Kanye West

“Late Registration”

(Roc-A-Fella)

Compare to: Common, Pharrel Williams, Just

Blaze

You either really like Kanye West, or you really

don’t. On one hand, he is an innovative artist who is constantly

testing the limits of hip-hop and creating new rules as he goes. On

the other hand, his head is so big it’s surprising he can even fit

through the door.

No matter what people feel about West, however,

they have to agree that he has talent. He showcases his ability to

create diverse hip-hop on his newest release, “Late

Registration.”

The album is long, with 22 tracks. West is joined

by producer Jon Brion and his sophomore album takes on a much

cleaner, almost poppy feel.

One unique thing about West is the subjects he

chooses to write about, such as his personal issues in “Addiction”

and life in African diamond mines in “Diamonds from Sierra Leone.”

He’s not the best rapper, but he is lyrically strong.

“Gold Digger” and “Hey Mama” are clearly some of

the best tracks on the album. “Hey Mama” is not only well-produced,

but clearly comes straight from heart. West sends an extremely

positive message to his mother, leaving the audience feeling upbeat

as well.

There are tracks on the album that can just be

skipped over, but for the most part, Kanye West has proven he has

what it takes to come back. Although it seems he appeared out of

nowhere, it doesn’t look like he’s leaving any time soon.

— Ashley Garbin

 

Between the Buried and Me

“Alaska” (Victory Records)

Compare to: Glass Casket, Cephalic Carnage,

the Dillinger Escape Plan

Over the past few years, Victory Records has become

an emo-infested shadow of its former self. But even though the

Chicago-based label is now riddled with groups that like to wear

their girlfriends’ jeans, only to write whiny songs about those

very girlfriends dumping them, there are still a few impressive

bands to be found. Tops among these diamonds-in-the-rough is

eclectic metal quintet Between the Buried and Me, whose latest

album “Alaska,” easily lays waste to the feeble sounds being

generated by its broken-hearted peers.

On “Alaska,” Between the Buried and Me isn’t afraid

to combine the gutter-dwelling vocals of death metal, the epic

keyboard and vocal histrionics of power metal, and just about any

other rock/metal subgenre one can think of — often all within the

course of the same song. The band switches musical gears abruptly

and often, yet somehow, the constantly shifting musical chaos it

creates on tracks like “Croakies and Boatshoes” makes perfect

sense.

Throughout “Alaska,” Between the Buried and Me’s

flair for hyper-convoluted song structures would make lesser bands

trip over their own instrument cables, as the group seamlessly

stitches together a metallic Frankenstein bent on destroying

everything in its path. If there’s any justice, the

white-belt-wearing legions of Hawthorne Heights fans will stumble

onto “Alaska” and get a taste of what the Victory Records roster is

truly capable of.

—Joshua Haun

 

OK Go

“Oh No” (Capitol)

Compare to: Franz Ferdinand, the Cars, the

Strokes

OK Go is decidedly more dark and angular on their

follow-up to 2002’s self-titled album, yet still manages to

maintain the whimsical nature of its first album.

Falsetto background vocals and infectious, snarled

guitar riffs are heard throughout, evoking the musicality of the

Cars and sensibilities of Weezer, all while staying engaging; never

does lead singer Damian Kulash’s smarmy vocals or the band’s “power

pop” moniker come off as insincere. Its sound harkens back to a day

when a band could create a well-produced pop album and even the

most callous of music snobs could be OK with it.

“Oh No” can, and will, get inside your head; only

those with the blackest of hearts won’t be humming a track or two

past the first play-through. Highlights include the high-energy

“Invincible” and “Crash the Party,” a couple of deceptively simple

tracks that have producer Tore Johansson’s (Franz Ferdinand, the

Cardigans) fingerprints all over them. OK Go also turns down the

amp in favor of the laid-back, such as the cool “Maybe This Time,”

which has Kulash whispering over an ominous bass line. “Oh No”

keeps the songs fun and smart throughout, avoiding the radio fodder

injection many albums receive part of the way along their timeline,

a testament to the band’s abilities.

By keeping true to its sound while dropping the

sheen from the self-titled album, OK Go may just have the magical

ability to disarm the apathetic.

— Rob Lombardi

 

“Thumbsucker”:

Original Score

Written and Performed by Tim Delaughter and

the Polyphonic Spree with additional songs by Elliott Smith

(Hollywood Records)

Compare to: The Flaming Lips, Mark

Mothersbaugh, Tilly and the Wall

Mark Mills’ upcoming film, “Thumbsucker,” if only

judged by its soundtrack, is an encompassing, coming-of-age story

told through a breadth of vivid color and human emotion.

The soundtrack in itself is a story narrated almost

entirely by Dallas symphonic pop band the Polyphonic Spree, in its

own unique style. The music is made up mostly of collaborations the

Polyphonic Spree did with Tim Delaughter but smoothly balanced with

songs by the late Elliott Smith.

The eloquent blend of Spree’s larger-than-life,

orchestrated optimism is the perfect contrast to Smith’s quiet,

introverted songs that reflect personal struggle.

Spree’s contributions illustrate scenes set in

almost surreal landscapes more vast and colorful than eyes have

ever seen. They set the tone for a location where pessimism is just

a figment of the imagination and all wounds are cured through

song.

Smith’s contributions paint a picture of a

claustrophobic world shot through a gray filter. The solo

guitar-driven ballads layered with Smith’s signature tortured voice

act as reality checks between large segments of the Spree’s

optimistic, smile-inducing harmonies.

The soundtrack really works on two levels: One is

like a musical parade and the other, the rain that ruins

everything. But like the parade, the rain is just as beautiful.

— Dante Sacomani