This week we review the latest albums from The Black Crowes, The Gladeyes, The Black Seeds, George Strait and Wavves.
5 stars (out of 5)
Reviewed by Mark Orton.
Not since 1992's Southern Harmony ... have The Black Crowes sounded this exuberant or focused.
Solo forays over the past decade have conspired against the Crowes, but the brothers Robinson save their best tunes for the family co-op.
Recorded live at Levon Helm's studio barn in Woodstock, the combined performances are brilliant and the writing seldom better.
The Crowes rock, glide, groove and grunt their way through one pearler after the other and when it's all over you can download an album of laid-back folksy bluegrass-tinged tunes, free.
Single download: I ain't hiding
For those who like: The Allman Brothers, The Band, The Rolling Stones, Gov't Mule
> The Gladeyes. Psychosis of Love. Lil' Chief Records.
4 stars (out of 5)
Reviewed by Thom Benny
After seven years and four EPs, The Gladeyes have hit their stride with their first LP.
Auckland duo Jade Farley and Gwen Norcliffe joined national indie-pop luminaries Ryan McPhun and James Milne to present these 13 immaculately-produced songs.
Two lead voices reinforce each other's impact and engage in a playful but heartfelt lyrical dialogue.
The songs are about love and its associated complications, but the group approaches and represents such subjects with maturity and credibility, and the songs vary sufficiently in style and tone that few points are dwelt on too long.
Single download: Shyness will get you nowhere
For those who like: Ruby Suns, the Brunettes
> The Black Seeds. Live Vol 1. Loop.
4 stars (out of 5)
Reviewed by Mark Orton
Since the early 2000s, the Black Seeds have been a fixture on stages from The PowerStation to Paris.
Almost like the changing of the seasons, you can count on The Seeds to rock into your town and deliver an uplifting concoction of reggae, dub and funk with their own indigenous twist.
So why bother with a live album? Well, Live Vol 1. not only preserves a great selection of tracks handpicked from selected nights spanning six years, it conveys just how tight these guys really are.
And, you don't get that sweaty bloke behind spilling beer, crushing neighbouring toes and screaming butchered renderings of the lyrics.
Single download: You get me (great guitar lines from Mr Michael Fabulous)
For those who like: The Black Seeds
> George Strait, Twang, MCA.
3 stars (out of 5)
Reviewed by Paul Mooney
"If it ain't broke, don't fix it," might well be George Strait's motto.
His production line keeps turning out infuriatingly reliable albums that achieve enormous popularity despite (or because of?) sounding like mainstream country as it was 30 years ago, 20 years ago, 10 years . . . you get the picture.
Twang contains a mix of bootscooters and ballads, a touch of honky-tonk and some country pop all wrapped in a super-slick radio-friendly production that'll guarantee this plenty of airtime and a healthy shot at the United States charts.
In a year, it'll be gathering dust, but not to worry - by then he'll be doing it all over again.
Single download: Easy As You Go
For those who like: The Bellamy Brothers, Ronnie Milsap, Alan Jackson
> Wavves. Wavves. Fat Possum Records.
2 stars (out of 5)
Reviewed by Jeff Harford
San Diego one-man act Wavves is Nathan William, a slacker punk whose bedroom recordings have been championed by bloggers and a handful of key critics.
His songs, while built on sub-three-minute pop-song templates that draw from Beach Boys surfer tunes, catchy Pavement riffs and early Beck oddities, are all but lost in a blizzard of distortion, making the going tough for all but the most hardy of listeners.
It's a shame that the handful of staggeringly original melodic ideas that dot the landscape are swamped by the relentless sameness of William's no-fi buzz-saw production.
Single download: Loser Year
For those who like: Japanese punk rock, garage bands, noise pop
