CD Reviews

Future of the Left | Polymers Are Forever

Xtra Mile (2011)

By ZETH LUNDY | January 17, 2012

3.0 Stars

Since we last heard from Future of the Left, Cardiff's greatest non-furry export lost founding member Kelson Mathias and gained two new ones. Andy Falkous and Jack Egglestone, ex-Mclusky and no strangers to internal band disintegration, soldier on like it ain't no thang — to my ears, their wail-and-bash raison d'etre continues to bring more intense, absurd listening pleasure than any other noise band on the planet. On this six-song EP, a teaser for the band's forthcoming third full-length, The Plot Against Common Sense, FOTL sound even more wiry and razor-like than when they were a trio. The breathlessness is still there, but it's aerodynamically designed. Check out the barreling "With Apologies to Emily Pankhurst," with its whining Farfisa organ cutting a taut line through Falkous's fevered yawp. "Destroywhitchurch.com" and "My Wife is Unhappy" are full-tilt but with restraint — the latter even tosses some melodic trumpet into the mix. Best of all is the title track, the sole song to make it onto the LP. Its strength, like the band's, lies in escalating repetition, patiently making a good thing last longer. And get louder.

KT Tunstall | Tiger Suit
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The Sounds | Something To Die For
The recent news that British electronic act Faithless have called it a day no doubt left dejected ravers reaching for extra MDMA to stave off the tears.
Emmylou Harris | Hard Bargain
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Fountains of Wayne | Sky Full of Holes
Sky Full of Holes, the first Fountains album in four years, is another reminder of why the band deserve some limelight of their own.
Grace Jones | Hurricane
Seriously: you'll probably refuse to believe me when I say that a one-time Bond villainess is behind this near-masterpiece, a collection of way-heavy grooves packed with wit, wisdom, and ballsier-than-ballsy vocal takes.
Mates of State | Mountaintops
As the sequenced synths and handsome beats unfold, matched in merriment by the husband-and-wife vocals of Jason Hammel and Kori Gardner, your mind is miles away from the raging fires of the underworld.
Twin Sister | In Heaven
It's one of 2011's finest pop records: 10 tracks of dreamy, weirdo hi-fi pop that grooves, sparkles, and hums with clipped beats and smooth drums.
Clap Your Hands Say Yeah | Hysterical
Deploying the magic touch of indie producer-superhero John Congleton, these five musicians have never sounded more like a rock band, and these 12 spacious, dreamy excursions benefit from the added muscle.
St. Vincent | Strange Mercy
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Bjork | Biophilia
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The Good Natured | Skeleton
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