Recent reviews

Our latest album reviews, featuring the records we've most enjoyed (or not) over the past few weeks.

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Browse our album reviews according to score: Highest (9.5/10 or more) or Lowest (2/10 or less)

Feist

The Reminder
Arts & Crafts (2007)

Every now and then, there is a singer that catches your ear with a beautiful, unique voice. In 2004, Leslie Feist was that person when she released her solo album, Let it Die, to international acclaim. She has returned to form this year with her new album, The Reminder, a collection of songs that focuses more on the uniqueness of her voice and a little bit less on the catchiness of the songs themselves. This album offers all kinds of genres being mashed together, everything from jazz to electronica to country and everything in between. "So Sorry" is one of the best and most gorgeous album openers I have heard in years, and you just won't be able to get it out of your head. It's not catchy at all, but her voice is just so timeless and it sticks with you for quite some time. Feist provides us with a three minute sung apology with pleading lyrics: We don't need to say goodbye / We don't need to fight and cry / And no, we could hold each other tight, tonight. Songs like "I Feel it All" and "Past in Present" are downright head-bobbers that make you want to … Read more

The Academy Is...

Santi
Atlantic (2007)

Something I've always had trouble imagining is five grown men sitting in a room, writing music that directly appeals to … Read more

The Hourly Radio

History Will Never Hold Me
Kirtland (2006)

I've noticed that pop music has gone through a lot of changes in the last few years. One thing I've … Read more

Chuck Ragan

Los Feliz
Side One Dummy (2007)

Chuck Ragan used to play guitar in Hot Water Music, who happened to be one of my favorite bands of … Read more

Mando Diao

Ode to Ochrasy
Mute (2007)

What if The Libertines were basically decent guys? What about the early Rolling Stones, or Guns N' Roses, or any … Read more

Linkin Park

Minutes to Midnight
Warner Bros. (2007)

Like their peers Limp Bizkit, Korn and Slipknot, Linkin Park occupies the mysterious musical category of "Oh, they're still around?" … Read more

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One from the archives

Calabrese

Death Cult EP
Spookshow Records (2022)

In my review of the last Calabrese record, Flee The Light, I said I hoped it would not take them too long to release a new record. I asked them to not make me wait four years to be precise. It has been two and half years roughly and here they are again, with an EP this time. Thank you for not making me wait too long! The next question is: was it worth the wait? My short answer is: yes! We only get around twelve minutes of new music, but it is a return to form if you ask me. I was a bit let down with Flee The Light as I felt it missed the big anthemic choruses any good horrorpunk record needs in my opinion. I also … Read more

More album reviews

Hour of the Wolf

Waste Makes Waste
Think Fast! (2007)

Hour of the Wolf are one of the best punk bands in America-trust me. It's a familiar story, kind of a Zen thing (like the tree falling in a vacant forest), but The World Is Different Now: thanks to the Internet, the local band you always knew to be better than any national contenders can now play in the big … Read more

Daggermouth

Turf Wars
State of Mind (2007)

Daggermouth's 2005 release, Stallone was a really solid record. For me, the band came along at a time when no new bands were really catching on with me. I was hooked on Stallone from the start and I've been riding the hype train with The 'Mouth ever since. Turf Wars was certainly a long time in the making, but I … Read more

Sundowner

Four One Five Two
Red Scare (2007)

I've always thought of The Lawrence Arms' guitarist Chris McCaughan as a bit of a lyrical genius, being able to ever so eloquently put to those seemingly indescribable feelings of your mid-twenties to words. The real magic of his game is the ability to do all of this over the distorted guitars and colossal drums that are often the foreground … Read more

Impious

Holy Murder Masquerade
Metal Blade (2007)

For the most part, there is no concept to Death Metal other than…..well, death. Lofty ideas or "concepts" are usually left to the Power Metal bunch who just looooove to show off their epic sagas with tales of wizards and ghosts and pumpkins and whatnot. This also affords them the opportunity to tell a story, usually in great length, interspersed … Read more

Fu Manchu

We Must Obey
Liquor and Poker Music (2007)

If you are reading this, you are wasting time. Buy Fu Manchu's We Must Obey and buy it now. The album's already a few months old, yet without a review on Scene Point Blank. Injustice I say, injustice! Fu Manchu's tenth album orders you to buy it, to cherish it, to love it. And well... We must obey! For the … Read more

The Shins

Wincing the Night Away
Sub Pop (2007)

Mainstream indie pop may not be as popular as it was when "New Slang" dominated the world a short while ago, but that hasn't stopped The Shins from continually engineering contagious, almost viral, songs that affix themselves to your temporal lobe and snub your best attempts to remove them. "Sleeping Lessons" opens the record with a soft, nearly alien, series … Read more

Joanna Newsom

Ys
Drag City (2006)

It's no great feat to experiment sonically and stretch musical taxonomy into another "-core" (clarinet-core, pots-and-pans-core, sit-on-a-synth-and-fiddle-core). We aren't afraid of strange, so long as it's strange enough to earn a fucking modifier - fucking out there, fucking bizarre, fucking genius, man. However, the moment we can't rationalize an artist's eccentricity into concrete, tangible terms - political, intellectual, or conceptual … Read more

Various Artists

Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film for Theatres
Williams Street (2007)

I'm going to be quite blunt right off the bat. Normally I would take the time to write some kind of intro that ties in with the album that I'm reviewing. But I'm not going to waste my time or yours because of two reasons. First off, you already know what Aqua Teen Hunger Force is about and secondly; this … Read more

Ben Kweller

Ben Kweller
ATO (2006)

The refreshing thing about Ben Kweller is that every album he comes out with has a different sound that doesn't alienate any of his fans. His mixture of classic rock and alternative rock keeps fans old and young listening. At first, Ben Kweller's third full-length, a self-titled effort, sounds feebler than his previous works. And it's true, Ben Kweller doesn't … Read more

The Orangeburg Massacre

Moorea
Pluto (2007)

To be honest, I really didn't want to do a review for this CD. I got it the mail, looked at it, and immediately knew two things: This band has a stupid name, and I will probably not like them. Plus, there are other things I could be doing. Camel is coming out with four new brands of cigarettes that … Read more

Lion of Judah

Universal Peace
Youngblood (2006)

Youngblood Records has always been a good consistent label that specialized is putting out albums by fast pissed off straightedge bands like Carry On, Far From Breaking, and Desperate Measures. You always knew what you were going to get when you picked up a Youngblood release and I never put up a fight because I happen to like fast pissed … Read more

The Arcade Fire

Neon Bible
Merge (2007)

On Arcade Fire's likeable, but dark new album, Neon Bible, there are many things that differ from their critically acclaimed debut, Funeral. The Montreal based indie rockers have a lot more money behind them and you can immediately tell by the sound quality of their recordings. That said, the songs still have their haunting lyrics and feel. "Black Mirror" recalls … Read more

Blood Redemption

Blood Redemption
Genet (2007)

For years, it's been without question that Europe is the breeding ground for so many metalcore acts. Now even more bands seem to be coming out of the woodwork with the recent boom of this style being on the rise. That's not to say these are all your average newcomers; they are seasoned veterans hoping to continue playing a style … Read more

The Locust

New Erections
Anti (2007)

The Locust is an extremely polarizing group. On one hand, people take them as a complete joke. On the other, people take them extremely seriously. I fall somewhere in the middle and find them to be wholly entertaining with some substance hiding beneath the cacophony that they unleash on listeners. On this new album, New Erections, we find The Locust … Read more

Reviews by score
Browse our album reviews according to score: Highest (9.5/10 or more) or Lowest (2/10 or less)