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Might be their hardest, hottest LP since The Ghost of Cain or at least “The Love of Hopeless Causes” and that says plenty. Is there a person his age getting perpetually younger (in all the best ways) in terms of his fire and determination than the ageless JUSTIN SULLIVAN? A pox on the idiots in our immigration dept. who failed to give this incredible band work visas for their tour this fall, causing them to cancel. A pox! What a joke!!!!!!
Reactions to this new fourth LP (fifth if you include A.C. NEWMAN’s similar solo LP) have been mixed, because everyone was so in love with their hard-smacking power pop they never wanted the band to change. But after a decade of recording, the band has earned the right to explore something else, and a more restrained, more mellow, pretty Pornographers (funny writing that!) is still an immensely wonderful one. Can’t stop playing this.
He’s the howlin’ wolfman, come howlin’ at your door. The utlimate ‘50s Chess bluesman, bar none. The perfect growly voice, the perfect material. This is is a pretty standard set, but it’s on the shelves now, so if you don’t have anything by this bigger than life character…
This exciting Newcastle bunch could perhaps be faulted for a making an LP that doesn’t break different ground from their debut, but then again, they are so good at it, I stopped caring by my second listen to this. It’s very nearly as great as the first, and that says a lot. It will infect you too.
Although I miss the more melodic thrust of this Oakland group’s previous two LPs, Asleep shows that a more esoteric Rogue Wave is still plenty good indeed.
An reasonable contender for pop LP of the year, the wonderful ms. Pollock, late of the lamented DELGADOS, steps out with a batch of her strongest songs ever, on a debut solo LP that never falters. A must for fans and newcomers alike.
Been listening to this since it came out in October. Willie always makes credible/listenable records, but this might be his best album in 20 years. What a good idea to make a record with a modern young band, namely RYAN ADAMS and his group; this collaboration with Adams, who also produces, it just flat our immediate, personal, timeless, new sounding, smart, and experienced all at once—like country should be but almost never is any more. Well, Willie was there before the birth of alt.country, and he’s still standing, his celebrity almost obscuring the fact that he isn’t some joke, he’s just the most talented modern country singer of the last 40 years.
Coming on LITTLE STEVEN’s new garage label, this English group still want to be the 1965-1966 WHO something fierce on this sophomore LP, but that’s forgiveable once you hear how hot a lot of this, especially the killer opening title track!!! Note, Little Steven is inteviewed in our upcoming Fall issue 61!!!
Perhaps their weakest LP since the last time they were this poorly produced—_The Gray Race__ it’s still better than any other punk rock album from the modern brigade. The original remains best. But note to band: it’s time to try something new, like you did on Recipe For Hate. Like this morning’s bread, you aren’t stale yet, but the hint of it is starting to show.
