This debut of French/Finnish indie pop duo The Dø (rhymes with “glow”) is the first English-sung album to have reached No. 1 in France, but it definitely does not have a mainstream sound. Vocalist Olivia Merilahti yowls, chants and seduces the listener over Dan Levy’s various instrumentation. Merilahti’s high-pitched voice comes off as whiny at first, but gets under the skin, quickly becoming addictive. The Dø experiments a lot here; each song is quite different from the last, runnig the gamut of influence—from African beats to blues harmonica to funky hip-hop. Although there are some slower numbers, the album overall evokes a playful, sexy atmosphere, like a hot Parisian indie dance club. (SO)
Jail Weddings Inconvenient Dreams (White Noise)
I’m sorry if you missed the Jail Weddings show back in March—it was extremely cool. Because its live show is so huge and frenetic, the newest release only does the rock ’n’ roll band partial justice, but the album is still completely worth your time. The 10-piece is a ‘60s throwback and definitely has the “wall of sound” effect, but with a sharper edge: a Phil Spector girl-group party crashed by The Stooges. The vocalists—one man and two women—sound like they’ve just had their hearts shredded. The lyrics are inventive and often twisted, adding surprise to the old-school sound. Perfect for going all the way in the back seat. (SO)
Bone Thugs-n-Harmony Uni5: The WorldÕs Enemy (Warner Bros.)
Bone Thugs-n-Harmony has been executing melodic rhymes since it got signed with Eazy-E’s Ruthless Records in 1991. The Cleveland group’s ascent to fame has been a long and bumpy road, but the two-time Grammy Award winner never let adversity deter it. With all original members intact, the group, with Bizzy Bone, Krayzie Bone, Flesh-n-Bone, Wish Bone and Layzie Bone, is on the road promoting its ninth studio album, Uni5: The World’s Enemy. Album highlights “See Me Shine” and “Universe” are indicative of its members’ maturity as artists yet retain that classic Bone feel. “Gone” and “Facts Don’t Lie” show a bolder side with more contemporary, commercial rap beats. Bone is back. (KE)
