Salad Boys: Metalmania
With Metalmania, New Zealand’s Salad Boys deliver a delightful, highly rewarding debut.
Capsule Reviews
Various Artists: Cold and Bitter Tears: The Songs of Ted Hawkins
An up-and-down consistency only slightly mars this collection of lovingly rendered Ted Hawkins covers
Eszter Balint: Airless Midnight
Balint stirs the fire from all sides, creating fully imagined shadows.
Postcards From Jeff: Modern Language
Postcards From Jeff’s debut LP offers lovely, vaguely cinematic instrumentals tainted by tonally challenged singing.
Dogs on Acid: Dogs on Acid
Emo revivalists Dogs on Acid through their hat into the ring with an impressive debut on former emo stalwart Jade Tree.
Marrow: The Gold Standard
There is a rich vein of ambition backing up The Gold Standard, which can yield captivating rewards, but also searching stretches.
Ms. John Soda: Loom
German duo running on radio silence since 2006 returns with a strong, smart showing. The message? The less things change, the more they stay the same.
Steve Forbert: Compromised
A strong showing from a singer-songwriter with a deep and remarkable catalogue.
Glenn Mercer: Incidental Hum
Glenn Mercer's second solo album -- and first since 2007 -- is proof that that this Feelies man is a formidable presence in guitar music. For the weird side of your mood.
Nicole Willis and the Soul Investigators: Happiness in Every Style
Entertaining soul outfit hits mark one more time.
Tess Parks and Anton Newcombe: I Declare Nothing
For once it's not Anton Newcombe you need to be afraid of. Just don't look into their eyes okay?
Jonas Reinhardt: Palace Savant
Jonas Reinhardt/Jesse Reiner understand that within electronic music, you can easily spin the old into something new.