James Mercer and an (all new) band of Shins are back after a five-year absence. How much does a new lineup alter the landscape of The Shins’ intricate pop? Read the review and find out.
Posts tagged "cd review"
Spin Cycle: Bruce Springsteen’s “Wrecking Ball”
The Boss is back with his first new album in three years. How does it hold up to his lengthy list of classics?
Spin Cycle: The Magnetic Fields’ “Love at the Bottom of the Sea”
Digestible and lean, The Magnetic Fields’ latest record, Love at the Bottom of the Sea, attempts to have it both ways: while each Fields album after their massive, masterful magnum opus 69 Love Songs has been more laser-focused than that thrillingly kitchen-sink record, Love at the Bottom packs 15 swift tracks into its sinewy 34-minute runtime. For this we can thank Stephin Merritt, Magnetic Fields maestro and patron saint of indie kids who scrawl their lyrical sketches on cocktail napkins and dog-eared […]
Spin Cycle: Ja Rule’s “Pain Is Love 2”
Remember this dude? He has a new album. And we were brave enough to review it!
Spin Cycle: The Cranberries’ “Roses”
Chugging bass notes and rhythmically-scrubbed acoustic guitars scamper across a vaguely martial 4/4 drumbeat; Dolores O’Riordan’s distinctive Irish lilt, alternately forceful and airy, flits over the whole enterprise, dreamy harmonies and counter-melodies rising from the ether to join O’Riordan in a chanting, cyclical chorale of Dolores O’Riordans, all cooing in one accord the wistful dissolution of a relationship that simply wasn’t meant to be. Worried that you accidentally gunned the Delorean up to 88mph last night and have found yourself […]
Spin Cycle: Estelle’s “All Of Me”
Sometimes simply being refreshing is enough. Take Estelle: she’s a good singer, but not a vocal powerhouse. She’s a fine emcee, but not a magnetic one. And yet, 2008’s Kanye duet “American Boy” was such a shot in the arm; the London vocalist’s flirtatious interplay with Ye was engaging, the hook burrowed deep into the brain, and the splashy electro-funk production sounded like both a fresh diversion and a remarkably spot-on prediction of the direction pop music would take in […]
Spin Cycle: Sinead O’Connor’s “How About I Be Me (And You Be You)?”
There’s a quip that’s been fluttering around music circles for the past year. The wording varies, but it boils down to this: “So, when Adele’s happy, does she just stop writing songs, or what’s the deal with that?” The witticism is a bit played-out in the wake of the singer’s Grammy sweep, but it poses an interesting question: can a singer known for spinning their depressive notions into musical gold excel when they’ve arrived at a place of relative contentment? […]
Spin Cycle: fun.’s “Some Nights”
You’ve heard “We Are Young” all over the place, now check out what we think about fun.’s new album.
Spin Cycle: Shearwater’s “Animal Joy”
It’d be a shame if Shearwater’s ultimate legacy was as Okkervil River’s de facto kid brother. Originally envisioned as an artier side project for the wordy indie-rock artisans of Okkervil, Will Sheff and Jonathan Meiburg, Shearwater has evolved considerably. A lot that’s due to the amicable division of labor between the two bands: Meiburg has emerged as Shearwater’s figurehead, while Sheff generally keeps to Okkervil River these days, and under the tutelage of their respective artistic directors, both outfits have […]
Spin Cycle: Joseph Arthur’s “Redemption City”
Joseph Arthur is a prolific mad genius. Like contemporaries Ryan Adams and Robert Pollard, Arthur is a man who simply can’t seem to help making music. He once described songs that made up the four EPs he released in 2008 as “strange animals in a cosmic cage begging for release”; he released an album a scant seven months ago; and now, seemingly out of nowhere, he’s dumped Redemption City on his devoted fanbase as a free digital download, and surprisingly to […]
Spin Cycle: Craig Finn’s “Clear Heart Full Eyes”
Craig Finn’s new solo album is out tomorrow. Does it measure up to the standard set by The Hold Steady’s catalog?