Albums: Eulogies, Crystal Antlers, Sara Lov

Kevin Bronson on April 8th, 2009

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[I am haplessly behind on reviewing recent releases from local artists. Here’s the first installment of catch-up:]

Eulogies, “Here Anonymous” (Dangerbird, April 7) – Ever since Peter Walker mushroomed into a full-band project a couple of years ago and christened it Eulogies, his music has taken on new urgency. Bandmates Tim Hutton, Chris Reynolds and Garrett Deloain must have Walker pumping iron – on Eulogies’ sophomore outing, both the former folk singer’s” world-weary ruminations (like “Two Can Play,” a duet with Silversun Pickups’ Nikki Monninger) and steely affirmations (like “Eyes on the Prize”) are deftly articulated, with Walker’s boyish-but-bruised tenor sailing over punchy guitars, driving beats and the odd synth. Recommended. (Stream the full-band stuff at their MySpace; the download below is nice but a bit ballad-y.)

||| Download: “Bad Connection” (Homespun session version)

Crystal Antlers, “Tentacles” (Touch and Go, April 7) – Ah, noise is the new punk, right? Pardon me for getting all nostalgic for the old punk then. The Long Beach sextet has followed up a promising EP with an erratic full-length that sinks its admirable energy and experimental pscyhedelia in the squalor of garagey production and outright indulgence. Rip-snorting guitars, percussive assaults and old-school organs can be exhilarating, but some stretches on “Tentacles” make the 17-minute version “In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida” seem tightly edited.

||| Download: “Andrew” (or watch the video)

Sara Lov, “Seasoned Eyes Were Beaming” (Nettwerk, March 17) – In her first album away from from the duo Devics, Lov proves an adept storyteller and clear-headed diarist. Is it possible to be a sentimentalist without being whiny? Yes, and “Seasoned Eyes” is proof; Lov’s clarion vocals never overplay any of her content, and her almost alarming forthrightness, couched in saccharine melodies and Zac Rae’s gorgeous production, make for an album that stands out in a crowded field of singer-songwriters. Highly recommended.