Feist - The Reminder

$10.99 (list price), Ballad Pop, Cherrytree/Interscope

Basic Story: Almost exactly two years since her first solo album ‘Let It Die,’ Leslie Feist is back, as cool, confident and colorful as ever.

Sample: “Sea lion woman dressed in red/ Smile at the man when you wake up in his bed/ Sea lion woman dressed in black/ Wink at the man and then stab him in his back.”

Verdict: Feist is one of the lucky few who seem to have a voice as original as it is seemingly incapable of ever hitting a sour note. Like a female version of M. Ward, her voice sounds aged beyond her years. The first single, “My Moon My Man,” sounds like something Spoon could have written, but Feist makes it her own with her touch of slow-burning lounge coolness. While ‘The Reminder’ has its upbeat and playful moments (“Sealion”, “1234”), it is occasionally weighed down by drowsy ballads written by a girl whose past seems to always get the best of her. As the album cover shows, the darkness and sadness remain, but with her head up high, the bright colors of hope have broken free.

WATCH THE VIDEO FOR "1234"

Arctic Monkeys - Favourite Worst Nightmare

$15.98 (list price), Rock, Domino

Basic Story: England’s rock saviors return after the hype and mayhem that stemmed from releasing the fastest selling debut album in British music history.

Sample: “You used to get it in your fishnets/ Now you only get it in your night dress/ Discarded all the naughty nights for niceness/ Landed in a very common crisis.”

Verdict: If you’re one of the countless many who loved ‘Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not,’ you can take a deep breath and relax. Without wasting any time to write and record their follow-up, the Arctic Monkeys have managed to avoid the Stone Roses syndrome. The result is a relentlessly fast-paced rock album that is slightly heavier and more refined than its predecessor. Singer Alex Turner’s lyrics are just as witty, but this time around he seems more concerned with relationships than with the lifestyles of the working class. If the hype still has you cautious to dive in, just try “Fluorescent Adolescent.” If that doesn’t do it for you, it’s likely little will.

WATCH THE VIDEO FOR "BRIANSTORM"

Panda Bear - Person Pitch

$13.99 (list price), Experimental Pop, Paw Tracks

Basic Story: During a break from the rowdiness that is Animal Collective, Panda Bear (Noah Lennox) spent his time moving to Portugal, getting married, having a child and writing a solo album full of tribal sounds mixed with Beach Boys vocal harmonies.

Sample: “I don’t want for us to take pills anymore/ not that it’s bad/ I don’t want for us to take pills/ Because we’re stronger and we don’t need them.”

Verdict: If you’re looking for the perfect soundtrack to a long, windowless drive during a sunny day then look no further. Person Pitch is filled with the kinds of infectious pop melodies that get stuck on repeat in your head for weeks, pulling you back in time after time for the real thing. You won’t hear the screams and noise freak-outs typically found on an Animal Collective record. Instead, you’ll discover what Portugal would sound like if it was cohesively sampled into songs by Brian Wilson, most notably on the 12-and-a-half minute long “Bros.” Yes, this record cages a much tamer beast; one that resists its past urges to lunge for your neck in favor of gently swinging you on a hammock.

WATCH LIVE VERSION OF "BRO'S"

Everything, Now! - Bible Universe

$10.99 (list price), Pop, Self-Released

Basic Story: Muncie Indiana’s Crafty and Co. are back with a new concept record, their first full-length release since 2004’s arresting Police!, Police!

Sample: “Becoming the son of several things/ Legs and smells and lewd gesturing/ How you gonna’ tell me to sit down and shut up when/ I’m a fire burning ready to go in.”

Verdict: Bible Universe tells the tale of St. Backbone, a protagonist whose journey begins with death and whose testament is the “holy word” in the salvation and rebirth of life found within Bible Universe. According to his testament, “The end of life will be something like the beginning and you don’t need a doctor to tell you that you’re dead.” Whether you fall for the concept or not, it’s doubtful that you’ll need anyone, let alone a doctor, to tell you how great this album is. Reminiscent of the Flaming Lips at their most psychedelic, Bible Universe is the bands most accomplished and realized effort yet. Crafty’s vocals are better than ever, especially in the epic album closer, ‘The Birth of Ugly Magic.’ Somebody sign these guys already.

LISTEN TO VARIOUS E,N! TRACKS

The Clientele - God Save The Clientele

$14.98 (list price), Pop, Merge

Basic Story: The follow-up to 2005’s critically acclaimed ‘Strange Geometry’ finds London’s The Clientele venturing down sunnier streets, picking up a new member, Mel Draisey, along the way.

Sample: “You got my name/ Pick up my number/ Come on darling/ Let’s be lovers.”

Verdict: The Clientele just might receive the accolades they deserve after all. The album, recorded in Nashville, is a stunning collection of pop at its most polite. The influence of the city can be heard in the atypical nuance of pedal steel and slide guitar. Draisey adds a touch of class with her elegant violin arrangements and angelic vocals, perfectly complimenting singer Alasdair MacLean, who, at times, resembles John Lennon at his most sorrowful and sincere. MacLean says of the album, “The ghosts, half-light and uncertainties remain, but I sense a new found optimism in the music.” The optimism translates into another classic filled with upbeat songs, resulting in the proof that The Clientele can make you “shake your feet” just as easily as they can make you cry.

STREAM THE ALBUM IN FULL HERE: http://www.mergerecords.com/#