Loney, Dear: Dear John

Artist: Loney, Dear
Album: Dear John
Date Released: January 27, 2009
Genre: alt-rock, indie-rock, indie-pop
Rating: 8.0

Loney, Dear is the pseudonym of Swedish singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Emil Svanängen. Dear John is Loney, Dear's third full-length album and the follow-up to his critically acclaimed Loney, Noir (2007).

On Dear John, Svanängen often treads perilously close to music that could be considered quite glossy and flowery, but his richly detailed arrangements and gorgeous soundscapes never allow the music to reach that point. Svanängen manages to darken these tracks with delicate moments of minimalism, his (almost uncomfortably) intimate vocal delivery, and plenty of minors and fifths.

Take the track, "Under a Silent Sea." Svanängen starts off with an unassuming acoustic guitar, but the arrangement slowly builds into one of the most powerful and dramatic tracks put out this year by any artist. The comparisons to Sufjan Stevens are not out of place.

Dear John is a difficult album to categorize and its charms aren't immediately recognizable. Stick with this album, though -- it's a real beauty.

YACHT: See Mystery Lights

Artist: YACHT
Album: See Mystery Lights
Date Released: July 28, 2009
Genre: indie-rock, indie-pop, dance
Rating: 8.3

Review: See Mystery Lights is an immensely enjoyable album from Portland's YACHT. Its tracks could easily serve double-duty as either dance tracks or pop singles. Khaela Maricich's vocals are sexy as hell and sung with just a touch of indifference and tongue-in-cheek. See Mystery Lights is an intricately assembled album with tunes that are as catchy and fun as its lyrics. Track highlights include "I'm in Love With a Ripper" and "The Afterlife."

The xx: The xx

Artist: The xx
Album: The xx
Date Released: August 25, 2009
Genre: indie-rock, indie-pop
Rating: 7.9

Review: Super-hyped bands have a tendency to disappoint, but England's The xx have exploded from the gate with an genuinely excellent album. The self-titled debut is soulful, moderately paced and laden with influences spanning from 80's Cure through to Massive Attack and Portishead. And it boasts one of the best tracks of the year in "Crystalized."

Múm: Sing Along to Songs You Don't Know

Artist: Múm
Album: Sing Along to Songs You Don't Know
Date Released: August 25, 2009
Genre: post-rock, indie-pop,
Rating: 7.3

Review: On Sing Along to Songs You Don't Know, Iceland's Múm have largely abandoned their IDM/electronica roots in favor of a more sophisticated and organic (but still highly percusive) sound. Synth beats have been largely (but not entirely) replaced by a string quartet, prepared piano, marimba, and hammered dulcimer -- and all accompanied by some very capable song writing. The breathy and intimate vocals are a definite stand-out.

Passion Pit: Manners

Artist: Passion Pit
Album: Manners
Date Released: May 19, 2009
Genre: indie-electronic, indie-pop
Rating: 7.4

Review: Following on the heels of the Chunk of Change EP, Manners is the highly anticipated debut album from Massachusetts outfit Passion Pit. For those looking for a continuation of their brilliant synth-infused pop this album will not disappoint. Manners features two highlights in particular, namely the opening track, "Make Light" and their latest single "The Reeling".

Of possible concern, however, is the realization that the album's strongest track, "Sleepyhead," is also featured on the EP; does this suggest that we’ve already seen the best from Michael Angelakos and company?

But with a strong live show and a knack for catchy riffs who am I to argue. Indeed, the band is steadily gathering support in America and in Europe. And anyone who knows their indie-electronic will be dancing along to Manners this summer.

Reviewed by Alex Diffley

Au Revoir Simone: Still Night, Still Light

Artist: Au Revoir Simone
Album: Still Night, Still Light
Date Released: May 19, 2009
Genre: indie-pop, indie-electronic, dream pop
Rating: 7.4

Review: Dream pop trio Au Revoir Simone's third studio album may not be a radical departure from their previous work, but it's the finest expression of their talents to date. Still Night, Still Light is sad, introspective and down-tempo. If the lyrics don't grab you, the songs will; the tracks are finely crafted, minimalistic and laden with vintage, lo-fi electronic sounds.

St. Vincent: Actor

Artist: St. Vincent
Album: Actor
Date Released: May 5, 2009
Genre: alt-rock, singer-songwriter, indie-pop
Rating: 7.8

Review:

Nearly two years after her debut album, Marry Me, Annie Clark (aka St. Vincent) has released Actor, an effort she wrote entirely herself and co-produced with John Congleton of The Paper Chase. Clark plays guitar, bass and keys on the record, but brought in some extra help in the form of Hideaki Aomori (Sufjan Stevens) and Alex Sopp (Bjork).

"The Neighbors" sets in with an unpredictable tempo, and throughout the track synthesizers shimmer and build to create a breathing, shaking sound, feeding the album with a fresh and unique potential.

The slow dancing violin introduction of "Black Rainbow" is seductive and fresh, with a lovely accompanying synth looping throughout the track. The vocals from Clark resoundingly carry while remaining mellow and calm. Towards the end of the track the synth becomes heavier, with the violins raising dramatically, becoming higher and higher as the swift change in sound changes the dimension of the album.

Just under the minute mark, "Marrow" bolts into a stark and uplifting beat, which catches you off guard and naturally makes your whole body jive to the rhythm; it's an excellent example of music changing direction to make you listen. "Party" helps Clark to build on one of her strengths in the shape of her addictive vocals, as a smiling piano twinkles to add solid foundation to the song.

A sumptuous beginning to the final track "The Sequel" involves brass and woodwind instruments which diffuse into acoustic guitar and Clark’s now familiar voice.

Actor cements itself as entrancingly listenable. But for all its moments of joyous unpredictability there are too many average expanses within the tracks, often leading to glorious climaxes cut short. Despite this, however, the album as a whole is a fine piece of work which many will find both soothing and embracing.

Reviewed by Asa Masters.

Metric: Fantasies

Artist: Metric
Album: Fantasies
Date Released: April 14, 2009
Genre: indie-rock, indie-pop, pop
Rating: 8.7

Review:

My initial reaction to Fantasies, Metric's fourth full length, was a resounding, "Wha?" It was definitely not what I expected from a band known for its edgy and even subversive post-punkish sensibilities. But as my surprise transitioned into acceptance, and as I properly digested the album, I now realize that Metric has put together an absolutely outstanding pop album.

This is a new Metric -- a band that has consciously chosen to dive headfirst into the pop arena. The album is upbeat, glossy and bubbly. A friend of mine referred to it as cotton candy -- and it's exactly that. Metric will undeniably lose some followers with this release, but they're guaranteed to gain 10 new fans for every one lost.

Despite the shift I'm still a Metric fan. I have a particular soft spot for a well crafted pop song, and Fantasies is full of them. Fantasies explodes out of the gates with three wham-bams: "Help I'm Alive", "Sick Muse" and "Satellite Mind." All three are drenched with an abundance of hooks and lyrical zingers.

Fantasies, despite its major scale tone, is often a contradiction in terms. The dark and self-reflective lyrics often work against the upbeat vibe as a sort of irony -- or as a way for the band to forcibly shatter the shackles of despair. On "Satellite Mind," vocalist Emily Hanes, who continues to have one of the sexiest voices in rock, declares, "I'm not suicidal, I just can't get out of bed." And on "Give Me Sympathy" she sings,

I can feel it in my bones
Gimme sympathy
After all of this is gone
Who'd you rather be?
The Beatles or the Rolling Stones?
Oh, seriously
You're gonna make mistakes, you're young
Come on, baby, play me a song
Like, "Here Comes the Sun"

Fantasies also features some excellent sound design; each track contains bits of ear candy that offer the album an added dynamism. I particularly enjoyed the Boards of Canada-esque lo-fi synth pads that colour "Twilight Galaxy."

Need a pick-me-up this summer? Look no further than Fantasies.

Reviewed by George Dvorsky.

The Decemberists: The Hazards of Love

Artist: The Decemberists
Album: The Hazards of Love
Date Released: March 24, 2009
Genre: indie-rock, indie-pop
Rating: 7.7

Review: The Hazards of Love is The Decemberists fifth studio release, an ambitious concept album that centers around the heroine Margaret, her impregnation by a shape-shifting animal, the Forest Queen, and various other characters. With The Hazards of Love, the Decemberists have crafted an album that is best listened to from start to finish -- one that offers one of the most satisfying musical experiences to come along this year. This is not the kind of album where the tracks can get thrown into a random playlist; this is a case where the whole is more than the sum of its parts.

Despite The Decemberists' seemingly strange concept and stage-show type approach, the otherworldly theme does not overpower or detract from the music. Instead, the lyrical content enriches both the music and the listening experience. The band is able to evoke a genuine emotional reaction from the listener and maintain interest despite some changes that seem to come right out of left field (as witnessed by the transition from harpsichord into chugga-chugga van rock on "The Queens Rebuke/The Crossing").

Indeed, The Hazards of Love feature songs that flow together with ease and lyrics that are begging to be sung. The storyline is not obscured beneath vagaries and metaphors; the lyrics still hold that trademark charm of previous Decemberists records. For example, from "The Hazards of Love 1":

She being full of charity a credit to her sex
Sought to right the fawn's hind legs
When here her plans were vexed
The Taiga shifted strange
The beast began to change

And like any good stage musical, The Hazards of Love even features a musical interlude that fits right in. But what I could have really done without is the eye-rolling children's choir.

The Hazards of Love ends in a rousing organ-drenched climax on "The Queen's Rebuke," a track that slowly brings the listener back down to the gorgeous “The Hazards of Love 4 (The Drowned)”.

It's not easy creating a concept album, particularly one that deliberately tries to sound like a stage show. But The Hazards of Love succeeds where many bands fail. The Decemberists have created a concept album in which the lyrics act in tandem with the music to produce a dramatic story that is just as interesting and strong as the songs themselves. This album may lack the catchy choruses of The Crane Wife, but it accomplishes so much more.

Standout tracks: "The Queens Rebuke/The Crossing", "Isn't It A Lovely Night", "Hazards of Love 4 (The Drowned)", and "The Rake's Song."

Reviewed by Ryan Konop.

Mirah: (A)spera

Artist: Mirah
Album: (A)spera
Date Released: March 3, 2009
Genre: indie rock, indie-pop
Rating: 7.2

A.C. Newman: Get Guilty

Artist: A.C. Newman
Album: Get Guilty
Date Released: January 20, 2009
Genre: indie-pop, indie-rock
Rating: 7.0

Review: Though he is the driving force behind the New Pornographers, Carl Newman's latest solo effort, Get Guilty, reveals that the NP's are more than the sum of its parts; without his trusty collaborators, namely Daniel Bejar and Neko Case, Newman's characteristic sound and arrangements go from great to merely good.

Unlike Neko and Bejar, whose solo efforts are a radical departure from the NP's, Newman is content to put out an album that is startlingly uninspired. Get Guilty is nothing more than the New Pornographers Lite. There's very little here that one wouldn't find on a NP album, including eye-rollingly Nekoesque back-up vocals (provided by Kori Gardner of Mates of State and Nicole Atkins). A.C. Newman is clearly comfortable working within the bounds of his trusty formula, much to the frustration of those fans hoping to hear something a bit different.

But what prevents this album from being a outright disappointment is Newman's ability to craft likeable songs. "The Heartbreak Rides" and "Submarines of Stockholm" are great tracks and they are true stand-outs. Taken as a whole, however, Get Guilty lacks punchiness and it's predictability makes Get Guilty only so-so.