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black city

‘It’s official. The American music scene is a becoming a thing of the past. The Swedish have invaded and the last of the influential bands are dying somewhere in the midwest, with the Vagrant bands running scared like the French forces.

Prepare for an attack. DOLL is bringing their forces, including “Black City,” onto the mainland and they’re moving fast.

How can you not give a band whose opening track is entitled “You Need to Get Some” credit? What a way to kick off an album.

The album continues along this path, screaming vocals that attempt to make surface-level criticisms about society based on the rough and tough stories of their childhood (“The Truth is Fucked,” “I Guess I’m Healed”). Even in the most sincere attempts to express deeply personal sentiments, the music is still accompanied by the head-bopping, fist flailing typical of this type of music.

How do the band members feel about DOLL? Well, Per Stalberg (guitars/vocals) is gaining a reputation for making statement such as this one made in the November14, 2002 issue of Rolling Stone: “We can’t lie about it – we know that we’re one of the best bands there is. It’s not like we’re bragging. We just are.” Holy pretensions, Batman.

While the band is good, pretty high quality actually, they are cut from the same cloth as The Hives. There is very little difference in the sound of the two bands.

Division of Laura Lee represents nothing new to the ears of the masses. They’re songs consist of the retried and still true method of mod rock that is being produced in droves in Sweden and, apparently, the rest of the world. Whatever they do, though, they do it well. As a result, Sweden can finally clear their name of ABBA, Roxette, and Ace of Base.

Starting slowly with The Cardigans, the Swedish invasion began. The Refused moved in quietly. Now, it is hard to distinguish between American and Swedish bands. The International Noise Conspiracy, Millencolin, The Hives, and The Hellacopters have all paved the road from Europe into our airwaves.

Powered by the fuel of “Need to Get Some” and “The Truth is Fucked,” Division of Laura Lee won’t seem to be going anywhere for a while. So, prepare yourself ladies and gentlemen. This invasion is going to last a long time.

truly she is none other

‘Well, well, well, what sort of bold claim do we have here? Like none other, you say?

I have to admit that I had not even heard of Holly Golightly before this release came into the office. The name made me think of “Breakfast at Tiffany’s,” which made me think of that God-AWFUL Deep Blue Something song – which put the record at a disadvantage right off the bat.

The album sat for a little while before I finally brought myself to listen to it. Once I found out that Holly Golightly is apparently her real name, I agreed to give it a shot. I was pleasantly surprised.

Think mod-pop, retro-garage, super-fuzzed-out or overly trebled guitars (probably Telecasters) scaling on top of bass parts with no bottom end, and the occasional Brit-pop tune. Well, that last one can’t be helped. A few of the songs on this record were written by none other that The Kinks’ Ray Davies.

After subduing my desire to dislike this album (which was difficult due in part to promo/intro written by The White Stripes’ Jack White in the album’s jacket sleeve) it became clear that this record is pretty damn good, despite its use of the phrase “You complete me.” With so much working against Ms. Golightly, her latest release, “Truly She is None Other” weathered the test. It survived. Congratulations, Holly. I’m an evil bastard when it comes to record reviews.

Her voice works well over the music. What gave put this record over the top, though, was the fact that it sounds like something pulled from my parents’ vinyl collection. It gave “Truly She is None Other” a vintage, nostalgic feel to it.

rua

‘Whoa. This is the last record you need to hear in order to be able to confidently make the statement “Now I’ve heard everything.”

“Rua” is an astounding effort by Clann Z?. Categorizing it properly is simply impossible. Throughout the course of this record the band’s sound ranges from the Chieftains to Gorillaz to Eminem to U2. After that, any attempts to track traceable influences must be thrown out the window.

Now located in Galway and Dublin, this once Australian band originally released “Rua” two years ago. Eventually, they found themselves signing on with G7, who tied a new ribbon around this pleasant surprise and re-released it to the other half of the globe.

Clann Z? innovatively combines sweeping guitar melodies, entrancing violin parts, highly synthetic pulsating drumbeats and vocals that show off a cement-thick brogue.

At points, though, Declan de Barra’s brogue is too thick. Towards the end of “all that you’ve ever known,” the album’s fourth track, Barra’s voice becomes reminiscent of the background music Trey Parker and Matt Stone create for their comedies. It makes you want to sing “Now you’re a man. A man, man, man.”

That aside, nothing really lags behind on this album. All of the songs’ respective parts keep up with the unique pace the opening song “words for now” sets. Even the PC- and Mac-compatible video for “five thousand more” is attention-grabbing.

Next to “words for now,” “all the people now” may be the highlight of the album. It combines jungle beats and trip-hop rhythms with intermittent spoken-word segments and a vocal melody worthy of a new Scorpions hit.

Clann Z?’s use of traditional Irish folk gives a facelift to the genre. Their amalgamation of styles is an unprecedented feat that needs to be lauded. An extensive amount of effort must go into each of the band’s songs.

The band heads back to the studio in a month to work on their second album. Keep an eye out for it, but make sure to pick a copy of “Rua” up too.

It’s not just Starbucks anymore

‘The day Botch broke up was a sad day for the Math-punk kids.

They seemed to have it all. Although the band remained in the shadows of the scene for a majority of their life span, those who knew them respected them. Botch, to many, was the band from which to get your quality Metal-edged punk.

Unfortunately, around the same time, the scene was also destined to suffer the losses of Kill Sadie, Nineironspitfire, as well as another band we promised we wouldn’t mention. The scene was not left completely destitute despite these losses, but there was something definitely missing, something indefinable but nonetheless something. And that something was felt. It was a hole that needed to be filled.

Members of the punk and indie communities have been down in that hole and forced to look up to the heavens for an answer. In the clearing skies, a star shone brightly that led their attentions to the West, where we they to find the birth of a new band in the most unlikely of places.

This band was born to fulfill a musical promise made over a decade ago, in a place that had been all but hopelessly abandoned for its lack of ability to produce a decent amount of songwriting talents. That band is These Arms Are Snakes (TAAS) and that place where the star guided them is Seattle.

“Right now, it is probably the best time for music in Seattle because there are so many great bands,” began These Arms Are Snakes guitarist Ryan Frederiksen. “It is a vast array where no two bands sound alike.”

The Seattle scene has been in the process of reemergence for a few years and now it burgeons fruitfully at a quick and steady pace. Within about half a decade or so, it has put forth a multitude of noteworthy bands including Pretty Girls Make Graves, Murder City Devils, Death Cab For Cutie, as well as many others, including These Arms Are Snakes.

“There’s a lot of love (with heavy emphasis on the word love) goin’ on in Seattle,” continued Frederiksen. “It’s nice but we need some kind of drama, you know what I mean?”

The only noticeable drama that may come out of Seattle is that they finally have earned bragging rights again. The city can point their finger towards cities such as Chicago wondering, “What’s up now?”

It goes without saying that the music groups from this area have not been able to collectively band together and consider themselves a thriving scene for about eight or nine years now, since the word grunge became taboo.

“With grunge, all of those bands got lumped together as one sound, even though Nirvana sounded nothing like Alice in Chains. Now, there’s absolutely no way to pinpoint one, even generic, sound,” says Fredriksen.

One band that has had no difficulties distinguishing itself and finding its own distinct sound is TAAS. They are a band that actually fits the definition of a progressive punk band. Not progressive in the sense that they have long-winded guitar solos, vocals that sound like Geddy Lee, and time signatures that require a metronome, pen and paper, and a calculator to figure out. They are post-prog in that sense. Rather, they are progressive in the sense that they are a visible disturbance, shifting the sands of punk rock.

Within the first thirty seconds of their soon-to-be-released first Jade Tree EP, “This is Meant to Hurt You,” the comparisons to Fugazi are inevitable. The music is tight, intellectual, and complex. Most visibly, vocalist Steve Snere’s voice closely parallels the tones of Ian Mackaye. It’s only a matter of a few more minutes before Snere’s voice takes a back seat and the music unexpectedly changes from hard and thrashing to moody and melodic and back again throughout the rest of the songs.

“It’s kind of cool. Every time people say we sound like a band, it’s something different. Some people have told us that we sound like Fugazi, others think we’re trying to sound like the Refused, and a lot of people actually tell us we sound like the Jesus Lizard,” says Fredriksen.

These Arms have been already deemed the next big Jade Tree band, an impressive feat of accomplishment after only a year of being together. The band’s PR company claims that, although pre-sales on the EP just began, they have already pre-sold around 5,000 CDs and have had nearly a million clicks on their website. There’s something incredibly magnetic about this band.

dialogic

‘”Dialogic” is a love affair between a boy and his computer. It is an amalgamated mix of jungle beats, indie guitars, and spacey electronica drawing on numerous colors of the spectral ray in this prism of sound. See American Analog Set, My Bloody Valentine, and The Roots for comparison. Add vocal comparisons to a subdued Billy Corgan on a great day.

As the album title suggests, A Study in Her consists mainly of a shared microphone between ex-Jenhitt frontman Costas Nakassis and frontwoman Tamara Black. Unlike Rainer Maria, though, their intellectual capacity highly surpasses the level of make-you-sick “I love you” songs. Actually, whatever lyrics are actually understandable, require the assistance of a dictionary, and a linguistics aficionado to comprehend. Of course, there are exceptions to every rule. Enter “Tropes on Television,” which seems just a little too plastic and forced to fit in with the other 11 tracks.

After a long gestation period of recording album upon album fit for release only to friends, “Dialogic” is the first full length release mastered and tailored for the general public. Reminiscent of a good book or movie, the songs required numerous drafts and revisions from their early stages. Now, like “Fight Club,” the album reveals its secrets with time and patience. The more you listen, the more you learn.

Picture a kid in a music store playing on a keyboard. Ignore the atrocious dins extolled from the tiny speakers and imagine the wistful symphony of sound in that child’s imagination. That is ASIH: an ethereal mix of harmonies and melodies too complex for most to produce in practice.

That picture is not too far off from the actual ASIH songwriting process. More often then not, the music is scripted by Costas. Then the actors are called in to try out to fit each part best. “Dialogic” is more like a musical play, taking shape in surround sound around your ears.

It is a love affair that extends beyond the limits of a boy and his computer. It is an obsession with music, intellectualism, and a deep and profound respect for all people invited to take part in the ASIH microcosm. It is a test, pushing the limits of traditional instrumentation juxtaposed against experimental electronica. If it makes a sound, it is fair game.

ASIH is a good red wine, or expensive cigar. It is an acquired taste, that expects a prerequisite knowledge of the mechanics of music. It is that same imaginative child, deconstructing the whole into little pieces and putting it all back together in the way that is best seen fit.

shootenany!

‘E, E, E. What’s going on, buddy?

You make a good point when you sing, “Good things don’t ever last… That time is good and gone.”

Oh the bittersweet irony of that statement. The record has become its own self-fulfilling prophecy.

Minus the drum machine, the poorly titled “Shootenany!” is textbook blues. The problem is that it’s missing a soul. Where’s the love? Where’s the emotion? They’re “good and gone.”

OK, although this record is rife with disappointment, that is not a completely fair criticism. Eels frontman Mark Oliver “E” Everett reprieves himself with three of the album’s tracks: “Love of the Loveless,” “Dirty Girl,” and “Rock Hard Times.”

E may chant lines such as “I am the man” on “Love of the Loveless,” but at least he strikes sincerity and that’s what counts. As a matter of fact, this song is the closest E comes on this record to reaching the same instant gratification of his initial critical success, “Novocain for the Soul.”

On many records, it is easy to distinguish the artists who have a burning need to make music and the bands that enter the studio merely to fulfill the stipulations of a contract. If those two items were put on a linear scale, “Shootenany!” would rank pretty far to the right, closer to the latter of the two options. It gets point for merit and technical skill but there are no existent metaphysical or ethereal levels.

“Shootenany!” is a scale model of Beck’s bluesier works. E’s raspy and partially apathetic vocals hit right in the Beck range. The gritty guitars and harmonica solos are right on target too. What separates Beck from the Eels, though, is his remarkable ability to breathe life into every work that he creates.

The Eels’ guitar parts often nod to a Muddy Waters influence. But, alas, Water has that same gift that Beck has but the Eels missed out on.

There’s a windup, E steps in for the punch, misses, and falls flat on his face.

While there are a few upbeat tracks, most of “Shootenany!” is packed with soul-purging, wrist-slitting, self-loathing pity. Do not listen to this album on a bad day. However, if you are looking for a sleeping aid, this may be the perfect natural remedy.

One more thing – exclamation points should be reserved for fourteen-year-olds’ love letters and cheesy greeting cards.

Collections collecting dust

‘Each year, a new stack of albums enters the collection. Each year, another stack of albums is left on the shelf, taken out of permanent rotation. No matter how many times that record needed to be heard, no matter how much it seemed like that one record was the end all be all, the point after which it seemed that no more innovative music could be created, that every succeeding record could only be post-modern, that record will lose it’s sense of novelty. It will be forgotten, put away to collect dust at some point in time.

tOther albums never even get the first child treatment, until the second child comes along. A good number of albums still sit in record shops, corporate and locally owned, never given the fair shot of airplay. Some of these records are hidden gems lying slightly below the surface of the sand. Barely in view, these may be the albums that have a particular memory attached to them: a review in the paper or a magazine, the recommendation of a friend, or some indescribably attractive quality.

Again, these items remain passed over, waiting for the one push over the edge, that last form of motivation that will prove that the album is worth the purchase or that the dust should be blown off the top and thrown back into the stereo, given one last shot at redemption.

To all collections forgotten or passed over, may this be that chance to be put back into rotation.

“Grace”

Jeff Buckley

Although the mere mention of God can be as much of a turn-off for some as it is a turn on for others, this album transcends the limitations of bias. It is a breath of fresh air. Buckley’s voice and superior guitar work are worthy of the highest praise. t

This lyrically eerie album foreshadows Buckley’s own demise. It deals with the topics of mortality and Buckley’s steadfast readiness to accept his own death, which came just a few short years later.  Consequently, this was the only full length release of Buckley’s career. Yet, it managed to show how much one man could accomplish in such a little amount of time.

“Techniques of Speed Hypnosis”

Edsel

Possibly the most underrated and unacknowledged album of all time, “Techniques of Speed Hypnosis” is an amazing collection of works that managed to slip through the cracks of most musical cultures and subcultures.

Edsel masterfully combines pop craftsmanship with a highly credible level of artistic twists and turns. It is the quintessential form of the 90s D.C. area scene captured humbly and unknowingly while managing to leave only a small notch carved out of the whole music industry. Although, to anyone familiar with Edsel, the music world would be lacking a great deal with the influence of this album.

“Trompe Le Monde”

Pixies

Shy of the band’s greatest songs “Debaser” and “Where is My Mind?,” there is still no greater collection of music by the Pixies. Each song stands on its own two feet, independent of sounding like any other song on the album while still managing to be packed with subtle nuances and Dalian surrealities that accomplish the impossible task of making guitar solos worthwhile.

If the likes of Sting and McJagger can be considered the forefathers of modern rock, then Frank Black would, hands down, be the Godfather. Well respected, often heard, and seldom scene, Frank Black has managed to transform the scene with his own two hands without the fame and fortune of numerous other seminal figures in rock history. Without the Pixies, bands like Braid and the Getup Kids certainly would not exist, or at least not sound the same.

“24 Hour Revenge Therapy”

Jawbreake

tPredecessors of Jets to Brazil, Jawbreaker’s “24 Hour Revenge Therapy” is one of the best breakup records of all time. It is the archetypal album that set the tracks for the emo genre to establish itself upon. Every song is on-the-brink-of-tears depressing, evoking the hardships of relationships and the posthumous dealing with the heartache of breakup.

Packed with Kerouacian prose, Blake Schwarzenbach’s somewhat manic lyrical poetry can just as easily be uplifting as they can be moody and full of disparaging gloom. This album works as either an ambient soundtrack to everyday activities or as an in your face, amp turned up to 11, party album. “24 Hour Revenge Therapy” also offers a certain commonality in subject matter that can be related-to by almost anyone. It can be either a shoulder to lean on or a kick in the ass to get you motivated.

“OK Computer”

Radiohead

t”OK Computer” is balanced in perfect symmetrical form from start to finish. It shows the band’s versatility and exponential growth from their previous two albums. It is pure genius and unique in the way it combines traditional rock compositions while doing in depth background explorations of the spacy sound that were to, again, revolutionize the sound of the band for “Kid A” and “Amnesiac.”

t”OK Computer” is a critique on the social and political malaise that dominates our society. Best expressed in songs such as “No Alarms,” Radiohead is not subtle about the points they intend to get across. Each song is a thread interwoven into the entirety of the album. It tells a story and each song is an intricate and interlocking part of the whole. Whether in the form of subtle and cynical criticism, or fire-breathing hatred of the corporate world, each song works perfectly with the next. This is the “Dark Side of the Moon” for the 90s.

“Outlandos D’amour”

The Police

The influence that this album had on punk rock is immeasurable. Packed with energy and the limitless vitality of a group of feisty Brits, “Outlandos D’amour” is the downright manifestation of rock ‘n roll. This album set the foundation for rock to come.

Containing such classic tunes as “So Lonely,” “Can’t Stand Losing You,” and the song that ended up defining the Police as a band, “Roxanne,” there is no wrong or downside to this album. It is the pinnacle of Police productions and the only album that can even keep pace with it is “Synchronicity.” Lord knows, Sting’s solo work is not cut from the same cloth.

“Siamese Dream”

The Smashing Pumpkins

tOnce riding high on the wings of “Today” the Smashing Pumpkins threatened to cast a shadow on giant rock bands Pearl Jam and Nirvana. It wasn’t long, though, until tragedy and inner-group turmoil brought the band to a crashing halt. In the wake of this, the album that transformed the once typical Alice-in-Chains generic heavy metal rock sounding Pumpkins into a band of ingenious and inspired artists, “Siamese Dream” was lost.

tBelow the surface, “Siamese Dream” may present the unadulterated emotions of torpid desperation and inner turbulence of Billy Corgan’s mind, but on the surface, this album is balls-out rock. The roller coaster ride ranges from the highs of “Cherub Rock” and “Rocket” to the lows of “Soma” and “Mayonaise.” Whether in peak or valley, its most alluring quality is its honesty.

“Reckoning”

R.E.M.

tAs the sophomore full length release of the southern rock band R.E.M., “Reckoning” held a great deal of promise for the band. It fuses the then unheard of guitar stylings of Peter Buck with the soul driven bass melodies of Mike Mills. Merging the past world of R&B with the present world of rock, R.E.M. was on the forefront of revolutionizing music.

tThe sounds of R.E.M. may have since become a bit played out (with the exception of some recent and notable releases, such as “New Adventures in Hi-Fi”) but at the time of the release of this album, the band was stepping into uncharted territory. They were blazing the path as they went along for the countless herds to follow. Now, this album is, in every sense of the word, a classic which all students of music should turn to as a historical source of music education.

“The Blue Album”

Weeze

tPlain and simple, “The Blue Album” is pure pop artistry. For what it lacks in sophistication, it makes up for in catchiness. Listen to the album once and any to every song may be stuck playing mentally on repeat for weeks. There’s no way around such a predicament. Weezer has made a pact with the devil xefxbfxbd drug potent and potentially addictive music for the typical exchange of souls.

tRight off the bat, with the band’s first single “Unraveled (The Sweater Song)” Weezer achieved instant notoriety. They were even able to equate geek to cool, confounding both mathematicians and modish moguls. The driving force of the album did not stop there, though. Any of the ten songs on “The Blue Album” could have easily been released as a single and made it to a top ten list.” Each song is alluring and seductive, in only a way that major chords and happy “Ooh-Ahh” harmonies can be, and once in the song’s grip, there is no escape.

“Diary”

Sunny Day Real Estate

tLooking to progressive rock as a source of influence and a point rnof auditory evolution (because, let’s be honest, playing progressive rock may a highly valuable skill, the music sucks), the boys from Sunny Day Real Estate had no idea how of an impact “Diary” would havexefxbfxbd especially after the album went unnoticed for years.  Actually, it took the breakup of the band, after the release of their second album “LP2” to spark any interest.  Soon, the band and the albums were in such high demand that they release a third and final album, “How it Feels to be Something On.”

tSDRE, is a potent elixir of intricate, angular guitars playing the most complex of time signatures, a hard hitting rhythm section (which later joined the Foo Fighter’s crew after SDRE’s breakup), and the enchanting voice of Jeremy Enigk and his beautifully poetic and moving lyrics.

tNow reformed as The Fire Theft Band, Sunny Day still lives on in the generation of emotion based rock that it helped to found.

in keeping secrets of silent earth: 3

‘Coheed and Cambria returns with their sophomore offering “In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth: 3.” It is the second piece that serves as both soundtrack and storyline to a sci-fi fantasy that lead singer Claudio Sanchez has conjured up in his mind.

The story features the main characters, ironically enough, named Coheed and Cambria. In this portion of the story, they are said to be dead, according to Sanchez. The album, actually, is supposed to serve as a dream sequence, shifting from poppy songs to represent the lighter, airier portions to heavy-metal-tinged tunes that stand for the nightmares.

Like a dream sequence, this record is long, and shifts listlessly from track to track. The songs range from five seconds to nearly 10 minutes in length. As a cohesive unit, it is sporadic, but the band cannot be faulted for this. It was their intention. As a concept record from a “concept band,” they play by their own rules.

When the songs are looked at as solitary units, they are impressive works and show marked growth from “The Second Stage Turbine Blade,” the group’s debut record under the name Coheed and Cambria (formerly, they were known as Shabutie). While “Second Stage” contained a few songs like “33” and “Devil in Jersey City” that have high stuck-in-your-head potential, “Keeping Secrets” is more consistent. Most of the songs over a matter of seconds long promise to be addictive.

This band offers something for everyone. If you’re a comic book fan, you can soon enjoy the band’s work in comic-book form. It is currently being illustrated by comic-book artist Wes Abbot. If you are a sci-fi fan, you can enjoy the intricacies of the songs’ plots. Or, if you listen to a record for the traditional sake of hearing music, you are guaranteed to like “In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth: 3.”

into the valley of death

‘Next to Avail, this is the best mullet-fronted rock band on the market. They’re loud, aggressive and in your face. Makes you want to be profane and respond to the album with statements like “Fuck yeah.” The guitar work is furious and energizing. The vocals sound like a really drunk Glen Danzig at points. It has been humorously described as “vocal vomit.” That aside, it still rocks. High points: Makes you want to kick your dog. Low points: The unethical and inhumane act of actually kicking an animal, not to mention the repercussions that may follow.

dear you (expanded)

‘Having the opportunity to receive a brand new Jawbreaker release prior to its scheduled release date is a titillating experience for which I have waited since my budding teen years. Simply hearing the news of a new Jawbreaker album would have been enough for me.

That’s what I thought in 2002 when “Etc.” hit the shelves. The posthumous compilation of rarities, demo and live versions was nothing shy of disappointing. Like most releases of its sort, the songs were either awful or of awful quality. Though the band had broken up years earlier, this album only seemed to be the final, anguishing nail in the coffin.

Jets to Brazil did not prove to be much relief for many of Jawbreaker’s diehard fans. Those who took solace in the part rockabilly, part straightforward rock of this incarnation, still could not help but miss the edgier parts of the past.

“We’re killing each other by sleeping in,” sang Blake Schwarzenbach on “Dear You’s” opener, “Save Your Generation,” but it couldn’t help but seem like that’s exactly what was going on. What happened to the fire? What happened to the energy?

Maybe heroin. Who knows?

In a previous interview, Schwarzenbach let out pent-up backlash. “When do I get to be curmudgeonly to the Jawbreaker fans?” he asked me. “It’s been over a decade.”

Later on in the same interview, he repented, admitting that he missed the fight-for-your-right punks that swooned to his old band.

In truth, he seemed confused about what he wanted. He seemed unsure if a Jawbreaker reunion would ever happen but he did not vehemently oppose the idea.

Nevertheless, the band members did not want to leave their fans empty-handed. So they purchased back the rights to “Dear You” and re-released it with a few bonus songs at the end.

The previously out-of-print album was selling for around $50 on Ebay. Now, a remastered copy is available at a fraction of the cost, but the inevitable question is: is it worth it?

Yes, yes it is. Though the band grew their roots on rougher ground with albums like “Unfun” and “Bivouac,” they eventually polished up their sound after Schwarzenbach’s throat surgery. “24 Hour Revenge Therapy” was Jawbreaker at its peak to some. It was a bit cleaner and more thought-out than the band’s previous ventures.

When the band signed with DGC, their end was just about clear. Before breaking up, they recorded “Dear You,” which very well may have been a few years ahead of its time.

It foreshadowed the pop punk revolution, but did it with more dignity and self-respect – while still writing self-degrading lyrics – than anything that has been popularized since.

The re-release only replants the band as that which saved a generation of music and fans alike. It may not guarantee any future activity under the Jawbreaker label, but at least it’s a cheaper and better rendition of an album that’s well worth the listen.