WWWW- Excellent, worthy of
attention
WWW- May not change the world,
but it’s still good
WW- I’m not so sure about
this…
W- Well, it makes a great
Frisbee
(All albums listed in alphabetical
order)
50 Cent- Curts (WW) (Aftermath/Interscope/Shady/Universal)
Avril Lavigne- The Best Damn Thing (W) (RCA/Sony BMG)
They say “there's nowhere to go but down”, and for Avril
Lavigne, that descent is swift and decisive. After wowing the
world with the childish fun of “Let Go” and the boundless
exuberance of “Under My Skin”, Lavigne held a considerably
promising future but throws it all away with the nonsensical
rehash that is “The Best Damn Thing”. To be fair, “The Best Damn
Thing” doesn’t stray much from what made “Let Go” and “Under My
Skin” successful, but where Lavigne’s snarky and energetic sound
was infectious and fresh then, it is incredibly tired and forced
here. That is the album’s biggest demerit point- where Lavigne,
now 23 (after breaking out on the scene as a 17-year-old), could
be expected show maturity sonically and lyrically, she fails to
do both, rehashing the same silly clichés and petty pre-teen
diatribes instead of challenging herself and potentially
expanding the palette for her sound. Among the missives include
the selfish pomposity and shameless entitlement of the title
track, the awkward, hormonal sexuality of “Hot”, the shameless
middle school gossip of “One Of Those Girls” and- where the lack
of maturity is really pronounced- the eighth-grade, tired poetry
of the “tear-jerker” ballad “When You’re Gone”. There are two
songs where this all works- on the ballads “Innocence” and "Keep Holding On" (previously on the "eragon Soundtrack"), the only place where any
real emotion and power is on display (despite, again, incredibly
juvenile lyrics)- but that’s no reason for anyone to check this
album out. Since so much of this album has been done before, go
for Lavigne’s previous two efforts where this is all fresh and
fun and leave this behind, because Lavigne’s sound has long
since past its expiry date.
Billy Talent- II (WWWW)
(Atlantic/Warner)
Mississauga’s Billy Talent
may have not achieved the breakthrough south of the border just yet, but if
“II” is any indication, that breakthrough isn’t too far off. An extremely
entertaining blend of up-tempo rock is full of infectious and energetic songs
such as the impassioned “Devil In A Midnight Mass”, the call-to-arms of “Red
Flag”, “Where Is The Line” and the mellow-but-intriguing “Surrender”. The album
does have a tendency to be too much of a blur at times, but it displays that
Billy Talent finally have cashed in on all the potential they oozed in their
debut.
Evanescence- The Open Door
(WW) (Wind-Up/Warner)
After surprising everyone
with their stunning mainstream debut “Fallen”, Evanescence was due for a
letdown with “The Open Door”- but I could not have seen this. Some bright
moments- such as “Call Me When You’re Sober”, the mellow “Lithium” and the epic
“Lacrymosa”- but overall, it lacks focus and direction, containing way too much
filler. Whereas “Fallen” was adventurous and daring- largely, it seems, because
of Ben Moody- “The Open Door” plays it safe way too much. While I’ll grant that
Evanescence needed to readjust following Moody’s departure, this album is too
much of a disappointment for it not to be noticed. Evanescence have the tools
to rebound- and hopefully they will- but for now, this album displays too much
of a regression.
Gwen Stefani- The Sweet Escape
(W) (Interscope/Universal)
Have you ever met someone who
acts well below their age? That is how “The Sweet Escape”, the second offering
from former No Doubt lead singer Gwen Stefani plays out. There’s no question
that Stefani has a lot of energy, and her vivacity has helped her become a very
charismatic character. The problem is that it does not translate well on her
material, which comes out as a record that is too needlessly childish. Case in
point: “Yummy” and “U Started It” are actual song titles, which could be
excused if Stefani was 15, but not when she’s pushing 40. Mind you, a song
title alone isn’t enough to disparage her work, but both songs are as
mind-numbingly inane as their titles suggest (there’s only so many times you
can hear “I’m feeling yummy from head to toe” before you start to go crazy).
Other clunkers include “Orange County Girl” and “Wind It Up”, which sound like
rejects from a children’s cartoon. The only time any of this ever works is on
the title track, which benefits from guest Akon’s hook and spot-on production
for an infectious track. It is, unfortunately, the only song Akon produces, as
Stefani turned her attention instead to Pharrell Williams where the severely
outdated producer gets his mitts on five of the 12 songs. The bottom line is
that this material is better fit for kids, and even there I’d say you’re much
better off with Barney & Friends or Sesame Street- at least
there you know none of the songs are made under the pretence of it being “adult
material”.
Justin Timberlake-
“Futuresex/Lovesounds” (WWW) (Jive/Zomba/Sony BMG)
Justin Timberlake put forth a
mixed effort with 2002’s “Justified” but he displayed enough potential that a
true home run was in the making the next time out. That home run will have to
wait. “Futuresex/Lovesounds” is more of the same- a few great tracks, some
light entertainment and overall, it just comes up short. Among the highlights
are the cool and slick “Sexyback”, the infectious Timbaland-produced track “My
Love” (with T.I.), and “What Goes Around Comes Around”, an anti-cheater song
that may be a reference to Britney Spears. Still, the album couldn’t be summed
up more than on “Losing My Way” an emotional ballad that sounds heartfelt but
is extremely clichéd, causing the song to fall short. Like “Justified” did,
“Futuresex/Lovesounds” points to a classic in the making, but with two-straight
average efforts, Timberlake may have to step it up soon before he fades out of
a chance to make it.
Linkin Park- Minutes To Midnight (WW) (Warner)
After captivating the world
with the adventurous “Meteora”, Linkin Park followed it up with the middling,
back-to-basics rock on “Minutes To Midnight”. Gone- mostly- are the electronic
effects and tricks that made “Meteora” a revelation and in are the chugging
guitars and the hooky progressions, as well as an over-reliance on lead singer
Chester Bennington’s wails. There are a few gems on the album- the spacey “What
I’ve Done”, the mellow “Valentine’s Day” and the only real up-tempo dance-rock
number on the album in “Bleed It Out”- and, as a whole, the material is
creditable pop-rock, “Minutes To Midnight is at best confusing and at worst disorienting.
There will be those who will openly wonder if the former dance-rock aces Linkin
Park have turned into a ska jam band after listening to “In Pieces”, and while “The
Little Things You Give Away” is a decent rock ballad, it seems more in place on
a Nickelback recording with its simple progressions and anthem-like
progressions then it does on a Linkin Park album. Fans will probably enjoy this
album, but for the rest of the world who saw a band full of promise on “Hybrid
Theory” and full of ambition on “Meteora”, many will wonder if this is just a
momentary slip in focus or if the band has really lost its desire. It’s up to
the band to prove it’s the former and they have the ability to turn it around-
they just have to do it before they slip out of relevance.
Paper Moon- Broken Hearts Break Faster Every Day (WWW) (Endearing/Universal)
Winnipeg's Paper Moon return
with their second official album and third project (after a joint EP with The
Leslies) in the pleasent "Broken Hearts Break Faster Everyday". It's
a delightful slab of pop-rock whose highlight is Allison Sheveronha's soft,
soothing voice, but it's not quite a groundbreaking release, filled too much
with filler. There are quite a few notable highlights, such as the tripped-out
"Daytrip to Salzburg", the edgier "Turning Colours Into
Greys", the light "These New Friends of Yours" and the best song
on the album, "String of Blinking Lights", a catchy, driving pop-rock
song that points to a future hit-making potential in the band. This album's
worth a look if you are into this kind of stuff, but it's not going to turn a
lot of heads. They do have potential, so even though this album probably won't
get them their big break, it does show that later on they'll achieve it.
The All-American Rejects- Move Along (WWW) (Interscope/Universal)
"Move Along", the
second full-length effort from Oklahoma outfit The All-American Rejects, shows a
band that has grown quite a bit from their frustrating self-titled debut but
have not yet hit their stride. There are some obvious hits here such as the
title track, easily the band's best song, the catchy "Night Drive"
and "Dirty Little Secret" and the country-inspired "Dance
Inside", but far too often than not, the songs will blur together with few
really sticking out. Still, there are signs here that the band is about to
really hit its groove and while it may not be for more than diehards to listen
to, it's still listenable- far more than I can say about the disaster from
three years ago, and that's a bonus in itself.
T. Raumschmiere- Blitzkrieg Pop (WWWW) (Sh*tkatapult/novamute/EMI)
After the relative success of
“Radio Blackout” (which garnered him quite a buzz on the electro-punk circuit),
Marco Haas (alias “T. Raumschmiere”) returns with “Blitzkrieg Pop”, an album
that features a bit more vocals in an attempt to win over new fans. It’s a bit
more mainstream than “Radio Blackout” was and a little less gripping as a
result, but it’s still a fun album. “Sick Like Me” is as entertainingly
deranged as it sounds, “An Army of Watt” is rave-ready in its danceability and
“A Very Long Lullaby” with Sandra Nasic recalls some of Miss Kittin’s best
work. Overall, “Blitzkrieg Pop” is well worth a look.