Erin McKeown
Grand
Nettwerk
Nettwerk Records knows a good thing when they hear it, which is why they picked up Virginian singer-songwriter McKeown based on her lyrical indie albums and incessant touring. Not as folky as Dar Williams or poppy as Natalie Merchant, McKeown falls somewhere between the two on her new Grand disc. The album personifies that sort of genre-straddling, with nods to jazz (‘The Taste of You”), indie rock (“Cinematic”) and even Motown and cabaret. It’s a wise record, evocative of the ’40s and ’50s, not so strange when you realize that she drew on Judy Garland’s audio diaries for inspiration. While comparisons can be made to early Ricki Lee Jones, it’s not a stretch to say that McKeown’s truly an original. This isn’t ‘popular music’ by current standards, but maybe it should be.-TABASSUM SIDDIQU
Outkast
Speakerboxx /The Love Below
La Face/Arista
“Y’all stand against the wall, blindfolded, we throw the darts, to poke you in your heart.” As Andre 3000 spits in one of his new songs, you never really know what to expect when Outkast hits you with an album other than it selling like hotcakes in its first week. It’s about time for some abstract rhyme, fresh beats, and mellow crunk tunes. The duo’s latest is a double album, featuring solo discs by both Big Boi and Andre 3000 that live up to the expectations of fans who’ve been waiting to be hit off. While Andre 3000 produces a few tracks on Big Boi’s album Speakerboxx and Big Boi raps on The Love Below, the albums showcase Atlanta’s finest duo successfully as stand-alone artists.
Andre 3000’s The Love Below exceeds all expectations-this hip-hop oddity explores various genres, from the jazzy alternative “Love Hater” to soulful tracks like “Prototype” and “Take off your Cool”, featuring crooner Norah Jones. Andre 3000’s ability to put out an album of such varied genres shows the spectrum of his talent-he doesn’t just dabble or experiment with different sounds, he fully commits to them. The Love Below is something you can’t anticipate, but once you listen to it, you’ll be hearing the songs in your head even when the CD’s not playing.
Big Boi, on the other hand, stays true to Outkast’s signature genre on Speakerboxx, bringing out Atlanta’s southern flava in some of the tracks. “GhettoMusick”, with its fast tempo, is maybe too reminiscent of old hit “Bombs over Baghdad”, but tracks like “Unhappy” and “The Way You Move” are more on an r’n’b tip laced with Big Boi’s unique brand of rap. Some of the beats, like on “Rooster” and “Church”, sound almost too flamboyant for a hip-hop album, but Big Boi comes through with some tight lyrics to balance that off. Big-name guests like Jay-Z, Ludacris, Lil’ Jon & the East Side Boyz (plus an interlude featuring Big Boi’s son, Bamboo) add to the fun. Though Andre’s album is more creative than his partner’s, you’ll wanna reach for Speakerboxx’s signature Southern sound when you’re ridin’ in your Cadi on your way to the players ball.-JAYANI PERERA
Travis
12 Memories
Sony
Remember Travis? A lot’s happened since we last heard from the Brit band. Last year, drummer Neil Primrose was nearly paralyzed, the accident almost putting an end to the band. Instead, the incident seemed to bring a wider yet more focused perspective to their new album, 12 Memories. The war on Iraq greatly impacted the album as well with anti-war sentiment spread throughout lead singer/songwriter Fran Healy’s lyrics. “The Beautiful Occupation” cynically depicts the U.S./U.K. occupation in Iraq as a foreign invasion, the chorus sarcastically pointing out, “You don’t need an invitation to drop in upon a nation”. Along similar lines is “Peace The Fuck Out”, a message to Tony Blair urging him to abandon the U.S. in the war against Iraq: “You have a voice, don’t lose it/You have a choice, so choose it/You have a brain, so use it.” Dark themes aboundÑfirst single “Re-Offender” deals with domestic violence, inspired by Healy’s parents’ abusive relationship. Other songs show little change thematically or musically from their previous efforts, despite the departure of producer Nigel Godrich (Radiohead). That said, Travis’ The Man Who and The Invisible Band are two of most celebrated U.K. albums of the decade. If you like beautifully composed melodies and honest (if not entirely original) songwriting, 12 Memories is worth the listen.-CHRIS CLARK
