My Chemical Romance - "Danger Days: ...Fabulous Killjoys...": This is an awesome rock record. Very impressive for a bunch of youngsters from New Jersey. They incorporate all sorts of musical styles and lyrical themes into a cohesive themey batch of tunes based on a concept from comic-book-writer-turned-rock-star Gerard Way. Lots of energy, bombast, silliness, camp sensibilities, misguided anger and pseudo-alienation. I really love it. Listening along with any my snobbish old man instincts in check, it just feels fresh and jumpy. Favorite track: Summertime
Lucinda Williams - "Blessed": Now here's where my old man snob can really take hold. This is a rock rock album. Call it alt-country, country rock or pop if you must. I'm sticking with rock because there are so many styles folded into it. The writing is daring and intimate. No bombast or silliness, just an attempt to express raw small emotions about family, death, God and love. Hate Lu's slurred southern accent if you must, but at 57 she has settled on this voice. She uses it along with her equally settled writing voice to express emotions that matter to her with confidence and clarity. It feels like a mature person expressing some deep emotions with confidence, and that is a beautiful thing. Favorite track: Blessed - gave me chills first time I heard it.
Radiohead - "King of Limbs": Worst of this lot. They have had a fabulous run of records that felt both collaborative and individual at the same time, kind of like a good baseball game. This one feels like it is all about Thom. And while that works some of the time, it just feels like Thom's head is up his ass at other times. Like when they take a simple idea (musically or lyrically) and drive it into the ground for several minutes longer than it deserves, it feels bad. This happens on "Feral" and "Bloom". When they take a good idea and let it play out and cut it off at the right time, it feels good. Favorite track: Codex.
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