Album Reviews

A.C. COTTON
Notes For the Conversation
(Ahab Was Right)
Notes for the Conversation is a screaming, powerful rock record. Electrifying guitar riffs bounce off of Alan Charing's passionately loud vocals and carry reminders of Neil Young, Tom Petty and Bruce Springsteen. There is also a distinctly southern quality to several songs, especially "See You Again" and "The Pony Show." The cornerstone of the record is the guitars; interestingly enough, the list of guitar credits on the album is longer than most other band rosters. Notes is a solid rock record with a classic sound that makes it impossible to pinpoint the era it was recorded in. That is a pretty impressive feat in today's homogenized rock environment. Lance Looper

DEVENDRA BANHART
Nino Rojo
(Young God)
Young Banhart's got quite a buzz around him as the folk singer for the gen-Y set. I don't know about that, since I've got no clue what the kids listen to these days, but on the evidence of Nino Rojo the prolific songwriter's got appeal beyond his own generation. Listening to the imagistic lyrics and wandering melodies of tunes like "Little Yellow Spider," "Sister" and "HorseheadedfleshWizard," I'd say he's got more in common with Bob Dylan or acid folk luminaries like Pearls Before Swine and the Incredible String Band than, say, Bright Eyes or Palace. Which is a lot more appealing to old farts like me. His tremulous voice could be a deal-breaker, though, so keep that in mind if you want a puff of this pipe. Michael Toland [buy it]

JAY BENNETT
The Beloved Enemy
(Undertow)
Considering his heavy contributions to Wilco's popfest Summerteeth and The Palace at 4am (Part 1), the great record he made with his songwriting partner Edward Burch, you'd think Jay Bennett's solo records would be mini-symphonies of the Brian Wilson variety. You'd be wrong, though—as with Bigger Than Blue, his previous album released earlier this year, The Beloved Enemy is full of quiet, folky tunes that eschew production tricks for simple presentation. Which is fine, as these are good songs that grow on you, and his craggy voice is wonderfully expressive. But I have to admit I miss the lush stylings of Palace. Maybe next time. Michael Toland [buy it]

BLACKFIELD
Blackfield
(Snapper)
Blackfield is a collaboration between Israeli singer/songwriter Aviv Geffen and Porcupine Tree leader Steven Wilson. I've not heard Geffen's prior work, so I don't know what he brings to the table here, outside of a couple of songs and some charismatic vocals. Because Blackfield definitely favors Wilson's side of the family. Shortened song lengths and simpler arrangements aside, songs like "Cloudy Now," "Lullaby" and the title track boast the signature melodies and atmospheric production Wilson uses in his own band. Hell, even "Pain," a tune penned by Geffen alone, sounds like PT. That's not a bad thing in and of itself—these are excellent songs, given vibrant performances, marred only by the way the tunes don't end so much as just sort of stop. I think it may take another album or two before both partners interact on an equal footing and we hear what Blackfield is really all about. Michael Toland [buy it]

CHAMBER
Miles Away - A Premonition of Solitude
(Sad Eyes/Trisol/Soul Food)
Though officially a CD single, Chamber's Miles Away features not only the title tune and two other tracks taken from the German ensemble's forthcoming album Solitude, but also nine other demos, B-sides and outtakes, making this an album in and of itself. Which is good for us Yanks unfamiliar with the band. Marcus Testory's ripe baritone can be a little much—see "To Others Than You"—but he's quite moving when kept in check, and the mostly acoustic, tastefully string-sweetened Gothic ballads hold up nicely. I'm interested to hear what Chamber is capable of when it's working with a unified statement. Michael Toland [buy it]

CHARMPARTICLES
Sit Down For Staying
(Childstar)
Charmparticles' second disc is a brief, noisy little sucker. The band throttles its instruments through the first two tracks, "Sixty-Four" and "Stand Up For Leaving," then throttle way back for "A/O." This is the best track on the album, jammed with emotion and leading smoothly into the final three tracks, "Gas Gauge," "Solvent" and "Phone and Finder." Sit Down for Staying is a pretty average alternative rock record, but the disc plugs along in fits and starts without really taking the listener anywhere. It sounds unfinished and light coming in at only six tracks. They are six ambitious songs, but without being rounded out sound a little orphaned. Lance Looper [buy it]

THE CZARS
Goodbye
(Bella Union)
Who knew that sensitive singer/songwriters would make such a comeback in the last 10 years? Even if not a real commercial force, the heart-on-sleeve writing and openly emotional performances of folks like Jeff Buckley, early Radiohead, etc. have had a tremendous impact, encouraging sensitive souls to add their voices to the hymn. Case in point: singer/pianist John Grant, whose Denver-based band the Czars is on its third and strongest album yet. The classically-trained Grant's low-key croon conveys deep feelings without bombast, and his band's subtle accompaniment on songs like the simmering "My Love," the brightly poppy "Pain" and the quirky but brilliant "I am the Man" compliments his winning tunes perfectly. Michael Toland [buy it]

GARFIELDS BIRTHDAY
Famous When Dead
(Pink Hedgehog)
There's a particular strain of guitar-based pop that's been a mainstay of British rock since the early 80s, a style that embraces the Byrds and the Kinks equally, whose practitioners understand that vulnerable doesn't mean wimpy and that a good melody counterbalances a multitude of sins. The blokes in Garfields Birthday are masters of this. On the compilation Famous When Dead, James Laming and Simon Felton (also the big boss at Pink Hedgehog) write almost ridiculously tuneful ditties and sing them in mellow but soulful voices over mellifluous guitar hooks. It's damn near irresistible. Fans of folks like Velvet Crush, Teenage Fanclub and the Trashcan Sinatras need to hear Garfields Birthday sooner rather than later. Michael Toland

THE HENTCHMEN
FormFollowsFunction
(Times Beach)
The easiest way to describe the Hentchmen is that they play garage rock. While that's accurate, it also does the Detroit trio a disservice, as singer/keysperson John, guitarist Tim and drummer Mike aren't content to just regurgitate the same Nuggets-approved chords and melodies over and over. Nestled among the slashing guitars and whacking drums are honest-to-Ray Davies pop hooks and soaring melodies, even some country rock ("Waterer Down")—the trio has far more songwriting ambition than most artists of its ilk. The Hentchmen sound less like they're trying to recreate an era and more like they're simply most comfortable with the stripped-down tools of that era. Michael Toland [buy it]

DAN ISRAEL
Time I Get Home
(Eclectone)
The distinction between a Dan Israel solo record and one by his band the Cultivators grows ever thinner with Time I Get Home, a more filled-out, poppy effort than his usual solo acoustic musings. Cultivators drummer David J. Russ percussioned and mixed the tracks, further blurring the boundaries. Not that it matters all that much—it's always good to have more of Israel's smart, heartfelt songs out in the world, no matter what the umbrella. Especially when the tunes are as good as "Somebody Better," "Enough For Anyone" or "Better Road." Michael Toland [buy it]

STEVEN MARK
Distraction
(Steven Mark)
Newcomer Steven Mark's debut album is a reflection of classic rock bands of the 60s and 70s. With stripped-down and straightforward production, Distraction sounds like a relic, but in a good way. Mark has a way with lyrics too, especially on "Dumb It Down" and "Beer and Nyquil." One drawback, though, is the way every song sounds similar; the tracks kind of bleed into each other. Of course, if that's the desired impact producer Alton Delano is working for, great job. All told, Distraction is a nice change of pace from today's alt rock madness. Lance Looper [buy it]