×
TaylorSwift leads this week’s round-up of new releases, partially because her newSpeak Now is sure to be the week’s biggest seller, but mostly because itcontains a six-and-half-minute takedown of John Mayer. On that track, “DearJohn,” the 20-year-old country princess calls out her former fling for his “sickneed to give love then take it away” and shames him for corrupting herinnocence, guaranteeing her victory in the court of public opinion: “Don't you think 19 is too young to be played by your dark twistedgames?” It’s a vicious charge from a songwriter sharp beyond her years, whoplays the youth card only when it serves her. Elsewhere Swift also hints at herrelationships with Joe Jonas and Taylor Lautner, and while her tabloidconfessions can feel like score settling, it’s refreshingto hear a songwriter so unabashedly personal in a genre that too often relies on broad sentiment.
Small Black’s debut full length New Chain arrives at the tail end of a yearloaded with often interchangeable chillwave records, so the group’s small-scale jams don’t sound quite as fresh as they might have justsix or eight months ago. As chillwave records go, though, this is one of thebetter ones. The front half, in particular, is loaded with taut, catchy pop songs.
Animal Collective's Avey Tare is sometimes overshadowed by hispartner, Panda Bear, who is more often credited as the group's guiding visionary. Fair or not, that narrative emerged when Panda Bear released hislauded 2007 solo album Person Pitch and probably won’t change now that Tare hashis own true solo album, Down There. The record hits many of Animal Collective’sfamiliar beats, splitting the difference between the experimental folk of theirearly releases and the acid-washed electronics of recent ones without introducing any significant twists, though it distinguishes itself with its downcast tone.
Also this week:
* Jam-folk goofball Keller Williams releases a kids album, Kids.
* Sludge-metal heroes Kylesa are enjoying some of the strongest reviews oftheir career with their fifth album, Spiral Shadow.
* And The B-52s’ Fred Schneider celebrates the holidays on Destination…Christmas!
Small Black’s debut full length New Chain arrives at the tail end of a yearloaded with often interchangeable chillwave records, so the group’s small-scale jams don’t sound quite as fresh as they might have justsix or eight months ago. As chillwave records go, though, this is one of thebetter ones. The front half, in particular, is loaded with taut, catchy pop songs.
Animal Collective's Avey Tare is sometimes overshadowed by hispartner, Panda Bear, who is more often credited as the group's guiding visionary. Fair or not, that narrative emerged when Panda Bear released hislauded 2007 solo album Person Pitch and probably won’t change now that Tare hashis own true solo album, Down There. The record hits many of Animal Collective’sfamiliar beats, splitting the difference between the experimental folk of theirearly releases and the acid-washed electronics of recent ones without introducing any significant twists, though it distinguishes itself with its downcast tone.
Also this week:
* Jam-folk goofball Keller Williams releases a kids album, Kids.
* Sludge-metal heroes Kylesa are enjoying some of the strongest reviews oftheir career with their fifth album, Spiral Shadow.
* And The B-52s’ Fred Schneider celebrates the holidays on Destination…Christmas!
