It appears I've been so consumed with writing articles about reviews of late that I've somewhat neglected to actually write any reviews. Of albums, at least. To redress the balance, here is a collection of choice sentences on some recently released albums that have been floating my boat in the last couple of months. This will also be the illustrious debut of Escape Artist's patented Satisfaction/Interest review scale (see here for long-winded explanation), which I'll be making use of from now on. 2011 has been a mighty fine year for new music so far, so look out for more of these round-ups in the near future. Dels, GOB
Dels joins Ghostpoet in the vanguard of thoughtful British rappers directly inspired by the surely-knighthood-worthy-by-now Stockwell MC Roots Manuva. Sir Manuva even guests on Dels' first album GOB, bringing his husky drawl to blustering call-to-arms 'Capsize'. But for the most part Dels takes on tracks alone, showcasing both lyrical rigour ('Droogs' affectingly delves into the misery of domestic abuse) and the blend of drowsiness and animation that's rapidly becoming a hallmark of this fertile sub-genre of UK hip hop. With production split between Kwes, Micachu and Hot Chip's Joe Goddard, GOB's beats are an energising mix of monster synth, squalls of videogame electronics and intricate, intimate moments.
Satisfaction Score: 8/10
Interest Score: 8/10
The Pains of Being Pure At Heart, Belong
I wasn't overly impressed with PoBPAH's first album. It was hyped to all hell (they're from New York, did you hear?), and the odour of its Cure-ish, shoegaze influences far outstank the band's own musk. Frontman Kip Berman's nasal vocals didn't do much for me, either. So imagine my surprise when the band's follow up album turned out to be a hook-laden pop rock monster that's likely to dominate many a summer stereo. Belong is a huge improvement over its predecessor in almost every regard: the riffs are clear and punchy, the melodies are more powerful. Even those vocals are somehow less soul-destroying. The lyrics limit themselves to girls, summer and summer girls for the most part, but that's almost a plus for an album that demands mindless pogoing above all else. It was a close run thing between this and Yuck's excellent debut for this year's undemanding summer record par excellence, but Belong steals it by a cheerleader's ponytail.
Satisfaction Score: 9/10
Interest Score: 5/10
Panda Bear, Tomboy
Panda Bear's (aka Noah Lennox) Animal Collective cohort Avey Tare's first solo album Down There was Officially One of My Favourite Albums of Last Year, stuffed to the gills as it was with night-time mystery and just a hint of unseen threat. Tomboy, Panda Bear's fourth solo album, is the lustrous sun to Down There's spectral moon. Lennox's compositions here tread the same ground as previous album Person Pitch, all whimsical electronic hiccups and tribal rhythm. Tracks like 'Surfer's Hymn' and 'Last Night at the Jetty' send out beautiful waves of summery contentment, the latter summoning the spirit of the Beach Boys for a nigh-on perfect end-of-party nostalgia trip. No real change of pace for Panda Bear, then, but it's hard to demand change when the vibrations are so good.
Satisfaction Score: 8/10
Interest Score: 8/10
The Weeknd, House of Balloons
Teenagers are prone to brash statements; one of my best was the cripplingly short-sighted declaration that modern R&B was one of the only genres I'd never get into. Amidst the nauseating rash of late 90s/early 00s "urban" pop, I just couldn't think of any redeeming features for an overprocessed sound that seemed to rely on vocals that stretched a single note into a thousand belaboured syllables. Even back then, I was misjudging a lot of the music I was dismissing. But I certainly never saw a record like House of Balloons on the horizon. The album, released online by singer Abel Tesfaye and producers Doc McKinney and Illangelo, is deeply rooted in R&B, with Tesfaye's falsetto as lush and rich as Michael Jackson's, or Usher's. But this is R&B at a glacier's pace and with an Arctic, crystalline atmosphere. Tracks like 'High for This' and 'The Knowing' share DNA with the more melodic post-dubstep producers like Burial and How to Dress Well, dragging the beats out into new shapes while giving Tesfaye's stunning vocals ample runway space to take off. The best thing about it? You can download it for free at The Weeknd's website, here.
Satisfaction Score: 7/10
Interest Score: 8/10
Kurt Vile, Smoke Ring For My Halo
Hardcore lo-fi enthusiasts tend to sneer at the improved production values on Kurt Vile's last couple of releases of stripped back rock 'n' roll, recorded for Matador in proper studios rather than under an unmade bed in Philadelphia (a topic covered by Vile on 'Puppet to the Man'). For all right-thinking people who realise that being able to hear the motorway in the backround on an LP isn't the cure to all the world's ills, however, studio recording has given a new clarity to Vile's songwriting skills. Smoke Ring For My Halo is his best and most consistent album to date, 10 unmissable tracks rather than an hour of fuzz punctuated by flashes of brilliance. His lyrics, which we can now actually hear, are pleasingly layered, from the co-dependent desperation of opener 'Baby's Arms' to the brittle 'Runner Ups', which flicks a casual middle finger to the world ("When it's looking dark, punch the future in the face"). Vile is also becoming one of my favourite acoustic guitarists, his fingers deftly switching from heavy, buzzy strumming to intricate plucking. 'On Tour' makes for a brilliant centrepiece, a meandering spirit journey through the power and paranoia of a life on four wheels.
Satisfaction Score: 8/10
Interest Score: 8/10
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