Sound Affects: Music reviews and ratings

Nine Inch Nails: "The Slip" (The Null Corporation)

Rating: 7

Unlike the "release everything we came up with" aesthetic of "Ghosts I-IV," "The Slip" actually sounds like an album. It starts with a blast of five and a half tracks of the mechanimetal that Reznor is most known for, before falling off a cliff for three tracks worth of quiet and ambience, eventually culminating in a fabulous little closer that brings the two sides of the album together. The faster tracks, unfortunately, owe a lot more to the abysmal "With Teeth" than "Year Zero," in that they're mostly exercises in trying to be as loud as possible with the odd dance beat thrown in for good measure. Still, for the most part, they're better than the attempts found on "With Teeth," in that the layering of sounds is far more accomplished, the construction of the songs far more mature. "The Slip" is a cute little title, likely a reference to that which Reznor gave the record company and the industry that so frustrated him for many years. It truly represents itself as the gift for the fans that Reznor apparently intends, given the number of allusions to Reznor's previous work that can be gleaned from this, the shortest full-length album of Reznor's illustrious career. Best of all, "The Slip" represents the extent of the freedom that Reznor now has in this, the age of digital distribution, at a time when he is not tied to a label and is not being whipped by the part of the industry he always loathed. While the music may look backward, the way it has been released looks forward, to a far greater extent than "Ghosts I-IV" ever could have hoped. - Mike Schiller

Old 97's: "Blame It on Gravity" (New West)

Rating: 7

This is the first time the quartet has recorded in their hometown of Dallas since their first album, and the trip home is more than geographical. Having spent their last few albums dabbling with a classic pop sound (more British invasion than Bible Belt), Rhett Miller and company are also returning to their vintage alt-country sound. Fifteen years and seven albums into their career, this only makes sense. Bands, after all, are only granted the luxury of musically coming back home after they've gone through their "experimental" albums, lest they be accused of rehashing the same old formula. There's an urgency to their songwriting, playing, and singing that is too rarely seen in a band at such an autumnal point in their career trajectory. It is, undoubtedly, inspired stuff. Indeed, "Blame It on Gravity" wastes no time in strutting its bravado, beginning with the one-two punch of "The Fool" and "Dance with Me." If the Old 97's can masterfully blend the fast tempos of punk with the twang of country, though, they can also slow down the beat and craft some fine country sway. "Color of a Lonely Heart Is Blue" is the kind of country perfected by the Byrds and Flying Burrito Brothers. From the insistent guitar riffs of "Ride" to the melancholic lilt of "Color of a Lonely Heart Is Blue" to the drumming reminiscent of Mike Joyce's legendary drumming in "The Queen Is Dead" found in "Early Morning," "Blame It on Gravity" is a sturdy collection of songs. In that regard, it's a nice reminder of what was so wonderful about alt-country in the first place. - Michael Franco

Lyrics Born: "Everywhere at Once" (Anti-)

Rating: 8

Lyrics Born tackles apathy towards global warming, presidential propaganda that escalates violence for commercial gain, and the overmedication of society all in an unusually Japanese punk-influenced "Do U Buy It?" That's probably the least funky track he's ever made, but it works in context. The opening "Don't Change" essentially outlines his manifesto over a squawky boom-bap beat and Bootsy bass, shouting out the Stanley Cup while defending his aesthetic and life choices as proven correct over time. Granted, there isn't anything as overtly revolutionary as "Callin' Out" here begging you to take it to the streets, but there's enough to wet your activist whistle. "Everywhere at Once" is an improvement over his debut from start to finish. This time around, he made the wise decision to forego clearing samples and put his live touring band into the studio. As a result, the instrumentals are even smoother than before. Lyrically, Born is as memorable as ever, and his voice is aging like fine wine. He can rap with a raspy gravel baritone and switch to a sickly sweet croon at the spark of a joint. Even with a few fairly obvious girl odes, he comes off selfless and heroically thoughtful. "Everywhere at Once" is hip-hop soul food. The heart never knows the color of the skin. Gawd bless. - Filmore Mescalito Holmes

The Long Blondes: "Couples" (Rough Trade)

Rating: 8

A gutsy, experimental record which dares to be different, and proves that the Long Blondes are one of the more exciting groups around at the moment - as close to synth-pop perfection as you're likely to get. "Couples" finds sassy, "glamour punk" lead singer Kate Jackson, along with Cox, keyboard player Emma Chaplin, bassist Reenie Hollis, and the aptly named Screech Louder (nee Mark Turvey) on drums, replacing the stripped-down indie guitar pop that swathed their poignant, kitchen-sink vignettes on 2006's debut full-length, "Someone to Drive You Home," with percussive widescreen arrangements driven by impressive keys and funky bass lines, while continuing to deal in shady femme fatales with dubious morals, desperate ladies home alone, and dysfunctional relationships. DJ Erol Alkan, remix maven behind groups like the Klaxons and Daft Punk among others, brings what Dorian Cox, the Blondes' guitarist and main songwriter, describes as "a non-musical approach to the production." Some people might have preferred the Blondes to return with another collection of guitar-propelled indie pop. However, "Couples" clearly demonstrates that, never mind the occasional misstep and overt Blondie influences, this is still one adventurous band that won't be placed in a box anytime soon. - Alan Brown

Joy Division: "The Best of Joy Division" (Rhino/Warner)

Rating: 5

The release of a "best of" compilation has many implications. Generally, it's supposed to indicate that a group or an artist has entered a certain circle of musicians with such an abundance of noteworthy pieces of work that the highlights can be compiled and examined together. Somehow, this will provide an adequate map of the artist's existence. By and large, Rhino Records have been a cut above the rest in matters such as these. They spend immeasurable time and resources compiling and deciding which bands will get these types of royal treatments. For the most part, the end results are satisfying, if not downright amazing. Joy Division is something of a "go-to" group among hipster elitists and music aficionados, and, really, they deserve it. The short-lived band earned their legendary status not simply through the tragic suicide of their front man, but through the way that they genuinely and expertly challenged the conformities of rock music-specifically punk. What may surprise you, however, is the surprisingly superfluous nature of Rhino's "The Best of Joy Division" compilation. It is a perfectly functional, but mostly innocuous collection of stellar tracks that we've really all known and loved for years. Not even as introspective as the expanded version released abroad, this compilation is somehow both adequate and lacking. - Daniel Rivera

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