it reminds me that it's not so bad, not so bad

Wow, where did the time go? I've been super busy lately, but I have a hand-picked batch of album reviews for you. Thanks for the love, readers old and new. Got a suggestion? Send it forward. Like what you see? Tell a friend/post to your favored social media network! Now I must retire to my bed chamber and seek much needed rest.


Barry White "All-Time Greatest Hits"

Barry White sings music about three things and three things only: love, lack of love, and the act of love. He is especially well known for the last one, and there's a reason for it: he's got a sexy voice. Everybody knows that low, sultry voice of Barry White and upon hearing him, most people laugh or get bashful. The singing is quite soulful though and it deserves a listen, even if you're just hanging out by yourself (and no, not like that). The long song titles are a little unusual and/or funny, including, "I'm Gonna Love You Just a Little More, Baby", "It's Ecstasy When You Lay Down Next to Me", and "Your Sweetness is My Weakness." One unexpected addition is a cover of Billy Joel's "Just the Way You Are." While the sentiments are conveyed well (even over the disco backing band), the advanced harmonies and colorful vocabulary are out of place in Barry White's lexicon, which basically sticks to uncomplicated lyrics, and hey, it works for him. The spoken word intro is probably also a Barry White trademark and is just so smooth when coupled with his on-pointe delivery. I don't imagine many people go to see Barry White live. It's more something you experience at home, know what I mean?

Justin Timberlake "Justified"

As my first Justin Timberlake experience (I always harbored resentment towards him for stealing my first name's Google hits much in the way I now feel about Mr. Bieber), I had, mostly, low expectations about the quality of the pop music. Upon listening I can report that I am, mostly, pleasantly surprised. Much closer to the R&B and hip-hop idioms, the music is compelling to most mainstream ears, and I enjoyed about 50% of the tracks. One point that I am overwhelmingly compelled to say is that the influence of Michael Jackson is, well, overwhelming. I am confident that had Michael Jackson's music not existed, this album, the music of and like Justin Timberlake, and well, most pop music, would also not exist, or at least not even be close to what it is. The beats, the grooves, the loops, the vocal style in a solo setting, the vocal style in a chorused setting, the layering of vocal harmonies by the same vocalist...they're all Michael's moves, just on updated drum machines and digital production equipment. This album is as much an implicit homage to Michael Jackson as it is a collection of original pop music for the audience of the new millennium. (As a side note, Janet Jackson appears on one track.) Some of the ballads are a little too sappy and teenage-girly and a few harder jams are too sexually explicit for me to really enjoy listening to (although this is the year 2002; things are much worse nowadays). The true stand out is "Cry Me a River," in which the multiple vocal percussion tracks layered over a basic electronic beat create a unique palette for vocal harmonies to float over top. The track would also not be a success without the string parts, which provide resonance and warmth to fill out the otherwise percussive track. Though, the silence (literal or virtual) between bass hits and vocal lines is one of the compelling characteristics that makes the simplistic beat feel even better. Recommended for R&B, hip-hop and pop fans.

Various Artists "MTV TRL Christmas"

Pretty awful. But so are most of the artists found on this 2001 compilation. Remember Smash Mouth? Ugh. Sugar Ray performs a note-for-note reproduction of the Beach Boys' hit "Little Saint Nick." Ok, so what? TLC singing "Sleigh Ride" is probably funny and not that bad. Weezer fans may appreciate their "The Christmas Song" (not the same "chestnuts" one). I knew this was bad before I put it on though. Sometimes you just gotta trust your instincts.

Gorillaz "D-Sides"

Double disc set featuring tracks otherwise known as B-sides and remixes. The B-sides are pretty good! I love how some B-sides albums just feel like completely legitimate albums in their own right (Pisces Iscariot being my favorite). Selections fall into various categories: hip-hop, house, reggae, rock, pop and places in between. I like how the mood, tempo, and texture of the tracks is also well varied. Is it just me or does "People" use some of the same beats and loops as their hit "Dare"? Maybe that's why it was never released--it was too similar. I can understand that. The remixes are pretty much ok. I don't have much to say in depth about them. I usually have lukewarm feelings about remixes anyway. Some are good, some are kind of pointless and annoying. Anyway, this set is worth checking out just for the first disc regardless.

The Wallflowers "Bringing Down the Horse"

The Wallflowers are a good down-to-earth rock band. Some country influences, for sure, a la Tom Petty and the like. Even though Bob Dylan's son Jakob fronts this band, there isn't too much resemblance to Bob Dylan's music and his voice is much closer to, say, Darius Rucker. However, the thread of continuity is talented, heartfelt, and well-performed songwriting. The Wallflowers have a modern sound though; the instrument tones and the production of the album embody a polished overall sound. This is another band that has the possibility of pleasing people of multiple generations and musical tastes. My mom definitely listens to the Wallflowers and I can get into it too. Recommended for fans of singer/songwriter, rock, alt country, and easy listening.

The White Stripes "Icky Thump"

Everybody's favorite (maybe) minimalist weirdo duo The White Stripes put out Icky Thump in 2007. I think Jack White did himself a favor this time and added another voice to the guitar-and-drums mix many times on this album, either by adding a rhythm guitar loop or synthesizer or what have you. The second track, "You Don't Know What Love Is (You Just Do As You're Told)" sounds like a BAND: two guitars and organ? I don't know what came over him, maybe it was all that playing in other projects, but probably most listeners will welcome a little branching out, polyphonically. Don't worry though, traditionalists, there is still plenty of thickly distorted guitar tone, poorly miked drums, and plenty of rough edges to go around. Meg White continues to elide and eliminate beats willy-nilly, puzzling some and ruining the sense of rhythm of many others. Still there are plenty of other attractions in store, like folk harps, bagpipes, and other Celtic-inspired sounds to shake things up. Among the White Stripes' more interesting efforts I'd say. However, I also listened to the live album Under Great White Northern Lights, drawing heavily on material from Icky Thump, and good god. At times it is almost 100% unintelligible. Not just the lyrics. Of course the lyrics are either mumbled or screamed (not to mention Jack sounds like he stayed up all night drinking and yelling, which he might have, I guess) but the guitar work is so sloppy that it makes you wonder how anyone at these concerts enjoyed themselves. While that one is definitely not recommended, Icky Thump is.

Gorillaz "Plastic Beach"

This 2010 Gorillaz release is definitely one to file under "Hip Hop" as opposed to their other various genres and styles usually at play in their music. Gorillaz are basically the beat producers for a host of rappers and other guests (only 4 out of 16 tracks do not feature any guest talent) navigating the whole swath of hip hop culture from De La Soul to Snoop Dogg. However there are some tracks like "Glitter Freeze" that are more electro/electro pop, or "On Melancholy Hill," which is a straight up pop tune to break up the single genre vibe. Still, if you're more of an electro than hip hop fan like myself, this album will probably have less playtime in your car stereo. Since I'm not a rap aficionado, I can't comment too much on the execution here, but overall I liked or tolerated everything. If you're a Gorillaz or hip hop fan, give this one a try.

Justin Timberlake "FutureSex/LoveSounds"

More Justin Timberlake? Well I thought I was on to something with my earlier listen to Justified and that I was initially wrong about Justin Timberlake for assuming that he just made unoriginal pop music. Unfortunately, I was surprised again. This is exactly the kind of absurdly sexually explicit, banal beyond reason, unoriginal stuff I was afraid I would find. There ARE exceptions, however, and it seems the album gets more musically interesting and gratifying as it goes on. The last three tracks were tolerable, and the last, "(Another Song) All Over Again" has the most musical value, and therefore really sticks out in the context its in. It feels more like a weird bonus track than a good conclusion to a well-rounded album. I just also want to point out that clearly the worst, most banal and annoying track among them is also the smash single, "SexyBack." Oh, what is becoming of popular music? And this was 5 years ago already! I should point out that apparently the album as a concept attempts to comment on sex, love, and their interplay in our current society, and perhaps I am not really seeing the bigger picture and am getting too hung up on specifics. Apparently 14 million people seem to think so.

Dido "No Angel"

There's not much to complain about. Maybe it's a little New Agey at times? Dido has a deep and rich voice and lets it flow over beats, acoustic guitars, and washes of strings. Some songs are better than others but this is easy to listen to pop. There's definitely a 90's female pop singer vibe, strongly drawing upon Alanis Morisette. The sound lacks angst though, unlike Alanis; it's much more calm, comfortable, spinning around slowly in the rain sort of vibe. Some of the 80's beats remind me of Depeche Mode and those kind of brooding guys as well. Seems fine for most people.

Does It Offend You, Yeah? "You Have No Idea What You're Getting Yourself Into"

That much was true; however, I am pleased with the results. This is a wild and wacky electro band from England that sounds like they like playing loud and being crazy. The opening track, "Battle Royale" is an instrumental electronic composition that immediately makes evident the influence of several dance-oriented genres: drum 'n bass, house, electro-pop, glitch, and a dash of something out there, like Deerhoof. The next track, "With a Heavy Heart (I Regret to Inform You)" is like LCD Soundsystem meets hardcore. Sweet! Then there are also tracks that you'll swear sound like a Killers cover band, namely track 4, "Dawn of the Dead." So that's the electro-pop part, and the early tracks are more the house, glitch, dance and all around electronic beeps and beats thing. But there's definitely an overarching punk rock vibe and aesthetic at work here as well, which contributes to fast tempos, overdriven guitars and other nasty tones, and the often roughly executed vocals. The B-52's get mohawks. Also some similarity to Bloc Party (I think they toured with them at some point?). Recommended for dance, electro-pop, and indie rock fans.