The Dodos, The Matches, Trouble In Dreams

The Dodos

Visiter

(Frenchkiss Records)

Sometimes it seems that duos and blues rock are inexorably linked. There must be exceptions to prove this rule, however, and standing as that exception is San Francisco's Dodos. Meric Long and Logan Kroeber kick up a lot of sounds on their second record, Visiter (they meant to spell it that way), but there really isn't anything resembling blues rock to be found. Rather, the Dodos are rhythmically driven. While Long's songs have a pop-folk base, Kroeber adds all manner of banging and pounding, turning songs like "Fools" and "Paint the Rust" down an unexpected path. The duo is also fond of fleshing out its tunes with lots of instrumentation, adding some nifty banjo to "Walking," and xylophone to "Red and Purple," coloring the latter with an interesting pop sensibility.

But no matter the window dressing, the star of Visiter is always the strong melodic sense at work. "Joe's Waltz" is a catchy suite-like number that could work with just Long's voice and guitar, and "Jodi" would sound fine without its busy arrangement (although it's much more fun with Kroeber working overtime). The often playful intersection of Long's deft guitar and confident melodies and Kroeber's kitchen-sink rhythmic sense culminates in the stunning closer "God?" The Dodos are a welcome Visiter throughout their excellent second record, and prove that, while their real-life namesake may no longer walk the earth, the band won't succumb to natural selection any time soon. - Chris Drabick

The Matches

A Band in Hope

(Epitaph)

Since emerging from the Oakland, California punk scene over a decade ago, the Matches have evolved from the raucous ska-tinged commotion of their first album, 2004's E. Von Dahl Killed the Locals, to the wild experimentalism of their sophomore effort, 2006's Decomposer. The Matches' third album, A Band in Hope, is a reaffirmation of the band's incredibly broad musical vision and a definitive statement regarding the influences it embraces that extend well beyond punk.

A Band in Hope (an optimistic reconfiguration of "abandon hope") is a tour de force of punk energy and lyrical intelligence stripped of stereotypical poses and sonic cliches. The Matches announce their intentions with the opening blast of "AM Tilts," a bracing gem that shifts from anthemic Brit pop/punk to proggy dissonance without a hint of irony. Elements of classic rock, arty prog, bedrock metal and sneering punk bubble up in varying degrees through every track on A Band in Hope, and every one offers a fascinating surprise. "Wake the Sun" imagines the Polyphonic Spree as influenced by the Clash, while "Between Halloweens" and "Darkness Rising" find the Matches in punk Queen mode. "Yankee in a Chip Shop" revisits '80s new wave with contemporary blister and burn, and "Point Me Toward the Morning" could mop up any of the current emo pop in the upper chart slots. The Matches are the model of smart-ass maturity that next generation punk should aspire to be. - Brian Baker

Destroyer

Trouble In Dreams

(Merge)

Dan Bejar is a busy guy. He's a partner in collaborations like the fairly demented Swan Lake (with Sunset Rubdown's Spencer Krug and Frog Eyes' Carey Mercer) and the strangely sweet Hello Blue Roses (with his girlfriend Sydney Vermont). Bejar's ongoing contributions to the New Pornographers' repertoire are among that band's more off-kilter numbers. So it follows that Bejar's principle personal creative outlet Destroyer is also slightly askew.

The sound of Trouble In Dreams falls into a not-really-folk/not-quite-rock twilight similar to David Bowie's Hunky Dory. Instead of formula rock drums and electric guitars, there's a heavy acoustic guitar emphasis accented with piano and restrained percussion and strings, with rock guitars used mostly for embellishment. In no way starkly minimalist, the approach builds soft moods with its carefully placed ingredients. Even the rockier tunes (i.e. "Dark Leaves Form a Thread") have a reserved edge. Like Bowie, Bejar is in fact quite ridiculous and pretentious, but sustains an artistic effectiveness by being relentlessly melodramatic and weird about it. Where Trouble sags, it's in the occasional moments where Bejar hesitates short of going over the top. Not as openly bizarre as Swan Lake or as infectiously poppy as the New Pornographers, the subtleties of these songs demand a bit more investment to warm up to them. But particularly in context of his other bands, the work Bejar continues here with Destroyer is a testimony to his distinctive and boldly original creative identity. - Michael David Toth

Joseph Arthur

Could We Survive

(Lonely Astronaut)

Akron native Joseph Arthur is always one step ahead of himself. When his ballyhooed 2000 effort, Come to Where I'm From, came out, the guy couldn't stop talking about what his next album would be, and how he had already written all the songs for it. Well, after a short lull (he did release two full-lengths in 2006, it should be noted), the most prolific singer-songwriter who isn't Ryan Adams is back at it. This EP marks the first of (count em!) four EPs he plans to release this year, with Crazy Rain slated for release on April 15 and two more EPs scheduled for release in May and June. And that's not to mention a full-length that will come out in August.

Opening with the maudlin roots rocker "Rages of Babylon," the album shows the evolution of his fine backing band, a group he's been touring with for the past couple of years. Arthur and company settle into a good groove for the pretty "Morning Cup," which sounds a bit like unplugged David Bowie, and are equally restrained on the album's tender closer, "King of the Pavement." Too bad that, as atmospheric and lovely as these songs are, they're just not very memorable. The absence of hooks and/or catchy choruses makes this another Joseph Arthur album that just isn't as great as Come to Where I'm From. - Jeff Niesel

New Found Glory

Hits

(Drive-Thru/Suretone/MCA/Geffen/UME)

What's the story, New Found Glory? After a decade of sucking, the group now thinks it has the right to deliver a package of "hits." Seriously? Headlining the Warped Tour does not qualify you to issue a set of your biggest smashes (which are essentially good for a summer and that's about it). Outside of maybe Jimmy Eat World, I'd argue no emo band has had enough "hits" to qualify for a greatest hits collection. As a result, this 12-song disc is particularly without consequence.

While songs such as "Situations," which was only streamed on the Warped Tour Web site for a month and hasn't been commercially available since, and "Constant Static," a Japanese album bonus cut, are hard to find, that doesn't compensate for their lack of quality. In typical emo fashion, the guys went through a phase in which they tried to expand their sound with the use of strings ("I Don't Wanna Know") and synths ("Failure's Not Flattering"). But the best tunes here are the straight-ahead ones. "Hit or Miss" is a jittery rock ballad and "My Friend's Over You" features a beefy guitar riff that almost makes up for singer Jordin Pundik's whiny vocals and super-sensitive lyrics ("you were everything I wanted," he croons. "But I just can't finish what I started"). But overall, Hits is something to miss. - JN