Flobots, “Survival Story” (Universal Republic)
Denver hip-hop act Flobots first struck FM gold with their debut hit, “Handlebars,” a viola-fronted track that featured the band’s dueling MCs.
Flobots are back with their sophomore release on Universal Republic, and “Survival Story” smartly strays from any possible double-dipping. There’s no “Handlebars” sequel here, but there is a rock- edged sound that fits more tightly with the band’s aggressively critical, political lyrics. As it turns out, Flobots are best when they’re aggro — as in the loud guitars and bold rhymes of lead single “White Flag Warrior” and the free- flowing, metal-tinged orchestra of “Cracks in the Surface.”
Cameos from Rise Against singer Tim McIlrath (“White Flag Warrior”) and Matt Morris are solid, but the biggest contributor here is producer Mario Caldato, best known for his work with the Beastie Boys. His influence is felt in the beat-heavy “By the Time You Get This Message” and the playful back-and-forth of “Cracks in the Surface.”
“White Flag Warrior” has hit potential. The chorus has throwback appeal, an unexpected nod to ’80s arena rock. But as a whole, this album is a moving hip-hop composition mashed up with modern rock. Ricardo Baca
Pavement, “Quarantine the Past”(Matador)
Pavement was an influential yet commercially insignificant band that defined a generation of indie rockers in the 1990s.
That’s not a bad thing when it comes to music for music’s sake, considering leader Stephen Malkmus’ surreal, occasionally brilliant way with words and his band’s overall charm. But it does make Pavement’s first greatest-hits album and this year’s reunion tour (playing 1stBank Center on Sept. 9) feel like a premature cash-in.
Pavement was as inconsistent as it was beloved during its run in the ’90s. The band united fans of R.E.M.’s poetic songwriting, Sonic Youth’s guitar squall and Dinosaur Jr.’s erratic, stoner-nerd attitude.
This 23-track compilation is a nice, if unnecessary, reminder of the band’s scratched-up genius. John Wenzel
Aloha, “Home Acres” (Polyvinyl)
For a group that prides itself on its avant-garde leanings, Aloha has grown remarkably accessible lately — although singer- guitarist Tony Cavallerio has always harbored a crush on soft- rock melodies and tightly crafted pop structures.
That’s clear on the propulsive “Building a Fire,” which opens Aloha’s latest album, living up to its name by simmering in a pot of grumbling bass and twinkling guitar notes that throw off sparks but never quite explode.
Leave that to “Moonless March,” a naked thrust of bright melody and guitars that ingratiates as quickly as it appears.
With a loose, open production aesthetic and perfect balance of indie posturing and classic-sounding hooks, “Home Acres” just might be the album that breaks Aloha to a wider audience. Even if it isn’t, it’s a treat for the rest of us to hear. John Wenzel
