Rufus Rates!

Been a while I know....

But I've been on holiday and stuff... Anyhow shut cakeholes because I'm back.

First up.

Arcade Fire - The Suburbs (Universal... I think...it don't say)

Now i've never heard these before and I have to admit that it wasn't a choice of mine. Father spent about an hour in (whisper it) HMV looking for something to buy. Get this this... he was about to leave with nothing when he remembered that Uncle Nick said this was good so we bought it. And it is very good indeed. Like a steam-punk new wave Roy Orbison. Dad knows more about Arcade Fire than I do and he considers this to be their best album.

First track "The Suburbs" is all rinky dinky piano and travelling Wilburys drums and sets the tone nicely.

Second track sounds like Strokes go Goth which leads us to..... "Modern Man", a fabulous slow-burning earworm of a tune, conjures up the type of modern America that Springsteen left behind years ago. A Lynchian schizoid take on where do we stand in all of this? (If you get my drift).

I won't prattle on about every track on here but there isn't a single duffer amongst em, even though one song does sound a wee bit like Carter U.S.M. ("Half Light II). Heartstrings are pulled and torn as images drift by of a prefabricated, half lit world occupied by the disenchanted and obsolete.

THEN... it's all hope, hope and more hope...."Suburban War" comes on strong with the 12 string Byrdisms. Smiths-esque and Mamas and Papas-y in equal measure....... a beautiful song that makes even my baby hair stand on end, gorgeous and tragic, joyful and tearful. YEAH! the drums kick in, guitars crash. Waves of choirs, strings.... then....................!?

And this is only half way through.

The great success of this record is that at even 16 tracks you don't want it end. There is even time for some disco on "Sprawl II". We enjoyed shaking our rumps to that one, I can tell ya.

Overlong? no.

Samey? no.

Just brilliant.

Simply put.

Album of the year (probably)

And now onto something altogether different and fun.

Tweak Bird - S/T (Souterrain Transmissions)

ROCK! BASS! UGH! DRUMS! all played very loudly.... Zingzilla-tastic! Scared me witless when we first played it.Yes... I may have needed a nappy switch. Sounds like that band with the Nirvana fella in should do.

Stupid and fulla riffs. If Ozzy were californian (I don't know if these are) and 20 odd this is what he would be doing.

Warning.... May also contain freaky sax solos.

(More reason to buy I say)