Kaas returned to her roots as a jazz and blues-influenced French pop diva. She knows what she does best, and that’s belt out emotional songs en français.
Nearly their entire debut, Blue Album, is covered, with a smattering from O.C. Confidential, their first new record in 16 years. Few from Brats in Battalions.
Revisiting moronically simple Stooges stuff has all kinds of potential for badness, but they wring the same existential frustration out of these songs as ever.
Most emo songwriters add violent imagery to their romantic tragedy so they sound cooler, and Northstar are no exception. But they don’t ask you to pity them.
Wiley veterans of the art punk/indie wars roll out a beaut! Slow drag tempos working the terrain old folk-doom lent to Melvins/Barkmarket/Jucifer power surge.
From minimalist Musique Concrète to lush lounge exotica to raging death metal to Spaghetti Western to Middle Eastern strings and Danny Elfman atmospherics.