CD Reviews: A run for office, ‘oul’ searching and more

Rise Against

“Appeal to Reason”

Interscope Records

“Appeal to Reason” is the new album by Chicago-based band Rise Against. I have to admit that writing this review was quite an emotional experience for me, because the band’s 2001 release, “The Unraveling,” changed my life when I was 14-years-old, and to this day gives me goosebumps when I listen to it.

The subsequent albums since “The Unraveling” have been mediocre at best, and Rise Against’s once explosively raw and emotional punk sound became increasingly clouded with overly-produced, overly-political rock songs complemented with trite lyrics and radio-friendly ballads.

“Appeal to Reason,” gives me hope, however, but the catalogue of songs still reeks of banal musical themes and enough political diatribe to raise the eyebrows of “The Huffington Post.”

Musically, the album is pretty tight. The songs are explosive and the melodies remind me of the early days. But I can’t help but feel like something is missing. It’s definitely a decent rock album, and to the uninitiated, a heavy alternative to the regular onslaught of commercialized crap.

To the veteran fans, the best way to appreciate this album is to accept the fact that Rise Against will never be what it once was.

— Tyler Branson/The Daily

3/5 stars

Murs

“Murs for President”

Warner Bros. Records

Los Angeles-based rapper Murs, whose name is an acronym for Making Underground Raw S***, is an underground hip hop legend. And his major label debut, “Murs for President,” is a pretty convincing campaign for hip-hop presidency.

It’s very different from his early stuff, to be fair. It’s more radio-friendly, the samples are more intricately produced and there are even some R&B hooks. But the lyrics are still intelligent, his storytelling style and West Coast flow are still large parts of the music, and it seems to me that this extremely gifted rapper used his new major label money wisely.

Check out the songs “Everything,” which uses an obscure sample of James Blunt and “The Science,” which offers a political history of the origin of hip-hop, to get a feel for the album.

— Tyler Branson/The Daily

4/5 stars

Jack’s Mannequin

“The Glass Passenger”

Sire Records

Andrew McMahon, frontman of the emo outfit Something Corporate, is back with the sophomore effort of his side project, Jack’s Mannequin.

It’s been a while since we’ve heard from McMahon, who was diagnosed with leukemia in 2005. Now fully recovered, “The Glass Passenger” is the first album he has released with either band since the ordeal.

Jack’s Mannequin is a direct descendant of the piano rock-lite that Something Corporate started peddling around the turn of the century – full of sweeping melodies, but just kind of shallow.

“The Glass Passenger” doesn’t mess with the formula much. If you’ve stuck with your emo roots through the indie-rock revolution, Jack’s Mannequin probably still has something to offer you.

If not, this is an album that’s arrived about five years too late.

— Dusty Somers/The Daily

3/5 stars

Oasis

“Dig Out Your Soul”

Warner Bros. Records

Oasis is back. Yes, that Oasis.

I’d forgive you if you’d relegated the British rockers to early ‘90s relic status. After a stint of legendary albums in that decade, Oasis hit the not-so-kind new millennium, where they were plagued with lineup changes and mediocre albums.

But with “Dig Out Your Soul,” Oasis has found a resurgence to some extent. They’ve piled on psychedelic guitar riffs and Noel Gallagher sings like he means it, even if his songwriting suggests otherwise.

Mostly, “Dig Out Your Soul” is a fun album to listen to – there are some pre-packaged moments, but it rarely feels like Oasis is trying to relive the glory days.

— Dusty Somers/The Daily

3.5/5 stars

Rachael Yamagata

“Elephants…Teeth Sinking Into Heart”

Warner Bros. Records

Is anyone else over this double album craze yet?

Rachael Yamagata takes over an hour’s worth of material – good material, mind you – and then splits it across two discs. One for the ballads and one for the rockers.

Sure, the double album makes her seem pretentious, but worse, it renders her songs impotent. By separating her different-sounding songs onto two discs, she’s removed any chance for variety, causing both discs to become tiresome.

Yamagata combines her smoky vocals with a nice pop sensibility – her music is enough to make her stand out without gimmicky album tricks.

— Dusty Somers/The Daily

3.5 out of 5 Stars

Tyler Branson

Tyler is a former staff member of The Oklahoma Daily who worked as Staff Writer.

Dusty Somers

Dusty is a former staff member of The Oklahoma Daily who worked as Staff Writer, Staff Writer and LIfe & Arts Editor .