This Week's Releases
Cat's Eyes, Jimmy Barnes, The Strokes and more
Ladyhawke — Wild Things (EMI)
Following Ladyhawke's "joyously eclectic" first record, Wild Things is "less of a return to form, and more of a triumphant statement of rejuvenation". The album has a "running theme of celebration" with optimistic synths, "traversing a full-bodied spectrum of sounds as they drive the songs into a neon-tinted future". A project "grounded in emotional maximalism", this is "one of the most enjoyable alternative-pop albums this year". We gave it four stars and our Album Of The Week.
The Kills — Ash & Ice (Domino/EMI)
It's been five years between drinks for The Kills, the "stalled three-year project delayed by guitarist James Hince's hand requiring six operations," and the result is one that "lacks spontaneity". Doing It To Death and Heart Of A Dog are highlights — the latter is "direct, concise and brutally effective" — but after that "the record dwindles into ever clunkier, ever more tired sounding songwriting". We gaev it three stars.
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Tegan & Sara — Love You To Death (Warner)
Though guitars "played a major part in their work for a long, long time", Tegan & Sara's Love You To Death is full of "unabashed synth-pop". Beneath "the bubblegum sounds and production" these songs are iron-strong — "this is '80s era overproduction the way it should be". Delivering a "totally fresh take on pop", this album is "as intriguing as they are purely enjoyable". We gave it four stars.
and the rest of the releases…
Amber Arcades — Fading Lines (Heavenly Recordings/[PIAS] Australia)
Antonia Susan — artists music (Sad Grrrls Club)
Arthur Wimble — Hearts (TEEF Recordings)
Brad Melhdau Trio — Blues And Ballads (Nonesuch/Warner)
Cat's Eyes — Treasure House (RAF/Kobalt)
Classixx — Faraway Reach (Future Classic)
Dark Funeral — Where Shadows Forever Reign (Century Media/Sony)
Dexys — Let The Record Show Dexys Do Irish & Country Soul (Warner)
Drown This City — False Idols (MGM)
Fakear — Animal (EMI)
Fiona Brice — Postcards From (Bella Union/[PIAS] Australia)
Gates — Parallel Lives (Pure Noise/Sony)
Hellyeah — Undeniable (Eleven Seven/Sony)
If These Trees Could Talk — The Bones Of A Dying World (Metal Blade Records/Rocket)
Jae Weatford — Heart Miles (Sony)
Jimmy Barnes — Soul Searchin' (Liberation)
Jordan Rakei — Cloak (4101 Records/Soul Has No Tempo)
Junk Son — Junk Son (37 Adventures/[PIAS] Australia)
Maren Morris — Hero (Sony)
Michael Franti & Spearhead — Soulrocker (Fantasy Records/Universal)
Minor Victories — Minor Victories ([PIAS] Australia)
Mourn — Ha, Ha, He. (Captured Tracks/Remote Control)
Paul Simon — Stranger To Stranger (Concord/Universal)
Poison Headache — Poison Headache (Metal Blade Records/Rocket)
Roxette — Good Karma (Warner)
Sam Brittain — Signal Lights (Independent)
Sir Was — Says Hi (City Slang/Inertia)
Steve Gunn — Eyes On The Lines (Matador/Remote Control)
The Claypool Lennon Delirium — Monolith Of Phobos (ATO/[PIAS] Australia)
The Highwaymen — The Highwaymen Live: American Outlaws (Legacy/Sony)
The Melvins — Basses Loaded (Ipecac/[PIAS] Australia)
The Strokes — Future Present Past (Cult Records)
Train — Does Led Zeppelin II (Atlantic/Warner)
Tully On Tully — Miles Away (Independent)
Volbeat — Seal The Deal & Let's Boogie (Universal)
Whitney — Light Upon The Lake (Secretly Canadian/Inertia)
Xenia Rubinos — Black Terry Cat (Anti-)
Xylaroo — Sweetooth (Sunday Best/[PIAS] Australia)
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