KEXP.ORG Seattle: Album Reviews

The Revelations featuring Tre' Williams - The Bleeding Edge (Decision)

This Brooklyn-based band follows up their initial EP with this excellent debut full-length of bluesy, old-school soul combining a raw, muscular sound, a killer horn section, blues guitar licks and lead singer Williams' powerful, slightly gravelly vocals. The songs are also first-rate, often exploring decidedly adult themes like infidelity with the conflicted passion of Al Green, Latimore (who's covered here) and other masters of '70s soul.

The Dutchess and the Duke - Sunset/Sunrise (Hardly Art)

This Seattle duo stretches out a bit on their 2nd album with help from Gris Gris frontman Greg Ashley, who produced the album. Sunset/Sunrise features a fuller, more produced sound than their acclaimed debut, adding occasional strings, piano and other instrumentation. The songs are also a bit more diverse and thoughtfully crafted � while the debut was rooted in Aftermath-era Rolling Stones folk-rock, Sunset/Sunrise also contains echoes of Ennio Morricone, Phil Spector, the Shangri-Las and more.

Breakestra - Dusk Till Dawn (Strut)

This LA band led by producer/multi-instrumentalist Miles Tackett offers up another first-rate album of gritty, old-school funk ranging from raw, breakbeat party rockers to more sophisticated pieces incorporating elements of jazz, psych-rock and more.

Lucero - 1372 Overton Park (Universal Republic)

This Memphis band continues to evolve on their latest album, mostly leaving behind the country influences of their earlier work for a fuller, classic rock-influenced sound that takes in Springsteen, the Replacements, the Stones and more. With production from Ted Hutt (who produced the last Gaslight Anthem album) and legendary Memphis session man Jim Spake (who worked with Al Green back in the day) providing some great horn arrangements, 1372 Overton Park is ultimately a celebration of rock 'n' roll. Lucero's good friends The Hold Steady would no doubt approve.

Brother Ali - Us (Rhymesayers)

The 4th album from this Minneapolis rapper is his most fully realized work to date, exploring personal and political issues with smart, confident rhymes accompanied by a mix of sampled and live instrumentation along with some hard, funky beats courtesy of longtime producer Ant.

The Avett Brothers - I and Love and You (American)

After many years of touring and independent releases culminating with 2007's excellent album Emotionalism, this North Carolina trio makes their major label debut with this stunner of a record. With legendary producer Rick Rubin behind the boards, the sound is more polished than before, which might disappoint some longtime fans. But while the Avetts' reputation as a ragged, punkish acoustic band with an incendiary live show is well-deserved, their records have improved as the band has steadily grown as musicians and songwriters, and this is their strongest batch of songs yet. The rootsy side of their music is still there, with occasional banjo, mandolin, fiddle and those rough-hewn harmonies, but most of this is unapologetic, piano-based, big-hearted pop, with gorgeous arrangements often featuring cello and a full rhythm section fleshing out these powerfully emotional, often dark songs of love and identity.

Grayskul - GrayMaker (Taxidermy)

The Seattle hip hop duo hooked up with Chicago producer Maker for their latest album, and it's one of their strongest yet, with Maker's gritty, sample-heavy production giving some extra bounce to the dark, heady rhymes of JFK and Onry Ozzborn.

Turbo Fruits - Echo Kid (Fat Possum)

The 2nd album from this Nashville band led by former Be Your Own Pet guitarist Jonas Stein improves upon their ferocious, ultra-raw debut thanks to more fully fleshed-out songs with stronger melodic hooks that echo a variety of early rock 'n' roll sources.

Visqueen - Message to Garcia (Local 638)

Visqueen frontwoman Rachel Flotard pays loving tribute to her father (who passed away from cancer last year) with a magnificent album of big-hearted power pop that's packed with catchy hooks and sing-a-long choruses. With Neko Case providing some heavenly harmonies and additional cameos from John Roderick of the Long Winters and steel guitarist Jon Rauhouse among other notables, the album brings plenty of star power, but it's Flotard's powerful vocals and sharp song craft that shine brightest. Power pop is rarely this poignant, or done as well as it is here. A lot of fine albums have come from the Northwest this year, but Message to Garcia is one of the very best.

The Big Pink - A Brief History Of Love (4AD)

This British band debuts with an accomplished album of epic, shoegazerish pop with a huge sound combining distortion-laden guitars, droning harmonies, a fair amount of electronics and some massive song hooks, along with lyrics ranging from the cynical to the heartbroken. The usual shoegazer/post-punk touchstones are here (My Bloody Valentine, the Jesus & Mary Chain, the Cure, Echo & the Bunnymen), but they do this stuff exceedingly well.