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The Tampa Tribune

Published: July 17, 2008

BLACK ANGELS

DIRECTIONS TO SEE A GHOST

(LIGHT IN THE ATTIC) ***

Psychedelia doesn't have to be pretty. Austin, Texas' Black Angels break on through with a witches' brew of Velvet Underground drones, Jesus and Mary Chain feedback, some 13th Floor Elevators mayhem (check the jug blowing in "Never/Ever") and a hint of Creedence Clearwater Revival voodoo a la "Run Through the Jungle."

Alex Maas' vocals suggest he has not only followed the directions of the album's title but has become intimately acquainted with his quest. Stephanie Bailey's drums alternate between Moe Tucker-style repetition and tribal pounding that suggests the natives have a cauldron with your name on it.

Real high and far out, as Sgt. Joe Friday would say.

Download this: "Never/Ever"

Curtis Ross

THE LAST SHADOW PUPPETS: THE AGE OF THE UNDERSTATEMENT (DOMINO) **½

Understatement? Ha! British indie-punks Alex Turner (Arctic Monkeys) and Miles Kane (The Rascals) don't just embrace bombast with this side project, they seduce it, lure it home, and leave it prone and panting in a tangle of stained bedsheets.

How's this for ambition? Their backing band is the London Metropolitan Orchestra. Seriously.

Solid songcraft and Turner's defiant snarl of a voice provide the ballast that keeps it all from getting carried away in a tidal wave of melodrama. The title track charges out of the gate with a galloping beat and a foreboding post-Ennio Morricone arrangement. But the ballads work, too - particularly "My Mistakes Were Made For You," which recalls the symphonic '60s pop of Scott Walker.

Download this: "The Age of the Understatement"

Rommie Johnson

JAKOB DYLAN

SEEING THINGS

(COLUMBIA) ***

The Wallflowers had success, but there was something that didn't seem natural - it seemed forced. Now, a decade later, leader Jakob Dylan breaks out on his own to deliver what is lyrically his strongest work to date.

"Seeing Things" is melodically simple and focuses more on Dylan's view of the world around him. With producer Rick Rubin behind the board, it's no wonder this album projects a more honest sound.

Each song is different from the last. Opener "Evil Is Alive and Well" is moody and serious, while "Something Good This Way Comes" shows a little of Dylan's positive side.

Download This: "War Is Kind"

Sara Minton

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