King Creosote
Thrawn
Domino Recording Co.
Street: 02.22
King Creosote = Mason Jennings + (Fleetwood Mac – Stevie Nicks)
Don’t you hate it when you’re the last person in the world to find out about something cool? Despite the fact that he’s well known in his homeland of Scotland and has, in the span of only 13 years, released nearly 40 albums (you read right), I’d never heard of King Creosote until I got this album to review. Thrawn is a collection of songs from Kenny Anderson’s entire career, which he has re-recorded to market to North Americans who, like me, haven’t heard him. You’ll find a little bit of just about every genre on this disc, from the bossa pop of opener “Bootprints” to the adult contemporary pop of “Homeboy.” One thing that is consistent throughout the album is the clear and beautiful vocals of Anderson. “My Favourite Girl” is the sweet lullaby song I’d like to sing to my daughter if I ever accidentally had children. –CG

Memory Map
Holiday Band
Joyful Noise
Recordings
Street: 05.10
Holiday Band = Q and Not U + Animal Collective
Memory Map take a strong cue from math rock, but from the tempo changes and pointillist guitar work emerge melodic anthems worthy of their earnest vocal treatments. The songs, often not much longer than 2:30, zip by in a flash of guitar pyrotechnics. Memory Map will appeal to a broader audience than just the Dismemberment Plan fans, and that’s due to the heart hidden underneath the spiky guitars. The climax of the album is the outstanding closer “Protection Clause,” which is not coincidentally, also the most personal. –Nate Housley

Mock Orange
Disguised As Ghosts
Wednesday Records
Street: 04.12
Mock Orange = MGMT + Arcade Fire + Paul Simon’s Surprise
Anyone who is a fan of the modern psych-pop indie rock movement has probably been awaiting the newest release from the Evansville, Indiana band Mock Orange. You won’t be disappointed. It can’t be said that Disguised as Ghosts is a departure from their former material, but who needs it to be? They had perfected the kind of dance pop that made bands like MGMT famous well before MGMT was around, only Mock Orange specializes in fusing their songs with traditional folk underpinnings. “Going Away” almost sounds like a John Denver song that you can show your friends without being embarrassed. On “Silent Motion,” they not only make 7/4 time feel natural and comfortable, but also pull off using mandolin and banjo as staple instruments in a rock song. This album is essential. –CG

My Inner Burning
Eleven Scars
SPV/Steamhammer
Street: 03.22
My Inner Burning = Within Temptation + Lacuna Coil
I hear a lot of potential in the second release from this band, but sadly, Eleven Scars feels like a roller coaster that never quite made it over the first steep drop. Becky’s voice is powerful and evocative, and she shows her incredible precision on “Masquerade,” a strong introduction. But the album seems to collapse into mediocrity after that, repeating its verse-chorus-verse setup, stuttering downtuned guitars and boring double bass from the drummer. Melancholy ballad “When I’m Gone” is easily the strongest song on the album; Becky’s voice will break your heart, and the harmonizing, quiet guitars remind me of Opeth’s melodies. “Electrified” sounds exactly like its title, drowning in keyboards, making the result more goth than metal. And what’s the deal with the awkwardly placed death metal screams from guitarist Daniel Pietrzak? That’s one hell of a growl he’s got; he shouldn’t be hiding in the chorus. The band’s energy is great, but it’s just going nowhere for me as a metalhead. They are trying to touch on too many genres, and end up not hitting the mark on any of them. –Megan Kennedy

Nader Sadek
In the Flesh
Season of Mist
Street: 05.17
Nader Sadek = Morbid Angel + Nile + Mayhem
Pulse: my heart is still beating. Breath: air still incoming my lungs. Muscles: I can at least move my big toe. Hell, I think I may have just had a seizure—I just attempted to digest the black, oily, metallic substance that is Nader Sadek’s In the Flesh. Backstory of the band: Its concepts and players I leave that to you, the reader, to seek out. The more mysterious this record is, the better, and I have no place in ruining any first impressions that listeners may gather. Nothing about In the Flesh is run-of-the-mill—you’ll remember the songs once they blitz-attack you like a hundred wolves descending on an unsuspecting flock of sheep. This album is like a drug. Memories of its bestial gnawings will linger, but it’s truly like the need for a smoker to huff in their tobacco flavor of choice, or a heroin addict’s obsession with how to get the next fix. The uncanny ability of this album is its way to build up a stronghold in your brain stem, but still require regular auditory experiences to man the stronghold. The truly scary thing about Nader Sadek is that the album is just its starting point—promised visual treats to the sonic deviousness in form of recorded and live creations have only begun to be unleashed. –Bryer Wharton