I hate record reviews

Recently, I've bought a bunch of albums and have kind of become interested in how first impressions differ greatly from 10th impressions, in terms of records. Case in point: I bought Nada Surf's recent thing, what the hell is it called, on the appeal of the single "Blonde on Blonde" awhile back, and found the record palatable right away, sort of like if you were introduced to a patently good-looking person, not necessarily one that appealed to you personally, but appealed more to the general cultural aesthetic sense. "Bad sign," said the spouse. He was right: I don't listen to that record anymore.

On that note, here are off-the-cuff reviews of my recent record acquisitions, after a single listen. I may later change my mind. Except for the last one.

Kathleen Edwards: Failer

Hmmm... she's better live. I saw her last weekend and she has a great voice. Where is the sad electric mandolin? Why are the vocals mixed down? Enough of the world weary bar babe lyrics! Sigh.

Xiu Xiu, La Foret

Scary church bells from spa waiting room meditation CDs. Twitchy muttering. Personal issues. Freakish clanging sounds from unidentified musical sources. If there were a cat hiding under a bed in a haunted house, slowly losing its mind, and it put on a CD, this would be it. I think this means I need to keep listening.

Arcade Fire: Arcade Fire EP

Man, this is terrible. No, that's a damned lie, of course. It's wonderful. I adore plucky chamber pop musical product like every other yuppie sheep, what can I say. "No cars go" is a great song. And pretty much so are the others. Instruments listed on credits insert include stomping and birds.

Calexico: Feast of wire

Admittedly, I didn't buy this one personally, but overheard it at a friend's. Thus far I have heard two relentlessly catchy singles from this band (which you can download for free, remind me to add the link) and I'm going to admit right here that I like songs that commit to being songs, rather than soundscapes, mutterings, noodlings, and related art house soundtrack noise machine settings. This record, sadly, is of the latter type, much to the wriggling thrill of fellow humorless musicians and barren western landscape dreamers and people who make bad indie films in which nothing happens, but I think it's weak.

The Drive By Truckers: Southern Rock Opera

This is the worst CD I have ever bought. It's a double album concept record thing, about some Lynard Skynard kind of band and all of the violence and booze and chicken fried context there implied, but is written without a trace of irony, so that it's like listening to an actual double album from Lynard Skynard, except no cool songs like "Shooting Star." (Correction: A friend informs me that "Shooting Star" is a Bad Company song. Ok, so maybe I don't have a real firm grasp on radio friendly southern rock anthems...)