The Foo Fighters
“Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace”
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Dave Grohl and the Foos stick to their tried-and-true formula of brainy, loud-soft-loud rock and thoughtful, catchy power ballads, subscribing to the ain’t-broke-no-fixing theory of band development. There’s nothing wrong with being alt-rock’s most dependable band — carrying an even stronger guarantee for quality than the Red Hot Chili Peppers or Green Day, who have both taken more chances and ended up with bigger successes and bigger failures. [ Glenn Gamboa, Newsday ]
Stars
“In Our Bedroom After the War”
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The Stars’ fourth album is a dramedy. It finds beauty in the midst of destruction. It snatches defeat from the jaws of victory. Stars’ dual nature comes from the way they use Amy Millan’s sweet, airy vocals in tandem with Torquil Campbell’s grand, dramatic delivery. Sometimes they play off each other, as in the bouncy desperation-pop of “Take Me to the Riot.” Sometimes, they torture each other, as in the wrenching tale of missed connections titled “Personal.” In an album of amazing songs, the title track takes the cake, sounding like a vintage Morrissey track and a French, post-WWII drinking song. The combination of tiny details and a rousing gang vocal that makes you either want to storm the Bastille or crawl back into bed with someone you love. Or both.
Iron and Wine
“The Shepherd’s Dog”
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Sam Beam doesn’t sound like a loner anymore. The enigmatic, gentle-voiced songwriter behind Iron and Wine has been teaching himself how to work with a band: in the studio, in collaborations with Calexico, and on tour. “The Shepherd’s Dog” is the brilliant culmination of his experiments, making Iron and Wine sound like a band. This lineup of the band plays finely wound vamps, usually but not always acoustic and generally setting aside trap drums for hand percussion. Most of the songs are folky or countryish, interweaving banjo and pedal-steel guitar with acoustic guitar picking. Beam’s non-linear lyrics delve into memory and transformation, war and faith. The songs can’t be pinned down, but each one creates mysteries all its own.
[ Jon Pareles, New York Times News Service ]
