Recent CD Reviews 

I've picked up a few CDs since the last time I posted a review ...

Snow Patrol -- Eyes Open
I completely dug Snow Patrol's last album (Final Straw), and this one starts out like my fave song from that disc ("Spitting Games"). "Hands Open" is pretty darn great. Then it devolves into an attempt to make a bunch of songs that sound like "Run" and it just gets a bit boring. Not bad, just boring.

Nada Surf -- Let Go
Liz recommended I check this one out when I mentioned that I really liked The Weight is a Gift. This is really good too. Not as thoroughly good as TWIAG, but definitely good. The only thing keeping it from being fantastic is two missteps ("Fruit Fly", "La Pour Ca"). The rest --- solllidddd.

Guster -- Ganging Up on the Sun
Probably my least favorite Guster album. Not because of the lack of hand percussion, but simply because it's got so little energy. It's a good poppy album, but it just lacks any sharp edges. "The New Underground" might be the best little indie rock song they've ever done though.

Mr. Lif -- Mo' Mega
Adding some hip-hop to the mix. I love Mr. Lif. He's always got ridiculously complex lyrics, beats that support the rhymes, and a the closest thing to the mind of Chuck D. Except on this album. "Fries" would have fit in on any album he's ever done. "Murz Is My Manager" has the tightest beats and is probably the most fun song Lif's ever done. "Washitup!" is the worst song he's ever done. Lif went away from politics on this album, and while it's good, it's just not as good (that seems to be a theme ...).

Mittens -- Fools on a Holiday
Mittens is a local band that sounds a bit like if The Shins holed up and listened to Elvis Costello and Jonathan Richman, and then turned up the folk dial a bit too much. They're light and easy and great live, but not quite as good on disc (or iPod). I actually dig this one a bit more than their self-titled debut. It's just a bit grander.

As Fast As -- Open Letter to the Damned
I picked this up because I heard "Florida Sunshine" and think it's the fucking rock song of the summer. It's probably the best power poppish stuff I've heard in a while. It's not a fantastic album, but it was cheap at Newbury Comics, so I grabbed it and it was worth the dough. There's maybe one back track on the whole disc.

There you have it. A bunch of mildly disappointing discs, with one real winner. I'm not really sure what CDs are coming out soon, but I'm thinking about picking up some older stuff from an online source cheapish, so the next set of reviews might be of some older Sufjan Stevens or The Smiths or something equally silly.