes place on many of the other tracks. "Feng Shui" is one of the few tracks on which Cee-Lo raps, and for the most part he strays on the conservative side in terms of his delivery, only going along with the beats that Danger Mouse feeds him and never overdoing it. What is most surprising about this album is that despite having a duo of fun-loving, crazy guys like Cee-Lo and Danger Mouse, there is certainly a dark atmosphere on this album, much like the darker tinge that Danger Mouse used in the production of Gorillaz Demon Days. While it does have its flaws, this is an exquisite exercise in eccentricity brought on by a couple of incredible talents, and hopefully they will be working together again.Overall Rating: 95
Dios (Malos) EP
A nifty EP, especially if you're a fan.
While I should first note that this is an iTunes exclusive EP, I'm sure that you'll find these songs popping up on another release, if the EP itself isn't officially released at some point later on. The EP contains six tracks, and all of them are very good, if a bit experimental. Their sound is quirky as is, but it is interesting to see that each of the songs are around three and a half minutes as you wonder how long they would be without the synthesized atmospheric quirks that start and end most of the songs. The lyrics range from bizarre to smart to funny and sometimes hit all those spots at once, particularly on the opening "Hermit" and "Freq Modulation." The most pop friendly of the bunch is the closer "I See the Light," which teeters between alternative and experimental rock yet is never alienating. If you're looking for something new and, in particular, can appreciate their Pixies-like quirks, then you're in for a treat.Overall Rating: 85
Pearl Jam Pearl Jam
In a word, wow. This is the best album Pearl Jam's released since it was cool to be grunge.
The success of Pearl Jam came almost overnight, after having a trio of successes in Ten, Vs., and Vitalogy. Then, almost as quickly, Pearl Jam faded away into oblivion, lost in the shuffle of their massive number of pointless live releases and albums where they were, quite frankly, trying too hard to be something they're not. Now, over a decade later, they return with an eponymous release, almost signifying an awareness that the band is essentially starting from scratch. Let me tell you, long story short, this formula works. I had a feeling that Pearl Jam might've struck gold with their singles of "Worldwide Suicide" and "Unemployable," but their raw energy that manages to sustain over the duration of the entire album captures the band at their relative best. Granted, there have always been magical moments in Pearl Jam's releases, but I can't think of a time in their career where each component (lyrics, musicianship, focus, etc.) of their music was at the peak all at once. Harder rockers like "Life Wasted," the aforementioned "Worldwide Suicide," "Comatosed," and "Big Wave" all mesmerize with such vibrancy that you'd swear you were listening to a much younger band. Meanwhile, the sincere maturity shown on the slow to midtempo rockers such as the absolutely gorgeous "Parachutes," "Unemployable," and the prolific "Come Back" and "Inside Job" are equally impressive in that they offset the louder tracks perfectly without any sort of inconsistency. Most importantly, the entire album succeeds in its social and political relevance, as it is that core that serves as the fuel for Pearl Jam's fire. After such incredible results, it'll be interesting to see if they can keep the fire going.Overall Rating: 98
The Rakes Capture/Release
Mmm, punk.
I was excited about this release since their fantastic Retreat EP came out a little while ago, which included three of the tracks that are featured on the album, "Strasbourg," "Retreat," and "22 Grand Job." While these tracks are arguably the three best (well, at least among the best) songs on the album, the other nine certainly aren't slouches. "Open Book," "We Are All Animals," and "Work, Work, Work (Pub, Club, Sleep)" are really just as good, and the latter I would argue is the best out of them all. While they definitely are a little late coming to the punk resurgence party, there's a lot to offer in this release, and they show a great amount of potential. Unlike the Arctic Monkey's, there's a sense of polish, and unlike Art Brut, you tend to actually take these guys much more seriously. The band's journalistic style of lyrics and smart social musings and observations make their sound all the more interesting. Throw in a couple of spunky guitar riffs and you've got yourself a very good debut album.Overall Rating: 85
Wolfmother Wolfmother
Impressive debut from this Australian band.
Do you miss the days when 70's metal ruled the charts? Do you think that the rock out now just doesn't rock hard enough? If yes, then this is definitely a band worth checking out. Steeped heavily in 70's heavy metal with a dose of psychedelia, these guys really sound like a blast from the past. The singles "Dimension" and "Woman" exemplify this perfectly while maintaining enough of a mainstream angle that it can be readily accessible to fans that wouldn't ordinarily embrace such a distinctive sound. The thing that really works with this band, and is most impressive for a debut is while they dabble in their sound-- "Apple Tree" definitely shows a hefty White Stripes influence-- they sound so incredibly sure of themselves and so entrenched in the music that they're creating that they don't suffer from the identity crisis that exists within so many other bands where you get the feeling that before every song they say "Okay, next we're going to do our (Put Artist's Name Here) impression." That being said, if Wolfmother suffers from anything, it's almost so brooding that it can almost become off-putting by the time you reach the end of the disc. However, if you like nothing better than to rock out, this is definitely the album to have.Overall Rating: 90
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