NMT: May 23, 2006 (Phoenix, the Walkmen and Roy Hargrove reviewed)

This Tuesday shaped up to be a pretty interesting one. A few days after the Dixie Chicks lead singer decided to take back her apology (suddenly it's second grade all over again) they released their latest album Taking the Long Way. Despite being produced by Rick Rubin and featuring such artists as Sheryl Crow, Keb 'Mo, and many others, it feels like a pretty routine album. Despite many claims, Dixie Chicks haven't really abandoned their country sound; they've simply matured and grown as artists. Unfortunately, that doesn't mean that their songs are necessarily any better, and for that reason even curiosity wasn't enough to get me to purchase their new album. As it is the major release of the week however, I did feel the need to at least mention that about their latest, and it will be interesting to see how the sales turn out. Moving right along though, there are three very good (and slightly under the radar) albums that I'll be reviewing for the week, and hopefully you'll get the opportunity to check them out!

The Walkmen A Hundred Miles Off

Sadly not as good as their first two albums, but very good nonetheless.

The Walkmen made a very interesting attempt their third time around. Much like their contemporaries, they're attempting this time around to branch out somewhat as their sound matures and perhaps, if said band is lucky, they'll hit a couple of pleasant surprises along the way. This is ever-present on A Hundred Miles Off, perhaps most with the opening "Louisiana," a sleepy lounge induced Bob Dylan knock off, that is an intriguing miss at the very least. "Danny's At The Wedding" is a bit less foreign for fans, so it's no surprise that it comes off a lot more polished than the aforementioned effort. The first two tracks reveal what essentially should be expected from the other ten tracks: either a familiar, yet more polished (in a good way) track or an interesting attempt that somehow falls short. That's not to say that the familiar is boring at all as "Good For You's Good For Me" and percussion-driven "Emma, Get Me a Lemon" both are very, very good songs. The biggest surprise that truly works is the closing "Another One Goes By," a cover originally done by the band Mazarin. It has a timeless feel to it as the guitars, piano and drums all blossom and swirl as the song slowly fades out. Despite such a strong closing, it's still hard to overlook many of the albums faults, especially considering how concise and powerful the Walkmen have always been. As many famous people have quoted previously, the best people know their limitations, and perhaps that's what this album will teach the Walkmen.

Overall Rating: 80

Roy Hargrove Nothing Serious

Very impressive work, indeed.

Released at the exact same time as another release of his under the RH Factor name, it's almost more impressive that Roy Hargrove is such a diverse talent, being able to indulge in Hip-Hop and R&B and traditional Jazz almost seamlessly, than Hargrove's talent in terms of his interpretative work. Immediate standouts are the opening "Nothing Serious" and "A Day In Vienna," as they both feature Hargrove and his quintet in impeccably sharp form, breezing through even the most complex sections effortlessly. It's on these that it seems that the quintet work best, as "Trust," while smooth, almost feels mellower than what the musicians even feel comfortable with, and they're perhaps just itching to be able to finish the song and move on to something with a bit more pace. That said, the majority of the tracks are very well done and all have something special about them really, it's just that the spark exemplified on the opening tracks and sharpness isn't necessarily there all the way through, otherwise a very well done album. A definite recommendation.

Overall Rating: 85

Phoenix It's Never Been Like That

The first perfect summer album.

A release that came completely out of left field, Phoenix has gone from the disco to the rock arena. It's in no way an ill-fated attempt either, as each and every track deliver a sharply executed rock gem. If you think about it, it almost makes perfect sense: While every other rock band is trying to sound like they're from the 80's (most notably of late the Strokes), Phoenix has always pretty much been steeped in 80's electronica, so perhaps the rock transition wasn't as difficult, and perhaps, that's why it works so darn well. It's songs like "Rally" that sound so incredibly airy that you could swear it came from the speakers of a summer radio. The single "Long Distance Call" probably incorporates the most of Phoenix's "old" sound, as the synthesizers that highlighted Phoenix's first two releases underline the otherwise straightforward rock tune. Truth be told, there isn't a bad song on here, and I'd be very surprised if this album doesn't help Phoenix to get on the map as yet-another recognized indie-rock group. As long as you're out in the sun, this album shouldn't be too far away, it's just that good.

Overall Rating: 95