Some June album highlights
The Futureheads
Here are some quick impressions of fave June releases:
The Chemical Brothers—Further…These guys were about as consistent as anyone but fell off last time out. Once again the quality is back, as this full-length is a good listen from beginning to end. There aren’t any truly memorable songs, but it’s fine either in the background or as a primary focus of yours. If I were to recommend tracks, I’d go with “Dissolve” and “Swoon”.
The Constellations—Southern Gothic…They have a unique sound and blur genre lines between rock, blues, rap, pop, etc. Every track has its own feel. They’re very musical and are one of the better live bands out there. The album is written about after-hours Atlanta and as Hotlanta is their home town, it’s a subject they know lots about. The single “Felecia” has been getting strong airplay nationally. Also check out “Setback” and their superior cover of Tom Waits’ “Step Right Up”.
Delphic—Acolyte…Following in the footsteps of various Manchester predecessors, these guys adeptly blend electro and rock. Delphpic’s main goal is to get people dancing and this album does just that. Their sound isn’t terribly original, but they do sound fresh, and their live show indicates that the band is ready for prime time. Cool tracks include “Doubt”, “Halcyon”, “Counterpoint”, and “Submission”.
Devo—Something For Everybody…Possibly their best album overall and one of my 2010 faves so far. They retained their analogue synth sound but added a 2010 production sheen to make them sound very “fresh”. There’s a need for more uptempo indie music, and this fits beautifully. They’ll make many new fans, and the album is a must for old fans. I like it all and mostly recommend “Fresh”, “Don’t Shoot”, “What We Do”, and “Please Baby Please”.
The Futureheads—The Chaos…Speaking of uptempo indie music, the FHeads (as I lovingly call them) have returned to the highly energized sound that originally worked so well for them. They’re getting strong UK attention and some buzz over here with cool tracks like “Heartbeat Song”, “The Chaos”, “Struck Dumb”, and “I Can Do That”.