WK33 - Arcade Fire - Suburbs (3.5)

Released - 8/3/10

Label - Merge Records

BLURB - Indie veterans Arcade Fire are back with their latest effort in "Suburbs." Much like The National, this is one of those bands that, for whatever reason, I just never got into. I know who they are, I know their music and their rich history - but the band never really worked it's way in to heavy rotation on my iPod. Along with "Suburbs" came much anticipation and excitement as Arcade Fire played two shows at Madison Square Garden around the record's release date. Ask any hipster if they thought Arcade Fire would be playing MSG anytime soon, five years ago, and you would have been hit with a serious eye roll and a guffaw. So does this new found notoriety and presence in the mainstream come with any kind of new musical justification...well, not really.

Rating - 3.5 out of 10

FULL STORY - I could see this album not being great from a mile away. There was just too much hype and anticipation from the indie music community stating this album was going to be the next big thing. Yes, Arcade Fire has been around since 2003, and they have released two critically acclaimed records in "Funeral" and "Neon Bible," but let's actually take a listen to "Suburbs" before we go ahead and give it some awards.

A weird fact that I learned about Arcade Fire while researching them is that they are actually fronted by husband and wife (Win Butler & Regine Chassagne). If nothing else I find this a little weird. Obviously, they have made this thing work, but when it comes down to creativity and actually writing the songs...I'm curious as to how the process goes in. Is there a lot of arguing? Do they have the stomach to stand up and say - 'no, this doesn't work for this song,' to each other. I just think it's a really interesting dynamic that may not be in the best interest of the music. Or I could be completely wrong.

There are only really a couple of tracks on the album that I could see myself listening to more than casually - the first of which being, 'Empty Room.' Fluttering violins and a flood of haze and distortion create a really cool vibe on this song, bringing both energy and excitement, something that the album as a whole is lacking. What also highlights the song or the vocals delivered by Chassagne (at least I assume that's her singing). The gentle voicing that she provides on the track is the perfect counterpart to the heavy fuzz and frenetic pace of the song. There's a sense of balance that allows you to appreciate all aspects of the song.

"We Used to Wait" also jumps out. For me, it's the introductory piano riff that really catches my attention. It's simple yet bouncy, and immediately likable. The song also continuously builds throughout, and by the end you can really feel the passion and energy from the band.

What's sad is that, after just these two songs, the entire album is completely forgettable. Each song depressingly bleeds into the next in the most mundane of fashions. The lack of excitement and energy is something that unfortunately comes to the forefront. As I'm writing this it is pouring outside, and this should probably serve as some kind of metaphor or something. "Suburbs" just reminds me of rainy day music. An album you put on with no other reason than to pass the time. We could also do without the mammoth sixteen song track list...

Tracks

1.) The Suburbs

2.) Ready to Start

3.) Modern Man

4.) Rococo

5.) Empty Room

6.) City With No Children

7.) Half Light I

8.) Half Light II (No Celebration)

9.) Suburban War

10.) Month of May

11.) Wasted Hours

12.) Deep Blue

13.) We Used to Wait

14.) Sprawl I (Flatland)

15.) Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains)

16.) The Suburbs (Continued)

WK32 - Big Boi - Sir Lucious Left Foot...The Son of Chico Dusty (5.5)

Released - 7/6/10

Label - Island Def Jam

BLURB - Big Boi makes his long-awaited return to the spotlight with his first true solo record, sans Andre 3000. "Sir Lucious Left Foot - The Son of Chico Dusty" is both equal parts entertaining and predictable. The album itself comes off as a bit bipolar, with the high points being amazing and the low points being nearly unbearable. What is nice though, is that Big Boi leaves a distinct fingerprint on the record and you can really tell that this is his baby. That being said - the album is entirely too top heavy and really only has a handful of tracks that bring that trademark Outkast energy...but then again...this is Big Boi's album.

Rating - 5.5 out of 10

FULL STORY - It's hard to believe, but Big Boi has been around for over 15 years now. Whether solo or in his Outkast outfit, he's always stayed true to his form and style. When Big Boi raps on a track you immediately know it's him. He has a very distinct flow and style of linking rhymes together that in itself is nothing short of genius, and inherently makes every song he appears on instantly credible.

"Sir Lucious Left Foot" opens with 'Feel Me' which is an incredibly laid back groover that really prefaces the album well. Somehow with basically just drums, a catchy piano riff and auto-tuned hooks - the song immediately reels you in and gives you the impression that this is going to be one of the best hip hop albums you've ever heard.

'Feel Me' transitions right into 'Daddy Fat Sax' which is another groove friendly track that really hits on all cylinders. The sound itself is something of a fusion between southern hip hop, pop and club music that blends extremely well together. The track is even made a bit modern with the incorporation of variety of well placed and hook-ridden synthesizers. Big Boi's verses are filled with distinct personality and unique analogies bursting at the seams.

The fourth track, 'Follow Me has a certain new age feel to it. Electronic effects and synths once again inundate this song with brilliant pop tones. More than anything, this song has a certain mass pop appeal, as opposed to strictly rap or hip-hop...I can really see this song catching some steam on radio. Whether or not that happens remains to be seen, but it certainly has the potential to crossover from the hip-hop charts to pop.

The real gem of the album is 'Shutterbugg.' You'll be hard pressed to find another hip hop track that is more entertaining than the 'bugg. The track brings an 80's synth pop vibe that doubles as a club banger and even triples as an old school Outkast throwback. The foundation is laid upon this super-creative spoken bass line that almost sounds like a frog talking - it's that hard to explain. What isn't hard to explain is how likable and appealing this track is, and how accessible it is for fans of all music genres. It's already a hot item for music supervisors and has been garnering countless placements in TV and film. It's the true high point of the album.

The sixth track, 'General Patton' sounds like a marching band on crack. Filled with full-on horn sections and snare rolls, the song is like a southern crunk version of my high school's band at halftime of a football game. Regrettably, however, the track is way too down tempo and kind of just sits around doing nothing.

From here on out that album is somewhat of a disappointment. Despite the cavalcade of guests (T.I., Gucci Mane, B.o.B., Jamie Foxx, George Clinton, Yelawolf, etc.) the record is fairly vanilla. Yes, the front end of the album is loaded with hits, but back half is a real let down. I will say though, that the first single 'Shine Blockas' with Gucci Mane is halfway decent. However, it seems we have another victim of our current music industry. "Sir Lucious Left Foot" has way too much filler for me and at some points is unbearably boring (see 'Tangerine' and 'You Ain't No DJ'). Maybe the album was rushed? Maybe Big Boi lost some creative control? Maybe he just didn't have enough tracks to fill the record? Maybe this is Big Boi's greatest work, but our expectations were unrealistic? Whatever the case may be, the album comes off a bit forced and unnatural. Granted there are a couple tracks that are amazing, but the rest feels like a bit of a misstep for Big Boi.

Tracks

1.) Feel Me (Intro)

2.) Daddy Fat Sax

3.) Turns Me On

4.) Follow Us

5.) Shutterbugg

6.) General Patton

7.) Tangerine

8.) You Ain't No DJ

9.) Hustle Blood

10.) Be Still

11.) Fo Yo Sorrows

12.) Night Night

13.) Shine Blockas

14.) The Train, Pt. 2

15.) Back Up Plan

16.) Theme Song

WK31 - Best Coast - Crazy For You (9)

Released - 7/27/10

Label - Mexican Summer

BLURB - I think we're all supposed to hate Bethany Cosentino and her Best Coast outfit. I don't know why - but we are. Best Coast literally came out of nowhere last year, releasing a few EP's, playing some timely shows and generating all kinds of buzz on the inter-webs. For as quickly as they gained fans and success they were also getting more than their fair share of haterade on sites like Brooklyn Vegan. I kind of fell in to this camp. I maybe only heard three of their songs, but they just seemed like this band that was jumping on the lo-fi, punk-surf-rock bandwagon (see also Surfer Blood, Wavves and Real Estate) and taking advantage of everyone else's success. Everything was super lo-fi, very simple and just came off as amateur and whiny. With the release of "Crazy For You," Best Coast makes the argument that all of us need to just shut up already. This album proves that they're one of the best acts out there (whether we like it or not), and now have a solid full length to back them up. The production is cleaned up, the vocals are absurdly addicting and there's more hooks than you can shake a stick at.

Rating - 9 out of 10

FULL STORY - The first thing that really jumps out on "Crazy For You" are Cosentino's vocals. They're that good. No, she's not Whitney Houston or anything like that, but her voice has this strange, intoxicating persona that instantly hooks listeners and reels them in. It's calm and confident and has a way of making her songs just feel like a casual conversation. The second thing that jumps out is the amount of hooks. Whether it be vocal melodies, guitar riffs or progressions - every track has some aspect to it that's catchy. I think this is what really carries "Crazy For You," because otherwise it would just be another lo-fi indie rock album that sounds like it was recorded in a tin can.

'Boyfriend' opens up the disc and is the quintessential summer single. It's upbeat, it's airy, it's got hooks and it's about a boy. Teenage girls everywhere rejoice! Best Coast does an amazing job, almost to their detriment, at keeping things simple and basic. There's rarely, if ever, any kind of extraneous material or effect that bogs down the music. At points, with anything that is overly simple, there is a tendency to get bored or tired with it. But with Cosentino's voice it's really hard to get bored. Perhaps that's even why the music and lyrics are so simple - they're just kind of there to point you in Cosentino's direction. I mean without her vocals I really can't picture myself singing along to a song called 'Boyfriend' with lyrics like this:

"The other girl is not like me, she's prettier and skinnier. She has a college degree, I dropped out at seventeen. If I could only get her out of the picture, then he would know how much I want him."

'Crazy For You' is another hook-friendly track that is all too easy on the ears. There's something about a girl strumming power chords and singing some 'oohhs' and 'ahhhs' that gets me every time. Once again, the track itself is overly simple and doesn't really venture outside of three or four chords. Like with all Best Coast tracks, and as I mentioned before, these songs all come off like conversations that are not only relatable but comfortable. 'Crazy For You' also clocks in at a mere 1:50, and amazingly there are two other songs on the album shorter than this! But for Best Coast this works...if you had these minimal, lo-fi tunes going on for more than about three or four minutes, they become way too easy to lose interest in. So in that aspect at least, 'Crazy for You' does a great job of grabbing your interest and letting it go before your ear can start wandering off to something else.

There's an air of 60's motown on 'Our Deal' that literally will stop you in your tracks. Cosentino nails the opening line and you're instantly committed to listening to the song, or even more, hitting the back button so you can hear it again. I may or may not have done that about a thousand times already. But especially on this track, you can really hear the sincerity and passion in Cosentino's voice, which is ironic given the lyrics:

"When you leave me you take away everything. You take all money. You take all my weed."

I guess that's kind of the point with this album though. There are no thought provoking metaphors or crazy musical arrangements to work your way through. The lyrics, the music, even the band...everything is just simple, relaxed and fun. Don't get me wrong - some of the lyrics are just mindless wanderings of a young hipster chick that smokes weed. And she does rhyme 'crazy' with 'lazy' a good thirty times...but don't let this deter you. Just press play, hang out and don't over think it.

Tracks

1.) Boyfriend

2.) Crazy For You

3.) The End

4.) Goodbye

5.) Summer Mood

6.) Our Deal

7.) I Want To

8.) When the Sun Don't Shine

9.) Bratty B

10.) Honey

11.) Happy

12.) Each and Every Day

13.) When I'm With You