I bought this record on the strength of various message boards on the net thinking that the masses could not possibly be wrong. I was right. This might be the best record released in 2005. From the beginning insecurities of SECRET MEETING, to the final promising cries of MR NOVEMBER, this is a moody, brooding masterpiece. It is a gem that is waiting to be discovered by someone willing to surrender to the brilliance of John Berninger & co.

What I find stands out most apart from the obvious drum engine driving this record forward is the amazing lyrics sung by such an amazing voice. They evoke such imagery very much like Antony and the Johnsons.... self-defeat but tinged with a sense of hope that things will be fine in the end. I also really appreciate how they use the piano in most of the songs. As a piano player myself, I like it when the piano is in the forefront but here they use it so sparingly yet it is so effective. You have to hear KAREN and DAUGHTERS OF THE SOHO RIOTS to know what I am talking about and why I needed to mention it.

Now I don't want you to think this record will put you to sleep because there are full-throttle rock numbers on here.... LIT UP and ABEL to name a couple. It's all good. Although I can hear early U2 influences along with the other references listed in the previous reviews, they are really their own sound. All I can say is if you feel your record collection is missing that special CD of 2005, congrats... you found it. Now buy it!

If this was an EP, it would have been ONE of their best.

This CD starts off extremely strong... very reminiscent of early Depeche Mode. A PAIN THAT I'M USED TO with an extended intro could have easily started off `101' to get the crowd really going. JOHN THE REVELATOR is as close to a revival hymn as your going to get and it is the closest song that comes to rivaling anything pre-Violator. Best song on here period. It dips a little on the third track but THE SINNER AND ME followed by PRECIOUS bring the level back up.

It starts to go downhill from there. Maybe I shouldn't say downhill because they are ok songs. They just don't measure up to the first 5 tracks. If this were issued as an EP then it would have been brilliant. As it is, it's no better OR worse than their recent releases. I would advise anyone wanting to buy this to just download the first half from iTunes and pretend the other half doesn't exist.

3.5 Stars

There are songs on here that reach the level of perfection and there are some that touch on it for one brief moment. Obviously every listener will have his or her own idea as to what perfection is.

His style is that of the indie singer/songwriter but he doesn't solely rely on the guitar and piano. He makes use of almost every instrument under the sun... mellotron, vibes, stylophone, drums, percussion, bass, bell piano, organ, trumpet, violin, cello, saxophone and trombone.... but he uses each sound sparingly and expertly to craft some of the most wonderful pop songs I have ever heard.

This album has a timeless quality to it. It could have been released in the 1970's, 1980's, 1990's or now. I am glad it is now and I highly recommend it to anyone who appreciates well crafted music. Definitely will be on my top of 2005 list. Standout tracks are WAY OF THE SUN, LEADERS, O KY, CHEAP RHYME, WITHOUT YOU, and WILDERNESS.

All you need is a glimpse... well at least one listen and you'll be hooked. Staring at the sun will only make you blind but a fiery glimpse is all you need sometimes. Nod to Stars maybe????

The music on this CD is absolutley fantastic. Fans of Broken Social Scene will be familiar with Jason's work but it takes on an almost countrified sound compared to what BSS usually does. He uses his bandmates to create the sounds of what should be on everyones playlist. I am also amazed at Jason's talent as a lyricist.... saying so much in so little words. Leslie Feist and Amy Millan (Stars) provide background vocals (along with other members of BSS) while Emily Haines (Metric) guests for a duet in the foot stompin' HANGOVER DAYS.

All the tracks on this CD are standouts but if I could only pick three, they would have to be FIRE, HANGOVER DAYS, and of course, WE ALL LOSE ONE ANOTHER.

Metric's LIVE IT OUT is much better than its predecessor for many reasons - harder, cleaner production value, more mature songwriting - but what I think the biggest improvement is, is the music itself. On OWU, there were lots of great ideas but the songs never got far enough off the ground to really take off. Thankfully LIVE IT OUT fixes this. Every song seems to have a purpose and they all seem to be more than one-dimensional. A prime example would be EMPTY; a soft indie acoustic song ala Sarah Harmer until it literally crumbles away to nothing and then a wall of crunching guitars come in. Very cool.

Live It Out may not be album of the year but it does contain a few contenders for single of the year. I am expecting POSTER OF A GIRL to be the top single.... somewhere... for 2005. An homage to early new wave and bloody brilliant. Other standout tracks are the title-track LIVE IT OUT, POLICE AND THE PRIVATE, HANDSHAKES and GLASS CEILING.

I knew of CYHSY because of the small buzz surrounding this record but I never paid much attention to it until my friend gave it to me to listen to. Well... let's just say I am completely blown away. I can definitely understand the comparisons to The Arcade Fire and The Talking Heads. I will add The Tragically Hip to that list as well.

If you are looking for the Funeral of 2005 then look no further than Clap Your Hands Say Yeah. It is musically similar and at the same time brighter and the lyrics also paint a much happier and carefree world. Without listing all the songs, the stand out tracks are LET THE COOL GOODNESS RUST AWAY, THE SKIN OF MY YELLOW COUNTRY TEETH, IS THIS LOVE, IN THIS HOME ON ICE, and UPON THIS TIDAL WAVE OF YOUNG BLOOD.

Ron is back in fine form with his latest release 'Retriever.' He continues right where he left off with 'Cobblestone Runway' and shows no sign of slowing it down again. The songs are mostly upbeat and optimistic, but have more of an acoustic sound than on his last CD. Not to worry though, he still has two of his signature ballads; an achingly beautiful FOR THE DRIVER and the soon to be wedding staple TOMORROW IN HER EYES. In these two songs, Sexsmith's vocals are backed by a simple piano or guitar melody and they are both just gorgeous.

Of all the fantastic songs on this record, no filler here, there are three that really underline how brilliant Ron Sexsmith is. Whether it's the soulful groove in WHATEVER IT TAKES, the Beatle-esque rhythm driving NOT ABOUT TO LOSE, or the words of DANDELION WINE soaked in regret, these three songs confirm that Ron is at the top of his game.

Tom Holland takes us on a fascinating ride through ancient Egypt and weaves together a magical, and often horrific, tale of those who ruled the golden land and the great treasures that existed within the walls of palaces and within the walls of tombs. It is his own theoretical account based on what is known about the Egyptian Pharaohs today and what is speculated.

The story starts off with Dr. Howard Carter about to discover the tomb of the legendary Tut-Ankh-Amen and he knows this because of what was found buried just beneath the sands. A writhing corpse with its throat slashed. He writes to his financier, Lord Carnarvon, to let him know what he is about to uncover and why he believes it to be the burial place of "King Tut." As Carter relates this to him, the story unravels. It is a tale within a tale within a tale. It might sound confusing but Holland flows from one time in history to the next flawlessly.

This is the first novel of Mr. Holland's I have read and it won't be my last. I highly recommend 'Sleeper in the Sands.'

Ahhhh....life is good when I can hear new stuff from Alanis.

If you liked SO PURE from 'Supposed Former...' and PRECIOUS ILLUSIONS from 'Under Rug Swept', you will like this album. It is full of upbeat gems - only one ballad - that really show-off the talent of Alanis and her band. I think this is her best album as far as actual musical and lyrical muscle each song has but it is also her worst as far as how unvarying from song to song it is. And of course "worst" is all relative when it comes to Ms. Morissette;)

As long as Alanis stays with her unique phrasing and her shrewd use of lyrics, she will never put out a bad album. Standout tracks are EXCUSES, NOT ALL ME, THIS GRUDGE, EVERYTHING.

I borrowed this CD from a friend, and soon after listening to it I was a bit perplexed. How can something so original, and performed by someone so talented, be so annoying and boring at the same time? I just couldn't figure out why I didn't like this. And then it hit me. It's the lyrics. They are childish and narcissistic. I am fine with the whole silly lyric thing as long as there is a hint of cleverness (eg. Postal Service) and that is what I don't see with Get Away From Me. With lyrics like....I watch you/you hate me/I don't like you/but I want to have your baby/you ain't got no soul/I don't really get you/you ain't got no soul/like I've never met you...... it doesn't matter how catchy and how innovative the music is, without the words to hold it up, it will get tiresome very quickly. I found that to be the case after listening to this CD a third time. I am sad the reviewer from Amazon would mention her and Rufus Wainwright, who is a lyrical genius, in the same sentence.

But like I said, I found the music refreshing and I do give her credit for being the talented multi-instrumentalist and vocalist that she is. I will be interested to hear her next release (which she is apparently working on right now) and to see how she has grown.

2.5/5 stars