Album Review: Titus Andronicus - The Most Lamentable Tragedy

Titus Andronicus’s The Most Lamentable Tragedy is an ambitious record. It’s a 29-song, 93-minute behemoth held together through impeccable pacing, creative composition and a seriousness for its vision and subject matter. “Punk Rock Opera” is a silly sounding phrase, but frontman Patrick Stickles has made a record that lends it a new respect.

Despite its intimidating overall length, The Most Lamentable Tragedy is approachable. Twenty five of the tracks clock in under 5 minutes. The second track is part four of the familiar “No Future” song cycle and gives fans a cathartic line — “I hate to be awake” — to shout over and over like they have with so many other Titus Andronicus songs.

Album Review: Mac McCaughan - Non-Believers

Mac McCaughan’s Non-Believers feels familiar. Despite this being his first album under his own name, fans of McCaughan from Superchunk and Portastatic will feel at home.

The album opens with a heralding of synth frequencies, pulsating almost like their breathing. It sounds like the signature tones from Close Encounters of the Third Kind. Non-Believers heavily relies on synthesizers and drum machines to set the mood, departing from McCaughan’s previous work; however, anyone familiar with 80s new wave will instantly be comfortable.

Album Review: The Mountain Goats - Beat The Champ

John Darnielle is a nerd. That is to say, he’s a man of deep passion for the things he loves. The Mountain Goats have touched his passions in the past, but never so obviously as on Beat the Champ.

In recent years, Darnielle’s interests have been more and more visible. He’s performed sets of heavy metal covers, he wrote a book with a sci-fi fantasy game as a central element and now he’s written an entire album about professional wrestling.

Beat the Champ is about wrestling before the WWE. It’s about regional heroes and rough-edged spectacle. It’s about “nameless bodies in unremembered rooms.” It’s about John Darnielle’s love for this world as it was.

Album Review: Courtney Barnett - Sometimes I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit

Courtney Barnett’s debut full-length record, Sometimes I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit, is full of charm and insecurity.

The charm comes from her delivery. Barnett casually rattles off lyrics sharpened with clear, honest descriptions of the unique anxiety of being in one’s late twenties and not fully understanding who you are. It’s panic attack-inducing stuff that she treats as if it were mundane.

“I don’t know quite who I am, but I’m trying,” she sings on “Small Poppies.” Her battle with identifying who she is and, by extension, realizing her self worth is on full display.

Album Review: Tobias Jesso Jr. - Goon

Heartbreak is universal. Everyone either has, is, or will experience a deep feeling of heartache and loneliness that accompanies a break up. Tobias Jesso Jr. is suffering from just that, and through his beautiful lyricism, you will swear you were feeling the pain as well.

Break-up albums have been done before, a lot. However, Goon revitalizes the common trope with beautiful piano and instrumental sections paired with his unique voice. Sounding like he was plucked straight from McCartney-era Beatles, Jesso covers topics from wondering how he will live on in the absence of his girl, “Without You,” to cursing her for finding another man, “How Could You Babe,” all while attempting to move on and forget the past.

Album Review: Will Butler - Policy

Will Butler’s solo debut, Policy, is a conundrum. Its strengths are also its weaknesses.

Butler whips through eight songs and nearly as many musical styles in under a half hour. He cuts on a dime without hesitation. The punky “Take My Side” borrows a little country twang and cedes to the grimy synth and horn filled “Anna” which then gives way to mopey ballad “Finish What I Started.” That’s just the first 10 minutes.

The thrill of these shifts overshadows the songs themselves. Like a comedian performing impressions in rapid succession, Policy is more memorable for the feat of switching than the content filling the space between the transitions. The lurching back and forth provides a rush, but it’s also exhausting. Keeping up with Butler can leave the brain swimming like a long day of multi-tasking.

Album Review: Lilac Shadows - Brutalism

Durham’s Lilac Shadows have crafted strange and comforting worlds on their previous releases. With Brutalism, their second proper full length album, they explore what happens to those worlds when you introduce turmoil.

The heavy, exposed bass line of opening track “Black Lodge” signals a shift. Lilac Shadows has always preferred darker tones, but rarely with edges as clear as these. The track builds and stops just short of a resolution.

That tension is put to good use on “Alive in a Dying History.” Listeners can hear the band’s former world fraying in the saxophone in the background. It all catches fire with about a minute left as the guitars and drums peak and vocalist Sam Logan starts screaming.

Album Review: Daddy Issues - Double Loser EP

If you had just 10 minutes to impress somebody, could you do it? Greensboro quartet Daddy Issues does on their new Double Loser EP.

In four songs, Lo Davy (vocals, guitar), Lindsey Sprague (lead guitar), Maddie Putney (bass), and Amethyst White (percussion) assert themselves as a one of the best new North Carolina bands and hint at some range as well.

Few bands pull off surf rock as well as Daddy Issues. The style’s signature bounce is prevalent, but not over emphasized or cartoonish. The bright tones add color and draw the listener in. Davy lulls them for a bit with slacker-esque vocals before smacking listeners up side the head with joyful and mischievous shouts.

Album Review: Midnight Plus One - Unlearn Everything

Midnight Plus One put on some of the most thrilling concerts locally and with Unlearn Everything they’ve translated it onto an album.

This band is a juggernaut that gains momentum and can’t be stopped. It starts with John “JB” Bowman’s relentless drumming. It’s heavy yet remains nimble enough to propel each song. This frees guitarist Nick Senese develop the few hooks these songs have and then push them further. This duo builds the energy and tension to its threshold. That’s when singer Casey Cook pounces turns on the energy kinetic.

Album Review: Twerps - Range Anxiety

Melbourne, Australia’s Twerps seem like a quartet of pretty easy-going folks. Their Merge Records debut, Range Anxiety, strolls through peaceful and fun pop, punk, and rock settings.

With the intro and first song, “I Don’t Mind,” Twerps sets the pace with a big, easy groove that’s natural to fall into. It’s not slow, but it’s not urgent either. There’s plenty of motion, but Twerps seem content to let the music go where it wants to. This isn’t quite back-porch music or driving with the windows down music. Range Anxiety is hammock music or maybe a soundtrack for an impromptu adventure that doesn’t really go anywhere.

Album Review: Viet Cong - Viet Cong

On their first full-length LP, Viet Cong effectively fuses modern post-punk with new and inventive sounds. Utilizing airy guitars and synthesizers, instruments that normally have no place in this type of music, Viet Cong has created a unique, standout album in a genre where it is easy to get lost.

The album opens with the distortion heavy and muffled “Newspaper Spoons.” Primitive drumming is accompanied by seven lines of repeating lyrics and a squealing guitar. Suddenly, all quiets and a spacey synth seamlessly becomes the focal point of the track.

Album Review: Natalie Prass - Natalie Prass

Natalie Prass’s self-titled debut on Richmond, Virginia’s Spacebomb Records feels fantastic and very grounded all at once.

Vibrant orchestra arrangements greet the listener with lush strings and sparkling winds. It’s colorful and harkens back to a grander style of pop. Prass’s friend and Spacebomb owner Matthew E. White’s style is evident here.

Natalie Prass runs the gamut of 70s AM radio throwback sounds. “Bird of Prey” fizzes with a tense jazz led by trumpets and flutes. “Why Don’t You Believe in Me” draws from soul and funk and mixes it with the blues.

Album Review: Sleater-Kinney - No Cities To Love

Sleater-Kinney’s No Cities To Love is a force of nature. It’s 32 minutes of pure empowerment capable of making its listeners plow through every obstacle in their way.

Despite the 10 years that have passed since their last album, the 8th album from the indie rock legends isn’t a nostalgia trip or some radical experiment. These 10 songs feel like a natural extension of the Sleater-Kinney discography coming when it is needed the most.

No Cities To Love repeatedly mentions being held back or restrained — on “Price Tag” the narrator squeezes into her clothes and on “Surface Envy” she talks about guilt weighing her down — and then breaking free. These escapes are powered by self-worth, self-belief and self-efficacy.

Album Review: The Tender Fruit - The Darkness Comes

The Darkness Comes, the follow up to 2010’s fantastic Flotsam and Krill, is nothing short of spectacular.

The Tender Fruit, the musical outlet of Christy Smith, has grown far beyond Smith’s vocals, guitar and brilliant song writing. Majestic percussion, tense electric guitar and powerful vocal harmonies build Smith’s songs from simple front porch soundtracks into dramatic and invigorating show stoppers.

“Light Between Us” exemplifies this as the bombastic toms push the soaring chorus into a guitar solo. On the first listen, it’s a “whoa!” moment for fans of Smith’s songs from four years ago.

Album Review: Flying Lotus - You're Dead!

Steven Ellison, better known by his stage name Flying Lotus, is a renaissance man. Beat maker, rapper, producer, label head, he does it all. And his résumé is just as eclectic as his music. Fusing modern hip-hop with jazz, rock, and electronica, FlyLo is able to create music with great depth and power. You’re Dead! is a prime example of that depth and power. With a myriad of styles and features, You’re Dead! is sporadic and enthralling.

Clocking in at only 38 minutes, the album is one of FlyLo’s shortest releases. However, the shorter run time sacrifices nothing. There is no wasted time over the 19 songs, with each one fading into the next, making the album feel like a few extended track. With the majority of the tracks running about only two and a half minutes, the music on each is dense and tight.

Album Review: Ex Hex - Rips

Ex Hex are here to have a good time and they don’t care if anybody joins them or not.

The first album, Rips, from the trio of Mary Timony, Betsey Wright and Laura Harris is 35 minutes of white hot punk and glam-inpired rock and it’s mostly nostalgia free. Ex Hex doesn’t sound like a band that’s paying tribute.

At first, it’s hard to hear past the historic sounds, but with each listen it melts away. After a while, you don’t hear The New York Dolls or Buzzcocks. You hear Timony singing — actually singing — for the first time. You hear Write's rambunctious bass lines. You hear Harris’ razor sharp rhythms on drums (“New Kid” in particular showcases Harris as a total badass behind the kit). You start to hear a band honestly expressing their idea of fun.

Album Review: Foxygen - ...And Star Power

After just over a year and a half after their acclaimed LP We Are the 21st Century Ambassadors of Peace and Magic, Foxygen is back with their third, full-length release. …And Star Power, the fourth LP from the California duo, sees them “teaming up” with Star Power, a fictional band of their own creation, to complete their most eclectic album yet.

On this 24-song behemoth, the band cycles through multiple genres, including their classic Rolling Stones-inspired rock, folk, psychedelic, punk, and more. The effects of these transitions are lost on the digital version, but each side of genre shift corresponds to a side different side of the record, giving the listener the impression of multiple bands.

Album Review: Caribou - Our Love

Dan Snaith’s latest album as Caribou, Our Love, is a warm, revitalizing and unclassifiable collection of songs.

Overall, Snaith is sticking closer to the dance floor-ready rhythms that he unleashed on 2010’s Swim and through his side project Daphni. What sets Our Love apart is that Snaith refuses to fall into the dance music arms race to see who can create the coolest, slickest neo-soul or biggest, most aggressive drop.

Snaith foregoes these common elements in favor of something less isolating. Throughout Our Love, songs build simply until they reach the expected precipice. Instead of dropping listeners off a cliff, Snaith propels them higher. It’s like inhaling all the way and then discovering your lungs have room for more air, expanding to new dimensions.

Album Review: alt-J - This is All Yours

British psychedelic rock outfit alt-J has returned with their much-anticipated follow up to 2012’s massively popular An Awesome Wave. Sticking with a similar formula from the first release, This is All Yours continues to bring in comparisons to Radiohead. On their sophomore effort, alt-J uses layers of thick and distorted sounds to create a beautiful soundscape.

The major focus of the band on their two releases has been their ability to create enthralling musical pieces. That focus is evident on the first two tracks of the new album, as “Intro” and “Arrival in Nara” feature over eight minutes in musicianship with minimal vocals in the background Utilizing a multitude of instruments and editing and distorting them in unique ways, alt-J has been able to form a sound that makes them distinct from other current bands.

Album Review: Hiss Golden Messenger - Lateness of Dancers

Over the course of three records, MC Taylor’s Hiss Golden Messenger has questioned where we find God or — more broadly — Truth. Bad Debt looked for it in solitude, Poor Moon searched in ritual and his previous record, Haw, dug into the element of place, specifically North Carolina.

Lateness of Dancers, Taylor’s Merge Records debut, is still searching, but it’s more comfortable with not having complete answers. Taylor’s search for Truth hasn’t come up empty. “Yes, I’m learning now,” he sings on the title track and later in a song for his daughter Ione (“Chapter & Verse”), he admits that all he has are songs and experience and sings, “Ain’t that enough?” in such a way that the answer — yes — is implied.