Blaqk AudioCex CellsInterscopeThree out of five stars
The past few years have witnessed mobs of mascara-streaked, trust-funded hipsters stab the finer memories of ’80s pop to death in their oft-dubbed “new wave revival.”
And it’s clear that nothing from the new wave is half as brave or killer as the Depeche Mode tapes we all once snuck from our older sisters’ ghetto blasters.
Many assumed AFI’s Davey Havok and Jade Puget would spill the icing on this movement’s bloody cake when rumors of an industrial-pop side project surfaced a few years back.
Surprise, surprise, they’ve pulled it off. Blaqk Audio avoids pop clichs with its entirely electronic backdrops and club-anthem choruses, making Cex Cells the first worthy heir to new wave’s new wave.
M.I.AKalaInterscopeFour out of five stars
Every single track on Kala will make you want to dance. No matter who you are. No matter where you are. And no matter what you think of M.I.A’s revolutionary-minded, world-music jams.
Whether it’s biting socio-political warcries (“World Town” or “Hussel”) or banging club anthems (“Boyz” or “Bamboo Banger”), M.I.A knows how to move people — both rhythmically and emotionally.
The ills of the modern global power spectrum and man’s destructive crass consumerism pack equal punch to African tribal rhythms and South American street fair marches as Kala secures M.I.A’s place in the upper echelons of protest music.
Talib KweliEardrumBlacksmith/Warner BrothersFour out of five stars
Eardrum is a good old-fashioned hip-hop record. No raps about strippers. No mention of glittery bling. No bragging about fancy whips or pimped cribs — just simple, honest rhymes and solid backbeats.
From the underground dues-paying of his Rawkus roots to the sky-high hype of The Beautiful Struggle, Talib Kweli has made a name for himself in the rap game by delivering open-hearted rhymes in the tradition of his hip-hop forefathers.
Eardrum carries this torch with soulful Motown instrumentals, illuminating lyrics and guest appearances from the likes of rap royalty Pete Rock and KRS-One.
As I Lay DyingAn Ocean Between UsMetal Blade RecordsOne out of five stars
Here we have yet another American melodic death metal record to toss atop the erupting heaps of Swedish melodic death metal rip-offs piling up on our nation’s airwaves.
The formula is simple. Combine one part At the Gates (“Bury Us All”), one part Carcass (“Nothing Left”), one part In Flames (“The Sound of Truth”) and a heaping helping of the ever-endearing American innovation: the schmaltzy emo-rock refrain (“Forsaken”) and you’ve got instant OzzFest gold.
An Ocean Between Us seems a fitting title considering the sonic oceans stretched out between As I Lay Dying and its European metal forefathers.