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Oct. 26, 2008

Smashing Pumpkins - American Gothic EP - WEA Internat’l
Far from coming across like a mini-set of album rejects, American Gothic gives the impression of something that was put together to be a complement to the Pumpkins’ last full-length set, Zeitgeist. The album’s four songs begin with the pale “Rose March,” a vaguely electronic, guitar-based track of few words. “Again, Again, Again” next takes up the rock baton, which continues on “Pox,” which is more aggressive than the rest of the set, with its spiky guitars and Corgan’s harder vocals. Finally, “Sunkissed,” ups the electronic quotient once again and adds organs, ending the set on a winsome note. American Gothic showcases a lighter side to the Pumpkins, and is a good addition to any Pumpkins fan’s SP collection.


Black Ghosts - The Black Ghosts - Iamsound
British electro duo Black Ghosts have had to jump through a few hoops while waiting for their debut disc to arrive stateside; but considering they’ve had several hit club singles overseas, chances are they didn’t mind much. Mixing electro/dance with pop and topping it all off with vocals from Simian’s ex-singer Simon Lord and Blur’s Damon Albarn, it’s sonically balanced between the ‘80’s discos and today’s nightclubs. “I Want Nothing” is one of the synth-heaviest tunes on the set, while songs like “Until” rely more on a little rock-ish guitar. elsewhere, “Repetition Kills You” and “Some Way Through This” lean on controlled beats and maxed-out synth sounds, making the entire set a modern groove-fest.



Tricky - Knowle West Boy - Domino
Naming his latest set after the Bristol, UK neighborhood where he grew up, Tricky’s back, telling tales of his youth via the tools of hip-hop, pop, reggae and punktronica. Opener “Puppy Toy” adds a retro piano sound underneath Tricky’s understated vocal line and flows directly into “Bacative,” which offers a more experimental feel. “Council Estate” throws guitar into the mix, while “Pre-Millenium Tension” goes back into that experimental lab. Overall, it’s a somewhat uneven effort, but the veering is balanced by the fact that most of what Tricky’s trying to do works quite well sonically. Standout tracks include the aforementioned opener, as well as “Coalition,” “Veronica” and the slightly worldbeat “Baligaga.”


Black Crowes - Warpaint - Silver Arrow
Warpaint blends the Crowes’ standard sound of southern rock with a little extra blues and a smattering of country-western, pulling in influences from Don Henley to The Rolling Stones. If you like what the Crowes have done before, chances are you’ll want to snap this one up too; especially with its equal offerings of rockin’ tunes and more ballad-like, slide-guitar-festooned numbers. In the latter category, “Oh Josephine” and “Locust Street” are the highlights of the more acoustic side of things, while “Whoa Mule” adds in a little old-timey feel. As far as the more rock tracks go, “Evergreen,” while low-tempo at times, keeps the energy up, as do “Goodbye Daughters of the Revolution” and “Movin’ on Down the Line.”