Funeral for a Friend
Memory and Humanity
Victory Records
I remember a time when I used to get excited for every new Victory Records release. In the mid-’90s, every band on their roster was top-notch and never disappointed. Victory had Hatebreed, Integrity, Deadguy and Refused all at the same time, and every single one of those bands released an album that redefined what a hardcore label could do. Somewhere around the turn of the century, all those bands left and Victory became a money-making machine content with signing screamo bands that were popular on MySpace and had a shot at airplay on TRL. Funeral for a Friend has fit that category for three prior albums, and Memory and Humanity isn’t much different. There are some bright spots, but the vast majority of the album will be forgotten before it ends. There aren’t many tracks that stand out from one another, and most of the time it feels like you’re listening to a less talented, more boring version of Thrice (which isn’t saying a whole lot). The soaring vocals and generic chord progressions utilized in just about every song begin to blend together after a while, and it’s hard to tell one song apart from the next. It’s a shame how far the great Victory Records has fallen. -TH
Oasis
Dig Out Your Soul
Reprise Records
In 1966, John Lennon caused a huge stir when he said that the Beatles were “more popular than Jesus.” It was an out-of-context quote that has lived with the band ever since and will stay with them until the end of time. British rockers Oasis have a similar story in which an out-of-context quote by guitarist Noel Gallagher claimed that his band was bigger than the Beatles. Since then, they have been on the defensive every time they put out a new album, constantly batting deflecting comparisons to one of the greatest rock bands of all time. On their eighth album, Dig Out Your Soul, Oasis put forth more of the same thing they’ve been doing for 15 years8212;crafting songs that can’t be considered much more than a solid effort. The entire album is one mid-tempo rock song after another and the only thing that stands out is the blatant rip-off of the classic Doors song 5 to 1. While the Beatles were able to overcome Lennon’s remarks and catapult themselves into history forever, Oasis will be forever known as the band that tried to follow in those footsteps and failed completely. -TH
T-Pain
Thr33 Rings
Jive Records
T-Pain’s smooth, joyous synthesis of R&B, chopping and screwing took a while to nail down. It was worth the effort though, because Thr33 Rings is not only his best album so far but one of the funnest albums released this year. His help is better than it was last time8212;T.I., Kanye, Akon, Ludacris, etc.8212;but next to his magnificient multi-tracked distorted wonder of a voice, most people on the album can barely keep up. The production is lush as hell. The tracks ooze through a thick swamp of bass, funky piano loops, guitar and organ, all filtered, flipped and reversed a million times. The album even tries on a theme8212;the “three rings” refer to a circus and T-Pain casts himself as the ringleader. It’s no accident8212;the chaos, pomp and spectacle of this album are wild like the Greatest Show on Earth. The biggest accomplishment of this album, though, is that it’s twice as soulful than most hip-hop even though it wholeheartedly embraces techniques that most people would associate with “ringtone rap.” -KS
The Foreign Exchange
Leave it All Behind
Nicolay Records
A group like the Foreign Exchange would have been impossible as recently as 10 years ago. Their first album8212;2004’s Connected, was put together across the Atlantic, by Dutchwoman Nicolay, who lends her talents to the production, and Phonte Coleman, an MC from the Deep South who does the lion’s share of the vocals. The two met each other online, and traded verses and beats via e-mail. They hadn’t even met until their first album was finished. But the novelty of the group’s origins is completely eclipsed by their musical talent. Nicolay has a perfect ear for smooth, sultry funky beats that have immense “presence” but still leave her MC a lot of room to work his magic. Phonte obliges with charismatic flow that slips effortlessly into the track. Most of the time the duo make straight-up hip-hop, but they don’t really obey any rules. Sometimes they sing instead of rap. These tracks8212;”House of Cards” in particular8212;are solid R&B interludes in an album that seems to drift between the two genres without regard to a boundary. It’s odd (but certainly fortunate) that an album put together by two people living thousands of miles apart has such a strong feeling of intimacy, but that’s what you get with the Foreign Exchange. A lot of pleasant surprises. -KS
