Original Release Date: June 5, 2001
Review Date: August 10, 2001

"Well of course I'd like to sit around and chat only there's someone listening in"
  -- from "Life in a glass house"

    Every Radiohead album since The Bends has been critically acclaimed. Radiohead is the type of band which has not only garnered good reviews from music critics, but has also gained a large following, enough to sell millions of albums. They have become the most popular experimental band around today. This experimentation is everywhere on Amnesiac.

    Radiohead produced their previous album, Kid A, last year and had enough tracks to record a second. The problem with recording two albums at once is to have enough songs that fit together in two separate entities. Unfortunately, this is a major shortcoming of Amnesiac. Many of the songs do not seem to fit together to form a cohesive listening experience. A few of the songs were undoubtedly written consecutively, as they seem to follow each other well. Other songs are just out there and almost seem to be leftovers that did not make Kid A.

    Not that there aren't great songs on Amnesiac. The two electronic, almost industrial, almost dancey songs, "Packt like sardines in a crushd tin box" and "Pulk/pull revolving doors" show the band's great range as they experiment. There are interesting songs, once you decipher singer Thom Yorke's almost droning vocal style. "You and Whose Army?" shows the band's humor and grasp of irony as Yorke sings in the most non-threatening way possible, "Come on if you think you can take us on." One wonders if Yorke is worried the "Karma Police" (OK Computer) are listening in, which is why he can't stay to chat in "Life in a glass house," with the lyrics set against an old time jazz tune complete with trumpet and clarinet. "Like spinning plates" uses backward looped tracks, including some of Yorke's vocals. The startling violent imagery invoked in "Knives out" is sung over soft and melodic music providing an experiment in contrast.

    While the great tracks show Radiohead's great song composition and production, the 11 tracks together just don't seem like an album, and that detracts from the whole. A Radiohead fan looking to buy their first album would be better off with OK Computer than Amnesiac. Fans that own the complete works of Radiohead will enjoy the experimentation on this album and its standout tracks.

Grade: B+

Original Release Date: July 24, 2001
Review Date: August 17, 2001

"He is handling the money
  he's serving the food
  he knows about your party
  he is calling you dude" -- from "Comfort Eagle"

    Everyone likes cake, or so the saying goes. While I don't think that Cake, the band, has that much of a universal appeal, they do have songs which are quite enjoyable. Cake features the distinctive singing voice and style of John McCrea, who remains one of the two original members of the band, the other being Vince DiFiore, the trumpet player. McCrea's singing cadence is typically slightly stilted for the effect of emphasis on each phrase and is sometimes feux-hip hop, occasionally adding syllables or forcing rhymes to add humor.

    Songs by Cake are well-written tales, the music is really just there to support the lyrics. So on Comfort Eagle, there are 10 short stories (plus the lone instrumental, "Arco Arena") about various topics, from the mundane to the unusual, from pure fiction to what may have been based on real life events.

    Simple stories abound on this album, including "Opera Singer," a day in the life of said profession, "Commissioning a Symphony in C," the story of an Austrian nobleman looking for a present for his nephew, and a traffic jam in "Long Line of Cars." While the majority of the album is somewhat whimsical, a couple of the songs deal with relationships, love, and breaking up. "World of Two" is a sort of "Dear Joan" letter, explaining that he doesn't want to live in her world anymore. "Pretty Pink Ribbon" determines that sometimes a simple accessory draws the line between good and evil. But by far, the standout tracks on this album are the humorous songs "Short Skirt/Long Jacket" and the title track, "Comfort Eagle". On the former, the narrator is looking for love at a Citibank, hoping to find that special someone, and on the latter, McCrea pokes fun at certain people in the music industry.

    While there is variety on Comfort Eagle, the serious songs are not as serious as the humorous song are funny. The album is mostly light-hearted, so looking for deep meaning in the songs will often produce nothing. That being said, there is enough there to keep the listener interested.

    Since the lyrics are so important to songs, the clean production of the album greatly enhances the listening experience. Not only can the lyrics be easily heard, but each and every instrument can be picked out of the arrangements. The extra non-drum kit percussion, moog work, distinctive trumpet, and incidental backup vocals all enhance the music. Overall, Comfort Eagle is a solid album, great for when you need some light background music.

Grade: B

Original Release Date: October 2, 2001
Review Date: October 12, 2001

"Believing in nothing
  Makes life so boring
  So let's pray for something
  To feel good in the morning"
  -- from "Parade"

     Garbage started as two producers wanting to create something different. So it's not surprising that Garbage's first two albums were written, produced, and re-mixed all in the same studio (Smart Studios in Madison, Wisconsin). Garbage seemed more of a studio project than a band when their eponymous first album came out. But a nationwide tour later, Garbage proved they could do much more than twiddle knobs on a mixing board.

     Garbage still do every aspect of the creation of the album themselves, and that could be why their third album, beautifulgarbage took just over a year to finish. Part of the long production time may be due to many of the songs on the album being stylistically divergent from past Garbage songs. There are still songs on the album which are unmistakably Garbage, but Garbage extends their mastery of music with other songs.

     The precise, intricate, and beautiful multilayered guitar and keyboard work Garbage has done in the past is cranked up still another notch with the superb production on beautifulgarbage. The band still shows their influences, such as Shirley Manson's Chrissie Hynde (The Pretenders) singing style in a couple songs. The album still ends with a slower song with a deep meaning ("You're So Like a Rose"). But what we get with this album, that wasn't in previous albums are the departures like "Can't Cry These Tears", a modern rock do-wop song if there ever was one. "Til The Day I Die" is more techno than any other Garbage song.

     Garbage's third release is a strong, solid modern rock album. The only minor distraction is the occasional distorion of Manson's vocals. Garbage has grown with this album, and their ability to retool and reinvent themselves shows they could be around for many more albums to come.

Grade: A

Original Release Date: June 19, 2001
Review Date: October 26, 2001

"Now while the MC rhymin' and the DJ cuttin'
  I want y'all to just get down"
  -- from "Rock the House"

Gorillaz is completely art rock, literally. Formed as a conceptual project by Blur's Damon Albarn and Tank Girl illustrator Jamie Hewlett, this ain't your father's cartoon band. Almost like a gritty modern graphic novel, the Gorillaz partnership has created a world around their characters, a world where the band can experiment and produce. As seems to be the way to start in England, the band released an EP last year, which gained enough success to grant them their full length, self-titled album.

Apparently Albarn was looking for a creative outlet for ideas he was not able to explore, for whatever reason, with Blur. The album is an amalgam of many different styles of modern music, including punk, hip hop, space rock, and electronica. However, many of the ideas seem a little thin. Many of the songs seem to be little more than an extension of a single hook. But where the hooks catch you, you're in for a wild ride.

By far, the outstanding tracks on the album are two songs which feature Russel's channelling of Del Tha Funky Homosapien's funky rap. The phat rhymes in "Clint Eastwood" introduce Russel's ability to channel spirits and features his hip hop verse playing off Albarn's melodic chorus, in the new chorus-verse-chorus fashion that has become popular of late. "Rock the House" is the appropriately-named other hip hop song that commands us all to "just get down" to the beat. Albarn puts on his best Johnie Rotten snarl in "Punk", in classic Sex Pistols style. But aside from those songs, some are slow and plodding, while others are too repetitive.

In concept, Gorillaz is an interesting diversion into a world where cartoons make modern music. In practice, Gorillaz is merely a side project for Damon Albarn and associates to do things they wouldn't normally do with their own bands.

Grade: C-

Original Release Date: October 23, 2001
Review Date: November 16, 2001

"I'm not going to sound check, there's too much to do
  I'm not going to sound check, I might fall for you."
  -- from "Cape Town" (US bonus track)

     Wake Up... is The Cranberries' fifth album. Their style still features the distinctive voice of Dolores O'Riordan, and songs are still backed by either soft, deliberate guitar picking (as in past hit "Linger") or by furious guitar strumming (as with previous hit "Zombie"). There's not much inbetween. However, when the album is constructed by nearly equal parts of each, it all sounds right. The production and choice of material for this album go a long way enhancing the overall sound and feeling of it.

     The album opens softly and slowly, but picks up with the more aggressive first single, "Analyse". The environmentalist song, "Time is Ticking Out" continues the pop style with a warning for our future. The album then slows down again. This alternation of rhythm and mood occurs numerous times on the album, preventing the feeling of repetition, even though The Cranberries do not have an extremely wide range of musical offerings, and there are good songs on both sides. "Carry On" soothingly urges one to continue, as things will get better. Adding a backbeat and piano, love song "The Concept" is a wonderful departure from their style, and is sure to be a hit single. The title track, well-placed in the middle of the album, brings up the pace, keeping the energy of the album going. The US release is blessed with a bonus track that deserved to be on the album anyways, "Cape Town", which merely documents the band's first trip to South Africa, but it captures that energy one feels when visiting a new and exciting place for the first time.

     One of the few detractions of the album is the sometimes repetitive lyrics, where the title of most songs is guaranteed to be repeated multiple times (and not just in the chorus). Some of the material is a little simplistic, but that is not necessarily a bad thing. The crisp production makes up for these shortcomings, to create a well-rounded and simply good album.

Grade: B

Original Release Date: October 23, 2001
Review Date: November 30, 2001

     Richard D. James is Aphex Twin. In the age of electronica, with a keyboard, drum machine, and computer, one person can do everything it takes to make an album, and James has been doing it for longer than just about anyone else in the genre. Often called a prodigy or the great grandfather of electronia, perhaps he has outsmarted us all on this album.

     In this 30 song, 2 CD album, there is a strange divergence. Many of the songs are the drum and bass that you expect out of an artist like Aphex Twin, but these tracks are bridged by slow and melancholy piano interludes. This mix throws you around like being on a rollercoaster, riding through the highs and lows, twists and turns. The first track is like the slow climb up that first hill, and the next, "Vordhosbn" is like the thrill of going over the peak, slamming you with the beats. After a short interlude, the fourth track, "Omgyjya-switch 7" is another drum beat mix that throws you over the next hill. Then begins the strangeness of the unsettling piano, something is wrong, you just don't know what, like the churning of your stomach during the coaster ride. This eventually leads to the smoothest track on the album, "Bbydhyonchord", which calms and eases you into the next tracks. The process then begins anew.

     The standout tracks are certainly the drum beat experimentation tracks. "Cock/ver10" assaults the ears with its furious beats, but also has a great ambient melody floating over the drums. "Mt Saint Michel + Saint Michaels Mount" similarly attacks with drum beats, but also carries with it some great complimentary effects and melodies. "Taking Control" is a humorous battle over the drum machine. However, the interlude tracks are sometimes attempts to be haunting, and sometimes possibly an expression of depression. If these are James' attempt to let us hear what is going on inside of his head, perhaps the complexity of his mastermind is just too great for us to comprehend. Some of the interludes mostly just drag the album on and out, and seem superfluous.

     This album is more for the longtime fan of Aphex Twin to dissect than for the newcomer. One should search elsewhere if they are new to electronica or Aphex Twin. Entrenched fans of electronica or Aphex Twin should have a good time listening to and analyzing the choices of material James selected for this album.

Grade: C

Original Release Date: November 20, 2001
Review Date: December 14, 2001

"Don't let me get me
  I'm my own worst enemy"
  -- from "Don't Let Me Get Me"

     What is it with pop artists declaring that they're changing their image? First Britney Spears (from "teenage pop dance queen" to "young adult pop dance slut"), now Pink (from "like Britney Spears" to "not like Britney Spears" or maybe to "tool of the record industry"?). Missundaztood, Pink's second album, is pure fabricated pop, and it is likely Pink only played a minor role in its creation. Fortunately, Linda Perry (4 Non Blondes, "What's Up") was heavily involved in the writing and production of the album, along with producer Damon Austin.

     Although in "Don't Let Me Get Me", Pink declares she's changing her image to a serious singer/songwriter, with such silly lyrics as "You're just like a pill/Instead of making me better/You keep making me ill" ("Just Like a Pill"), it's difficult at best to take her seriously. A serious artist doesn't record the banter between herself and the producers, as in "Missundaztood". Perhaps she should wait until the maturity level of her lyrics are appropriate before writing such trying songs as "Family Portrait" and "My Vietnam", which are supposedly about her family strife, but are all too focused on her than her beloved family. When Madonna decided to become a serious artist (without having declare it to the world), "Papa Don't Preach" was one of the songs that transitioned her to that next level. The maturity level between that song and Pink's are light years apart. Pink's "girl power" song "Respect" falls flat, with a concept that's been done better so many times before, even by the likes of (gasp) the Spice Girls.

     If you can ignore the lyrical theatrics, the production on this album is superb. If Arista was looking for a pop album to sell to young adult females, they got a good return on their investment. While the musical styles are all over the map, at least that keeps the album from being boring. The first single "Get the Party Started" is a great, well, party song. The gospel-inspired "Misery", featuring Steven Tyler from Aerosmith, was obviously written with Tyler in mind, but Pink compliments his vocals well. Linda Perry also steps out in front of the microphone to back Pink in "Lonely Girl", where Pink admits she really doesn't know who she is, something we figured out well before she did.

     It is sometimes amazing what passes for top 40 pop trash these days, but this is certainly exactly that. There are a few passable tracks on this album, but this album is not for someone who actually cares to listen to the lyrics. People seeking a female singer/songwriter with talent should look elsewhere, such as Fiona Apple or Dido.

Grade: D- (revised down from 'D' August 9, 2002)

Original Release Date: December 11, 2001
Review Date: December 28, 2001

"So don't blow it, no not a little bit
  'Cause you're all mine
  Don't you forget it"
  -- from "Don't Let Me Down"

     No Doubt have worked long and hard to get where they are in the music industry. They have established themselves in their ska punk brand of pop music. Rock Steady shows No Doubt's range, further placing them above other Southern Californian bands. Their latest effort adds elements of 70's disco, 80's synth, and reggae to their repetoire.

     Since there a few detractors on this album, they can be pointed out and dismissed first. The most obvious is that all of the songs show an influence to the producer of the track. "Waiting Room" is obviously a Prince song, "Don't Let Me Down" could have been sung by Ric Ocasek with The Cars, and the tracks produced by Sly & Robbie have their reggae influence. With multiple different producers, one might think there would be many different sounds. But through it all, all of the songs sound like No Doubt songs. The album is tied together by this, and doesn't fall victim to having no cohesive sound to the entire album.

     "Hella Good" gets the album going with its disco beats, and is sure to inspire some hot and heavy dancing. "Hey Baby" kicks it up a notch with its upbeat tempo and reggae backup vocals. The heart of the album is relationship songs, No Doubt style, with the aforementioned Ocasek-influenced "Don't Let Me Down" the standout pop hit. Gwen Stefani's sweet love song "Start the Fire" showcases the tenderness of Stefani's lyrics. "In My Head" is the closest song to No Doubt's Tragic Kingdom days. By the end of the final, title track with its lyrics "A real love survives/A rock steady vibe," you realize the entire album is a bunch of love and relationship songs. How did they hide it? The musically and stylistically interesting songs prevent any sappiness or boring tracks.

     Rock Steady has many radio-friendly songs, and it's sure to have quite a few hit singles, like their album, Tragic Kingdom. With a tour or two for support, and the release of multiple singles, this album could come close to rivalling the sales figures of that 1995 effort. No Doubt has shown they can survive and evolve in this business, and no doubt, they will be around for much longer.

Grade: A-