You Could Have It So Much Better
FRANZ FERDINAND
Domino
If you've ever read an album review or description of a band that included the word "angular," and you weren't quite sure what that meant, then go buy Franz Ferdinand's You Could Have It So Much Better. The second full-length from these trendy Scottish alt-stars is not only pretty good, but also a working definition of the word "angular" as applied to contemporary cool-pop music.
Of course, so was the band's massively successful debut, but here the warm, not-too-overdriven guitars are even spikier, the bass tracks groovier, the drum patterns disco-funkier. Franz hasn't moved too far from the eminently accessible update of arty '70s post-punk influences (Gang of Four, Wire, The Fall) that defined last year's eponymous first outing and its runaway hit "Take Me Out," opting to follow up with an album that both intensifies that vibe and breaks it up with occasional stylistic side-trips.
The inclusion of mellower acoustic guitar- and piano-accented disparities "Walk Away," "Eleanor Put Your Boots On" and "Fade Together" certainly works in the group's favor. After a while, even such impressive fare as "The Fallen," "Well That Was Easy" and the "Radar Love"-esque "I'm Your Villain" starts to run together; whether you call it admirably tight focus or just a rut depends on your attitude toward the band in general, but Franz Ferdinand is inarguably adept at crafting energetic, infectious cool-pop. 3.5 stars.
SCOTT HARRELL
Closing In
EARLY MAN
Matador
Though its throwback thrash is too consistently uptempo to be considered stoner metal, Early Man's vibe, if not its sound, jibes well with those slower, sludgier peers. The band's defiantly dated proto-pummel just ups the rpms to early-Metallica velocity rather than backing them down. Guitarist/vocalist Mike Conte's keening wail forcibly recalls Sabbath-era Ozzy, but the music adds a druggy Blue Cheer fuzz to souped-up riffs straight out of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal, creating an interesting energy that keeps the whole thing from wallowing in sameness. 3 stars.
SCOTT HARRELL
The Vice and Virtue Ministry
THE HAPPY BULLETS
Undeniable
With titles like "A Momentary Vision of the End of the World as Seen Through the Eyes of a Suburban Housewife" and "Proper Rifle Assembly," the lyrical content of The Happy Bullets' sophomore attempt is pleasingly ironic. Complemented by smooth harmonies and uplifting beats, this tapestry of hallucinogenic décor should appeal to fans of psych-pop, specifically followers of bands like Modest Mouse or The Shins. Since shitty vocal quality seems to be a popular trend among psych-pop singers, it's safe to say that THB have stayed within the boundaries of requirement, while at the same time contributing to the overall vibe of a fairly solid album. 3 stars.
ADAM C. CAPPARELLI
Twelve Eighteen, Part I
LIL ROB
Upstairs
Veteran West Coast MC Lil Rob's umpteenth album finds him moving further away from the Chicano take on gangsta rap he helped pioneer. He hasn't left the 'hood completely — the best tracks here ("Summer Nights," "Back in the Streets," "Rough Neighborhood") display an old-school, "Round The Way"-style daylight-cruising vibe — but far too much of the disc devotes itself to generic, oversexed club-rap and cheesy, downtempo "loverman" fare. 2 stars.
SCOTT HARRELL
The Suicide Girls: Black Heart Retrospective
VARIOUS ARTISTS
Epitaph
Just in case there are still people in America who live somewhere not within driving distance of an Old Wave Nite, the empowering, tradition-shattering erotica website SuicideGirls.com brings the Goth club to your CD player. Though every fan is going to think up at least six classic songs that should've made the 15-track comp, Black Heart Retrospective does a fairly competent job of collecting the familiar and required, from Ministry's "Every Day is Halloween" through Gene Loves Jezebel's "Desire" and The Cult's "She Sells Sanctuary" to Nine Inch Nails' much more recent "The Wretched." It also tosses in a few contemporary curiosities, like Alkaline Trio covering Sisters of Mercy ("Lucretia My Reflection"). 2.5 stars.
—SCOTT HARRELL
Night Beat
SAM COOKE
RCA
In an era when black artists were largely confined to singles, soul legend Cooke released Night Beat, a "concept" album that found his silky soul pipes backed subtly by a pared-down rhythm section. This is not so much between-the-sheets music as after-party fare — mixed in with lost-my-woman ballads are several loping blues shuffles, and even a spunky take on "Shake Rattle and Roll." It's been recently reissued on RCA/Legacy.
—ERIC SNIDER
This article appears in Nov 30 – Dec 6, 2005.