CD reviews
Rapper Emmanuel Jal's extraordinarily frustrating paradox and some other new albums
Emmanuel Jal
WARchild
(Sonic360)
5.3
Goes well with: Oxfam, Amnesty International, UNICEF
There’s no denying that rapper Emmanuel Jal—forced into the Sudanese People’s Liberation Army at 7 years old before a UNICEF worker smuggled him to Kenya at age 12—has one of the most intriguing and heartbreaking back stories in music. Yet it’s also disconcerting that this is made so abundantly clear by the voluminous press packet that accompanies WARchild. The genocide in Sudan is horrific enough, but Jal’s story is sold with such adamancy that it drowns out any enjoyment that might be derived from listening to the music on its own terms.
More often that not, the album devolves into self-righteous preaching with all the subtlety of a brick to the face. The message is positive and Jal’s heart is in the right place, but there’s one problem—he’s just not that talented. Even he admits as much on “No Bling”: “I ain’t the best rapper/Lord knows I can’t sing.” Coupled with synth-heavy production and Jal’s religious influences, his awkward delivery quickly becomes irritating.
Still, his music can be fitfully charming, even if it’s overly pedantic. “Skirt Too Short” is a hilarious reggaeton-tinged club track about scandalous young ladies, while the amusing “50 Cent” is the mildest diss cut in memory. But the fact that most of the album is performed in English—even though Jal struggles mightily with diction and enunciation—speaks volumes about the intended audience. The people who could benefit the most from his message probably don’t have ready access to his music. Like nearly every other aspect of WARchild, it’s an extraordinarily frustrating paradox.
—Todd Kroviak
The Wedding Present
El Rey
(Manifesto)
8.4
Goes well with: Mission of Burma, Archers of Loaf, Sonic Youth
The eerie feedback and jittery drums that begin El Rey are enough to trick anyone into thinking this might be The Wedding Present’s answer to Mission of Burma’s Vs. But while the manic, angular riffs and rhythms of “Santa Ana Winds” echo the calls and marches of Burma, TWP haven’t abandoned their trademark lively melodies and ramshackle approach.
El Rey was written while lead singer (and England native) David Gedge was living in Los Angeles, and the album finds him summoning the L.A. mystique with references to the balmy weather, beautiful actresses and faux superheroes of Hollywood. Gedge’s focus otherwise remains largely unaffected by the change in scenery. In fact, he uses the opportunity to create a consistently dark sound while still pining over his favorite themes of love, lust and obsession.
“Santa Ana Winds” and “Spider Man on Hollywood” are fiery, anxious openers that reflect Gedge’s ability to write a great love song. The caustic lyrics combine cynicism and infatuation to offer a glimpse into the trials of a tumultuous relationship. El Rey enjoys superb production (courtesy of Steve Albini), although it’s a bit of a letdown when the album loses its welcome restraint on a few loose jams that seem unnecessary. But ultimately, it’s nice to see (and hear) that, despite several lineup shuffles over the years, Gedge and TWP are still committed to the snide sarcasm we’ve come to expect.
—Richie Lauridsen
Destroyer
Trouble in Dreams
Merge
6.7
Goes well with: The New Pornographers, Silver Jews, Bowie
There should be a big sticker on the front of Trouble in Dreams that reads: “Destroyer—Now 25 Percent More Bombastic!” because, if anything, that’s what this disc feels like. Continuing with the poetry-meets-pop feel of 2006’s Rubies, Destroyer’s new album ups the ante a bit with a rather challenging second half that ends up falling a bit short of its ambitions. Still, singer/songwriter Dan Bejar (the beating heart of Destroyer) has never let loose with more spirit, emotion and, yes, bombast than on this disc.
Things get off to a fantastic start with a five-song run of ace material. “Blue Flower/Blue Flame” isn’t as good an opener as “Rubies” was on the last album, but it’s still a winner. “The State” is as rousing as Dreams gets, with a fantastic mix of Bejar’s clever wordplay set against a backwoods jam, while “Foam Hands” is the song that you initially dismiss before the chorus eventually hooks you by the third or fourth listen.
If there’s one thing you can count on with a Destroyer album, it’s that you don’t know what you’re getting into until you hit the play button. Bejar is known for switching up his attack from disc to disc, and Trouble in Dreams continues that tradition. At times it can be frustrating, and at times it can be majestic and beautiful—a description that fits Bejar to a T.
—Dryw Keltz
Destroyer plays The Casbah on Tuesday, May 20.
Published: 05/13/2008
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