waves and off-time signatures in drumming and Matt Berninger’s DLR strikes out as something completely “Scars.” haunting baritone croon. independent from what you would expect from the masked one. Off-kilter Coupled with the humor frontman Jacoby It’s not until the third track, “Anyone’s keyboards and mellotron-type sounds Shaddix interjects into his between song Ghosts,” High Violet takes off with spread throughout the disc on “You Say,” banter, you get the feeling that this is a Devendorf’s drumming giving the muscle while staccato drums and vocals follow band that really enjoys every moment of it needs to elevate to the emotional peak suit on “I Love You.” being onstage. The only downer of the it needs to go. Berninger’s vocals give live tracks; however, is that there aren’t the song that final touch of intensity as Upon first hearing Dirty Little Rabbits, any songs included from the band’s he croons, “Didn’t want to be your ghost, “Hello” was the first I had heard. It sophomore effort, Love Hate Tragedy. didn’t want to be anyone’s ghost. But I immediately it stood out as almost These tracks show that it’s only a matter don’t want anybody else.” This with the Broadway musical in nature from the of time until a follow-up Live DVD to next three songs is the true core of the vocal delivery in its verses to the stripped 2005’s Alive & Murderous in Chicago is album with the brooding keyboard-driven down yet searing chorus. released - Matthew Pashalian. “Little Faith” and the slow-building mid- tempo rocker, “Afraid of Everyone.” Tonally, vocalist Stella K sounds However, “Bloodbuzz Ohio” is the reminiscent of Lacey Sterm from Flyleaf, album’s masterpiece that builds to a but, like Sterm, has a style all her own gripping climax. one going from a whisper to a scream. Though she seems to channel Korn’s These highlights and the three tracks that Jonathon Davis on “Put It In The Rock,” close High Violet brilliantly make the breaking into a nursery rhyme mid song. album another solid release for The On “Professional Hit,” Stella K rants National – the urban keyboard about a relationship gone well and at atmospherics of “Conversation 16” and times seems to throw a somewhat “England” with the odd but lovely comical fit. “Vanderlyle Crybaby Geeks. Despite the slow start and the interlude deep in the Dirty Little rabbits maybe score big second half of the record (“Lemonworld,” points for originality, but as far as having “Runaway”), the album is another memorable songs that will stick in your engaging and beautiful record by The head for days, that’s where DLR seem National; even if The Boxer is better – to lack the most. Aside from that, they’re The National Jeff Noller. different and really seem to be having a High Violet lot of fun doing what they’re doing - 4AD Matthew Pashalian. The National’s fifth album, High Violet, continues the band’s growing atmospheric ambition. 2007’s The Boxer raised the stakes for the Brooklyn-based indie rock quintet, which they attempt to swing for the fences with an outright masterpiece with producer Peter Katis again behind the boards. It’s too bad some of the songs tend to move a little to slow for their own good, no matter how mesmerizing the band’s performance is. From the opening numbers, “Terrible Dirty Little Rabbits Love” and “Sorrow,” the songs tend to Dirty Little Rabbits Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers crawl on for too long before building a The End Records Mojo good groove. This slows the album from Warner Brothers gaining momentum, despite Aaron and To say that Dirty Little Rabbits full-length Bryce Dessner’s guitar work and debut is different is an understatement It seems from a creative standpoint; Tom keyboards, Scott Devendorf’s subtle to say the least. Initially formed as a side Petty has been lying in the creative bass lines, Bryan Devendorf’s hypnotic project by Slipknot’s Shawn Crahan, doldrums for the better part of a decade. Following his last solid album, 1999’s Echo, he released the tepid and pretentious The Last DJ in 2002 with the Heartbreakers and 2006’s weary and melancholy Highway Companion. When he revived his first group Mudcrotch in 2007 to release their self-titled album the following year, people welcomed the ragged and loose feel that had been absent from most of Petty’s recent material. If there was hope that would translate to great record when he brought back the Heartbreakers for this year’s Mojo, that is not the case. The Gaslight Anthem The Pretty Reckless Sonically, Petty brings the band of Mike American Slang Light Me Up Campbell, Scott Thurston, Benmont SideOneDummy Interscope Tench, Ron Blair and Steve Ferrone into the world of Chicago-styled blues. This Having established themselves through Taylor Momsen sings with a lot of smokey may make Mojo sound great, but it’s non-stop touring and an ever-growing and soulful grit throughout The Pretty mind-boggling how Petty has failed to reception to 2008’s The ’59 Sound, New Reckless’ debut album, Light Me Up. A come up with any kind of hooks or Jersey’s The Gaslight Anthem continue surprisingly solid set of ten tracks that go from melodies to really make a sharp and sleazy blues and menacing grunge to to strike the iron hot on American Slang. swaggering record like he had done for shimmering arena rock and acoustic ballads, The band is in fine form here from the decades. the album is quite a surprise, given you don’t punchy, chest-pumping title track that expect Momsen to sing such earnest and Lyrically, he meanders all over the place opens the album. This song showcases expressive lyrics without sounding hammy or from the opening “Jefferson Jericho the throaty vocals of guitarist Brian over-the-top. This fact is more surprising Blues,” where he brings up Thomas Fallon, the solid rhythm section of when you consider Momsen was only 16 at Jefferson and the black maids he slept bassist Alex Levine and drummer Benny the time when she wrote the songs with with before going into metaphors of jilted Horowitz alongside Alex Rosamila’s producer Kato Khandwala and songwriter lovers and getting old. Rambling and slicing guitar licks. Ben Phillips earlier this year. mumbling through the songs neuters the fresh bluesy feel of the record. Yes, fans of The ’59 Sound will love this There are a plethora of solid rockers on Light record’s tight rockers like the punkish Me Up such as on the opener, “My Sure, the band sounds vibrant with rockabilly of “Stay Lucky,” the bluesy Medicine,” with its sleazy blues guitars and Campbell’s great guitar work, Ferrone doo-wop of “The Diamond Church Choir” towering drums. This gives a perfect platform and Blair’s solid rhythm section; but Petty and the frantic “Orphans.” However, for Momsen’s smokey and gritty vocals sounds like he could care less about American Slang does signal a change without sounding over the top or ham-fisted. playing or being there. Bringing the band in the band’s sound and direction to In fact, this latter fact only becomes an issue into the blues doesn’t have the result he more mid-tempo and soulful sounds. This on such songs as the bass-driven funk of looks like was going after. His heart finds them stretching out their sound to “Since You’re Gone,” the new wavish “Miss does not seem into it this time around. Nothing” and the arena rock of “Factory Girl.” great results as on the slower but Even then, it doesn’t take away the intended affirming melodies of “Bring It On.” Both At least on The Last DJ he had feel of these tracks. conviction, even if it was misguided and “The Queen of Lower Chelsea” and “We self-righteous. Highway Companion Did It When We Were Young” are Momsen and company deliver quite well on might have found Petty sounding sad and spacey but strong compositions with the such numbers as the sinister “Make Me defeated, dealing with older age; but latter closing the album on a stunning Wanna Die,” the melodic “Light Me Up” and there was an earnest to his playing. Mojo note. the balls-out grunge of “Goin Down” – the is a 65-minute bore that doesn’t even latter goes for the throat with less-than-saintly sound good if you were stoned off your The Gaslight Anthem do fall close to run- lyrics by Momsen to match. There are also rocker. Petty can’t use that excuse by-the-mill numbers on “Boxer” and “The some memorable slower numbers with anymore. He once had the kind of Spirit of Jazz.” These tracks dull the strings, acoustics and keyboards like the swagger to make Mick Jagger blush. album’s momentum during the second- melancholic “Just Tonight,” “Nothing Left to Now, he just sounds old without a care – half of the disc. However, this can’t keep Lose” and the closing “You.” Jeff Noller. American Slang from being the right step in the band’s progression with their more Overall, Light Me Up is a solid debut by The patient and slower tempos – Jeff Noller. Pretty Reckless. It will be curious to see where Momsen will go from here – Jeff Noller..