Reviewed this week are new albums by Vampire Weekend, Talib Kweli and Queens of the Stone Age.
3 stars (out of 5)
This third album from New York quartet Vampire Weekend finds the band shedding some of the preppy affections and Afro-pop signatures it chose to frame breakthrough album Contra, this time testing out a leaner sound and a higher level of inventiveness.
With a nod to Yoshimi-era Flaming Lips, vocals are manipulated, tunings are tweaked and drums are distorted to send this more mature set of songs slightly off-kilter, while references to '50s rock ground the album. For all of that, it's an effort more likely to engage the brain than body. It would be great if it did both.
Single download: Dianne Young
For those who like: Deerhunter, Grizzly Bear
- Jeff Harford
3 stars (out of 5)
As he creeps closer to 40, how does Boho-rap's poster boy maintain relevance? The answer seems to lie in a major concession to the mainstream. Prisoner of Conscious features Kweli's trademark laser-sharp lyricism, peppered with guests including Kendrick Lamar, Nelly, Busta Rhymes, and Brazilian folkie Seu Jorge, as well as a broad soundscape (dusty ol' soul samples on Come Here, the gospel-tinged Before He Walked, and Favela Love's bouncy Latin rhythms.)
Though at times dazzling, the abundance of guests suggests he underestimates his own charisma, while the lack of coherency leaves his righteous rhymes a tad untethered.
Single download: Come Here
For those who like: Mos Def, Common, Kanye West
- John Hayden
4 stars (out of 5)
No matter what band of musical intransigents Josh Homme cobbles together as Queens of the Stone Age, it's almost guaranteed to be groovy. Chock-full of everything that is great about contemporary rock, ... Like Clockwork is not a natural progression from previous albums, it's a musical statement from a band throwing caution to the wind and nailing it.
As captivating as anything to reverberate out of the California desert thus far, ... Like Clockwork is not as instantly addictive or as catchy as previous outings, but given time it might be the set they find hardest to beat.
Single download: If I Had A Tail
For those who like: Queens of the Stone Age, Nine Inch Nails, Mad Season
- Mark Orton
