Capercaillie
Roses and Tears
(Compass Records)
In 1989, Capercaillie released Sidewaulk and rocketed to critical and commercial success. The ensuing parade of club remixes and Clannad-wannabe releases sounded more market-driven than creative. Roses and Tears recaptures the band's early energy without sacrificing newness or relevance. Two antiwar songs are as fresh as the morning headlines, and Capercaillie updates "mouth music" and "waulking" songs in groove-laced ways that transfer them from home and workplace and onto the dance floor. Karen Matheson has one of the most gorgeous and spectacular voices on the planet, one that has only added luster over the years. The big news, however, is the renewed vitality of the instrumentals. Trance gives way to dance on big sets that sizzle, build, and boil.
—Rob Weir
No Age
Nouns
(Sub Pop)
No Age combines so many sounds that any description is an oversimplification, but imagine Black Flag covering My Bloody Valentine and you'll get an idea. The Los Angeles duo fearlessly bounce between gauzy abstract instrumentals and rousing anthemic shout-a-longs, often combining elements of both in the same song. Their compact approach to songwriting is reminiscent of early Wire, but ultimately No Age sound utterly like themselves, something that can't be said of enough young bands. With its infectious energy, sophisticated sonic palette, and concise tunes, Nouns is already one of the key records of the year. Unorthodox, unafraid to confound, and ready to spazz out in the name of art, it's the real sound of punk rock, circa right now.
—Jeff Jackson
The Campbell Apartment
Insomniac's Almanac
(Headphone Treats)
Inveterate, unapologetic popster Ari Vais now resides in New York, but his sound has not deviated from his long stint in the Western Mass. indie scene with jangly guitar-based outfits like Humbert. The Campbell Apartment, his latest project, has put together an album full of cheeky ruminations on modern love. Hook-laden, upbeat tunes like opening number "Long Distance Relationship" and "Wife" co-mingle with acoustic ballads "Sunday Night Blues" and "Sick and Tired." These songs offer insightful windows into contemporary life and all its complexities. Topics like technology, time, and loneliness are woven into three-minute pop nuggets. Catch The Campbell Apartment CD release party June 7 at the Iron Horse.
—Matthew Dube
Aimee Mann
@#%&* Smilers
(Super Ego)
Aimee Mann is our Joni Mitchell, our Ray Davies, and our Karen Carpenter, rolled into one fine-boned smarty-pants super-melodic, wry-observation-spouting package. After dabbling in high concept and a Christmas record, Mann is back with exquisitely-wrought pop character sketches. Fans of and Bachelor No. 2Lost in Space will recognize a return to form, with vintage analog synths in place of guitar. Mann's wisecracking lyrical pith remains intact. The first line of the first track sums up her verbal approach: "You got a lot of money, but you can't afford the freeway." Elsewhere she sings "I got high on the ferris wheel," a typical line that reads with multiple meanings. Mann has a sense of humor, but also a clear-eyed understanding of the dark forces that shape lives.
—John Adamian
