Following the critical acclaim of Alopecia (one of our Top 10 Albums of 2008), the idiosyncratic pop-hop trio (/quintet) known as Why? presents another full disc of tinkling melodies, vocal harmonies, and clever word play.
Sounds of a quickly picked acoustic guitar, shimmering slide guitar, tweaked garage-rock guitar, glistening glockenspiel, and sunny organ — as well as overall song structure — help make Eskimo Snow the least related to Why?'s hip-hop past as any release since frontman Yoni Wolf expanded the project to a full band.
For better or worse, Yoni's vocals are as centered as ever on singing, and this is still a band pushing toward the pop/rock end of the musical spectrum. More importantly, it's still a band with the arrow pointing upward.
Brother Ali: Us (Rhymesayers)
Us brings more good times and smooth rhymes from Brother Ali (an entrant on our Top 10 Albums of 2007), whose soulful sound often disguises lyrical content that pulls no punches. And despite more music that often is light and buoyant, Ali keeps the lyrics heavy on an album that is billed as an introspective affair.
The bangin' beats and samples by Atmosphere's Ant are back, but live instruments dot the musical horizon to make one of Ali's most well-rounded efforts to date. Public Enemy's Chuck D gets listeners fired up with a "preacher man" intro.
Diablo Swing Orchestra: Sing-Along Songs for the Damned & Delirious (Sensory / The Laser's Edge)
Take a bona fide boogie-woogie swing orchestra. Then add some metal guitar, slap bass, classical cello, theatrical baritone leads, and operatic falsetto harmonies. Mix in bits of Gypsy-jazz guitar, ragtime piano, Latin jazz, and marching snare for a romping good time.
Do this and you'll have Sing-Along Songs for the Damned & Delirious, a delightful set of ten tunes for anyone who can get down to extra-dramatic vocals. In a world of genre crossovers, chances are that you haven't heard anything like this.
