James Blake
Enough Thunder
(Universal)
4/5
James Blake’s latest addition to his musical catalogue is this six-song EP, which contains his unique style of eclectic electronic sounds mixed with synthesized genius.
What makes Blake so unique is his ability to sweep the listener off their feet and carry them somewhere they could only imagine, and could only fear. Like passionate nightmares or a painful kiss, Blake’s music is confusing yet compelling.
His brilliance comes from his ability to change the pain into pleasure, leaving the listener empty until they realize that life just wouldn’t have been the same without that moment.
If your musical taste is stimulated by self-discovery and escape, Blake will envelope your senses amidst his layers of rich melodies and brilliant sadness.
-TJ Nyce
M83
Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming
(Mute US)
4.5/5
On M83’s sixth full-length album, the double-disc Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming, the Los-Angeles-by-way-of-France dream-pop/shoegaze band takes the listener on a cerebral journey across an endless shoal whose thin waters reflect a distant-yet-vast setting sun.
Make no mistake: Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming is a tremendous album, delicately woven with the finest of threads.
Traditionally, dream-pop albums flow together as if you’re in a dream; with Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming, M83 has provided a tapas array of evolving sounds and beats. They’re able to achieve this because of the various tasteful and brief transitional filler songs placed between their more concrete songs. These brief interludes enable the band to go from slow to fast, and harsh to fine.
This album is definitive for 2011, and it’s sure to grow with age.
-Adam Price
Mayer Hawthorne
How Do You Do
(Universal Republic)
3.5/5
Turn the lights down low, light some candles, poor a glass of Courvoisier, and get ready for a cheesy soulful romancing. Contemporary hip soul crooner Mayer Hawthorne’s latest album, How Do You Do, showcases his enthusiasm for ’60s and ’70s soul and R&B.
It’s not surprising that some of Hawthorne’s influences, like Isaac Hayes and Barry White, revealed themselves on this album. This is especially true on the song “Can’t Stop,” which features Snoop Dogg.
Hawthorne’s pulse-paced beats are just too catchy to ignore, and you may find yourself unknowingly singing along to album highlights like “A Long Time” before too long at all.
While you may not fall for his dysfunctional lyricism, Hawthorne’s approach and style may be just what the doctor ordered to put the smile back on your face.
-TJ Nyce
Patrick Stump
Soul Punk
(Island)
1/5
Most of us know Patrick Stump as the singer from Fall Out Boy. Remember how bad Fall Out Boy were? Due to the quality of this album, I think it’s safe to say that Stump is the one to blame.
This 10-song album is about nine songs too long. I’m not hinting that one of those tracks is good; no, they’re all awful. Ultimately, Stump could have just rolled all these songs into one amazing, epic hour-long song of the worst pulpy pop garbage of all time.
Musically, every track sounds completely identical; Stump just marks the changing of songs with different lyrics. They’re not even good lyrics. They’re lyrics like this: “If you’re unfaithful put your hands in the air, hands in the air…” Wait… what?
The nicest thing I could possibly say about this album is that it’s dancey, so I’m sure it will please the top-40, club, and 13-year-old crowds.
-Clorisa Simpson
Ben Wilkins
Ben Wilkins
(Milagro)
2/5
After reading that Canadian indie-pop/jazz artist Ben Wilkins studied music at McGill University and received a scholarship following graduation to teach and study music in China, I was expecting an album full of songs that could be described as culturally influenced, passionate, or interesting.
But the only interesting thing about Wilkins’ self-titled debut album is its lack of creativity.
It’s the kind of album that, if you purchased it and it made its way onto your mp3 player, you would only end up listening to if it came on during shuffle. It’s the kind of album that you would buy and then forget you even own because the songs are unoriginal, bland, and lifeless.
For a debut album, Wilkins should have worked to create something interesting, or at least something that people would talk about. Instead, this disc will leave listeners wanting more because it’s forgettable and doesn’t showcase Wilkins’ experiences or originality.
-Chesley Ryder