Maximo Park - THE NATIONAL HEALTH
A CERTAIN TRIGGER, the debut album of Maximo Park, is a great record – Clever and sprightly with melodic twists, filled with great songs brimming with emotion. The follow-up OUR EARTHLY PLEASURES was similar but not quite as deft musically. MP’s third album QUICKEN THE HEART was a disappointment. They sounded like they had lost all their energy and drive.
It
might be too much to ask that that they reach the heights of TRIGGER again. NATIONAL HEALTH, their newly released fourth album, is energetic and
fun. Far better than QUICKEN but the
songs are simpler. I enjoy this record
because I like MP’s sound- A low rent Roxy Music with Paul Smith’s strong vocal
presence. I hope they can find the
inspiration to duplicate TRIGGER again but this will do until then.
The dB’s - FALLING OFF THE SKY
In
1982, Chris Stamey left The dB’s. His
fellow singer/songwriter Peter Holsapple carried on for a few more records but
the end result was like a bird with only one wing. Gone was the jittery pop. In its place was a smoother sound.
FALLING
OFF THE SKY, The dB’s first album with both Stamey and Holsapple in 30 years,
does not attempt to recreate their original edgy version of pop instead the
sound is wistful very reminiscent of later day Squeeze. I think it might be too much to go back in
time. These are men in their 50’s and
this is mature pop music.
Marriages - KITSUNE
The
My Bloody Valentine mothership which has inspired a 1,000 other bands has also
had the sometimes negative effect of creating a trap with no exit. A lot of bands copy their sound note for note
without finding a way to put in their own personality.
KITSUNE
the debut album by the group Marriages finds a way out of that dead end. A less
cacophonous, more relaxed take on shoegaze, these guys can really play as well. A promising start.
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