Label: Definitive Jux
Release:  March 11, 2008
For fans of: Alternative West Coast hip-hop & Something Different
Key Tracks: ‘Workin' It' 'Last Hurrah' 'I Got You'
Links: http://www.hieroglyphics.com/artists/del/

I'll admit, when Del was dropping his groundbreaking debut, 'I Wish My Brother George Was Here', I was barely able to speak and walk. Hell, I didn't even know he featured in one of the Gorillaz's biggest singles ('Clint Eastwood') until I checked wikipedia last week. But one thing I have learnt about Del is, you expect everything and anything from him. 'Eleventh Hour' is the fifth solo album by Del, and he still sounds as fresh as he did in '91. It should be noted he produced the entire album, and quite fittingly, his laid back, tongue twisting delivery compliments the funky and sometimes odd (in a good way!) production.

 Being a part (and founder) of the Hieroglyphics crew can give you a reputation for being ‘different’ and this could never be truer in terms of describing the production. Del has crossed genre lines and produced tracks that are a little bit of hip-hop, a touch of jazz, a snippet of electro and many more. He basically fired up a cauldron of sorts and put all those genres in and what we get in return is some of the most creative production of 2008. ‘Workin’ It’ has a sound I just can’t put my finger on and I really like that.

 Always known for being a clever, lyrical emcee, Del doesn't disappoint. Listeners of the ‘Eleventh Hour’ are in for a real treat as Del is showing off his lyrical prowess and that’s saying something. Especially since Del is up there with legendary rhyme-sayers like Rakim & Kool G. Rap. This review would be overwhelmingly long if I had to backup Del’s lyrical greatness with actual quotes, but believe me! Every bar Del spits has the potential to be a hip-hop quotable. ‘Eleventh Hour’ is just a musical canvas Del created and mastered, and he had a good time doing it.

 The only way to fully comprehend the full force of Del’s creativity is to actually listen to the CD. I know this review is substantially short in comparison to my review of Nelly’s new album (shudder), but I can't express the good feelings you get from listening to this album by merely writing about it. I might even be so bold to say if I have made you curious about the 'Eleventh Hour', you really need to cop this CD. This is the ‘anywhere’ CD. You’ll find Del’s tracks calming and exciting wherever you are, and most importantly, it is actually fun to listen to. Enjoy this one!

Score: 8/10

Label: Maverick/ Warner music group
Release: 7 June 2008
For fans of: Evanescence
Key Tracks: Citizen of the planet, Moratorium,

Links: www.alanismorissette.com www.myspace.com/alanismorissette

Some things just don't change between Alanis albums. She tends to often sound angry or jaded. This album is no exception. What has changed here is she has experimented with new styles that i wouldn't have expected for her. Citizen of the planet starts out with a middle-eastern tinged electronic background before shifting into an electric guitar driven chorus. Straitjacket is synth-driven and has some pretty angry lyrics. Versions of violence sounds like something Evanescence would do. Not As We is a slower, beautifully vulnerable song. Moratorium's electronic style works really well for her. Underneath is the track on here most like her previous work. The happy Giggling again for no reason and On The Tequila provide a nice contrast to the intensity of many of the other songs.

It is certainly an interesting album which i would suspect people will ether love or hate. I enjoyed most of the album, although found it a bit overly intense.

Score: 7

Label: Universal
Release:  September 16, 2008
For fans of: Down-South Pop-Rap
Key Tracks: ‘Self-Esteem’ ‘Party People’ ‘Stepped On My J’z’ ‘Long Night’
Links: www.nelly.net

It’s easy to see why Nelly could be confused with LL Cool J. Both have a boxer’s physique, the self-confidence of a peaking cocaine-addict and both of their fifth studio albums are unoriginal failures. Mistakenly titled ‘Brass Knuckles’ is to Nelly what ‘14 Shots To The Dome’ was to LL. He is trying to capitalize on the current trend of catchy, bass-heavy beats with easy to remember hooks and unimaginative ‘filler’ lyrics. ‘Brass Knuckles’ is nothing more than a club-banger compilation with a couple of exceptions. 

I must say the production is exceptional and the only main redeemable quality. The fact that songs with good beats will be enjoyed regardless of their lyrical content has never wringed so true and Nelly has clearly taken advantage of this. Notable head-boppin’ beats are ‘L.A.’, ‘Party People’,  ‘Let It Go’, ‘Self-Esteem’ & ‘Who F***s Wit Me’. These beats inject the album with the flava & verve Nelly’s rhymes simply lack.  From the producer credits, logically, it’s easy to see why ‘Brass Knuckles’ won’t completely flop. Beats from The Neptunes, Polow Da Don & Jermaine Dupri are not given to risky investments, and unfortunately, the album is just that: a safe & sound business investment. 

The first track, ‘U Ain’t Him’ sets the bar for the caliber of topics and creativity present in Nelly’s rhymes; they are completely bland & embarrassingly clichéd to say the least. He is hell-bent on randomly calling out and baiting competitors with the ferociousness of a dog chasing its tail and I lost count at how many times Nelly made it ‘rain’. A line in ‘Who F***s Wit Me’ perfectly illustrates Nelly’s poor attitude and lack of drive in writing his lyrics: “I ain’t even gotta rap no more”. At least he’s right to some extent, he certainly didn’t try. 

The guests on the album don’t help either, they are mere enablers for Nelly to keep regurgitating lyrics all too common in hip-hop nowadays. Snoop Dogg, Pharrell and most disappointing of all, Chuck D are bridge fillers and chorus jockeys, which is tragic. Their presence was wasted and they could have easily salvaged their featured tracks and challenged Nelly to showcase some of the lyrical creativity, wit and attitude he was once known for.

On the rarest of occasions that Nelly actually uses the creative side of his brain, he gives us glimpses of the expressive artist he seldom is and always should be. ‘Self-Esteem’ showed Nelly humbly expressing a positive message in a lyrically succinct track. I have mentioned the lack of actual, lyrical content on this album, but Nelly only needed 25 lines to get across the importance of self-knowledge and self-confidence over a funky, Prince-Paul like beat. And for once, the chorus was a perfect side dish instead of being the main, complementing the breadth of Nelly’s verses. ‘Steppin On My J’z’ is another standout, taking a light-hearted view on the highs and lows of Jordan sneakers with an amusing interlude. There are also ‘Long Night’ & ‘Party People’ that set themselves apart as being true to the album's nature: a mild-variety of safe, marketable top-40 club tracks.

I was hoping the attitude and vigor of the title and cover would somehow translate to the actual content, but sadly, I was wrong. If you are looking for some pop-rap to listen to in your car or music to be used in a ‘Fast & The Furious’ movie, ‘Brass Knuckles’ is for you. If you are longing for something new, original & creative in the landscape of hip-hop, move on, there ain’t nothin’ to see here. 

Score: 4/10

Label: Capitol/EMI
Release: 19 April 2008
For fans of: Brooke Fraser, Eva Cassidy
Key Tracks: Everybody Hurts, Sorrento moon
Links: www.myspace.com/tinaarenamusic, www.tinaarena.com

Songs of Love & Loss sees Tina arena perform covers and original songs on the topic of, you guessed it, love and loss. The music is beautifully arranged (complete with orchestra) which is so refreshing given the amount of mediocre pop music out there. Tina is an exceptionally talented vocalist equally good at both delicate and powerful. As it is such a good album overall picking highlights is a hard task, i could say good things about every song on the album. Her cover R.E.M's Everybody Hurts is achingly beautiful and had me reaching for the repeat button every time i listened to it. Even though i don't speak French so couldn't understand the French portion of Les Trois Cloches i still found it captivating. This Look of Love has a great classic sound to it. I very much enjoyed this album and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys adult contemporary or ballads.

Score: 9/10

Label: Hollywood Records/EMI
Release: 19th January 2008
For fans of: Britney Spears
Key Tracks: Stranger
Links: www.hilaryduff.com www.myspace.com/hilaryduff

Dignity sees actor and singer Hillary Duff continue to experiment with dance-pop style music. In title track dignity she seems intent on ditching her old nice girl image with its criticism of an unnamed fellow Hollywood star. The chorus of With Love is quite catchy. Skip right past Gypsy Woman. It starts with a weird sound clip that i assume is from a movie and stays strange and slightly annoying for the rest of the song. I quite liked opening track Stranger but beyond that there wasn't really much in the way of standout tracks. They all started to sound a bit the same after a while.

The bonus DVD includes all of Hillary's music videos and a documentary. The documentary is essentially Hillary telling the story of the career. For a pop star she seems quite articulate, although uses the word “like” a lot. The documentary is quite long so will probably only be of interest to big fans. Most of the videos are pretty good however i would recommend watching Our Lips are sealed with the mute button because while the video itself is decent the actual song isn't very good.

Score: 6/10

Label: Warner Music Australia
Release:  10th May 2008
Key Tracks: Sorry, Sweet About Me
Links: www.gabriellacilmi.com www.myspace.com/gabriellacilmi

Lessons to Be Learned is the first album from Australian singer Gabriella Cilmi. She is only 16 but you'd never guess that from her music as she possesses a soulful, husky voice and lyrics that are beyond her years. She sounds like she hails from a smoky jazz or soul club somewhere and like she is much older than she actually is. If you have listened to mainstream radio or music video shows in the past months you would have likely heard the sassy first single Sweet about me. Second single is the catchy track Don't Want to Go to Bed Now which is one of the more rocky tracks on the album. Both tracks do sound a little suggestive for someone that young. My favorite track off the album is the ballad Sorry, a tale of regret about mistakes made in a relationship. Overall, it is an impressive album in which she shows herself to be a talent worth watching in the coming years.

 Score: 8/10

Label: Virgin/EMI

Release: March 17, 2008

For Fans of: Bloc Party, Cut Copy, MGMT, The Futureheads

Key Tracks: Let’s See It, After Hours, Impatience, Tonight

Links:  www.wearescientists.com   www.myspace.com/wearescientists  

 Brain/Thrust/Mastery is the latest album from Brooklyn duo We Are Scientists. Indie rock with a hint of dance, this musical treat is sure to resurrect us all from our winter stupors and remind us that there is still a reason to wake up in the morning.

Relying on their awesome sound, the album is somewhat lacking in the deep lyric department, although in this case it hardly matters. We Are Scientists say what they mean, and mean what they say, and sound so good in the process that it certainly feels like profound revelations are taking place.

 The album’s catchy first release, After Hours, is an obvious choice for a single, with buckets  of fun, intermingled with a sense of longing. The simple hook “Say, that you’ll stay” is a perfect example of the way We Are Scientists convey so much more than they actually say.

Another stand-out track, which should be the front-runner for single number three (the second being Chick Lit), is Impatience.  A key element of this song would be the repetetive “Oh oh oh, oh oh oh”, which, in writing looks more comical than synchronised swimming, however, in practice, lends itself expertly to the song’s title and theme.

Whilst clever lyrics are usually paramount in my mind, We Are Scientists prove that subtext and an amazing sound can work just as effectively to create impressions and conjure images. Brain/Thrust/Mastery is immediately enjoyable, very accessible and is unlikely to get complaints, whoever the audience may be.

7/10

Label: Mute Records/EMI

Release: March 3, 2008

For Fans of: The Black Keys, The Raconteurs/Saboteurs, Grinderman, Nine Inch Nails, Black Francis/Frank Black

Key Tracks: Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!!, Today’s Lesson, We Call Upon the Author, More News From Nowhere

Links:  www.nickcaveandthebadseeds.com      www.mute.com   

Album number fourteen from Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds features an exciting 11 tracks of pure rock. Nominated for Triple J’s prestigious J Award, the band takes this opportunity to yet again showcase their unique skill-set, for any listeners fortunate enough to cross paths with the album.

Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!!, Today’s Lesson and More News From Nowhere, the three singles released thus far, are immediately recognisable as Nick Cave thanks to his distinctive voice, and quirky lyrics. The liner notes lend further emphasis to certain meaningful lyrics with an abundance of exclamation marks, capitalisation galore, and text message abbreviations “I ask them to desist & to REFRAIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!” (We Call Upon the Author).

The title track sets the tone for the rest of the album with the story of Lazarus “Larry grew increasingly neurotic & obscene!!!!!!!!! HE NEVER ASKED TO BE RAISED UP FROM THE TOMB!!! No one ever actually asked him to forsake his DREAMS!!!” This kind of storytelling is prevalent within several songs, and the majority chronicle observations rather than feelings.

More News from Nowhere is a standout track, which - at just under 8 minutes – is a smorgasbord of rock, with side-servings of cynicism, nonsense and clever rhymes “He asks me for my autograph, I write – nobody - & then, I wrap myself up in my wooly coat, & blind him w/ my pen”.

This album is perfect for loyal Nick Cave fans, or as an introduction to those not yet familiar with one of Australia’s musical legends. Highly enjoyable for lovers of rock, or for those looking for something a little deeper in their lyrics, Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!! delivers on both fronts, with a little something for everyone.

7/10

Label: Atlantic/EMI

Release: May 17, 2008

For Fans of: The Shins, Modest Mouse, Radiohead, The Whitlams, Damien Rice

Key Tracks: I Will Possess Your Heart, Cath, No Sunlight, The Ice is Getting Thinner, Long Division

Links:  www.deathcabforcutie.com      www.atlanticrecords.com      www.barsuk.com

Death Cab for Cutie's latest offering Narrow Stairs encapsulates everything that fans love about the band. It is perhaps their ability to perform touchingly beautiful and lyrically sweet songs, whilst still managing to rock out, which allows them to attract such a large fan base. True to form, this album follows in its predecessors' footsteps with its first offering the chilling love-song - I Will Possess Your Heart. The album version of the single features a slightly self-indulgent, instrumental introduction which amounts to an enjoyable - if not slightly repetitive - four and a half minutes.

There is an element of deception in certain Death Cab tracks, with the more upbeat rock track No Sunlight happily declaring “the optimist died inside of me”. Singer Ben Gibbard’s haunting and slightly Thom Yorke-esque vocals lend themselves perfectly to the Indie-pop-rock genre, in songs such as Long Division which is sure to be a favourite, along with the follow up single Cath.

The recent appearance of the album’s closing track The Ice is Getting Thinner in teen hit Gossip Girl mirrors the versatility of Death Cab’s music. Echoing universal sentiments, it is evident why the band is loved by such a diverse audience.

Narrow Stairs features many individual favourites, however, is also one of the rare albums which functions beautifully as a whole, flowing seamlessly from track to track, with a very natural progression. In the process of telling a very sad story, Death Cab for Cutie somehow manage to leave the listener feeling surprisingly optimistic despite numerous laments over unrequited love, and shattered dreams.

This release hones the beauty and versatility of Death Cab, a testament to their skill, and an explanation for their longevity, this fourth album from the band gets better with every listen.

9/10

Label: Superego Records/Stomp

Release: June 14, 2008 

Links: www.aimeemann.com      www.myspace.com/aimeemann     www.stomp.com.au 

After hearing only one of Aimee Mann’s songs on the soundtrack for Zach Braff’s The Last Kiss, I was excited by the opportunity to hear more material. Her new album @#%&*! Smilers was unfortunately somewhat disappointing.

Eager to be fair I gave the album numerous chances, but with every listen I found myself brought back to my initial impressions – it isn’t horrible, she isn’t without talent, it just doesn’t thrill me.  

The opening track Freeway feels predictable and a tad forced, which is an impression that remains – in varying degrees – throughout the album. The rhymes are tedious and obvious, with metaphors that just seem silly “you love me like a dollar bill, you roll me up and trade me in”. 

Whilst appreciating the sentiment of its title, the appeal of @#%&*! Smilers, somehow eludes me. It feels as if, in some parallel universe I would quite enjoy it, however, in this world, I’m still a half-step away from truly getting it.

Score: 4/10