(Granary Music)
Bob Mould is best known for his unforgettable yelling, screaming, guitar-squealing work with the legendary punk band H??sker D??. He is somewhat less well known for his displays of pop mastery in the early '90s with his band Sugar. Even less well known are his solo releases, which some fans rate among his best, most mature work. Mould has been releasing great solo material off and on for 13 years now, but recently it seems that the veteran of plugged in rock 'n' roll has decided to take up writing pop in the electronic realm.
This should not be too shocking to anyone who has read an occasional interview with Mould over the years, as he often hinted at his growing ennui of sticking with the old electric guitar-driven pop. Couple that with the gradually disappearing taboo for a rock band to embrace electronica, and suddenly this change in style almost seems inevitable.
starts off with a couple of songs that are heavily electronic-based. Unfortunately, he seems to simply be using the electronic background with its bouncy beat and all of the typical cheese-laden electronic bleeps as a template to sing over. On the first song, \180 Rain,"" his voice is even put through a vocoder (notably of Daft Punk and even Kid Rock fame).
If you just tuned in, yes, this a Bob Mould album you're reading about.
At this point it would be easy to turn it off and ask ""Why Bob? Why!?"" Have faith; things eventually get better. There are a handful of really nicely executed songs on 14 tracks of Modulate. Check out the excellent Sugar-esque pair ""Slay/Sway"" and ""The Receipt."" In fact, most of the recommended tunes on the disc also happen to be the guitar ones.
In order to enjoy , it's important to keep in mind that Mould is just getting started at writing electronic music. There are bound to be sophomoric incidents for any artist who is still developing their style in an entirely new medium. For this reason, comes recommended only to those of you who are already Mould fans and want to hear the direction his song craft is going.
For a man who has a safe place to call home in the world of rock, Mould sure sounds like he's got a lot of searching to do to find his voice in this new world. He will be coming to Madison April 3 and it'll be interesting to see how he performs some of these new ditties. And if you think Modulate is a radical move for Mould, just wait for his next release, , due out in June, which features an album of 100 percent electronic tunes. It is going to be, uh, interesting folks.
(Elektra)
Imagine this: You live and work in a town where one-half of the population is employed by a single factory, and you get up every day and put in your 12 hours. One afternoon, you get a memo that you should not bother showing up the next day, because your company's moving the factory to Bangladesh, and you have only got time to make a single phone call to attract fame and notoriety to your cause.
If you're stateside, you are stuck with the schlubby Michael Moore, but if you are somewhere in the U.K., you can call the lean, slightly grizzled and universally well-respected Billy Bragg, and he will write ""NPWA."" ""Can you hear us? Are you listening?/No power without responsibility,"" he will belt out angrily over a swell of stage organs and pianos. You will still be without a job, of course, but Billy Bragg will have his first single for .
is Bragg's sixth solo album, an evenly mixed assortment of love songs, protest songs and personal reflections on life. Since Bragg's early punk-influenced days, he's had the ability to sing socially conscious songs without having them become bogged down in pretense and rhetoric. ""NWPA"" and ""Take Down The Union Jack"" would collapse without Bragg's powerful voice'it is amazing that ""Union Jack,"" a song lamenting Britain's current uncoolness in the eyes of the rest of the world, could have so much resonance to a listener in, say, Wisconsin.
As was true of the collaborations with Wilco and Woody Guthrie, the love songs sail the highest, Bragg gleefully leading his band through tales of women testing just how married he is or taking him down to the cherry tree and drinking him back to puberty. Studying the lyrics of Guthrie has obviously enhanced Bragg's already considerable cleverness, and working with Wilco has added a new dimension to Bragg's sound: rootsy but modern, alternately sparse and lush. ""Dreadbelly"" even attempts techno-reggae, an admirable if not altogether successful endeavor. Overall, lacks the edge and rawness of some of its predecessors, but it is nevertheless a strong, versatile album from start to finish.
(Yep Roc)
Solo albums that emerge from the breakup of a band are always a gamble. For every great artist that blossoms after breaking from their initial group'Eric Clapton, Lionel Richie and Van Morrison come to mind'there are dozens of artists on par with a Journey-less Steve Perry. The same is true for the entire band, too, not just the lead singer or songwriter. Albums by the likes of Art Garfunkel and Roger Daltrey far outnumber the offerings from a Dave Grohl or Matt Sharp.
Somewhere in between these two extremes falls Caitlin Cary's pleasant new album, . Cary is best known for fleshing out the sound of seminal alt-country group Whiskeytown with her violin and backing vocals. After Whiskeytown imploded, lead singer and guitarist Ryan Adams' first two solo albums were lauded while the less charismatic Cary's first offering, , was virtually ignored. A short collection of original work, Waltzie showed Cary taking steps toward finding her own voice as a songwriter and lead singer, a path she continues following on .
Most of the songs are co-written and performed with former Whiskeytown bandmate Mike Daly, and the album ambles along jovially. Musically, the album is an obliging mix of guitar, organ, bass and Cary's violin, which never dominates but is always lurking about in the background. Lyrically, Cary doesn't tread any new ground but nonetheless frequently creates affecting images, especially on the lead track ""Shallow Heart, Shallow Water,"" which uses swimming as a metaphor for a rocky relationship.
Whiskeytown's albums were always marred by inconsistency, moments of brilliance intermingled by an occasional Adams misfire. Cary's album is much more even, but doesn't ever reach near the heights of Whiskeytown at its best. It is just a congenial mix of tunes that are not that exceptional but are eminently listenable.
(Vagrant Records/Heroes & Villains)
Ironic is one adjective that comes to mind when listening to . The Anniversary's sophomore album is not ironic in terms of violating the unspoken ingredients of emotional punk, or emo, however.
, lyrically, does not stray away from themes prevalent in an average pop-rock song that commercial radio constantly overplays. ""Crooked Crown,"" with ""Shake your hips pretty darling/Oh sugar c'mon,"" is an example, but The Anniversary is not to be confused with just an ordinary pop rock song. They hail from the same town as The Get Up Kids'Lawrence, Kan.'underscoring the significance of their indie-rock roots.
Characterizations aside, fundamentally differs from The Anniversary's more-conventional emo debut album only in terms of composition.
For example, ""Sweet Marie"" disguises dark lyrics such as ""a hole where your heart should be"" with upbeat measures and wailing guitar riffs, creating a light, frothy concoction.
In fact, most of is a light, frothy concoction'but with an extra dimension. By balancing less-than-upbeat lyrics with the peals of a synthesizer, the average listener can listen to and be enchanted.
Tracks such as ""The Siren Songs,"" ""Follow the Sun,"" and ""Peace, Pain, & Regret"" showcase the signature breathy vocals of Adrianne Pope, Josh Berwanger, and Justin Roelofs, a quality aesthetic to the ears.
In contrast, the cocky verbal tone of ""Never Die Young"" manipulates a coming-of-age idea with tickling keyboard moves.
strings breathy vocals, diversified guitar work, stirring keyboard moves and cockiness in a seamless synthesized package. Simply add one part irony-gloomy lyrics-and the recipe is complete.
For this reason, being emo is not a prerequisite to enjoy what The Anniversary has to delightfully offer in .
