On today's mix...
Weezer - The Red Album (2008)
Alanis Morissette - Flavors of Entanglement (2008)

Another day, another set of albums I listen to out of obligation to my grade school self.

Weezer's latest eponymous effort isn't Make Believe, thankfully, but it's not far off. At best, it's lively and unmemorable; at worst, it's obnoxious enough to make you seriously consider why you ever liked Weezer in the first place. Cuomo and crew seem to have responded to the flack they received over "Beverly Hills" by opening their new album with four new songs about fame. Really, guys? Just because it's ironic doesn't make it right.

Musically, they at least seem to be having a little more fun than on their last outing. "Troublemaker" promises a fun ride, even if the chorus drags. Six-minute follow-up "The Greatest Man Who Ever Lived" gets points for effort, but all the epic frills can't disguise that it was never a particularly interesting song to begin with. By the time you get to the (otherwise appreciated) Timbaland diss on "Pork and Beans", the self-conscious charm has faded--big time--and hearing Cuomo sing about his underwear for the second time on the album is just embarrassing. Of course, it's not as embarrassing as making two choruses about angels, as he does on the Make Believe-reminiscent closers "Cold Dark World" and "The Angel and the One", but you'd be better off skipping those ones entirely.

There are few nice moments. The album's other epic, "Dreamin'", wouldn't seem that out of place on the Blue Album, by which I mean it's the album's best track. And Brian Bell's "Thought I Knew" works well enough, even if it sounds pretty out of place here. But neither can disguise the fact that Weezer needed to deliver something better if they wanted to offset people's declining interest in the band--though they swear that they "don't give a hoot about what you think" on "Pork and Beans". Despite some nice moments here and there, Weezer don't seem like they're giving their all, and the overall result is a lackluster, occasionally awful album that I'm unlikely to return to after today.

Fewer still are likely to devote their attention to Alanis Morissette's new releases, but old habits die hard, I still believe she's capable of a great song here and there, and hey, that "My Humps" parody was really funny. Her latest, Flavors of Entanglement, centers largely around her separation from long-time boyfriend Ryan Reynolds, but it's further evidence that she's still suffering from her separation from Glen Ballard. Here she teams up with Guy Sigworth--occasional Bjork collaborator, one half of Frou Frou, and creator of a pretty amazing remix of Mirah's "La Familia"--in the hopes of revitalizing a sound that's gotten pretty predictable. The appropriate point of reference here might be Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie's surprise dance-pop highlight "So Pure"--a long-shot song that melted away the heavy monotony of the rest of the album and has proved to be her best post-Jagged moment.

Unfortunately, the electro match-up is a bust, with Sigworth's production doing Alanis' idiosyncratic flavor no favors. It often seems wildly inappropriate, actually. Opener "Citizen of the World" is fun enough as a heavy rocker, but it's hard to understand why she'd be so pissed off about being well-traveled. Meanwhile, "Straightjacket" thrills as Alanis drops the f-bomb before declaring "This shit's making me crazy!", but then Sigworth turns it into a dance track. Mostly, though, the production fails by playing down Alanis rather than putting her front-and-center, and it's often hard to find her behind the pretty noise. Nowhere is this more evident than on (appropriately titled) lead single "Underneath". If the success of her "My Humps" parody proved anything, it's that Alanis has a delivery as distinct and iconic as Bjork. Layering this voice has, thus, provided some of the most exciting moments of her career--the opening of "Front Row", Under Rug Swept's hilarious "Narcissus", and of course, that chorus on "Ironic". But Flavors of Entanglement botches the effect over and over, muting the distinctiveness into a wave of bland, as on "Underneath"'s chorus. The album's best moments tend to come when the production takes a rest, as on the PCH-referencing opening to "Giggling For No Reason" and closer "Incomplete".

Of course, there's a bigger issue and a much more obvious one: songwriting. It's no secret that Alanis got some help from Glen Ballard on essentially every great track of hers, and while it's admirable for her to aim to create music that's exclusively hers, she needs help in places. Namely, all of her tracks build to a chorus, and it's never as fun as you'd hoped; it's always long-winded and awkward. And her lyrics can go too far: "In Praise of the Vulnerable Man" is just as painful as it sounds. Girl needs an editor. I'm not saying she needs to regress to Glen Ballad, but she should seriously consider joining a band (or maybe hooking up with someone who makes songs instead of Blade sequels.)

Flavors of Entanglement isn't a bad album, but it's another in a line of strikingly unstriking albums by Morissette. Of course, given that she could sing "Hand In My Pocket" for the rest of her career and die a rich woman, she probably doesn't care. But it seems like there are better avenues to explore than this.

The Red Album: 2/10
Flavors of Entanglement: 3/10

On today's mix...
Beach House - Devotion (2008)

Beach House's music exists as in a dream state, one perpetually threatening to fall into nightmare. Devotion, the follow-up to their critically acclaimed debut, is a spare, relaxing, unhurried, and uneasy album, a good album for a nighttime drive. Highlights like "Wedding Bell" and "D.A.R.L.I.N.G." provide lovely melodies offset by backing music that never leads you quite where you expect. The many instruments throughout the album--guitar, organ, and tambourine, most dominantly--sound as though they're being played underwater (possibly at the beach?), but the sound is never muddled or overly busy. Beach House impress by delivering a distinct, hypnotic soundscape in Devotion without getting monotonous or sacrificing songcraft.

8/10

On today's mix...
No Age - Nouns (2008)

Is it just me and my rudimentary knowledge of music before 1995, or are No Age incredibly retro? You can certainly hear some of Animal Collective's melodicism and the delivery of tour mates Liars, but their sound much more readily recalls the dirty indie of yore: Sonic Youth, My Bloody Valentine, the Soft Boys, Black Flag, and maybe even the Monks. This is shoegaze meets punk--all very lo-fi--and very little about Nouns suggests that it was made in 2008.

That being said, it's a lot of fun. If it seems tailor made for the critics at Pitchfork (who unsurprisingly have given it their highest rating of the year thus far) it's not a bad thing. Despite influences that could drag it down, Nouns is an energetic thrill, and No Age packs each track with some nice surprises. Opener "Miner" begins Autechre-y before crossing into shoegaze at the twenty second mark. "Teen Creeps" is a major highlight, offering a clean, playful riff before blasting into a lo-fi jam. And "Things I Did When I Was Dead" sets the rhythm to a seriously menacing loop but ends up being the album's most conventionally lovely song, adding in some unexpected piano to an album otherwise dominated by guitar and static.

The album adds up to a quick, fleeting romp, full of great ideas that No Age never dwell on for long--the album's twelve songs average around 2 and a half minutes each. Good for keeping it fun, bad for keeping it memorable. Five minutes after the finish, it'll likely have left your head entirely, but it's pretty delightful while it lasts.

8/10

On today's mix...
Cut Copy - In Ghost Colours (2008)

Australian indie-electro act Cut Copy are likely the most hyped new band of the year behind Vampire Weekend, and it's easy to see why. They're fun, they toured with Daft Punk, they make cool music videos, and they're apparently unstoppable live, generating the kind of enthusiastic reactions that got Hot Chip where they are now. But Cut Copy are no Hot Chip, or not as evident on In Ghost Colours.

It's an impressive album, absolutely, full of layered songs and nice enough ideas. Like Ratatat before them, though, the whole thing can get a little monotonous. It's an album that's certainly never bad, but it's also one with few good hooks and few overall highlights. Nearly every second on this album is soaked in dreamy synthesizer, and you get the feeling that a little instrumental variation could have done wonders. "So Haunted" is striking merely because of the presence of guitars. "Hearts on Fire" adds some vocal samples recalling "It Takes Two" by Rob Base & DJ E-Z Rock and Britney Spears's "Piece of Me" but ultimately works by adding some "Careless Whisper"-esque horns for its climax--it's the album's most successful moment.

All things considered, while In Ghost Colours successfully combines disposable 80's pop with current indie-electro tends, its techniques and range are too narrow, ultimately at the expense of memorable music. It's worth a listen, and it's fun for the most part, but it never feels as exciting as music like this should.

7/10

electro-pop idol

On today's mix...
Justice - † (2007)
Ratatat - Ratatat (2004)

With Human After All a distant dud, and Daft Punk ensuring their legacy by doing all but creating new music, it may be time to start looking for a new king for the electro-pop they pioneered. So in the spirit of competition--following last night's American Idol t.r.a.v.e.s.t.y.--I decided to add the debuts of Ratatat and Justice to my mix today, bands I've loved from the singles but haven't heard through a whole album. With their electric harpsichords promising J. S. Bach-to-the-future, Ratatat are great at building off Daft Punk's ambition, while the hypnotically delightful Justice are content to melt it down to its most fun elements.

Of course, fun trumps ambition when it comes to setting out on a run, so I put † first on my mix. Justice aren't afraid to make their ambitions clear: giving the first two tracks the tongue-and-cheek names "Genesis" and "Let There Be Light", they'd like to write the Bible on fun. Really, they're not too far off. The Michael Jackson homage "D.A.N.C.E." was the definitive summer '07 song and as fun as anything Jackson himself ever produced. If it's not particularly representative of the album as a whole, though, it's not a bad thing.

It's fun to piece together the various influences. Daft Punk, obviously, reigns strong. "Phantom" is a worthy follow-up to "Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger", again proving that the human voice can be the most exciting instrument if properly exploited. "Phantom, Part 2", meanwhile, continues with the same beat but instead evokes Discovery's "Veridis Quo". The poppy "DVNO" samples disco classic "Forget Me Nots" (or maybe just Will Smith). And "Stress" moves forward off of the beehive opening of Hot Chip's "Over and Over".

Aside from the more straightforward "DVNO", "Tthhee Ppaarrttyy", and "D.A.N.C.E.", the album mostly succeeds through their love of chopping up vocals and scattering, replacing odd beats with indecipherable snippits. And while the gimmick is enough to keep the album fun throughout, it feels arbitrary as often as not, and the album, thus, tends to fall apart the more you dissect it. However, it's impossible to deny that † simply works. It's hard to reach a verdict on Justice at this point, but tracks like "D.A.N.C.E." and "Waters of Nazareth" ensure that you'll be back for more once they release their follow-up.

Ratatat have a sound that's striking and immediate, and four years later, their debut still sounds fresh. Their glossy, Baroque electronica is impossible to resist on opener "Seventeen Years", and I was really excited to hear them expand on the sound. Unfortunately, they don't. The sound is remarkably consistent throughout, with the end result that the vast majority of the tracks are difficult to distinguish from each other. "Germany to Germany" and closer "Cherry" might be triumphs on any other album, but it's hard to escape the monotony--though, of course, it's an exceptionally awesome monotony. Anyone who enjoyed "Seventeen Years" will enjoy this album, but it's best relegated to the background. It really can't compare with † in terms of richness, but it did compel me to run an extra 3.5 miles to hear it through.

For now, I'd give Justice the edge in my imaginary race to the electro-pop throne. We'll see, though, what else Ratatat have to offer when they drop LP3 and LP4 in the next few months.

†: 9/10
Ratatat: 5/10

Alive 2008: the invasion

A concert review...
El Perro Del Mar and Lykke Li, With Anna Ternheim
The El Ray, Monday, May 19, 2008

El Perro Del Mar and Lykke Li packed an excellent show, the kind of energetic, well orchestrated affair you might not expect given that the music of both tends to be rather subdued. Opener (and fellow Swede) Anna Ternheim called it the "Swedish Girls Take Over the World Tour 2008", which seemed especially fitting given that Robyn just made her second stop in L.A. in less than six months at the Wiltern this past Saturday.

I arrived just in time to see Ternheim play. She did most of her set solo, but ber best moments came when turned on some accompaniment--"my band comes with a play button." Pretty cute.

Lykke Li played next--she was technically an opener as well, though her level of fame has risen considerably since this tour began. Girl dominated. She opened quietly--accompanying herself solo on ballad "Time Flies" with some sort of bizarre mini-piano toy--before her band came out, moved into "Dance Dance Dance", Lykke banged the cymbals, and things really got things started. Girl can dance. The lush production of Youth Novels and the "your new Fiona Apple" shots of her in the "I'm Good, I'm Gone" video really don't prepare you for the energy she brought to the stage. It was immediately clear what all the hype's been about. Everything here sounded cleaner and more exciting than on the album, and she seemed to have a good sense of her stronger material. She brought out El Perro Del Mar to create a very full version of "My" that was impressive to see live from an indie act. Girl rehearsed.

El Perro Del Mar opened by doing "Party" and "Dog" solo, just her and a guitar, proving her impressive presence as well as reinforcing the strength of her debut. The girl-group production was never really necessary. Lykke is a difficult act to follow, but El Perro Del Mar brought her glamorous sadness to the stage and made it her own. Her banter--"Are you happy with the world today?"--was worth the price of admission. Also: her double-take when a girl in the audience shouted, "Your music helped my life!" She brought Lykke back out for "Inner Island" and "You Can't Steal a Gift", and they did a fun encore together--"After Laughter (Comes the Tears)". But by this point in the show, their sensibilities were so clearly different that it was rather jarring to see them together on the same stage. Are these Swedish musicians all friends? Are they all hanging out together right now at some poolside in L.A. with Robyn and Perez Hilton?

Regardless, it was two great shows for the price of one. I'd recommend it highly to anyone were this not the end of their American tour.

10/10

Also: The El Ray gets bonus points for providing amazing sound throughout. I saw Patrick Wolf here, too, and it really might be the best venue in L.A.
I didn't take pictures, but it was something like this.

On today's mix...
Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes (2008)

Given the cover art for their eponymous full-length debut, Fleet Foxes seem to be new entrants in an unlikely indie-minstrel movement (not the black-faced kind). It's not often that comparisons to Joanna Newsom seem particularly fitting, but the songwriting on songs like "Tiger Mountain Peasant Song" and the theatrical "Your Protector" simply beg them, which I mean in the best way possible. Of course, as with any band so clearly talented, they're not quite that easy to pigeonhole. The sound here is fuller and folksier than Newsom--the instrument of choice is guitar, and lush harmonies abound--but the results are nearly as impressive.

It's actually difficult to get past the sheer pleasantness of the album's sound at first, but close attention pays off. The lively, windy "Ragged Wood" makes a strong early impression, and closer "Oliver Jones" is the album's sparsest track--making it also the most immediately accessible--but the songwriting and melodicism is sharp throughout. This is an album made for repeat listens and close ones, but it's not a difficult album. It sounds as great playing in the background as on your iPod. It's an debut to fall in love with, proving that Fleet Foxes are decidedly worth the hype.

9/10

yet another indie band is ready for their close-up

On today's mix...
My Morning Jacket - Evil Urges (2008)

The hype surrounding My Morning Jacket has never been greater than as they release their follow-up to 2005's Z. The blogosphere is abuzz, they were on SNL last week, and I wouldn't be surprised to see them on the cover of Rolling Stone next week. You might expect Evil Urges, then, to simply turn up the volume, streamline the production, and announce their sound to rest of the world, but they've done something more interesting than that. The eponymous opener starts out dark and edgy as the title suggests, but it reveals its true colors at the two minute mark, when the menace melts into a hooky surprise: this is an alt-country song, as much in the vein of Lucinda Williams as the Dismemberment Plan. So much is true of the album as a whole. "Highly Suspicious" is the album's major anomaly, a Korn-style amp-and-chant freak-out that reminds me of the music I spent so much effort avoiding in junior high. However, if the sudden aggressiveness turns you off, the subsequent stretch from "I'm Amazed" to "Look at You" makes up for it with its simple country bliss.

Despite the wealth of simple songs, Evil Urges is never dull. Just as one begins to pigeonhole the album's sound, MMJ slip back into rock mode for "Aluminum Park" and "Remnants". This makes an oddly balanced album, but it never feels abrupt; the transitions are always welcome, and the songs on Evil Urges fits together surprisingly well as the work of a band excited to be recording new material, trying out new sounds. The key ingredients here are simple: the songwriting is always sharp, the band sounds great, and they're having fun. They're having fun, and I'm having fun. The album is an unqualified success.

10/10

On today's mix...
Islands - Arm's Way (2008)

If you remember Islands from the bouncy hooks of "Don't Call Me Whitney, Bobby" and "Rough Gem", their newest offering will come as something of a surprise, albeit a welcome one. Instead of embracing the summery pop that infused much of their debut, Islands have instead delivered the menacing Arm's Way, a full-fledged epic rock album, right down to its delightfully over-the-top cover art. Lead singer/songwriter Nick Diamonds is smart enough never to fall into parody, however, and this is thankfully much more than a Yes tribute. Though the sound is decidedly different this time around--to the point where it's surprising that Diamonds chose to hold on to the Islands moniker at all--the experimental spirit of debut Return to Sea is much the same. Opener "The Arm" begins with a sinister riff backed by violins; however, he shuts off the theatrics for the song's hooky recurring bridge, delivering some delightful indie pop before diving back into the forceful refrain. "J'aime Vous Voir Quitter", meanwhile, begins with similar gusto--with Diamonds declaring that he's been "stabbed in the face"--before ultimately breaking down into a playful island dance-off. Of course, the album's best moment is one of its most concise, the lead single "Creeper", a paranoid thriller of a pop song whose intricate texture gets more satisfying with every listen. Nonetheless, it's album's many epics that make the album; and Arm's Way is an ambitious success throughout, an album that's complex but accessible, dark but delightful, theatrical but never cartoonish, and adventurously meandering but never shapeless. It's one of the year's most satisfying efforts--and a great running mix.

9/10

On today's mix...
Mates of State - Re-Arrange Us (2008)

The latest album from married duo Mates of State is a truly irresistible indie pop confection. Enthusiastic harmony, clean production, and stuttery hooks dominate Re-Arrange Us, always to excellent effect. The fast-paced ballad "My Only Offer" offers the album's catchiest chorus, but the uplifting "Get Better" and "The Re-Arranger" are its greatest assets--and likely the best pop songs you'll hear all year. When the hooks miss, however, as on many of the album's other seven tracks, the songs tend to be unmemorable. The second half of Re-Arrange Us consists mostly of lower energy tracks, and the results are always lovely and charming (even when the subject matter is relationship troubles), but they're rarely particularly compelling. Other than "You Are Free"--which builds up to a surprisingly effective conclusion--the rest of the album's tracks have the feel of polished B-sides. Nonetheless, as with Spoon's Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga, even the album's weaker tracks only feel weak in the context of the album's incredible strengths, and the band's sound and personality carries through to the end. The Mates of State are a couple to cherish, and the breezy Re-Arrange Us is the perfect album to kick off your summer.

8/10

where overhype meets regular hype

On today's mix...
Death Cab for Cutie - Narrow Stairs (2008)

After reading Pitchfork's dismissive review for Death Cab's latest--released today--I feel compelled to come to its defense. I've always been pretty dismissive of Death Cab myself. This past Coachella, I was amused to see that anyone would bother with their set when scheduled against Hot Chip's spectacular live show; I saw them as merely a dull, overhyped indie rock relic with lyrical sentiments that reflect the emotional depth of a love-lorn 8th grader. However, two minutes into Narrow Stairs, I was converted completely. Opener "Bixby Canyon Bridge" begins like any other Death Cab song--a protagonist revisits the ridge where a lost love died--but then, well, it picks up the pace. As the song twists and turns, it soon became clear to me that this is no "New Year" or "Soul Meets Body"--this is the work of a band, and one with something to prove. This is decidedly the only Death Cab album I'd recommend running to. The eight and a half minute first single "I Will Possess Your Heart" may seem like a deliberate attempt to shed a radio audience, but it's a red herring: this is Death Cab's most radio friendly album to date. Narrow Stairs is a makeover akin to Rilo Kiley's on Under the Blacklight, but unlike that band, Death Cab accompanies the polish and shine with their most impressive, unusual songwriting yet and their most exciting playing as a band. There's not a single dull moment on this album. Every track creates a new world of disfunctional love, and for once, it's compelling. "No Sunshine" is a highlight, pairing up the story of an optimist driven down by a hard life with the album's peppiest melody. Even Ben Gibbard's lamer sentiments here, such as his story of a guy struggling not to be the remainder in a relationship's "Long Division", become endearing in light of the new energy apparent on the album. "Long Division" is also the closest this band had come to power pop, and it's a difficult confection to resist--for the record I've always loved long division. And I like to pretend that "Cath...", a story about a woman preparing to marry mourning her decision to cast away the "many men who would have loved [her] more," is about the recently married Cathy Guisewite:



But the album's best moments come from risks like "I Will Possess Your Heart" and the haunting "Pity and Fear", and they're ample proof that this is a band hitting a rich new career turn stronger than ever--like R.E.M. setting out on Warner Bros. in the 90's--rather than a last hurrah--like, perhaps, Accelerate. Narrow Stairs presents a newly accessible, much improved version of a band I'd never even realized I liked, and it's already one of the best albums of the year.

9/10

swedish girls that aren't robyn

On today's mix...
Lykke Li - Youth Novels (2008)
El Perro Del Mar - From the Valley to the Stars (2008)

22-year-old singer-songwriter Lykke Li has been getting a lot of press lately thanks to the hypnotic single “I’m Good, I’m Gone” and it’s stop-motion, Shining-evoking music video; and while her debut album Youth Novels awaits a U.S. release date, she’s touring the country with fellow Swedish siren El Perro Del Mar. I’m seeing them next week at the El Ray, so I decided to pair up Youth Novels and El Perro’s sophomore effort From the Valley to the Stars on my run today.

Youth Novels is an exciting but uneven debut. Album opener “Melodies & Desires”—a spoken-word-over-ambient-noise abstraction—may not be the best place to start out. But Lykke finds her footing on the cute, sparse “Dance Dance Dance” and especially on the album’s most sharply written moment, “I’m Good, I’m Gone”. Elsewhere, though, Lykke’s music can get a little repetitive, and Lykke’s hooks often shine the brightest when she hits the “fade out” button. “Let It Fall” thrives under three minutes, whereas “Little Bit” gets a little tedious at four and a half. And when the hooks do not hook, such as on the tiresome “Complaint Department”, it’s difficult not to skip to the next track. However, it’s hard to pinpoint anything wrong in her method, as nearly every miss on this album is accompanied by a direct hit. Where “Melodies & Desires” methods seemed flawed, for instance, the same approach produces the gorgeous, Lynch-ian “The Trumpet in My Head”. Of course, the saving grace of this album is Bjorn Yttling (of PB&J) and Lasse Marten’s production, and even when Lykke’s writing flounders, the songs still soar. “My” may be a little indistinct, but it’s likely the album’s most sonically lush moment. All things considered, though, I prefer when the production creeps out a little more, as on the lively “Breaking Up” (which, unlike recent Rilo Kiley and Gwen Stefani songs of the same name, manages to skirt the cell phone metaphors) or with the haunting closer “Window Blues”. I suspect Lykke Li’s best days may lie in the future, but Youth Novels gives us plenty of exciting songs to soak in for the meantime.

El Perro Del Mar has also delivered a sonically beautiful new record, albeit a more tranquil one. Gone is verge-of-tears warble that dominated her eponymous 2006 debut, replaced by mere downheartedness, and it’s rather surprising to hear the album open with a seemingly unironic song entitled “Jubilee”— a reference to the religious hymns of her childhood that she’s stated inspired her writing on this record. Yes, while From the Valley to the Stars matches its predecessor in beauty (and possibly even trumps it), it showcases a more emotionally demure Perro. Like Cat Power’s turnaround The Greatest, this is still a somber record, but not necessarily a depressing one. Whether she’s looking on the bright side of loneliness on “Inner Island” or whether she’s advising on “Do Not Despair”, it’s clear that she’s measured out that despair of her debut into something manageable and is looking forward—albeit warily—to better days ahead. Of course, this does not make for as exciting an album as El Perro Del Mar, but it’s a more consistent one. Further, while no track sounds rushed, she’s improved her effectiveness by trimming most of the record's songs below three minutes. Taken all together, the effect is a beautiful record and a very mature one, full of tracks set to provide the type of gentle encouragement necessary to spur a person out of a rut in hard times.

I wasn’t sure that either of these albums would necessarily be great running music, but they were perfect for getting lost in an uncharacteristically gray May afternoon. I ended up recording one of my best (and most consistent) average paces yet. I hope it all sounds as good live.

Youth Novels: 7/10
From the Valley to the Stars: 7/10

CanonBall: the best album of 2007--no hear me out

CanonBall is a feature that highlights left-field items in my individual music canon.

On today's mix...
Britney Spears - Blackout (2007)

Yes, M.I.A. got even the non-indies dancing to some crazy beats, and LCD Soundsystem surprised everybody by baring some soul, but the real musical triumph of last year came from the hugest music star in the world. Of course, by the time Britney dropped Blackout, her music career was totally beside the point, and the album mostly eluded critical attention other than notes that it was “better than expected, given the circumstances.” But Blackout was more than that. It’s really more than anybody could ever expect from a star as big as Britney. It’s a full-fledged, ready-for-the-dancefloor masterpiece. And it’s probably the best dance-pop album ever.

Every single track on this album is a rough, dirty gem. You've probably heard the singles. With its distorted come-ons and strip-club beat, “Gimme More” is the perfect primer for an album such as this. As this song came and went, what escaped notice was its uniqueness in this radio landscape of last year: even Madonna never made a song about how the best way to get off is to let everyone watch, and she certainly never inherited a beat this fresh. The more structurally complex “Break the Ice”—with its delightful falsetto lead-ins—might have been a safer reintroduction for the pop star onto the radio, but it would’ve hardly prepared people for this album. Somewhere, Justin Timberlake was releasing his seventh “Cry Me a River” clone and mourning. Blackout quickly follows with “Piece of Me”, smartly getting the elephant-in-the-room of Britney’s insane media presence out of the way early in a clever, memorable way. Even if the song seems a little disingenuous—anyone who walked through a grocery store checkout in 2007 could testify that Britney was decidedly not as in control of her shit as she puts on in this song—you have to admit that the “I’m Mrs. ‘Oh My God That Britney’s Shameless’” part is pretty clever. Plus… wait, was that Robyn I heard? Also, given the content, it’s also likely the most poignant use of vocal distortion you’ll ever hear on a pop hit.

“Piece of Me” is indicative of Blackout's most unusual asset: good lyrics. Thematically, we’re not exactly breaking new ground here, but the songs here show an impressive capacity for sticking to topic, and they come silly and fast throughout without getting campy or arbitrary. When Britney means to “Break the Ice” she makes sure to “hit defrost on ya” before she can “get it blazin’”. When Britney asks “Can I get a witness?” on the sing-a-long-y “Hot as Ice”, she not only gets a few but then cries out for a “preacher! preacher!”

The extraordinarily talented team of producers headed by Timbaland-protégé Danja and Bloodshy & Avant—the stunning Swedish duo behind “Toxic”—keep up the pace while delivering freshness by the barrel. On “Radar”, Bloodshy & Avant process Britney’s voice into a soaring army of cyborg hotties heat-seeking a hook-up over the album’s catchiest hook. “Freakshow” goes even crazier with the vocals while backing it up with some circus-y dubstep. And on “Toy Soldier”—likely the crowing accomplishment of the album—they pair up an incessantly danceable military drum roll with Britney’s quest to find “a really badass solder… who won’t be just ‘coming over’”. The results are irresistible.

Even with such talent on hand, Blackout packs another big surprise: Britney herself. She really got it together for the vocals here. The writing and production teams put it all together; but this is Britney’s party, make no mistake, and she’s sticking around till lights up. She’s never sounded like she’s having more fun than on “Ooh Ooh Baby”—when she hits the “baby, baby, baby”’s, you could swear this is her favorite song of all time. Even on “Radar”, where her vocals are so layered and distorted that they literally could’ve been phoned in, it’s her aggressively bubbly tone that hits the perfect note and makes the song such a rousing success. (If you don’t believe me, compare it with the otherwise comparable—but truly robotic—2008 Janet Jackson track “Luv”.) Further, not only does Britney not make an ass of herself rapping on “Perfect Lover”, she thrives. Really, I dare you, try to sing along to that bridge—it’s some tricky “Liza With a Z” shit going on there.

I could really go on and on about how every track on this album has something totally fresh to offer. Earworm “Hot as Ice” is a full on freak parade, complete with full-on soul backup singers “mm, mmm”-ing like the Supremes on Mars. As Britney rails on against all the “foolishness and fuckery”, she leaves behind a trail of the most bat-shit funk since Macy Gray dropped The Id in 2001. “Heaven on Earth”, meanwhile, takes notes from Paris Hilton’s underrated “Nothing in This World”, and the results are, well, heavenly. “Why Should I Be Sad”—the album’s sole ballad—proves that, while Pharrell’s shtick may have gotten tired when it comes to manufacturing party hits, he can still do one hell of a slow jam. And centerpiece “I’ve Got a Plan (Get Naked)” is the album’s most explicit appeal to get onto the floor and presents a strong case that student Danja may not only have outpaced teacher Timbaland, he's thrust teacher into pop music irrelevancy—following this, "4 Minutes" is, at best, a throwback to 2006.

More than almost any pop album since Aqua’s Aquarium, Blackout just wants to have fun. It’s ample proof that all celebrity trainwrecks are not equal, and that it might actually be worth it for Britney to get it all back together. Six months later, it sounds as fresh as ever, and I highly recommend giving it another spin the next time you’re plotting a trip to the clubs or maybe just looking for some new work-out music.

10/10

Dehyper: boring indie rock 101

Dehyper is a feature that highlights bands and albums that really don't live up to their growing reputations.

On today's mix...
Wolf Parade - Apologies to the Queen Mary (2005)

I've never gotten the fuss over Wolf Parade. Given that they have a new album coming out, I decided to revisit Apologies to the Queen Mary today on my run, and... this music still makes almost no impression on me at all. At best, they're kind of a combo of Death Cab and Man Man, but they really lack the things that make those bands truly distinctive. With projects like Sunset Rubdown and Handsome Furs, the members of Wolf Parade seem to have already moved on to bigger and better things. Why go back to Mount Zoomer, guys? Songs like "Up On Your Leopard, Upon the End of Your Feral Days" and "They Took a Vote and Said No" are more distinctive than both Wolf Parade albums combined. Listening to Apologies to the Queen Mary, I feel like I might as well be listening to X&Y--boring!

3/10