Familial (Philip Selway, 2010)
There is a great deal of potential in these ten hauntingly emotive debut tracks, but Selway simply doesn’t make good on the promise their beautiful sublety suggests.
Top Two Tracks:
“By Some Miracle” & “Falling”
Editor’s note: this post was originally published before December 2015; the exact original date is uncertain.
Easy Wonderful (Guster, 2010)
(October 5, 2010)
Review:
The Easy Wonderful CD design is telling: the disc is a vibrant, organic hand-drawn color wheel (see the cover) with a massive “FBI Anti-Piracy Warning” stamped over it; this design — whether the band approved the warning or not — finds Guster, as always, an engaging band with a knack for beautiful songwriting but with too much feeling forced or underwhelming this time around to truly impress alongside their back catalog (i.e. Keep It Together, anyone?).
Top Two Tracks:
“Jesus & Mary” & “Architects & Engineers”
Hold Me Up (Goo Goo Dolls, 1990)
(October 16, 1990)
Review:
The epitome of a three star album: not a masterpiece, but a solid collection of raw yet concise, grungy rock tracks that are energetic and enjoyable — Takac and Rzeznik splitting lead vocal duties and even sharing a duet is a dynamic arrangement.
Top Two Tracks:
“Two Days in February” & “Laughing”
Interpol (Interpol, 2010)
(September 7, 2010)
Review:
Interpol sounds like U2 and Dave Matthews organized a melancholy orgy in Radiohead’s basement.
Top Two Tracks:
“Summer Well”