Eternal (Sonic) Youth & Skepta Stays Grimy - more music reviews

The Eternal
by Sonic Youth

It’s easy to criticize bands like Sonic Youth when they start doing things like teaming up with Starbucks and making radio-friendly music. But now, the coolest rock band since The Velvet Underground are back in the zone with this indie release off Matador Records.

Apart from a few lukewarm tracks like “Antenna” and “Walkin Blue,” that trademark guitar and tribal drumbeats will call back fans of Confusion Is Sex and Daydream Nation for a new revolution. The disaffected adolescent spirit nearly lost since Murray Street is once again reincarnated on The Eternal – otherwise, why else would Thurston Moore and Kim Gordon be howling “anti-war is anti-orgasm”? WG

West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum
by Kasabian

Six years after strutting onto the scene as heir apparent to the declining mantle of lad rock, Kasabian appear to have finally found the sound they’re happiest with. Never completely content with being “pretenders to the lager rock throne,” they revamped their set-up in hopes of graduating to a more mature school of sound.

“Where Did All the Love Go” and “Fast Fuse” stand out as examples of their newfound neo-psychedelic signature, though a Dan the Automator influence is certainly tangible throughout. If West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum is a taste of what to expect from the Leicester quartet in future, then this and Serge Pizzorno taking up the reins as lead songwriter are triumphant moves. PR

The Ecstatic
by Mos Def

Throughout his career, unlike his peers, Mos Def has demonstrated a type of bravado by stretching the definition of hip-hop through both lyrics (Black on Both Sides) and music (The New Danger).

Some critics didn’t appreciate the extremes, which perhaps influenced 2006’s barely publicized and somewhat regressive True Magic. Or Mos Def may have just been distracted with his acting career at that point. The Ecstatic is, unfortunately, only a slight step above its predecessor; neither can be considered the artist’s finest work. However, it remains true that in the misguided world of rap, Mos Def is still a knight in shining armor. LL

Far
by Regina Spektor

The Russian-born singer-songwriter who first made waves in New York returns with her buoyant, spunky piano riffs and her distinctively lilting falsetto. And on this highly anticipated fifth studio release, she proves herself to be a talented storyteller as well.

Spektor’s previous success rode on whimsical love songs about matters of the “he-a-a-a-a-a-art,” but her latest work allows quirkiness to prevail (like dolphin noises on “Folding Chair”). But close listens also reveal layers of darkness woven in between the tales of ordinary life. Like a precocious young girl, her lyrics are simple, innocent and fresh, yet profound – and without the bitterness of her female contemporaries. JP

Microphone King
by Skepta

Grime (the UK’s bass-heavy double-time rap genre) is dead. So say the music press. It seems they forgot to tell Skepta, because the North London producer and MC returns with a follow-up to Greatest Hits, his arrogantly titled debut LP. This set showcases Skepta’s undoubted production talents, but his likeable cadence is at times wasted on poor songs – most notably on “Rolex Sweep,” a beat that Wiley topped the UK chart with on “Wearing My Rolex.” Skepta’s skills behind the boards deserve to save grime but an over-reliance on choruses, bragging and dreams of pop success means he has faltered as an MC. HC