ROCK
“The Minus 5”
The Minus 5
Yep Roc
Even indie bands get stuck in ruts. But when the norm is as bright and fuzzed-out as The Minus 5, then you almost encourage more of the same.
This little-known indie supergroup (members of R.E.M., Wilco, The Decemberists and the Young Fresh Fellows) will eventually find an audience for its sunny, Beatles-esque pop. The music is solid and presented without pretense – much like “Gardening at Night”-era R.E.M. – and prove that The Minus 5 is destined for greatness beyond that of a cult band.
“Cemetery Row” is a sweet, charming ballad that utilizes Colin Melloy’s inimitable voice perfectly. “Out There on the Maroon” not only sounds like The Apples in Stereo, Scott McCaughey’s vox are nearly identical to Apples frontman Robert Schneider’s.
– Ricardo Baca
COUNTRY
“Pay the Devil”
Van Morrison
Lost Highway
If rock ‘n’ hall-of-famer Van Morrison had been born in Nashville, he could have become a member of the Country Music Hall of Fame.
Chances are we can quit now, in the third month of the year, looking for the best country album of the year. This one is that good.
Produced by Morrison, the CD contains 15 songs: 12 of his favorite country tunes, mostly classics, and three new ones from his own pen. There is not a weak offering among them.
Classics include “Half as Much” “Big Blue Diamonds,” “Your Cheatin’ Heart,” “Back Street Affair,” “What Am I Living For?” and “There Stands the Glass.”
His versions of two others, “Once a Day” and “More and More,” are the best I’ve ever heard.
The title track, which is a Morrison original, “One of Morrison’s Songs,” holds its own among yesterday’s hits. His stunning voice and emotional delivery will introduce him to a whole new group of fans.
– Ed Will
INDIE POP
“The Life Pursuit”
Belle and Sebastian
Matador
Everything this family- sized Scottish band releases gets compared to its 1998 album, “The Boy With the Arab Strap,” and while that disc set a high bar, it certainly wasn’t the endpoint of its career.
Fans won’t hear much different on “The Life Pursuit,” except that ’70s pop-drenched numbers like “Another Sunny Day” boast more melodic focus than their predecessors. The band also expands its list of agreeably recognizable influences to T. Rex, the Bay City Rollers and the dense keyboard lines of early Elvis Costello. “We Are the Sleepyheads” is the disc’s most arresting track, immediately charming with its flitting, playful female backing vocals.
Perhaps the condensed charms on “The Life Pursuit” will finally help the band escape the shadow of “Arab Strap.”
– John Wenzel
