Pitchfork: Album Reviews

RJD2 - 2002-2010

Nate Patrin — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0600

This lavish vinyl-only boxset includes full albums like Deadringer and Since We Last Spoke along with some impressive unreleased material. [Nate Patrin]

The Doors - Live in New York

Chris Dahlen — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0600

The much-maligned band makes a case for itself on this sprawling 6xCD collection, recorded just before the release of Morrison Hotel. [Chris Dahlen]

Snow Patrol - Up to Now

Tom Breihan — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0600

The Coldplay acolytes release a deeply overstuffed 2xCD best-of when a crisp singles collection could have done. [Tom Breihan]

Grant Hart - Hot Wax

Joshua Klein — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0600

A decade after his sadly overlooked Good News for Modern Man, the former Hüsker Dü member finally issues his third solo record. [Joshua Klein]

Get Back Guinozzi! - Carpet Madness

Rebecca Raber — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0600

Gallic/English duo mines the coquettish 1960s pop vibe of yé-yé, the precision and throb of UK post-punk, and the syncopation of reggae and tropicalia. [Rebecca Raber]

Them Crooked Vultures - Them Crooked Vultures

Joe Colly — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0600

Led Zeppelin's John Paul Jones, Nirvana/Foo Fighters drummer Dave Grohl, and Queens of the Stone Age's Josh Homme resurrect the hard rock supergroup. [Joe Colly]

Hall and Oates - Do What You Want, Be What You Are: The Music of Daryl Hall and John Oates

Douglas Wolk — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0600

This too expansive look at the lengthy career of Hall and Oates features two great discs and two not so hot ones. [Douglas Wolk]

Roll Deep - Street Anthems

Martin Clark — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0600

In the relentlessly forward-moving world of UK grime, retrospective compilations are rare. Many of grime's primary mediums are transient: pirate radio sets, rave clashes, or street DVD slews. So it's difficult to sum up even the best grime artists on recorded output alone. Roll Deep's Street Anthems compilation comes close to doing so, however. Gathering the best of the grime crew that featured Dizzee Rascal, Wiley, and Flowdan, among others, Street Anthems features both their raw early work and their stabs at pop. And like grime itself, when Roll Deep define their own terms they are strongest-- shockingly innovative and brutally uncompromising.

Franklin Bruno - Local Currency: Solo 1992-1998

David Raposa — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0600

Cult guitar pop veteran releases the sort of warts-and-all release that most songwriters would love to call their own. [David Raposa]

Christmas Island - Blackout Summer

Zach Kelly — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0600

Part of the burgeoning San Diego lo-fi scene that's home to Crocodiles and the Soft Pack, Christmas Island make shaggy, sadsack hymns to heartbreak. [Zach Kelly]

Annie - Don't Stop / All Night EP

Matthew Perpetua — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0600

After a long wait and a battle with her former record label, electro-pop should-be star finally issues her second album, plus a bonus EP of older ideas. [Matthew Perpetua]

Bibio - The Apple and the Tooth

Brian Howe — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0600

The Warp producer collects remixes from his breakthrough album, Ambivalence Avenue, and adds four new tracks on this 2009 punctuation mark. [Brian Howe]

Orenda Fink - Ask the Night

Stephen M. Deusner — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0600

Azure Ray singer trades the full-band sound of her solo debut for a more rustic approach. Modest Mouse's Isaac Brock guests. [Stephen M. Deusner]

Hush Arbors - Yankee Reality

Paul Thompson — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0600

Freak-folk vets make a leap from last year's self-titled Ecstatic Peace! debut that feels markedly deliberate and completely natural. J Mascis produces. [Paul Thompson]

Vijay Iyer Trio - Historicity

Joe Tangari — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0600

The jazz trio continues its outstanding work, reflecting in their music our age of information and chatter. And they do a mean cover of "Galang". [Joe Tangari]

Real Estate - Real Estate

David Bevan — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0600

After several excellent singles, New Jersey's Real Estate deliver on their full-length debut with a rich collection of evocative and haunting songs. They share tones with North Jersey indie rock titans Yo La Tengo and the Feelies, but they filter those influences through warm impressions of oldies radio. And despite the summery song titles and the beach balling associations that might follow these guys around, this music transcends the notion of seasons. It's an album with songs about beaches that sounds best in the fall. This isn't the kind of debut that hints at any limits in terms of sound, technical gifts, and most importantly, time.

David Bowie - Space Oddity [40th Anniversary Edition]

Stuart Berman — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0600

Celebrating the true first chapter in an often brilliant career, David Bowie's second studio album is reissued, complete with a 15-track bonus disc. [Stuart Berman]

Kid Sister - Ultraviolet

Tom Breihan — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0600

After three years of work, the once-anticipated Kid Sister album finally sees its release. [Tom Breihan]

Talk Normal - Sugarland

Marc Masters — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0600

No Wave-inspired band makes its Rare Book Room debut, bringing an increase in clarity and detail to its thick noise. [Marc Masters]

CFCF - Continent

Zach Kelly — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0600

This young Montreal producer, best known at this point for his remixes and a collaboration with Sally Shapiro, offers an accomplished debut full-length. [Zach Kelly]

Lil Wayne - No Ceilings

Tom Breihan — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0600

Weezy returns to mixtape form, where he shows off his digressive, distracted spirit-- still a huge part of what makes him great. [Tom Breihan]

Guided By Voices - Suitcase 3: Up We Go Now

Paul Thompson — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0600

The third 100-song vault-clearing contains unheard demos from Guided by Voices' classic mid-90s era. [Paul Thompson]

50 Cent - Before I Self Destruct

Ian Cohen — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0600

After two huge misses and a bleeding of good will, 50 steps back and makes a record designed to appeal to listeners who still might be rooting for the guy. [Ian Cohen]

The Cribs - Ignore the Ignorant

Stuart Berman — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0600

Smiths guitar hero Johnny Marr joins one of the brightest lights of post-Libertines UK rock for their fourth album. [Stuart Berman]

Little Dragon - Machine Dreams

Matthew Perpetua — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0600

Swedish quartet make dance-oriented electronic-leaning pop that foregrounds ambiance and texture, as Tricky once did so well. [Matthew Perpetua]