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Our latest album reviews, featuring the records we've most enjoyed (or not) over the past few weeks.

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Browse our album reviews according to score: Highest (9.5/10 or more) or Lowest (2/10 or less)

Limbeck

Hi, Everything's Great
Doghouse (2003)

Consistency is a hard thing to perfect. Too many bands aim too high and pollute their great ideas with sub-par songs, whereas an equal amount simply don't try hard enough or cop out for easy formulas, making their songs generic and boring in the process. Limbeck is one of those bands who manages to get things right for the most part, and while they aren't the most original band in the world, there's a lot to be said for a record that can be listened to twice a day for a month straight and still hold your interest. Recent bands have opted for the new or unique without managing to back these notions with any musical catch; Limbeck ignores all that, writing simple, catchy, country-tinged indie pop with a series of incredible hooks, stacked one on top of the other. Their inventiveness is as simple as a well-placed guitar lick, an unexpected stop/start, or a strong vocal melody wrapped inside honest-yet-undramatic wordplay. With the exception of a pair of duds on the second half of the record, everything here can be listened to repeatedly and still remain fresh. Lyrical concepts are simple things, like the sending off of friends in … Read more

Melt Banana

Cell Scape
A-Zap (2003)

You know Melt Banana, right? Their guitarist has SARS. Doesn't ring a bell? They're arguably the best Japan has to … Read more

Ozma

Spending Time on the Borderline
Kung Fu (2003)

A friend had described Ozma to me as being 'like Weezer, but wussier.' I've never been a fan of Weezer, … Read more

Broken Social Scene

You Forgot It In People
Arts & Crafts (2003)

It had been a long time since I'd heard an absolutely perfect pop record, until a few days back when … Read more

Notwist

Neon Golden
Domino (2003)

When Jeff suggested we get this cd for review I was like "Um ok. Who the hell is that?" So … Read more

Thunderbirds Are Now!

Doctor, Lawyer, Indian Chief
Action Driver (2003)

Warning: Gratuitous language and immaturity ahead. Fuck yes. It is here. After seeing this band several times and dancing my … Read more

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One from the archives

Shipwreck A.D.

Abyss
Deathwish Inc. (2007)

Let's be honest about things. Deathwish has hardcore locked down and Shipwreck A.D. is a key part of their commanding roster. After two self-titled 7" releases that have fueled the band with a fair amount of hype - which isn't always a bad thing - Shipwreck A.D. have brought forth their debut full-length, Abyss. Abyss begins with "Squall," a song that was featured on the band's 7" released on Deathwish earlier this year. The song works quite well as an opening track. The riffs at the beginning act as a nice lead in and pack a serious punch. The rest of the song seems to flow in a rising sequence toward the climax that hits right before the song ends - it's kind of an abrupt end that left me … Read more

More album reviews

Benton Falls

Guilt Beats Hate
Deep Elm (2002)

Thanks to Cursive, every band on the planet has to try to out-honest each other in their lyrics. Call it the fallout of their neutron bomb of a record, if you will, but the lasting effects of their gut-wrenching sincerity will be felt for years. The most interesting thing to watch is how bands in the indie/emo/whatever genre that existed … Read more

Mogwai

Happy Songs For Happy People
Matador (2003)

The indie nation are a bunch of whiners. Not only that, but they're pretentious, snobbish, and apparently humorless. Probably why Mogwai has always stuck out like a sore thumb around most of the journalists, scenesters, and bands. From the widespread-yet-untrue "Slint-knockoffs" title to the apathetic attitude that's been widely misconstrued as a general "Fuck you" to the public, Mogwai's always … Read more

Acceptance

Black Lines to Battlefields
Militia Group (2003)

Living in the Seattle area, I hear a lot about certain bands that are a part of the Seattle music scene. I usually don't take a lot of the local hype too seriously, because a lot of the hype surrounding said bands comes straight from the fact that the band is local. The kids get to go out and see … Read more

Multiple Authors

Radiohead

Hail to the Thief
Capitol (2003)

Thom Yorke had billed this record as OK Computer 2, and Radiohead's cookie doesn't crumble all that different from the motion picture industry, the sequel doesn't live up to the original, but with such an amazing record to live up to, Hail to the Thief has plenty of room left to still be a great record, which it is. The … Read more

Multiple Authors

Radiohead

Hail to the Thief
Capitol (2003)

Radiohead are one of those bands that people go out of their way to like because there's quite a bit to like about them. Some would even certify Radiohead as a capital-G capital-B "Great Band," and I'm one of them. But even the greatest bands in the world make a few mistakes every now and then. Radiohead's is more of … Read more

Guff

Engine Trouble
Go Kart (2003)

Sometimes I really wonder about people. I turn on the television and I see rape, murder, and complete apathy towards the billions of human beings living on 40 cents a day. It's time for a change, it's time for a revolution to make everyone on Earth stop in their tracks and think about things in a brand new way, so … Read more

Multiple Authors

Modern Life Is War

My Love. My Way.
Martyr (2003)

The problem with the hardcore scene is that its music has become so immersed in repetition, unoriginality, and generality, that people are beginning to lower their expectations to the pits of Hell. As a result of this dilemma, large amounts of hype start to swell for bands that really do not deserve it. Case in point: Modern Life is War. … Read more

Multiple Authors

Modern Life Is War

My Love. My Way.
Martyr (2003)

One of the best, if not the best, hardcore album of 2003 so far. If hardcore doesn't strike your fancy, stop being a cold hearted wench and check this out anyways. The only thing that is better than this album is seeing Modern Life Is War live, which is packed with stomping and diving rolls. This doesn't sound like Madball, … Read more

Multiple Authors

These Arms Are Snakes

This Is Meant to Hurt You
Jade Tree (2003)

Nothing sucks more than seeing a band live and loving them, then listening to their recorded material and running into a brick wall. The dissapointment would cause you to do such an irrational action. In short, that 'story' covers what happened to me, verbatim. This record contains many elements that it would require to create a really great band that … Read more

Multiple Authors

These Arms Are Snakes

This Is Meant to Hurt You
Jade Tree (2003)

Apparently These Arms Are Snakes's debut EP was meant to hurt me. I'm not sure what I did to them, or why they're so angry, but I decided to review the record anyways. After giving the record a spin, I decided I wasn't really hurt, just kind of bored. These Seattle veterans really bring nothing new or impressive to the … Read more

Multiple Authors

These Arms Are Snakes

This Is Meant to Hurt You
Jade Tree (2003)

The sticker on the front of this CD's jewel case is going to sell lots of copies of it, I guarantee. It reads "Featuring former members of Botch, Kill Sadie, and Nineironspitfire," and the name of that first band will get people buying in droves. And then, most likely, many of those who buy it will return it because it … Read more

Multiple Authors

Thrice

Artist In the Ambulance
Island (2003)

This record is by no means bad, but it's also not a great record. As a newcomer to Thrice, I was prepared to give this an un-biased review. Once I'd sat and listened through the record, I was sad to hear (literally) that they didn't stand out much from the current crop of hardcore/emo/punk/metal-core bands currently populating the scene. While … Read more

Multiple Authors

Thrice

Artist In the Ambulance
Island (2003)

You've heard this record before. Honestly, you have. The last time that band you know jumped ship from their indie and put out a big budget major label debut, actually. Cave In already made this record earlier this year. Granted, Cave In had a mind-blowing first record to give themselves some credibility, which Thrice most certainly did not, but let's … Read more

Multiple Authors

Thrice

Artist In the Ambulance
Island (2003)

Thrice have built quite a large fanbase in quite a short period of time. Perhaps this was one of the factors that led them to singing to a major label (Island) and subsequently shooting out a new record less than a year and a half after the release of their second full-length record, The Illusion of Safety. Illusion sparked that … Read more

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Browse our album reviews according to score: Highest (9.5/10 or more) or Lowest (2/10 or less)