2Pac
"Pac's Life"
(Interscope)
Sounds Like: A graveyard smash!
Grade: C+
Isn't 2Pac dead yet? The debate has been raging for years, but one thing we know is true: he certainly isn't done making records. Since the artist's "death" on Sept. 13, 1996, 2Pac has released 11 new albums. The latest in this series, called "Pac's Life," released on Nov. 21 of last year.
"Pac's Life" has its moments, with some feel-good beats on the title track and some nice piano riffs to break up some of the more ordinary rhymes about how "thug" we all know Pac is. There is also a ton of guest appearances on this album, including Ludacris, Ashanti, T.I. Bone-Thugs-N-Harmony, Chamillionaire and Snoop Dogg.
Unfortunately, if you're looking for an album full of original tracks, this is not the one for you. Three of the tracks, "Untouchable," "Pac's Life," and "Playa Cardz Right," each appear in two versions on this CD. Overall, the record's not bad, but only die-hard 2Pac fans should waste money on it. However, Tupac Shakur's mother, Afeni Shakur, is the executive producer on this record, and a portion of the proceeds from each record goes toward the Tupac Amaru Shakur Foundation, which helps aspiring artists enhance their creative talents.
-MALLIKA KASTURIRANGAN
The National Lights
"The Dead Will Walk, Dear"
(Bloodshake Records)
Sounds Like: Sufjan Stevens without the whole "talent" thing.
Grade: C-
Sometimes ambition can get the best of us. The National Lights can surely attest to this in regards to its album, "The Dead Will Walk, Dear," which songwriter Jacob Thomas Berns claims to have found inspiration for in '80s slasher films and southern gothic literature. Too bad the album lacks the sensationalist fun of said films or the sinister ambiance of said literature.
In fact, "The Dead Will Walk, Dear," which stands at a measly 27 minutes, is about as exciting as a vasectomy. Right from the opening track, "Better For It, Kid," it becomes blatantly apparent that Berns is a darker version of Sufjan Stevens, and, as expected, ambition got the best of him.
"The Dead Will Walk, Dear," ironically ends with the only truly whole track on the album, "Killing Swallows," a serene number that leads to a satisfying, banjo-based instrumental finale. Unfortunately, even a decent climax could not save this uneven album. The root of the problem here is the amateur lyrics, which sound like poetry a jaded high school student would scribble down in a marbled Mead composition notebook during math class, or something poignant like that.
There are even instances where the lyrics completely undermine the music's accomplishments, such as during "Buried Treasure," when Berns' whiney voice belts out, "Somewhere there's a heart in your body/You hide it well/But sooner or later, babe, I'll get to it." There is only one instance where lyrics like that are ever welcome: while they are playing in the background of a primetime television show on the WB during the revelation of a pregnancy plot twist.
Aside from "Killing Swallows," this album is instantly forgettable. If you are looking for good folk, cast this album to the wind and find yourself some Joanna Newsom.
-DONNY T. SHELDON
Dawn of Man
"In The Bronze Age"
(Postfact)
Sounds like: Just a small taste of mediocrity, with only a hint of potential.
Grade: C+
Washington, D.C.-based Dawn Of Man has just released its newest album, "In the Bronze Age." The distinctly short EP, clocking in at just over 12 minutes, packs a variety of sounds in just four songs.
The opening track, "A to Z," contains mostly monotonous guitar chords and repetitive drumbeats. Aside from the instrumentals, it has a strong lyrical element, which resembles the early work of The Pixies. Second on the album is a repressed semi-ballad titled "Bronze Age." Interpunk.com describes the song by saying it "feels like a soundtrack to a desolate vista of a human age driven to bigger and better things." But really, the soft-core lyrics are an amateur anthem that begs for attention from anyone who will listen.
The third track, "The Chosen," sounds like something an angst-ridden preteen produced after enduring a tough middle school breakup. You can feel the pent up disposition of the singer when she screeches, "It was true, it was meant to be you." "Taking Shape," the album's closing song, gives off a mischievous vibe. The spooky guitar licks throughout make the listener crave more of a bizarre sound.
Though the band comprises five individuals, all with unique instruments, it seems that Dawn Of Man, in its third decade of making music, has run out of ideas. Although the quality of the album varies depending on the song, one thing is for certain: the lead singer should seek voice therapy as soon as possible.
-ILIANA IMBERMAN BERKOWITZ
