CD REVIEWS

Wednesday, July 01, 2009

By PJH Staff

The Hazards of Love
THE DECEMBERISTS
Upon first listen, I did not enjoy The Hazards of Love. I didn’t enjoy Clolin Meloy voice, the big sound seemed overdone, controlled and contrived by the theme. The theme is wicked and dark, reminding me high school kids playing Dungeons & Dragons, only the ogres in this story are humans and the dungeon is society.
But Jenny Conlee has that siren’s howling voice that capsizes me, and the size of the production – the sonic room it filled in my apartment – reminded me of the Who’s Tommy, of Hedwig and the Angry Inch, so I kept listening.

Now, I’m convinced Hazards is worth the attention The Decembeists have been getting, among them the top of a Paste list of best albums this year (so far). Maybe I’ve just become accustomed to it, but that would be unfair, an assumption that dishonors the epic rock opera that is The Hazards of Love.
– Matthew Irwin

Do Wrong Right
DEVIL MAKES THREE
Do Wrong Right marks the first full-length release by Devil Makes Three in over four years, but that doesn’t mean they have changed much.

The band delivers again with its signature backwoods, Americana three-piece twang with a punk attitude. Formed on the beaches of Santa Cruz, Calif., but with rural Vermont roots, this band draws relentlessly on biblical themes, nautical references, images of ghostly sailors, and many more of our guilty pleasures.
The title track, Do Wrong Right, is maybe an ode to bad behavior done in irresistible ways. “Help yourself,” calls on the Old Testament for redemption and turns out to be a bit of history lesson as well.

Storytellers at heart, D.M.T. is not afraid to strum a tale you can barn-dance to, and they have no shame in accepting their final resting place, as long as someone down there pours whiskey.
– Patrick Dolan
   
Bitte Orca
DIRTY PROJECTORS
The Dirty Projectors new album Bitte Orca delivers a wide range of sounds that has polarized its fans - some preferring the few tracks that the others disdain, and vice versa.

The title “Bitte Orca,” was chosen because of the alluring, but barbed, phonics of its words, according to the band’s record label’s website.

The beats on the album, which range from hip hop to flamenco, reflect that decision. They are laced with infectuous hooks and interesting sounds that run the gamut from hi- to lo-fi, making some tracks robust and pleasant, others a bit noisome.

“Stillness is the Move” has a hip-hop beat with some persian and latin flavor, and is the most popular single on the album. “Cannibal Resource” has more facets, turns, and dead ends, an example of a less listenable track for me, but a track that other music critics favor.
– Henry Sweets


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