Thom Yorke • The Eraser

94

The story goes that when Funkadelic were recording Maggot Brain, a drug-addled(a given, I know) George Clinton instructed Eddie Hazel to play "like your momma had just died". I wonder who told Thom Yorke those same words.

The Eraser is 9 tracks full of electronic blips, jittery drums, strings and the occasional guitar. The strings add texture to stuttering electronics, and Yorke's falsetto voice sounds like it was made for this music. The inspired programming and grim lyrics are not far removed from Radiohead's more recent works, making the album read like a collection of Kid A outtakes and demos, but that isn't a bad thing.

The pairing of Yorke's vocals with a synthetic backing is reminiscent of The Postal Service. But more like The Postal Service if their mommas had just died.

Red Hot Chili Peppers • Stadium Arcadium

86

The Red Hot Chili Peppers have been through more as a band and stayed together over these many years than any two normal human bands. Drug Addiction, death, band members leaving and returning, and yet they keep churning these funky albums out so you've got to give them props. When I took my monthly flip over to MTV and saw Anthony Kiedis and Flea dancing about in different costumes for the video to their first single for Stadium Arcadium (anyone want to theorize on why the disc's title? I've got a couple thoughts myself.), "Dani California" my first thought was "You gotta be kidding me!"

But then I gave it a second, and kept listening. Any sort of video instead of The Hills or Real World on MTV catches my attention, but a bunch of 40-somethings garnering the attention of pre-teens by rocking out has to be a good thing, right? "Dani California" also leads off the album and it's another in the long line of pre-wrapped "hits" that the Peppers have been throwing at us for the last few albums, basically guaranteeing themselves radio and video play. It is easy to listen and bob your head to, and John Frusciante does rip the hell out of a guitar solo at the end, but overall it is the same old thing.

And then you take a look at the album listing. Holy Snikies! This sucker is a double album- two hours of Chili Peppers. Now some listeners may consider this something worthy of an ecstatic fistpump or other celebratory gesture, and you only need to jump over to the iTunes reviews page to find many others who will join you in that feeling. The problem is that with 28 songs, Stadium Arcadium tends to meander a bit and is stuffed with a few too many mid-tempo ballads when what RHCP do really well is up-tempo funk. Standout numbers like "Hump de Bump" (yes, that's the title), "She's Only 18," "Torture Me," "Warlocks," "Desecration Smile," "Made You Feel Better" (and this one truly did after some of the slow ones I had sat through), and "Readymade" are intermixed by scores of filler that make you want to hit next on your cd or iPod.

The musicianship of the band is definitely not in question, and Frusciante has stepped it up here. Kiedis' lyrics have always ridden the line between goofy poetry and just silly but he keeps it together here. Stadium Arcadium should have been a polished single CD and then would have made the jump into really top notch territory but as it is, I'll continue to pick and choose numbers, not listen to two hours of Peppers.

Pearl Jam • Pearl Jam

A

Ever since the release of the under-appreciated Yield, critics have labeled subsequent Pearl Jam albums as being their "best since Vitalogy." The trend continues with the release of Pearl Jam's 2006 self-titled effort and the question begs to be asked: Is this really the best album Pearl Jam has released in ten years?

The answer depends, I suppose, on one's level of Pearl Jam appreciation. Some found No Code too schizophrenic, Yield too conscientious and polished, Binaural void of memorable songs, and Riot Act good, but just not good enough. So for them, Pearl Jam will be a welcomed return to form. There are no artistic detours here, just straight forward rock and roll — an album more akin to VS than Vitalogy.

The end result is probably one of Pearl Jam's more fun and consistent works. One would by surprised at how upbeat Pearl Jam can be with song titles like "Life Wasted" and "World Wide Suicide." And when before has Eddie Vedder opened up about his love for surfing like he does on "Big Wave"? Though keeping much of the fare light, Pearl Jam still gets reflective on "Gone" and the Springsteen-like epic "Inside Job"— a poignant ballad on the occupation of simply living and searching for hope.

Each of Pearl Jam's albums has had its own voice, and one album's shortcoming can be one listener's diamond. With that in mind, Pearl Jam doesn't necessarily trump previous efforts, it simply adds color and strength to an already solid catalogue.

The Sword • Age of Winters

B+

The Sword proves that sometimes (most often by my count) a band can sound so good, so fresh, simply by returning music to its roots and starting all over from the beginning. Here, The Sword conjurs the black arts long abandoned by but forever associated with Ozzy, Iommi, Ward and Butler (Black Sabbath). In other words, The Sword brings metal back to the blues.

The Sword builds from the Sabbath template, but Age of Winters isn't a novelty project. It is a relentless album—a thunderstorm gone awry. There is little variation between the songs, but this is what is so effective about it. From opening "Celestial Crown," to the stunning "Iron Swan," the songs effectively coalesce into a single body of work.

The Sword carries the metal torch with pride. The sure rawness of Age of Winters makes contemporaries Wolfmother seem polished and calculated; Queens of the Stone Age pretentious. And damn if that isn't good company to keep. The Ozzman would be proud.

Gnarls Barkley • St. Elsewhere

93

From the moment the preview web site at gnarlsbarkley.com was published over a year ago with a booming cracked speaker pumping out this intriguingly strange amalgam of soul singer and dj beats, you knew something special was up. How could the union of the Dungeon Family’s Cee-lo Green and DJ Danger Mouse not be? In something that can only truly be described as fantastic music, St. Elsewhere, Gnarls’ first offering, the pair run the gamut from r&b to rock to rap to somewhere in between and beyond. Trying to pinhole their music would only sell them short, because this album makes you want to boogie at one point and weep at the next and then rock out again. Cee-lo’s days as a bit player behind acts like Outkast and the Goodie Mob are hopefully behind him as he showcases not only his prodigious pipes but also his song-writing skills all over the album. Danger Mouse has showcased his skills with various artists like MF Doom and the Gorillaz, but you feel here he truly has found a partner.

"Go Go Gadget Gospel" just gives the listener a hint of the insanity and brilliance of the album, with its gospel tinge and driving beats. From there you have the from the heart soul of "Crazy", the bouncy cover of the Violent Femmes "Gone Daddy Gone," contemplations of suicide on "Just A Thought", whimsy on "Who Cares", and a little bit of love of the dead on "Necromancing." This is not to say that the album is perfect, because at times it does seem to be a bit over-produced and has a bit too much jammed in. Those of us who heard early rough cuts may have even preferred those. But when you find a true melding of musical minds that produces tunes that you turn to time and again, like Gnarls, why criticize? Just sit back, listen, groove, and enjoy.

The Walkmen • A Hundred Miles Off

90

So you've released an indie landmark like "Bows and Arrows," which established a dynamic sound with your audience. What do you do next? Well, if you're the Walkmen, you create a sound that you compare to Dylan's Basement Tapes. Huh? Well, if you've got the voice of Hamilton Leithauser and some fabulous Spanish horns, this "new" sound definitely works. Kicking off the album is "Louisiana," the track which most incorporates the Bob-esque elements of the album, and displays an encouraging new side to the Walkmen.

For the better, the Walkmen are known for their plaintive, hard rocking numbers which sound as if they were sung and recorded in a smoky barroom, and there are plenty of those here. Included among them are standouts like "Good For You's Good For Me," "Lost In Boston," and "Don't Get Me Down (Come On Over Here)." The Walkmen also veer into the land of the punks with "This Job Is Killing Me", and take chances on A Hundred Miles Off that show them growing, not standing still. A Hundred Miles Off is one of those albums that grows on you with each listen and reveals something new with each listen. It may not be perfect, but it and the Walkmen are getting there.