CD reviews

The Black Heart Procession
Six
(Temporary Residence Ltd.)
*8.2*
Goes well with: Nick Cave, Leonard Cohen, DeVotchKa

Like Avon Barksdale returning to reclaim his territory during the third season of The Wire, The Black Heart Procession, San Diego’s longstanding musical bellwether, is back with a new album at a time when the local music scene is both garnering increased national attention and rife with potential usurpers. Six, the group’s first release in three years, is a collection of 13 macabre songs, ranging from somber piano ballads to the expansive, acrobatic chamber-pop dirges that have become a BHP trademark.

“Rats” is the first single for good reason. It pairs a strutting bass line with the most insistent chorus the band has yet sung to produce a song that’s as menacing as it is immensely catchy. A sunny respite from the darkness that flanks it, “Witching Stone” is suffused with paper-thin, palm-muted guitar riffs, swirling flourishes of new-wave synthesizers and cryptic lyrics about poppy fields. Though occasionally hamstrung by the slender lyrical scope—I lost track of the ailments inflicted on singer Pall Jenkins’ heart—BHP proves to be musically spry, unafraid to veer into unexpected directions or incorporate new colors into its tried-and-true palette. In returning to the numerical titles of earlier albums, Six could be seen simply as a statement of longevity, but its high quality suggests a band that still has plenty left to offer.

—Ian M Rick

The Black Heart Procession play Saturday, Oct. 17, at The Casbah.

Mayer Hawthorne
A Strange Arrangement
(Stones Throw)
*7.7*
Goes well with: Leroy Hutson, Smokey Robinson, Eddie Kendricks

It’s only about 45 minutes east on the 94 from Ann Arbor to Detroit, so it’s no wonder Andrew Mayer Cohen grew up listening to Motown. That also makes it seem like a somewhat natural decision—even for a nearly 30-year-old white dude from the suburbs—to ditch his gig as a DJ and emulate the traditions on some of his favorite soul vinyl.

What’s surprising, however, is how successfully he pulls it off. Not only does Cohen’s alter ego score points for good intentions, his execution is far more than merely serviceable. Flexing both his musical and production muscle, Cohen wrote, performed and recorded almost every note on Arrangement. And for most people who hear the album before they see a picture of its mastermind, it’s more likely to conjure an image of someone who looks like Sam Cooke instead of one of the twins from The Proclaimers.

Cohen’s voice is the only wild card, varying song to song from perfect (“I Wish it Would Rain”) to decent (“Maybe So, Maybe No”) to mediocre (“The Ills”). But that’s just nitpicking. More straight-up homage than derivative posing, this debut is strikingly fresh—especially among the current onslaught of auto-tuned fluff masquerading as R&B. Turn on the hi-fi, mix up a Tom Collins and dim the lights: It’s time to get groovy.

—Scott McDonald

Mayer Hawthorne & The County play Thursday, Oct. 15, at ’Canes.

Yo La Tengo
Popular Songs
(Matador)
*7.7*
Goes well with: The Kinks, The Four Tops, The Clean

Yo La Tengo are reaching the point where, if they don’t break up soon, any potential reunion shows will most likely be performed with at least one member playing his or her instrument while sitting on a Rascal scooter. These north Jersey cats are getting old. But, hey, more power to ’em. They just released their 12th album, which debuted on the Billboard charts at No. 58—the band’s highest showing yet.

So, maybe naming the album Popular Songs wasn’t as much a joke as the title of its predecessor, I Am Not Afraid of You and I Will Beat Your Ass. But these AM-radio nuggets ain’t gonna fill up teenage girls’ iPods across the country anytime soon. On the other hand, they’ll satisfy a small, yet surprisingly still-expanding community of Yo La Tengo fans. Being a sucker for a good fructose rush, I dig these guys the most when they put the pedal to the pop-metal. OK, pop-rock in their case. “Nothing to Hide” is melodic, noisy garage-rock at its finest, and “If it’s True” is a cool Motown experiment, even though it completely lifts the intro from The Four Tops’ “Sugar Pie Honey Bunch.”

The album lags a bit toward the end with a trio of experimental songs, the last of which drags out for more than 15 minutes. Chopping these down would have given the album more legs on its stronger pop numbers, but keeping them allows the album to drift to the finish line with a shimmery, shoegazey sheen.

—Dryw Keltz

Yo La Tengo play Friday, Oct. 16, at SOMA.

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