THE DANMAN CAN

1.    Artificial Pleasure   Artificial Pleasure   ****1/2 ( Review ) 2.    Jonathan Bree   Sleepwalking  ****1/2 ( Review ) 3.    Parquet Courts   Wide Awake!   **** ( Review ) 4.    Beach House   7  **** ( Review ) 5.    Chromeo   Head Over Heels  **** ( Review ) 6.    A Perfect Circle   Eat The Elephant   ***1/2 ( Review ) 7.    Mirah   Understanding   ***1/2 ( Review ) 8.    Metric   Art Of Doubt  ***1/2 ( Review ) 9.    Interpol   Marauder   ***1/2 ( Review ) 10.  Poster Children   Grand Bargain!   ***1/2 ( Review )

On Mirah 's 6th solo studio (and 10th overall) LP, Understanding , she recorded the skeletons of the tracks whilst in art residencies away from home, later adding flourishes with producer El Crews (of Beulah fame) and Greg Saunier (of Deerhoof fame) back in her home base of NYC. As has always been the case, Mirah draws her lyrical inspiration from love, loss, hope and politics. The songs will feel familiar to those who've followed her musical journey—that of breathy vocals, impassioned cries for peace and harmony, raw and simple guitars, minimal synths and (mostly) gentle percussion. "Hot Hot" (she so often seems to write songs about heat), the album's best cut, melds an indiefied R&B slow jam with chill out dance elements that perfectly suits Mirah's delivery. "Blinded By The Pretty Light" is another highlight—it's Mirah's "I'm On Fire", fitting given the similarity to another title by The Boss and the fact that she o...

1.    St. Vincent St. Vincent ***** ( Review ) 2.    The Life And Times Lost Bees  ***** ( Review ) 3.    Aphex Twin Syro  ****1/2 ( Review ) 4.    Spoon They Want My Soul ****1/2 ( Review ) 5.    Röyksopp The Inevitable End  ****1/2 6.    Trans Am Volume X **** ( Review ) 7.    The Faint Doom Abuse **** ( Review ) 8.    Fujiya & Miyagi Artificial Sweeteners  **** ( Review ) 9.    Chromeo White Women  **** 10.  Interpol  El Pintor  **** ( Review ) 11. Mica Levi Under The Skin (Soundtrack) **** 12.  Trap Them  Blissfucker   ***1/2 13. Voyag3r Doom Fortress ***1/2 14. Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross Gone Girl (Soundtrack) ***1/2 15. ...And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead  IX ***1/2 16. Mirah Changing Light  ***1/2 ( Review ) 17. Primus Primus & The Chocolate Factory With The Fungi Ensemble  ***1/2 ...

My least favorite Mirah solo album so far, but still full of great songs. "Turned The Heat Off" is my jam.

…And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead   Tao Of The Dead ****1/2 Death Cab For Cutie   Codes And Keys **** ( Review ) Thao & Mirah   Thao & Mirah ****1/2 ( Review ) Boots Electric   Honkey Kong **** ( Review ) St. Vincent   Strange Mercy **** The Black Keys   El Camino **** ( Review ) Peter Gabriel New Blood ****1/2 ( Review ) My Morning Jacket   Circuital ***1/2 ( Review ) Tom Waits   Bad As Me ***1/2 ( Review ) The Cars   Move Like This ***1/2 Charles Bradley   No Time For Dreaming **** Foo Fighters   Wasting Light ***1/2 Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross   The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo (Soundtrack) **** Primus   Green Naugahyde ***1/2 The Chemical Brothers   Hanna (Soundtrack) **** Trap Them Darker Handcraft **** The Go! Team   Rolling Blackouts ***1/2 Fujiya & Miyagi   Ventriloquizzing ***1/2 Cliff Martinez...

Late star rating. Revisiting this album and it gets better each time.