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23 June 2006

Nicky Click, You're Already a Member (Crunks Not Dead)
Four words: Nicky Click is awesome. Here's the deal: We've got a riot-grrl wannabe talk-rapping over grime-ish, overly simplistic beats about things that mostly amount to how self-confident she is and why she r0xx0rs. And somehow, it's infectious. There's one song on You're Already a Member that references Dead or Alive, one that covers Soft Cell ("Entertain Me"), and one that pseudo-covers Positive K's "I Gotta Man", except that Nicky switches it to "I Gotta Gal", turning it into something of a lesbian anthem. Sexuality is dealt with frankly and humorously, sometimes a backdrop to a discussion on feelings, sometimes used as a tool to prove how idiotic people can be, as on the hilarious "Two Femme Girls", which features great lines like "Sorry if this fucks with your rigid gay boxes / But I just really like hot femme foxes". The whole thing sounds musically naïve and earnest, while the vocals (particularly when collaborating with other artists) are confident and, well, kinda badass. Nicky's voice might get on your nerves after 20 minutes, but this just might be the most good-natured and straight-up spunky thing you'll hear this summer. [Insound]
      — Mike Schiller
"Don't Call Me Baby": [M4A]
"Contact Comfort": [M4A]
multiple songs: [MySpace]
Pop  

The Go! Team, Audio Assault Course: The College Radio Sessions (Columbia)
The Go! Team's debut full-length Thunder, Lightning, Strike had its share of smart composition and unique arrangements and all that good stuff, but mostly it was just fun, primarily because of the band's energy. You'd expect turning that into live performances (even if in radio stations) would result in a chaotic, excting mix of songs. It doesn't. The music's still more or less there, but instead of turning into something rawer, it just becomes less precise. Maybe the joy of the originals (US or UK) have worn off by now, but even so, it takes a special kind of blah to make a track called "We Just Won't Be Defeated" turn into a flat number. A release like this EP obviously lends itself more toward hardcore fans than toward the average audience, but little besides completism would make this a necessary addition, as the new performances offer little that sheds insight or even that differs in a positive way. The Go! Team still have the songs, the skills, and, presumably, the energy, but those qualities don't comes out on this disc. [Insound]
      — Justin Cober-Lake
multiple songs: [player]
Rock  

Leigh Nash, Blue on Blue (Nettwerk)
This former singer from Sixpence None the Richer was at a loss after the band she was in for over half her life was no more. But Leigh Nash hasn't lost that voice that made the band what it was. A little older and wiser, Nash saunters through this album with simple but impressive adult contemporary pop songs such as "Along the Wall" with its soothing, Sarah McLachlan-esque feeling and the poppier "Nervous in the Light of Dawn" that she shines on, bringing to mind 10,000 Maniacs. And she really gets the ball rolling with the mid-tempo but pretty "My Idea of Heaven". Nash can also bring some tension to the table, especially with "Ocean Size Love" that seems to resemble Keane in some respects. And perhaps the greatest thing is how the songs are not overly polished or produced, sounding quite organic and natural, especially with "Never Finish". A couple of songs seem ordinary, including the languid "Angel Tonight" but "Blue" gets back to a rather upbeat blueprint. [Insound]
      — Jason MacNeil
multiple songs: [MySpace]
Pop  

Roger Davidson, Pensando En Ti (Soundbrush)
Pensando En Ti is an album of rumbas and boleros. It's entirely instrumental, although Armando Manzenero's "Esta Tarde Vi Llover" and "Somos Novios" might remind English-speaking listeners of crooning male voices -- years ago, the two tunes were reworked as Tony Bennet's "Yesterday I Saw The Rain" and Perry Como's "It's Impossible", respectively. Most of the other pieces were composed by Davidson, a pianist who has worked with Latin music before. There's some danzon here, and sometimes a strong hint of tango. The piano swells dramatically in "Mi Sueno"; the trumpet honks and squawks in "Rumba Feliz" and coils cattishly around "La Extrano"; the flute haunts its way through "Mi Amor"; and the percussion is strong in everything. The group swings along with an easy, jazzy flow. This CD is mellow enough for background music, strong enough to be used for ballroom dancing, and intelligent enough to reward closer attention. [Insound]
      — Deanne Sole
multiple songs: [player]
World / Latin  

.: posted by Editor 6:48 AM