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11 May 2006

Bookends, Seventh for the Song (Spiritual Partners/Rhythm Barrel)
It's hard to really hate an album that's so very harmless. With Bookends, a trio with a heavy acoustic-pop edge, it occasionally sounds like a jam-band gone straight-forward, using the occasional quirky instrument for what are otherwise above-average pop songs that don't ever really make any deep points but just seem to... exist. When Hootie & the Blowfish blew up in the mid-'90s, it was the bar band that everyone knew making it big for almost no reason. With that in mind, you've definitely heard Bookends before, and that's not a bad thing, but it's also not the best news you've ever heard. Songs like "They'll See You" aren't as catchy as you thought they were on first listen, but the effect is still undeniably pleasant. Though the excellent acoustic-pop of "Torturer" is a great way to open the album (Seventh for the Song), the music of "Splitter" and "Again" fail to leave much of an impression. Leave it to the above-average lyrics to save the day, closer "Desert Island Records" cleverly detailing the things they'd want to bring when asked that immortal question. "You're not lisening, while I'm talking / Over the breakfast noise / But you are still the / Architect of your own good fortune" they sing on "Dinosaurs." Oh, we're listening, but the breakfast noise is what'll make us stay. Make sure we're hungry first. [Amazon | Insound]
      — Evan Sawdey
"Tree Me": [MP3]
"Again": [MP3]
"Such Grace": [MP3]
"They'll See You": [MP3]
"Dinosaurs": [MP3]

Intronaut, Null (Goodfellow)
Comprised of former members of Exhumed, Uphill Battle, and Anubis Rising, this debut EP by the Ventura, California quartet is not only as long as some albums (28 minutes), but is a markedly confident debut. Drawing heavily from the progressive-minded sludge of Mastodon, the technical ecstasy of The Dillinger Escape Plan, and the punishing art metal of Neurosis (not unlike what Canadian group Buried Inside did on their 2005 album Chronoclast), Null is steeped in punishing riffs and rhythms, more atmospheric interludes, and jazz- inspired departures, but best of all, is never afraid to let loose and shred away from time to time, as drummer Danny Walker, guitarists Sacha Dunable and Leon Del Muerte, and bassist Joe Lester all display the kind of taut, versatile musicianship one would expect from the genre. Centered around five songs in the six to seven minute range, the labyrinthine complexity might seem lofty upon first listen, but like all good progressive rock, we hear new revelations the more plays the disc gets. With a first outing this strong, expectations surrounding the band's debut full-length (out this summer) will be justifiably high. [Insound]
      — Adrien Begrand
"Fragments of Character": [MP3]

Keely B, Zoned Out (Negril West)
We can't all start at the top, but everybody has to start somewhere. It's where you finish that matters. For Keely B and his R&B-flavored reggae, the journey might begin with a few bumps, but only time will tell how far it will go. On his album Zoned Out, Keely B might have considered this when he wrote "Rugged Road", a song that explores the purpose of life. It's not a bad tune, although Keely B's voice isn't strong enough to handle the responsibility of a ballad. See, Zoned Out is basically a party record, with attempts at crooning ("I know a Place", "Anytime") thrown into the mix. As Keely B sings on "Party Time", he sometimes feels "like partyin' from night 'til dawn". "Sometimes", however, seems more like "all the time". Released in 2005, Zoned Out got healthy play in the Caribbean, while capturing the wannabe-Rasta crowd in the United States. Hardcore reggae lovers might find this release watered down, but it's great for dancing. For the wannabes, it's familiar enough to enjoy while sticking your big toe in the reggae pool. Unfortunately, much of the material becomes forgettable because of its repetition of sounds and concepts. Nevertheless, "Hype Up" and Keely B's cover of "California Dreamin'" by the Mamas and the Papas are delightful highlights. Also noteworthy: the smokin' "Roll-In-By" featuring Kid Kurup, "Sweet Senorita", and the title track. [Insound]
      — Quentin B. Huff

Sleepy River, The Funeral Birth of a Tree (Swingset)
Justin Kline has a soothing voice that rolls smoothly over the acoustic chords of his one-man-band Sleepy River. Too soothing, perhaps: when his languid songs stretch past the four-minute mark, as seven of the nine here do, their main effect is soporific. Of course, the prosaic strumming, bland lyrics, and general lack of memorable melody provide little help. On the turgid "Misled," Sleepy River extracts over six minutes from such banal questions as, "Do you think I could write you a song explaining the pain," before concluding, "Our love is pure like a white dove in the sky," which may not explain the pain but is painful enough, as similes go. It's never fun to tear down somebody's labor of love, and with its abundant sincerity Sleepy River definitely qualifies as such. But there's not much to go on here, and while it can be a gorgeous nothingness, as the harmony vocals on "Her Name Was Despair" indicate, for the most part The Funeral Birth of a Tree is distinguished only by its mastery of mediocrity. [Insound]
      — Whitney Strub
album stream: [MP3]

.: posted by Editor 5:46 AM