Hundred-word (Rock) Reviews, November 2024

Five more capsule reviews. Please note that every one of these album deserves not only fulsome praise, but a much longer, more in-depth review that I’m giving here. Suffice to say that fans of rockin’ melody would do well to pick up all five.

Half/Cubes – Pop Treasures
The Flashcubes are among the most underrated power pop acts of the ‘70s. Their 1978 single “Christi Girl” was and remains an exemplar of the form, and “It’s You Tonight” – comped on the Yellow Pills series – is arguably even better. But they continue to bubble under. Now two of the band have embarked on covering a supremely well-chosen collection of classics by other artists, often with members of those groups as special guests. Any set that features Mark Hudson, Darian Sahanaja, Van Duren, Moe Berg, Nick Frenay and two Rubinoos is a must-have. In line for my Best of 2024.

Mommyheads – One Eyed Band
New York’s Mommyheads are among the most staggeringly prolific of acts. Not dump-it-all prolific like Pollard or Moore, but churning out top quality material with alacrity. The group can be deviously arty or swooningly melodic, often at once; that’s their special gift. And their latest, One Eyed Band is among their most approachable releases to date. The title and artwork might conjure thoughts of the Residents, but this music is much more user-friendly. I dare not compare them to anyone else, other than to say that if your tastes tend toward inspired and catchy music, make this your next stop.

Tamar Berk – Good Times for a Change
Tamar Berk is another gifted artist who has a seemingly bottomless well of creativity. Her latest serves up the trademark sharply-drawn melodic rock that has established her as one of the most compelling artists working the musical block today. Her no-nonsense rock perspective allows room for nuance, intelligent lyrics and fist-waving anthemic melodies, all within the tidy confines of a three(ish)-minute song. The production on Good Times for a Change is unadorned, letting the songs shine. I can’t call recommend a specific tune among the 12 here, because damn near every one sounds like a single. Possibly Berk’s best yet.

Armoires – Octoberland
The cover art’s something of a red (green?) herring: the stylized graphics and Paris Metro-recalling type suggest something a bit baroque. The truth is that while there’s some of that, the music on Octoberland is as muscular as it is sophisticated. There’s a sly, winking character to the songs, telegraphed by the titles (“We Absolutely Mean It,” “Sickening Thud”), and the playing and arrangement are subtle, finely tuned and always in service of the songs. When Rex and Christina sing in octave-unison, you might be reminded of Squeeze. The lyrics are sometimes idiosyncratic, but that’s part of the Armoires’ charm.

Various Artists – We Are All Drifters
One might think of this two-disc set featuring covers/tributes of/to the Continental Drifters as a companion to Sean Kelly’s White Noise: The Continental Drifters Story, and it pretty much is that. (Review of the book to come.). The indie/alt/whatever supergroup was a critics’ darling, and with so much songwriting talent – I mean… Peter Holsapple, Vicki Peterson, Susan Cowsill… c’mon! – it stands to reason that there’s a lot of great material to cover. And the artists here include friends and fans like Don Dixon, Marshall Crenshaw, Robbie Rist, Derrick Anderson, Steve Wynn and more. You know you want to hear this.