About a month ago, it felt like there was nothing good
happening in new music. The
Indy/Alternative scene felt stale.
Anticipated albums from artists like Santigold, The Shins, and Tennis
fell short. It looked like it was going
to be a very long summer.
Thankfully,
three recent releases show that the industry is doing OK, and we can have
something fresh to enjoy on the iPod in the coming months:
Silversun Pickups:Neck of the Woods. SSPU comes through
again with a quality engagement of brooding alt-rock. Fairly consistent with their previous
efforts, this is a band that continues to bring the goods time and time
again. They are also incredible live.
Metric: Sythetica. More consistent than previous Metric
offerings, a majority of the album is very good. You could not say that about previous Metric
efforts. While I get really sick of
their politics (and their need to foist their opinions on their fans), I do
enjoy their music.
Rush: Clockwork Angels. Yep, Rush. For nearly 45 years (nearly as long as I've
been alive) Rush has been cranking out their impeccable brand of cerebral
rock. While their style has ebbed and
flowed through the years, their musicianship could never, ever be
questioned. That is clearly the case in
their new album - arguably their best in at least a decade, maybe two. How Rush is not in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame remains that institute's greatest shame.
2:54: Self Titled. Ever since The XX came
out years ago, I've been pining for a return to that brooding, dark alternative
riff with a top layer of quiet female vocal.
2:54 nailed it. From start to finish, this album rocks. It's my favorite album of 2012 thus far.
The Lumineers : Self Titled. As I reported in my concert review of theLumineers, this is an incredibly talented band.
Their album is great across all tracks, and likely will be the
soundtrack for summer 2012 for many. As
it should be. Theirs is a superlative
effort.
Regardless of your musical
tastes, check out any of the albums listed above. You'll be impressed with what you hear.
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