Rapid Reviews: Music

We listen to the music and lift out the good stuff so you don't have to!

Neil Young, Homegrown: I’m not much of a Neil Young fan — his voice just isn’t my idea of, oh, I don’t know, tuneful — but this sudden appearance of a previously unreleased Harvest-era album got so much buzz, I had to check it out on Hoopla. Bottom line: The collection of short ditties is decent, is interspersed with wailing harmonica, soothing acoustic and crunchy electric guitars, but it’s really more for the passionate fan. Best first impressions: Love is a Rose, We Don’t Smoke it No More, White Line, Vacancy. Rating: 2.75 out of 5

City and Colour, A Pill For Loneliness: Keyboards. As in synth, piano. That’s where we are in the pantheon of Dallas Green’s amazing career with his sixth studio album and first since 2015. Sure, there’s somber by the hearse-load, and the songwriting is grand, as expected. And a couple of songs feel familiar, with Mountain of Madness starting like Of Space And Time, and Young Lovers making you wonder if you’ve got The War on Drugs on shuffle. But the biggest difference, and differentiator, this time around is more reverb, echo, holding that key down-and-down-and-down, the piano patiently breaking your heart … all to great shoegazing effect. The direction of this album — produced over a number of sessions, which is stark contrast to the usual two-weeks-in-the-studio blast, might take some getting used to. And it’s perhaps appropriate this evolution took time, as he’s almost come full circle in that he started as a folkie out of the box as a solo artist from hardcore Alexisonfire, all the way now to the ambient and affected lullabies of beauty that are a logical extension from 2015’s If I Should Go Before You. Bottom line: Dallas Green has done it again. The guy is as consistent as the night is lonely. Best first impressions: Astronaut, Strangers, Living in Lightning. Rating: 4 out of 5

Cold, The Things We Can’t Stop: Cold rose to pseudo-prominence in the 2000s on the strength of fantastic albums 13 Ways to Bleed on the Stage (2000) and The Year of the Spider (2003), a rocking kind of alt encircled by bands like Staind and Crossfade that left you wanting more. Scooter Ward is the heart of the band, writing, singing and playing for the Jacksonville, Fla., collective. When Ward is tortured by life’s challenges, he emerges with an amazing set of songs. With the album A Different Kind of Pain (2005), the band and tone turned further melancholy around Ward’s struggles. That album featured some of the best and unappreciated ballads of the era, namely the title track along with Happens All the Time. After disbanding shortly thereafter and then reforming, the band came out with Superfiction (2011), a valiant attempt to get the grove back that fell short of high expectations. Now, with their latest, Cold is again tapping into the relatively mellow vibe of their A Different Kind of Pain, and to great effect. This is a good, steady listen; nothing dramatic, nothing as hooky as during their heyday (the lead single, Shine, about bullying, is pretty close), but it’s still good to hear Ward’s voice. If you’re not a fan, starting with one of their classic albums from the 2000s will be a better investment. But if you’ve been following them for their career and were stunned by their sudden return, then this latest release will be a pleasant surprise. Plus, they cover Snow Patrol’s Run, of all things. Rating: 3.5 out of 5

I’m Easy to Find, The National: This surprise collection from the masters of mirth came together when Mike Mills (ex of REM) said he wanted to make a video with the band and, lo and behold, music erupted from the muse. Trying to save themselves from a rut, The National dived head-first into the recent equality wave, lead singer Matt Berninger sharing, or backing away from, in some cases, the spotlight for a whole host (hostess?) of female singers. The result is a meandering journey across mellow fields that will leave you feeling inspired and refreshed on the other side. After a few rocky albums to start their career, this band has now proved with its subsequent strong string of releases that it can do no wrong. Rating: 4.25 out of 5

Science Fiction, Brand New: I stumbled on this 2017 release amid the rabbit abyss of iTunes, and I was pleasantly surprised. You know how it is while trolling through iTunes, trying out songs based on up to a minute of free vibes? Even after you take the leap, you still never really know what you’re getting until you listen to it completely, sometimes numerous times. But I knew this one was amazing practically right from hearing meandering album-opener Lit Me Up. A bit of Modest Mouse, a bit of mellow Thrice and a touch of Built to Spill, this Brand New creation — supposedly their swan song — is a treasure from start to finish. The thin thread of religion, afterlife, self-reflection and death weaves throughout, bringing substance as well. (It should not go unsaid that lead singer Jesse Lacey was accused around the time of the album’s release to be an abuser of underage fans.) Definitely worth the listen as an album, as an entire work of art, in one sitting, if anyone does that anymore and you can get past the distasteful accusations. Rating: 4.25 out of 5

Five, White Lies: Not as hooky as this underrated band’s usual fare, but still pretty darn good. If you’re looking for one track to focus on, Tokyo brings the best bounce for the buck. Rating: 3.75 out of 5

The Blue Stones, Black Holes: If you can put the obvious rip-off of The Black Keys aside, this tight album is as catchy as all get-out from start to finish. Definitely worth picking up if you miss the Black Keys or are in the mood for rock-blues hooks galore. Rating: 4 out of 5

The Glorious Sons, Young Beauties and Fools: This rocking Kingston, Ont., band owes more to the South than Southern Ontario with their hard-charging melodies. Sawed-Off Shotgun is the big hit off this 2017 album, and it’s more infectious than a brothel on Sailor Night; the rest of the album is fair to pretty good. Call this collection sensitive rock for the modern man. And I mean that in a good way. Rating: 3.5 out of 5

I Hope You’re Happy, Blue October: Longtime fans of this band have complained the album is far too mellow when compared with the earlier, raunchier stuff, but I’m thinking this is a good thing (see that song about sneaking into an ex’s bedroom and killing her while she sleeps). There’s still a rawness to some of the songs, but overall the album is much more melodic, restrained and catchy without compromising the confessional slant to Justin Furstenfeld’s work. And the fact that it’s wildly all over the sonic map is a good thing, in a Twenty One Pilots kind of way. Quite likely the best album, from start to finish, of 2018. Rating: 4 out of 5

Simple Minds, Walk Between Worlds: This surprising album borrows unabashedly from the past (the almost wholesale theft of “Don’t You” will be obvious) and yet somehow doesn’t feel like a band attempting to relive faded glory. Amazingly catchy guitar hooks and dance-worthy keyboards give you hope that new wavers can be old wavers too. Jim Kerr’s voice is rough but he was never Pavarotti, and Charlie Burchill still has the sticky shreds that made Simple Minds one of those pioneering bands that mix equal doses of keyboards and guitars. If you can get it at a good price and you’re buying the whole thing, go for the package with the three good bonus tracks (“Dirty Old Town” is a particular winner) for that complete-album feel. But paying full price for the non-deluxe album (eight tracks in total) these days is a ripoff. Rating 4 out of 5

Friends, White Lies: Reaffirmation that this is perhaps the most underrated band in alternative music, which is a contradiction, but these guys should just flat-out be a bigger deal. Rating: 3.75 out of 5

Marauder, Interpol: A few of my top bands recently lost a key member and have tried to keep on keepin’ on: Editors, Boxer Rebellion, to cite a few. Interpol, back with their second album since reuniting, have fallen into the same pattern: their music is still pretty good along the spectrum, but it’s nowhere near as brilliant as it was at their peak. Maybe that’s a tall task to ask from bands who eventually settle into parenthood and get tired of the touring grind. I love this band (their performance of Turn On The Bright Lights in its entirety in New York is in my top-five concerts of all time), but just not feeling its work since reuniting two albums ago. Bring back Carlos B.! Rating 3 out of 5

Attention, Attention, Shinedown: I did without the all caps and exclamation points gimmick of the album title. SO SUE ME. That aside, this is one of those bands that just keeps churning out brilliant, catchy music, even though the first couple of listens of a new release inevitably have you questioning their longevity. But somehow Brent Smith and crew just keep on writing catchy ditties and albums that get better and better after each listen, the lyrics twisting and turning around different meanings with repeated listens. Don’t be surprised if this rating changes over time. Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Eat the Elephant, A Perfect Circle: Lyrics are better in the ears than they are in the eyes. You've got to have the music along with it, which is why poetry is not nearly as compelling today -- with our senses constantly being bombarded, we need more to convey and evoke the emotions, the whimsy, the intellect. Which is what is represented so deftly and dynamically in the latest by A Perfect Circle. And when I say "the latest," I'm being subtly facetious -- this is the band's first completely original album since 2003. That's some kind of sabbatical. Regardless, the work of APC, which is essentially the twisted genius of former Nine Inch Nails guitar tech Billy Howerdel and bizarro Tool lead singer Maynard James Keenan, is stunning on Eat the Elephant. The opening lyrics of each track alone are enough to make this a classic and dramatically separate it from its peers. Take the first lyrics of the opening title track ("Looming, omnipresent/This task ahead/This task at hand/Ominous and daunting/Crippling undertaking/I'm frozen"), which could be just as much about writer's block as about living in today's politically charged society. Then, not letting up, the catchy next track, Disillusioned, opens with ("We have been overrun by our animal desire/Addicts of the immediate keep us obedient and unaware/Feeding this mutation, this Pavlovian despair") and gives you a sense of being introduced to a philosophy of sharp social commentary as well as a piece of original art. These are not your daughter's pop lyrics. And if that's not enough to sway you, Howerdel's amazing and swooning guitars take this album to new heights in the cracks. I could go on and on; The Contrarian is a more-accessible Tool jam, opening with "Hello, he lied" and stabbing further from there; So Long, And Thanks for the Fish is evidence smart pop culture criticism -- in rhyming form! -- can fit into a toe-tapping beauty of less than 4:30, which is to say built for whatever passes for commercial radio these days; By and Down by the River begins with "Moving in and out of the shadow/It's no easy mission, holding on to how I picture you" and rolls into guitars that caress the shivers into your spine; and on it goes, for 11 solid songs. This is what an album is supposed to do to you, kids. Remember albums, as in a collection of cohesive ideas seamlessly woven together in logical and progressive order, like a novel or fine piece of cinema? Elephant is this year's A Deeper Understanding, the Grammy-winning release by The War on Drugs that I wore the digital coding off last summer, a complete work of art from the first track to the last. This album sadly isn't getting the same level of press, but that doesn't diminish its impact, sincerity and intellectual drive. Listening to this collection was a welcome reminder that smart lyrics and catchy melodies are not mutually exclusive. Long live the album! Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Lord Huron, Vide Noir: The latest release from a favorite of ours here at Coco & Dalts is a slightly different listen for fans accustomed to the echoed soundings of Ben Schneider and band, which went a little on the psychedelic side this time around. A great deal of familiar dark lyrical territory is here, though -- side-glance takes on lost love, the afterlife, stalking, etc. -- so fear not. Never Ever is a short driving song, followed smartly by the catchy and repeatable Ancient Names, Part I, with the clever refrain of "I've gotta get away from here/I've gotta get away from her" washing over and over in the chorus, sounding like a man actually waving while drowning. It gives way to Ancient Names, Part II, in all its short, fuzzy-distortion glory in which the lyrics are secondary to the beat of Schneider's voice. The second single, Wait by the River, is a gentle, plinky love song that, upon more careful listens, verges on the creepy and/or suicidal. (The hilarious and way-out video is a spicy takedown of bands that appear on old-fashioned variety shows, perhaps as seen by satellite interceptions.) Guitar, drums, keyboards and distant vocals are all used to great effect, giving you a very welcoming but at the same time unusual soundscape to wander. In the dead-album era, this one stands out as a good listen, from start to finish, in one sitting (but who has the time, right?). His first two albums were smashing -- the first, Lonesome Dreams, is still the best -- so following up with a strong third was a tall task, but he did it. Solid effort from the maestro of Michigan. Rating: 3.5 out of 5

I Hope You're Happy, Blue October: This single gets heavy repeat on my devices. The catchy hooks, melody and chorus make this a solid earworm and would be a bigger hit in a more enlightened cultural stratosphere. The voice, music and lyrics of Justin Furstenfeld can sometimes be in opposition, but this effortless and poetic piece foretell good things for the upcoming album. Rating: 4 out of 5

Magazine, Editors: Despite what you might think, I'm not a fan of these guys merely because they are called "Editors," but rather because they are as hooky and creative while crafting mainstream tunes. The lead single from their forthcoming album Violence is catchy and makes great use of singer Tom Smith's awesome range. This is one of those bands that just keeps on churning out great music and remain largely under the radar in the United States, and their newest release promises much of the same. Rating: 4 out of 5 ... Violence, Editors: The rest of the album, however, isn't Editors at their hookiest, which is a shame because that's when they seem to transcend and pull off being one of the best unknown bands in the U.S. (they are pretty big in the U.K. and Europe). When Editors hit the hooks, they are unbeatable; their last album, In Dream, was pretty darn good, but their album before that, The Weight of Your Love, from 2013, is a classic, with at least five multiplay songs on it. That's a tough act to follow, but as seen with Editors' library of music, they usually stand tall against the challenge. Tom Smith's voice is best when calling/crying/yelling/singing loud, and the latest doesn't have enough of that wail for my taste. Still, this effort is much better than most by today's mediocre pretenders. Rating: 2.75 out of 5

A Deeper Understanding, The War on Drugs: This album won a Grammy for the best rock album, but don’t hold that against TWoD. The musicianship and lyrics are top-notch, honed from years of paying dues in clubs and small venues and song bits rolling around in the head of Adam Granduciel. With this and their previous release, TWoD has found its sweet spot in terms of what it has to say fitting exactly into the zeitgeist of the day. Well done, fellas. Best album of 2017, far and away. Rating: 4.5 out of 5 

If I Should Go Before You, City and Colour: This release, Dallas Green's fifth, starts with the nine-minute, 17-second solemn beauty Woman and proceeds in an refined jam from there. The message from the start is that what follows won't be repeating anything anytime soon. The dude's voice keeps getting higher, but he is still able to work his magic and come up with creative ways to not make the same music over and over again. Other standout tracks include the subtle almost-funky Northern Blues ("I've got too much in front of me/I didn't leave enough behind") and the charming crescendo of Friends. But, really, all are solid songs from an artist who continues to set himself apart from the currently overpopulated folky-rock-country genre. Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Lord Huron, Lonesome Dreams: Lord Huron is a god. There, I said it. He's one of the freshest voices to hit the stage over the last six years or so, and this release, his debut from 2012, brings his talent to the fore. He's a bit country, he's a bit rock 'n' roll, he's a bit folk, he's a bit electronic, he's a bit western. From the haunting opener of Ends of the Earth through to the perky loneliness of The Ghosts on the Shore to the patient ablutions of In the Wind, this is a dreamy album that is an easy soundtrack to dinner and a glass of wine with your own private Coco. Rating: 4 out of 5