4Play

Oct. 6, 2004

Supergrass • Supergrass Is 10: Best of ‘94-’04 • Capitol Records
It’s hard to believe that Supergrass is 10, isn’t it? Granted, the band has had so many Brit-hits, we’ve lost count - but they’ve somehow managed to move right along with the times, staying modern while still embracing the sound that they call their own - and three cheers for that. Equal parts UK sugar-rock and guitar-glam, Supergrass’ songs, especially in this one-by-one context, prove that SG were and are a terrific singles band, with unbeatable pop vocals, some of Britpop’s coolest basslines, and plenty of hooks to keep you lying in the proverbial grass for hours on end. This retrospective-so-far includes some of the best tracks from Supergrass, Life On Other Planets and *In It For The Money,* although about a third of the hits arrive courtesy of the band’s snappiest disc, I Should Coco. And two new tracks are thrown in for good measure - the witty and funky “Kiss of Life” and the darker “Bullet,” both of which stand up just as well against the older hits. Supergrass - just as fresh as 10 years ago, and just as good for pumpin’ on your stereo.


Bjork • Medulla • Elektra/Asylum
Devoid of traditional instrumentation and reliant on the simple (and sometimes not-so-simple) beauty of the voice, Bjork’s latest can most easily be compared to a Bjork-cake; layers of vocal sound stacked one upon the other, with a production frosting to die for. Of course, the singer’s trademark vocals are a standout here, as always; but they are beautifully glazed with contributions from numerous guest stars (including an Inuit throat singer, an Icelandic choir, several incredible human beatboxes, and Rahzel from The Roots, among others) to great effect on such tracks as the trancy “Desired Constellation,” the city-influenced “Triumph of a Heart,” and the dissonant “Oll Birtan.” It’s an impressive collection that benefits from repeated listenings as the different nuances of the compositions reveal themselves. One might think that Bjork would take a chance to rest on her laurels at this point in her career - but instead, we find that Medulla may be her most challenging and interesting effort to date.


The Comas • Conductor • Yep Roc Records
The first point of interest regarding The Comas’ third album is most obviously what accompanies it - a DVD. Not just the usual DVD of band interviews and whatnot, this DVD goes a step above the usual collection of music video clips by presenting a little something called Conductor: The Movie. Starring Comas singer Andy Herod along with Dawson’s Creek actress Michelle Williams (Herod’s former girlfriend), it’s well-filmed and creative - a sort of refined sci-fi love story that, paired with the songs, makes for quite the overall Comas experience. The songs themselves aren’t to be tossed aside in the wake of these eye-candy aesthetics, though - with tracks like the minor-flavored “The Science of Your Mind,” the gravel-rock “Tonight on the WB” (about... hmm, guess who?), the poppy “Employment,” and the near-folk of “Hologram,” the album stands on its own without the benefit of its DVD pal - but the two of ‘em together make for a pretty nifty package, indeed.


The Shore • The Shore • Maverick Records
Sounding eerily like Richard Ashcroft at times, Ben Ashley - the main singer/songwriter for The Shore - has made a pleasant, pretty album with his California-based band that adds a touch of The Beach Boys to the quite obvious Verve influence. That said, it might just be their stateside sensibilities that manage to thankfully keep this disc from being completely derivative. Soaring along nicely through a well-arranged tracklisting, the album begins with the catchy and swoony “Hard Road” and keeps you buoyed up throughout. Highlights include the aforementioned opening track, along with the piano-anchored “Take What’s Mine,” the encouraging “Waiting For the Sun,” and “It Ain’t Right,” complete with backing harmonies that would make Brian Wilson applaud. Well-crafted and evocative, this album is certainly a good foundation for The Shore, and it will be interesting to see how they follow it up.