My Amazon Reviews: Cold War Kids "Hold My Home"

Adult Kids
4 Out Of 5 Stars

The Cold War Kids have hit their stride, since "Mine Is Yours" and "Dear Miss Lonely Hearts." On the new (2014) "Hold My Home," they continue their streak of mainstream alternative albums. The album starts off strong, with three killer tracks, where the band embraces their inner U2 and shoot for the stadiums. "All This Could Be Yours" ("All That You Can't Leave Behind," anyone?) really has echoes of Bono and the boys. They are also literal types, where "Hot Coals" begs the question "whatever happened to the strong and silent type?" And to put the point into proper perspective, there's "Harold Bloom." He's an American literary critic and Sterling Professor of Humanities at Yale University (thanks Wikipedia).

"Can you be wise if you never leave the room?
There will always be another Harold Bloom
to criticize your every move."

Yes, the Kids have some fight in them. "Hotel Anywhere" looks at the process of achieving your goals, with lead vocalist Nathan Willett's call that he writes and paints, lives and breathes and "it's incredible how little I need." They also have grown braver with the stylistic choices, with the finale, "Hear My Baby Call" approximating a blues groove. With the diversity of music but clarity of purpose, "Hold My Home" is another solid effort from the Cold War Kids.

     

My Amazon Reviews: Fall Out Boy "American Beauty/American Psycho"

Juxtapositions
4 Out Of 5 Stars

On their last CD, Fall Out Boy announced their mission was to "Save Rock And Roll." On the follow-up, "American Beauty/American Psycho," it sounds like they're still headed out on that path. There's some righteous rock here. And there seems to be a theme here, it's all about the juxtapositions.

For example, the title track. You're blending a Brent Easton Ellis horror novel with a Grateful Dead album of classic Americana. Add Patrick Stump bouncing the word "Psycho" into a bouncy sing along, and you have the makings for a concert staple. The same with "Uma Thurman." Placing the "Pulp Fiction" star inside a song that mashes in the theme to "The Munsters" is something close to a work of genius. Then there's the heroics. Suzanne Vega's "dit dit doo doo" hook from "Tom's Diner" teases the intro before Stump challenges the listener. "You Will Remember Me...for Centuries" Stump wails to music meant to be played over a sports highlights reel. Same goes with "Immortals." Fall Out Boy are back to make rock that knows no limitations (there's nothing here that resembles a sappy ballad), and you'll have a very good time if you just let yourself follow along.

    

My Amazon Reviews: Texas "Southside"

Everything's Bigger in Texas,
3 Out Of 5 Stars

Led by the belting voice of Sharleen Spiteri, this Scottish foursome took their love of Ry Cooder (they took their name from their love of Cooder's "Paris Texas" soundtrack) western style guitar and a penchant for writing big, bold songs, and made "Southside" the closest album they had to an American success. I saw them in 1990 at Philadelphia's legendary Trocadero and became an instant fan. (Sharleen even signed my CD.) One listen to the enigmatic "I Don't Want a Lover" and you'll wonder why these folks couldn't break it big. They were huge in Europe, enough so that you can find a full greatest hits CD.

"Southide" has several good tracks on it, like "Tell Me Why" and "Faith." Imagine the Cowboy Jinkies trying to mate with Simple Minds or U2, and you'll get a feel for what Texas was trying to accomplish. But it was the guitar of Ally McErlaine that help set Texas apart from most other bands (listen to the way he slides his notes on the instrumental title track). Or perhaps the mock-Edge guitar introduction to "Fool For Love." "Southside" may not be a great album, but it does show that Texas deserved better than their American obscurity.

     

My Amazon Reviews: The Gaslight Anthem "Handwritten"

Gaslighting
5 Out of 5 Stars

This is the album that pulls it all together for The Gaslight Anthem. I have to admit, my fondness for "American Slang" has grown in the time since I've owned it, and if I had to re-rate it, I'd bump it to 4 stars. "Handwritten" finally culminates all the band's influences (Nirvana, Tom Petty, Springsteen) and forges them into a band identity. That alone makes "Handwritten" the TGA's best to date.

That's not all the group is about. There's an energy that producer Brendon O'Brien (Pearl Jam, Springsteen) has managed to harness that previous TGA discs haven't. The eleven songs here unleash a punkish racket at times, but remain lyrically focused while asking a lot of questions. In fact, almost every song starts off with a question, including "What's Your Favorite Song?" on the title track. But the questioning is sincere, and when they drop the adrenaline for a benediction ballad about a thinning relationship ("National Anthem"), it's good enough to make you tear up. The Gaslight Anthem are the kind of band that, should you see them in a local pub, would either have you raising your bottle clenched by your pumping fist, or crying in your beer over how damn good they are and how rare a band that rocks like they mean it seems to be these days.

The deluxe edition contains three bonus tracks that return the the bands' roots. One is a TGA original, but it's the other two that are telling. First up is Nirvana's "Sliver" (aka, "Grandma take me home"), and the Kurt Cobain resemblance is stunning. Then a straightforward version of Tom Petty's "You Got Lucky," one of Petty's darker singles. Singer Brian Fallon finds the everyman melodrama that Petty has always known, and milks the song for all he can. That everyman vibe infuses so much of "Handwritten" that you can't help but love it. Like a lot of the artists mentioned in this review (maybe John Mellencamp or Against Me on "New Wave"), TGA know that their listeners are probably still in that bar, clutching that bottle, and getting on when a band sings more about them than glitz and glamor. Already a best of for 2012.

     

My Amazon Reviews: The Script "Science and Faith"

Keeping The Faith
3 Out Of 5 Stars

This is a rocky album. Not in the 'it rocks' meaning of the word, but more in the sense that The Script deals with upheaval in love and politics. The trio of Dubliners waste no time in going for the gut with the opening "You Won't Feel a Thing," which deals more with the austerity measures that Ireland is going through than a breakup. These former boy-banders have more on their mind than getting the girl; U2 echoes throughout "Science and Faith."

Too bad that "You Won't Feel A Thing" is the best song here. The Script know their way around solid melodies and good hooks, but they are smoothies from the school that also includes OneRepublic (they used to work with Ryan Tedder as producers), Snow Patrol and even Coldplay. The single "Walk Away" does make for good radio fodder, and the fine "This = Love" being the only song that really breaks the formula. Heck, "Walk Away" even features a rap cameo from B.o.B. in the 'everyone else is doing it' category. If you get the extended version, you'll likely enjoy the piano based and rapless version more, if only for the reason that the rap version sounds more of the moment than of the band.

That said, "Science and Faith" is pretty decent overall. There are moments that suggest The Script could break the rut and maybe find their way into Coldplay's creativity or (if they were willing to get away from the over-production) Maroon 5's pop-soul. Just too many times on "Science and Faith," you keep wishing for the big payoff when all you get are little fireworks of inspiration.

   

My Amazon Reviews: Bruce Springsteen "Wrecking Ball"

Get yourself a song to sing
4 Out Of 5 Stars

Bruce Springsteen is one cross Boss. He sees the country going to hell, he feels the pain of his best friend's death, and he's got a few things he wants to get off his chest. Suits me fine. After the tepid "Working on a Dream" and "Magic," Springsteen gets a belly full of fire and breathes it out on "Wrecking Ball." Every song here is the Bruce we've missed when he sang stuff like "Queen of The Supermarket" or "Girls in Their Summer Clothes." This is Springsteen of "Born In The USA" and "The Rising," the mature, fighting fit man who isn't afraid to speak his mind.

That's obvious from the first song, "We Take Care Of Our Own." If Bruce picked up anything from "The Seger Sessions," it was that a protest song can be as unambiguous as it is forceful. Tightwired between rah-rah patriotism and WTF happened to us ferocity, Bruce tears into a nation "between the shotgun shacks and the superdome," where "the Calvary never came" before neatly tying it to the chorus of "Wherever this Flag is flown, we take care of our own." That old sap Ronnie Reagan could have mistook it for a campaign anthem like he did "Born in The USA." No-one, though, will confuse the vulture capitalists of "Death to My Hometown" with jingoism. It's all but an anthem for the occupy crowd (complete with guest shots from Tom Morello on featured songs).

As for his Big Man, "Land of Hope and Dreams" says it all. If you can't pull it from the heartfelt tribute written on the CD's inner booklet, then let the rising organ and gospel wails will. Like the acoustic tribute "Terry's Song" (the hidden track on "Magic"), it captures the essence of a lifelong friendship in the way I think a lot of Clarence Clemmons' fans would have been hoping for. "Wrecking Ball" is the Springsteen we thought may have gone missing. Yet, like the titular object for which this disc is named, he is crashing through or expectations once again.

   

My Amazon Reviews: Judas Priest "Screaming For Vengeance"

Coming in for the kill 
5 Out of 5 Stars

Judas Priest was on a creative and commercial stride when "Screaming for Vengeance" arrived in 1982. So was Heavy Metal, for that matter. Ronnie James Dio had given new life to Black Sabbath, AC/DC was riding high with "For Those About To Rock" and even the Scorpions were breaking with their classic "Blackout." Priest had already come off a couple of highly acclaimed albums, "Hellbent For Leather," "British Steel" and "Point of Entry." 1982 was their time.

"Screaming for Vengeance" delivered. "The Hellion/Electric Eye" swooped down like the metallic falcon of the LP's cover and cast Rob Halford as the world's overseer. The title track unleashed the twin guitars if Glen Tipton and KK Downing while Halford let loose with operatic wails above the roar. Most importantly, "You've Got Another This Coming" gave the band a rare chart single, and became an anthem for sports arenas across the globe. The album itself peaked at 17 on Billboard, a high-water mark only eclipsed by "Angel of Retribution" and "Nostradamus" over 20 years later.

As iconic heavy metal albums go, "Screaming for Vengeance" is comparable to "Back In Black" or "Heaven and Hell" from the same period. While I'd personally put "British Steel" above this as my favorite Judas Priest album, punch for punch, "Screaming for Vengeance" is among the band's most fully consistent.