Suburba (House of Heroes, 2010)
(August 3, 2010)
Review:
Energetic and ambitious, both musically and lyrically: this is how I would describe Suburba, an album that keenly navigates the alternative and Christian genres, pulling in stereotypical, “expected” components but not without a few innovative surprises.
Top Two Tracks:
“God Save the Foolish Kings” & “Love is For the Middle Class”
By Chris Moore:
Rooney's "Eureka" (2010)
(June 8, 2010)
Review:
Eureka may be in the running for the best album cover of the year, but be advised: be prepared to vomit in your mouth at the “Promised Land” line that ruins the otherwise wonderful “I Can’t Get Enough,” try not to laugh at songs (like “The Hunch” or “Not In My House”) that sound like they could have been in the charts alongside Billy Squier’s “The Stroke,” and if you want to hear a Tom Petty song, don’t settle for imitations like “You’re What I’m Looking For” — at least sample some of the real thing on this year’s Mojo; it isn’t so much that Eureka is bad — in fact, it’s quite enjoyable at times — but rather that it is populated by so many nearly great, yet ultimately forgettable tracks.
Top Two Tracks:
“Go On” & “Holdin’ On”
National Ransom (Elvis Costello, 2010)
(November 2, 2010)
Review:
Aside from a few sparking moments and a couple notable tracks, National Ransom feels more like a collection of sixteen songs that didn’t make the cut for Secret, Profane, and Sugarcane, which was in every way a more engaging, dynamic, and cohesive effort.
Top Two Tracks:
“A Slow Drag With Josephine” & “Five Little Words”
By Chris Moore:
Hello and welcome to yet another list in this Weekend Review special end-of-year series. Today, the focus is on the top three debuts of the year.
Regarding the three newly formed bands recognized below, the decision of how best to order them was somewhat difficult. However, in the end, it is Fistful of Mercy — comprised of Dhani Harrison (yes, George’s son), Ben Harper, and Joseph Arthur — that receives the honor of best debut. Their album is strikingly well-defined for a first effort, the band quickly finding their collective voice amidst lush harmonies and subdued instrumentation. One can only hope that there will be a follow-up album in the not-so-distant future.
Broken Bells is perhaps one of the most fascinating collaborations of recent years. Brian Burton (aka Danger Mouse) and James Mercer (of the Shins) aren’t the most likely couple, but the combination of Burton’s hip hop/electronica background and Mercer’s indie pop/rock mentalities simply work. The result — the self-titled Broken Bells — is a pensive yet poppy trip.
The third entry on this list is from a band fronted by Kevin Devine and supported by members of the Manchester Orchestra. Bad Books is a dynamic release that runs the gamut from fully produced indie rock to stripped down solo acoustic performances. The vocals are likewise well-arranged: simple and raw at times, full and multi-layered at others.
The honorable mention is Mumford & Sons’s Sigh No More, a band with an impressively interesting acoustic sound, and, although I find the album’s sound to be somewhat predictable after the first few tracks, there are strong songs and a strong overall sound that has been developed for this record.
And so, with this brief list, I leave you for the day, and I officially invite you back tomorrow for another!
The BEST DEBUTS of 2010
1) As I Call You Down – Fistful of Mercy
2) Broken Bells – Broken Bells
3) Bad Books – Bad Books
Honorable Mention: Sigh No More – Mumford & Sons