Music Ravings

Smith Westerns – “Dye it Blonde”Fat Possom Records-out now3.5 / 5 Chicago, IL’s Smith Westerns give a bit of glam to their cluster-f*** pop. We mean that gently: these instruments don’t sing or soar, but meld together like that Nutella stuff you used to be addicted to. Minus the sick feeling afterwards; that told, “Dye it Blonde” works on the simple principle that it’s simply enjoyable to listen to. It’s something of a mystery to us how it works, but listen to “All Die Young,” and you get the Westerns at their apex on this album. The depth of their layering may, at times, leaveRead More →

Julianna Barwick – The Magic PlaceAsthmatic Kitty-out. Feb. 222.5 / 5 The ambient nature of The Magic Place makes Julianna Barwick’s latest a bit tough to place. The tones here are celestial in nature, with strings and vocals that map out a sacred – indeed, magical – scenery. On the other hand, the cyclical, repetitive nature of these ambient tones gives it little form. We’re going to go out on a limb here (the one in the album cover, right over there) and suggest that Ms. Barwick add some spoken lyrics to her work, as that would help give The Magic Place form, story arcRead More →

The Low Anthem – Smart FleshNonesuch Records-out Feb. 223 / 5 Since RI’s wunder-quartet released 2008’s “Oh My God, Charlie Darwin,” they’ve toured with Iron and Wine, played several festivals, and, in short, became a national act. But on their new album, Smart Flesh, we’re going to argue they’ve hit their sophomore slump (and this is their third album). While it gets off to a good start with the bluesy “Apothecary Love,” most of the album falls somewhere between a foggy London day and an out-and-out funeral dirge. “Matter of Time” has the pulse of a doomed hospital patient, and “Burn” has a similar diagnosisRead More →