Editorial Review

Channeling the evocative storytelling of Laura Nyro and the soulful sexiness of Dusty Springfield, singer/songwriter Jenny Lewis skips all contemporary studio gimmickry to proffer a near-perfect solo debut. The front-woman for indie darlings Rilo Kiley breaks away from the songwriting democracy she shares with that band's co-leader Blake Sennett (also of the Elected), drawing inspiration from the crackling vinyl albums of her youth. And from the opening notes of "Run Devil Run," an acapella gospel hymn sung with the Watson Twins, through the note-for-note cover of the Traveling Wilbury's "Handle With Care" (with Bright Eyes' Conor Oberst and Death Cab For Cutie's Ben Gibbard), Lewis verifies this is her record. Her goose-bump voice can be as mournful as it is optimistic, but remains perpetually mesmerizing on Read more

Reviews (59)

Takes Me To Another Place
This record reminds me so much of the old records that my grandparents and parents used to play for me, and it reminded me of the folk pop albums i listen to today.It has so much soul.Just hearing Rise With Fists for the first time inspired me to buy not only this album but all of the Rilo Kiley albums.Jenny Lewis is truly inspired.This CD is simple and pure. And in its purity it takes you away, just like that music i have grown up to love and you don't see anymore in the days of my humps and sexyback.

On the RISE!
If you haven't caught the video for the tune Rise up with Fists found on this cd...SEEK IT OUT!I caught the video on cable a couple times and immediately got into the tongue-in-cheek-this-isn't-country-well-ok-maybe-just-a-little-bit groove that Jenny Lewis and The Watson Twins deliver so effortlessly.This cd accompanied me on a 1200 mile road trip and let's just say that I wanted to drive another 1000 miles just to listen to this cd.Heads Up! This cd came out months ago.What are you waiting for? ;)

Lyrics that speak to my grungy 70s folk craving
I was so suprized to hear the cute little red-head from "Troop Beverly Hills" put out this amazing album. The whole thing is a work of art. The lyrics are astoundingly soulful and leave you wanting to sing along. Jenny Lewis is like that girl down the street thats kinda depressed and scary, but totally hot and mysterious. She put a lot of heart into these songs and the lyrics are indicitive of some of her hollywood history, which is always nice of a former child star putting out an album to do, because we are all curious.
Read more

Subjects:  1. Alternative Country-Rock    2. Americana    3. Indie Pop    4. Indie Rock    5. Pop    6. Rock    7. Rock/Pop    8. United States of America   

Reviews (6)

It's even better than the Reset EP!!
Check this out if you have any liking for the following: rock, mellow vocals, rock, electronica, complex layers that require multiple listens.
awesome album, awesome show...
this band is unequivocally one that i would recommend across the spectrum of listeners and people who appreciate real music, original sound, and raw talent.seemingly by the grace of God, these guys were able to come up with a sound that refelcts the mood of thier message which is universal and rooted in a deepness that only the human heart can know.it's certainly an album for everybody, i purchased it for my 12 year old nephew, and it has become a hands-down favorite in our own house.the music does satisfy and the show (if you are fortunate enough to have them in your town) is full of energy and entertainment.this band has managed to keep the spotlight without the pretention that some bands exude, and refreshingly enough, have the openness to interact with thier audience without the crassness of your dime-a-dozen "hot" new band characters trying to be this or that.don't count on burn-out, these guys will be around for eternity.listen and love it.mute math won't let you down.

Excellent!
This album and the band Mute Math ROCK!And they're mellow a bit, too ... but they still ROCK!!!;-) ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Pop    2. Rock    3. Rock/Pop   

Editorial Review

It's all about the power chord and the sing-along chorus. With the exception of the stark title track, Christopher Carrabba's once-prominent acoustic strumming is now in short supply. Along with Scott Schoenbeck, John Lefler, and Mike Marsh, the Dashboard Confessional mastermind cranks it all up on his fourth full-length: the guitars, vocals, drums, the works. Consequently, some listeners have been tossing around the letter "U" and the numeral "2." It's a bit of a stretch, although the album Read more

Reviews (52)

Lifelong Fans will be a little dissapointed
Let me start this review by saying that i have been a hardcore dashboard fan for over 6 years back when it was just Chris and his guitar. I have always loved dashboard, and even when A Mark, A Mission, A Brand, A Scar came out i was still very impressed. This album however fell short of the normal Dashboard glory.
<3
I waited all summer for this cd and it was worth it. This, alongside the soon to be released Sam's Town, will probably be my favourite albums this year. The only song I initially disliked was Slow Decay, but I looked at the lyrics and now I love it. It just sort of scared me at first, because it is so different than any other DC song.
Great CD - Great lyrics - Great music
No outrageous rock and roll here. All the tracks have a nice tune to all of them.
Read more

Subjects:  1. Alternative Pop/Rock    2. Emo    3. Indie Rock    4. Pop    5. Rock    6. Rock/Pop    7. Singer/Songwriter    8. United States of America   

Editorial Review

It's a heck of a start to a career. Before he had released any material in the States, Alexi Murdoch was championed by KCRW's influential tastemaker Nic Harcourt. (Murdoch moved to LA in the late 1990s.) This led to the release of the Read more

Reviews (17)

hearkening back in time
What a beautiful record.The sound is so like Nick Drake and Tim and Jeff Buckley.In this age of candy coated rock and Jessica Simpson, it is such a relief to hear someone playing real, soulful music.Heart searching lyrics and beautiful melodies pared with Murdoch's subtle voice make for a haunting and beautiful album.

This guy is great.....
I would like to caveat this review by saying I have never done a review but I was thought this album deserved it. I was first introduced to Alexi when he was on the O.C. soundtrack and really like "Orange Sky".I didn't hear anything else that he did until I was listening on to the internet radio and I heard "Wait".I was stunned by the song so I decided to buy the album and this is the type of album that you could put in the CD player and let it play for days without pressing the ever present next button.I am going to go out on a limb and not compare him to Nick Drake but Red House Painters, if you have checked these guys out do yourself a favor and buy the album "Songs for Blue Guitars".

A slight Miss
Alexi Murdoch is the kind of artist we all love to see arrive on the scene.A great talent with a somewhat unique spin on a folk-rock genre that has historically produced timeless albums.His first release (the 4 Song EP) created a huge amount of buzz and was a staple in my musical diet for over a year - a great release.I've listened to his new album now about 15 times... and there's something missing.I can't exactly put my finger on it.There are definitely a few songs that are fantastic.They grab you and suck you in to a whirl of acoustic guitars and droaning vocals.But most of the other songs don't hold it together quite as well after several plays.I find myself getting annoyed at the rather simplistic and repetitive chords/notes of most of the songs - in fact the "rather simplistic and repetitive" lyrics don't help.
Read more

Subjects:  1. England    2. Indie Rock    3. Lo-Fi    4. Pop    5. Rock    6. Rock/Pop   

Editorial Review

If the idea of basement tapes made by Billy Corgan and Doug Martsch appeals to you, say hello to your new favorite band. Silversun Pickups are fairly early adopters of the 1990s revival, but they're not grunge dorks or anything, and they're from L.A. so they dress nice. Their music updates the anthemic but gauzy heavy rock sound that Veruca Salt and the Smashing Pumpkins had down pat. Thankfully, they strip it down and add plenty of finely distorted guitar leads to the whole thing. It's nice. With a spacey, laid-back sound due in no small part to knob-twiddlers Tony Hoffer and Dave Cooley, repeated listens are mandatory. Just don't pass out on the couch. Read more

Reviews (21)

Don't understand the hype.
..I've given this a listen to about 5-6 times now and can't understand the fuss. While there are some great tracks on the album like Melatonin and Lazy Eye I find most of the album just sounds so contrived and has a lack of originality. Similarities to Smashing Pumpkins are obvious but in this day and age of musical regurgitation that doesn't bothers me. What did bother me was the contrived and cringe-worthy lyrics..it just sounded like an "I'm too cool 15 year old" singing in front of the mirror...

You'll be picking it up over and over and over and over and over and...
Silversun Pickups get a lot of Corganishishness thrown their way for the sake of vocal inflection, but on their new record "Carnavas," they've pinned down that elusive "love in neutral" tone that only bands like My Bloody Valentine have managed in the past, and spitshined it with a melodic Guided by Voices sheen, yielding white noise-pop that sparkles from the glint of all the fuzzy edges.
Best CD of 2006
I can't quite put my finger on what they sound like. Yeah, some emo/shoegazer in there. Maybe a splash of Pumpkins but I don't see the overwhelming Corgan references. It's really a unique CD. As soon as I heard a 30 second clip I felt I was home. Simply the best CD I've bought in a long time. Probably since Radiohead's Hail to the Thief. That's it. It's like Radiohead if they were a rock band and with more coherent vocals. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Dream Pop    2. Indie Pop    3. Indie Rock    4. Pop    5. Post-Grunge    6. Rock    7. Rock/Pop   

Editorial Review

Clap Your Hands Say Yeah sold nearly 20,000 copies of its self-titled, self-released debut through the mail--and got nearly as many raves from enthusiastic MP3 bloggers, leading to an entry on Read more

Reviews (102)

Lots of fun
After I heard a few tracks off this album, I was really excited 'cause they were all a lot fun, catchy, and solid songs.When I bought the album, I thought it was a little sketchy - good, but I knew it'd take a few spins to warm up to it (the same thing happened to me with stellestarr*, and as a side note, if you're coming "from" them, you'll like CYHSY, if you like CYHSY, you'll prolly like stellestarr*).Okay, like it seems for so many others, it was the singer who got to me every now and then - I mean, taking that voice for an entire album....But as I listened to it a few more times, and now, again, after a short break, I'm starting to love them - and I've found that the "grating" vocals (would anyone else say... campy?) only add another layer: yeah they get to me sometimes, but somehow it makes me like them more.And the instrumentations... so good!

CLAP YOUR HANDS AND SAY THANKYOU!!! (4.5 really)
Forget about all the intellectualizing done in the other reviews that focus on how "bad" and "annoying" the singer is.What I know is that I'm an infuriatingly selective headphones junkie and I keep listening and listening and LISTENING to this record.So if you want to accuse Alec Ounsworth of something, accuse him of having the guts and brilliance to offer up something new, fun and heartfelt to a music world swimming in boredom, convention and vapidity.There are times when CYHSY are just about as exciting as the jumpiest Animal Collective songs but with lyrics you can actually decipher.Also the running time is perfect at just over thirty-seven minutes, observing the philosophy, "Do your best stuff and get the hell out."Bold and comfortable at the same time.Quite rare.
Just misses all the notes
On purpose.Possibly the best music in 50 years.Listen to it a few times before you post a review. The band's voice is definitely a barrier but it's not insurmountable. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Indie Rock    2. Pop    3. Rock    4. Rock/Pop   

Editorial Review

Just from the opening seconds of Neutral Milk Hotel's second album, you know it's going to be special: the acoustic guitar strum is catchy beyond belief, and Jeff Magnum's intonation lends credibility even to a line like "When you were young, you were the King of Carrot Flowers." Listening to Read more

Reviews (390)

If Hieronymus Bosch Wrote Music...
Aeroplanes Over the Sea may not be the greatest record of pop music, and it's probably not even the strangest, but it is surely the strangest great record ever made.In fact, it is so unlike anything I've heard, that I won't even bother comparing it to any other rock or pop music. Both musically and lyrically, Jeff Mangum seems to provide direct access to the unconscious, bypassing all conventional rationality and order.And it's usually a dark, tortured unconscious, as if someone had two years to script a nightmare and reenact it in amazing, painstaking detail.
a bit late on this one...
i've been with this album for some time now but i thought it fitting to write that there is no other album out that i listen to straight through more than this one... kinda funny that my roomate walked in today and i had just started the first tune... we talked a bit and i apologized and kindly said i had to get back to the album.it's a masterpiece.i've been reading some of these reviews regarding jeff's voice and that's part of what makes it... lyrics and arrangements are beautiful.i consider this one of the greatest albums eva.

An excellent album... for the right listener
This is probably one of my 10 favorite albums ever released; there is nothing revolutionary about it & all the songs are based on very simple chord combinations, but it is beautiful none-the-less. The lyrics have a dreamlike quality to them.Still I imagine some people would hear this album and be turned off by it immediately.Vocalist Jeff Mangum can hold a tune, but his voice is rough and I imagine some listeners would find it quite grating.Still, this is probably one of the best Indie rock albums ever produced (and one of the shining jewels of the Elephant Six collective).For anyone into indie rock this album will probably be a real treat. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Alternative Pop/Rock    2. Indie Rock    3. Lo-Fi    4. Neo-Prog    5. Neo-Psychedelia    6. Pop    7. Rock    8. Rock/Pop   

Editorial Review

On his seventh album (and first for Dave Matthews' ATO label), David Gray refines his sonic palette with wonderful results. The first record made in a "real" studio and the first done with an outside producer (MOR hotshot Marius De Vries), it's a nice improvement over 2002's lukewarm, sparsely electronicized Read more

Features

• Content/Copy-Protected CD

Reviews (132)

Great
There is something very cinematic about David Gray's "Life In Slow Motion". It begins like a dream drifting back in time - like snow falling on a quiet troubled world (that's what I'm feelin). The next song "The One I Love" is a poignant love song from the lips of a dying man. Next song - depression - "honey lately I've been way down". What follows are more songs of depression, desperation, and beauty. What a soulful voice David Gray has. "Life In Slow Motion" is very well produced - with piano, strings and the occasional well placed synth. It sounds contemporary and yet old at the same time. I love it - I think it's his best album.

Nice and mellow
David Gray has always been a favorite of mine. Very mellow songs but great for work or just relaxing.

David Gray takes us on a magnificent journey....
David Gray's - Life In Slow Motion - takes us on a journey that only has a beginning and never ends because you will never want it to end.Listen to the haunting "Alibi" one time; or the oceanic "From Here You Can Almost See The Sea" (subtitiled by me: Just Another Fool In Love); or the powerful, "Now and Always" -Listen once, I dare you.
Read more

Subjects:  1. Adult Alternative Pop/Rock    2. Indie Rock    3. Pop    4. Rock    5. Rock/Pop    6. Singer/Songwriter    7. Wales   

Features

• Original recording reissued

Reviews (43)

Sharing the Blessing
There are some bands that one is happy to hear the first time, and there are others that make one feel blessed. Listening to this Decembrists' CD, I reveled in my good fortune; what a wonderful world we live in that can yield music this good.
We live this close to death
An astounding debut album, CASTAWAYS AND CUTOUTS became the foundation upon which the witty, eloquent Decemberists six began to build their empire. Trying on this album is like buying new clothes (a shopping metaphor, witness me aghast!) - at first they're stiff, they don't fit comfortably, and you look a little awkward in them, but once you've broken them in after a few wears they're worth their weight in gold.
A Contemporary Classic
This album is the total package that 1 looks for in an album.First, musically, it's pop music, but a different kind of pop.Kind of like the Beatles doing Sea Chantys of the mid 1800's.Lyrically it follows many of these same themes.It is interesting to note that Collin Meloy, the lead singer, wanted to be a novelist before forming the band, and it shows with the lyrics.Every song tells a story that is humorous, ironic, and heart wrenching in every way imaginable.It truly takes the listener along for an experience; a rarity these days, when everyone is so concerned withdeath and trying to be serious, then getting in the way.Overall, a great buy, and soon to become revered as a classic. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Chamber Pop    2. Indie Pop    3. Indie Rock    4. Pop    5. Rock    6. Rock/Pop   

Subjects:  1. Indie Pop    2. Pop    3. Rock    4. Rock/Pop    5. Sadcore   

Editorial Review

On first listen, Wolf Parade is just another Canadian buzz band that plays fun, keyboard-heavy, new wave-y indie-rock and sings in weird, affected, high-pitched tones. Upon further listening, the songs reveal a lot of strange and fuzzy little details, and the lyrics have more depth than most bands do on their debuts. The Montreal-based group was brought to the Seattle-based Sub Pop label's attention by none other than Modest Mouse's Isaac Brock, modern rock radio's king of affected vocalizings. Brock even recorded much of the album in Portland, OR. The vocalist has more than a passing affinity for David Bowie, and if you love the Arcade Fire and Frog Eyes, you probably are already a fan. Read more

Reviews (63)

Clever, infectious, blisteringly fun album
Hmmmm. So I see there are comparisons to Arcade Fire abound, and I must say, if it's worth anything, Wolf Parade takes my vote. Well, at least in terms of their two latest albums -- 'Funeral' and 'Apologies'. Perhaps the comparison is in many respects irrelevent, but even so I find it an interesting debate. I know, I know -- you're about to have a panic attack because your anticipation for my reasonings is uncontrollable -- but let me tell you, I am probably the least convincing guy in the world with regard to supporting an argument maintaining some sort of poise, within ANY subject, so your adrenaline glands are pumping bodily juices for no reason at all... better go buy some xanax.
4.5 stars, For Indie Hipster or Indie Kids, only?
This album is worthy to be called one of the best of 2005 because of the harmonizing vocals, beautiful keyboard and guitar arrangements that mesh together so well and a spunky edge that comes out at you like a fairy tale. Now you may be saying what the hell is this guy talking about? Well, I'm pondering on whether Wolf Parade's "Apologies to the Queen Mary" is a success or just old news. Wolf Parade are an intriguing band none-the-less even if this effort consists of two catchy but highly inconvienent voices. You maybe uncomfortable at first (I wasn't, I dove right in) with the artistic dialogues and the expressions of the music but still you will have a good chance of finding one of your new favorite bands if you pick up this debut.

simply amazing
I'll Believe in Anything is an epic song. All around great songs on the record, also do not miss them live! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Indie Pop    2. Indie Rock    3. Pop    4. Rock    5. Rock/Pop   

Editorial Review

Canadian singer Leslie Feist has served as a guest vocalist for Norwegian folkies Kings of Convenience, Toronto power-pop troupe Broken Social Scene, and - under the frightening moniker "Bitch Lap-Lap" - the hairy female rapper Peaches. But her unruly resume hardly prepares you for the emotionally rich, softy sensual music on her major label debut. Moving from tortured torch songs such as "Lonely Lonely" to pulsating originals like "Mushaboom," it also contains stunning remakes of Ron Sexsmith's "Secret Heart" and the Bee Gees' "Inside and Out," tunes Feist not only makes her own but effectively uses to dissect her romantic desolation. "Don't you wish we could forget that kiss?" she smolders on the title track. Not in this lifetime. Read more

Reviews (55)

Enjoying this CD Thoroughly!
I hadn't even heard of "Feist" before my 16 year old son made me a compilation CD of various artists. I heard "Mushaboom" and was delighted. "Who IS this?" I asked him, and he told me. I felt so out-of-it, but also very happy to discover that not every female vocalist nowadays sounds like Minnie Mouse on speed, thank Heavens. There are some out there who can sing and who are not afraid to be a bit different than the mainstream. Her voice is unique, and Feist's style is hard to peg. I like that. I immediately went on Amazon, listened to some samples and read some reviews, then bought my first "Feist" CD. I have not been disappointed.

Near-universal appeal
Sometimes a record comes along that appeals to suburban housewives, business executives, and downtown hipsters alike. "Let it Die" crosses such demographic barriers by force of sheer excellence. Leslie Feist is a captivating performer, and her honeyed vocals carry an album that is eclectic in tone and musical styles. It starts with the smoky acoustic bossa-nova of "Gatekeeper," continues through the ecstatic, swinging "Mushaboom," and gets soulful and subdued on the title track.
Fresh and upbeat
Fresh, fun and clever lyrics. Upbeat music. Not a one hit wonder! I'm very much enjoying quite a few tracks on this very pleasant, heaping-helping of unassuming talent. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Alternative Pop/Rock    2. Bass    3. Canada    4. Drums    5. Guitar (Acoustic)    6. Guitar (Electric)    7. Indie Rock    8. Keyboards    9. Lo-Fi    10. Percussion    11. Pop    12. Rock    13. Rock/Pop    14. Sampling    15. Trombone    16. Vocals    17. Xylophone   

Editorial Review

Jokingly referred to as the White Stripes' British album, Read more

Reviews (693)

the white stripes?...or nirvana?
I like this album, and there's not really much I can say that other reviewers haven't already said, but I give it only three stars because of something a quite disgruntled reviewer said that I took to heart...
Stripe me, baby!
I love this duo! Though this is the only White Stripes CD I own so far, I am a confirmed fan of Jack and Meg White. I am in my forties and have eclectic taste in music but tend to love rock best. I own and enjoy Audioslave, Alice in Chains, the Beatles, the Police, the Foo Fighters, Bonnie Raitt, No Doubt and even some French music among many other artists and genres. The White Stripes give me everything that I love about all of my favorite music: great lyrics, a compelling beat, hypnotic guitar and a truly unique voice. One of my favorite aspects of the music on the Elephant CD is the bluesy undertone to the music, expecially on Ball And Biscuit, which may be my favorite cut. Jack's voice is a physical, seductive sensation on this one. He seems to really unleash that voice and it is powerful! Black Math is another of my favorites because of the tempo changes. I have to stop whatever I'm doing during this song and let it carry me along. Jack's voice changes with the tempo also. Brilliant! Seven Nation Army is probably the most commercially successful song on the CD and it is still as fabulous as ever but there is so much more to love. All of the songs are very good. I highly recommend Elephant.

Don't belive the hype - belive the record
In all my days of album picking, I've never approached an album with more caution than this one. Before I picked it up, I read; read everything from the praise that "Seven Nation Army" has gotten from critics across the music spectrum, to the wonderfully glorious acceptance speeches fans of the garage rock genre gave to the fourteen track monster. You can see how poised I was to listen to the blasted thing.
Read more

Subjects:  1. Blues-Rock    2. Garage Rock Revival    3. Indie Rock    4. Pop    5. Punk    6. Punk Blues    7. Rock   

Reviews (124)

Great CD
This CD is a must have!I play it over and over and never get tired of it.

Wide Appeal & Worth Having
Casting Crowns got it right.I love this CD and so does my youth group.My favorite song on there is "If We are the Body" because it speaks the truth about the church.This song hits home and asks questions along the lines of - "Why does the church judge people seeking help rather than reach out to them?"
Great Lyrics
but it was too heavy overall. Could have gone for a lighter sound -- less rock influences... ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Adult Contemporary    2. Alternative CCM    3. CCM    4. Christian Punk    5. Contemporary Christian Music    6. Gospel    7. Indie Rock    8. Pop    9. Punk Revival    10. Punk-Pop    11. Religious / Contemp. Christian    12. United States of America   

Editorial Review

It was easy to see where Kasabian was coming from on its self-titled 2004 debut: Take Oasis' classic rock bluster, slap it together with the Chemical Brothers' acid-soaked club beats, and shake fiercely. But how to improve on a formula the British band already perfected with early singles like "Club Foot" and "Reason Is Treason"? That's easy: more of the same, only louder. On Read more

Reviews (8)

Ace followup
This album bombards you like a cold wave...totally worthy second album.'Nuff said

Bad, bad, bad.
When I heard Kasabian's first single, "Club Foot", I was hooked. When I heard the rest of the album, I was disappointed, but still worth it. I recently downloaded their sophomore album, and I am horrified. It is very, very bad. It all sounds like a bad remix of their first album with new lyrics. Synth bass on every song, simple drums, synth guitar, uninspired lyrics, and guess what else, synthesizers. All there really is (on the majority of the album) is synth noise. Loud, synthesized noise with monotone lyrics. With most of the songs, I was ready to skip the track, but not because it's bad, but because it goes on too long. If you like it, that's fine, I'm just saying that it's just an expansion of their first album, but worse.
Not like their first but still worthy
Kasabian's self titled first release is one that I found very enjoyable. Some of the tracks I rarely listened to but cuts like "Reason Is Treason," "Cutt Off," and "L.S.F." has this disc continually in moderate to heavy rotation in my car CD collection. The reasons I liked it so much was the use of electronica/keyboards along with great melodies and a real swagger.
Read more

Subjects:  1. Britpop    2. England    3. Indie Rock    4. Pop    5. Rock    6. Rock/Pop   

Editorial Review

The Shins' sophomore album is a joy from start to finish, though it's rather different from their 2001 leftfield pop genius stunner Read more

Reviews (295)

Great Pop (Which May or May Not Change Your Life)
The Shins are truly unique. It's as if they are visiting us from a slightly parallel universe where whimsy and beauty are more highly prized.

the shins are mindblowing
The thing that stands out most in this exceptional album are the lyrical depths that this band manages to reach. Although most tracks are not immediately catching, once you listen to the lyrics it is impossible not to be hooked. I can't compliment this band enough, and anyone who appreciates music should definatly own this album!

Stroke of Genius
These guys are the real deal.Comparing The Shins to The Beatles is not far fetched at all.If Mercer and the gang keep producing albums of this quality, they could easily attain legendary status.However you've managed to stumble upon The Shins, I congratulate you; it's only a matter of time before everyone jumps on the bandwagon.Get "Chutes Too Narrow" asap! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Alternative Pop/Rock    2. Indie Pop    3. Indie Rock    4. Pop    5. Rock    6. Rock/Pop    7. United States of America   

Editorial Review

Beck brags here that he's "got two turntables and a microphone." He also has a sweeping aesthetic that sees no reason why musical allusions to hip-hop, the Beatles, James Brown, punk, Gram Parsons, cool jazz, and Dylan can't coexist in the same song. Throughout, he rap-sings with sincere irony--I bet he laughs at the sight of a jump-suited Elvis, then cries when the King starts to sing--and Read more

Reviews (171)

Formula, But Also Fun at Times
Really 3 and a half stars, but I round up.Unfortunately religion has crept into his work making the lyrics more pretentious and less insightful, despite the solid songwriting that defines the CD the songs many times fail to grab you. "Where It's At" was the first single and I don't needanother song written about the most overdone topic in rock, while others applaud it for some reason."The New Pollution" was the second single and to me this is formula at its most obvious.I am glad I own this CD though. I love many of the experimental sounds added and "Devil's Haircut" is worth the price of admission by itself.You can listen to this CD straight through, but it just doesn't match Mellow Gold or even Guero for it's abbility to draw you in.Recommended for diehard Beck fans.

Something for everyone
Odelay is one of those albums that leaves you smiling and thinking all at once. There are all kinds of genres crossed in this album. You'll hear funk, rap, bossa nova(he quotes Antonia Carlos Jobim briefly) and rock. The most interesting part of this album is not only the lesser known songs but that it still sounds fresh today almost ten years after it's release(June 18, 1996). There is something for everyone one this album which makes it a popular hit at parties. I'm new to Beck and Alternative Rock and I think I'll buy his Mellow Gold album next.

Uneven but way better than "Mellow Gold" -an influential album in its day - barely a classic
Though the album is very uneven with a lot of ok songs, as a whole "Odelay" is a great album. There are three Lo-Fi classics here - "Devil's Haircut", "Hotwax (which wasn't a hit), and "Where It's At". Not only does this make it accessible for non-Beck fans, but it makes the album that much more worth buying. Very creative with a lot of soul put into it. Its historical influence adds a lot of value to it and helps make it worth buying. Although "Guero" and "Mutations" are more satisfying as a whole (they contain no filler), "Odelay" is still a great record. Three factors give it a 5-star rating - the 3 classic songs, its creativity and its historical influence. Recommended!
Read more

Subjects:  1. Alternative Pop/Rock    2. Club/Dance    3. Indie Rock    4. Lo-Fi    5. Pop    6. Rock    7. Rock/Pop    8. Singer/Songwriter   

Editorial Review

During and after his days as the leader of Massachusetts band the Scud Mountain Boys, which fizzled after their dazzling 1996 Sub Pop release, Joe Pernice has crafted his songs with a juxtaposed blueprint--hummable melodies and a lush pop tenor camouflaging lyrics that reek of anxiety and aggravation. "Struggling through the S's/Through the tunnels in the trees/Through the sticky optimism hardening in me," he mordantly confesses in "PCH One," among the best of the doze