seedy reviews
Ryan Sahli

Hayden Dresser's fourth LP, Skyscraper National Park comes almost four years after his last album, the major label, full-band effort, The Closer I Get. In that time, there were rumours that he couldn't handle the music business and simply quit, and even bigger rumours that he died all sorts of bizarre deaths that can only happen to musicians who fall out of the public eye for no apparent reason. Wherever he was, he was writing. Skyscraper is reminiscent of Dresser's earlier recorded efforts, consisting entirely of beautifully stripped-down acoustic songs. His unabashed, full-throated howl is gone, replaced by soft, unwavering vocals that don't really change for the duration of the album. The standout track on the album is "Dynamite Walls," an amazing effort about driving the highway between B.C. and Alberta: "High beams showing/falling rock warning/ and construction work slowing/The engine blazes/the elevation raises/and the dynamite walls contain us." "Bass Song" is a simple two-minute track that is as deep as it is funny. The song is Dresser's construction of his own death, perhaps in reference to the aforementioned rumours, in which he is murdered by burglars who break into his house while he is recording a song. As with most of Dresser's work, Skyscraper is a very moody piece, best heard with headphones so you can catch the quiet refrains and mumbled lyrics. The lyrics are key here, as they allow the listener to make sense of the melancholy music and bring everything together. Skyscraper is easily one of the best albums I've heard this year.

- Ryan Sahli

Garbage have always done the synth-pop-techno thing, but this time they seemed to have completely abandoned all rock roots. What we're left with is a slick, overproduced pop record. Drummer and producer Butch Vig takes the perfection too far, giving the album a plastic-like feel.

There are a few bright spots of the album - the song about the depressing stalker called "Cup of Coffee" has a mellow, smoky sound, somewhat reminiscent of Dido's "Thank You." "Shut Your Mouth" and "Silence is Golden" are both ballsy efforts with the attitude that one expects from lead singer Shirley Manson, but the album falls short after these highlights. What's really lacking is sexiness. Songs like "Milk" and "You Look so Fine" that drove the previous two albums are simply not here.

This album was conceptualised and recorded while the band was working on another project - an album comprised of the many Garbage B-sides and remixes, but inspiration hit and instead of old stuff we get this. It would be worthwhile to find your favourite file-sharing program and grab some of the songs that would have comprised the B-side disc. "Deadwood", "Girl Don't Come", and "Thirteen" (just to name a few) are a much better listen.

- Ryan Sahli

Can The Strokes live up to their own hype? The media darlings' first major-label North American LP, Is This It, is gaining mass praise worldwide, especially in the United Kingdom. Straight out of New York with a Jaggeresque cocky swagger, the band is being compared to the Velvet Underground and The Smiths, an interesting comparison considering the eldest band member is 23 years old. The Strokes' sound is hard to define. Even the first time you listen, their songs give you the feeling that you've heard them before.

The first single "Last Night" is worth the price of admission alone. Part throwback and part ingenuity, John Casablanca's (son of the modeling guru) lyrics are poignant and often intentionally funny. You're not quite sure if you should laugh at his idiocy or cry over the state of degenerate youth, as in the track "Barely Legal" in which he sings, "I wanna steal your innocence/To me, my life, it don't make sense/Those strange manners, I loved 'em so/Why won't you wear your new trench coat?"

Is This It is a rare find these days. In a rock landscape ruled by Limp Bizkit and its offspring, musicianship and catchy melodies are welcome. The Strokes deliver. I don't necessarily buy the hype, but the album rocks.

- Ryan Sahli

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