Lou Barlow, Mike Krol, and Dan Auerbach fight to the death!

Three newish records.
       One listen through each record.
Five stupid ratings.
     One more educated music listener...You!

1 Miley-free day.  Nice but not really worth much.
2 Miley-free days.  Good.  Stream it once.
3 Miley-free days.  Better.  Stream it repeatedly.
4 Miley-free days.  Very good!  Download it illegally and consider a purchase a year or two down the road.
5 Miley-free days.  Excellent!  Buy it immediately on multiple formats.

Lou Barlow "Brace the Wave" 4 Miley-free days.
This is mostly Lou B. and some acoustic instruments.  So if you're looking for the rock...move along.  The weird thing that I noticed is that Lou's voice sounds different in some of the songs.  Like he is intentionally trying to not sound like himself.  Why is that weird?  Because it works!  I think 30 some odd minutes of more Lou sounding like Lou would be too much.  The songs are personal and some bare it all.  In fact, I say that the quietest and most personal sounding songs are the best on the record.  This is definitely worth some more listens and possibly even a purchase or two.
Highlights: "Wave" and "C&E".

Mike Krol "Turkey" 3 Miley-free days.
Let me say right off the bat I am a fan of this style of music.  Straight ahead, plug the vocal mic into a guitar amp, rock and roll with attitude.  The problem with "Turkey" is i feel like this style has been done better.  That doesn't make "Turkey" a stinker.  In fact I bet that a lot of these songs are going to sound great in a live setting.  I will check out that show and then decide if I want this record.  For now I will wait.
Highlights: "Neighborhood Watch" and "Cactuses"

The Arcs "Yours, Dreamily" 2 Miley-free days.
The Arcs started as a solo project for Dan Auerbach who also is the leader of the band the Black Keys.  If you think this record is going to sound like a Black Keys record you would be correct.  It sounds exactly like the Black Keys so if they are not your kind of band then this is not your kind of record.  I'm not a huge fan so I just think, "Meh, this is okay."  The latin touches are a stretch.  Cowboy music for a fake looking B-movie Western.
Highlights: "Outta My Mind" and "Stay In My Corner"


Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Big Haunts Sleep Past the Few

Cheap Sidekicks and Cursive Girls

Will Facebook and Twitter Miss Me When I'm Gone?