The Wheel's Still In Spin: Best Albums Of April 2008

With five Tuesdays of new releases this month, there was a long list of strong albums to listen to. Here are The Wheel’s Still In Spin’s favorite releases for the month:

Langhorne Slim – Langhorne Slim | buy the CD or the vinyl at amazon
Download “Rebel Side Of Heaven” (mp3)
Langhorne Slim is backed by The War Eagles with conciliated upright bass and snare snapping drums. They amiably support Slim’s genuine voice and acoustic guitar and give the album a naturally warm feel. The rest of the album is fleshed out with the addition of piano, organ, keyboards, tuba, trombone, and violin. The vocals and production are sincere. Langhorne Slim wonders, “If I have something in me to believe/ I don’t know if that’s a blessing or a curse.” Mr. Slim, it’s a blessing, and like you, “All I wanted was a good song and a fair friend.”

Elbow – The Seldom Seen Kid | buy it at amazon
This Elbow album is the first entirely produced by the band. The result is songs full of orchestra pop with guitars, organs, strings and horns. The swelling production creates tracks that are both dynamic and mammoth. The vocals have an emotional and endearing quality with lyrics that are vivid and veracious. Go to www.theseldomseenkid.com to hear this fantastic album.

The Childballads – Cheekbone Hollows (Pop. 1/2 Life) | buy it at amazon
Download “Cheekbone Hollows” (mp3)
Download “Laughter From The Rafters” (mp3)
Stewart Lupton once was the front man of Fire*Eater. When that band broke up ten years ago, three of its members formed The Walkmen. Lupton, however, was not heard of musically until now. He went to George Washing University and studied poetry, modern art, and medieval studies. Finally, Lupton has formed and released this captivating EP. There is an acoustic guitar, organ, glissando-style vocals, and roomy drums. It’s got an alt country feel – but with a rocking, full sound – like Sticky Fingers or The Basement Tapes.

Jason Anderson – The Hopeful And The Unafraid | buy it at amazon
Jason Anderson has kept some good company. He played piano with David Dondero, drums for Tilly & The Wall, and guitar in Mount Eerie. On this album, he was graced with some musical solace from former members of Magnolia Electric Co. The Hopeful And The Unafraid was put to tape in two days. The songs were recorded live with a few overdubs added. The energy of the tracks make them raw and powerful, especially for the roots rock style. Anderson’s vocals endlessly surge with honesty, intimacy, and committed fervor.

Cloud Cult – Feel Good Ghosts (Tea-Partying Through Tornadoes) | buy it at amazon
Download “When Water Comes To Life” (mp3)
Sonically, this album sounds similar to Cloud Cult’s previous release, The Meaning Of 8. The chamber pop instrumentation focuses into more pop oriented songs while wonderfully meshing with the thumping percussion. The subject matter on Feel Good Ghosts, however, deals with otherworldly themes. Determining that “Man must explore,” Craig Minowa sings, “Even though I don’t know God I’m happy with the mystery.”

Atmosphere – When Life Gives You Lemons, You Paint That Shit Gold | buy it at amazon
Download “Shoulda Known” (mp3) (clean version)
This album has tight beats supported with synths, keyboards, and piano. Slug puts down some solid rhymes and focuses on topics like addiction and double standards with lines like, “Got a little cocaine habit/ But he says he only does if somebody else has it,” and, “Shoulda known better not to fuck with you/ Ain’t got nuthin but too much to lose/ Lost in the rush don’t know what to do/ That drug got you like I want you.”

The New Frontiers – Mending | buy it at amazon
Download “Mirrors” (mp3)
Download “Look At Miss Ohio” (mp3) [non-album track, Gillian Welch cover, from www.absolutepunk.net]
The deceptive part of this album is its consistent quality. The opening track, “Black Lungs,” is solid and catchy like a throwback to Son Volt’s Trace but with the more relaxed vocal of Nathan Pettijohn. The acoustic guitar is the center of the songs. Sometimes the acoustic is picking its way through songs and supported by sustained swells. Other times the album moves through countrified rock songs with serenely salient melodies. The album holds up as a complete entity and gets is more enjoyable with each listen.

Los Campesinos! – Hold On Now, Youngster... | buy it at amazon
Download “Death To Los Campesinos!” (mp3)
2007’s Sticking Fingers Into Sockets was my favorite EP of that year. Now, Los Campesinos is back with their first full-length album. I had been looking forward to its release since I heard the aforementioned EP. The best thing about Sticking Fingers Into Sockets is the unadulterated mess that became pure pop pleasure. On Hold On Now, Youngster… they reach for that same immediacy and disheveled potency and come very close in capturing it while making an album that sounds less lo-fi.

Man Man – Rabbit Habits | buy the single disc or 2CD version at amazon
I’ve never had the pleasure of seeing this band live, but have heard nothing but great things. Rabbit Habits, the band’s first release for Anti- and third overall, is animated and distinct. The varied instrumentation – including piano, numerous brass and woodwinds, and marimbas – could have lead the album to a more melodic, orchestral sound. But Rabbit Habits is a bombastic, indie pop album.

Tokyo Police Club – Elephant Shell | buy the CD or the vinyl at amazon
In 2006, Tokyo Police Club released an EP, A Lesson In Crime, that this site described as “an assault of sharp hitting drums, attacking guitar riffs and cutting vocals.” Elephant Shell, their first full-length album, retains the musical attitude of that original EP. The vocals, however, are not cutting on this album. Where the EP’s vocals are coarse and pointed, Elephant Shell’s vocals are more restrained. This is still a good album, but not as harsh as that original EP.