Max Richter - Infra: B+

"Infra 5"

EXT. JOSHUA'S PATIO- SUNSET

The sun is slowly setting as Joshua appears to be fully coated in orange from the strong shade of the sun. He leans on a post pensively, staring at the ground.

Joshua:

(looking up)

You know we can't keep doing this?

Kaitlin:

What?

Joshua:

You know.

Kaitlin:

Seriously, what?

Joshua:

That.

Kaitlin:

Oh.

Joshua turns to Kaitlin and holds her hands, rubbing them, affectionately.

Kaitlin:

(continued)

That.

Joshua:

But what do we do about it?

Kaitlin:

I'm not sure. I need to think. And that thinking's gotta be intense. I mean this is some serious thinking fodder.

Joshua:

(whispering)

I've got just the thing.

Josh walks to the CD player conveniently placed on a bench and PRESSES play. Max Richter's "Infra 5" begins.

Kaitlin:

(surprised)

Woah. You weren't kidding.

Josh walks up to Kaitlin and goes back to the position they were at before.

Joshua:

(still whispering)

Yeah. I just got this album. It seems like it was specifically made for pensive thought in a melodramatic movie.

Kaitlin:

It certainly is dramatic.

Joshua:

(raising his voice)

Like you would know!

Joshua runs off, arms flailing, frantically. Kaitlin SITS at the bench next to the CD player, presses the rewind button eight times to "Journey 1", and RAISES the volume.

Kaitlin:

Wow, no matter how hard I try, I can't help but have my eyes widen at this wonderfully crafted music. I mean, it seems it's either just really emotional piano or orchestral arrangements. Fantastic.

Kaitlin skips three tracks to "Journey 2"

Kaitlin:

Oh, and experimental drone tracks. But it all seems to convey, perfectly, the silent but precious atmosphere of deep, intense thought.

Joshua bursts through the doors to the patio, arms flailing slightly less.

Joshua:

Have you made your decision, yet?

Kaitlin:

No. I think I'll need more time to think. And could you burn me this album? It's exquisite!

Joshua:

You like it? I think it's great. Especially "Infra 5". It's just this rich orchestral piece that you think is going to release this great catharsis at the end, but is undercut by the drone of what sounds like an intercom. Sure, it's a little frustrating, but Max's artistry won't let you take the easy way out.

Kaitlin:

(gets up from bench)

Kinda like emotional blue balls.

Joshua:

Well you're much more experienced in that field than I am.

Kaitlin:

Oh, you ass. Come on. We'll think together, intensely, while we listen to Max Richter's new album.

Joshua:

Sounds good. I need to get to the hospital anyway. That dramatic burst through the doors to the patio has left my arms mangled with splinters, and I'm pretty sure I have some glass sticking out of my palm.

Kaitlin offers her hand to Joshua, Joshua shakes his head, Kaitlin shrugs, and the two walk into the sunset, knowing full well that, by the time Kaitlin returns, her house will be infested with bugs from leaving the patio doors open for so long.

Max Richter - Infra: B+

Mount Kimbie - Crooks & Lovers: B

"Mayor"

It seems to me that Mount Kimbie released their debut LP at the exact wrong time. With already great to excellent releases from electronic artists Toro y Moi, Flying Lotus and Guido this year alone, I can't help but compare every track of Crooks & Lovers in some way to the hazy glo fi of the first, the skittery IDM of the second or the conservative dubset of the third.

This doesn't necessarily preclude a good listening experience. But, for anyone who has heard the newest albums from any of the three artists I just mentioned, Crooks & Lovers will smack of unoriginality.

What does sound original on Crooks & Lovers is the implementation of unique percussion styles. The foundation of "Before I Move Off", for example, is comprised of the clicking of one's tongue against the roof of their mouth at different frequencies. The groove of "Carbonated" sounds to me like the dropping of a pebble into a puddle and the repeated flicking of a carpet. "Ruby" sounds like a game of table tennis is being played throughout the duration of the song, and, oh look at that! Flying Lotus already did that on his song "Table Tennis" ("But, Paul. You can't honestly think that just because Flying Lotus had the sound of table tennis in his song you can fault everyone else who does it on their album." In fact I can. Few artists can lay claim to that playing style, and FlyLo pretty much perfected it on his album.). However intriguing these production tics can get, they might as well be filed under "Wow Factor" for their failure to compensate for an album's worth of material.

By the end of Crooks & Lovers, we do get to see Mount Kimbie come into their own with a sound purely theirs. "Mayor", "Between Time" and the last minute and fifteen seconds of "Field" all hint at the duo's unique composition abilities, and might make for a good album if expanded on a future release.

If Crooks & Lovers proves to be the album where Mount Kimbie get their footing and name out there, I will be more than happy with that. The album's final seven minutes show that the group has the potential to be a reckoning force in modern electronic music. I look forward to seeing what the group comes up with next, but am a little frustrated at how little Crooks &Lovers will maintain that enthusiasm until then.

Mount Kimbie - Crooks & Lovers: B

Lil' Wayne - The Rebirth: B-

"Knockout"

Rock album? More like hip-hop with guitars playing over it. I've heard more rock from Gnarls Barkley and Lupe Fiasco.

Emo? Sure, "Prom Queen" is undoubtedly crappy for Lil' Wayne's unnecessary eagerness to tack his heart to his sleeve, but the rest of The Rebirth, to Wayne's credit, experiments with multiple facets of rock music, whether it be through the No Doubt spunk of "Get A Life" or the tom-heavy funk of "Ground Zero".

Worst album of the year? Hardly. The Rebirth is by no means a masterpiece, but I've heard much worse. Despite nearly an all-out refusal to spit more than two good verses ON HIS OWN ALBUM, Wayne's newest is kept afloat by beats that can range from the interesting to replay-worthy. Take "Knockout" for example. Wayne's verses are adequate at best, but that Blink-182-style guitar line and that scene-stealing turn from Nikki Minaj make for a song that's significantly better than decent.

So everything you've been told about The Rebirth is wrong. It's listenable, and, considering how much crappy press it's gotten since its release, it might just exceed your expectations. That said, The Rebirth isn't really worth your money. Buy "Knockout" and maybe "On Fire" and call it a day, because there are far too many times when The Rebirth lives up to its anti-hype, such as every ballad and whenever Lil' Wayne mixes his Auto-Tune with his distortion. "The Price is Wrong", in fact, could be the worst song of the year. It's all pretty much a misstep, but it won't disgust you quite as much as people would have you believe.

Lil' Wayne - The Rebirth: B-

Midlake - The Courage of Others: B+

"Acts of Man"

"I will never have the courage of others," goes the chorus to the title track of Midlake's third album. So, yeah, don't expect the folk rock band to be painting on Five Hour Energy smiles any time soon. As disparaging as the themes of Midlake's newest can get, the album is impeccably produced. Melancholied harmonies soar and tepid fingers pluck while tempos slow to a crawl, and, if you immerse yourself enough, you can imagine yourself in feudal England, where I guess this would be the equivalent of grunge. Regardless, The Courage of Others is an acoustic album that is sound enough that, when the electric moments do come, you're pleasantly surprised as opposed to breathing a sigh of relief.

Midlake - The Courage of Others: B+

Kylie Minogue - Aphrodite: A-

"Get Outta My Way"

Earlier this year, Goldfrapp released an album of heavily '80's-influenced dance music, entitled Head First. Fake drums echoed, synths squealed, and Goldfrapp winked at the listener as hard as she could, all while making a pretty good album in the process. Although many cited Olivia Newton-John as a clear influence, one could argue that Goldfrapp entrenched herself on Head First into an exaggeration of a sound pioneered by Kylie Minogue, and, ultimately, perfected by Cascada's "Everytime We Touch". Essentially, Goldfrapp was making a Kylie Minogue parody with Head First, but little did she know that Kylie Minogue was going to do a better Kylie Minogue parody in the same year.

Currently, I write my reviews in the living room of a house in the suburbs, so one can imagine how ridiculous it looks when I try to resist putting my hands up at Kylie Minogue's command in "Put Your Hands Up (If You Feel Love)". It's a cliched demand for anyone who's set foot in a school dance, but, inexplicably, Mingue makes it sound fresh. Absurdly unselfconscious lines like "All we need is love in this life, it's true" are forgiven amidst infectious production. On Aphrodite, Kylie makes it clear she knows what she's good at and delivers to the best of her ability; no guests, no experimentation. There's a song to strut to ("Everything Is Beautiful"), kiss to ("Cupid Boy"), kiss off to ("Get Outta My Way") and dance to (All of them). It's one of those dance albums that covers all of the bases within its provincial purpose and is oddly versatile for it. You could just put Aphrodite on and never have to skip a track.

And dance's most reliable songstress has saved the summer, again.

Kylie Minogue - Aphrodite: A-

Big Boi - Sir Luscious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty: A+

"Shutterbug"

Usually, when it comes to hip-hop albums, it is the beat that initially garners my interest. The lyrical content can either elevate or diminish my impression of a song or album, but, undoubtedly, this is almost always a secondary judgement. Sir Luscious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty, Big Boi's first solo outing from his mainstay, Outkast, worked, for me, in the exact opposite way. Don't get me wrong: The beats of "Shutterbug" and "General Patton" are some of the most inventive I have ever heard. But, from a purely melodic standpoint, most of the songs of Sir Luscious Left Foot do not break much new ground. Instead, the vocal performances of Big Boi and his compatriots captured my interest; the music, itself, revealing its greatness with repeated listens.

EVERY voice here sounds perfectly positioned to compliment the music. Big Boi, himself, is always rapping on some level of profundity; not once does he show flaw or blunder. His role as the center of the show is unquestioned, throughout, so I want to take some time to give some much-deserved respect to the proverbial stage hands and dressing-room consultants who allow the man to perform at his most spry. T.I.'s elastic drawl fits wonderfully on the DIRTY (feel free to add "r"'s to your leisure) "Tangerine". Yelawolf's verses on "You Ain't No DJ" are both aurally pleasing and lyrically splendid, his hilariously manic annunciation one of the many highlights of the album ("And God said 'Look to the burning bush'/Now turned to weed/So I jumped on my shit when I saw my mamma burning trees"). Although the performance, itself, is nothing spectacular, Janelle Monae's maturely subdued tone compliments the neo-soul romp of "Be Still", perfectly. The post-chorus of "Hustle Blood" is pure comedic gold. The skit at the end of "You Ain't No DJ" is so brilliant, it should be featured in the lyrics booklet. And, of course, the David Blaine, which I will probably never forget, whether I want to or not.

A moment to list a few notable words and phrases on Sir Luscious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty (pronunciations included when appropriate):

• Anything ending in "er"
• With [weeth]
• Kodak You ("Kodak" being a verb in this case)
• Pretty Bitties
• Outdoors [out-douz]
• Alligator Souffle
• Patton [pateyn] [patuhn]
• Semi Up To This Tow Truck
• Ayalabiameyayagains [Good fucking luck]
• Chicken Chow Mein
• The entire chorus of "Fo Yo Sorrows"
• Must Be Teatime
• Perimeter
• Obsolete [ob-suh-leyt]
• Feel Me

If reviewers are reluctant to award Sir Luscious Left Foot the classic status it deserves due to the hype machine that still hums in the distance, allow me to speak for them by saying it is the greatest rap album released in at least four years. This is one of those albums that comes around every once in a while that perfectly exemplifies an hour of pure good times. Not a moment of Sir Luscious Left Foot is wasted, so the least anyone can do is waste no time in listening to it.

Big Boi - Sir Luscious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty: A+

The Magnetic Fields - Realism: A-

"You Must Be Out of Your Mind"

• Stephen Merritt has said this is The Magnetic Fields' "folk album"
• The band's still satirical after all these years, and is still obsessed with undermining the "pop" formula, a word whose definition seems to change with every Magnetic Fields album

If you've heard anything about this album, you already know the above two points; points that are absolutely right. After more than a decade of having his tongue firmly in his cheek, one would think that Stephen Merritt's muscles would weaken before our ears. But here we are in 2010, and The Magnetic Fields haven't really changed, and, which is probably a bigger accomplishment, they are still funny.


First track, "You Must Be Out of Your Mind" is straightforward wry humor ("You can't go around just saying stuff / Because it's pretty / And I no longer drink enough / To think you're witty") and "The Doll's Tea Party" is your standard critique of upper-middle class ennui ("We won't have it said / We're fashion obsessed / We're just prettier ladies / Than most of the rest"). And, though the subject matter isn't revelatory, the band's parodies of them are still quite enjoyable. I giggled when I heard Merritt murmur "I could throw you off the nearest cliff" at the end of "I Don't Know What to Say" and I smiled at the seemingly random reference to Ho Chi Minh in the German-speaking "Everything Is One Big Christmas Tree". The banjo-dominated production, bereft of all distortion and most amplification, sounds great as well, and is never at odds with the, at times, scathing lyrical content.

If you're looking for more than just a facade of sincerity, I would direct you away from Realism and the rest of the Magnetic Fields discography for that matter. However, everyone's inner cynic will love this album, because it is (arguably) healthy to get bogged down in the lovesick every once in a while.

The Magnetic Fields - Realism: A-

School of Seven Bells - Disconnect From Desire: B+

"Windstorm"

I wouldn't expect more than just an enjoyable listening experience with Disconnect From Desire. School of Seven Bells play a kind of ethereal pop that can either keep you smiling or get you really annoyed. Thankfully, they never get very close to the latter, as there is always something to keep your interest amidst all of the fuzz and cooing. "Windstorm" is a clear highlight, its choir-like chorus making an immediate case for the album. And the rest either plays off a catchy riff ("Camarilla", "Dust Devil") or just plays off a confidence you are actually convinced of (Spoon take heed).

For an album so musically winsome, singer Alejandra Deheza's lyrics are surprisingly bleak and lovelorn. "You don't have to be cruel," she sings among perfect harmonies on "Dust Devil". "But time has a heart for cruelty". In "I L U", Alejandra states her emotions most explicitly. Its unique phrasing allows her say "Looking into your eyes for a sign that maybe you feel the same," without any obvious feeling of caesura in addition to this key detail: "But you don't". It's moments like those that give Disconnect From Desire more depth than one who just listens to the music would give them credit for.

I wouldn't take my rating for Disconnect From Desire too seriously, because, over the time I listened to it, my rating increased significantly, so it may be greater as the year goes on. I would suggest giving this album a listen, simply because it may grow on you as it did for me. The first half of 2010 has yielded some pretty amazing music, so calling this one slightly above average in comparison is more of a compliment than you'd think.

School of Seven Bells - Disconnect From Desire: B+

RJD2 - The Colossus: A-

"Let There Be Horns"

Most of those who have problems with RJD2's most recent material don't like Ramble Jon Krohn's increased vocal role in the songs he creates, arguing that his range isn't flexible enough to be employed for all of the genres he likes to experiment with. With the Colossus, I would not tend to agree with this assessment; Krohn's reedy tone is nothing if not adequate to fit the material on here. However, I will say that the best moments on The Colossus are when nobody sings. The jazzy pulp of "Let There Be Horns" is absolute fun, and more hip hop-oriented instrumentals like "Small Plans" and "Tin Flower" are clear highlights on an album full of them. It is here where Krohn's songwriting ability truly shines, unafraid to indulge in a creepy choir-led interlude in "The Stranger" or break out a harpsichord solo in "Giant Squid".

The songs with vocals are also excellent, but clearly show Krohn playing within definite parameters. The Phonte Coleman-helmed "The Shining Path" is a great slice of soul with its plunking piano keys and relaxed percussion and "Games You Can Win" features a good vocal performance from an artist I thought had dropped off the face of the Earth (Kenna in case you were wondering). The only weak track present is "A Son's Cycle", which features rappers The Catalyst, Illogic and NP performing over three revolving beats, and, although it is an interesting premise, it does not translate into a song that flows particularly well.

Many RJD2 fans fault Krohn for branching off into other genres (mainly soul and R&B) as opposed to making the more traditional hop hop featured on his earlier albums, but I honestly wouldn't mind if Krohn kept coming out with albums like The Colossus for a while. Sure, innovation is key to any artist, but, with The Colossus, RjD2 shows that he continues to be a versatile force to be reckoned with.

RJD2 - The Colossus: A-

Four Tet - There Is Love in You: C+

"Love Cry"

For an album that has been so critically reveled, I am surprised at how little of a reaction I got from Four Tet's newest album. In my M.I.A. review, I spoke of songs that just wash over me with little fanfare in any particular direction, but when There Is Love In You finished the first time I heard it, I almost immediately forgot what I had just listened to. It's not so much that the album is boring, but the quintessence of forgettable. I would suggest just listening to There Is Love In You only if you were desperate for some sort of musical accompaniment, but, you could probably get more revelations if you kept your window open. At least then there's a sliver of a chance something interesting will happen, whereas, on There Is Love In You, that chance is all but obliterated. The concept of why people find so much to like in this record is almost as difficult to me as trying to remember the title of this album AS I REVIEW IT. I would say that There Is Love In You is a snooze, but it doesn't even help you sleep, either. So you tell me: What the hell is the point of this album?

Four Tet - There Is Love in You: C+