Lapsed Review Round-up

There a couple of things I wanted to at least put my ratings on that I was late in hearing:

Titus Andronicus
The Monitor
XL Recordings
2xLP/CD

This is my favorite album of the year so far. It expands on the tempate created on their debut The Airing Of Grievances. Full of false endings and strangely addictive hooks, I have very few grievances to air about this album.

Overall Grade = 9.11

Black Tambourine
Black Tambourine
Slumberland
LP/CD

The timing for releasing this complete collection of old (and four new) Black Tambourine songs has never been more right as countless bands (The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart, Vivian Girls, Surfer Blood, Best Coast, etc.) are all becoming indie media darlings, having borrowed from Black Tambourine's sonic landscape. Strangley, Black Tambourine is not quite as interesting musically or melodically as some of those bands or their contemporaries (My Bloody Valentine, The Jesus & Mary Chain). Nevertheless, if you look at this collection as an album, it is fairly enjoyable.

Overall Grade = 7.94