CD Reviews: July 21

> The Wyld. Preface. Dryden Street/Universal
3 stars (out of 5)

Once you get past the name confusion (formerly The Wild, now The Wyld in an effort to make them more "googleable"), the debut from the Auckland rap-rock trio reveals a dexterous approach. The twin-pronged attack of rapper Mo Kheir and singer Brandon Nigri recalls Linkin Park, minus the larynx-shredding choruses - Nigri's crooning is tender and understated, buttressed by guitarist Joe Pascoe, whose minimalist chops and squalls lend atmosphere. Elsewhere, Uphill's plinking piano and laser-sharp rimshots jostle with sepulchral synths and the bluesy swagger of Change, dissolving any notion of baggy shorts and goatees.

Single download: Uphill
For those who like: Linkin Park, Blakroc, The Roots

- John Hayden

> Frank Ocean. channel Orange. Def Jam.
5 stars (out of 5)

Frank Ocean is the R&B vocalist for oddball LA hip-hop collective Odd Future, and with major label debut channel Orange, the New Orleans native is set to launch into the nu-soul stratosphere. Bringing to mind pioneers Stevie Wonder and Sly Stone, Ocean's deployment of sparse drums and muted chords gives his elastic pipes (a tender falsetto on Thinkin' About You; gospel-inflected on Bad Religion) free reign. A narcotic fug hangs heavy throughout, lending an eerie intimacy to his storytelling, whether on the disarmingly frank Forrest Gump, Super Rich Kids' skewed satire, or the bravura epic Pyramids.

Single download: Pyramids
For those who like: Stevie Wonder, Sly Stone, Prince, Andre 3000

- John Hayden

> The Flaming Lips. The Flaming Lips And Heady Fwends. Warner Music.
3 stars (out of 5)

First released as a limited edition coloured-vinyl oddity, this compilation draws an unlikely gang of space-trippers into the orbit of Oklahoma psych-rock surrealists the Flaming Lips. Nick Cave, Ke$ha, Erykha Badu, Yoko Ono, Jim James, Bon Iver and others pitch themselves into the Lips' clattering electrical storm of distortion and weirdness, and there are rewards for those prepared to ride out the bumpy patches.
Ke$ha's robotic 2012 (You Must Be Upgraded) and Badu's icy reading of The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face are highlights.

Single download: The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face
For those who like: Aphex Twin, Radiohead

- Jeff Harford

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