Stop Hating on Bright Eyes

So, I think people really need to stop hating on this new Bright Eyes record - Cassadaga. The funny part is all the things that usually lead people to hate on a Bright Eyes record - the whining; the off-key, earnest vocals; the long structure-less songs - are not what people are hating on this time. In fact, now they're mad that it's the opposite - apparently, it's too clean. People need to make up their minds. Sure, there was something endearing about how overdone and kinda naive Lifted was. However, I much preferred the brilliant restraint of I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning. Let the man mature, please - he's not 16 anymore. In all honesty, these new songs are really good - this folk/country thing seems to be what Conor Oberst is best at and he seems to really be coming into his own with it.

"Four Winds"

The Good, the Bad & the Queen Defies and Meets My High Expectations

Any Damon Albarn release - and really anything Blur-related - is cause for celebration round the N&UR offices. Yesterday saw the release of his latest venture, an unnamed supergroup with a loose concept album about modern day London. The roster of Paul Simonon, Simon Tong and Tony Allen (with Danger Mouse behind the boards) certainly brought with in some expectations. Even with the elegant single, "Herculean" as a precursor, assumption was we might be hearing some epic Blur meets the Clash, sprinkled with Gorillaz influence. That is all present, but not necessarily as one might expect. The Good, the Bad and the Queen hardly matches Gorillaz' Demon Days in terms of intensity of pop singles, yet it is nothing short of fantastic. It bears a great resemblance to Mali Music, the 2003 record Albarn made in Africa, restricting himself mostly to the background. Hints of that African sound are there, but mostly its an application of the same minimalist touches he applied there. This is something he was working with in Blur on the best tracks from 2003's Think Tank - "Ambulance," "Out of Time," and "On the Way to the Club."

The record meets my expectations because I love it - yet it defies my expectations in that its simplicity makes it a little complex. You would think with that much firepower in your band, everyone would be eager to let loose and jam - but it just never happens. Opener "History Song" builds up its instrumentation, slowly adding each member into the song. Once they all meet, you'd expect something to change - but it doesn't happen. In fact, the record keeps a mellow course, until the storm breaks in the closing title track, a 6 minute number that begins the rest, progresses to the instruments crashing into one another, ultimately just becoming white noise.

Review: "The Greatest" / Cat Power

You have to be rather confident to name your album "The Greatest," but Chan Marshall dispels any trace of braggadocio on the heartbreaking, opening title track, accompanied by piano and strings. Yet after giving up her dream of being the greatest, Marshall moves effortlessly from blues to jazz and even a little bit of country, singing in a hushed voice, but with absolute confidence. Up against heartbreaking ballads, Marshall sounds as if she is fronting the E-Street Band on "Could We" and "Lived in Bars." Backed by legendary Memphis session musicians (including Teenie Hodges on guitar, Leroy Hodges on bass and Steve Potts on drums) the musical arrangements are lush and gorgeous. The album never waivers, with each track complementing the one that came before, despite the leaps in genre. Concluding with "Love and Communication" - powered by strings and electric organ - "The Greatest" is an assertive and powerful statement from one whose insecurities are often under scrutiny.

4 STARS (out of 5)

::2 Related Links::
1• Cat Power's MySpace Page
2• Stream "The Greatest" at AOL Music

::if you liked (or were dissappointed by) this record, you should really check out Keren Ann's "Nolita."

Review: "First Impressions of Earth" / The Strokes

The Strokes are largely credited with reviving the New York garage rock scene in 2001 with their debut album, "Is This It." In 2003, they released the equally-strong "Room on Fire." The format hasn't changed much on "First Impressions of Earth", but it sounds like Julian Casablancas and company have less confidence in it. The album begins promisingly. Opener "You Only Live Once," the album's strongest track, would've been right at home on "Is This It," while "Razorblade" is more reminiscent of "Room on Fire," and "On the Other Side" is one of the band's darkest songs yet.

"First Impressions" would've been much better if the Strokes had stuck with the 11-song formula of their previous two albums. At 52 minutes, the album drags on a bit too long. There's no reason this album couldn't have been done in 40 minutes or less. On later tracks like "Fear of Sleep" and "Evening Sun," Casablancas sounds tired and bored, and Albert Hammond's guitar and Fab Moretti's drumming lack their usual force.

"First Impressions" proves what indie rock fans have feared, that the Strokes are not invincible and that they are capable of mediocrity. On "Heart in a Cage," Casablanca sings "I'm stuck in a city, but I belong in a field." Here's hoping the Strokes solve this crisis of identity, before they are viewed as part of a passing trend.

3 STARS (out of 5)