ADELE – 25
Dear music industry,
If this bunch of soppy piano ballads is your last hope then you better kiss your ass goodbye.
Sincerely,
(6)
ANNA VON HAUSSWOLFF – The Miraculous
Burdened at birth with a name like Anna Michaela Ebba Electra Von Hausswolff the poor child had no choice but to grow up a goth. (8)
ERIC CHURCH – Mr. Misunderstood
If country star Church’s previous album “The Outsiders” was his Bon Jovi moment then “Mr. Misunderstood” is his John Mellencamp. (6)
JEFF LYNNE’S ELO – Alone In The Universe
ELO is very MOR and FYI I was BBB. (5)
GRIMES – Art Angels
It’s not a bad pop record, but “weird/unique” does not necessarily equal “great”. (7)
MATTHEW SWEET & SUSANNA HOFFS – Completely Under The Covers
Between 2006 and 2013 Sweet & Hoffs released 3 albums covering their favorite songs. Now in Box Set format with a 4th disc featuring bonus tracks, this plays like “Children Of Nuggets” or a mixtape you made for someone you really, really like. (9)
QUEEN – A Night At The Odeon
It’s Christmas 1975, “A Night At The Opera” has just been released, and Queen are playing live at the Hammersmith Odeon fronted by a Freddie Mercury who’s more camp than a boy scout jamboree. (10)
THE LOUDER STUFF
BEACH SLANG – The Things We Do To Find People Who Feel Like Us
Anyone remember what great bands Jawbreaker and Hot Water Music were? Don’t you just miss that 90’s melodic punk when you were 20 years younger and allowed to get away with loving the escapist stuff? (8)
BILLY GIBBONS & THE BFG’S – Perfectamundo
ZZ Top guitarist explores his funky Cuban side, has lots of fun and shares it. (7)
EVIL BLIZZARD – Everybody Come To Church
UK post-punk/space rock band with metal influences and two gimmicks: a) they wear masks and b) they’ve got four bass players. Imagine Hawkwind as covered by Killing Joke jamming with PiL and a couple of extra bassists. (7)
REVENGE – Behold.Total.Rejection.
Revenge’s black metal still sounds more like grindcore than anything else. This is so ridiculously chaotic and extreme you can only admire the dude. (7)
VHOL – Deeper Than Sky
Supergroup consisting of Yob, Hammers Of Misfortune and Agalloch members explore their technothrash side on an album that totally rules and will kick your ass, seriously. (8)
THE OTHER STUFF
COASTERS – Christmas With The Coasters
60 years after their first single, 10 years after the last original Coaster left the group (and this world) and with the longest-standing current member having joined in 2001, the best they can come up with an absolutely crap Christmas album full of cheap Casiotone synth brass and string sounds, no doo-wop harmonies, and a sax player who wouldn’t be worthy to clean the spit out of King Curtis’s mouthpiece. As a huge Coasters fan I am simply devastated. (1)
JEFFREY FOUCAULT – Salt As Wolves
Gorgeous country blues record highlighting Foucault’s sharp songwriting skills and well-worn voice backed by all-star band featuring Lucinda Williams’ guitarist, Morphine’s drummer and Booker T’s bassist. (8)
KINKY FRIEDMAN – The Loneliest Man I Ever Met
The original Texas jewboy, a very funny author but also the Frank Zappa of country and the man who gave us anthems like “How Can I Tell You I Love You (When You’re Sitting On My Face)”, “They Ain’t Makin’ Jews Like Jesus Anymore” and “Asshole From El Paso” is back with a much more somber (somberer?) album. Includes a duet with Willie Nelson and stripped-down versions of songs by Tom Waits and Warren Zevon. (7)
KISS THE ANUS OF A BLACK CAT – To Live Vicariously
In the age of bad band names this is probably the worst band name of them all. In any case gone is the Current 93-like apocalyptic folk of previous KTAOABC works, this sounds like early 80’s Fad Gadget industrial/electronica and it sort of sucks. (5)
ROOTS MANUVA – Bleeds
Impressively strong album by the British rapper who favors smooth flow and atmosphere over vocal pyrotechnics. (8)
