New On Disc: Autumn Edition
INTERPOL Marauder (Matador)
Overview: Indie-folk trio comprised of husband and wife Karen and Don Peris with bassist Mike Bitts continue to explore the pastoral realms of memory, love and loss, with aural nods to Astrud Gilberto and Laura Nyro, respectively.
Overview: The sixth album by NYC's post-punk revivalists Interpol takes a less studio-complex approach, and was produced by David Fridmann (famous for his work with The Flaming Lips, Sleater/Kinney and Mercury Rev, among others).
Analysis: From the opening salvo, "If You Really Love Nothing" (with its acerbic, Morrissey-esque proclamations), it's clear Interpol are not only looser and ready to rock, singer Paul Banks eschews his penchant for elliptical imagery, and speaks from a heartfelt, introspective approach that personalizes the songs more so than previous entries in the band's catalog. Never have these guys sounded so focused, energetic and sonically intriguing. And while the trio haven't quite abandoned the aural signposts of The Chameleons or Joy Division, they sound considerably less derivative here, and throw a variety of other genres into the mix, still anchored by a signature sound that is Banks' vocal delivery.
On The Download: "If You Really Love Nothing", "The Rover", "Surveillance"
PAUL McCARTNEY Egypt Station (Hear Music)
Overview: Macca's 18th album proper finds him working with Adele producer Greg Kirstin, revisiting the iconic Abbey Road studios, and playing the majority of instruments himself, with occasional assist from Kirstin and one-oft collaborator Ryan Tedder on "Fuh You."
Analysis: While nowhere near as innovative at 2013's New disc, McCartney still has a few tricks up his sleeve, and having Kirstin provide instrumentation as well as production lends a surprising cohesiveness to the overall sound on Egypt Station, feeling considerably more conceptual than its predecessor. Not everything works however: tracks like the ridiculous "Fuh You" are the sort of contrivances that make you want to slap Macca silly, and when he preaches global understanding on "People Want Peace", he only reminds us how much better his compatriot John Lennon was at unity-evoking songwriting. But overall, it's inspiring to know that at age 76, McCartney still has something to say, and is comfortable enough in his skin to follow his own muse.
On The Download: "Come On To Me", "Happy With You", and the brilliant, three-tiered closer "Hunt You Down/Naked/C-Link"
DEATH CAB FOR CUTIE Thank You For Today (Atlantic)
Overview: The ninth album by Bellingham, WA's DCFC marks the first without guitarist/producer Chris Walla, and is the second produced by Rich Costey (Sigur Rös, Foster The People, Muse).
Analysis: I hate to say it, but I think Death Cab went off the rails with 2015's Kintsugi disc: the sonic experimentation which graced 2011's Codes And Keys was replaced with a more deliberate, calculated play for modern contemporary relevance. Case-in-point, the lead single, "Gold Rush" should've been a Beatlesque, subversive treatise on how gadgetry and gentrification have destroyed our souls - instead, it comes across as hokey (and that "gold rush" refrain is really, really annoying). Likewise, second single, "I Dreamt We Spoke Again" begins as signature DCFC, then gets bogged down - as if the band thought it needed the female harmonies of Lauren Mayberry to secure airplay alongside Ariana Grande and Ed Sheeran. The songs that do work are the ones that don't try so hard (see below) and ironically, hearken to the more freewheeling days of Death Cab. Perhaps the departure of Walla impacted the band's sound more than he's been given credit for.
On The Download: "Your Hurricane", "Autumn Love" "Northern Lights"
Analysis: I hate to say it, but I think Death Cab went off the rails with 2015's Kintsugi disc: the sonic experimentation which graced 2011's Codes And Keys was replaced with a more deliberate, calculated play for modern contemporary relevance. Case-in-point, the lead single, "Gold Rush" should've been a Beatlesque, subversive treatise on how gadgetry and gentrification have destroyed our souls - instead, it comes across as hokey (and that "gold rush" refrain is really, really annoying). Likewise, second single, "I Dreamt We Spoke Again" begins as signature DCFC, then gets bogged down - as if the band thought it needed the female harmonies of Lauren Mayberry to secure airplay alongside Ariana Grande and Ed Sheeran. The songs that do work are the ones that don't try so hard (see below) and ironically, hearken to the more freewheeling days of Death Cab. Perhaps the departure of Walla impacted the band's sound more than he's been given credit for.
On The Download: "Your Hurricane", "Autumn Love" "Northern Lights"
THE INNOCENCE MISSION Sun On The Square (Badman Recording/Bella Union)
Analysis: It astonishes me that at age 53, Karen Peris' voice still manages to convey both the awe and yes, innocence of childhood, while lyrically conveying the kind of wisdom and introspection that can only come from experiences lived. From the gentle "Records From Your Room" to the reflective "Green Bus", a thing of absolute beauty ("If I could be as I would like to be now.......where would I find this?") to the Gilberto-inspired title track, not a single note is extraneous; the melodies float along effortlessly (guided by Bitts' upright bass), as if one were gathered around a campfire with the most talented musicians just being themselves, freed of pretension or the need to impress anyone, and yet, impressing beyond expectations.
On The Download: "Green Bus", "Sun On The Square", "Buildings In Flower"
ELVIS COSTELLO & THE IMPOSTERS Look Now (Concord Music Group)
Overview: Twenty-five albums into a storied career, Elvis Costello re-teams with Burt Bacharach (Painted From Memory) as well as Brill Building denizen Carole King, and attempts to revisit the mood of Memory and Imperial Bedroom with the aid of The Imposters (aka: The Attractions minus Bruce Thomas).
Analysis: The voice may be Costello's, but the sound feels less like Imperial Bedroom and more like the handiwork of Difford and Tillbrook, circa Squeeze's 1982 release, Sweets From A Stranger. One listen to opening track "Under Lime" affirms this in spades, and things don't get much more eclectic as the album progresses. Don't get me wrong: it's not like the melodies aren't intriguing and provide an occasional middle-eight or detour unexpected, but there are also strategies that feel forced and almost capricious. Costello's penchant for lyrical conceits ("It's a long way down from that high horse you're on") can be appealing when you're channelling the post-punk energy of say, Armed Forces, but this isn't Armed Forces: the laid-back, AOR vibe begs for a self-deprecating honesty that Costello doesn't quite deliver. And the Tin Pan Alley hokum of the title track (co-written with Bacharch) leaves me more than a little underwhelmed.
On The Download: Check out instead "Burnt Sugar Is So Bitter", or "Mr and Mrs. Hush", but again, don't be surprised if you find your mind wandering to Sweets From A Stranger, overarching horn section notwithstanding.
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