The Martlet

Seperation Anxiety

Cadence Weapon

No Label

Contrary to the title of his new mix tape, Cadence Weapon’s latest album does not cause my ears any anxiety whatsoever.

Seperation Anxiety is the Edmonton native’s third album, following up 2005’s Breaking Kayfabe and 2008’s Afterparty Babies. Weapon continues to hold down the Western Canadian hip-hop scene, and it marks the first time Weapon (whose real name is Rollie Pemberton) has compiled a mix tape since the 2005 underground success Cadence Weapon is the Blackhand.

Seperation Anxiety is a diverse sonic collage that borders on the genres of electronic, hip-hop, techno and hipster indie. Aside from the question of the album’s true genre, the 20-track compilation contains some new material, a bonus track and a few collaborative remixes with artists such as Roots Manuva and the Cansecos.

Weapon stays true to the funky Nintendo-beat synthesized keyboard melodies of his previous albums, and many songs possess a strong hipster, indie feel. But Seperation Anxiety possesses an added techno influence, noticeable in “Pretty Girls Make Raves,” “Bad Graffiti,” “Roll With the Winners” and “House Music Medley.”

Seperation Anxiety also contains more serious hip-hop compositions than Pemberton is typically known for, and his seriousness is reflected in tracks such as “Morning After,” which scrutinizes the frustrating dynamics of an unsalvageable relationship, as well as “Kennedy Curse,” where Weapon drops clever rhymes criticizing his hip-hop colleagues for sounding too generic and repetitive. However, none of Weapon’s new tracks compare to my personal favorite, the remix entitled, “Sex with My Ex,” an anthem to tricky break-ups, which screams of classic Weapon.

Pemberton’s fan base, which currently spans across Canada, the U.S. and the U.K., can only grow after adopting the pay-what-you-want marketing technique for Seperation Anxiety ‘s release. Like Radiohead fans, enthusiasts of Weapon’s music are able to access his album via his website, and can submit compensation for Seperation Anxiety at whatever price their hearts desire. They can even pledge to donate later, or get it for free under certain conditions.

Weapon stays true to his style and diverse sound on Seperation Anxiety, while building on that same unique brand of music. I can sincerely assert that Seperation Anxiety is a far more pleasurable experience than sex with my ex.

• Dorian Geiger

Day & Age

The Killers

Island Records

Day & Age, the Killers’ third studio album, is a failed attempt at redemption from the band’s lackluster second offering Sam’s Town.

The Killers have now drifted so far into a fanciful pop realm that rock fans must be passing on their music, if not passing the ecstasy.

Their debut album Hot Fuss expertly married pop inclinations with rock credibility. Copies of the debut disc were able to make comfortable homes in the CD wallets of nightclub starlets, between groups like the Black Eyed Peas and the Pussy Cat Dolls, as well as on the shelves of music snobs, between groups like Joy Division and the Velvet Underground.

Day & Age is filled with grandiose sounds and fantastical imagery that sound like the Killers’ divorce hearing with rock and roll. Currently, the heaviest thing about the Killers is lead singer Brandon Flowers’ eyeliner.

The extravagant use of horn and string accompaniments, a song about a “Neon Tiger” and “A Dustland Fairytale” give the impression that the Killers wanted Day & Age to have a David Bowie charm. But the Killers’ songs are not as coherently packaged as Bowie’s cinematic experiences.

Even pop fans are likely to agree that new singles like “Human” and “Spaceman” do not stack up against older hits like Hot Fuss’s “All These Things That I’ve Done,” “Mr. Brightside” or even Sam’s Town’s “When You Were Young.”

Though others may disagree, in this day and age, the Killers are dead to me.

• Spencer Moyes

Across the Atlantic

Sarah MacDougall

Copperspine Records

“I’ve been rambling all my life,” croons Sarah MacDougall on “Ramblin,” the second track on Across the Atlantic, her second full-length album. One might, at first listen, write the line off as the 26-year-old artist’s attempt to sound worn and sun-beaten. But the Swedish-Canadian MacDougall has lived in Australia, Sweden and B.C., and the rest of this colourful album attests to an emotional maturity and diverse life experiences.

Across the Atlantic is a departure from MacDougall’s 2005 debut effort, Headed for the Hills. This album has a similar alt-country feel, but stands out in that it has echoes of MacDougall’s Eastern European roots. Some of her accompanying instruments include the dobro and weissenborn. In the title track she moans for the emptiness and nostalgia of her hometown: “And when I look up, the houses are tall/everything’s behind something, this town’s built on walls/you can feel the cold chill from behind the closed doors.”

Many of the tracks feature Joanna Chapman-Smith as background vocals, but accompaniment is almost unnecessary. MacDougall’s pure, round voice and her acoustic guitar let the haunting lines run off perfectly without sounding sticky-sweet or overdone.

The album’s repeated themes of sorrow, falling and rolling and heartbreak reveal a writer comfortable with her own life story. The “Ballad of Sherri” — about a young woman’s search for meaning — and the telling end track, “Goodbye Julie,” are miles different in tone, but they both showcase a vocalist who can admit she doesn’t know where she’s going and does so artfully.

As the artist, composer, and mixer, MacDougall’s stamp is everywhere on this album, making for a rich listen. She’s a wistful, bitter traveler, but an honest one with a voice that can stand on its own.

• Emma Prestwich

Howe Sounds/Taking Abalonia

Said the Whale

Pop Machine

The lyrics “Let’s go back to the coast, baby, westward to the ocean,” from Said the Whale’s track “Howe Sounds” completely encapsulates the budding Vancouver band. The four indie rockers are so west coast, it would be no surprise if they crapped seashells.

Said the Whale’s debut LP Howe Sounds/Taking Abalonia is chock-full of great tunes stemming from a feel-good approach to music. If a particular line is especially catchy, the group repeats it. If a song feels complete, they don’t bother adding a lengthy guitar solo. In fact, five of the 15 tracks on the album fall short of the two-minute mark.

“Curse of Currents” stands out as the album’s longest and saddest song. It’s a five-minute dirge about the unforeseen death of a lover, a storyline reminiscent of Wayne Cochran’s “Last Kiss.” Said the Whale’s song, however, has a coastal twist with the object of affection falling from a boat, only to be swept away by the current of the Georgia Strait.

“Live off the Lamb” exemplifies the influence of Oregon indie rockers The Shins on Said the Whale, directly channeling The Shins’ whimsical lead singer James Mercer.

Other gems, like the love-struck “The Light is You,” are perfect for putting a smile on your face as you wax your skim board, haul on your bong, mend your Cowichan sweater or perform some other activity that qualifies as “straight west coastin’.”

For those imported UVic students who are less familiar with the lifestyle, you may nonetheless find yourselves back home one day, longing for that salty Pacific air. If so, throw on a little Said the Whale. They’ll take you back to the coast, baby, westward to the ocean.

• Spencer Moyes