Lily Allen
It’s Not Me, It’s You
Capitol Records
Love her or hate her, no one stirs up opinions quite like Lily Allen. I’ve been in the Pro-Lily camp ever since Alright, Still dropped and have been eagerly awaiting her follow-up for some time. Truth be told, I’m a little disappointed. Ditching the ringing, chirping snarkiness of her debut, It’s Not Me, It’s You delves into territory that Allen isn’t ready to handle. She experiments with a diverse array of musical styles, including an Eastern European accordion number in “Never Gonna Happen.” Most of them work, but a couple don’t, and to make matters worse, she even gets preachy about drugs and politics. “F*** You,” a not-so-friendly farewell to George W. Bush, is steeped in the kind of ignorant middle-school political opinions that make partisan politics look like an MMA match. All that being said, it’s a listenable album and more than satisfies my craving for more Lily Allen. – CS
Heartless Bastards
The Mountain
Fat Possum Records
The Mountain is the third album from Ohio-based rock band Heartless Bastards, and is a resounding success. The title track is like anthemic rock with a touch of slide guitar but without the requisite melodrama. Often relying on sharp increases in volume to provoke a visceral rush, Erika Wennerstrom’s expressive voice also manages to counterpoint with a slide guitar and wend its way around a full-bodied rhythm section. On songs such as “Wide Awake,” her voice manages to owe as much to Michael Stipe as it does to Janis Joplin8212;to whom she is frequently compared8212;and these vocal idiosyncrasies keep things interesting on some of the slower numbers such as “Be So Happy.” The Heartless Bastards also remind listeners that they are still a rock band at heart with “Early in the Morning,” a pounding song that sets up the more soulful second half of the album nicely. – SC
Ten out of Tenn
Various Artists
Ready Set Records
Nashville, Tenn. has a long legacy of producing some great artists across all genres of music8212;not just the country scene. Johnny Cash, Bob Dylan and Woody Guthrie all did their time in Nashville and couldn’t help but be influenced by the great Sun Records. Nowadays, Nashville is one of the most promising young scenes in music, and Ready Set Records is helping get the names of these up-and-comers out there with the release of the Ten Out of Tenn compilation. The artists on the album have their own unique sound, showing a slightly different take on the alt-country genre that’s taken over as the new indie-rock staple. Trent Dabbs is one of the album’s standouts, with the Beatles-esque track “Helpless State.” Erin McCarley is probably the most well-known at this point, so it’s fitting that her song “Pony (Go On)” opens the album. Her beautiful, ethereal voice is reminiscent of Fiona Apple, but she takes on a style all her own. The artists on the Ten out of Tenn compilation will be hitting the road next month and Salt Lake City is included in the tour, so pick it up and do your homework. – TH
