Announcement

Hey everybody. I'm not sure who reads this, but I have some bittersweet news. As it turns out, in the first piece of good luck I've had in years, The Daily Collegian has announced that I will be the Senior Music Reporter. This is a terrific opportunity for me. However, this blog will probably be the one that suffers the most neglect, followed by sleep and then by social life. As of today, I will be unable to update my blog until my tenure is over because it could be viewed as a conflict of interest. Even so, if you want me to review something, I will definitely take it under consideration as a story idea for the Collegian or something to come back to when I return. Thanks for reading, and I will be sure to return.

The E.N.D. (The Energy Never Dies) - Black Eyed Peas

It's been a while. I would like to think my absence is purely due to work, but that would only be partially true. The other part has to do with reviewing this new album by The Black Eyed Peas, The E.N.D. I planned on releasing the review a few weeks after the album dropped like with the newest U2 and Dave Matthews albums. However, I didn't have the time to listen to it all the way through until recently, or could even wrap my head it when I did.

So why have I been struggling for months trying to write this review? Well, I can't seem to tell if The Black Eyed Peas even a work of music or not. You mean like ... more than usual? Look, we can argue if Monkey Business had any aesthetic merit until the cows come home. Even so, I think this will put my frustration into words. When Billboard interviewed the band's leader, will.i.am, he said it would be breaking away from the concept of the album. He said to Billboard, "What is an album when you put 12 songs on iTunes and people can pick at it like scabs?" That is why this has been so hard. I mean, is there a point to me writing this? The way this album is constructed, all 14 songs are more or less the same song. They all are about five minutes in length. They all have some kind of moderately cool breakdown (listen to "Imma Be," in which the beat goes from the Kill Bill vol. 1 slow-mo-hallway scene to a jazzy breakdown sounding like A Tribe Called Quest Quest or Illmatic in a matter of seconds). They all have blatantly stupid lyrics, from which I will spare you from reading. They all have techno beats and Fergie singing auto-tune. The only difference is that some of these songs are better than others. How can this be? Just listen to "Boom Boom Pow" after you listen to "Alive." Yes, they are the same song. And yes, "Boom Boom Pow" sounds better for some reason. The parts of the formula above just come together for some songs better than others. The only exception to the rule is the harmonica-dominated "Generation Now," a welcomed change from the monotony of the rest of the album.

But will.i.am. gave us exactly what he promised. If this establishes a trend in the music industry, this will be the E.N.D. of the music album as we know it. We all know since iTunes burst onto the scene that there is very little need to download a whole album rather than just downloading the songs you want. Will.i.am. understands this. He understands that a song like "Ring-A-Ling" could have some appeal in small doses. However, if you listen to it on the album at track No. 8, it becomes so exasperating that you may want to throw your iPod out of the window of your car.

To sum this up, you cannot listen to The E.N.D. all the way through. Your ears will just not allow you to do so. Perhaps the individual parts are greater than the work taken as a whole, but the purpose of this blog is not to review singles. This is not an album; it's a paint by numbers kit ... and the picture doesn't match the one on the box.

1.5/5
For Your Consideration: "Boom Boom Pow," "Imma Be," "Generation Now"
For Next Time: TBA

Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King - Dave Matthews Band

Remember the days when you and your high school buddies made the annual trip to the Campbells' Field parking lot for the Dave Matthews Band concert? Remember when in the middle of every pilgrimage you got so drunk that you threw up on the walk over to the Tweeter Center? Remember when you saw one of your friends get so drunk that he ran head first into one of those speaker poles, throw up on a couple on a blanket, and then fall down a flight of stairs? Remember when that made you feel a hell of a lot better about your drunken situation? But, do you remember any of the music that night? Probably not. In my experience with the Dave Matthews Band, it's never really been about the music. Instead, it's more about the sheer thrill of what the music represents: getting too drunk and getting away with it. I guess that's one of the reasons why Dave tried to create more diverse, heavier music. If anything, it will help the under-aged shake themselves out of their drunken stupor because they pause to ask themselves if they have stumbled to a Pearl Jam concert by accident.

The simple fact is that Big Whiskey is some of the heaviest stuff DMB has ever produced. One of the causes for this experimentation is the death of beloved saxophone player LeRoi Moore, who died in an ATV accident in June of last year during the pre-production of the album. Moore's sudden death deeply shook the band, who must now carry on without a friend and founding member of the group. Big Whiskey serves in part to pay tribute to this extraordinary musician whose presence was previously felt in nearly every song by DMB so far. In the title, the band immortalizes Moore's "Seussical" nickname, "GrooGrux King." Moore's ghost haunts the listener in the first track, "Grux," an instrumental saxophone solo, as well as in a hidden riff track on loop in "You & Me." For the rest of the album, Moore is replaced by Jeff Coffin. The band also added trumpet player Rashawn Ross and guitarist Tim Reynolds (a frequent collaborator with Matthews) to the its personnel. With the loss of Moore, the band needed to adapt to the strengths of the other musicians. In reality, Reynolds fills the void left by Moore with his electric guitar riffs.

The rest of the album acts as a departure from the conventional acoustic jams, mostly due to a greater influence from Tim Reynolds' expertise on guitar. "Shake Me Like a Monkey" does more than add to Dave Matthews' penchant to use the word "monkey" in his songs (wink wink Dave heads?). It's a refreshing change to the repertoire. Matthews shows the versatility of his voice in "Time Bomb," where critics more credible than myself have compared his voice to that of Eddie Vedder. Seems like an oxymoron, but I guess Dave Matthews can rock after all.

The two singles, "Funny the Way It Is," and "Why I Am," although flawed, have their moments. The music is friendly to the ears, but the lyrics seemed forced. "Funny the Way It Is" seems like it wasn't written by the band at all, but by the new lyricist team of Alanis Morisette and SNL's Debbie Downer. There's nothing like putting contrasting yet equally negative scenarios together to make me try and feel bad to make me laugh hysterically. "Funny the way it is, if you think about it / One kid walks 10 miles to school, another’s dropping out / Funny the way it is, not right or wrong / On a soldier’s last breath his baby’s being born." Wah wah ... Moving on. "Why I Am" also suffers from some uninspiring lyrics. This is the song that serves mostly as a direct tribute to Moore, but put together with a misplaced misanthropic commentary on human nature. In the song, humans are merely monkeys that came down from the trees to kill and enslave each other. The transition from denouncing humanity to eulogizing Moore is impossible to follow, so I'll spare you the lyrics.

But if you're looking for the DMB of old, there are plenty of tracks to meet your needs. In fact, one of the best tracks on the album is "You & Me," is a throwback to the pleasing acoustics you've come to know from Dave Matthews. Matthews sings in an inspiring serenade, "You and I, we're not tied to the ground / Not falling but rising like rolling around ... / Our arms wide as the sky / We gonna ride the blue all the way to the end of the world," as Boyd Tinsley's violin strings accompany acoustic guitars. Unfortunately, there are the monotonous songs that fit the past motif. "Spaceman" is a song that just goes nowhere in the style of "Proudest Monkey." True fans of the band would probably enjoy it, but to everyone else, it is predictable and bland. If you're looking for something novel, try listening to "Alligator Pie," the album's banjo track. It's cooler than it sounds, trust me.

For it's faults, particularly in its lyrics, Big Whiskey remains a solid album worth your time. It will be interesting to hear which tracks Dave decides to play on tour and if the kids are going to notice. But this is a major departure for Dave, and you need to decide if you like it or if it's too different for you. So if you plan on going to the concert at the beautiful Camden Waterfront this year, don't get too drunk. You may miss something if you get shitfaced beyond all recognition.

3.5/5
For Your Consideration: "Shake Me Like a Monkey," "Alligator Pie," "You & Me"
For Next Time: The E.N.D. - The Black Eyed Peas

Veckatimest - Grizzly Bear

If you need proof that the influence of indie-rock is growing at an alarming rate, one would only need to look at where Grizzly Bear's third album debuted on The Billboard 200. Although it took a tumble this week, Veckatimest debuted at No. 8, selling over 30,000 copies. That must say a lot about the Brooklyn-based quartet to have climbed to where so many of their contemporaries could not. After hours of musing, I think I might have figured out all the pieces that make this band so unique and interesting to hear. First, the acoustically driven band steers in and out of keys much like Crosby, Stills and Nash. Although the songs on Veckatimest keep their original tone, the key of the songs usually change, almost as if they have multiple bridges or are written in a classical mindset. Second, they are not afraid to be experimental like Radiohead. Grizzly Bear implements dissonance of neoclassical composition in their songs to walk a thin line between sounding aesthetic and nonsensical. In this way, they remind me of Radiohead, whom Grizzly Bear opened for on tour. Third, and most importantly, they hearken back to the harmonizing vocals of The Beach Boys. No one does this anymore, which puts Grizzly Bear in a place of their own. Perhaps this is why they were inspired to name this album after an uninhabited island off the coast of New England coast. Their music goes where no one has been before, at least in a while anyway.

The best track, bar none, is "Two Weeks." It is nothing short of stellar how the band uses their voices to propel the track to another level. One listen will leave a long lasting impression on you. It almost sounds like something lost tapes from Pet Sounds. Another track you should listen to "Ready, Able." It brings to mind a soundtrack from an early 60's movie as its chorus descends gracefully downward. Grizzly Bear seems to be reviving the baroque pop genre, something we haven't seen a lot of since the days of The Beatles' "Sgt. Pepper's" era and, you guessed it, The Beach Boys.

Although it may not be right for everybody, I can't find anything mediocre on this album. Perhaps someone with more mainstream tastes would think is sounds too eclectic or too slow. But, one of Veckatimest's best features is that moves along slowly, giving the music time to breathe for the listener. If this was left unrecognized by the band, then the impact it would leave would be minimal at best. But the mesmerizing, languid effect of the music puts the listener in a peaceful, dreamy mood, making the band once again stand apart. This feeling should definitely place Grizzly Bear into growing circle of popular indie rock bands that have crossed over into the mainstream like Death Cub for Cutie, The Decemberists, and Vampire Weekend. I hope to hear more from them in the future.

4/5
For Your Consideration: "Two Weeks," "Ready, Able"

21st Century Breakdown - Green Day

Although in their late 30's, no one can connect with Generation Y's angst like Green Day. The Bush Administration has left the spirit of the country in shambles and Obama is not (yet, anyway) the Superman who could make things go back to the way they were in the Clinton years. In 21st Century Breakdown, Green Day gets angry and goes on the offensive, attacking the government, the religious right and the sensationalist media en mode de Rock Opera. Now, one may think this all sounds similar to American Idiot, but this new effort is a lot better both lyrically and musically.

There is a reason why critics everywhere are calling Green Day the new Who, Rock Opera's pioneers. Billy Joe Armstrong — the guitarist, lead singer and lyricist of the band — is the turn of the century's Pete Townshend, seamlessly weaving the story of two Detroit kids struggling in the post-Bush era. The teen couple named Christian, a semi-neoconservative churchgoer, and Gloria, an emotionally guarded anarchist, begin to change each other and themselves as the world crumbles around them because of the myopic views of religion, the media and the government. On the album's eponymous track, "21st Century Breakdown," Armstrong sings, "We are the cries of the class of 13 / Born in the era of humility/ We are the desperate in the decline / Raised by the bastards of 1969." I don't know about you, but this is the way I feel as a young American. Suddenly, because of the mistakes of these "old heads," we have to live with the plethora of possibilities that could cause Judgment Day? Now, the quacks claiming Nostradamus prophesied the world's end in three years (around 2012-13) sound more and more convincing.

To add to The Who comparison, the music on Breakdown displays so much more depth and variety than American Idiot. The latter album had only two kinds of songs — hard anthems and soft anthems. However, every song on Breakdown is different and, for the most part, exciting. One song in particular, "Horseshoes and Handgrenades" reminded me a lot of The MC5's "Kick out the Jams." If people doubt that Green Day can rock out anymore, I would suggest that they listen to this track. To add to that, another favorite of mine was "Peacemaker" just because there is no way that the Green Day of 2004 could write this song. It sounds almost like Armstrong's playing a Spanish classical guitar, blending a melody that displays both Southwestern/Mexican and North African/Arabian styles. I think it's symbolic in that both these fundamentalist Christian and Muslim ideologies have the same goal in eradicating the infidels of the opposing faiths. This might be a long shot, but maybe you'll notice it, too, if you listen to it that way. And, thankfully, Mike Dirnt (pop-punk's greatest bassist imo) plays much more of a role than he did in the previous album. And I like the motif of static-radio sound producer Butch Vig put on some tracks. It almost sounds like America's conscience is trying to get through to us in our new technological age we've created for ourselves. In summary, Green Day in Breakdown plays the role of both the angel and devil on our shoulders telling us we should feel ashamed of ourselves for letting this happen, and that whenever any form of government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it.

So here's the ruling, and it's going to sound strange: I like this album but I don't think I'm going to put it on my iTunes. First, I liked American Idiot when it came out a few years ago, but now I think it's kind of lame. Second, I also am not really a fan of Rock Operas in general. Besides for "Pinball Wizard," Tommy can't really keep my attention. And third, and most importantly, I've accepted that the Green Day of Dookie is gone. It's sad, but they've moved on, I've moved on, and so should you. Green Day is not the same band we grew up with. They're now appealing to kids younger than us ... think emo ... think weird hair. Everybody keeps telling me, "Green Day sucks! I liked them when they put out Dookie." Ok. Remember when most of the people reading this were in Kindergarten when that album came out? I don't even want to go into the years between Insomniac and American Idiot, when the only thing keeping Green Day relevant was the Pop Disaster Tour with Blink-182. This doesn't mean that Breakdown is a bad album. The effort the band put into this album, and the quality of the songs they produced makes this a good effort, if not really good. This certainly isn't everyone's cup of tea, and I don't think this is the album we necessarily want for a summer of fun. But I think it urges the American public to examine how much optimism we can afford to feign right now. Although Green Day leaves room for the ubiquitous "hope" in the last track, "See the Light," I think Green Day's true sentiments lie in the rest of the album. As in "American Eulogy," I think the band would rather not "live in the modern world." To reiterate, judge this album on what it was compared to the band's last effort and not on Dookie's standards nearly 15 years old. Are you seriously going to cry over something released when you were under 10 at the time? No. Shut up.

4/5

Relapse - Eminem

It's finally here. It seems like I've been waiting for this forever, but the fifth major album, Relapse, has finally dropped legally despite being leaked a few weeks ago. I don't want to brag, but I must have listened to this about four times in the past 72 hours in order to soak it all in. So far, the critics have not reached a consensus on whether to praise or pan Eminem's latest opus. While Rolling Stone rated it a 4 out of 5 stars, and Entertainment Weekly gave it an A-, PopMatters Webzine only rated it a 3/10. In my opinion, this effort falls in the middle. Eminem proves again he's a fantastic lyricist, Dr. Dre created terrific beats, but there is something that is missing. Something is out of sync. Anyone who has listened to any of Eminem's best albums like The Slim Shady LP, The Marshall Mathers LP or The Eminem Show can tell something makes this album seem sub par.

Let's begin with this crazy new accent Eminem's putting on. On most of the album, Eminem has this really weird delivery. I can not imagine why he would do this other than to piss even more people off except it allows him to rhyme words that wouldn't rhyme otherwise. I guess using an accent with a mid-central vowel sound, Em can rhyme "mom" and "valium" much easier. Well, if I wanted to hear Sean Paul, for example, I would be listening to ... Sean Paul. Hmmmm. No, I haven't hit the nail on the head. It actually sounds more like Sean Paul doing an impression of an Afghan exchange student on St. Patrick's Day. I actually was relieved when Eminem did an impression of Christopher Reeves on "Medicine Ball" and temporarily saved me from this corniness. This new flow is asinine, it's absurd and it's absolutely annoying after 15 minutes straight. Unfortunately, I will tell you that out of 20 tracks, he plays with the accent on half of them — and out of the rest, five of the remaining tracks are skits. Get used to it if you want to listen all the way through the album.

Relapse has several distinctive themes. Eminem verbally abuses Hollywood starlets through Ed-Gein-like murderous fantasies, pokes fun at his past motifs like his mother's abuse, and addresses his struggles to stay clean of drugs and alcohol. These serial killing fantasies border on Silence-of-the-Lambs-esque in how creepy Eminem is willing to sink. Either as a symbolic "relapse" in showing how primitive and inhuman one can become when succumbing to drugs or trying to shock his audience into laughing at things they probably would feel guilty laughing at in retrospect. If you remember "Kim" from the Marshall Mathers LP, this act of degrading and then killing people like Lindsay Lohan is both lighter and darker at the same time. In this way, the first half of the album resembles a campy horror movie. A young boy is abused by his step-father and ignored by his mother who, much like Eminem's public now, sees no need to care about him anymore. Although he wants to avoid taking drugs like his mother, instead he does so and becomes a monster. From "3 a.m.," in which he becomes consumed with blood lust, to "Song & Dance," in which he hunts down and kills young girls, the tone becomes borderline disturbing. If not for the catchy "We Made You" that declares Eminem is just having a laugh, even Charles Manson would think he needs psychiatric attention (maybe he still does).

The album seems to be bipolar in it's tone, much like the personas of the id Slim Shady and the superego Marshall Mathers that combine to create Eminem's personality. Slim Shady elevates his previously sinister acts to a hyperbole. In "Must Be the Ganja," Slim says, "How many people you know can name every serial killer who ever existed in a row, / Put em in chronological order beginning with Jack the Ripper, / Name the time and place from the body the bag the zipper, / Location of the woods where the body was dragged and then dumped, / The trunk that they were stuffed in, the model the make the plate and which model which lake they found her in, /and how they attacked the victim, / Say which murder weapon was used to do what and which one, which knife and which gun, what kid, what wife, and which nun?" (note: The answer to this question is Slim Shady). He elevates the serial killer act even more in "Underground": "Captain of a cult, with an elite following to turn Halloween back into a trick or treat holiday / Have Micheal Myers looking like a liar, swipe his powers / Replace his knife with flowers and a stack of fliers / Hit Jason Voorhees with 40's / Stuck a expository up his ass and made him tell me a story / Gave Hannibal Lecter a fucking nectarine / Sat him in a fucking fruit and vegetable section and gave him a lecture / Walked up elm street with a fucking wifflebat drew / fought Freddy Krueger and Edward Scissor Hands too / Came out with a little scratch, ooh / Looking like a got in a fucking pillow fight with a triple fat goose."

But the Marshall Mathers side comes out, too, in the best tracks pound for pound on the album: "Deja vu" and "Beautiful." In "Deja vu", Mathers struggles to get the monkey off his back and staying sober while trying to raise his two girls: Hailie Jade, his daughter, and Alaina, a niece in his custody. On "Beautiful," Eminem shows how hard it is to remain oneself in the limelight and how he could not have achieved everything he has now without being true to himself.

But, aside from that, this album serves as an experiment into where hip-hop goes even beyond gangsta. It is truly an adventure into the heart of darkness where some of us may not be able to go. It is torturing, shocking, and even tempting. But should this be celebrated? It could be. But that accent, man. Wow. I just cannot get past it. This is a good album for the gym or the car ride, but when you sit down and listen to it, anyone can tell Eminem was putzing around. Have fun, man, but not so much that it makes the product start to suck ass. I want the old Em back for the whole album on the next one, not just for a few songs.

3.5/5

Death Magnetic - Metallica

Note: I know what you're thinking. Another oldie? I know. I'm sorry. I promise I'll get to the relevant stuff in a few days. I have Relapse and I'm waiting for lastfm to put 21st Century Breakdown on their site.

But now I want to talk about the newest from the four horsemen. Love 'em or hate 'em, you have to acknowledge that Metallica has influenced an entire genre of rock music. And, although they were the pioneers, lately their efforts have lacked luster. Any real Metallica fan knows that The Black Album was the beginning of the end. The high-intensity headbanging was scrapped for more commercial appeal. Remember St. Anger? I heard drummer/front man Lars Ulrich just decided to eat a bunch of enchiladas and crap them out on a blank CD for that record. Metallica fans clamored for the band to return to their thrash roots. Thankfully, the band delivered.

I had my doubts when I heard this was going to be the case for Death Magnetic. Like most, I saw a track entitled "The Unforgiven III" and I almost threw my computer across the room. "The Unforgiven II" was sheer stupidity, thought I. Now I have to subject myself to this third piece of trash? A third copy of this insipid song masquerading as an original idea? Assholes! In that moment, I believed those bastards had punk'd me again. Even so, I just closed my eyes and bought it off iTunes (remember, Metallica personally hunts down and breaks the arms of illegal downloaders). Thankfully, I was pleasantly surprised that the rumors of a thrash return were true.

The old sound is back. But, the twist that's so interesting is this album's overall tone. Yes, ominous lyrics are abound, but all of them seem to be directed inward. Apparently, singer/guitarist James Hetfield drew a lot of inspiration for his writing from a picture of Layne Staley, the deceased singer for Alice in Chains. Staley, who died in 2002 of a severe drug addiction, was an admirer and later a contemporary of Metallica. This was the source of Hetfield's existential lyrics. For example, "My Apocalypse" seems to be Metallica's answer to the great mystery: "Deadly vision / Prophecy revealed / Death Magnetic / Pulling closer still." Wow. Creepy, huh?

This may not be the feel good album of the year, but the music is great if you're looking for vintage metal at it's finest. There is something for everyone on here. An epic in the style of "... And Jutice for All" appears in "The Day That Never Comes," the "Enter Sandman" stylized-hard-rock jam sounds a lot like "All Nightmare Long," and the "Master of Puppets" thrash-headbanger embodies itself in "Suicide & Redemption." Even poorly entitled "The Unforgiven III" is at least tolerable. It's not the same song repackaged from The Black Album. If it was, I'd be pissed. Still, I will do my part and skip it whenever it comes up on the iPod. We don't want "The Unforgiven IV."

4.5/5

Only by the Night - Kings of Leon

Hey. Sorry for the leave of absence. I promise to update a lot more frequently now, especially in this period between school and work. Not only will there be new posts, but I can promise you there will be more recent albums. I can't wait to get my hands on the new albums coming out soon, especially Relapse, Eminem's new one.

But let's look at Only by the Night by Kings of Leon. Before this album came out, the Kings were actually more famous in Europe and Australia than here in the States. But with this album, the band has cemented itself as one of the last great American rock bands. There are obviously some fans and critics who resent the changes they've made in order to become a band of commercial note. The minimalism that made Kings cult favorites on the early albums Youth and Young Manhood and Aha Shake Heartbreak was scratched on their last album, Because of the Times. Only by the Night follows the style of the latter. So, which is better? I guess it depends on one's temperamental tastes. You could love this new style at one moment and then crave their early work the next. I personally like the band's early style, but the better production values put them in the status they are in today. And this makes the tracks on this album, especially in its first half, not good but great.

An example of one of these tracks is the opener: "Closer." Singer Caleb Fallowill channels his inner Poe to hauntingly describe a ghost town in the calm before what should be a tumultuous storm coming from the sea. Listen to this: "Do you think of me? Where am I now? Baby where do I sleep? / Feels so good but I'm old, 2000 years of chasing taking it's toll / And it's coming closer." Couple that with an eerie keyboard loop and echoey riffs, you've got a powerfully moving song. But, what it means is anybody's guess. Is it a commentary about America's twilight? Are the Fallowills reading too much Twilight? Regardless if it's a doom prophecy or the ode to the vampire fetish, it's still a great song.

This leads into the well-known single single taking the world of Rock by storm: "Sex on Fire." If you haven't heard it, why not do your ears a favor and check it out. It's a perfect track for this band. It just clicks.

"Use Somebody," the album's ballad, is also quite good, but not for everybody. Fans of Youth and Young Manhood may be advised to skip over this one; Because of the Times fans may be inclined to go right to it. It sounds a lot like a track from the previous album. Drummer Nathan Fallowill is most present on the track, still managing to take the lead just by keeping the beat with drum fills. Besides for Caleb's lead vocals, everything seems to converge in the background except for a bass breakdown in the bridge and a closing guitar solo.

However, the second half of the album is not as good as the first, which is the difference between what the album is and what it could have been. "17" sounds like it was put together at the last possible minute. "Oh, she's only 17 / Wind and wind and wound up over everything," sings Caleb. Didn't that awful hair-metal band corner the market on songs about barely legal chicks? "She's only 17!" Don;t lie. You know what I'm talking about. How about "Notion"? This sounds is just a victim of the overproduction. It could have been a good backslide into early Kings if it weren't for the reverb in the background. To add to that, "I Want You," aside from a nice little string-pickin' solo in the middle, sounds like someone is milking a cow with a bass. Seriously, I gotta have more cowbell? That was just a skit. Ease off, please. The worst, however, is honkey-tonk/Godsmack concoction called "Be Somebody." The song musically makes no sense musically, teetering forever between tribal dance and inspiring hymn.

Even so, there are some gems hidden in the album's second half. "Revelry" is a wistful, candid track, allowing the listener to straddle between a slow and rapid tempo at the same time. Even if you weren't born in the Fallowills transient upbringing in the South, the Kings whisk you away to a strangely familiar place among the kerosene lamps and down-home heartache.

Overall, though, this is a really good listen. I really had to put my cynicism hat on to say anything bad about these guys. But, as I said before, this could have been great. I would have liked the band have some longer time out of the studio to stew over this. They were at work on this as soon as they stopped the brief touring for Because of the Times. More time definitely translates to better songs, which would have helped the album's second half. But, I hope I didn't scare you away from this. Only by the Night was one of the best albums released last year. I am just saying it could have been the best.

4/5

Paper Trail - T.I.

So, if you didn't know this already, T.I. has been sentenced to a year and a day for weapons and possession charges. But, ever since the trial began, things couldn't be better for the self-proclaimed "King of the South."

First, T.I. has become MTV's favorite criminal defendant since Snoop Dogg showed up to present at the '93 Video Music Awards. Remeber when the entire LAPD was looking for him ... in New York? By the way, MTV just stood by and let that happen. Either the most irresponsible or action in the network's history. But, how Jim? "T.I.'s Road to Redemption," or "T.I's Attempt to Moralize His Felony" allowed him to get more face time and to play new songs off of the new album.

Second, Paper Trail achieved platinum status, garnered a Best Rap Album nom at the Grammys, and received a favorable critical response. But this is not the T.I. that I knew in high school. I remember hearing the opening for "What You Know" and thought this dude was legitimate. Oh, if things could be the same. Some of the songs on this album gave me that familiar feeling of nostalgic awe, but the others weren't even worth the listen.

Paper Trail is a work of manic depression. It sometimes hits high points, but often sinks into mopey, macabre songs lacking luster. The high points are the when T.I. is rapping like the persona that made him famous. "Swagga Like Us" is a Tour de Force of collaboration. How could a T.I. song featuring Kanye, Jay-Z, and Lil Wayne over an M.I.A. loop NOT be anything but the best rap track of '08? But, you may be more familiar with two other songs in particular. How could you not? They have been playing nonstop on every pop and hip-hop radio station for the past six months!

I think I heard both "Whatever You Like" and "Live Your Life" 47 times in a row back-to-back in the White Building's Weight Room. Seriously, ease off with those two songs, B109 State College, or I will have to rip off my ears. First, I don't really think "Whatever You Like" is a bad song. Is it great? Not really, but it's OK. The beat is kind of insipid and T.I. almost sounds like a pedophile, but it's OK. Seriously, though: Did he call himself "Sugar daddy"? Honestly, Mr. Harris, you are how old? Like 28? Come on! You're still a young bul in my book. Now 30 is old, but I digress. But, I like "Live Your Life." Who would have thought a song that samples "Numa Numa" would become a No. 1 single? Once more, T.I. gives a shout out to the troops in his introduction. I don't know what a song with lyrics about making it and trashing your critics has to do with American soldiers, but it was a nice touch.

But, now I'm going to give T.I.P. a reason to hate me: I'm going to hate on him. Sorry, but there is nothing more dull than tracks like "Slideshow" and "My Life Your Entertainment." Even the industry's golden boy, Justin Timberlake, cannot save "Dead and Gone." I understand that T.I. must have been wistful and reflective during house arrest when writing lyrics for the album (T.I. usually does not write his lyrics at all), but you cannot listen to all of these songs without getting bored. I hope T.I. does the changes he's been preaching to himself and to others (including me: the white, suburban college student who has never even held a gun). If not, all that hot air will contribute to melting glaciers.

This album would have been so much better if T.I. would have kept only one or two of the half-dozen songs that talk about prison or past mistakes. It's not that the content wasn't of value, it's just that T.I. doesn't convey the same sincere emotions as someone like Eminem does. When Em talks about Hailie, I believe. When T.I. does it, I don't. I actually hope he doesn't change too much after he gets out. I would rather have Rubber Band Man that's wild like the Taliban than a straight-edge, ex-con who's just not that fun to listen to anymore.

2/5

No Line on the Horizon - U2

Let's start off by saying I was really looking forward to this album dropping. But after the success of 2004's How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb, U2 really had to do everything just right to make the next album be just as successful. I must say I was let down.

I don't want you to think this is the band's fault. This album had so much potential. I find that the blame rests with the super producing team of Daniel Lanois and, specifically, Brian Eno. Don't get me wrong; I think Eno took Coldplay, a band whose songs previously sounded like the same, dull song, and turned them into U2's successors for the "Biggest Band in the World" title though their experimentation with new and exciting tones. The otherworldly sounds helped that album, but Eno let out all the air in U2's balloon by doing the same thing. Coldplay needed that kind of production; U2 did not. Every track on this album has the atrociously misplaced Eno diddling with his keyboard, ruining perfectly good songs with Bon-Jovi- and Pink-Floyd-esque synth riffs. Once again, this is U2. Synth Pop and Acid Rock are not U2.

Eno aside, the album has a lot of qualities that redeem this faulty production team. Guitarist extraordinaire, The Edge, and the most underrated bassist on the planet, Adam Clayton, do their best to make the keyboard presence as minimal as possible. On "Magnificent," Edge does what he does best on guitar: magnificently interweave a great rhythm and and a catchy lead that is reminiscent of "Where the Streets Have No Name." Clayton and drummer Larry Mullen, Jr. create a beat that clicks, allowing Bono to make his voice soar.

Next, the album's first single, "Get on Your Boots" would make any rocker happy with its fuzzy bass and a guitar line that cuts like a chainsaw in a song about (what else) a really sexy girl with some even sexier footwear. Even Bono, Mr. Peacemaker, croons to get into the hot pants of this imaginary, boot-bearing vixen: "I don't want to talk about wars between nations / Not right now." It must be hard for the guy to have to be Superman all the time.

After that, though, Bono comes right back to his sagacious, Irish mystique in "Cedars of Lebanon," in which Bono recites some of the best poetry he has ever written. Bono knows he's either loved or hated. Challenging critics, Bono, in Keith Richards' singing-but-not-quite-singing fashion, hums, "Choose your enemies carefully because they will define you / Make them interesting cause in some ways they will mind you / They're not there in the beginning but when your story ends / Gonna last longer than your friends."

But "Breathe" is the best track on No Line by far. On "Breathe," Bono channels his inner Bob Dylan a-la "Subterranean Homesick Blues" with Edge providing the pitch-perfect, syncopated triads on guitar. Unfortunately, this also succumbs to the unwanted melodies of the production team.

So, let's get back to bashing the production. I have to come back to the keyboards. They really were out of place. All I can think of is that line from Billy Madison when Billy's friend who pissed his pants is trying to get him a date with Ms. Vaughn. We all remember what Billy says ... "YOU BLEW IT!" Did U2 hired the guy who plays the keytar in Franky Goes to Hollywood? I think the band's resident badass Mullen, Jr. would have knocked Eno out if he pulled this back in the 80's. Stick to what you are. The intro to "Fez - Being Born" sounds like Danny Elfman during his Tim Burton phase got into the wrestling ring with the Iron Sheik. "White as Snow" sounds like they spliced some keyboard outtakes from The Wall and threw it in there. Whatever Eno and Lanois added to the album, it was awful. I can't wait until the Rick Rubin produced stuff comes off the shelf. That weirdo with the beardo is pretty much the only lock in the industry now.

2.5/5

1-Bad 2-Poor 3-Ok 4-Good 5-Excellent

My First Post

I have been thinking recently about what I want to do for the rest of my life. As a journalism major, I've been looking at the job market today, and it truly scares me. Our nation's newspapers have been the cornerstone of democracy. If journalist John Peter Zenger's was not brought up on charges of seditious libel in 1735, the First Amendment would not carry the power it has now. I have worked at Penn State's Daily Collegian for nearly two years, spending both of these semesters as the local business reporter. With the economy the way it is and the sluggishness of downtown State College's businesses every year during the second semester, I am becoming frustrated. Before this, I have always had a passion for music. I have played guitar for over 10 years, and I dabble in bass and piano. In high school, my friends and I always talked about music. I want to use this blog to put my knowledge and my writing ability to work to begin to review music that I am interested in. Unfortunately, there is a lot of ground to cover. I have thoughts on many albums that came out last year, and I would like to give my thoughts on at least some of them before I move on to the more recent material. Here's a list of what you can expect in the future.

In Rainbows - Radiohead
LAX - The Game
Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends - Coldplay
Tha Carter III - Lil Wayne
Death Magnetic - Metallica
Only by the Night - Kings of Leon
Vampire Weekend - Vampire Weekend
The Recession - Young Jeezy
808s and Heartbreak - Kanye West
Paper Trail - T.I.
No Line on the Horizon - U2

I don't know how I'm going to review these albums yet. I need to decide whether I need to go in ascending or descending order, or to pick and choose as I go. Expect to see an album review or two tonight or tomorrow. I hope to take your requests and hear opinions, too. Either way, I'm going to tell it like it is.
- Jim