Published: Monday, November 17, 2008
Liner notes: "David Cook," "The BBC Sessions"
"David Cook"
David Cook
WHY CARE? For an "American Idol" winner, David Cook has received a surprising amount of positive buzz for his rock-friendly debut, out Tuesday.
TRIVIA: The Tulsa, Okla., resident says his favorite quote is "Pain don't hurt" from the Patrick Swayze movie "Road House."
HIGH POINTS: "Bar-Ba-Sol," a bar-friendly rocker, finds Cook wailing about feeling sick and nervous over crunchy guitar. It's one of the few songs that doesn't seem designed to be a rock anthem, which ends up as something of a relief.
FANS ALSO LIKE: Nickelback, latter-day Foo Fighters
ANDY SAYS: David Cook's debut is like a McMansion: It looks impressive at a glance, but then you realize its just like the house next door. With Chris Cornell helping write material and Rob Cavallo (Green Day, My Chemical Romance) producing, Cook makes few mistakes. That's no compliment. Nobody saved rock 'n' roll by playing it safe.
GRADE: C-plus
"The BBC Sessions"
Belle and Sebastian
WHY CARE? Belle and Sebastian join a distinguished group of bands, including Led Zeppelin and the Who, as its BBC sessions are released.
TRIVIA: The deluxe version of this album includes an extra disc with a live concert by the Scottish duo, recorded in December 2001 in Belfast, Ireland.
HIGH POINTS: "Lazy Line Painter Jane" is one of the most tuneful songs by the group, and jumps out here even in its stripped down form.
FANS ALSO LIKE: Simon and Garfunkel
ANDY SAYS: Belle and Sebastian, poster boys for the wistful and precious subgenre known as twee, have grown increasingly poppy in recent years. This horn-dappled album rolls out early material, though, when the group was practically whispering the lyrics to its tiny and lovely tales. It's nothing new, but that's not a problem.
GRADE: B
Andy Rathbun arathbun@heraldnet.com 425-339-3455
David Cook
WHY CARE? For an "American Idol" winner, David Cook has received a surprising amount of positive buzz for his rock-friendly debut, out Tuesday.
TRIVIA: The Tulsa, Okla., resident says his favorite quote is "Pain don't hurt" from the Patrick Swayze movie "Road House."
HIGH POINTS: "Bar-Ba-Sol," a bar-friendly rocker, finds Cook wailing about feeling sick and nervous over crunchy guitar. It's one of the few songs that doesn't seem designed to be a rock anthem, which ends up as something of a relief.
FANS ALSO LIKE: Nickelback, latter-day Foo Fighters
ANDY SAYS: David Cook's debut is like a McMansion: It looks impressive at a glance, but then you realize its just like the house next door. With Chris Cornell helping write material and Rob Cavallo (Green Day, My Chemical Romance) producing, Cook makes few mistakes. That's no compliment. Nobody saved rock 'n' roll by playing it safe.
GRADE: C-plus
"The BBC Sessions"
Belle and Sebastian
WHY CARE? Belle and Sebastian join a distinguished group of bands, including Led Zeppelin and the Who, as its BBC sessions are released.
TRIVIA: The deluxe version of this album includes an extra disc with a live concert by the Scottish duo, recorded in December 2001 in Belfast, Ireland.
HIGH POINTS: "Lazy Line Painter Jane" is one of the most tuneful songs by the group, and jumps out here even in its stripped down form.
FANS ALSO LIKE: Simon and Garfunkel
ANDY SAYS: Belle and Sebastian, poster boys for the wistful and precious subgenre known as twee, have grown increasingly poppy in recent years. This horn-dappled album rolls out early material, though, when the group was practically whispering the lyrics to its tiny and lovely tales. It's nothing new, but that's not a problem.
GRADE: B
Andy Rathbun arathbun@heraldnet.com 425-339-3455
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