Big Wheel and Others Cass McCombs Domino Records Producer: Cass McCombs Burn some sage and drink a beer. McCombs shrugs off unspoken musical fiats as he pairs blue-collar motifs with Jim Morrison aural mysticism beginning with the opening track’s hypnotic riff. Pedal steel bends the mind and McCombs’ voice haunts with the resonance of Kurt Vile and slinks with the languid nonchalance and mild amusement of Lou Reed through gypsy tales, tribal lullabies and the pleading “Brighter,” a last testament sung in black velvet notes by late actress/musician Karen Black. Rooted to the earth in some lyrical respects, Big Wheel leaves the ground in others through shadows of religion and flickerings of magic as McCombs gropes with the metaphysical. – Jessica Pace Under the Covers, Vol. 3 Matthew Sweet and Susanna Hoffs Shout Factory! Producers: Matthew Sweet & Susanna Hoffs With previous forays into ‘60s and ‘70s pop, this is the third installment in the duo’s rock & roll retrospective series. Here we find them wearing their interpretative hats as the two delve into hand-picked tracks from the ‘80s, like Petty’s “Free Fallin,” the Pretenders’ “Kid” and the Go Go’s “Our Lips Are Sealed.” The performances feel genuine because, let’s face it, these two lived it! Sweet rose to prominence in the late ‘80s/early ‘90s as a solo artist and Hoffs fronted the Bangles, one of the biggest bands of the decade they are honoring. As a nostalgia vehicle it is brilliant. But it would be nice to hear Sweet and Hoffs back on the charts with original material! – Eric A. Harabadian We Need Medicine The Fratellis BMG Producers: Jon Fratelli, Stuart McCredie With the awesome song “Chelsea Dagger,” released way back in the oughts, the Fratellis set the bar high for a follow-up. Several years later, the band have blessed us with a new release. Full of the same driving, modern-day pub rock, it is a keeper. Earnest songs include the title track and “Until She Saves my Soul.” The songs are good, the band sounds tight, with energized performances in each track, indicating that five years’ rest served them well. Raise a pint to “She’s Not Gone Yet, But She’s Leaving.” It’s a raucous release; however, the production is a bit too polished for this band that, like yellowtail, is best served raw. – Brett Bush New Weather New Weather Butterscotch Records Producer: Sean Curley Warning: New Weather’s debut self-entitled album will blow your mind into an experimental world of psychedelic oblivion. If the unsettling landscape of David Lynch’s Easerhead were transformed into one of beauty and wonder, songs like “Slip” and “Everything” would serve as the transformative soundscape. Listeners will find themselves lost in trance-like tempos that ultimately leave one feeling mystically serene and rejuvenated. But not everyone will fully understand the vibrant, multifaceted power behind synth-heavy songs like “Heat Death.” Give it a chance—you might be intrigued by what you find. – Danica Bellini 8 8 8 8 Floating Out To See Gringo Star My Anxious Mouth, Inc. Producer: Gringo Star Gringo Star’s greatest asset is an apparent mild psychosis, a sort of demented brilliance inspired by madness. Twisting hard rock blues with ‘60s pop and indie sensibility, the trio’s psychotropic ditties feel like the joyous burbling of a mental patient who’s been freed by his own mind. Invigorating and disturbing, this collection won’t appeal to all listeners. Their fractured prism of hallucinatory wonderment works for and against them, conjuring a flavor that invites attention but proves difficult to latch onto. This, combined with the album’s brief 35:29 running time, hurts the package’s overall appeal but will still prove a trippingly good time for explorers of the subconscious. – Andy Kaufmann Shout Govt. Mule Blue Note Records Producers: Warren Haynes & Gordie Johnson This is the rock quartet’s first album of original material in roughly four years and it was certainly worth the wait. Guitarist Warren Haynes and band have always delivered a sound that is gritty, adventurous and technically precise. And this album is right on par, but with a twist. It is a two-CD set, with Disc 1 featuring a set of Haynes vocally leading the group. But in unprecedented fashion, Disc 2 presents the same track list spotlighting Govt. Mule backing select songs led by Elvis Costello, Ben Harper, Dave Matthews and more. It’s an interesting concept that, for the most part, works. What an honor and tribute that such a guest list would jump on board. – Eric A. Harabadian Matangi M.I.A. Interscope Records Producers: Various This is a symphony of samples slapped together and laid under what could be perceived as lyrics, although the jury is still out. It is hard to take M.I.A. seriously as a vocalist since some kind of production element always seems to be doctoring her up. When it does appear she is really attempting to sing it comes off as high pitched, whiny, strained and ultimately hideous. The album is a full of ridiculous sounds effects and music beds that feel as if they were lifted from some obscure 8-bit video game. In a day where music can be seen as both an art and a commodity, this is neither and probably should have been left in the storage bin, at the studio. – Carl Anthony Fortress Alter Bridge Roadrunner, EMI Producer: Michael Baskette Back from solo albums and side projects, Alter Bridge releases album number four, Fortress, a heavy and textured melding of hard rock and metal executed with enough finesse to pull distinct timbre out of an onslaught of guitar and bass. Mark Tremonti on guitar pushes melody through a stone wall of sound. As instrumentalists, the band—comprised of Myles Kennedy of the Mayfield Four and three members of Creed—are in top form, though by midway through, the album becomes too much of a good thing as tedium settles in. – Jessica Pace 6 8 3 7 To be considered for review in the Album Reviews section, you must have a record deal with a major label or an independent label with an established distributor. If you do not, please see our New Music Critiques section. 48 November 2013 musicconnection.com
TAKE YOUR PICK Your Source For Low Prices On Top Brands 082813-FCS_Take Your Pick-HALF.indd 1 November 2013 8/28/13 1:29 PM musicconnection.com 49
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