Short Attention Span Record Reviews, Aug 24 Vol. II

THE LOUDER STUFF

FUCKED UP – Another Day
Hardcore experimentalists’ new album is a bit chaotic and not among their best. That being said, they’ve never released an album that’s not at least very good. (8)

HAIL DARKNESS – Death Divine
It’s been a while since we got a really good new occult rock band but Hail Darkness are finally here and they’re fantastic – their thing being adding a Jefferson Airplane twist to the Sabbathian riff-fest. Horns up! (8)

NILE – The Underworld Awaits Us All
A strong brutal technical death metal record, this is probably the 6th best Nile album, and probably the 6th best Morbid Angel album as well. (8)

POISON RUIN – Confere EP
They’ve been called a crust punk band, they still sound like The Wipers meets Motorhead to me. (8)

UNIFORM – American Standard
This is an industrial/noise album about eating disorders and even though there’s an artistic value to this, it makes for extremely uncomfortable listening. Godflesh and black metal fans might like it, and I do hear echoes of Cop Shoot Cop somewhere in there. (7)

ZEAL & ARDOR – Greif
It’s funny how all the people who screamed “THIS ISN’T METAL!!!” in 2016 and hated them for defying expectations grudgingly grew to accept them, but they’re back to screaming “THIS ISN’T METAL!!!” in 2024 for defying expectations. (9)


THE OTHER STUFF

BEACHWOOD SPARKS – Across The River Of Stars
Competent Byrds cosplay produced by L.A. country-rock veterans, produced by The Black Crowes’ Chris Robinson. (7)

JADE JACKSON – Silent Wings
Country rocker’s last full-length made the List, this 5-track EP is slightly poppier but just as good. (8)

MILTON NASCIMENTO & ESPERANZA SPALDING – Milton & Esperanza
Jazz bassist coaxes Brazilian singer out of retirement for a beautiful collaboration album bringing together reimagined classics from the latter’s catalogue with new tracks from the likes of Paul Simon. (8)

FRANK TURNER – Undefeated Acoustic
The acoustic version of this year’s “Undefeated” album has its charms but is non-essential, just like its parent record. (7)

Short Attention Span Record Reviews, Aug 24

THE LOUDER STUFF

THE ANGELS – Ninety Nine
If you know me you know I love these guys, and the latest incarnation of the band still rocks hard and kicks ass. (8)

DWARVES – Keep It Reel
Mini-LP featuring new tracks and a few older ones, this is classic Dwarves – pop punk with a juvenile sense of humor. Refreshing. (8)

GHOST – Rite Here Rite Now
Haven’t seen the movie yet but the soundtrack, essentially a live album, is flawlessly recorded but a bit disappointing for those of us who’ve been following the band from the start, as the first two albums are totally ignored. (7)

HARVESTMAN – Triptych Part II
Neurosis mainman Steve Von Till continues on the ambient dub path he opened earlier this year. Al Cisneros (Om/Sleep) guests. Get the bong out. (8)

ORANGE GOBLIN – Science, Not Fiction
Every time these guys release an album you feel like having a pint or three with them down at their local, just shooting the breeze about Sabbath and Motorhead. (8)

REO SPEEDWAGON – Live at Rockpalast 1979
The good news is that this one catches the band at peak hard rock power, between “You Can Tune A Piano…” and “Hi Infidelity” and before the soppy power ballads took over. The bad news is that it’s poorly recorded and therefore mainly interesting for historical reasons rather than for listening pleasure. (7)

SCENE QUEEN – Hot Singles In Your Area
The feminist/empowerment message is commendable, but the rehashed nu metal riffs and everything-turned-up-to-10 production don’t hold up. (6)


THE OTHER STUFF

AMERICAN AQUARIUM – The Fear Of Standing Still
This is exactly the type of album I love nowadays – catchy rock ‘n’ roll from the American South, one foot firmly rooted on Isbell/DBT ground and the other stuck in Springsteen/Petty country, with a big heart and even bigger balls. (8)

ZACH BRYAN – The Great American Bar Scene
Like the bastard son a bedroom lo-fi Jason Isbell and a Nebraska-era Springsteen, Bryan comes across as a great Americana storyteller. The bad news: He only knows how to write one song. The good news: It’s a hell of a great one. (8)

DRIVE-BY TRUCKERS – Southern Rock Opera (deluxe reissue)
DBT’s breakthrough album from 2001 gets a long-awaited reissue with extra tracks and a new sequencing which reinforces its status as an early 21st century classic – a concept album loosely based on the story of Lynyrd Skynyrd by one of the best bands of their generation. (9)

JAMES XERXES FUSSELL – When I'm Called
If you’re into acoustic country folk you’ll find much to love here. (8)

CASSANDRA JENKINS – My Light, My Destroyer
If Phoebe Bridgers had spent a lot of time listening to Tom Petty and “The Bends”-era Radiohead, she might have ended up sounding a bit like this. (8)

JOHNNY BLUE SKIES – Passage Du Plaisir
Sturgill Simpson infuses his country with… yacht rock??? (8)

LANKUM – Live In Dublin
Playing Irish folk with the intensity of Swans, they released one of last year’s best albums and this live set confirms that they are one of the best bands in the world right now, a force to be reckoned with. (9)

CHARLIE OVERBEY – In Good Company
Is this country? Maybe. Is it rock? I think so. Does it kick ass? Most definitely. (8)

SML – Small Medium Large
LA-based quintet fusing jazz with electronica with impressive results, and RIYL Miles Davis’ fusion era. I was quite surprised to find out it’s Anna Butterss on the bass, because last time I saw her she was rocking out in Jason Isbell’s band. (8)

SUSS – Birds & Beasts
I’ve seen these guys described as “ambient country” but trust me, this is much more Brian Eno than Kenny Rogers. (8)

WAND – Vertigo
Wand frontman Cory Hanson has made The List in recent years not once, but twice with solo albums, one of which sounded like Radiohead playing country rock. Well, his band’s latest sounds like Radiohead playing post rock. (8)

JACK WHITE – No Name
The heaviest and White Stripiest album in White’s solo career, this is just a terrific blues-based heavy rock record, like Led Zeppelin on amphetamines doing an unrehearsed Elmore James tribute record. (8)