4Play

Sept. 12, 2007

Editors - An End Has A Start - Fader
Returning with their second album might be a bit of a conundrum for UK band Editors - not because this set is particularly lacking, but because their first set, The Back Room, was so darned impressive, they’ve got a lot to live up to. Combining yesterday’s ‘80s synth-pop with today’s indie rock, they’re stretching for a more epic feel here, and, for the most part, they’re succeeding. Singer Tom Smith holds down the whole fort with his edgy baritone, while the guitar work includes plenty of memorable hooks for this series of highly effective pop songs. Highlights include “The Racing Rats,” the wonderfully bombastic “The Weight of the World,” the drum-focused “Bones,” and the album’s first, more experimental single, the Chris-Martin-would-be-proud “Smokers Outside the Hospital Doors.”

Maps - We Can Create - Mute
It sounds like it was created in a world of complex computers, but, in reality, Maps’ detailed latest work was put together by James Chapman by hand, as he recorded the whole disc on a 16-track, splicing the sounds himself. And it’s a terrifically atmospheric set, with mostly downtempo songs that are eerie at times and beautiful at others. Subtle voices, a plethora of seemingly randomized noises, looped drums, and plenty of synthesizer sounds of all varieties combine to craft soundscapes that are at once catchy and perfect background music - not an easy feat. Many lo-fi albums do just that - stay low, and out of your consciousness once the CD stops spinning - but you’ll find yourself humming such Maps tracks as “To the Sky,” “Elouise,” and “Don’t Fear” the next day and beyond.

Rilo Kiley - Under the Blacklight - Warner
Rilo Kiley frontwoman Jenny Lewis’ solo effort, Rabbit Fur Coat, was one of the favored recordings of 2006 for most indie-pop fans - so how could she bring that success back into the fold of Rilo Kiley? The answer: just keep doing what the band does best, which are, of course, those quirky, sometimes over-the-top lyrics combined with the torch-song-pop-song balance that they do so well. This particular set is chock-full of peppy songs - well, at least on the surface. The gleeful tunology is yin-yanged on repeated listens by the wordplay, but whichever faction of the songs you’re listening to, you’ll find them interesting, especially the opinionated “Breaking Up,” the folky “The Angels Hung Around,” and the ‘60s-influenced “Smoke Detector.”


Minus the Bear - Planet of Ice - Suicide Squeeze
Modern prog-rock? You bet, and MTB does it with both cohesion and an interesting sense of melody. Sure, there are hints of psychedelia et al, here, but it’s really the organic elements that are making the difference in this particular phase of Minus the Bear’s sound - that, and the addition of new keyboardist Alex Rose, whose meticulously constructed keyboard washes and riffs take MTB’s songs a little more into the ‘60s than where they might have tread before - and into a little darker territory, too. You’ll notice the change-up in songs like the acoustic-y “Part 2,” the intricate “Lotus,” and the zippy “Ice Monster” - but there’s enough retro MTB here, too, in songs like “Throwin’ Shapes,” to keep fans happy in either direction.