Anberlin Churns Out Some Vital Rock Noise

Anberlin doesn't shy away from the deeper relationship issues, both with those closest to them and with bigger questions that get them asking "Are we doing this whole being alive thing correctly?" "Vital" embraces the complex issues and, in some cases, lends undeniable octane to the musicianship surrounding them. Take "Desires" for instance. From a rock yelp point of view Joseph Miligan holds his guitar prowess out on an entirely different level. If you listen closely maybe you can hear the fretboard melting under his wicked assault. His work here proves that ax melting isn't solely the province of mainstream guitar gods. Though they carry the somewhat stigmatized Christian rock label, this new effort isn't toothless. The aforementioned track zeroes in on the perils of being in close with someone who insists the world revolves around them, and them alone. You'd be wise to check out "Little Tyrants" strictly on the basis of Joe's demonic efforts. Stephen Christian's voice could cut through the deepest London fog. Look no further than "Other Side" for credible evidence. His pondering makes you want to take his hand, and roam where he roams. He craves warm arms to hold him. You wish for him to receive them. On this track and on "Innocents", Stephen inserts hooky keyboard passages into the framework. "Modern Age" goes toe to toe with some very real psychological concerns that way most of us down in one way or another. The fear of failing is a commonality amongst us. So is the notion that each of us is in the process of writing his own story, directing his own "film", trying to belong to some fellow band of brothers instead of staying condemned to this random drifter on the ponderosa of existence sort of blue funk. The underlying question behind "Someone Anyone" could apply to any social situation be it war, family, or marriage. Said question is "What are we fighting for?" What's a very real connecting thread among rock bands is this searching for an answer that never seems easily attainable. Nathan Young uses his drum techniques to dizzying effect. When he shifts into fifth gear during "Orpheum" you're eager to follow him through the labyrinthine maze the overall mood of the song suggests. "Am I losing control?" is the pontificated question this time around and, once you're swept in the wave of unsettled rhythm you want to fight for control right alongside him. The step up to a heavier sound suits this fivesome. They'll know doubt succeed in leaving the audiences, both potential, and already converted, wanting more.

Two Door Cinema Club Is Worth Joining

The best way to describe the harmonies in "Beacon", the new one from County Down, Ireland's Two Door Cinema Club is to compare it's cosmic scope and breadth to one of those kaleidoscopes you may have had as a kid. That's the one where you turn it and notice colors assuming various related pleasing shapes and  color mixtures. This trio has only been around since 2007 but, if this 11-track set is any indication of their mettle I sense long life in the biz is a distinct possibility. Alex Trimble, the lead vocalist shows off a marked talent for poetry. "Someday" revisits the big picture conundrum that is "Is this journey running from or to who we will wind up being?" He conveys his own uncertainty with a winning, unaffected charm. Kevin Baird's bass handiwork bolsters the urgency of his searching. Sam Halliday proves he's no guitar lightweight. Back to the kaleidoscope comparison. In some tracks the sound is arranged with the lead guitar controlling the lion's share of the energy. Other times, "The World Is Watching" being the most laudable example, it's the three part harmonies, squeaky clean as the time tested Irish spring, that lift the songs to a gorgeous level they would not have achieved had their placement been not so strategic. There is such a thing as cluttered arrangement, something these three apparently know nothing about. They have a flair for getting potential listeners to dash with them through the panoramas of what probably is well on its way to being known as "The Two Door Cinema Club" sound. Kaleidoscope experimentation carries the day. Another way to put it would be to compare the fluid shifting of the tunes to the layer by layer intricacy of Russian nesting dolls. Layer upon layer upon layer until you hit the bedrock energy from one track to the next. Alex deserves a great deal of credit for the dazzling imagery he brings out for "Spring". Just an engaging reassertion of a classic song complaint uttered in the name of budding romance..."One more day is not enough."The old masters of the world of poetry would have approved. All of the tiers employed on this album work magnificently. Because of that it's impossible to be bored. You don't know where the bass, guitar, chorus, horn section, or drum kit will show up. It's nice to hear Two Door Cinema Club laughs at a predictable format for its art. I want to return to this club in the near future and I have a hunch you'll want to as well.

These Are Not Ellie's Halcyon Days

Far be it from me to spit in the face of "what the kids are listening to these days" but I have a really hard time warming up to the charms of Ellie Goulding. Her latest release "Halcyon" has this lighter than smoke machine smoke quality that I just couldn't cozy up to. "Lights", the leadoff single and top 10 Billboard hit, doesn't surround her with too much atmosphere outside of some jocular yet cloying synth effects. There's much club stomping to be had with "Halcyon". Very much in the comfort zone of one of those wee hour rave-ups where you can't find one inch of elbow room. Her soprano range vocals lend a surreal element to "Joy". That's a unique experience to behold but that also makes me a shade uncomfortable. Her delivery does something other that just burst into a wide range of chord shifting. She seems to levitate above the chorus. For some music lovers that's part of the charm. The lyrics kind of disappear into the vocal prowess. Many of the A-level singers I know of at least allow for some of the words to not literally disappear into the wall of atmosphere. "I Know You Care" is imbued with very believable fragility. To be honest, unlike previous reviews, I had a very hard time finding anything awe-inspiring to latch onto. Usually there's an instrument, an ear-inspiring trick, a burst of vim and vigor. Even when the songs have an easygoing way with them, it's sort of pushed out in a Diet Coke diluted taste way. To you the reader I'm sorry if this review comes across as if I composed it fresh off of being jolted with Novocaine. Ellie Goulding's brand of songcraft sort of numbs me off like that. She may very well be a lovable lass but I can't understand much of what the fuss is about.

Heart Beats From Its Roots With "Fanatic"

The Wilson sisters of Heart have come full circle. In the 1970s their focus was acoustic, strongly penned rock melodies. In the 1980s they veered towards radio friendly pop rock ditties which helped reignite interests in them when their fortunes began to flag in the early part of the Decade of Decadence. By the mid-90's domestic life called out Nancy and so Heart was taken off life support for a time so she could better focus on the family she was growing with Almost Famous brainchild Cameron Crowe. Once the new millennium reared its uncertain head the sister act again felt that ache to reconnect. In the Twenty Tens Heart has successfully returned to the rootsy no compromise sound for which they seem to hold the patent. "Fanatic" puts the band's ability to both rock out and wax pensively on full display. The title track shows off Ann's combination of sex kitten appeal and snarling "Hands off me poser" mystique. Not that there's a lack of deeply burnished ballad cuts to choose from. Ann paints a vivid picture with "Pennsylvania" as well as "Rock Deep (Vancouver)". On these selections you won't just face an interface that comes naturally to the Wilsons and whatever back up assemblage of cracker jack musicians they have on hand. What you'll get as a bonus is the weather-scarred chronicle of life in Ann and Nancy's shoes that could only be this rich due to a lifetime of sisterly affection. These two had each other's backs long before the term was a regular part of the modern vernacular. In rock 'n' roll a certain amount of snake oil is applied to lube the commerce aspect. You doubt the level of sincerity much of the time. With the Wilsons you can discard the putty knife you'd normally want to use to scrape the bullshit off. You need look no further than "59 Crunch" to find proof that 4 decades into the rock 'n' roll life they still can blast the doors off concert halls like nobody's business. Ann's urgent delivery bolts from the porch in "A Million Miles". This single is a whirling dervish of keyboards and surplus energy. The rapid pulse stemming from her chest is palpable. You're anxious to grab onto her shoulders and hold on tight. It would be a mistake to write off Heart just yet. It would not surprise me one whit if they went off to their graves heads held high, guitar picks lofted skyward as if to say "Yeah...we did it!!"

Three Days Grace Pilots a Stellar Ride to Venus

You know what parents say about their kids, namely that they seem to grow up so fast. Same words could be said after listening to Three Days Grace's new album "Transit of Venus". These Canadian hard rockers are in fact the same dudes who brought singles like "Pain" and "Never Too Late" to the wider world. Those songs clamped on to your throat but didn't completely seize the upper hand. On this new effort the boys have sprouted attitude with a tremendous bite to it. There's not a bad track in this batch. "Chalk Outline" gives you the razor's edge jagged menace that great hard rock music can be measured by. Adam Gontier approached the recording session as if he was determined to leave drops of blood dripping from his apoplectic fangs. Mission accomplished. This man is not shy about exposing his inner battle scars. Nor will he shy away from dismissing toxic influences from his world such as the female depicted in "Operate". You know the type. She wants you only because of what she thinks she's going to get out of you. Though the booze as healing salve image isn't a rarity in the inebriated history of metal, "Happiness" adds a devilishly wicked spin. Plus the notion of draining happiness straight from the bottle when reality isn't so palatable is an idea folks who are either in hard rock bands or folks aspiring to join the ranks can sympathize with. Barry Stock pulverizes eardrums with his otherworldly guitar attack. Neil Sanderson shakes off any restraint he ever possessed in the capacity of drum lord. Whatever drugs he was on at the time I suggest he maintain the dosage. His precision on this set is nothing sort of astounding. Nice he's one of those drummers who fully realizes the potency he can cull from his instrument. Michael Jackson would be proud of the tough as nails renovation job his "Give In To Me" receives. As a bonus the band shows it knows its way around a compelling story song. "Expectations" erects an unsettling big city tale of an innocent sixteen year-old searching for silver screen fortune only to find out innocent sixteen year-olds don't tend to fare too well in that environment. The nausea-inducing (in the most flattering rock way) chord shifts peel back the curtain without sparing either expense or detail. Just one impressive change up the guys offer on this trip to the musical mound. Not only do they offer a jaw dropping ensemble of pitches, they knock it out of the park too. If they weren't treated that way before, Three Days Grace can now be considered a meaty rock outfit that fully deserves to be taken seriously. They got the memo that you've gotta leave the testosterone aggression out there on full display. If this album doesn't send at least one chamber of your heart pounding like crazy than you, sir, are a metal lightweight.

Muse Lays Down The 2nd Law

I have to take my hat off to Muse. Its members usually bring an everything including the kitchen sink attitude to their work. I've been a gushing fan of theirs ever since the Absolution era. While the brand new The 2nd Law isn't as dynamic, compared to the somewhat heavy handed effort The Resistance, it's an impressive step back in that direction. What sent 2006's Black Holes and Revelations out with an explosive "In your face" as far as I'm concerned was "Knights of Cydonia". That track got more and more massive as time wore on. Need a similarly mind melting demonstration of cool from The 2nd Law? I'd like to serve up "Supremacy". If blond Bond Daniel Craig's listening he needs to contact these guys about inserting material like this into a future soundtrack. Christopher Wolstenholme's bass should be place on a Wanted poster due to this outing. It's that dangerous to the ears of those unaware of the instrument's power to wreak havoc from your skull all the way down to your gut. Dominic Howard lets fly with titanic rips from behind the kit. Throw in the camp of an imposing Bond movie opening credits symphony and you've got prime guilty pleasure fixings. "Panic Station" is about as sexy a vocal display as I've ever heard from Matt Bellamy. You'd almost think he stole Jet's swinging loins swagger. What a nice change-up from the soul-piercing deep reflections which account for most of the listening. "Explorers" is a jaw-dropping salute to our planet and how we puny humans are constantly struggling to keep the light of life burning bright. "Survival" finds Matt copping the defiant persona that fits him like hand in glove. Many of the songs here turn to either keyboards or bass to ramp up the intensity level. "Survival" is that rare exception where the electric guitar gets license to cut loose. There's all the menace of a freshly uncorked chainsaw here with not much chance of bodily harm. There is more than one example of how Muse represents the soundtrack of our dreams/nightmares. "Explorers" is the most vivid example of how Matt populates one's dream life contending, like a good many of us probably are at some point, that he's a prisoner in this world and how wonderful it would be if someone were to grant him freedom. Liberation as theme pops up repeatedly. When that isn't front and center than being able to outlast or outrun the sources of inner torment is. Muse closes out this blast of hypnotic parallel artistic dimensions with "The 2nd Law Unsustainable" and "The 2nd Law Isolated". The idea in play is that a society shackled by technologically encouraged isolation can only serve as a breeding ground for entropy among the society's members. Again, being a prisoner lashing out against self-inflicted or societally mandated wounds is up for reflection. "The 2nd Law" has hit store shelves at the right time. It haunts and reassures simultaneously. You won't be able to resist its pull.

Mumford & Sons Slay The Sophomore Jinx

Many a musician lives in fear of the dreaded sophomore jinx, the second album that doesn't measure up to the lofty standard set by its predecessor. If you're Mumford & Sons you needn't lose any sleep over it. "Babel", the sophomore set in question is a glistening diamond from first track to last. Filler material just isn't part of the package here. The Irish folk ensemble have already turned heads with the fleet footed yet grounded "I Will Wait" and the slice of vulnerability known as "Babel". There are plenty of other attention grabbers in the bunch. Whichever emotion Marcus Mumford is zooming in on his full bodied voice cuts right to the chase. "Reminder" possesses the slow, wounded rhythm of a man not wanting to cause his lover any more strife. He's barely got the energy to come crawling to her door. The revelatory aspect of "Hopeless Wanderer" lies in the cleverly planted pace shifts. At first it's jaunty but not at a breakneck level. It isn't long before you're taking a spin through the Irish countryside with a band of gents with something extra in the tank. All participants show off the full power of their instruments. "Country" Winston Marshall's banjo lends authenticity to the regional flavor. Ted Dwane's string bass endows the melodies with a undeniable spine. Ben Lovett dives into his accordion fearlessly. His style demonstrates he can face nettlesome relationship issues unintimidated. "Ghosts That We Knew" burns straight from the heart with a level of intimacy usually reserved for a group of lads telling stories around a campfire. Come to think of it that's not a bad description for this foursome. You'll leave the listening experience without pangs of starvation following a go round with "Lover of the Light". It takes all the time it needs to gel into a rich Irish stew. Mumford & Sons has done everything possible to convince the sophomore jinx it needs to pick on someone its own size. These songs are bigger than life.

Green Day Should Make Energy Numero Uno

In my mind there will always be Green Day before "American Idiot" and Green Day after. "American Idiot" was a prime example of what one's imagination can do when it crosses paths with untamed ambition. To this day "Holiday" remains one of my all-time favorite singles. There's fangs with blood dripping off of them. Billie's guitar has its sights set on you from the first note. At the song's close I feel contentedly exhausted. He gave it one million percent and I felt every bead of sweat. 2012 brings with it "Uno!" If you miss the unabashed stick your tongue out at posers, unworthy lovers, and losers you were only too happy to graduate high school to get the hell away from bursts of vigor that comprise "Dookie" era Green Day then grab a knife and fork 'cause you'll be eating hearty for a good while. However if you're in search of Green Day music that's consistently engaging from first track to last you'll be left wanting. I prefer Billie Joe, Mike, and Tre' when they take their pop punk energy, roll it into a tightly compressed ball, and then proceed to ram it straight up your ass. This style of bravado makes me think of soldiers storming the Bastille. They're busting down the door whether you're prepared for it or not. Take "Nuclear Family" for instance. It's an exemplary way to kick off the album. Potency spews out the yin yang. Show of hands amongst the already converted who share my appreciation for the short bursts of raw punk aggression. Billie expresses his commitment to grabbing life by the balls and holding on for all he's worth. His second and third wind becomes ours. "Carpe Diem" has the mojo needed to get others inspired to grab the pen and keep writing the life script the way they see fit. Try to avoid getting prickly excited when you hear the vitality go up in increments between Tre' behind the kit and Billie with his twanger. Even "Loss of Control" unapologetically shows off the burning flame of empowerment that comes from knowing it's best to embrace the screwed up half-wit inside of you rather than to try running in the opposite direction because deep down we're all screw ups on some level. It's during the course of songs where the pace seems to be flagging a bit ("Fell For You", "Angel Blue") that you'd have to shift your focus more to the nostalgic lyrics since there isn't enough pep to hang your hat on. I can see why "Oh Love" was released as the first single. In rhythms and attitude it's far and away different from the other 11 tracks. In this case standing out is a good thing. I enjoy how the layers of chord and unrushed delivery sort of inch into place. The song is the only standout example of how what the tortoise said in that famous fable is sort of true. Slow but steady does in fact win audience appeal. No one's going to confuse "Uno!" with "Nimrod", "American Idiot" or any other link in the Green Day chain of artistic efforts but that's not entirely bad. I merely wish Green Day had trained for twelve rounds of fret guided fisticuffs instead of becoming bogged down in more methodical selections late in the fight. Even still having Green Day back in the music mix is unquestionably rewarding. Spending time with them once more is worth the effort.

No Doubt's Push and Shove An Engaging Return

It does seem like forever since No Doubt graced us all with "Rock Steady". 11 years is the time equivalent to forever in the music business. So is there any ring rust to the funsome foursome? The brand spanking new "Rock and Steady" presents a resounding "no". Gwen Stefani hasn't lost her breathtaking vocal style. Tom Dumont and Tony Kanal are the aligned forces behind the omnipresent keyboards which give off a dazzling ambiance for Gwen to plunge into. As for Adrian Young he's still one of the most stalwart timekeepers of any skin basher presently in the biz. For any of you wondering these guys haven't lost touch with the dance groove mentality that made "Rock Steady" an outstanding romp through late night hours in club territory. Gwen remains firmly planted in the realm of lyrics spotlighting the ups and downs of male-female relationships. "Heaven" has one of those clap along vibes that reduces your inhibitions even if the neighbors are walking past your front window wondering who the dance fiend is in there. Adrian's muscle behind the kit gets its chance to show off "Dreaming The Same Dream". This track trades in some of the bubbly optimism of Gwen's more recognized tracks ("Underneath It All" springs to mind) for an aggressive, densely texture storyline. Gwen's trying to figure out if she and her man are on the same page in the relationship. "Undercover" runs stride for stride with Gwen's animated colossus personality, and that's definitely a good thing. Another winner is "Gravity". This wall of keys and lightness dazzles and disarms simultaneously. I doubt anyone on the No Doubt bandwagon will be disappointed with this set. As LL Cool J said "Don't call it a comeback". This collection of music is more like a reaffirmation of the special pop culture juggernaut that No Doubt has cultivated for 2 decades and change. The California waves splash at you time and again and you're all too willing to feel the water on your face. Unquestionably breathtaking.