The Magnetic Fields "i" (Nonesuch) Sounds like: The band's previous CD, "69 Love Songs." 3 stars
The Magnetic Fields are in love with love. Whether it be theatrical love, as Stephin Merritt sings on "In an Operetta," or unrequited love, as expressed on "I Die," the Magnetic Fields can't get enough of the emotion. "i," the band's latest release, explores different aspects of love. The Magnetic Fields is most famous for its much-admired release, "69 Love Songs," a three-disc set about various stages of being enamored. "i" could be a 14-song elaboration of the band's previous work, as it covers no new ground - still, it is worth a listen.
Above all, the Magnetic Fields has the ability to turn sadness into suaveness. On "I Don't Believe You," a song about infidelity, Merritt manages to turn a melancholy subject into an upbeat melody. Similarly, "I'm Tongue-Tied" uses a cool, rambling chorus to communicate a lover's awkwardness. The band reaches their peak on "It's Only Time." Merritt concludes, "Marry me/And in your hands/I will be free ... Why would I stop loving you/A hundred years from now?" Throughout "i," the band searches for the meaning of love. Clearly, they have decided, as on previous albums, that love will prevail.
-BLAIR PAYNE
Jesse Malin "The Heat" (Artemis Records) Sounds like: Ryan Adams' little brother. 3 stars
It's easy to mistake Jesse Malin for any other trendy singer. His voice is good, but not too good - sometimes his whine borders on annoying, as on "Arresteo," but sometimes, as demonstrated on the track "Scars of Love," it's full of purely powerful emotion. His lyrics are decent, but don't cover any new ground. On opening track "Mona Lisa," Malin, like many of his contemporaries, feels the need to mention Sept. 11. References like this don't make Malin sound any smarter or more clued into the time, but instead seem clich?d.
Despite all the strikes against it, "The Heat" is a catchy album that sounds as if it could have been performed by Ryan Adams. In fact, Malin calls the rock icon his brother in the album's liner notes. Although his music isn't especially innovative, fans of Adams and other "it" bands of the moment will certainly enjoy Malin's latest effort.
-B.P
The Good Life "Lovers Need Lawyers" (Saddle Creek) Sounds like: Cursive without the impressive instrumentals. 3 stars
The Good Life is Cursive frontman Tim Kasher's side project, and while its unflinching lyrics and melodic sound make for good music, it should probably remain a side project. "Lovers Need Lawyers," an unobtrusive six-song EP released in May, is a precursor to the Good Life's upcoming full-length, "Album of the Year," which is due out Aug. 10 on Saddle Creek.
The six songs on this release retain Kasher's mood-laden vocals that brilliantly front Cursive, but offer a much more quiet instrumental background. Passing up Cursive's signature crashing keyboards and cello for the more typical guitar and bass arrangement on most tracks, The Good Life offers songs that focus more on the songwriting than on trying to be forward and experimental.
On two tracks, the first and last, Kasher manages to lift himself above comparisons to Cursive. "Leaving Omaha" evokes some of Jawbreaker's more moody work and "For the Love of the Song" has a more folk feel, almost along the lines of something Bob Dylan would write.
The Good Life may be the indie rocker's solution to Cursive. "Lovers Need Lawyers" presents Kasher's unique voice without the overpowering instrumentals that make Cursive so brilliant.
-EMILY ZEMLER
Devendra Banhart "Rejoicing In The Hands" (Young God Records) Sounds like: Nothing you've ever heard before 3 1/2 stars
It's true, anyone can pick up an acoustic guitar and write a song. Even worse, anyone can pick up an acoustic guitar and play a song in front of a group of people. But for every talented troubadour like Sam Beam or Devendra Banhart, there are hundreds (but it feels like millions) of clowns playing acoustic guitars on university quads all over the country, polluting the air, usually playing with the intentions of wooing girls who watch "Sex and the City," usually playing cover songs of bands that already suck. But Banhart doesn't play coffeehouse bull-jive. Far from it, when he employs kaleidoscopic finger-picking and confronts the verse/chorus/verse structure that seemingly every song-scribe has run into the ground. From the infectious, almost haunting instrumentation on "A Sight to Behold" to the aborted beginning on "Todos Los Dolores," "Rejoicing" sums up to a near-perfect, 45 minutes of genuine, pretense-free lot of songs. And this is only the beginning.
-COSTA CALOUDAS
Madvillain "Madvillainy" (Stones Throw) Sounds like: A schizophrenic, out-of-body hip-hop experience. 4 stars
One of the most anticipated collaborations by two of the best in the game, MF Doom (emcee) and Madlib (beats), "Madvillainy" challenges and defeats the assertion that eventually the most prolific artists burn out. With more than 10 releases between these two over the last year and a half, it's easy to suspect as much. But these guys show no signs of slowing down, and deliver on a concept album about superheroes and villains, filled with more alter-egos than someone suffering from multiple personality disorder. Lord Quasimoto and Viktor Vaughn shine on their spots, and Madlib brilliantly sets up "Fancy Clown" to have Vaughn's girlfriend cheat on him with another one of his personalities. His lyrics are witty, sharp, instantly quotable and juxtapose Madlib's uncanny ability to procure vintage beats and odd samples from public service announcements to antique crime flicks. "All that really matters is if your rhymes was ill," flows Doom on "Great Day," showing reckless abandon, even to proper grammar. And of course, his rhymes was.
-C.C.
John Frusciante "Will to Death" (Record Collection) Sounds like: Solid indie pop with no distractions. 3 stars
Just a few months after the release of "Shadows Collide With People," Red Hot Chili Pepper's guitarist John Frusciante has returned with his second solo record of the year, the fourth of his career, and one of many he plans to release in the coming months.
"Will to Death" establishes Frusciante as one of indie rock's foremost prolific songwriters, continuing in his tradition of experimental pop.
Separating "Will to Death" from Frusciante's recent solo material is the lack of high-tech production and electronic influence. This album was recorded entirely without computer assistance, even in the mastering process. The sound is more raw and Frusciante's vocals linger with immediacy. Only the first few takes were recorded, letting Frusciante's imperfections shape and define the songs.
Frusciante may have proved to be one of the greatest living guitar players with the Chili Peppers, but on "Will to Death," he sticks to simple but polished guitar-work. On "Loss," Frusciante lets his riffs methodically drive the song with increasing power, and later, on the piano ballad "The Mirror," his voice cracks through the beautiful chorus.
While "Will to Death" is not Frusciante's strongest material, it showcases his incredible talent as a songwriter and his willingness to experiment with his own style.
-DANIEL LONGINO
