Robert Christgau's Music Criticism Blog - Expert Witness - MSN Music

Odds and Ends 005

Pazz & Jop Comments 2011

By Xgau Jan 20, 2012 6:04AM

St. Vincent: Strange Mercy (4AD)

Adele and Gaga watch your backs, lest she take art-rock pop ("Cheerleader," "Dilettante," "Cruel") ***

 

The Weeknd: House of Balloons (XO download)

If coming leaves your penis feeling that bad, fella, remember that they're not called narcotics for nothing ("Wicked Games," "House of Balloons/Glass Table Girls") ***

 

Adele: 21 (XL/Columbia)

Part of me likes how many albums this proud white-soul normal has sold, but the part that likes fast ones wins ("Rolling in the Deep," "Rumour Has It") **

 

Drake: Take Care (Cash Money/Universal Republic)

Musical docudrama proves conclusively that having too much money is bad for you, so how come no one gets the point? ("Make Me Proud," "Headlines") **

 

Girls: Record 3: Father, Son, Holy Ghost (True Panther/Fantasy Trashcan)

Phil Spector overstated his feelings too, and look where it got him ("Honey Bunny," "Magic") **


Wye Oak: Civilian (Merge)

Rising into exultation, fading into doubt ("Holy Holy," "Civilian") **

 

Fleet Foxes: Helplessness Blues (Sub Pop)

Darker and more socially conscious than their escapist admirers or their ideological detractors are equipped to notice ("Helplessness Blues," "Someone You Admire") *

 

The Black Keys: El Camino (Nonesuch)

With advice from Master of All Soundscapes Danger Mouse, they construct a loud blooze-rawk one, complete with song outlines ("Lonely Boy," "Run Right Back") *


 

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292Comments
Fraptron
Jan 20, 2012 8:37AM
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Strange Mercy is a step below w h o k i l l in its artfulness and the way the hooks are presented. The former's are a tad more ambient while the latter's are more rhythmic or percussive. Both brought me great pleasure this year, but w h o k i l l's ingenious sonic platter won the race.
Ioannis Sotirchos
Jan 20, 2012 8:35AM
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i dig the sole cd of this lot i already own--Drake!--quite a bit more every time i play it; love the production/beats/flo​w/atmosphere/whathav​eu. and, yeah, creep tho he may well be, dude knows how to produce/sequence/del​iver an album for an actually existing audience (Lil Wayne should maybe start taking notes at this point in time?)--it's probably a belated top 10 addition for me by now. as for all of the rest... time will tell.
JeffC77
Jan 20, 2012 8:33AM
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Shuffled these make for one hell of a mixtape/playlist. Thank you, Mr. Christgau. P.S. Hope the shoulder's not too sore.

Greg Morton (GMort)
Jan 20, 2012 8:11AM
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having too much money is bad for you, so how come no one gets the point?

One of eternity's essential questions. Mr. Romney, call holding for you on line 1.

Alex Wolf
Jan 20, 2012 7:33AM
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"Cheerleader" is the only song I've held on to after about a dozen listens to "St. Mercy."
jcarru
Jan 20, 2012 7:26AM
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can't resist the Chloe in the afternoon, Chloe in the afternooChlo-e in the afternoooooon! Borderline masochistic to pursue that hook, and yes, it's a hook. Also Surgeon is really good. I really like Civillian. Sometimes I feel like punching the guy from Girls. I perpetually want to punch Mr. Iver (pronounced E-boor - really pretentiously-). And now Watery, Domestic is kicking my ****. A+ everybody! 
Cam Patterson
Jan 20, 2012 7:12AM
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Talk about tying up about a zillion loose ends. I guess it really is 2012 now.
Alex Wilson (Japadsfdf)
Jan 20, 2012 7:04AM
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Strange, I remember Xgau saying 21 was a B+ (I know feelings change).

Glad House of Balloons got an HM, as it's not actually all that bad! Wonder if Xgau heard the other one.

St. Vincent is good, but a little too weird/not song-y enough.

Joey's (and a lot of other people are) gonna be disappointed Girls got a **. Personally, I thought it is at the same level as Tripper.
Brad Morosan
Jan 20, 2012 6:32AM
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I feel like today's EW is just for us, you know?
spoonknife
Jan 20, 2012 6:32AM
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So, "I can feel a down-to-earth plus-size" and "reduc[ing] Fleet Foxes' overblown CSNY echoes to Robin Pecknold's convincing Graham Nash impersonation" imply a passing grade, as I thought they might.  I was less convinced about Drake, though I guess a reference to "a persuasively idea-filled rave" implies a certain amount of persuasion, which probably should have been enough of a clue, and an HM isn't exactly a rave.  And I did figure that "repelled deep in my old humanist soul" wasn't gonna get Mr. Vernon anywhere but Remedial English.  Dean-parsing ain't so tough after all.
John Smallwood (jcsmall63)
Jan 20, 2012 6:27AM
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Lots of big names here, none of which I own. The cuts mentioned should make a hell of a mix tape. Thanks Bob! As Cam said last time, a reason to cheer the Odds and Ends.

Btw having a great time in Australia and all my best to Allen and family back home in the chilly Northwest.

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about the blogger

Robert Christgau

Starting in 1967, Robert Christgau has covered popular music for The Village Voice, Esquire, Blender, Playboy, Rolling Stone, and many other publications. He teaches in New York University's Clive Davis Department of Recorded Music, maintains a comprehensive website at robertchristgau.com, and has published five books based on his journalism. He has written for MSN Music since 2006.

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