More album reviews

This time I got ahold of the new Fischerspooner really early. Its also really good....

Oxytocin - Love It
Oxytocin is a hormone related to the reproductive system and, of course, a band. They bring together elements of math rock with a dash of jam & grunge. Rising and falling sounds spead out like waves along the beach but splashing on the rocks because nothing is that simple.
RIYL: Sunny Day Real Estate, King Crimson
PICKS: 1, 3, 5
DIRTY: None!
Self Produced


Copeland - In Motion
Rarely do many men put effort into making their voice sound pretty. But lead singer Aaron Marsh's voice sounds o' so sweet. Growing off the success of their previous album Beneath Medicine Tree, In Motion is significantly more upbeat (no deaths in the family this time) and exciting. Not quite emo (they've reformed) but closer to orchestrated power pop without all the pop hooks.
RIYL: Sunny Day Real Estate, Braid, Jimmy Eat World
PICKS: 2, 3, 4, 5, 10
DIRTY: None!
Militia Group


Fischerspooner - Odyssey
Mmm, sex-disco-new wave-synth-dance music. Who wouldn't groove to this? More singing and a bit slower tempo than debut album #1. They still keep up with the very repetitive vocal hooks, but whats wrong with that? Less sex than before but a lot more variety in the song structure.
RIYL: Client, M83, Ladytron, I am Spoonbender
PICKS: 1, 2, 3, 10
DIRTY: None!
Capitol


Patrick Wolf - Wind In The Wires
Electronics mixed with folk and baroque? Gypsy-disco beats? There is a definite appeal of a deep sultry voice like Bowie's here. Ambition is here and he's only a 21 year old Londoner crafting this whole album pretty much solo. There are tons of layers of instrumentation per track with violins and piano aplenty.
RIYL: Nick Cave, Bright Eyes
PICKS: 1, 2, 9
DIRTY: 11
Tomlab

A Hawk and a Handsaw - Darkness at Noon
Sounding more like a world album or a Danny Elfman soundtrack than the usual Neutral Milk Hotel album. Darkness at Noon takes us around the world from gypsy to mariachi and everywhere in between. Sparse vocals but lush instrumentation. This is world-ish music with a math-rock sometimes glitchy background created seemingly a century ago.
RIYL: World music, Neutral Milk Hotel, Woven Hand
PICKS: 5, 4, 11, 3
DIRTY: None.
Leaf


Stereophonics - Language. Sex. Violence. Other?
Definitive rock like early 90's rock groups ala Stone Temple Pilots with a British tone. They try to pull off a new wave Interpol-esque time warp on songs like Dakota. Or perhaps an Actung Baby U2? Charming.
RIYL: Interpol, Feeder, White Stripes
PICKS: 1, 5, 10
DIRTY: 1
V2 Records (BMG in disguise)