Get Behind Me Satan
THE WHITE STRIPES
Third Man/V2
A critically-loved hit album like Elephant earns a lot of capital, and a lot of leeway spending it. Do you cater to your new, wider fanbase, or get all self-indulgent on its collective ass? Here, Jack and Meg White lean toward the latter; fortunately for them (and us), The White Stripes' self-indulgence is soulful and infectious, albeit in a primal, sloppy, notably Zeppelin-esque way.
The leadoff track and first single, "Blue Orchid," might successfully revisit the attitude-laden blues-rock stomp of Elephant, but there's precious little of Jack White's electric-guitar scruff in attendance on Satan. Beyond that nearly perfect blast, along with the big-swinging-dick swagger of "Instinct Blues" and bottleneck cacophony of "Red Rain," the disc is quieter (if no less subtle), more eclectic and ruled by piano and acoustic guitar.
Satan's loose but committed vibe doesn't always deliver perfection – "White Moon" seems like extended filler, and Meg's brief singing turn, "Passive Manipulation," could've been pared to, say, zero seconds. Everywhere else, however, is the sound of artists banging out a little something they find interesting, with little regard for audience or their own established niche. And it works.
-SCOTT HARRELL
In Your Honor
FOO FIGHTERS
RCA
There's unarguably something about the first two Foo Fighters albums that sets the bar pretty damn high for Dave Grohl and crew. Since that brace of salvos, however, the Foos have, for two more records, seemed content to just be really good at modern rock. The full-band, full-volume set from the new double-disc In Your Honor is ostensibly an attempt at returning to form. Much of it is more brash, bombastic and screamy than anything the band has done since "I'll Stick Around." But, while shades of the earlier catharsis linger in tracks like "Best of You" and "Free Me," Foo Fighters remain an ever more populist rock act, relying on the everyman element of its character, and a shitload of energy, to get across tunes that are still good, but haven't been truly great in a while. It's in the superior acoustic half of this album that the Foos' new strengths are glimpsed – if Grohl's going to commit to this more "mature" vein, he might consider giving up the screaming entirely in favor of concentrating on this ambitious, well-arranged and resonant low-key fare.
-SCOTT HARRELL
Rock Swings
PAUL ANKA
Verve
The guy who sang "Havin' My Baby" and wrote Johnny Carson's theme cuts 14 big band versions of rock tunes like "Eye of the Tiger," "Jump," "Blackhole Sun," "Wonderwall" and "Eyes Without a Face." Unadulterated cheese, right? Not so fast. Sure, Rock Swings has its campy side, but in the end Anka and company have done an admirable job of recasting the songs into a new, timeless light. Many of the melodies have been reworked to better contour to swing (sometimes to the song's benefit). Anka's Sinatra/Darin/Bennett vocals lend the uptempo tunes a winking sense of fun, and give the ballads (especially R.E.M.'s "Everybody Hurts") a statuesque beauty. Anka should've left "Smells Like Teen Spirit" alone, though. When he belts, "actin' stupid, contagious" – well that's just ? dumb.
-ERIC SNIDER
Discover a Lovelier You
PERNICE BROTHERS
Ashmont
Joe Pernice has made his humble living pining over lost love, hopeless causes and other such cheerless subject matter. So you have to take the title of Discover a Lovelier You with a nice, fat grain of salt. There's nothing too lovely lurking in Pernice's lyrics, which are wrapped in elegant chamber-pop melodies. The disc will leave you wondering how songs that are so down can make you feel so good?
-MARK SANDERS
Got This Feelin'
RIDDLE OF STEEL
Ascetic/Robotic Empire
This is one of those CDs that jumps off the shelf, smacks you around a bit, then hops into the CD player, where it burns the machine's innards until it's a molten, lifeless heap. The St. Louis trio Riddle of Steel is well versed in the Ways of Rock, yet they've created a sound that is unmistakably their own. Call them the unruly offspring of King Crimson and Queens of the Stone Age, or consider them Led Zeppelin's heir apparent. Call them what you like; they don't really care, since what matters is their ability to rock. Hard.
1/2
-MARK SANDERS
Girlfriend
MATTHEW SWEET
Zoo
One of my favorite all-time power-pop albums. Creating an hour's worth of hooky rock is no mean feat, and Girlfriend never flags, even with an ample 15 songs. The requisite jangle (and a tinge of roots-country) is juiced up with knotty guitars (courtesy of Robert Quine and Richard Lloyd). Sweet's voice has just the right touch of vinegar.
-ERIC SNIDER
This article appears in Jun 22-28, 2005.