B+ Philip Martin & the Expatriates
Something for the Pain
Strangepup Music
No point in pretending that Philip Martin is some unknown hopeful with a bag of songs and a dream. I worked with Phil, read his columns in this newspaper and have had more than a few meals and conversations with him. So if you are expecting objectivity from this review, well, skip this and move on to the next.
Something for the Pain jumps up a few levels from a regular homemade, do-it-yourself project. Martin pulls in local indie rock stars Nick Devlin, Jason Weinheimer, Dave Hoffpauir and, hey, Lee Tomboulian as the Expatriates to add heft to his otherwise solo act. These blues-rock-folk songs, all written and sung by Martin, aren't some wild deviation from the work you read in these pages. There are references to Kafka, Schopenhauer and Garrett Morris from Saturday Night Live among others I surely missed.
I'll side-step the obvious Dylan comp (oops) and peg it as Lucinda Williams-Jim Mize-Wilco(?) homage delivered by an earnest, serious student. The bar blues "$5000 Guitar," the lilting "Euclid Avenue" and the straight-ahead rocker "So It Goes" are the peaks here. "You Could Be in California" has sharp, searching lyrics but Martin's singing voice, which is a deep-toned growl and an acquired taste to be sure, is pushing too hard on this one. It would be great to get a guest vocalist to come in and try out a few of these sturdy compositions. Maybe the next one?
Hot tracks: "So It Goes," "Euclid Avenue," "$5000 Guitar"
-- WERNER TRIESCHMANN,
Special to the Democrat-Gazette
B Gorillaz
Humanz
Warner Bros.
Damon Albarn masterminds a chaotic party on the fifth album by Gorillaz, the virtual band that relies on an extensive guest list, from De La Soul and Peven Everett to Grace Jones.
Across 20 tracks, including five interludes, Albarn creates a beat-heavy soundtrack to Donald Trump's victory while excising any direct references to the president. It's fractured, but powerful.
Vince Staples sets the political tone with "Ascension," a dire portrait of a country "where you can live your dreams long as you don't look like me."
Jamaica's Popcaan elevates the reggae-inflected "Saturnz Barz," followed by De La Soul on the insistent "Momentz," where "clocks on the wall talk to watches on the wrist." On "Submission," Kelela's velvety vocals contrast with Danny Brown's desperate rap.
Albarn is everywhere, especially on backing tracks. He wrote or co-wrote the songs and performs most of the music. Only the reflective "Busted and Blue" is almost him alone.
While Humanz relies on American contributors, Albarn shares closing tracks with fellow Brits, like Benjamin Clementine and Jehnny Beth from the band Savages.
Even Britpop rival Noel Gallagher appears on "We Got the Power," which offers hope in a new era -- "We got the power to be loving each other, no matter what happens, we've got the power to do that."
Hot tracks: "Ascension," "We Got the Power," "Momentz"
-- PABLO GORONDI,
The Associated Press
A New Pornographers
Whiteout Conditions
Concord/Collected Works
Album seven for this poorly-named Canadian band finds Carl Newman and vocalist supreme Neko Case without the efforts and songs of Dan Bejar (who is apparently off working on a Destroyer record). It would be rude to call it addition by subtraction but, whatever the reason, Whiteout Conditions is a sonic marvel. The formula here is more synthesizers and pumped-to-the-rafters harmonies tied to this band's killer melodic gift.
The sound may not be warm but it gleams so bright. Case has made notable solo records, but on this her crystal clear powerhouse voice soars as never before. Yes, the lyrics are knotty as usual but there's a seductive darkness lurking underneath the surface. Pass the word but, you know, maybe don't tell Bejar.
Hot tracks: "This Is the World of the Theater," "Darling Shade," "Whiteout Conditions"
-- WERNER TRIESCHMANN,
Special to the Democrat-Gazette
B+ Les Amazones d'Afrique
Republique Amazone
Real World
Grammy winner Angelique Kidjo and Mariam Doumbia, of Amadou & Mariam, are part of a supergroup of West African women whose album is a mesmerizing blend of female advocacy and dance rhythms.
Dubbed Les Amazones d'Afrique, they're mainly from Mali and mostly write their own lyrics. Supported by Irish producer Liam Farrell, his electronics envelop more traditional sounds like kora, thumb piano, Mouneissa Tandina's drums and Mamadou Diakite's piercing electric guitar.
There's little English on the album -- which also includes songs in French, Mali's Bambara, and Fon, spoken in Benin and Nigeria. But a little is plenty, as when Nneka, a young singer from Nigeria, speaks volumes on "La dame et ses valises" ("The Lady and Her Suitcases") -- "You've been inside that darkness for too long, woman, don't you know you're a queen?"
Kidjo, from Benin, takes the spotlight on opener "Dombolo," its cascading percussion runs a magnet for the dance floor. Mali's Rokia Kone nearly steals the spotlight. Her vocal intensity is perfectly matched by Diakite's guitar on "Mansa Soyari."
"I Play the Kora" has five lead singers and benefits the Panzi Foundation, helping tens of thousands of survivors of sexual violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Hot tracks: "La dame et ses valises," "Dombolo," "Mansa Soyari"
-- PABLO GORONDI,
The Associated Press
Style on 05/09/2017