4Play

Nov. 16, 2005

Ryan Adams - Jacksonville City Nights - Universal Music
Some of singer-songwriter Ryan Adams’ first musical works were more evocative of the alt-country genre, but Adams seemed to have lost that influence over the past couple of years. Apparantly, that country vibe is still in there somewhere, as evidenced by his latest effort. Part hillbilly, part big city, all emotion, Jacksonville City Nights takes you to the tavern and back again, as Adams sings of love lost and the bits of soul that often go with. It’s a rich collection of songs, from the honky-tonk “A Kiss Before I Go” to the churning “Trains” all the way to Adams’ ballad duet with Norah Jones (“Dear John”), but it’s the little details between the lines, especially lyrically, that will make you want to snag this “countrypolitan” Adams collection and make it part of yours


The All-American Rejects - Move Along - Interscope
All that many people probably know of The Rejects is their 2002 radio hit, the catchy, bouncy “Swing, Swing” - but if that’s all you allow yourself to see of this ambitious band, that could be a mistake. Pop - especially punk-pop - is a funny genre in that it can have equal chances of coming off as simple fluff songs meant to get your feet moving or as more well-crafted efforts that can keep you swinging without completely leaving your brain behind. The Rejects are something of a blend of both of these approaches - they seem to be still experimenting, which is what can be expected from a sophomore effort - but when they’re leaning more towards radio-friendly but not compromising intelli-pop (“Move Along,” “Dirty Little Secret,” the animated “Night Drive”) as opposed to fluff (“Straitjacket Feeling”), the rewards are many.

Big Star - In Space - Rykodisc
70’s legends Big Star have long been revered by fans of clever, Byrds-esque power pop music, and among those fans were Posies members Jon Auer and Ken Stringfellow, whose own pop music carved out a little niche in that same genre. So it’s interesting that Auer and Stringfellow have now teamed up with Big Star original members Jody Stephens and Alex Chilton to manufacture a brand new Big Star set of songs. The two Posies must have done their homework, because their entrance into Big Star’s membership seems to have been a fairly seamless one - the songs here are chock-full of the harmonies and chiming guitars that made Big Star great in the first place. Standouts include “Best Chance We’ve Ever Had,” “Turn My Back On The Sun,” and “February’s Quiet” - Big Star’s back, and we’re glad - because this is pop music that deserves to be heard.

The Click Five - Greetings From Imrie House - Lava Records
This Boston band is something of an anomaly - visually, they recollect Franz Ferdinand or The Hives, but aurally, they’re closer to (cough) a boy band trying to be retro-cool. It’s not necessarily bad, it’s just confusing - their hipster pose is a bit misleading to those looking for the Next Underground Thing to listen to, because this isn’t it. With overly slick production values and vocals, the songs here are really only saved by the outside help that The Click Five has received, namely that of Fountain of Wayne’s Adam Schlesinger and Cars guitarist Elliott Easton, who grace the quintet with a dash of actual credibility and a couple of decent songs. But the uneven mix of hooks and holes here means that it might be a while before anything past their first oversold single, “Just the Girl,” will actually catch on.