Hello again, comrades. I decided to review Lily Allen’s new album instead of Vulture Whale (not to steal your thunder, imnore), but I’ll review the boys from Birmingham next week. Here are my reviews for this week.

Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears, Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears E.P.

Blues rock from Austin, Texas. Organ, hot brass, guitars. Unintelligible, blues-style male vocalist. Four tracks: a blues/funk song, a slow hot song, an improvised ramble set to music, and a bo diddley beat. There’s nothing that original on this record, and I think it’s only really supposed to promote their live blues band business. Faithful, technically decent, but I’m sure you can find better blues records without even trying. I welcome anyone else who knows anything about blues to add their opinion. (2.5/5)

The Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears E.P. was released on January 27th. Here is their Myspace page.

Lily Allen, It’s Not Me, It’s You

Witty, well-produced pop that makes you think. Synth-heavy. Allen’s vocals are unprocessed, for the most part.  There are a lot of different musical styles to keep the record interesting. The lyrics have realistic, relatable takes on romance, but also some clever social commentary (as I wrote earlier). Highlights include “Not Fair”, a rockabilly (wtf) style track about a sweet guy who’s a cad in bed, and “Who’d Have Known” a touching (I am embarrassed to admit) song about the awkward start to a relationship. This record is fun, easy to listen to, and intelligent. Lily Allen seems to be a force for good in the normally vapid, shallow world of pop music. (4/5)

It’s Not Me, It’s You will be released on February 10th, but you can listen to the whole album on her Myspace page.

Monumental Sonic Architecture, Monumental Sonic Architecture E.P.

Pensive, soundtrack-style electronic rock. Sequenced synths and a crunchy guitar over drum loops. Slightly tone deaf male vocalist. Thin, demo-quality tracks in need of a producer. Weak lyrics. (“Bullshit’s piling up so high / Up so high with me / Bullshit’s piling up so high /Up ’til I can’t  see.” Repeat.) Monumental Sonic Architecture knows a few cool tricks, but overall, their music needs too much work to be worth your time. (2/5)

Monumental Sonic Architecture E.P. was released digitally on December 16th. Here’s their Myspace page.

That’s all for now. Hope you’re doing well.