Overdue Reviews

You might have noticed content has been scant for a while. The combination of a depressive spell, increased demands at my day job and the addition of a night job has given little time for regular music reviews.

Plus, many old favorites have disappointed in 2009, and that doesn’t make me eager to hit the keys.

Back From the Dead ~ Despite their fun live show and decades of delightful cameos, Spinal Tap dropped a dud here. Let’s instead call it Back for the Cash, since the 12-inch Spinal Tap paper dolls are a neat packaging feat cannot hide that most songs are merely re-recorded. Funky Sex Farm and a reggae Flower People? Bleh. At least three of the new songs – Back From the Dead, Celtic Blues, and Warmer Than Hell – have a little life in them.

Veckatimest ~ Grizzly Bear’s first three songs catch me, but the rest quickly descends into a collage-rock blur. For all the comparisons with the latest Animal Collective, Veckatimest hasn’t connected after 20-some listenings. Animal Collective hooked me at 15.

Wilco (The Album) ~ I’m almost at a loss, but Wilco has delivered its first non-dynamic record. With every earlier long-player, talk of a new Wilco album always came with the question, “What will this one sound like?” Wilco (The Album) sounds too much like the stellar Sky Blue Sky, with some songs (I’m looking at you, Everlasting Everything) ape the themes and cadence of Sky’s superior songs. One Wing, You Never Know, and Sunny Feeling brighten a disappointingly ordinary effort from Wilco.

Ashes of American Flags ~ But all is not lost in the Wilco camp, thanks to their recent travelogue DVD and its 20-plus downloadable tracks. Think of it as a companion to Kicking Television, the live record Wilco recorded at home in Chicago. This is Wilco hitting mid-sized cities and journeying through the dilapidated small towns between them. No matter how ordinary Wilco albums can become (see above), they still rip it live.

Dark Days/Light Years ~ I’ve come to accept that the Super Furry Animals’ natural state is making uneven, mediocre but adventurous records. Dark Days/Light Years has a few lively moments among the dross.

Middle Eastern-pop unexpectedly sizzles on The Very Best of Neil Diamond, while White Socks/Flip Flops is much cooler than its title.

Farm ~ Dinosaur Jr. redeems it all. The follow-up to Beyond, the best reunion record ever, never lets up. You can’t go wrong with I Don’t Want to Go There, Ocean in the Way or Imagination Blind. Blissfully fuzzed-out J Mascis solos never grow stale; Mascis also wins points for letting Lou Barlow pen a few gems again.

Together Through Life ~ Seven months ago, I asked Bob Dylan to consider retiring after the brilliant non-album collection Tell Tale Signs.

The man showed me up again; while not a classic, the accordion and mandolin lend Dylan’s usual no-humor band a little lightness. Some material falters, but Beyond Here Lies Nothing and the tongue-in-cheek It’s All Good are flush with brilliant lyrics and melodies. Dylan delivers the last word on the inanity of the phrase. It is hardly all good, but under his steady hand, it’s still beautifully told.