’Peg City favourite son Greg MacPherson is now onto his sixth album, and with Mr. Invitation he scores big points for once again keeping it all very real. G-Mac doesn’t really fit into any neat musical categories, and that is most likely by his own design. We the listeners are the benefactors of this rather iconoclastic stance. As usual, urban angst looms large in the songs. MacPherson has the keen ability to write delicate songs, dug directly from his own first-person experience, and make them keenly universal in scope. Whether he’s riding a bus in “West End,” considering geographical relocation in “Visitor,” or just taking stock of his situation in “Traveling Style,” the songs are usually about some kind of forward motion. The heart-on-sleeve attitude that MacPherson delivers isn’t a weakness either. This is a guy that allows difficult emotions to simmer to the surface and then deals with them with consideration—something that the alpha males of the species should be advised to try once in a while. MacPherson’s band deserves special mention, especially nimble-fingered guitarist Steve “Batso” Bates and thinking-man’s percussionist Jason Tait (of the Weakerthans). Both these cats understand that MacPherson’s music is about understatement buoyed by the strength of conviction, and that is exactly how they play. Bates’ playing comes off like daubs of colour in a sometimes-grey bleak landscape, while Tait actually “plays” his kit rather than just banging away at it. The album sounds good, too. The production is airy and bright and even when the band is kicking out the jams a little bit it always sounds clean and present. MacPherson deserves all this at this stage in his career. He has worked long and hard getting to where he really needs to be to attract an even wider base of fans. This album should get him there. (Smallman Records, www.smallmanrecords.com) Jeff Monk
Review: Steve Basham – Thicker
Local weirdo-rocker Steve Basham’s follow-up to his previous solo disc Thick comes at you with the same lo-fi hilariousness that his music collective Mortfell Oktorium are known for. The first cut, “Bored Like a Dinosaur Robot with His Magical Pet Dog,” is an hilarious tale of honesty and intrigue in which Basham laments about writing songs because he’s bored until he starts another year of art school. That sets the stage for a series of rockin’ playful songs about underwater spiders and dead whales. With help from his Mortfell bandmates J.R. Hill and Toby Gillies, Basham’s songs are a lot catchier and thoughtful than his previous efforts without losing their charming silly spirit. (Mortfell Oktorium, www.myspace.com/stevestbasham) Kent Davies
Review: Scar Symmetry – Dark Matter Dimensions
This band mixes an interesting blend of heavy thrash with upbeat power metal. The only difference between them and most power-metal influenced bands is their lack of cheesy-ness. OK, there are a few comic high wails and some of the lyrics might make one question their seriousness. The most impressive attribute of this album may be the vocals because they quickly switch instantaneously from beautiful three-part harmony to death growls and vicious shrieks. The complexity of the guitars is used to make fast-paced melody tht is complemented by the occasional hardcore breakdown, but even during those there is usually soloing of some kind. This band may be what a non-metal listener thinks of when someone uses the term “Heavy Metal.” It ticks all the boxes of the old and new requirements of metal. (Nuclear Blast, www.nuclearblastusa.com) Paul Nordin
Review: Hatebreed – S/T
If you have already heard anything by Hatebreed, then you do not need to read any further. This hardcore band’s latest album does not deviate far from the path that they are on. This album did not “go melodic,” however there tends to be a few vocals that are “yelling notes.” This album does not show off—simplicity works best for hardcore music. The easiest guitar riffs to play sound the heaviest. The only noticeable difference is that a few of their choruses have somewhat of a punk feel. But overall, no fan will say either “They sold out!” or “This is their best album ever!” This is because their new album could have been recorded anytime between 2002 and now and no one would be the wiser. Hatebreed stick to what works and have no plans of changing a thing. Recommended if you’re a fan of Terror. (E1 Music, www.elentertainment.com) Paul Nordin
Review: Arsis – Starve for the Devil
What started off as a joke band became too fun to stop. Arsis plays a mixture of technical death metal with early thrash. You will hear galloping drums and high pitched raspy vocals. You will hear an over-the-top guitar solo on every single song. Wait! Stop what you are doing and go download the song “Forced to Rock.” I’ll wait here. So is it any surprise that they are huge fans of King Diamond? They mix that kind of old school thrash with the death metal of today. Throw in some high production value and you have what could be metal album of the year. It is always a plus when something is extreme and fun, and that is exactly what this album is. (Nuclear Blast, www.nuclearblastusa.com) Paul Nordin
Review: Flying Lotus – Cosmogramma
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