Short Attention Span Record Reviews, Nov 2021 Vol. II

ABBA – Voyage
There’s lots of people in their 70’s making music today and they don’t sound like their whole audience should be in their 70’s too like this new ABBA album does. (5)

ADELE – 30
She got a fantastic voice, she’s got class, and she’s good at doing pop music for adults addressing adult themes. She deserves the superstardom. (7)

CONVERGE FT. CHELSEA WOLFE – Bloodmoon: I
Sounds unlike any previous Converge album, this was essentially created by an enhanced line-up featuring not only Chelsea Wolfe who goths things up, but also Cave In’s Stephen Brodsky who piles on the hooks. A masterpiece of heavy music. (10)

ENDLESS BOOGIE – Admonitions
It’s boogie, and it’s endless. (7)

ENUFF Z’NUFF – Enuff Z'Νuff's Hardrock Nite
There’s a strong Beatles influence on their sound anyway (after all, they’ve always been a power pop band masquerading as a hair metal band), but they’re taking this to its logical end with a full album of Beatles covers. And you’ll actually love it if you always wished that The Beatles would play these great songs just a little bit harder. (8)

CURTIS HARDING – If Words Were Flowers
Atlanta-based soul man is mates with Mastodon and the Black Lips and it shows here, as he infuses his Curtis Mayfield/Parliament old-school funk with a rock ‘n’ roll edge. (8)

KHEMMIS – Deceiver
Closer to traditional metal than to doom metal this time around. Cool riffs but the tunes could be a bit more memorable. (7)

SETH LAKEMAN – Make Your Mark
His previous album “A Pilgirm’s Tale” was the biggest surprise of 2020, an ambitious outlier that came seemingly out of nowhere to land high on the Music Geek’s year-end List. His new album is more low-key, but another excellent take on English folk played with rock intensity. (8)

LEGENDARY SHACK SHAKERS – Cockadoodledeux
Starting the album with a faithful version of “Rawhide” and including a song titled “Punk Rock Retirement Plan” (“Well it’s Johnny Cash for Johnny Rotten / Johnny Horton for Johnny Ramone / He’s swapping out his records / For something more down home”) is a clear statement of intent, they’ve gone full country. They’re still funny as hell. (7)

WILLIE NELSON – The Willie Nelson Family
Country music’s legendary stoner is 88 and just won’t stop releasing new music. This one’s together with his sons, daughters, and sister, and it’s a solid combination of reinterpretations of Nelson classics and covers (George Harrison, Hank Williams, Kris Kristofferson etc.). (7)

ROBERT PLANT & ALISON KRAUSS – Raise The Roof
A sequel to 2007’s “Raising Sand”, which actually paved the way for everything Plant has done since, this collaboration with Bluegrass superstar Krauss focuses on innovative covers of folk, blues, and country deep cuts and is, of course, excellent. (8)

BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN & THE E-STREET BAND – The Legendary 1979 No Nukes Concerts
The E-Street Band in all its glory, the energy on this live album is just insane. (10)

VARIOUS ARTISTS – Cuba: Music and Revolution: Culture Clash in Havana Cuba: Experiments in Latin Music 1973-85 Vol. 2
Going beyond the Buena Vista Social Club, another great collection of mostly unknown Cuban artists from the next generation. (8)

Short Attention Span Record Reviews, Nov 2021

THE LOUDER STUFF

KAYO DOT – Moss Grew On The Swords And Plowshares Alike
Post-metal pioneer Toby Driver reunites the original line-up of his previous band, Maudlin Of The Well, for something darker and heavier than Kayo Dot’s recent output, sort of like Emperor meets The Cure. (7)

LIMP BIZKIT – Still Sucks
Well, if you thought they did back in the day, this album won’t change your mind. But really. they were never THAT bad: At worst, they’re inoffensive in their sophomoric offensiveness. (7)

LUCIFER – IV
Lots of help from hubby, but within the occult rock genre the Green Lung album is too recent to avoid comparisons and this one doesn’t even come close. (7)

MASTODON – Hushed And Grim
Let the haters hate, this is a great metal album. (9)

SKATENIGS – What Could Go Wrong?
Mordred’s back, The Skatenigs are back. Happy 1992 everyone, Sub Pop never happened and THIS is the alternative to traditional heavy metal, who’s next? Monster Voodoo Machine? Stabbing Westward? Psychefunkapus? (6)

EDDIE SPAGHETTI & FRANK MEYER – Motherfuckin’ Rock ‘n’ Roll
Supersuckers & Streetwalkin’ Cheetahs frontmen get together to play some motherfuckin’ rock ‘n’ roll. Of course. (8)


THE OTHER STUFF

HAYES CARLL – You Get It All
Steve Earle has dissed Carll calling him a less talented version of himself, but take that statement with a grain of salt since Earle’s ex-wife Allison Moorer had left him for Carll right before this quote was taken. Gossip aside, the truth is that Carll is probably the best student of Earle’s Texas Country Singer/Songwriter style. (8)

HAYSEED DIXIE – Shattered Grass
I became a Hayseed Dixie fan before I became a bluegrass fan, and despite their “joke band” status they probably played a major role in my current appreciation of some great contemporary music I’d have otherwise missed out on, so I must thank them. That being said I’ve heard better albums by these guys, and funnier jokes too. Or maybe this just isn’t the right time for their brand of faux-redneck humor. (6)

JACKSON+SELLERS – Breaking Point
Jade Jackson (who made The List in 2019) and Aubrie Sellers join forces and rock harder than two country ladies should be expected to rock. (8)

PEPE DELUXE – Phantom Cabinet Vol. 1
Their previous record “Queen Of the Wave” might as well be the best album of all time, but this one comes pretty close, and it’s just as bonkers. (8)

DEAN WAREHAM – I Have Nothing to Say to the Mayor of L.A.
Luna/Galaxie 500 frontman’s solo album is the type of indie rock record I never really got into (not enough guitar distortion, slightly off-key vocals, plenty of irony) despite trying very hard over the past 30+ years, but there’s at least one truly great song here (“As Much As It Was Worth”). (7)

THE WAR ON DRUGS – I Don't Live Here Anymore
A good album, probably Granduciel’s best. But really, it’s funny how he is God to 20-something music critics who’ve never heard of the Dire Straits and dismiss Don Henley as boomer hippie shit. (8)