MAY 2012 ISSUE MMUSICMAG.COM REVIEWS HOLE TNobody’sHE CULT Daughter [Universal] Choice of Weapon [Cooking Vinyl] The first album released under the Hole moniker since 1998’s Celebrity Skin is really frontwoman Courtney Love’sIt’s been more than 20 years since the Cult achieved platinum success with second solo album—co-founder,Electric and Sonic Temple, records that appeared to establish the band as songwriter and lead guitarist Eric Erlandson isn’t involved,goth-metal’s reigning power. Unable to sustain the momentum, the group nor is any other previous Hole member. So it’s Love andultimately three disbanded in the mid-’90s, with frontman Ian Astbury going on ringers on 11 new songs—10 of which Love wroteto with gain notice as the fill-in for Jim Morrison in touring configurations of the collaborators like Billy Corgan,Doors. LindaThe group’sPerry and latest new album consolidates a solid comeback hatched with guitarist Micko Larkin. (Perry gets full credit on one tune, “Letter to God.”) 2007’s Born Into This. Propelled by founding guitarist Billy Duffy’s searing Much of the riveting intensity of the group’s 1990s heyday appears to haveriffs, left Astbury along with sings her former like a doomsdayDaniel Jackson prophet, issuing nightmare visions like a bandmates, but there are fl ashes here of the snarling Too often, though, the slower songs trip her up. While once fury Love deployed to suchmuscled-up devastating effectversion back of in Nick the day. Cave. they The were song showcases titles for alone—“The harrowing displays Wolf,” of “Lucifer,”naked emotion, She spits out her vocals “Life>Death”—signalwith vengeful disdain on “Skinny this is Little not materialLove sounds for themore faint dispassionate of heart. these Musically, days. The Choice production Bitch,” overdriven guitars roiling atop an elastic bassline that doesn’t help—the songs have an airless, sanded-down feel that speeds up as the song ofraces Weapon toward a conjuresclimatic pile-up up atan the aural doesn’t image fi t with of herthe visceral early persona. ’70s, when Courtney bands Love’s tumultuoussuch end. She shifts tempos and attitude on the more contemplative history suggests that she has a compelling story to tell, and “Pacifi c Coast Highway,”as taking Deep stock Purpleas layers ofand acoustic Queen and oftenperhaps mixed she does. metal, It’s just prog not the andone she’s what telling today on Nobody’s is electric guitars chug along behind her. Daughter. –Eric R. Danton considered classic rock into a simmering concoction. –Russell Hall

COURT YARD HOUNDS A side project of new offering suggested that its creator was a few strides closer to Dixie Chicks’ Martie crafting something truly monumental in both musical and social terms. Court Yard Hounds Maguire and Emily This cold and private set isn’t it, although that’s probably due more to [Columbia] Robison, Court Yard personal circumstances than anything related to talent. Wainwright Hounds delivers wrote All Days Are Nights while his mother, Kate McGarrigle, was much-anticipated dying of cancer, and there is a quiet, complex sadness even in its insight—both musical and personal—into the sisters who have less autobiographical material. There’s nothing here except piano for so long ceded center stage to Chicks singer Natalie Maines. and vocal, and Wainwright doesn’t project his words in the way Though steeped in familiar instrumentation, the album offers little we’ve come to expect from him. Instead of serenading the person of the barn-burning brashness that made the Chicks famous (save in the farthest corner of a packed theater, he’s singing to himself in perhaps the gutsy “Ain’t No Son”). Instead, its delicate folk-pop an otherwise empty room. –David Styburski prettiness perfectly suits Robison’s more-than-capable voice and the jumble of emotions, sunny and melancholy, that emerge in a song Ozomatli’s music has been called a collision cycle inspired by her 2008 divorce. Maguire’s weeping fi ddle and OZOMATLI of styles, a cultural mash-up, and a 20-car seamless harmonies are welcome as always, and her one turn on pileup of genres. It’s also some of the most lead vocals (“Gracefully”) is so warmly affecting that listeners may joyfully energetic music you’ll ever hear. On ‘Propelledwish she stepped to the by mic more founding often. Court Yard Hounds guitarist ably Billy its fi fth album, the L.A.-based band stirs its demonstrates that, whether with their fellow Dixie Chick or without, blend of salsa, ska, samba, funk, and hip-hop these ladies’ talent runs deep. –Katie Dodd in ways few groups could conceive. Imagine Fire Away tossing the English Beat, Herb Alpert and the Duffy’s searing riffs,For a dozen Astbury years, the [Mercer sings Street/Downtown] Tijuana Brass, Caetano Veloso, and Sly and RUFUS arrangements on Rufus the Family Stone into a magical blender and Wainwright’s albums got you get some sense of Ozomatli’s eclectic approach. High points WAINWRIGHT busier and his sometimes on their latest, Fire Away, include “Are You Ready?,” a horn-and- likeAll Days Area Nights: doomsday Songs naughty, occasionally prophet.’ percussion-driven blast of salsa-fl avored ska; “Yeah Yeah Yeah Yeah,” for Lulu angry declarations of gay an exultant Latin pop anthem fi tted with shrieking sax; and “Gay Vatos [Decca] pride got louder. Each in Love,” a rockabilly-tinged tune with a soaring chorus. Even when

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