Brand New "The Devil and God Are Raging Inside Me" (Interscope/Tiny Evil) Sounds like: An emo band that's grown up and taken a look back at the music it grew up on. Grade: A
Introspective lyrics paired with Jesse Lacey's brooding vocals and intricate instrumentals form the basis for the hope with which Brand New takes its last step out onto the water, walking away from the simple hook-laden boat of pop/punk to which they once clung. Biblical imagery floods the listener's ears with questions of faith, pervasive throughout the entirety of the recording. These questions come to a forefront in direct address to Christ throughout "Jesus." The haunting "Limousine," at two minutes, the longest track on the album, holds the listener's interest effortlessly throughout with its pleading lyrics and driving sound. In "The Devil and God," Brand New has made an album perfect for the maturing fan base it began with while opening its musical and lyrical horizons to the expanse of which it is capable.
-MADALYN WASILCZUK
Revival "Horses of War" (Gypsy Eyes) Sounds like: Weezer goes down south with My Morning Jacket. Grade: B+
With their strong debut "Horses of War," Revival arrives on the scene with a more rocking and poignant sound sure to put them on the indie map.
The album starts off with the personal track "Fog Rolling In," a song about life on the road and the generality of life. The next track is the more rocking Weezer-esque tune "Dizzy," which is probably going to be their big hit if they take off. With anthem lyrics, the song has the makings of a fan favorite.
The band's best quality is its ability to craft slow songs with great introspective lyrics, making the album a perfect one for road trips. Songs like "King of Kings" and "Favorite One" are standout tracks, reminiscent of early My Morning Jacket, but their lyrics indicate a much larger sense of longing.
The album finishes off appropriately with the country-sounding "When You Come Calling." While the album tends to drag on a little at this point, the end comes right when it needs to. Still, there are enough bright moments and rocking tracks to get your feet tapping. Revival is sure to be on its way to a much larger fan base and a great career as a band.
-CHRIS MORENO
Lady Sovereign "Public Warning" (Def Jam) Sounds like: An East End grime star cleaned up for her first U.S. release. Grade: A-
Lady Sovereign, the self-described "biggest midget in the game," has a reputation that towers high above her stature. As the first non-American to get signed to Def Jam, Lady Sovereign was making waves before her record even dropped stateside. "Public Warning" is her second full-length effort, and the first with Def Jam Recordings.
The album has a few tracks from Lady Sovereign's first album, like the grimy "Random" and "A Little Bit of Shhh." But it's the new material, like "My England," where the young emcee really breaks into new territory. The stereotype-busting track, with a thick bass beat, is a clear message to Sovereign's new American audience that she isn't "squeaky clean" or "posh like the queen," and she certainly isn't a novelty.
The production is edgy, with a lot of crunchy guitar, horns and strings. Lady Sovereign is trying to break the mold and she's doing a reasonable job of it. The last track is a remix of "Love Me or Hate Me," featuring Missy Elliot. Even if this song weren't great, it would still be a clear signal that Lady Sovereign has been embraced by the hip-hop community in America, and is going to be around for a while.
-JEFF LAMBERT
36 Crazyfists "Rest Inside the Flames" (Roadrunner) Sounds like: Emo made heavy by Alaskan winters. Grade: B-
36 Crazyfists are pretty old dudes. With more than 10 years behind them, the band has relocated from Alaska to Oregon, released an album to critical acclaim, and toured with the likes of Killswitch Engage and Poison the Well. Their sophomore full length is still full of life and energy, despite the band's age. Produced by Sal Villaneuva at Roadrunner, who has worked with metal-emo juggernauts like Thursday in the past, the album is about as tight as a band can get after playing together for more than a decade.
Killswitch Engage's Howard Jones plays guitar on "Elysium," a riff-filled jam that gets as heavy as the band dares to on the album. This is a stark contrast to the album's closer, "The City Ignites," an acoustic ballad that pulls down the whole record. Think Drowning Pool meets Dave Matthews. Luckily the rest of the album is pretty strong, and offers a nice blend of melodic chorus and hoarse vocals, like "Aurora."
-J.L.
