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Har Mar Superstar – “Bye Bye 17”Cult Records-out now4 / 5 Don’t be put off by the unappetizing white dude on the cover: Sean Tillman, aka the Superstar, aka guy who looks like he lives in his mother’s basement, has an uncanny sense of retro-funk-soul in his soul. He’d fit somewhere between Charles Bradley and Sharon Jones on the retro-soul label Daptone – due to alphabetical sorting – and would do it with style, playfulness, sheer joy. Bye Bye 17, which clocks in just under 30 minutes, is quick but oh-so-good, is funky, down-to-earth, is indeed a white male Sharon Jones, does indeed channel MotownRead More →

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Rhye – “Woman”Universal Republic-out now4 / 5 It takes an international duo – Canadian Mike Milosh and Danish Robin Hannibal – to make a great, understated symphonic pop album. Woman is all of these things and more: svelt, chic, gliding with controlled, velvety falsettos, minimalistic strings and piano. It is a brilliant debut from the now-L.A.’ers, with each song a lament of love, a sexy, adult take on subdued, smoldering passion. It’s Rhye’s understatement that sells these tracks, that makes them mature and relatable, each a masterful understanding of love; as opposed to crooning, over-the-top power-pop junk. These are the kind of songs that areRead More →

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Rathborne – “Soft”Self-Released-out July 2 2 / 5 We’re not entirely sure where to classify Brooklyn, NY Luke Rathborne’s debut full-length, but we think we can safely place it somewhere between rock and pop. It’s very indie, certainly, and doesn’t conform to the rules of the 3-minute pop song. These almost dozen songs have all the weaknesses of each genre: pop’s simple structure, rock’s straightforward execution. The execution of the almost-dozen songs also falters: the drums are indeed rock drums, and very basic hits, and the musical voice Rathborne has developed is as bland as his actual voice. It’s easy to blame the young Rathborne forRead More →

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Royal Canoe – “Today We’re Believers” Roll Call Records-out June 253.5 / 5 Take a sextet (tee hee) of Canadians, add strings and horns, and blend with pop until finely pureed: what do you get? Probably some sort of orchestral pop close to that of Royal Canoe. The Winnepeg, Manitobans have a winning combination on their debut full-length, one that combines deep, Megatron-like robotic voices, shouts, aforementioned strings and horns, claps, and just general joyousness; it’s not unlike that raucous, singing frat party next door, but far less obnoxious and far more cultured. They shine splendidly, they keep their cool, they groove like snow tires onRead More →