Massive AttackHeligolandVirgin RecordsSeven years after the disappointing “100th Window,” Massive Attack has finally released another studio album. It doesn’t quite measure up to 1998’s “Mezzanine,” but the new album marks the band’s return to the slow, soulful trip-hop that brought it widespread acclaim. The British experimental duo’s latest record features collaborations with six renowned guest artists on vocals, as well as others on bass, keys and synth bass. While “Heligoland” is slow-paced and lacking in range, tracks like “Girl I Love You” and “Paradise Circus” still have the beautifully haunting sound for which the band is known.BE.Clausen—————
YeasayerOdd Blood Secretly CanadianYeasayer’s second album is a jaunty joyride replete with just the right balance of beautiful sincerity and freaky, psychadelic pop. The Brooklyn trio mines the best sounds of ’80s synth rhythms, new-wave urgency, and psychedelic ’60s pop, combining them all to create vibrant and thrilling arrangements. Yeasayer made indie world music before Vampire Weekend made it cool. In modifying the influences of its world sound from a more eclectic sound to one that carries a heavier pop punch and more danceable style, the band has created a genuinely quirky and fantastic sophomore record.
The band’s first album, “All Hour Cymbals,” had moments of sheer brilliance mashed between tracks lacking any discernible direction, but “Odd Blood” shows Yeasayer fitting a clear abundance of ideas into nearly every track while still churning out more focused and direct songs.
The chorus of lead single “Ambling Alp,” with its simple message of “Stick up for yourself son, never mind what anybody else done,” strikes with remarkable resonance because of its simplicity and the sincere inflection of lead singer Chris Keatings’ voice. But the line is uttered over squishy, battering synths, a faint droning organ and an insistent drum loop that calls to mind the complex instrumentals of recent Animal Collective.
Instead of overcrowding their tracks, Yeasayer finds harmony between simplicity and ambition without robbing the songs of their elemental core. The record’s greatest strength lies in its versatility. Gorgeous love songs, such as “I Remember,” slot neatly next to the album’s monster anthem, “Madder Red.” Despite the obvious ’80s influence on songs like “ONE,” Yeasayer expertly walks the delicate tightrope between cheesy and catchy by constantly juxtaposing personal and emotive lyrics with more ambitious and varied sounds. It is this balance in song construction and songwriting which elevates “Odd Blood” above its predecessor and should elevate Yeasayer’s profile as well.A-C. Abshire—————
A Single Man The Weinstein CompanyOscar nominee Colin Firth completely transforms himself in his portrayal of an emotionally wrought gay man in 1962 struggling with the inability to cope with the death of his partner. Firth breathes complexity and depth into this lavishly staged movie directed by Tom Ford. The rich drama is enhanced by a hauntingly beautiful score, bold performances from Firth and Julianne Moore and stylish cinematography that appeals to its ‘60s setting. The film lags slightly toward its middle, but it concludes itself in a stirringly dramatic way, emphasizing its sleek stylishness and rich emotion.B+M. Jacobs—————
From Paris With LoveLions Gate EntertainmentIf you loved 2008’s “Taken” but wish it didn’t have a convincing lead character or any appeal outside violent action scenes, then “From Paris With Love” is the film for you. Director Pierre Morel’s first crack at a major film since “Taken” attempts to recycle the same fast-paced formula but falls completely flat. Where Liam Neeson pointedly conveyed the emotional attachment of “Taken’s” shootouts and car chases, “From Paris With Love” is hardly anything more than one self-indulgent action scene after another. The plot moves quickly and erratically and manages to lose viewers’ interest just as fast.DB. Bourgeois—————
AN EDUCATIONSony Pictures ClassicThe word “education” flies around a lot in this film, ut no one seems to know what it means. Sixteen-year-old Jenny (Carey Mulligan) trades her prep school education to traipse in the young social high life and jazz clubs of 1961 London after she meets a much older man. The top student drops out of her all-girls school and comes close to crossing the dangerous line of young corruption with the much-older David (Peter Sarsgaard) and his sex, money and shady business dealings. Some of the themes are cliché and Victorian, and the plot is entirely predictable — but it’s still fun watch. The movie is slow and quiet with spurts of music, but the music is well-timed, and the montages of scenery all over England and Paris carry the film. The dubious dealings of Sarsgaard’s character keep it interesting. Formerly Kitty in 2005’s “Pride and Prejudice,” Mulligan’s lead role is good but not strong enough to stand alone. Sarsgaard’s character is mysterious butunderdeveloped, and the audience is left wondering about the scope of his mystery. Rosamund Pike’s character is just silly. But the film is full of sweet, brief character exchanges. A girl coming of age on the edge of exciting 1960s England is scammed far too young by a much older man, and her helpless parents let her fall deeper and deeper into trouble — it’s sweet and moving.S. Lawson