Cold War Kids - Mine Is Yours (2011)

Cold War Kids has returned on their third album as a band that sounds closer to Train than the raw passion of their former selves exemplified on Robbers & Cowards. Now on Interscope, Cold War Kids suffer from over-production and under-enthusiasm, tell-tale signs of what is now the all-too-familiar Big Label Curse. Robbers & Cowards was a unique, fearless album that took a mish-mash of intriguing influences and churned them together to create something previously undiscovered. I won't lament. Mine Is Yours, in stark contrast, does the best it can to sound so... regular. Nathan Willett can still let loose with his impressive, identifiable voice, and does so on occasion, but when it is used to sing the rather insipid and empty choruses of "Finally Begin" and "Louder Than Ever," it is wasted. Instead of doing something interesting, five minutes of album space is stolen from the listener in the form of the Keane tribute track "Bulldozer." The attitude and artistry is gone, as I wrote here a few years back, which is too bad because from what I can tell and have heard, they are cool dudes who put on a great live show. Unfortunately, the music off of Mine Is Yours is obviously geared for ears other than mine.

The Horrors - Primary Colours (2009)

Recommended highly by a trusted musical resource/friend who told me I would love The Horrors, especially this record since it touches upon every musical genre I live for. Not worth the hype, not brilliant, not a fan. I was so excited to immerse myself in this album, but it was such a big disappointment. This one makes Guns N' Roses' "Chinese Democracy" seem like a successful concept album. I don't even want to talk about it.

La Rocca - Ok Okay (2008)

I loved "Sketches (20 Something Life)" off of The Truth. I'm a sucker for a lively keyboard and a singable/shoutable chorus. In fact, the whole album was pretty good, catchy roots rock that had me looking forward to the follow up. Unfortunately, Ok Okay they seemed to have dropped most of the rock in favor of mid tempo Brit schlock. This album is seriously disappointing, not because it is particularly bad, more that it is just so average and well, boring. It seems like they tried to appeal to the Grey's Anatomy crowd, but end up just playing neutered rock. The three songs I'll salvage are the sweet "Senses", "Sing Her Song" with its soaring chorus, and "Ballad Of Arizona", which is by far the best song on the album, integrating harmonica and simple lyrics over a driving piano and drums.