By the writers of Last Word Features

Spoon: ‘Transference’
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Spoon mastermind Britt Daniel must listen to the Beatles a lot. He’s definitely learned the value of a well-placed falsetto counter-melody; the power of contrasting lush background orchestration with pointed minimalism; and the genius of including a seemingly tossed-off moment, like Eric Harvey’s neat piano transition and the studio laughter of “Written in Reverse.” He shreds vocals like Lennon over smooth, mop-toppish harmonies, giving his indie-pop both a sharp edge and some shine. And when he sings “Nobody cuts me like you” in “Nobody Gets Me Like You,” it’s a telling line, almost a metaphor for an album full of stabbing rhythms, piercing keyboard notes, sawed-off guitar riffs, slashing vocals and, on that tune, “Revolution No. 9” sonics — a pastiche of concert-hall and kindergarten-closet instruments glued together by Rob Pope’s deep bass throbs.
“Transference,” indeed. Even if we’re not sure what he’s getting at lyrically, he still makes us sit up and take notice. —Lynne Margolis
Buy if you like: the Beatles, Guided By Voices

The Editors: ‘In This Light And On This Evening’
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There will be those who think the Editors had a screw come loose somewhere for the way the British band has transformed its sound on “In This Light And On This Evening.” The group is one of the most popular acts in England (voted second most popular band of the decade in one leading newspaper). Yet the Editors risked that standing by moving sharply away from the downbeat guitar pop sound of its first two CDs in favor of a synth-pop sound on the new CD.
Just the sonic shock of that shift will be enough to alienate a number of fans. And to these ears, the group sounded more distinctive in its former guitar-centric format. That said, the group hasn’t lost its songwriting touch, and in the end this goes a long way toward making “In This Light” a worthy effort. The melodies on songs like “Eat Raw Meat — Blood Drool,” “Papillon” and “Bricks And Mortar” are quite striking, and there’s a good balance between ominous sounding and poppier material. Also, singer Tom Smith’s rich baritone is well suited to the dark hues of the synth-pop sound, and he’s never sounded better on CD.
Still, the group clouds its musical identity with “In This Light…” (and the fact that the group now sounds quite like She Wants Revenge doesn’t help, either). But let’s give credit to the guys in the Editors for being brave enough to follow their instincts and take the musical risk that is “In This Light And On This Evening.” – Alan Sculley
Buy if you like: She Wants Revenge, Joy Division

Bigbang: ‘Edendale’
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On “Edendale,” this Norweigan band shows that it’s still possible to play fairly straightforward rock music and make it sound fresh and original.  The band has been compared to the likes of Tom Petty, the Allman Brothers Band and R.E.M, and there are certainly textures of such groups in the songs on “Edendale.”
But that shortchanges BigBang’s originality. A song like “Freeway Flowers” has a bit of the kind of thick lead guitar riff that one might associate with R.E.M.’s “Driver 8,” but the song has a refreshingly rural groove that immediately puts it in a different place. On “Bag Of Leaves,” the band cooks up a sweet dirty groove, adding some soul harmonies as icing on the cake. “Head Over Heels” hits a high point with some sinewy interplay between the guitars. One might hear Crosby Stills, Nash & Young” in “Now Is Not A Good Time” (especially as an extended guitar solo breaks out), but there’s little that’s derivative within the song. Instead, at times gentle and at times rocking briskly, Bigbang impresses by how effortlessly the group takes classic sounding elements and re-imagines them in ways defy easy comparison. This makes “Edendale” an early 2010 candidate for top 10 CD consideration. – Alan Sculley
Buy if you like: Crosby Stills Nash & Young, Tom Petty

Motion City Soundtrack: ‘My Dinosaur Life’
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Yes, there were pop-punk bands before Green Day. But not many of them wielded the influence that L.A. trio has had over countless Warped Tour acts, including one of this year’s headliners, Motion City Soundtrack.
On its new CD, “My Dinosaur Life” (again produced by Blink-182’s Mark Hoppus) Motion City Soundtrack shows it is adept at creating anthems like “History Lesson” (with its chorus, “What are you asking me for?”) and softer ballads like “Stand Too Close,” that build into something bigger.
Filled with oh-so-hummable melodies, deceptively sweet harmonies, clever pop-culture references and just enough attitude and grinding guitar to give them cred with the tattooed-and-pierced crowd, Motion City Soundtrack could do worse than stay the course and follow Green Day into elder statesmanship when the time comes. The 12 tracks on “My Dinosaur Life” are a strong followup to what they’ve done so far, showing maturity (“Hysteria”), without losing the youthful intensity that leaves us anticipating what will come next. — Lynne Margolis
Buy if you like: Green Day, All-American Rejects

Dawn Landes: ‘Sweet Heart Rodeo’
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The title of this disc may suggest an artist playing twangy country. But on this CD, Dawn Landes proves to be far more than a one-trick pony when it comes to her music.
Yes, there is some country (courtesy of the frisky title track and the ballad “Brighton”), but that is but a small part of what is a varied array of songs. “Wandering Eye” – one of the CD’s strongest tunes — is a country ballad at heart, but its woozy organ line gives it a charmingly off-kilter spin. “Romeo” is a keyboard-laced pop ballad with soulful overtones. On “Young Girl,” Landes offers up some taut and hooky pop-rock.
Things get more even more adventurous at other points. “Love” starts out as a lightly grooving pop track before devolving into a pleasantly freaky psychedelic/electronic song-ending section. “Clown” is a full-on electro-pop tune with tinker-toyish quality. The eclecticism makes “Sweet Heart Rodeo” a bit schizophrenic, but Landes’ playful attitude and the entertaining quality of most of the songs keep the CD from falling apart.
– Alan Sculley
Buy if you like: Amy Rigby, Patty Griffin

Locksley: ‘Be In Love’
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(Release date is Jan. 26.)
If you’re going to venture into power pop and follow in the footsteps of bands like Cheap Trick, Material Issue, Fountains Of Wayne, or the Shoes, you had better bring plenty of hooks. And that’s exactly what Locksley does on “Be In Love.”
“Love You Now” starts the CD on a high note, using a simple ascending riff sequence to great effect. Other songs that hit the sweet spot include the nicely textured rocker, “21st Century,” the punchy “One More Minute,” the jangly “Darling, It’s True” and “The Whip” (which is all about big guitar riffs and a rousing sing-along refrain). “Be In Love” has a couple of lackluster tracks, and as a band Locksley isn’t breaking any ground as far as power pop is concerned. But the group, which gets songwriting contributions from three of its four members, certainly knows a catchy melody when it comes up with one, and that’s a talent that’s always in demand on the music scene. — Alan Sculley
Buy if you like: Fountains of Wayne, Cheap Trick