Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks- Mirror Traffic

Mirror Traffic is probably some of the most fun I have heard on an album from a band in some time. Lead singer Stephen Malkmus has a truly unique song writing style and his vocals are similar to Lou Reed in sound. Everything on Mirror Traffic gels well and has a great amount of style to it. Every track has its own charm and more songs on Mirror Traffic are likable than not. I am personally a big fan of the alt-rock vibe that is present and I love the little bit of indie twist a few songs have. My big problems with Mirror Traffic are the length and the lack of definition some of the tracks have. The album should probably be around 20 minutes shorter. An hour of anything can be a little taxing. If you changed the length it would probably also fix the second problem because you wouldn’t be just getting similar guitar solo after guitar solo. I think the overall musicianship is nice and Mirror Traffic, at the end of the day, is a fun listen. If someone has it on you might as well listen, but don’t go too out of your way for it or you will just be disappointed.  

Final Review- 80


Best Songs- No One Is (Is Are I Be), Stick Figures In Love, Tigers

Ganglians- Still Living

Still Living starts off a little slow but definitely unfolds into its own as it progresses. Part of me wants to talk about how much the vocals hurt the band but another part of me kind of likes the badness of them. It’s not just that the lead singer is a weak vocalist; it’s that everything is so heavily distorted and just big sounding and that weighs down the music. Now, am I trying to say they should lay off the vocalist? Maybe. What I am really trying to say is that the Ganglians should find a way to make his vocals work rather than just cover them up with so much reverb that it’s all you’re hearing. If you are using him, you might as well have a type of music that he can really participate in. The track “Sleep” is the first real time you get to hear him sing, and it’s not completely horrible. Another problem with this album is that in the midst of all the dreamy softness, the songs sometimes begin to sound a little less distinctive. Even through the bad, Still Living is a decent listen and the couple songs that break through the repetitiveness are fun. All in all, however, I am going to have to say a pass.

Final Review- 75


Best Songs- Jungle, My House, California Cousins

Maria Taylor- Overlook

Maria Taylor should be a pretty recognizable name for most people since she has worked with Bright Eyes in a few albums and is in the group Azure Ray. Overlook is a solo album from Taylor and has its highs and lows. The highs are her lyrics and vocals for sure. On tracks like “Bad Idea?” and “This Could Take a Lifetime” there is some great insight and depth that few artists get to. Where the album falls apart is in its overall construction. It starts kind of slow but picks up with the only real pop song on the album “Matador.” After that it just feels like a string of songs rather than an actual album and the ending is kind of abrupt. I love the effects used on the vocals adding that little thing that makes her stand out. Overall I do like Overlook quite a bit. Even in its flaws there is some charm in the twangy Southern indie rock she does. To me this album is a must listen but I can see where some people would be put off. Instead I am going to say if you get a chance give this album a chance and maybe it can charm you the way it did me.

Final Review- 85


Best Songs- Matador, Bad Idea?, This Could Take a Lifetime

Jeff Bridges- Jeff Bridges

To say I was excited about this Jeff Bridges album is putting it lightly. I have been a fan of the actor from the first time I watched John Carpenter’s 1984 movie Starman, and a fan of his vocals since I heard him sing in Crazy Heart. From the beginning this album feels like a half attempt. Bridges’ vocals are in top shape but in most tracks they are pushed to the back or overproduced. It’s a real shame because his voice is pretty amazing on the few moments of certain tracks that you actually get to hear it. The music itself is subpar and the lyrics are a little bit of a joke to me. Every song has that typical country love found or love lost sound to it. I think I was expecting a completely different tone from him. The album isn’t a total waste. I think it will serve well for him to get his foot in the door but I would definitely like to see him work on his chops a little and get a new producer. All in all if you are a fan of the actor you might as well listen to it but for most this is a skip.

Final Review- 65


Best Songs- What A Little Bit Of Love Can Do, Blue Car, Maybe I Missed The Point

The Horrors- Skying Out

The image that keeps creeping into my mind when I listen to The Horrors is the end of the 1985 film “The Breakfast Club” where Bender (Judd Nelson) fist pumps while Simple Minds “Don’t You (Forget About Me)” is playing. Skying Out just has that amazing heartfelt 80s love story feel to it which is probably one of my favorite things about it. I would say that Skying Out is fun and very creative. The only thing that I really see falling short is that some of the album is missing a certain cohesion that would really make it outstanding. I think this is a fantastic album and like I said earlier it is sure to bring back some of those feel good times of your youth when you were watching John Hughes movies and thinking that stuff like that could really happen to someone. All in all Skying Out is a must borrow.




Final Review- 85


Best Songs- Still Life, Wild Eyes, Endless Blue

Widowspeak- Widowspeak

This is the debut album from the group Widowspeak and I would say it’s a great attempt. The group falls under the category of dream pop, but they definitely stand out in the sometimes overpopulated genre. I think what makes this group stand out from others is their understanding and use of pop. Most of the album is strong and there are some pretty superb songs on here that really stand out. Where Widowspeak loses a little steam are on some middle songs that all kind blend together, which can be a real problem in this genre. All in all I loved this album but I can see its shortcomings, and for them I am going to have to say this just misses out on my must borrow list. The perfect listening environment for this album would be driving at night on a dark road and letting this slowly burn the way it does.




Final Review- 80


Best Songs- Gun Shy, Limbs, Harsh Realm

Scattered Trees- Sympathy

I am always impressed when an album title fits the overall feeling you get when you listen to it and Sympathy by Scattered Trees definitely exemplifies this. Without reading too much about the group you can already get the vibe from the opening track “Bury The Floor” that the lead singer is using this album as therapy. It’s truly beautiful how front man Nate Eiesland is yearning for closure and a knowing that those he loved who passed away are somewhere safe. On the track “I Swear to God” it really seems like he is convincing himself that his loved ones have to be in heaven because any other thought pains him. I think it’s interesting in the way that instead of being certain he is more pleading that they should be that way. If you couldn’t tell, Sympathy really stirred up a lot in me and I could relate to most of his feelings with grief and loss. All in all I think the album does a great job of making you be where the singer wants you to be emotionally the entire time. The overall flow is easy and nice with only a few hiccups here and there. I don’t think Sympathy is perfect by any means but I do think it has moments of brilliance and for that I think it’s a must borrow.  

Final Review- 85


Best Songs- A Conversation, Four Days Straight, I Swear To God