4Play

Oct. 19, 2008

Keane - Perfect Symmetry - Interscope
Well-known and admired for their prettily-mannered band mix of piano, vocals and drums (that’s right - no guitar, folks), UK trio Keane broke onto the scene with that very philosophy and didn’t veer for their first two albums. But now, as all good bands eventually do, they’ve decided it’s time for a little growth; so they’ve invited the guitars back in and have taken things even a step beyond that by writing songs that recollect their own influences, many of which are - surprise! - ‘80s bands. Lead single “Spiralling,” with it’s uber-new-wave synths and cheerful choral-refrain backing vox (“hooooo!”), is a bit of a shock from the band’s previous sound at first, but it grows on you quickly, as does the rest of this accomplished and risk-taking set.


Kaiser Chiefs - Off With Their Heads - Motown
Mark Ronson is at the helm for Kaiser Chiefs’ latest, which arrives just a year and a half after their sophomore release, Yours Truly, Angry Mob, and it’s a set that seems poised to drop plenty of radio singles to add to the band’s steadily growing arsenal of hits. Beginning with the quirky “Spanish Metal,” the album moves smoothly from track to track, alternating between more psychedelic, dense arrangements (“Tomato in the Rain”) and sequined, disco-fied Kaiser-rock such as “Good Days Bad Days” and “Never Miss a Beat.” The band also brought in several friends to assist, among them the renowned LCD Soundsystem/Nirvana mixmaster Andy Wallace and UK grime-hop artist Sway, who contributes to standout track “Half the Truth.”


Echo and the Bunnymen - Ocean Rain Collector’s Edition - Warner Bros.
After 30 years as a band, Echo and the Bunnymen recently returned to the scene of two of their most notable earlier live performances, namely the Royal Albert Hall in London, to celebrate their anniversary by performing their classic album, Ocean Rain, which was played in its entirety, complete with live orchestration conducted by Rupert Christie. Today, Echo tracks from that landmark album, such as “Seven Seas” and - perhaps one of their most recognizable songs - “The Killing Moon” - sound vast, epic, and just as grand as always on this newly remastered version, making this disc an impressive addition to any Echo-fan’s collection. the 2-disc set also includes a full disc of live recordings from those past Royal Albert Hall shows in 1983, making it a complete set.

Oasis - Dig Out Your Soul - Reprise
Borrowing many elements from old Beatles recordings (no surprise there), among them drumbeats, vocal FX, lyrical wordplay, guitar riffs, and even some actual John Lennon vocal samples, the latest stew of sound from Oasis arrives with yet another twist in the English band’s approach. While Liam Gallagher still holds down the fort as lead vocalist, the band’s main songwriter, brother Noel Gallagher, only writes a few of the tracks included here, then passes the reins to his bandmates. The result is still good, if a little predictably uneven, as the standout songs - “The Shock of the Lightning” and “Falling Down” - are, of course, Noel’s. although, brother Liam does turn in a single-worthy tune in the pretty, piano-based “I’m Outta Time.”