Suede – Bloodsports
Suede or The London Suede (depending on what part of the
world you are from) return after 11 years with their latest, Bloodsports and
show everyone in music – This is how you make a comeback. One of the finest
comeback records ever released, Bloodsports hears the Britpop legends
refreshed, reenergized, reinvigorated, and most of all renewed for the next
chapter of their careers. From singer Brett Anderson’s unique powerul falsetto
voice to the bands inspiring guitar and rhyme sections, each song of
Bloodsports is a fight to show why this band still matters and why in 2013, we
need Suede more than ever. If each track is a new round in this fight, they
come back swinging harder, faster, and stronger with each building song.
FINAL GRADE: A+
Depeche Mode – Delta Machine
The legendary British electro rockers return for album 13
and prove that 13 is a lucky number. Depeche Mode have had an amazing career of
going strong for four decades now and like a fine wine get better with age,
yet, Delta Machine maybe their finest serving in years. Taking queues from
their 90’s angst days of Violator, Songs of Faith and Devotion, and Ultra and
mixing it with their heavy electronic and experimental sounds of 2005’s Playing
the Angel. If anyone had any doubt about Depeche Mode in 2013, the band roar to
prove they are here to stay.
FINAL GRADE: A
Sound City – Real to Reel
Dave Grohl’s mega supergroup featuring Foo Fighters, Trent
Reznor, Stevie Nicks, John Fogherty, Brad Wilk, Queens of the Stone Age, Rick
Springfield, Paul McCartney, come together for the soundtrack of Grohl’s
documentary about the iconic California recording studio. While this is a
soundtrack it plays more like an ode and collaborative record about the studio
that gave us legendary records like Fleetwood Mac’s Rumors and Nirvana’s
Nevermind. A majority of the songs are originals and laid down to tape to get
the ambiance of Sound City captured the way it should be. This is a fun rock
and roll record and an great tribute.
FINAL GRADE: A
Palma Violets – 180
The most talked about new rock and roll band in England
answers the call of the buzz built around them with their furious debut, 180.
Hailed by NME, Q, and even The Hold Steady’s Craig Finn as an incredible live
band, Palma Violets capture their punk and R&B inspired tone on their first
album.
FINAL GRADE: A-
Jimi Hendrix – People, Hell, and Angels
The fourth posthumous release from the greatest guitarist to
ever live gives more insight into what could have been. The songs on People,
Hell, and Angels are songs Hendrix was working on for his follow-up to Electric
Ladyland. Fully restored, it takes his signature raw power guitar laid over
funk, R&B, and psychedelica and is textbook Hendrix. A must for any
collector.
FINAL GRADE: B+
Justin Timberlake – The 20/20 Experience
With his first album in seven years, Justin Timberlake
embraces the old and ties in the new. Like Amy Winehouse, Bruno Mars, Fitz
& The Tantrums, Timberlake takes the throwback soul / big band sound of the
50’s and 60’s and mixes it with Prince-esque funk and hip-hop inspiration. The
album’s main issue is that unlike Timberlake’s previous solo records, this does
nothing to change the face of pop, he just does (like those mentioned earlier)
what they have, just on a much more slick level. With production from
Timbaland, J-Roc, The Tennessee Kids and more, Timberlake makes a slick and
sexy record but sings nearly every song about his wife, Jessica Beil, who he
clearly seems to be madly in love with – sorry ladies, it looks like JT is not
going anywhere for a while in the girl department.
FINAL GRADE: B+
Demigodz – Killmatic
The hip-hop collective returns with their latest savage
offering, Killmatic. Taking an inspirational script from the 90’s glory days of
hip-hop, Demigodz offer a brutal and intense rap album that will turn them on
to a new audience and be well received by their original fans.
FINAL GRADE: B+
Wire – Change Becomes Us
The legendary
English punks return with their 13th album and give an interesting take on how
this record was made – taking unreleased sessions and songs that were
originally written between 1978-1980 and re-recording them and reworking them
for a brand new album of never-before-heard new music. In typical Wire fashion,
it has balls and rocks.
FINAL GRADE: B
Billy Bragg – Tooth & Nail
The iconic British voice of reason returns with his 14th
studio album and in it he brings forth a new slew of songs of social change,
justice, love, and hope. While many refer to Bragg as the punk Bob Dylan or
folk’s Joe Strummer, Bragg uses those who have inspired him and those who paved
the way for something we always need – a voice of reason.
FINAL GRADE: B
Kate Nash – Girl Talk
The English singer / songwriter returns with her third
record and unlike her previous efforts, Nash combines folk and garage together
for a unique blend of angst girl rock.
FINAL GRADE: B
Everything Everything – Arc
The English electronic rockers returned with their sophomore
album, and bring a much more intricate art sense to what they already
accomplished with their debut, Man Alive.
FINAL GRADE: B
Charli XCX – True Romance
After being delayed for a full year, English pop songstress
Charli XCX finally releases her debut. True Romance is a sexy, raw, honest, and
intense trial in emotion that features electronica, darkwave, coldwave, and
R&B sounds together. True Romance could have been worth the wait.
FINAL GRADE: B
The Virgins – Strike Gently
The New York City garage rockers return with their sophomore
release, and after getting a major push by a major NYC garage band – The
Strokes, The Virgins are ready for their close-up. Mixing in new wave and
electronic hooks, The Virgins certainly have one of the catchiest records
released so far.
FINAL GRADE: B
Clutch – Earth Rocker
The Maryland stoner rockers return with their latest
offering, and like much of Clutch’s prior work, it is a hard charging,
systematic trial of thunderous sounds and rhythms. They are not messing with a
formula that have made them a popular cult band.
FINAL GRADE: B-
Eric Clapton – Old Sock
Slow Hand comes back with his latest studio album and it is
an uninspired and often times, lazy record and just an excuse to get his
friends together. Old Sock includes Sir Paul McCartney, Chaka Khan, Taj Mahal,
and Steve Winwood and is 95% all covers and two new songs.
FINAL GRADE: C
Chelsea Light Moving
Sonic Youth’s Thurston Moore offers a new solo album with a
new band and is some of Moore’s most disconnected and furious songs he has ever
written. It seems as if he does not know what he wants as an artist and thus
trying everything he can with his new band.
FINAL GRADE: C
Stereophonics – Graffiti on the Train
The Welsh rockers return with their eighth album and much
like their last offering, Keep Calm and Carry On, Graffiti on the Train is an
uninspired and boring rock record. It is a shame to see a band like ‘Phonics to
fall flat two records in a row after releasing some of the 90’s best albums and
‘00’s very good albums like Language, Violence, Sex, Other and Pull the Pin.
FINAL GRADE: C-
Pig Destroyer – Mass and Volume E.P.
The Virginia grindcore band known for some of the most
brutal sounds release an E.P. of some of their worst material and unreleased
tracks. While the principle for Mass and Volume is all for a good cause, charity
effort to benefit the family of recently-deceased Relapse Records employee Pat
Egen, it is some terrible work from a band known for fantastic, slaughtering,
heavy music.
FINAL GRADE: D