Music Shorts

M. WARD POST-WAR 2 and 1/2 stars Post-War, a sonically serene album with enjoyable singer-songwriter-style tracks and notable guest appearances, falls short in keeping the listener engaged. M. Ward's muddied vocals and acoustic guitar sum up the heart of each song with occasional keys, strings and distorted electric guitars injecting volume and life into the otherwise sedated cuts. It's the more rocking tracks such as "Requiem" and "Chinese Translation" that stand out on Post-War, jolting the folky monotony. - Morgan Ellis ADEM LOVE AND OTHER PLANETS 3 and 1/2 stars The latest record from Adem, British singer-songwriter cum multi-instrumentalist, sounds like a lot of things. But, much like Hamburger Helper, Adem takes something simple, comforting and familiar and turns it into something new - an indie rock casserole of sorts. It's still easy to swallow, and comforting in its familiarity, but adds a little something new just by combining elements. And despite the ease of accusing Adem of being derivative, the album holds up. - Bryan Reed BOYS LIKE GIRLS BOYS LIKE GIRLS 2 and 1/2 stars ON THE LAST DAY MEANING IN THE STATIC 2 and 1/2 stars Two new bands, Boys Like Girls and On The Last Day release Warped Tour-ready rock music, but do it by the book. There's nothing great here, but that doesn't mean it can't be fun. Boys Like Girls take a more pop-oriented approach with melodic, emotive vocals and the occasional synthesizer. Think Relient K meets Hellogoodbye. But On The Last Day opts instead for a dark approach to pop-hardcore. Think Aiden or The Used. - Bryan Reed AMY MILLAN HONEY FROM THE TOMBS 4 stars Honey from the Tombs, Millan's folk-inspired release, lends itself to multiple listens much in the same way Stars' Set Yourself on Fire did - which can be attributed to Millan's vocal charms and lyrical stylings. Her range - sometimes poppy, sometimes folk-based - remains her best attribute, but it's on Honey from the Tombs that she displays her talented songwriting chops, penning all but one track on the 12-song release. - Harry Kaplowitz MY BRIGHTEST DIAMOND BRING ME THE WORKHORSE 2 and 1/2 stars My Brightest Diamond's debut effort does too much for its own good. Lead singer Shara Worden's operatic voice is backed by heavy, almost maddeningly atonal guitar and piano riffs that don't serve her or the album well at all. Bring Me The Workhorse is an impressive debut as it solidifies My Brightest Diamond as an act to watch, especially when it opens for Stevens Sept. 21 at his Memorial Hall concert. But the album's inaccessibility pushes Worden out of the spotlight. - Harry Kaplowitz