Spiritualized - And Nothing Hurt (Fat Possum, 2018)

Spiritualized
And Nothing Hurt
Fat Possum
2018

Rating: 9 electrocuted ducks out of 10

It’s right there in the bible, clear as day – “and on the seventh day, god told Jason Pierce to stop dicking around and release a new friggin' Spiritualized record already, because he needed some new jams what with all the laying around on clouds he had planned.”  Pierce has done four and five year gaps recently, but this time it was six – and I’m not at all fan of the direction these waits are trending in.  In fact, there has been some talk this is the last Spiritualized album, but I flat out refuse to believe that.  Yeah, no one will be surprised if the next record takes forever, but I have a hard time believing Pierce will ever completely stop making music.  Gorgeous, amazing music, music the world needs, even if they don't know it.

The opening two tracks "A Perfect Miracle" and "I'm Your Man" got released a few weeks before "And Nothing Hurt," so I've been living with those for a while. They're damn near perfect encapsulations of what it is that makes Spiritualized so incredible - lush, mesmerizing orchestral compositions paired with British pop that often feels and sounds more like lullabies than rock music.  That's the bulk of the album at least - there are always a couple of harder rockers too, and for this release they are the upbeat bluesy numbers "On The Sunshine" and "The Morning After."  Both of which you could easily imagine as undiscovered outtakes from "Exile On Main Street" if Pierce's voice sounded at all like Mick Jagger.  You know what other songs are a highlight here?  Every goddamn one of them.   

I've already complained about how long it took Pierce to make "And Nothing Hurt," but when you listen you can kinda hear why - it gives off the vibe that every note was finely crafted and fretted over before it was ever agreed that it would be released to the world.  And even if I might get antsy about how long you have to wait between Spiritualized albums, I also wouldn't change a damn thing if this is the result.  

The King Khan & BBQ Show - Animal Party 7'' (Fat Possum, 2008)

The King Khan & BBQ Show
Animal Party 7''
Fat Possum
2008

Rating: 6.5 lunch hours out of 10

Maybe not the greatest King Khan & BBQ Show songs, but some of their best packaging to be sure - it comes with a coloring book!  Title track "Animal Party" is also available on their full-length "Invisible Girl," and it might be my least favorite on the record to be honest.  Definitely enjoy side B "God of Raisins" the most of the par of tracks. 

The Walkmen - Heaven (Fat Possum, 2012)

The Walkmen

Heaven

Fat Possum

2012

Rating: 6 pepper plants out of 10

I've liked The Walkmen for a long time, and I dug Jonathan Fire*Eater before that, but I'm not all that enthusiastic for their new record "Heaven." The defining heavy organ use is still there and Hamilton Leithauser's vocals still dominate their sound, but something about them isn't clicking for me anymore.  Too clean?  Too adult?  Maybe it's Phil Ek's production that is sitting weird with me, but then again he's been gold with everything Built to Spill has released.   Maybe I just hit my internal quota for Walkmen songs, and I'm not willing to give up their "Bows + Arrows" or "A Hundred Miles Off" memories and replace it with these new songs.  New track "Nightingales" comes the closest to capturing that old magic for me, but there are just too many tracks here that come and go and leave no impression.  This isn't a bad record though, and certainly many people will enjoy it.  It might find it's way to a few car commercials.  It probably won't find it's way back to my ears too terribly often, instead choosing one of their older works if I'm in the mood. 

El-P - Cancer4Cure (Fat Possum, 2012)

El-P

Cancer4Cure

Fat Possum

2012

Rating: 7.5 donut holes out of 10

I was fairly indifferent to this latest El-P album until I hit the fifth track, and there, subtly in the background, he had sample a line from the film "Top Secret" to open the track.  This discovery implored me to listen a little more closely, and of course it's a top album.  This is a man on top of his game people, let us all move out of the way and let him pass.  Aside from the sample the song is completely bad-ass, and from that track the next three songs are the key core of the record.  that run also features the likes of Mr. Muthafuckin' eXquire, Danny Brown, and Killer Mike, so El-P and hauling this load alone.  I think I'm going to listen to this a whole lot this summer.  

On a side note, kinda surprised and pleased to see Fat Possum putting this out.  A label that started out releasing underground blues like T-Model Ford and RL Burnside has really spread their wings.  Probably that Black Keys money, with those guys blowing up those back catalog records must be selling well these days.  

Spiritualized - Sweet Heart, Sweet Light (Fat Possum, 2012)

Spiritualized

Sweet Heart, Sweet Light

Fat Possum

2012

Rating: 8 presidential hockey sticks out of 10

Why does it feel like forever since Spiritualized put out a record, even though "Songs in A & E" came out in 2008?  Is it some statement on the timelessness of their albums, or maybe I'm just full of shit?  Likely both.  What I do know is it's four years later, and they've released another orchestral noise pop gem in "Sweet Heart, Sweet Light."  At this point I'm guessing most folks interested in Spiritualized already know what they are getting into - huge, cinematic movements backed by string sections and choruses and...listen, they're "big" goddamn songs.  This album is honestly more of the same, but who is going to argue with that?  It's an complete joy from the first listen, and certainly one of the best records so far this first half of 2012. 

Bass Drum of Death - GB City (Fat Possum, 2011)

Bass Drum of Death

GB City

Fat Possum

2011

Rating: 7 trash spilling raccoons out of 10

Bass Drum of Death are part of the current wave of young kids making noisy garage pop, something that has gone on for decades but really seems to have grown exponentially in the last couple of years.  And grown not just in the number of bands of this description, but their acceptance into the mainstream.  It's simple music mostly, played passionately and with reckless abandon as only kids still in or just removed from their teens seem to be able to do.

It's at this point that I try to convince you BDoD are somehoe different from the rest of the pack...but they're not really, not in any quantifiable way.  Their songs might be a little catchier, that's about it.  Despite all that, I do enjoy these guys more than most of the pack, even if I'm not sure why.  They feel like honest rock-n-rollers, not interlopers getting in on the next trend.  This is just a gut feeling though, they might be interlopin' like motherfuckers.  Regardless, I like this record.  Especially the track "Get Found", which sounds a lot like the Stooge's "Search an Destroy" in all the right ways.  It's a damn catchy song, and one I hope doesn't find them in court opposite of Iggy Pop. 

Youth Lagoon - The Year of Hibernation (Fat Possum, 2011)

Youth Lagoon

The Year of Hibernation

Fat Possum

2011

Rating: 5.5 summer loves out of 10

I've had folks trying to sell me on Youth Lagoon and his debut album "The Year of Hibernation" for a few months now, so I finally broke down and gave it a listen.  Verdict - it ain't doing much for me.  Far from being bad or awful, it's just...boring.  Lo-fi bedroom pop, it sounds like what you might get if Grandaddy's Jason Lytle had a kid who was really into Sparklehorse and recording songs where he sets up a tape deck at one end of a long hall, and performs them at the other end.  After a couple of listens the only song that stood out to me was "Montana", and that is most like due to it being the loudest/most upbeat song on the release.  I'm certain this is going to get a lot of year-end love, and that's fine, though misplaced in my estimation. 

Unknown Mortal Orchestra - Unknown Mortal Orchestra (Fat Possum, 2011)

Unknown Mortal Orchestra
Unknown Mortal Orchestra
Fat Possum
2011

Rating: 5 engorged marmots out of 10

I know Unknown Mortal Orchestra are one of the hot new buzz bands going right now, lots of kids digging then and all that shit. And the music ain't bad, fairly catchy pop songs, maybe a little more falsetto singing than is necessary, but not bad. But here's the thing - they sound pretty much just like Super Furry Animals. Well, SFA if they were being played from a shitty tape deck at the end of a long metal pipe. You could certainly do much worse if you're looking to hear some lo-fi soul-tinged pop music, but it just makes me want to break out "Rings Around The World" or "Phantom Power".

Dinosaur Jr. - Beyond (Fat Possum, 2007)

Dinosaur Jr.
Beyond
Fat Possum
2007

Rating: 8.5 baby brontosaurus teeth out of 10

I’m sure like most music fans, you’ve sat around bored and daydreamed about “what if” one of your favorite bands got back together. For me, this mostly revolved around The Misfits, Archers of Loaf, Polvo, The Smiths, The Clash (before Joe Strummer died), and Dinosaur Jr. The sad truth is that when these reunions actually do happen, it rarely sounds as good as it did “back in the day”, and you’re left a little disappointed. Even worse is when a reunion is claimed but half of the original band fails to show and you get a bunch of random fillers playing the part of your childhood heroes. There are the odd exceptions like Wire and Mission of Burma who have had successful reunions, but I’d guess the batting average is pretty low. But you still keep hoping and hoping that former band mates put away the differences that tore them apart and rejoin forces like Voltron. A non-shitty Voltron that is, cause that was a pretty shitty cartoon and toy in actuality.

Well, Dinosaur Jr. are back, and I'm stoked. And we’re not talking the later era of Dino here – this is the real deal original line-up with Murph on drums and Lou Barlow (who has also recently reformed Sebadoh) on bass and additional vocals. The songs they’ve written for this album sound like they were pulled straight from a time capsule labeled “1990”, and I mean that in the best possible way – fans of the band’s glory days will not be in the least bit disappointed in the new material. Songs like “Crumble” and “Been There All The Time” I would already include in any greatest hits package for the band, and “Back To Your Heart”, sung by Lou, would probably find a place on there as well. I can’t imagine anyone who grew up on Bug and You’re Living All Over Me not professing this record as one of the best releases of 2007.

Various Artists - Sunday Nights: The Songs of Junior Kimbraugh (Fat Possum, 2005)

Various Artists
Sunday Nights: The Songs of Junior Kimbraugh
Fat Possum
2005

Rating: 7 terrible hawks out of 10
 
Pretty much any compilation is a tricky affair, and tribute albums even more so – you’re not only including many different artists into the mix, but you’re having them cover a song by an already established and well loved musician (unless it is a really stupid tribute album celebrating crappy performers, of which there are a few). I’ve reviewed a lot of these things, and most of them never got it right; but this tribute to Junior Kimbraugh has got to be the closest I’ve ever seen to a perfect tribute album. There are no bad tracks on here – even the Pete Yorn song is pretty good! Also contributing to the release is Iggy and the Stooges, Spiritualized, Mark Lanegan, The Fiery Furnaces, Entrance feat. Cat Power, The Ponys, Jack Oblivian, Jim White, The Black Keys, and more.  I highly recommend this release as not only a great tribute album but a great album altogether.