understand. However, like our State Department and our EPA, something is definitely missing.
Appearing 7 / 8 at Huntington Bank Pavillion at Northerly Island
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- John Vernon
GORILLAZ Humanz
( Warner Bros)
Hard to believe what was once a cartoon side-hustle and lark between Blur vocalist Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett has morphed into one of this year ' s most celebrated bands and one of 2017 ' s most anticipated albums. But 15 years on, Gorillaz has become the most commercially successful of Albarn ' s projects, which is no minor feat. The surprise election of Donald J. Trump allegedly drove Albarn to finish music here, as it ' s motivated countless other musicians. Indeed, we ' re going to see an avalanche of protest music for the next few years. Humanz finds Albarn playing more of a producer role than previous albums, with guests filling out the roster including Mavis Staples, Vince Staples, Danny Brown, Pusha T and Savages vocalist Jehnny Beth. With this cast of thousands, the tracks are hit and miss, and it some spaces sound forced. Albarn sounds most at home when he makes music that sounds like his beloved Blur(" Busted and Blue," " Hallelujah Money ") while Grace Jones is wasted on " Charger," where her vocals and the tiny-house guitar riff that seemed an engineer ' s afterthought. Jehnny Beth does her best to bring some indie-cred to the cheeky " We Got The Power " a track that ' s drawn that ' s drawn the ire of battling Oasis brother Liam Gallagher, who scoffs at the idea of his brother Noel sharing a studio with a former enemy, and the notion that ordinary people have the power to change the world. How Trumpian. Gospel and R & B icon Mavis Staples brings a touch of soul to a sometimes soulless album(" Let Me Out ") accompanied by Pusha T ' s crucial interplay.
If November 8, 2016 spurred Damon Albarn to finish Humanz, we completely
28 illinoisentertainer. com may 2017
K. FLAY Everywhere is Somewhere
( Interscope)
Wilmette’ s Kristine Meredith Flaherty, who records under the moniker K. Flay, spent close to a decade working towards a break in music. It finally arrived in the form of her 2014 release Life Of A Dog. The record charted, she hit the road and eventually signed with Interscope for her major label debut Everywhere Is Somewhere. Her music is a dynamic blend of icy pop yolked with hip-hop beats. Although it may be the sounds that initially intrigue the listener, it’ s her confessional lyrics that pull you into her world. She documents situations that feel so intimate, they’ re almost uncomfortably voyeuristic. At times, it can feel like the aural version of“ Fight Club,” with Flay seemingly hurting herself to see if she still feels. The first single“ Blood In The Cut” is excellent proof that she’ s more than willing to expose her self for the sake of her art, specifically when she sings“ Take my car and paint it black / take my arm, break it in half / Say something, do it soon / It’ s too quite in this room.” The pain is palpable, but almost goes unrecognized because the hook is so tasty.
Appearing 5 / 20 at Hollywood Casino Ampitheatre, Tinley Park
– Curt Baran
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RAY DAVIES Americana
( Legacy)
On his first new album since 2007’ s Working Man’ s Café, Ray Davies scratches an itch that reaches down his back all the way to the earliest days of The Kinks. The proto-punk blast of“ You Really Got Me” began as a lurching piano-based blues, inspired by American blues staples like Big Bill Broonzy. Davies’ fascination with American roots music and the country itself coalesced on The Kinks 1971 album Muswell Hillbillies. Faint echoes of that album can be heard throughout Americana. The album can be seen as a soundtrack to Davies’ 2013 book by the same name, or the book can be considered book can be considered a conversational extrapolation of these autobiographicallyinformed songs. The ghost of“ Oklahoma U. S. A.” and the traveling rock circus tales of Everybody’ s in Show-Biz drift through“ Message from the Road.” Davies sings about missing the comforts of home and his young daughter. The Jayhawks’ Karen Grotberg assumes the character of a partner back home who knows that her traveling man is out partying with“ good time girls who come and go.” As the song continues, Davies’ lyric describes the strain on the long-distance relationships. The cinematic scope of the title cut is enhanced by the countrified twang of Jayhawks guitarist Gary Louris. The band provides reliable support with their famous harmonies and Grotberg’ s shimmering organ and parlor piano. Davies sings about“ my baby brother and me” setting off for the land of big skies and wild west heroes. It’ s an idealistic view that crumbles further into the album as reality encroaches upon the dream. Americana gets more sonically adventurous as the album progresses, peaking with the minimalist arrangement of“ Change for Change.” Percussion provided by what sounds like a bag of coins underscores Davies’ street-preacher narrative about the clash between idealism and hard times. With the jazz shuffle of“ I’ ve Heard That Beat Before,” Davies puts himself in the shoes of an upstairs apartment neighbor, hearing the writer’ s own domestic squabbles through the walls. With its brash power chords,“ The Great Highway” is the closest to a Kinks-styled rocker. The story of wanderlust dots the map from coast to coast, recalling city shout-outs like brother Dave’ s“ Rock and Roll Cities.” Louris( or is it longtime sideman Bill Shanley?) caps the song with a lick reminiscent of“ Do It Again.” Kinks veteran Ian Gibbons adds additional keyboards to the album.“ The Invaders” recalls heady days at the forefront of the British Invasion, but also speaks to the xenophobia and intolerance levied at the young Davies brothers upon visiting the land of their fascination. It also hints at the musicians union ban that stalled the Kinks’ momentum in the late 60s.“ We just came to get a break, not to turn into enemies of the state,” sings Davies.
The love is evident, but Americana is haunted by disillusionment and the struggle against fading chances.“ Poetry” pokes at the hollow meaninglessness of consumer culture. The waltz-time“ Rock ' n ' roll Cowboys” describes the long walk into the sunset.“ Your time’ s past, now everyone asks for your version of history,” he sings. Still, if Davies is that cowboy, he’ s making the most of the fading light.
– Jeff Elbel
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AT THE DRIVE IN in • ter • a • li • a
( Rise)“ There’ s a narc on every corner / Knock, knock, knock on every door.”
After a 17 year recording absence, El Paso’ s At The Drive In return just in time to immerse themselves in a Trump-era nightmare. 2000’ s seminal Relationship Of Command was their last studio document, and the second Bush administration they were raging against now feels effortless in comparision. With the exception of original guitarist Jim Ward( replaced by Sparta guitarist Keely Davis), the core of the posthardcore quintet remains intact. As do the band’ s signature trademarks. in • ter • a • li
• astill trades in the currency of whiplashinducing tempo shifts, Omar Rodriguez’ s frantic guitar squalls and Cedric Bixler’ s rapid fire vocal delivery. As expected, paranoia is prevalent throughout the recording. Wolves, guillotines, cannibals, hostages, contagions and a laundry list of other sleep-sweat inducing images swill around inside of the band’ s urgent, antagonizing soundtrack. On songs like“ Continuum” and“ Incurably Innocent,” Bixler spits an impossible number of syllables per measure as a spleen venting rhythm section thunders underneath. Bixler and Rodriguez have played together for so long at this point in their careers, the musical dialog between them is practically clairvoyant. It’ s that symbiosis that takes a line like“ I’ ll drop a dime on you first” and gives it the menace that more than half of our population is currently experiencing. Appearing 6 / 18 at Aragon Ballroom, Chicago.
- Curt Baran
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THE HUMAN LEAGUE AVery British Synthesizer Group
( UMe)
The Human League were among the defining bands of the New Wave era, with a string of hits that serve as four-minute time traveling expeditions to the‘ 80s. The
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