Review Round-Up Thursday

Thee Oh Sees
Warm Slime
In The Red Records

I'd like to start this review with a pithy maxim (is that redundant?) I crafted while watching TV in my underwear: You don't get into psychedelic music, it gets into you. Not like religion or love, more like Cordyceps. And if any album is going to drive you insane, make you climb a tree and then burst out the back of your skull, it's Warm Slime.
Warm Slime's sound drips off it in thick gooey rivulets, each a unique child of the driving title track. Every song throbs with a pulse, but each heartbeat is different. "Everything Went Black" is a dark march, driving an army of freaks, while its neighbour "Castic Tackle" runs at twice the speed and bears an unmistakable connection to the surf rock scene.
None of the lyrics are quite coherent, the opening track is 13 minutes long and all the guitars sound like they're on mushrooms, in other words a finely crafted entry into the genre.
(Gareth Sloan)

Nas and Damian Marley
Distant Relatives
Universal/Def Jam

Distant Relatives combines the soulful reggae jams of Damien Marley with the lyrically-meaningful hip hop of Nas. They come together to give us socially conscious music with a message. With songs like "Tribal War", "My Generation" and "Promise Land, they take their listeners on a journey to Africa and give insight as to how we've all come to be distant relatives. The album combines steel band, reggae, rap, and rock that work together harmoniously. Damien channels his father (the late Bob Marley) through his lyrics and rhythm. The "One Mic" rapper, and "Welcome to Jamrock" singer come together to make inspiring music that takes risks, and preach the message of struggle and hope. They give us a much needed dose of reality. Nas brings the guns and Marley brings the Ganja.
(Sarah El Fangary)

blessthefall
Witness
Fearless Records

The mew album Witness by blessthefall hardly makes an impression while listening to it. As an old extreme blessthefall fan I was excited to hear their new album with their new vocalist Beau Boken, however after a quick listen to the album it was clear that something was missing. The screams feel empty, the breakdowns lack energy and overall the songs are rather boring. The only song that I actually enjoyed off the album is “To Hell & Back”. This is the only song in my opinion that captures what blessthefall use to be about, it has everything that the rest of the album lacks but it is only 1 track off of a 12 track CD.
(Katrina Kuras)

Shad
TSOL
Black Box Recordings

Three years after he wowed critics with sophomore effort The Old Prince, Shaddy K returns with a third album full of introspective raps, solid production, witty wordplay and a barrage of flows that best his Canuck contemporaries. Where others are all flash and no substance, every verse spit by the Ontario native is deep with strange allusions and double-entendres, forcing multiple listens in order to get some sense of some of the lines he drops. The beats Shad has crafted/sought out complement the songs perfectly – heavy on live instrumentation as well as atmospheric qualities, the words and music are a perfect marriage. First single "Yaa I Get It" has Shad playfully boasting while at the same time self-deprecatingly making fun of himself (much like the character he creates on The Old Prince's "The Old Prince Still Lives At Home"). Literate yet inviting, Shad straddles the line in-between backpacker and crowd rocker with a set of songs that are sure to please most rap fans.
(Brian Hastie)