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• June 12, 2008
• Reviews

06/12/08

Fleet Foxes—Fleet Foxes

Lil Wayne—Tha Carter 3 Despite the fact that the tepid lead single "Lollipop" is inescapable this summer, Lil Wayne has delivered a very good album. Sure, it doesn't tread the same fine line of goofy spontaneity and offhand brilliance that Wayne displays on his mixtapes, but it comes pretty close and features a few really strong songs in the process. We particularly enjoy the Jay-Z collaboration and "Dr. Carter," a throwback song that delivers the hip-hop metacommentary that we used to love—rapping about rapping.

Fleet Foxes—Fleet Foxes A very beautiful and well-recorded debut album from Fleet Foxes. It features two things we love dearly—three-part harmonies and droning organs. It also, at its best, reminds us of the early '70s California rock that we grew up on, then renounced, and now have
rediscovered as we realize just how fertile a time that period was for music. This record should get some nice Sunday morning spins sandwiched between your Buffalo Springfield and Gene Clark records.

Lykke Li—Youth Novels You hear the cold, mechanical rhythms first, and you naturally expect to hear some austere Teutonic voice singing over these tracks. But then you hear Lykke Li and everything seems a bit sweeter and organic. Youth Novels is probably the hundredth perfect, catchy Swedish pop record we've reviewed since 2005. Frankly, we don't think it's fair, but as long as they keep coming up with good tunes, we'll keep buying them.

A very beautiful and well-recorded debut album from Fleet Foxes. It features two things we love dearly—three-part harmonies and droning organs. It also, at its best, reminds us of the early '70s California rock...