01/23 – 01/27:

Ava Luna, Services/3rd Avenue Island

In 2010, Ava Luna released a 4-track EP called Services that I fell in love with. In 2011, Services got combined with 8 new songs and released as this. It’s a frustrating experience. I expect a band to grow and change. I have no interest in seeing a group do the same song over and over like Nickelback. And Ava Luna did seem to be wearing their influences on their sleeve on Services, instantly bringing to mind thoughts of The Dirty Projectors and TV On the Radio, among others. But the material on 3rd Avenue Island is such a stark contrast to the older songs that putting them together seems like a disservice to both. The transition from the dreamy, romantic material of Services to the more harsh, avant garde-sounding 3rd Avenue Island is awkward, to say the least. The stylistic progression would still be jarring regardless, but to try to make the two very different bodies of work a single statement was a mistake.

The 3rd Avenue Island material is indeed a huge shift in tone. It’s more dissonant, more ambiguous. It begins with what could only be called an outburst of sound, really in “We Were Young,” and goes on to try out all sorts of new sounds that leave the simple, seductive Services in the past. The biggest problem with the new material is the number thing. Services ended with a playful little song called “Eight Nine (Won’t You Be Mine?).” The song sounded almost like a playground rhyme invented for jumprope. It was fun and cute. 3rd Avenue Island turns that into a motif, adding “Six Seven (I Want To Hide Away),” "Four Five (I Will Survive),” and “(Do Me No Wrong) While I Am Gone” (which doesn’t have 1-2-3 in the title, but features them prominently in the lyrics) in that order. And the concept, whatever it is, doesn’t seem to connect the songs in any way except repeating the numbers in question, and seems to become more labored with each track.The non-stop repetition of “four-five, four-five” in that track’s backing vocals makes it hands down the least enjoyable track on the record, in fact. But more than that, it’s not even a rhyme scheme in the other songs like it was in the original, and most of the new songs in the set are pretty discordant and dark they have nothing to do with the first one. This gimmick went a long way to hurting my enjoyment of the record on repeat listens. I hate to come down so hard on it. I do like the new songs in spots, even the number songs. Ava Luna has a new album coming soon, and its lead single is wonderful, and I hope it will be more satisfying.

Ava Luna, “Clips”

Kool AD, The Palm Wine Drinkard mixtape

Oh, man, two downer reviews in a row. I’m pretty good at picking albums I’ll like before I buy/download/whatever them, and I’m pretty good at just not listening to the few things I don’t end up liking. But this was on while I worked... It’s your boy, Kool AD from Das Racist, and he’s back with a mixtape of... weird... spare stuff, apparently. Victor seems the more gifted rapper in Das Racist, and has some truly great verses to prove it. But you wouldn’t know it from listening to The Palm Wine Drinkard, a random assortment of weird mash-ups, repeated mantras and intrumentals that borrows its name from an acclaimed Nigerian novel. There’s not an actual verse of new lyrics on the whole thing. It begins with the intrumental to Outkast’s “Spottiottidopalicious” with various movie clips played over it before moving into songs where he just repeats a catcphrase or two over and over, prototypical early versions of Das Racist songs “Booty In The Air” and “You Can Sell Anything” with all the verses (And Heems) missing, two random cuts from his previous project, Boy Crisis, and some instrumentals he made. Nonsense is a big part of Das Racist’s appeal. That they can be completely absurd and smart at the same time. The smart part doesn’t really show up on this, though. It’s not entirely without merit. The Boy Crisis songs are both good, and “Fun” and “Flyin Through The Air Inna Air Plane” are pretty funny, if still very slight. But when you consider all his great music over the last few years, and that less than a week after this came out, Vic released a completely insane, nearly 10-minute tour de force called “Dum Diary” on youtube... you really have to wonder what he was thinking with this. I'd provide you a link to download it, but it was on Megaupload, and the Feds hamfistedly brought them down last week, so I can't. Meanwhile, I’m just going to link “Dum Diary,” because it’s awesome.

Kool AD, “Dum Diary”

Raekwon, Unexpected Victory

Released on January 1 just like The Palm Wine Drinkard, Rae gets the new year started off right. Unexpected Victory kicks off with some huge, dramatic production, but it meanders through more traditional Wu-style darkness, some stripped down raw beats, and a variety of other approaches as Rae and a list of guest stars do what they do best. Rae seems to be using this tape as a vehicle to promote Toronto rapper JD Era, recently signed to Rae’s Ice H20 label, as Era gets plenty of time on 5 tracks. He also shines a spotlight on newcomer Altrina Renae, and shares songs with stalwarts like CL Smooth, Styles P, and Busta Rhymes, among others. Raekwon himself is in fine form, consistently delivering the gritty storytelling fans demand of him. Raekwon mixtapes can sometimes be much more casual affairs than his official albums, but this one’s epic feel goes against that trend.Grab it here and check it out!

Raekwon with JD Era, “Just A Toast”

Amon Amarth, Surtur Rising

The latest fine offering of Norse myth-infused metal from the Norwegian heavyweights. This album is a natural progression from previous record Twilight Of the Thunder God in both style and subject matter. To my ear, they've been becoming more accessible recently, or as accessible as you can be in the mythological death metal biz, anyway, but unlike some people, I wouldn't call that a bad thing.

Amon Amarth, “War Of The Gods”

There you go.

--D