Florence and the Machine
“Lungs”
(Universal)
It’s rare for a new artist to emerge with a debut album that feels fully formed and unique, that takes its influences and twists them into something new and exciting; for every classic like R.E.M.’s “Murmur,” there are about 10 “Pablo Honeys, Radiohead’s misstep of a first album.
“Lungs,” the stunning new record from Brit singer-songwriter Florence Welch, happily falls into that first category. Welch has an amazing, expressive bellow of a voice that dominates every track on “Lungs,” whether she’s crooning over harps and strings or spitting venom atop garage-rock riffs. Her all-star producers, James Ford (Simian Mobile Disco), Paul Epworth (Bloc Party, Maximo Park, Kate Nash) and Steve Mackey (M.I.A.), have outfitted Welch with an impressive arsenal of sounds, and almost every song feels like a potential hit single.
Album opener “Dog Days Are Over” begins with an unassuming strum before breaking into a delirious gallop, as Welch yelps the song’s title with such enthusiasm it’s almost impossible not to get up and jump around with her. The mystical “Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up)” follows, revealing “Hounds of Love”-era Kate Bush as one of Welch’s biggest influences; the ethereal harp-plucking, the pounding tribal drums, the epic romantic sweep all evoke Bush at her best.
Welch steals from plenty of other good sources, though: the White Stripes shine through on the domestic rave-up “Kiss With a Fist,” while classic soul and R&B obviously inform her vocal stylings on the bluesy “Hurricane Drunk” and “I’m Not Calling You a Liar.”
Despite the variety of Welch’s material, “Lungs” never seems patchy or pieced together, as the power of her personality and voice pull together all the disparate strands into an immensely satisfying whole.
Undoubtedly one of the best albums of 2009 and an artist to watch.
— TRAVIS GASS
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The Avett Brothers
“I and Love and You”
(Sony)
The Avett Brothers aren’t shy about wearing their hearts on their sleeves. The three-piece, neo-bluegrass band always has explored scary emotional territory with the songs, whether on their last album, the well-received “Emotionalism,” or their most recent release, “I and Love and You,” a Rick Rubin-produced album that has already shot teh band into the national spotlight.
There’s a sweet kind of sincerity at play here, as on songs like “January Wedding,” an ode to the joys and sadness of young love, to the Elton John-esque “The Perfect Space.” The title track surges with pent-up emotions, while the highlight “And It Spread” is a barn-burning rocker, somewhere in between Neil Young and The Band. Rick Rubin, employing the same restraint as he did with his Johnny Cash albums, gives the album a crisp, autumnal sound.
But let’s not forget what makes this album more than just a pretty little folk album. The Avett Brothers are fantastic songwriters, and they’re equally fantastic musicians. The lads, composed of siblings Scott and Seth Avett and guitarist John Twomey, have their roots in traditional bluegrass. But they’ve taken those roots, brought in influences from across the board from American music, and have emerged with a warm, bittersweet sound that’s as modern as old-timey gets.
— EMILY BURNHAM
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Collective Soul
“Collective Soul”
(Loud & Proud/Roadrunner Records)
I’m still not sure what’s up with the ghostly rabbit on the cover or the many rabbit statues in the group photo in the liner notes or even why this is the second self-titled album from Collective Soul.
Because it doesn’t matter.
The only thing that does is that the group keeps rocking hard in its eighth studio album — and it is fresh.
I had high hopes last spring when the group re-released 2007’s “Afterwords” with lead singer and songwriter Ed Roland tacking on three new songs that were pretty good. I could only hope the well wouldn’t go dry as they worked on the new album.
Turns out the well is deep. Instead of heading further into pop territory as Roland seemed to be doing with “Youth” and “Afterwords,” this album tends to sound more like earlier Collective Soul.
The album opens with “Welcome All Again,” a rollicking group hug from Collective Soul. That leads to the wicked “Fuzzy” that keeps playing over and over in my head.
“Dig” boasts a strong melody and lyrics that bite: “Where do we stand, when do we fall, we’ve no direction or conviction at all.” “My Days” and “Understanding” continue Collective Soul’s pointed but catchy commentary on society.
My favorite song is “Lighten Up,” another social commentary but in a lighter vein. And the chorus couldn’t be better with “Oh my foolish pup, lighten up.”
“Hymn for My Father,” the final track, is for Ed and Dean Roland’s father who died four years ago. Played against a piano solo, it truly is a hymn with poignant lyrics: “Now I will receive everything that you’ve given me.”
Not only does the album turn on a dime musically and emotionally, but the songs do also. You don’t end up where you thought you were going.
— JANINE PINEO
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The xx
“xx”
(Rough Trade)
Not since Massive Attack’s “Mezzanine” or perhaps Burial’s 2007 album “Untrue” has there been an album as suited to atmospheric late-night listening as The xx’s album “xx.” These four Londoners have recorded an album so smooth, so assured and so ethereally sexy that it’s hard to believe the average age of the band is just 20. That it’s their debut release is even more impressive.
The band mixes sparse, hip-hop-influenced drum programming with woozy, reverb-heavy guitars and the interlocking vocals of Romy Madley Croft and Oliver Sim. All 11 tracks feel like a conversation between Croft and Sim, one that’s at times playful and flirty but usually more introspective and tense. It’s that interplay that’s at the heart of the album, from the more upbeat track “Islands” to the delicately balanced tension that is woven throughout “Infinity.”
Lead single “Crystallized” brings to mind bands like Interpol or The Cure, though the album is far from a retread of the dark, moody rock either of those bands do so well. No, The xx are more intrigued by the futuristic hip-hop of Timbaland or Missy Elliott or the existential pathos of Radiohead. “xx” is an album that deals with difficult topics but presents them in a way that’s utterly irresistible, at once groovy and sad. Put this on the next time you can’t fall asleep. You’ll have wild dreams.
— EMILY BURNHAM