Flying Lotus, along with a dozen other premiere electronic artists, have shown that there’s been a real change of tide in the last ten years—that sampling is cool and it has its place, but music software can take you on wild trips through space and time real quick. One listen to “Computer Face//Pure Being” or “Pickled!” and you’ll see what I mean; drums, bass lines, glitch noises and other sound effects fly by as quickly as the Star Gate sequence in 2001: A Space Odyssey. L.A.’s Flying Lotus has been flying a flag of trip-hop so far, but on this latest disc, it’s almost closer to Sun Ra’s space-rock-jazz—there are the aforementioned brain-blistering jazz-nodding tracks, (FlyLo is Alice Coletrane’s nephew, don’t ya know) but also laid-back tracks like “Arkestry” will flatten you out, and make you appreciate the drum roll, and pure electronic filters/bliss! But of course he’s got his dance floor shaker as well: “Do the Astral Plane.” An elaborate album, yes. Unlistenable, hell no. (Warp, www.warp.net) Taylor Benjamin Burgess
Review: Four Tet – There Is Love in You
After Four Tet’s Ringer EP in 2008 and last year’s single “Love Cry,” I thought Kieran Hebden would storm dance floors backwards, upside-down, sideways or some other unpredicted way—like from the fourth dimension. Unfortunately not. “Love Cry” is still the most dance-oriented of the lot with its attitude-packed hi-hats and lone driving bass synth, but the rest of There Is Love in You is a four-on-the-floor lofty daydream. In other words, it’s not to be written off. It’s been a while since Hebden actually released a full album under the name Four Tet—he had had four albums worth of collaboration with drummer Steve Reid—but here he’s put aside his jazz and post-rock leanings and gone back to making tender music like the stuff of Rounds. The difference is that he’s emerged from the last decade a much stronger programmer and he’ll immerse you in worlds of mostly digital sounds. (Domino, www.dominorecordco.us) Taylor Benjamin Burgess
Review: Hawksley Workman – Meat
By now, you should know what to expect from Hawksley Workman. Meat is his eleventh full-length in about as many years, the latest in a string of similarly average singer-songwriter alt-rock records. Workman hasn’t really put out anything less than a middling-at-best album, but at the same time, he’s never produced much that is truly great. It’s a wonder that without a particular career-defining release, he’s managed to sustain such a successful career for so long. True to form, Meat toes the line more than anything, not really offering up anything that will surprise anyone who’s heard the man over the last ten years. Warbling piano-ballads? Choppy drum and bass-driven rhythms? Self-loathing, occasionally-awkward lyrics? All in abundance here. (Especially that last one—expect to hear plenty of bizarre lines, including “Cry my little chocolate mouth/The sun will come out/To seek a smile.” Seriously.) It’s hard to call Meat a disappointment, because it’s exactly in line with everything that Workman has ever done. He’s found his audience, and he knows how to deliver what they want. After ten years, he doesn’t ask more out of them, or of himself, opting to remain well within his comfort zone. (Isadora, www.hawksleyworkman.com) Kevan Hannah
Review: Systems Officer – Underslept
Before we proceed, let’s get a few things out of the way. This indie rock record contains none of the following: brightly-coloured art school drop-out cover art; shitty, tin-can recording quality; oversized sunglasses; Springsteen rip-offs; off-key singing; band members from Brooklyn; songs about summertime; or any whiff of blog hype. Still reading? Good. Systems Officer is the solo project of Armistead Burwell Smith IV of Three Mile Pilot and Pinback, and anyone familiar with either of those bands will undoubtedly enjoy Underslept. Handling all the instrumentation, Smith demonstrates his skill as a musician, singer and songwriter in a subtle, impressive fashion. This record is filled with catchy, quirky hooks, soaring melodies and Smith’s trademark bass playing. Most impressive of all is Smith’s ability to write original, inspiring and timeless music; music that is completely independent of anything Pitchfork has a hard-on for this week. Indie rock indeed. (Temporary Residence Ltd., www.temporaryresidence.com) Curran Faris
Review: Supercluster – Waves
On paper, Athens, Ga. band Supercluster could be a music nerd’s dream. Mainly composed of members of ’80s jangle-pop group Pylon (whom R.E.M. drummer Bill Berry once claimed were the best band in America) and various members of slightly less name-droppable groups, but all affiliated with the excellent Elephant 6 Collective, which has been home to such legends as Neutral Milk Hotel, Of Montreal, and the Olivia Tremor Control, the latter of which lent a band member for this album. After the untimely death of lead vocalist/guitarist Randall Bewley, Bradford Cox of current indie favourite Deerhunter came in to finish the guitar parts. And fortunately, unlike most supergroups, the music is actually quite good. A warning, though: strap on those hippie moccasins and some bellbottoms first, because these people are hippies. Through and through, this is a psychedelic, groovy, marvy, trippy album, complete with track titles like “Peace Disco Song” and “Sunflower Clock,” and featuring a (surprisingly catchy) song from the viewpoint of a mermaid, these guys are Flower Power to the core. But, fortunately for us, they are extremely talented musicians bringing a ton of experience and an excellent range to the music. Consistent in tone and feel the whole way through, they manage to incorporate their hippie ideals without coming off annoying (a feat in itself) and write a couple of very catchy songs along the way. “Too Many Eights” has a Krautrock drum line, and lets you feel the new wave influence of its primary songwriters. If you can come into this with the mindset that it’s lyrically a little bit silly, this is an album I could appropriately throw up a peace sign and say “Cool, man” to. (Cloud Recordings, www.cloudrecordings.com) David Nowacki
Review: Story of the Year – The Constant
Story of the Year’s newest release, The Constant, keeps with the same notion the band came up with upon its inception—produce loud, anthemic rock songs that appeal to the almighty, angst-ridden teenager. And with four albums under their belt, it seems to be working for them. This is the band’s second release on indie-major Epitaph (they were formerly tied to major label Maverick) and as the title of the record suggests, they are working with the same big riffs and screamo tendencies that fans have grown to love and expect from the St. Louis natives. If you’ve enjoyed their previous work, you’ll likely put this album on repeat. Unfortunately, the new record hasn’t really progressed from its previous three and the band continues its formulaic song structure: melodramatic lyrics + likeable melodies + aggressive percussion = radio-friendly pop-punk. And for some, that’s enough. But if you’re looking for something new this time around, you’re not likely to find it. On a technical level, the band, comprised of vocalist Dan Marsala, guitarists Ryan Phillips and Philip Sneed, bassist Adam Russell and drummer Josh Wills, excel in every aspect. However, in typical emo-rock fashion, there’s one too many “power ballads” that are contrived and ultimately come off as trite. But with post-hardcore continuing to peak with young kids, Story of the Year are bound to still sell plenty of records. (Epitaph, www.epitaph.com) Sabrina Carnevale
Review: Ben Sollee & Daniel Martin Moore – Dear Companion
Billed as something of a tribute record to the music of their home state Kentucky, Ben Sollee and Daniel Martin Moore’s Dear Companion is a soft acoustic record that flirts well with its Appalachian heritage. Consisting of songs built primarily around Sollee’s cello and Moore’s acoustic guitar, the record is a joy to listen too, despite of its total lack of roughage featuring very little, if any, dissonance or risky harmonic structures. It’s a safe record that includes highlights such as the Sollee composition “My Wealth Comes to Me” and Moore’s “Sweet Marie.” The two know what their strengths are—solid vocal harmonies accompanied by gentle instrumentation—and use them well. Thus, while Dear Companion certainly won’t ever blow your mind, it certainly won’t disappoint either. (Sub Pop, www.subpop.com) Jeff Friesen
Review: The Album Leaf – A Chorus of Storytellers
Melodic post-rock, heavy on the keys, with a strong bassline. If you’ve heard the Album Leaf before, you have in many ways heard this album already, too. That sounds like a complaint, but it’s not. This music is mellow and beautiful—an acquiescent listen if ever there were one. That also sounds like a diss, but I swear, it isn’t! Jimmy LaValle’s voice is plain, and backing vocals added don’t particularly embellish it one way or another, but it doesn’t matter. In the end, voice is just one shade on LaValle’s palette, along with guitars, horns, strings, and electronics. It’s rich, steady, confident—and there are some exquisite moments on this record. The ghostly slide guitar on album-closer “Tied Knots”; the warm percussion, strings and whistling on “Within Dreams.” Recommended for those who like their post-rock gentle, subtle and cozy—like a soft, threadbare-in-places but still-functional quilt. A note for Icelandophiles: LaValle has toured with Sigur Rós and he recorded this album at their studio, Sundlaugin (“The Swimming Pool”). (Sub Pop, www.subpop.com) Jenny Henkelman
Review: Retribution Gospel Choir – 2
For those who enjoyed Low’s brief foray into loud guitars and massive choruses (2005’s The Great Destroyer), frontman Alan Sparhawk’s other band has crafted another grungey opus, which lives up to the standard set by the band’s excellent 2008 debut. Taking their cues from Crazy Horse, RGC have put out another balls-out rock record that’s big on anthemic choruses and memorable melodies. Opener “Hide It Away” sets the mood well, chugging along at 4/4 with ample emotion and a sturdy wall of sound. “Your Bird” follows with a heavy momentum that RGC manage to sustain. It almost goes with out saying: this territory is far from uncharted, but Sparhawk and his band do a fine job of adding their own subtleties to the mix. The eight-minute jam “Electric Guitar” steals a grinding bassline from Soundgarden, while the punchy “Workin’ Hard” sounds exactly like what you’d expect from its title, ploughing the same ground as Springsteen and Pearl Jam. RGC executes its material (particularly the guitar solos!) so well that the lack of diversity isn’t really a problem on 2. When an album is this strong, both in terms of its writing and production, conventions can be a complement. (Sub Pop, www.subpop.com) Jonathan Dyck
Review: Picastro – Become Secret
Recording yet another consistent and steady release in Become Secret, Picastro continues in the explorations of all things dark, brooding and moody. The album sees the band in their familiar setup with songs based primarily around soft, whispering vocals accompanied by cello, acoustic guitar, drums and the occasional piano. And while frontwoman and principal songwriter Liz Hysen does attempt to add some new things to the record—including more guest appearances (by the likes of Tony Dekker, and John McIntyre) and interesting references to Cormac McCarthy and the Bible—the record comes across as too safe, failing to take the band as a whole into new and interesting directions. Considering Picastro has made a name for themselves by pushing the listener into difficult and unsettling situations, it’s interesting to watch them stay in their comfort zone, producing a record that sounds much like their previous records, such as Red Your Blues and Whore Luck. That said, I would still recommend the record, as it comes from one of Canada’s more underrated acts. Hysen’s songwriting is exceptionally strong, holding in healthy tension moments of love with despair and crushing dread. It’s just that she’s done this before, and I was hoping from something new from a band that has shown time and time again that it is not afraid to take risks. (Monotreme, www.monotremerecords.com) Jeff Friesen