Now It's Overhead

Sounds Like: Early Î90s Brit-pop

See Also: Cursive, The Cure

Fall Back Open

Andy LeMaster, the man behind Now It's Overhead, is supposedly a songwriting/studio wizard. With only nine songs on Fall Back Open, clocking in at a little over 36 minutes, it seems a little early to start calling him the merlin of indie rock.

The opener, "Wait in a Line," combines circling drums and echoing vocals, which may be more than extraneous for the first time in years. While the guitar work sucks on almost every song, the synthesizer and keyboard give some real life to songs "Profile" and "Turn & Go."

After this, LeMaster tries his hand at melodrama and fails miserably with some tedious closers.

Conor Oberst (Bright Eyes) and Michael Stipe (R.E.M.) have cameos, but no one would notice. Apparently the wizard doesn't need them to use too much of its own magic.

÷ Nate Buchik

Brad Mehldau Trio

Sounds Like: White boys who know where the downbeat is but don't care

See Also: The Bad Plus, Norah Jones

Anything Goes

If you're not already a jazz fan, this record probably isn't going to change your mind. Mehldau is often accused of being too cerebral, too "European," and Anything Goes does little to dispel such criticism.

Mehldau and his trio take on standards like "Nearness of You" and "I've Grown Accustomed to Her Face," but also dig up gems like Thelonious Monk's challenging, rarely performed "Skippy." Yet Mehldau differentiates his trio from the multitude of piano trios playing standards and variations on standards by covering more recent songs like Paul Simon's "Still Crazy After All These Years" and Radiohead's "Everything In Its Right Place."

Mehldau made the right choice in making these songs, both old and new, unrecognizable, as if he were rewriting jazz's history.

÷ Mark Sussman

John Frusciante

Sounds Like: Garbled, but honest, psychedelia

See Also: Grandaddy, Red Hot Chili Peppers

Shadows Collide With People

I'm going to try to review John Frusciante's new solo album without comparing it to his day job as lead guitarist for the Red Hot Chili Peppers.

Vocally, Frusciante's not the most charismatic; he groans and mumbles journal-entry lyrics. Luckily, he utilizes lush vocal harmonies peppered with distortion and echo to his advantage.

Or he just takes a break from vocals altogether and deliver eerie synth and keyboard instrumentals.

On the percussion note, he's all set here with Chad Smith from his other band filling in behind the kit. Oh, and that diminutive bassist named after a tiny insect makes a decent cameo, too.

Screw it.

Most of this album sounds like the Chili Peppers without Flea or Anthony.

÷ Kevin Smith

Jim White

Sounds Like: Falling asleep behind the wheel in a Monet painting

See Also: Tom Waits, Mark Eitzel

Drill a Hole in the Substrate and Tell Me What You See

I drilled a hole in the substrate and you know what I saw? The exact same thing that was on the surface.

The main thing that Jim White's new release has going for it is a pervasive, eerie atmosphere. Unfortunately, that atmosphere also works against it. Though each song is solid on its own, they all sound the same. Each one is laid out against a soundscape of washed-out organs, slide guitar and brushed drums.

Even "Alabama Chrome," produced by the insufferably poppy Barenaked Ladies, can't escape White's raspy voice and blurred reverb. His songwriting comes close to making this a genuinely good record, but the production job takes the easy way out one too many times.

÷ Mark Sussman

Kanye West

Sounds Like: The best thing about hip-hop

See Also: Pharrell Williams, Timbaland

The College Dropout

This album is almost perfect. One of the only problems is that there are too many bullshit skit tracks, but they are easily skipped and the good stuff on this album makes it completely worth it.

Every track on this album is different; the songs can be subtle, grooving and soulful like "Slow Jamz" or "Through the Wire." Or they can be fast, explosive, loud and clear like "We Don't Dare" or "The New Workout Plan."

The album isn't that innovative, but its execution is perfect. It's catchy and not obnoxious. Hot beats and strong lyrics make for an excellent combination of brains and balls. Some of the featured artists like Ludacris, Jay Z and Talib Kweli just sweeten the deal, but its West's skill and creativity that carry this album. I don't expect anything this good to come out again for a while.

÷ Gabe Joselow