Clutch: From Beale St. To Oblivion…8/10
With so many subgenres of music floating around these days, it’s hard to find a band that’s just good old-fashioned rock. That’s where Maryland’s Clutch comes in. The band’s eighth album, From Beale Street to Oblivion, is full of big guitar riffs and catchy songs, and it throws in plenty of blues for good measure. Songs like “”Electric Worry”” and “”When Vegans Attack”” feature southern-fried grooves and slide guitar underneath vocalist Neil Fallon’s preacherlike delivery and hilariously surreal lyrics.
What other album this year has lines like “”Tell me, why’s Dick Cheney underneath my bed?”” The whole record has a decidedly retro feel, with many songs featuring keyboards that sound like they would be right at home on a Deep Purple album. While not quite as catchy or energetic as some of the band’s previous efforts, this album is the perfect soundtrack for running from the law or just sitting back with a couple of beers, reminiscing with old friends.
ð – Nick Hornung
Good Charlotte: Good Morning Revival…7/10
After the unfortunate detour that was their third album, The Chronicles of Life and Death, Good Charlotte has released Good Morning Revival, an album characterized by dance beats and quick guitar riffs.
Only one or two songs are played effectively with this style, like “”March On”” and “”Dance Floor Anthem,”” because it feels like they are only trying to conform to the dance club scene by creating songs like these.
In fact, Good Charlotte is trying so hard to reinvent themselves that every song on the album seems like a diluted pedestrian version of a better song they heard elsewhere. Even the song “”Where Would We Be?,”” which doesn’t feature fast beats but rather piano and subtle percussion, is reminiscent of earlier simple classics like “”Seasons,”” but nonetheless sounds like nothing more than a second-rate Ben Folds Five ballad.
None of the songs are terrible, but anyone rushing to iTunes to buy it might be better off burning it from a friend.
– Alan Hayman
Jennifer Lopez: Como Ama una Mujer…6/10
Jenny from the block is back with her first full-length Spanish album, Como Ama una Mujer, or How a Woman Loves. The album is more focused, and Lopez’s vocal capabilities have grown. The urban- and club-influenced beats have been abandoned for a more Latin style The first single, “”QuǸ Hiciste,”” opens the album with a sparse guitar riff reminiscent of Ennio Morricone before slipping into a more modern style. You can practically hear overbearing husband Marc Anthony in the studio instructing her how to sound.
Those of you fearing your precious J-Lo is gone only have to wait until this fall for her next rump-shaking ass-capade, Never Give Up. Her fifth English studio album will feature producer Swizz Beatz as well as Timbaland and Jermaine Dupri. Look for the first single to hit airwaves this summer and the album to hit store shelves in November.
– Andrew Austin
Tyrone Wells: Hold On…7/10
Tyrone Wells’ major label debut album Hold On has some people buzzing about this bald singer-songwriter’s talents. With vocals similar to Gavin DeGraw – and songs that are just as catchy – Wells has found a hit with his first single “”What Are We Fighting For?”” in which he tackles the tough issues of war and love, to use a few abstractions. Wells presents his poetry in an almost completely acoustic fashion, with soulfully poppy undertones that add a touch of an almost annoying optimism.
The son of a preacher, his music is mostly clean and appeals to a wide audience, which makes the music sound a little watered down and repetitive at times. Wells presents a new spin on soulful music by infusing it with pop melodies that everyone can groove to, and sings about what he knows, the usual relationship problems and opinions on love, making for an all-around average album.
– Alexandria Kassman
