Detrola
WithDetrola, His Name Is Alive brainchild Warren Defever finally combines all his musical interests on one album! Whether it's soulful heavy soul, gurgling electro-pop, smooth confessional indie-folk, or strange bedroom croon tunes--they're all here. It's not exactly "cohesive." In fact, the whole thing sounds more like a mix tape or a collection of career-spanning demos. But when Lovetta Pippen's impressive voice collides perfectly with Defever's eerie, pretty, and downright sexy production--as it does on more than half this album--the results are wonderful. Thank goodness H.N.I.A. has returned from semi-retirement! No one else could make music that sounds like this, no matter how hard they tried. On a parallel world, these guys have sold at least as many records as the Eurythmics or Tatu. One can remain hopeful that one day their blues will indeed cover the earth. Until then, there's no harm in letting it wash all over you.--Mike McGonigal