New Music

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This article was published 21/08/2010 (5871 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

POP AND ROCK

IRON MAIDEN

The Final Frontier (EMI)

THE Final Frontier finds Iron Maiden exploring new bound­aries.

The British Power metal legends showed off their pro­gressive side on 2006’s A Matter of Life and Death, but they truly embrace it on their 15th studio release with only three of the 11 songs coming in under six minutes. Almost every track features a lengthy buildup to the heart of the songs, which range from meandering mid-tempo ma­terial like The Man Who Would be King and Starblind, to more melodic adventures such as Isle of Avalon and The Talisman.

Vocalist Bruce Dickinson’s stories of war, space and medieval rogues are strong, but there isn’t a lot to sing along with — the anthems and hooks are sacrificed in favour of lengthy instrumental passages.

It’s the weakest album of the four they’ve released since Dickinson rejoined the sextet for 2000’s Brave New World, but longtime fans should get the most out of The Alchemist, with its speedy harmonized guitar lines and thundering bass that harkens back to the group’s heyday. 2-1/2 stars

— RW

The Budos Band III (Dapton)

WITH their third album, Staten Island’s heavyweight hipsters the Budos Band have again created a supernatural Afro-soul stew that will appeal to a wide range of funk, soul and rock music fans.

Giving full credit where it is due, this instrumental band is one of the hottest around these days and they come by their skills through hard work and constant touring. III was recorded in a mere 48 hours, yet nothing sounds rushed or incom­plete. Their pounding rhythms and dazzling horn charts mesh with the Hammond B3 organ work and earthy bass lines to create an eclectic and jazzy stew that is as tasty and hot as you can imagine, and more.

The whole album clocks in at just under 40 fiery minutes and some of the tracks sound like they were faded out just a touch before the band dropped their heads and really started to groove intensely.

No matter. Grab this and get yo booty shakin’ Budos Band style!

4-1/2 stars

— Jeff Monk

Jackpine Cabbage (Dollar Tone)

THE members of Jackpine might be a little too modest to call the band a roots super­group, but when you’ve got Jaxon Haldane (D. Rangers), Adrien Sala, Sean Buchanan (the Western States) and Jesse Riemer playing and writing together it’s a little more than good.

Each member of the Win­nipeg quartet sings lead on the song he wrote, while the others back him up on acoustic instru­ments and contribute harmon­ies on the album’s 10 tracks, which are almost all imperfect anagrams of the title, Cabbage, so the Mexican-flavoured song is Ebb, the mellow tale of a Sun­day night at a bingo hall is Dab (one of the rare times in music the word tracheotomy is used as part of a rhyming scheme) and there’s plenty of banjo­picking on disc highlight Abe.

Each member is a master storyteller and it’s worth press­ing repeat it you miss some lyrics. It’s safe to say it will probably be the best Cabbage

you’ll hear all year. 2-1/2 stars

— RW

EFFECT & CAUSE Effect & Cause (Independent)

BRANDON’S E&C comes at their version of the young man’s indie rock from some­thing of a different angle.

Singer Katlin Mathison evokes his words most passionately using his unsullied and rather sweet voice in some uncommon and effective ways. He croons at times, and it’s obvious there is real emotion behind the words.

The band is tighter than a nun’s habit and provides some excellent and varied tones that range from jerky mall punk and basic roots rock to almost jazz-like passages. Drummer Cody Iwasiuk proves himself as one to watch with his creative fills and playing skills that are by and large miles away from mere timekeeping. It’s a short listen at just less than 30 min­utes but the effects are lasting. 3 stars

— Monk

 

ELECTRONIC

Kompilation (M-nus)

SINCE his early days crossing the river from Windsor to De­troit, Richie Hawtin has been on the bleeding edge of the second wave of techno as what started as a love of the strange, electronic sounds he was hear­ing on Detroit radio quickly evolved into something more.

Although Hawtin started as a DJ, it wasn’t long before he was creating his own version of techno under the Plastikman guise. While he is primarily now known as a forward-think­ing DJ, trendsetter, label owner and early adopter of technology, it was his distinct, stripped­down tracks as Plastikman that really launched his career with 808 and 909 drums, precise 303 acid lines, skittering percus­sion and lean, faceless techno serving as Hawtin’s calling card, even if in later years he was never able to replicate his success as a producer.

Collecting material from 1993 through 2004, Kompila­tion is a good reminder on how broadly Plastikman’s early work influenced the electronic world. 4 stars

— Anthony Augustine

 

COUNTRY

Trail in Life (Open Road/Universal)

LAST year was a good one for Jaffray, B.C.’s Dean Brody as he made his Grand Ol’ Opry debut and his song Brothers — one of three top 10 singles — was not only a hit in both Canada and the U.S. but earned the CCMA award for Song of the Year. This year he is nom­inated for 5 CCMA awards.

Influenced musically by both traditional artists like Randy Travis and more contemporary types like Keith Urban, Brody’s sophomore release celebrates the simple things in life like family values and small town living. The disc is dominated by catchy free-wheeling fun fare like People Know You by Your First Name, Roll That Barrel Out and The Kitchen Song.

Even the ballads, Wildflower, Trail in Life and the sparse The Porch are all winners.

Brody has discovered his trail in life, and you can sing along with it. 3-1/2 stars

— Bruce Leperre

 

CLASSICAL

NATIONAL YOUTH CHOIR OF GREAT BRITAIN, LONDON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA, KARL JENKINS

Jenkins: Gloria; Te Deum (EMI)

RIGHT off the top, the liner notes cite a survey claiming Brit Karl Jenkins as today’s most performed living com­poser. Jenkins is best known for The Armed Man: A Mass for Peace and Adiemus, an indelible “crossover” tune firmly in today’s vernacular.

His latest recording features Gloria, which premiered last month, and his 2008 setting of

Te Deum.

Jenkins’s appeal is much like that of Carl Orff’s mega­hit cantata Carmina Burana.

In directness of expression, comfortable harmonic language and overall immediacy, you get it right away and nothing outstays its welcome. Like Orff, everything is so skilfully manu­factured you envision a return visit, after a break of course.

Gloria has traditional litur­gical numbers alternating with readings from various ancient religions plus a true hit song in I’ll Make Music, set from Deuteronomy and distinctively sung by Hayley Westenra. Te Deum has a martial flair with lovely repose exactly where you want it. Authoritative. 4 stars

— James Manishen