4Play

March 15, 2009

Revolver - Revolver EP - Astralwerks
Is it possible to be both a retro throwback and be utterly unique to today’s pop scene? If you’re Revolver, it is. This Parisian trio - who sing in English - take their name from the Beatles’ album, and the comparisons don’t stop there. They also offer up layered harmonies on songs that are spritely pop gems, from the catchy tune of “Leave Me Alone” to the gentlemanly appeal of “Get Around Town,” with its deft lyrics, piano work, and beret-wearing ambiance. The fact that Revolver has the nerve to even attempt this kind of simply sophisticated music in a Justin Timberlake/Maroon 5 world says something; the fact that they pull it off with ease and charisma says even more.




Belle and Sebastian - The BBC Sessions - Matador
This set brings together fourteen tunes that Belle and Sebastian recorded for the BBC between 1996 and 2001, plus an extra four unreleased tracks from previous releases. It’s interesting to get a rare listen to these musicians so early in their career, and that element does make the live performances somewhat uneven at times; you can literally hear the sound of a band finding their feet. But that’s okay, as this is as much a reminisce as anything else, and there are definitely some notable moments in spite of that memory-album feel; the poppy “Magic of a Kind Word,” “Sleep the Clock Around,” and their cover of The Beatles “Here Comes the Sun” are just a few.




Tindersticks - Hungry Saw - Constellation
The last time we heard UK band Tindersticks was a year and a half ago, when they played what was loudly decreed as their final gig ever, the follow-up to a final album that had been released three and a half years before. So is their return a welcome one? Tindersticks fans say a resounding yes, and they might just gain some new fans, too, with this set. They’ve stuck with the familiar brooding, darkly melancholy sound of their days of yore, with Stuart Staples low yet epic vocals holding down the fort on such tracks as the quietly powerful “All the Love,” the glamorous title track, and the many layers, horns, and guitars of “Yesterday’s Tomorrow.”




The Bird and The Bee - Ray Guns Are Not Just the Future - Blue Note
South American beats blend with ‘60s pop on the latest from Greg Kurstin and Inara George - which is familiar territory for them - but they add several new elements that also make this something of an experimental effort, and it’s an experiment that works. The arrangements do justice to the duo’s syncopated, catchy pop tunes, as do the new elements, which take them further into the psychedelic side of ‘60s music at times (“Witch”), and at other times veer almost into doo-wop girl group territory (“Love Letter to Japan,” “Polite Dance Song.”) Elsewhere, “My Love” offers up a little balladry, and “Meteor” even throws in a little disco-funk.