It's been a long time since the once-precocious teen rocker and Noise Addict frontboy Ben Lee transitioned into a tuneful singer songwriter, but now the 28-year-old Aussie has turned in a sixth studio effort that's ?Ripe? with hit potential. Mandy Moore, Benji Madden of Good Charlotte, and members of Nickel Creek, Rooney and Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers all contribute to Lee's impressive song cycle.
Australian indie-pop group Architecture in Helsinki is now 25% slimmer following the departure of members Tara Shackell and Isobel Knowles. This hasn?t deterred the former eight-piece, though, and the group plans to build upon the acclaim of sophomore album ?In Case We Die? with a brand new set of twee glockenspiel- and synth-populated tunes.
This U.K. duo barely blipped the radar here with its 2004 debut, "Kicking the National Habit," a sublime, catchy m?lange of the Police's rhythmic pop, New Order's dance-driven rock and the Bee Gees' knack for melody. "A Drink and a Quick Question" is more diverse, touching on the homespun feel of "Tusk"-era Fleetwood Mac on lovelorn laments like "Joker and Clown" and conjuring intriguing disco/ rave hybrids like "By the Time I Get Home There Won't Be Much of a Place for Me" and the churning "Close Approximation." The Police resemblance remains, but the group has found a way to put a more original spin on it with such tracks as the gently zooming "Weird Ideas at Work," "New Space to Throw" (complete with chicken scratch guitar and synths) and opener "Reasons to Hide In," which sounds like an indie rocker's idea of "Saturday Night Fever." < Jonathan Cohen
Swedish death metal kingpin Arch Enemy promises songs about "the pain and losses we cause each other" on its eighth studio album. "This album will crush you, and the vocals are mean all the way," singer Angela Gossow says.
In 2005, Little Big Town resurfaced on indie Equity Music Group for the release of its first album since 2002. Though the band had worked with major Monument Records in the past, "The Road to Here" propelled it to mainstream success, selling more than 1 million units. An as-yet-untitled follow-up arrives in November.