(Dreamworks)
Indie music's favorite pop-culture crossover band, Jimmy Eat World, has once again proven what it takes to be on a major label. After releasing two albums on EMD/Nettwerk, the quartet decided to shop its newly written material around to bigger franchises. Finally settling down at Dreamworks, Jimmy has released an 11-song LP titled Bleed American.
Jimmy Eat World's previous albums, Static Prevails (1996) and Clarity (1999), brought together complex guitar progressions and instrumental experimentation, complementing them with fresh and engaging lyrics. The lyrics were not only interesting, but they were also sung with much vocal variation and style. Fans of these albums would expect a follow-up to be something that either equals or surpasses the maturity and creative rockability of Static and Clarity.
Bleed American, however, offers quite the opposite. Bleed is an all-around disappointment displaying a complete regression of style and power, expressing only convention and mediocre lyrics.
Upon first listen, Bleed American, is reminiscent of many other pop-rock albums recently produced. It sounds almost eerily similar to Weezer's newest effort with its consistently simple beats and low-energy guitar. The album's lyrics are nothing short of boring and predictable, including lines like 'if you love me at -all/ don't go/tell me now' repeated throughout.
Other indie sensations like the Get Up Kids and Rainer Maria have been accused of going pop as well. The difference is that those bands have stuck to their respective punk and emo roots, while Jimmy Eat World completely strays from its rock roots and goes commercial and conventional.
Even though Bleed American is largely disappointing, it does its job by being extremely accessible and catchy. The ooo wap doo waps will stick in listeners' heads as will the easy-to memorize-lyrics. If the album was heard in a vacuum it could be seen as a decent effort with high indie rock potential. However, knowing that Jimmy Eat World has produced exciting and unconventional albums in the past, Bleed American can only be seen as a complete letdown.
(Matador)
Pop music is now a cannibalistic species. Yes, any art form will occasionally bring forth a piece of expression that is so captivating that it will inspire and influence further development and creativity. That is not cannibalism; it is a part of evolution. What makes pop music of the last ten years particularly cannibalistic is the huge number of artists who feed upon others in order to sustain themselves. Take a chunk of music and make a digital replica of the original, bit for bit, and then loop it over and over again as a part of a new song. Yes, I'm talking about song sampling.
Enter Elisabeth Esselink, the sole artist behind Solex. How can she get away with using practically nothing but samples'cut, paste and everything'and pump out an entire album of such craft and ingenuity?
Low Kick and Hard Bop may be a somewhat misleading title: This beat-heavy album sounds like a fusion of hip-hop and pop with its danceable rhythms and catchy melodies. It owes as much to old blues and rock samples as it does to jazz.
Solex considers anything she can get her hands on as a potential sample source, taking old and obscure material and breathing new life into it by arranging it in the context of other samples. Whether it's a little harmonica whiff, a steady jazz rhythm, or street noises, Solex has developed an impeccable ear for anything that will fit well into her songs.
It would be rash to write off her gimmicky and simplistic technique of creating a sound-mosaic almost entirely out of samples. In fact, it's surprising to hear that there's no basic formula to be found among the fifteen songs on Low Kick and Hard Bop.
Solex treats her vocals in the same way she treats her samples: with care and thoughtfulness. They are often distorted and/or hard to understand, which is a good thing because the -lyrics are so beat-oriented that it would be a shame to let the dumbfounding word hodgepodge distract the listener from the contribution her voice gives to the rest of the music. Her use of vocals confirms the overall tone of the album: There's a lightweight cuteness that plays with the listener's mind, while the insidiously intelligent undertone handles the serious brainwashing. This quality renders Low Kick and Hard Bop cold and distant, not unlike most dance albums.
Without an apparent method to her madness, Solex is able to intrigue the listener far beyond any other sample-infused music before her. While in the past sampling has often been used as a cheap rip-off by those who lack the intelligence and wherewithal to make original material (see P. Diddy), Solex has now made it into her own beautiful and challenging style.
(Warner Brothers)
Who is Jude, exactly? For starters, his full name is Jude Christodal. And though you may know his name, you'll be hard pressed to find a clear picture of him on either of his albums.
Most of the photos of him are obscured by shadows, blurs, or, on the cover of his new album The King of Yesterday, a cheesy costume with '70s sunglasses, a beard and a bad wig.
The unclear pictures may help explain what's going on with his music. On his debut album No One Is Really Beautiful, Jude came across as an emerging songwriting talent who could write catchy hooks while telling tender- stories about heartbreak and former lovers.
On The King of Yesterday, the feel of the album is noticeably brighter but less effective. This time around, the songs are still catchy, but they feel more generically poppy. Things are happier, but not quite as deep. Even the images and coloring on the cover and back of the album are much- brighter than his moody debut.
The primary thing that makes Jude stand out is his voice. It sounds smooth, delicate and unique, and though it works on his newer sound, it was more appreciable on his debut.
Aside from the comparison to his first album, though, Yesterday does boast some tracks that are worth a listen.
Both 'The Not So Pretty Princess' and the title track are catchy as hell, with choruses that stick in your head after only a listen or two. And 'Everything I Own' is a cheesy, entertaining remake of the '80s Bread tune. He sings it without an air of falsity or self-consciousness that's refreshing today amid all the unoriginal teen pop.
Also thrown on the album is a remix of the gorgeously melancholy 'I Do' from No One Is Really Beautiful. This version, though, isn't quite as simple and effective as his original, and it's a sign of how the new album falters by being a bit overproduced, less raw.
Next time around, Jude will hopefully return to his roots and finally show his face.
