Red Hot Chili Peppers
Stadium Arcadium
4 Stars
At two CD's and over two hours of material, Stadium Arcadium screams "middle-age," which isn't necessarily a bad thing. Songs such as "Warlocks" and "Storm in a Teacup" harkens back to the earliest hard rock of the Peppers, with the raw vocal power of lead singer Anthony Kiedis that made the Peppers the golden child of punk. But interspersed with these blasts from the past are more mellow bridges and melodies that make these songs seem more like punk rock ballads than punk anthems. This sort of mellow tone dominates the entire album, but that isn't necessarily a bad thing. Although Kiedis and crew may not necessarily have the edge they used to have, the vocal and instrumental work still showcases the highest production values. With a band as old as the RHCP, you'd have to expect a certain degree of transformation, a sort of coming of age from a now adult rock group. Although Stadium Arcadium feels bloated with content at times and their former edge isn't as evident, the band has become something different, and in some ways, even better.
-- Derek Mazique
Wolfmother
Wolfmother
2.5 Stars
Wolfmother is another one of those hyped MTV2 darlings that comes along every couple years to "save" rock and roll. Their self-titled debut album is pure 70s-completely, blissfully derivative. Think Led Zeppelin plus Black Sabbath and you've got the essence of Wolfmother's blues-based psychedelic hard rock. Wolfmother is all about guitar solos, organ solos, trippy electronic effects, more guitar solos and song titles such as "Dimension," "White Unicorn," "Witchcraft," and "Tales from the Forest of Gnomes." Needless to say, the lyrics are ridiculously cheesy.
On a superficial level, Wolfmother's shtick works. Here we have three Australian guys who just want to rock-and rock they do. The majority of their songs are well-written, catchy and energetically delivered ... but there's just nothing new here. If this album had been released thirty years ago it would be great. As things stand, though, Wolfmother have mastered the rock archetypes too well. As sincere as they may be, the band's sound and image feel like formula, imitation, artifice-from the album's slick production to the topless sea witch on the cover to the lead singer's afro. Wolfmother will probably be a summer favorite for many an aging WYSP listener and fifteen-year-old suburban stoner, but for everyone else this one just isn't worth seeking out.
-Steve McLaughlin
Shane Zack
Ignorance & Innocence
2 Stars
This solo debut from local artist Shane Zack lacks a lot. From the first track, "No Reply," it is hard to tell exactly what is missing, though it's blatantly apparent there is something. The disc wears on, only to show that Zack startlingly lacks creativity, compensating with erratically wailed vocals and stiff guitar work. This combination turned a lot of folks off of the coffee shop phenomenon. The one redeeming factor of that whiny genre is the poetry, of which Zack produces very little. The record is dotted with forgettable lines and refrains, and it becomes apparent that Zack prefers throwing his throat to writing material. Over the course of the release, Shane Zack develops the sad sound of a mediocre high school band-I should know, I was in one. This is not to say that Zack has no redeeming qualities, he seems very comfortable on this record, and has no problem belting. Hopefully his next effort incorporates a little more conversation and a little less action.
--AC Lerok
