This week we review the latest albums from Booker T, Amadou & Mariam, Smashproof, Mammal, and Lily Allen.
4 stars (out of 5)
Renowned soul instrumentalist Booker T Jones once navigated his MGs through countless Stax record sessions, as de facto house band for the label and as a chart-topping act of Green Onions fame.
His latest release finds him once again wringing simple, soulful lines from his distinctive Hammond B3 organ, this time backed on seven originals and three covers by Southern rockers Drive-By Truckers (with a little help from Neil Young).
A grunge-rock edge to several tracks serves to highlight Jones' versatility, but mostly it's familiar stuff - spare yet groovy, mellow yet exhilarating.
Single download: Pound It Out
For those who like: Stax and Motown soul and funk, instrumentals, the Hammond B3
- Jeff Harford
4 stars (out of 5)
This blind African duo puts a seriously funky twist on world music, mixing African blues, European electro-pop, '70s/'80s dancefloor sounds, reggae and hip-hop to create an exuberant pop squall whose reach extends well beyond the borders of the pair's homeland.
Synth squelches, horn stabs, big guitar riffs and the distinctive sounds of African instruments are stacked up in a relentlessly dense production that's as upbeat as it is offbeat.
Guests including Damon Albarn and Somali/Canadian rapper K'Naan join the fun, adding even more colour to one of the year's sunniest, most vibrant releases.
Single download: Djuru
For those who like: The new world music
- Paul Mooney
3 stars (out of 5)
A Concept album about a typical Kiwi weekend, the debut release from South Auckland hip-hop trio Smashproof (Tyree, Young Sid, and Deach) weaves between indulgent romps and thought-provoking introspection.
Whether it's Friday night ("I'm about to grab some liquor/ Meet up with all the soldiers"), a spot of Saturday night rucking (from standout The Morning After) or the Sunday paper (Sunday Star Times), it's a heady and mostly entertaining affair.
Current chart-devouring single Brother lends gravitas, and although its social commentary veers towards hamfistedness, given the album's context, this is a solid first-up effort.
Single download: The Morning After
For those who like: Mareko (and his sense of mirth)
- John Hayden
3 stars (out of 5)
Another in the long line of Australian rock plagiarist bands - Mammal - refines its chops on the space vacated by Wolfmother and Airbourne.
With a sound bigger than their native Victoria, the four-piece bullock through a tight assortment of early-'90s, funk-inspired rockers.
Ezekiel Ox's throaty vocals and Pete Williams' angular guitar are captivating, but the songwriting lacks an element of surprise. Save for the unbridled rhythmic angst of the title track, The Majority is unfortunately a little too polished and clever in its radio-friendly nature to be elevated for higher honours.
Single download: The Majority
For those who like: Living Colour, Extreme, Rage Against the Machine, Faith No More
- Mark Orton
4 stars (out of 5)
With a tabloid history to rival Amy Winehouse, Brit songstress/hellraiser Lily Allen returns with sophomore effort It's Not Me, It's You, an album every bit as barbed as its predecessor.
Allen's trademark wit remains (see excellent single The Fear and Not Fair), though this time around the ska-tinged pop which propelled the sassy observational couplets of her debut is eschewed for a broader aural palette - namely spaghetti Western twangs and music-hall pomp - while the topics extend beyond bad boyfriends and dodgy takeaways, to the nature of God (Him), celebrity drug culture (Everyone's At It) and the effects of a misspent youth (22).
Single download: The Fear
For those who like: Street-smart pop and The Streets
- John Hayden
