Florence & the Machine
Ceremonials
(Universal)
4/5
Ceremonials, the second album from English rock and soul artist Florence Welsh, makes use of a variety of instruments to create a sound that is unconventional yet welcoming.
It has an interesting, light, scientific side in songs like “Never Let Me Go” and “Spectrum,” and another side that is dark, deep, and meaningful: first single “Shake it Out” has themes of spirit possession, while “Seven Devils” pulls listeners into a story of death and revenge.
Florence’s first album, Lungs, showcased some of these themes, but her maturity—or maybe her success and confidence—has allowed them to take over Ceremonials in the best possible way.
Everything has come together here to put together a disc that is full of passion, strength, talent, and beauty. Ceremonials is an ideal combination of everything that should be used to create music.
-Chesley Ryder
Class Actress
Rapprocher
(Carpark)
2/5
The second album from Brooklyn-based trio Class Actress is a synth-pop disc with mid-to-late-‘80s pop stylings.
Class Actress are heavily influenced by Madonna and Depeche Mode, which becomes disarmingly evident on this album. Unfortunately, those influences add up to a disc that just isn’t very effective.
Much like the artists who inspire Class Actress, the band has created an album that has a couple of good singles, but lacks concrete direction, which it needs.
“Keep You” is like getting strip-searched by a wolf-hide-wearing fantasy disco woman; it’s a sexy dance tune. But the rest of the album just drops off: it goes from wolf-hide woman to a waiter giving you mildly suggestive advances. It’s kind of depressing: you’re not really sure if she just wants a better tip.
“Hangin’ On” is also pretty swag, but where is my wolf woman? Where, Class Actress, is my wolf woman?
-Adam Price
Justin Bieber
Under the Mistletoe
(Island)
5/5
Forget Christmas: this year I’m celebrating Biebermas!
Is that sacrilegious? Probably, but who cares? Not the 13-year-old girls rushing out to buy this album so they can memorize every word in hopes that one day at one of his concerts Justin will see them out in the crowd and notice how perfectly they sing along and then he pulls them up on stage and is all like, “Girl, you sing like an angel, let’s get married,” and I’m all like, “Okay!” Wait… what?
So, the clock’s ticking and I’ve failed to mention anything about the actual music on Under the Mistletoe, but here’s the thing: this really isn’t about the music. It’s about the true meaning of Christmas, which is making cold hard cash. Which is what Justin Bieber does best.
So this one’s a success. Happy holidays, everyone! It’s never too early to start buying!
-Clorisa Simpson
Carole King
A Holiday Carole
(Rockingale)
4/5
It might take a couple of songs to get into this CD, but some are worth transferring to your favorite media gizmo.
The first three tracks have a chirpy, frenetic quality that is a little off-putting if you’re a Tapestry fan. King’s daughter managed the project, so there may have been generational compromises.
But from the fourth track on, classic King comes through. There’s a sublime take or two on Chanukah, one which she charmingly duets with her grandson. Four songs in (once she sings to her strengths), the strands of her voice, the instrumentation, and the holidays are braided melodically together: a satisfying addition to any Christmas music library.
King ends with the softly nostalgic “New Year’s Day,” the last notes trailing off, lingering for a moment. Long enough to make you want to hear it again—just not from the top.
-Jean Oliver
U2
Achtung Baby (20th Anniversary Edition)
(Island)
4.5/5
One of U2’s greatest accomplishments came with the release of Achtung Baby in 1991. It won a Grammy and became one of the most influential albums of the ‘90s, combining electronic disco with driving classic rock to deliver the singles “The Fly,” “Mysterious Ways,” “Even Better Than the Real Thing,” “One,” and “Who’s Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses.”
This 20th anniversary edition features remixed renditions of “Even Better Than the Real Thing” and “Mysterious Ways.” They help to uncover the history of the band in creating the album, but come across as washed-out versions of the previous hits. The remix of “Who’s Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses” isn’t far from the original recording, perhaps other than some added momentum.
While the remixes fall short, the fact that the singles still compete with much of the radio play 20 years later deserves considerable respect.
-TJ Nyce