Kings of Leon – Because of the Times

As my girlfriend’s uncle Todd said a few months ago about the Kings, “they have a sound, but they have no songs.” His assessment was spot-on. Their sound is distinctive and thrilling, but I’d be hard-pressed to name a particular song of theirs. And even if I could name a song or two, I couldn’t hum the tune. And even if I could hum the tune, I certainly don’t know the words. But as anyone who bought Aha Shake Heartbreak can tell you, that isn’t a huge problem. That album was one of my favorites of 2006 (it came out in late 2005, but I didn’t discover it until March) because it felt so goddamn REAL. They combined everything good about the Strokes (retro-simple melodies, good drumming, a fondness for guitar fuzz) with Southern soul and genuine emotion.

Their new album, Because of the Times, won’t help them in the song department. There isn’t a single here, and there isn’t even really a song that sticks in my head. But I thoroughly enjoyed this album anyway. With the exception of “Charmer”, which is rendered unlistenable by singer Caleb Followill’s grating scream that begins each line of the lyric, I liked every song. The album is darker, more brooding and introspective than Heartbreak, but it doesn’t suffer for it. The real growth here is in the vocals. On Heartbreak, I felt that the vocals were included just so that the songs wouldn’t be instrumentals; Caleb Followill’s voice was just another instrument. On Because, the songs seem tailored around his voice and lyrics, and he’s doing more with both. His voice is raspy (to the point that I picture him smoking 100 cigarettes at once,) and he uses that to good effect.

The best part is that I’ve liked the album more each of my 3 times through it. That’s always a good sign.

Mika – Life in Cartoon Motion

This is a pop album. Let’s get that out of the way now. If you’ve heard his single “Grace Kelly” you have some idea. If you haven’t, imagine an ice cream sundae. Now dump a bowl of sugar and some Laffy Taffy on top. The confections on this album are very sweet (almost saccharine) and are unpalatable if you’re not prepared for them. Also, too much isn’t good for you. (OK, I think I’ve driven this metaphor into the ground...)

I love this album. I love that Mika makes pop music unapologetically. I love his nothing-exceeds-like-excess production approach. I love his voice. (Apparently when Freddie Mercury died, the falsetto gods gave the pop half of his gift to Mika. Justin Hawkins of the Darkness got the rock half.)

I’m a little disappointed that “Grace Kelly” is the single that’s putting him on the map, however, as it’s my 3rd or 4th-favorite song here. “Relax (Take it Easy)” is my fave, even though it was already released as an underperforming single. The song reminds me of some 1990s Euro-clubby pop hit, but I can’t put my finger on it. My next favorite is “Lollipop”, which has a 60s throwback feel to it initially because the production is intentionally minimal. Interestingly, there’s no snare drum in this song, save for a few-measure coda toward the end. Supposedly, it’s a song warning his niece not to lose her virginity too soon, but it could be about elephants and silly putty. I also like the song “Big Girl (You Are Beautiful)” for how its clever song structure and relentless enthusiasm overcame my initial No Fat Chicks reaction.

This record isn’t for everyone, but give those songs a listen and see if they appeal to you. The rest of the album isn’t as wonderful – there are a few pretty ballads and some other filler tracks – but none of it sucks.

The Exploding Hearts – Guitar Romantic

Without the rough punk sound, the songs on this record would be ridiculously dopey. Just about every song is about love in its various stages, and most include lines that rhyme “girl” with “world” and “gone away” with “here to stay”. That said, I didn’t mind so much. Between the inventive melodies and jagged guitar fuzz, this record was a lot of fun.

Apparently (and I have no idea if this is true), the manager of the band called them “the best band in America” shortly before they crashed their tour van, killing three of the four band members. Of such provenance, rock legends are born, and I was sort of expecting the Exploding Hearts to be the greatest thing I’d never heard. They weren’t that, but they were an entertaining listen with at least 4 quality songs. I suspect they would have been fantastic live. Sadly, I’ll never know.

(FYI: The songs I liked were “Modern Kicks” and the very catchy “I’m a Pretender” which start the album, and “Sleeping Aides and Razorblades” and “Rumors in Town” which fall right at the midpoint of the record. The second pair of songs, especially, rocked my world.)

Pete Rock and CL Smooth – Mecca and the Soul Brother, The Main Ingredient

This golden age partnership released a demo EP in 1991 called All Souled Out, which was followed the same year by Mecca and a few years later by Ingredient. Then they parted ways. Pete Rock is still producing records, but CL Smooth has mostly disappeared. It’s a real shame, because they were a force together.

I was excited about Mecca because I knew “They Reminisce Over You (T.R.O.Y.)” as a certified b-boy classic from back in the day. Clearly, the rest of the album couldn’t be as good or “T.R.O.Y.” wouldn’t have been a standout track, but I was expecting the record to be a little stronger than it is. The production is great, but it not all the songs got my head nodding.

I wasn’t expecting as much from The Main Ingredient, and I was pleasantly surprised. This is the record I thought Mecca would be. Pete Rock’s drum track finds a heartbeat groove and doesn’t stop for 60 minutes. CL Smooth never sounds out of place or in over his head. There are simply no mistakes on this album. Whereas Mecca takes a lot of chances artistically (and pays for them, in my opinion), Ingredient isn’t as ambitious. It’s just about droppin’ that beat. Word.

OK Go – OK Go

A few months ago, I reviewed OK Go’s album Oh No, one of my favorite albums of 2006. (OK, technically it came out in 2005, but who was listening to it then?) This is the preceding (and debut) album, and while it’s interesting to recognize some of the same style and bombast, it’s equally clear that Oh No was a huge leap forward for the band. This record is for fans only.

There are certainly songs I liked. “Get Over It” starts the album off really well. It sounds a lot like “No Sign of Life” and “Invincible” from Oh No. I also enjoyed the fun vocal delivery of “C-C-Cinnamon Lips”.

But in general, the songs are slower and longer than on Oh No. The band started to remind me of Fountains of Wayne or Spacehog. That is, smart pop, but without the rocket sauce. People who were attracted to the momentum and energy of Oh No will be disappointed.

Lupe Fiasco – Food & Liquor

Few debut MCs get the kind of praise that was showered upon Lupe Fiasco in 2006. Music critics couldn’t slurp this guy fast enough. “Here’s a young, talented rapper who’s not rapping about cocaine! Jackpot!” Some of it is warranted. I like that he’s a socially conscious Muslim. I like that he’s literate and articulate. I like that he’s only fleetingly associated with Kanye West (if only to prevent West from cornering the market on socially conscious hip-hop).

But you know what? I didn’t really enjoy the album. It even took me a few listens to like the single, “Kick, Push”. Appreciating this record just seems like work to me, and that’s not what I look for in music. I can tell that Lupe can rap. (He’s much better here than on Kanye West’s “Touch the Sky”, where I hated his verse before I knew who he was.) He creates some complex structure and internal rhymes in his lyrics. He’s definitely skilled. It just isn’t, for lack of a better word, fun.

For example, certain people claim that James Joyce’s Ulysses is a work of staggering genius and possibly the best book ever written. But it’s so appallingly dense and obtuse that only a few people ever read it. What good is it that you wrote the best book ever, if you can only share it with a handful of dorks with the patience and resources to appreciate it?

Now, clearly, Food & Liquor is not Ulysses. It’s not so opaque as to be completely impenetrable, and it’s probably not the best record ever. But the same problem plagues this record. If I need to listen to this record another 4 times, paying strict attention, in order to appreciate it, is it worth it? Maybe I’m lazy, maybe I have a short attention span, maybe I have a philosophical aversion to Great Art, but I say no. For my money, Fishscale was the best hip-hop album of 2006. Even if I’m uncomfortable (and fascinated) by Ghostface Killah’s depictions of violence and drug trafficking, the music is more urgent, organic, and accessible.

Superdrag – In the Valley of the Dying Stars

I’m in love with Superdrag’s 1996 album Regretfully Yours. I bought it as a teenager for the “buzz” single “Who Sucked Out the Feeling?” and immediately put it on infinite repeat. The album is a power-pop masterpiece from an era that neglected that sort of music. It’s dense with hooks, and every song has at least one. Best of all, there’s a real commitment to melody. Predictably, Superdrag didn’t get much promotion and nobody bought the record. Nobody but me, that is. For a decade, I’ve been sneaking solitary tracks onto mixtapes I’ve made, secretly hoping someone would ask about them and I could share this record with another person.

Oddly, despite how much I adore Regretfully, I never looked for a follow-up until a few months ago. Based on my familiarity with their debut, I had high hopes for In the Valley of Dying Stars. It’s not as good as Regretfully Yours, but it’s a solid rock record. I found that after a few listens, I could sing along to parts I remembered, which is a good litmus test for power pop.
I will definitely seek out the other 2 albums they recorded since Regretfully Yours—A Head Trip in Every Key and Last Call for Vitriol.