4Play: Imogen Heap, The Mars Volta, Matthew Sweet & Susanne Hoffs, MuteMath

Dec. 6, 2009

Imogen Heap - Ellipse - RCA
Beginning by songwriting in Hawaii and Fiji, and then subsequently recording the album itself in a studio she built in her family’s old home in the UK (with all of the above chronicled in mostly real-time on Twitter), Heap put a lot of detail and effort into her newest album, which showcases the talented musician’s growth and classical skills. Setting her carefully-written songs atop a base of electronica beats and synth beds, she flattens out her work a little with more spare production, which may seem slightly empty when compared to previous efforts, but in actuality leaves more room for the emotional content of impressive songs like “First Train Home,” “Swoon,” and “Half Life.”


The Mars Volta - Octahedron - Warner Bros.
Taking a more acoustic turn on their latest album, The Mars Volta get more strummy, punky, and more abstract on these songs, and also implement an interesting fade technique via which one song simply merges into the next. From the opener, the psychedelic-soul (and subtle-dig-at-Kelly-Clarkson) “Since We’ve Been Wrong,” the album moves along through tracks like the interestingly-detailed “Teflon” to the progressive-rock secondary single “Cotopaxi” to the bombastic “Luciforms.” These tracks are also shorter than The Mars Volta’s usual efforts, although the often-too-extensive guitar solos are still there; but the new textures will help keep your attention.



Matthew Sweet and Susanna Hoffs - Under the Covers Vol. 2 - Shout Factory
Back in 2006, Sweet and Hoffs teamed up their distinctive voices to record a set of classic ‘60s covers, a hit due to both of the performers’ vocal and arrangement skills. Now they’re back, taking on a range of catchy songs from the ‘70s, complete with nifty guest appearances from George Harrison’s son Dhani Harrison and Fleetwood Mac’s Lindsey Buckingham. The harmonies here are especially notable as Sweet’s and Hoffs’ vocals meld perfectly, and the album overall is prettily executed as well as being entertaining; top picks include “Killer Queen,” Hoffs’ “You’re So Vain,” and Sweet’s “Couldn’t I Just Tell You” and “Back of My Car.”


MuteMath - Armistice - WEA/Reprise
Produced by Elvis Costello/Hives cohort Dennis Herring, MuteMath’s latest alternates between large-scale, crashing rockers and more sympathetic, restrained numbers. “The Nerve” kicks off the whole thing with a singalongable chorus, and is followed by a second rock number, “Backfire,” that’s anchored by a heavy, detailed beat. “No Response” throws in a little trip-hop and mellows things out alongside “Pins and Needles,” a piano-and-strings festooned number, and the set’s singular ballad, “Lost Year,” all of which serve as a nice break before the more upbeat tunes return - “Odds,” with its erratic yet catchy handclaps, and the many layers and busy beats of “Burden.”