Say Anything "Say Anything…Is A Real Boy" J Records 6.5/10
The record industry continues to bite its own hand with re-releasing independent label albums when the artist signs with a major label. Instead of just pushing for the already released material, they have the newer version include some B-sides or extra tracks that current fans will enjoy, which will then force them to find a way to buy another copy of the album.
This time the re-release is Say Anything's album, "Say Anything..Is A Real Boy." Yes, the band stole their name from Cameron Crowe's Lloyd meets girl love story, but that doesn't matter.
What really matters is the music that fills up this album. The band insists that the original songs on this album make up a rock 'n' roll opera, similar to the idea Green Day, Armor For Sleep and Coheed and Cambria took with all of their latest albums. But when it boils down to it, the 13 songs don't sound much different from a non-themed album.
Now, in the re-released version of the album there are an additional seven songs, making the album long enough to be considered an opera. But even with the additional songs, the theme isn't really there.
Regardless of theme, the 20 songs are catchy, sloppy pop-punk with emo influences. Each one is lined with front man Max Bemis's tongue-in-cheek lyrics. Bemis is by no means a poet with a guitar, but his lyrics are enjoyable. They make you laugh at one point and nod your head along during another.
The instrumentation of Say Anything follows the typical chord structure of the underground pop-punk genre - for non-listeners of the genre, this means that nothing is too difficult to play. Drummer Coby Linder is no Keith Moon; in fact, his drumming is rather boring. The songs, as a whole, sound as if they intertwine into one another due to the lack of variety, which is why they're sloppy pop-punk in the first place.
MTV will definitely take notice of this album this time around, and they just might have enough energy to make it on "Total Request Live." Say Anything has vast potential to take Fall Out Boy down and become your 14-year-old sister's new favorite band.
Slow Runner "No Disassemble" Red Distribution 5/10
Slow Runner is exactly what their name implies: slow. Not that being slow is a bad thing; the band Low made a career for itself by being slow, and now it is credited with a genre birth.
But Slow Runner is different from Low; they are more instrumental and more radio friendly with their album "No Disassemble."
"No Disassemble" is without a doubt a well put together album. Each song varies from the one before it. Although some of the songs have too much use of the synthesizer, the rest of the album without it makes up the much better parts.
The lyrics are simple and straightforward, which is not a bad thing by any means. They are definitely the main focus of the album; the instrumentation compliments the lyrics, coating them in a poppy, Beatles-esque background, although they sound more like David Gray than the Beatles.
Even Flynn's vocals at times appear to sound like Gray, especially during the song "Streamlined," which is the album's ballad. After "Streamlined," the album goes back to its pop feeling with a hint of country twang, which is a throwback to the fact Flynn grew up in South Carolina and moved back there after going to college in Boston.
The biggest fault of "No Disassemble" is the fact that the album starts to drag when the filler songs start to come on. Unfortunately, this hurts the album's rating, despite the first half being free of any filler and actually a fun listen.
Like so many others, Slow Runner got carried away with the idea of making an entire album of material when they should have made an EP. The EP would have been close to perfect modern pop-rock. One can only hope that when the band attempts to record new material, they will know their limits and record only songs that are really needed. Only then the band will have a shot of being noticed in the depth of the mainstream pop world with other bands like the Goo Goo Dolls and Maroon 5.
By Tim McCall, Collegian Staff
Edan - "Beauty and the Beat" - Lewis Records 8/10
Boston-based psychedelic rapper/producer Edan has begun to make a name for himself based on the strength of "Beauty and the Beat," his second record. Even from the intro track, "Polite Meeting," it is clear that Edan has crafted a unique world, a mix of '60s psychedelia, late '80s/early '90s sunshine hip-hop and something that is purely 21st century. He clearly has a sense of hip-hop history, as well, intoning at the beginning of "I See Colours," "Prince Paul already used this loop / But I'm gonna keep it moving and put you up on the scoop;" the impressive "Fumbling Over Words That Rhyme" cites myriad rap pioneers as Edan forges ahead on his own.
In a world where it seems that everyone is trying to latch on to whatever the latest trend is, posturing themselves as the greatest thing on earth, Edan is refreshing. While he occasionally falls into some hip-hop trappings (i.e. bravado, homophobia as a means of being manly), Edan serves as an antidote to much of what is wrong with many modern rappers. "Torture Chamber" is nowhere as scary as the title indicates; in fact, it is one of the album's trippiest songs, with a wavy beat and a dash of reverb on the vocals that makes the whole song float. "Rock and Roll" lives up to its title without even approaching the weary world of rap-rock; Edan uses a lot of guitars and rockist instrumentation while still keeping things distinctly hip-hop and completely fresh.
"Beauty and the Beat" is the type of cohesive, full album that seems very rare in the world of rap music. Not one note is a waste and not one song is filler. As a result, the album is brief, coming in at just over 30 minutes with 13 tracks. However, the album revels in its brevity, bouncing from song to song at a fervent pace, which matches Edan's rapping and production style to a tee.
What makes "Beauty and the Beat" even more exciting is the fact that is has an instant payoff as well as a sense of hidden subtleties. It is an album that sets out to impress immediately but has enough content that it simply just gets better and better on repeat listens, as any good album does. On a cursory listen the album can seem a bit overwhelming; it is so big, colorful, druggy and energetic that each song seems to transport into a world of its own. The more and more spins it gets, though, "Beauty and the Beat" reveals each part of each beat, and each line in each song, and proves itself to be the kind of grand, thought-out work that signals the arrival of a new, important artist. Edan doesn't need big name producers, ham-fisted boasts or the latest trends; Edan just needs Edan, and that's exactly what makes him such a special, and astounding, talent.
Public Enemy - New Whirl Odor - Slam Jamz Records 6/10
As the intro track on "New Whirl Odor" proudly states, "Public Enemy made me realize that all rap is not the same…they changed the perception of what hip-hop could be." Almost 20 years since PE released their first album, unleashing their furious sound and message on the world, one of the best acts in rap is still alive and kicking, if not in full force.
"New Whirl Odor" is the group's first release since 2002's "Revolverlution," an album that combined new songs with live cuts and remixes, and, like that release, is a mixed bag. Fans and critics alike argue about how long it's been since the band released an above-average album; they haven't released a truly great album since 1990 or 1991, and while they have had flashes of brilliance to varying extents, the band has felt stale since at least 1999. Of course the reality of a "stale" Public Enemy is that the group is still more intelligent, interesting and vital than the majority of modern hip-hop and "New Whirl Odor" only emphasizes that, while not doing anything particularly excellent in the process.
Public Enemy gained fame and notoriety for being a unique, groundbreaking hip-hop group; they sounded like nothing else on earth and prided themselves on that. Perhaps it is a commentary on the state of the country that the band hasn't been able to change, evolve or move to the next level. No wonder Chuck D still rhymes about similar topics; the country has moved from one Bush to another while retaining almost all the same characteristics of the first administration. That being said, Chuck D is still one of the few MCs that speaks the truth, even if it's occasionally via clumsy metaphors, and is still one of the most commanding people to ever be recorded on tape.
On every track, from "New Whirl Odor" to "MKLVFKWR" to "Makes Ya Blind," Chuck D is filled with the type of righteous, vitriolic anger that inspires great artists of all forms. Chuck D might not be breaking new ground with his raps, and none of the verses on this album will probably rank among his best, but simply by being around and being himself he makes an important statement.
What damages "New Whirl Odor" more are the beats, or the lack thereof. Few songs are outright terrible, though the metal riffing of "What A Fool Believes" is simply bad, but there is nothing on here that even tries to compete with the legendary work of The Bomb Squad on the early PE records. Most of the beats are generic, 21st century hard-rap material. It certainly makes sense that it is harder for Chuck D, Flavor Flav and Professor Griff (who sounds generally sub par on the whole album, anyway) to excel when the music they are working with isn't as inspiring.
Regardless of the faults - and there are faults - it is always good to hear from Public Enemy, especially given the generally sad state of hip-hop, music and society as a whole. Even when the songs fall short of the high bar set by early PE records, they still have the stamp of a great artist, even if they aren't at the top of their game.
Ray Davies - "Other People's Lives" - V2 Records 6/10
As singer, guitarist and principal songwriter of The Kinks, Ray Davies has been the man behind some of rock's greatest songs. Over 40 years after starting one of the most influential, important and wonderful bands in the history of the genre, Davies has released his first official full-length solo album. "Other People's Lives" bears many of Davies trademarks, including his knack for witty and often humorous lyrics, but it doesn't quite match up to his storied legacy with The Kinks.
Of course, not many 61-year-old musical legends live up to their past and "Other People's Lives" is in no way a disappointment. In fact, it far surpasses the expectations set by other middle-aged and older musicians, in that it doesn't feel like a grab for past glories, nor does it reek of being out of touch. Davies, as always, seems confident and relaxed and it shows in his music.
The individual songs on "Other People's Lives" all follow a similar pattern - a form of adult-alternative that is loaded with subtle lead guitar lines and friendly chord progressions. Davies' formula cuts both ways; nothing on the record really stands out as a truly amazing song but the whole proceedings are entirely pleasant. No songs have the big hooks or memorable riffs that The Kinks' best songs were built around, but nothing flops. Likewise, Davies' lyrics often fit the mold of storytelling singer-songwriter, which lends itself to the folky sounding album title, and while they are often hit-or-miss, they all circle around a satisfying, if vaguely mediocre, center.
And that, in a brief summary, is "Other People's Lives." It won't be revolutionizing the form, nor will it take people by storm. However, it is of somewhat remarkable quality for a man who already has 40 years of great music under his belt. Davies may not offer anything to compete with his greatest songs on "Other People's Lives," but he doesn't sound like he's out of tricks, either. The opening number, "Things Are Going To Change (The Morning After)," kicks things off nicely, insuring the listener that this album is no stale veteran-rocker retread. The title track, a sly, winking attack on media coverage of celebrities, is another highlight.
Davies has not crafted an album that will probably stand as a career milestone, but it does serve an important purpose in his career, proving that not only can he go it alone, but that he still has some spice left in him. "Other People's Lives" is, if anything, an indicator that Davies should not be counted out of the pop/rock game. While moments of pure, unbridled genius are few and far between on this album, there are countless signs that he might still have some brewing for the future.
By Nick Romanow, Collegian Staff
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