Album Reviews
Artist: Kenna
Album: Make Sure They See My face
This release from Kenna – Make Sure They See My Face – started out strong from the opening synth interlude and going into “Daylight”. What a surprise! This track is heavily keyboard-driven and the vocals, lyrics and melody work like a charm. At first listen, “Out Of Control / State Of Emotion” is catchy and has an almost 80s Brit-Pop sound. The programmed drum and synth-driven “Loose Wires / Blink Radio” is a song that is simple and good. It’s not over produced and gives the vocal melody the room to stand on its own. The raw production sound of “Say Goodbye To Love” is not an everyday sound you get on the radio. This track really moves. My take on “Sun Red Sky Blue” is that it gets you moving in the verses and flat out ROCKS in the choruses! This is one of my favorite tracks on the cd, and I must be quick to add that it was possible for me to find one favorite track in the midst of so many killer tracks. This is a good sign of strong cd. “Baptized In Blacklight” is a song written with imagination. What on earth was Kenna’s thought process when he wrote this track? This was very ingenious of Kenna. “Static” is a standout from the creative drum loop to the song itself. “Phantom Always / Good Luck” rocks from beginning to end. It has a strong melody and a driving chorus. I was blown away by Kenna’s use of the keyboard-work in the “Good Luck” portion of this track. Do the ideas ever cease? There is a funky loop driving “Better Wise Up”, and it is a first-class track without a doubt! What’s interesting is how fitting it is for the lyrics. Have your ears on when this track is playing. And check out the little synth loop that kicks off “Be Still”. This is one of the most creative tracks I’ve heard in a while. And what better way to top off a creative work than a slick track like “Wide Awake”? Everything works in this track. The vocal melodies, the sampled drum programming, the use of the distorted piano, and the stellar bass work. I must say I really enjoyed Kenna’s imagination on this record. He is certainly no slouch. The songs all vary enough to not sound the same, yet they flow together consistently as a body of work.
Forrest Robinson
"In Rainbows"
by Radiohead
Label: self-released
The music industry was not started by large corporate record labels. The creation of music is simply a part of the human existence here on earth. The idea of putting music on little plastic discs such as vinyl records and CDs and selling them to the masses was a concept of the corporate business mentality. The demise of the corporate record label distribution system does not mean that there will be a demise in the creation of quality music. "In Rainbows" is a pristine example of this fortunate reality.
"In Rainbows" is another chapter of a band that has resisted trends to carve their own artistic path and succeeded at it. The album is for sale through the band's website for whatever value the consumer chooses to bid for it. In essence you are tipping the band for the recording.
The otherworldly crooning of Thom Yorke is there, the intricate rhythms of drummer Phil Selway and trippy soundscapes from Johnny Greenwood's guitars are all present and accounted for.
Tracks such as "Bodysnatchers" and "Jigsaw Falling Into Place" set the stage for what sounds like a more up-tempo Radiohead sound that hasn't been heard in quite some time. The album is notably more organic in its instrumentation and void of the electronic meanderings of the "Kid A" era and most of the bands post "Ok Computer" output.
"In Rainbows" is another band in the evolution of a band that continues to defy categorization and is definitely worthy of the listener's attention.
-Jermaine Rand
Album: "Build a Nation"
Artist: Bad Brains
Label: Megaforce
The Bad Brains will probably go down in history for two main reasons: Inventing the genre of Hardcore punk and breaking up more than any other rock band. I can count about six break up and reunions right off hand.
I can state that every new record of the reunited original lineup has always been well worth the wait and "Build a Nation" is no exception. The album starts off with a true hardcore classic in "Give Thanks And Praises". Guitarist Dr. Know, bassist Daryl Jennifer and drummer Earl Hudson are definitely firing on all cylinders through this new collection. Vocalist HR has taken a serene approach to his lyrical delivery which is an interesting counter approach to the sonic brutality delivered by the band.
Stand out tracks include "Universal Peace", "Jah Make The World Go Around" and "Let There Be Angels (Just Like You)".
This is the first original collection of recordings from the Brains since "God of Love" released 12 years ago and the band has not missed a step. Adam Yauch does an excellent job of capturing the raw energy of the band which for the most part appears to have been recorded in an ensemble situation with a minimal amount of overdubbing. This is especially pronounced on the heavier tracks.
My only complaint is that the old HR that at times, sounded as if he were jumping out of his skin is missed. Over all, this is an excellent recording throughout and the band is after several decades without peer.
-Editor
LIVE REVIEWS:
Band: Richard Parsons
Location: Java Monkey
Decatur, GA
Armed with a glass of wine, what appears to be a baby Taylor and a mind full of well conceived stories, Richard Parsons thrilled the sparse audience with a very strong set.
Sitting on the edge of the stage most of the evening, his songs are reminiscent of a mix of Dylan, The Beatles and a bit of Paul Westerburg thrown in for good measure. The lyrics were thought provoking and the melodies were of a high enough calibre to hold the attention of the audience as his voice rose above the somewhat noisy surroundings.
Richard has a bright future ahead of him and I am anxious to hear more of his recorded material.
-Editor