On the record: Timbaland's ready to shock

Dec 7 2009 By Polly Weeks

What's hot and what's not in this week's new releases.

Timbaland - Shock Value II

As a superstar producer, Timbaland is responsible for some of the biggest pop albums. When he's not working his magic on other artists' releases, he's working on his own. Considering the number of other albums he's contributed to, it's no surprise that the world's biggest stars have returned the favour. This album acts as a roll-call of who's who in the pop scene, with contributions from Justin Timberlake, Nelly Furtado and Katy Perry - even Disney superstar Miley Cyrus features on a track. Unfortunately, despite this heavyweight pop contingency, it's essentially a forgettable album. Repetitive beats mean one song merges into the next, and it makes for a dull listen. At times it even verges on euro-pop - highlighted on If We Ever Meet Again. It's a pity. Timbaland is clearly one of the leading producers out there, yet this album lacks direction.

Rating: 5/10

(Review by Polly Weeks)

Dan Clews - Dan Clews

Championed by none other than Beatles maestro Sir George Martin, Dan Clews releases his debut album. Full of folk-pop songs, this release is essentially OK. There are some nice intricacies on songs such as the opening number Lucid And Sincere and fifth track Saltry Man. Elsewhere the album verges on mediocre. Clews is clearly a talented musician and in the right environment - for example the Cambridge Folk Festival - he'll be very well-received. Yet the album lacks a clarity which is needed to break through to the mainstream. A rising star who just needs to spend a year or so developing his sound.

Rating: 6/10

(Review by Polly Weeks)

Gilles Peterson - Gilles Peterson Presents Havana Cultura

For a country so small and detached from the outside world, Cuba generates a great deal of musical activity. Sadly, only more established artists tend to reach our ears - and shores. Thank goodness, then, for Havana Cultura, an album of startlingly original material from the island capital's most exciting new artists. Tastemaker Gilles Peterson, acclaimed pianist Roberto Fonseca and upcoming producer Vince Vella have amassed the largest and most formidable gathering of Cuban musicians since Buena Vista Social Club's 1997 debut. Stretching beyond salsa into jazz, hip-hop and afro-dance rhythms, it's a snapshot of musical history in the making. Tracks are complex and intriguing, sometimes wistful and irresistibly catchy. Projects of this sort often fade into insignificance, but Havana Cultura is one of those rare examples that deserves to be cherished.

Rating: 9/10

(Review by Sarah Marshall)

Sven Vath - The Sound Of The 10th Season

Sven Vath, mastermind behind the Cocoon record label and all-round dance music svengali, unleashes his annual round-up of some of the biggest tunes he's played out in his sets at Ibiza superclub Amnesia over the past 12 months. Celebrating a decade of his residency on the White Isle, the German DJ has whipped up a supremely fetching collection of widescreen techno and minimal tracks designed to showcase some of the scene's rising artists. As if that wasn't enough, there's a DVD thrown in for good measure that features a live set by the man himself, along with interviews with stalwarts including Richie Hawtin and Ricardo Villalobos.

Rating: 7/10

(Review by Simon Harker)

The Gilded Palace Of Sin - You Break Our Hearts, We'll Tear Yours Out

Despite this being the band's debut album, The Gilded Palace Of Sin have already slotted neatly into the rock-noir genre. This essentially means it's an atmospheric rock release which sounds like it should be on an art-house soundtrack. Instrumentally led with occasional vocals, the songs sit somewhere between The National and Nick Cave. So if you like your tunes a tad depressing, this album will suit you down to a tee. Some of the tracks, including For When We Forget, are too long, although when followed up with a tune such as Rosa Salvaje it seems to work.

Rating: 7/10

(Review by Polly Weeks)

Metronomy - Pip Paine (Pay the £5,000 You Owe)

Dance music and electronica may be close cousins, but Metronomy's 2006 debut LP, now re-released and expanded, certainly has its feet planted in the latter genre. You can try to dance to Pip Paine, but the lack of consistent rhythm and an ever-shifting tempo makes it almost impossible. The instrumental opener You Could Easily Have Me fuses heavy rock guitar and drums with menacing synths to brilliant effect and belongs on a dancefloor, but immediately the mood swings as Love Song For Dog brings in bedsit electro-jazz. Metronomy visit some dark and some slinky places, and accomplish all sorts of neat tricks along the way, but Pip Paine is better appreciated as a series of experiments in pushing music's boundaries than as a cohesive, supposedly classic work.

Rating: 7/10

(Review by John Skilbeck)

Chris Wood - Handmade Life

The 2009 winner of BBC Radio 2's folk singer of the year award, Chris Wood has had rather a successful 12 months. He may not be a well-known name in the mainstream music scene, but within folk the Kent musician has established himself as the leader of the pack. This album picks up where the award-winning Trespasser left off. Opening with the downbeat No Honey, the track shows how simplicity is often the key to musical success. This is also highlighted on the dark, atmospheric number Asparagus. The sound of the album isn't dissimilar to a Johnny Cash release, and it should see him keep his title of one of the UK's leading folk stars.

Rating: 7/10

(Review by Polly Weeks)

Neil Young - Dreamin' Man Live '92

Having secured huge critical success with his Live At The Fillmore East and Sugar Mountain concert albums, Neil Young has once again plundered the archives, this time setting the dials for 1992 and his Harvest Moon LP. While that record remains one of his biggest-selling releases to date, it seems a curious one to revisit in the Archives series. Dreamin' Man is effectively the same 10 acoustic songs that form Harvest Moon, reordered and transferred to a live setting. Audience effects are minimal, and while Young delivers the set in warm, delicate fashion, there is a conspicuous lack of reinterpretation. Completists will swoon, but others may be better advised digging out the original.

Rating: 6/10.

(Review by Rory Dollard)

Various Artists - A Complete Introduction To Tamla Motown

Berry Gordy put Motown music on the map when he signed acts like Diana Ross and The Supremes, Marvin Gaye, The Temptations, Stevie Wonder and the Jackson Five to his Motown label, formerly known as Tamla Records. This compilation is full of the hits of the 1960s, while also avoiding many of the No 1s that everyone knows. It features famous tracks like Ross and Gaye's You Are Everything, Wonder's Signed, Sealed, Delivered (I'm Yours), and The Supremes' Baby Love to more obscure songs such as The Miracles' Who's Lovin' You, Michael Jackson's One Day In Your Life and Jimmy Ruffin's Farewell Is A Lonely Sound. This release is perfect for Motown lovers and anyone who's learning about the era.

Rating: 8/10

(Review by Shereen Low)

Various Artists - Extremely Sorry Soundtrack

Gone are the days when you could bang together a few punk rock or hip-hop tunes and call it a skateboard video soundtrack. Extremely Sorry is the third DVD release from Flip Skateboards, and this soundtrack is as eclectic as it is original. Drum and bass producer Baron has put the whole thing together with special guests such as Lemmy, Snoop Dogg and Warren G dropping by to lend a hand. The Motorhead frontman croons along to Ben E King's classic Stand By Me, while Dogg and G rap brilliantly on the best song of the bunch - Swagger Rich. Elsewhere it's a mash-up of electro and rock goodness that trendies everywhere will no doubt fawn over.

Rating: 7/10

(Review by Nick Howes)

Singles by Polly Weeks

Robbie Williams - You Know Me

An uptempo ballad by the ex-Take That member. The second release from his new album proves he's still a pop star to be reckoned with.

The Soldiers - A Soldier's Christmas Letter

A schmaltzy Christmas number, but the message will ring true for many a family - and money raised will go the Army Benevolent Fund.

Mumford & Sons - Winter Winds

The West London foursome have had a year to remember. With debut album Sigh No More a critical success, they release this singalong number which highlights their folk-pop sound.

On the road

Live reviews

Matt And Kim, Electric Ballroom, London, November 24

While Brooklyn duo Matt And Kim were merely supporting Swedish pop stars The Sounds, their performance was worthy of a headline slot. The two have already shown their DIY pop attitude on the 2009 release Grand, and seeing it brought to life was a sight to behold. Full of energy, enthusiasm and, of course, appreciation for the crowd, with a drum kit and keyboard they stormed through a 40-minute set playing all the hits from the album. Tunes Lessons Learned and Daylight are fan favourites and had the crowd jumping up and down. While many of the crowd hadn't heard of the band before tonight, all left as fans.

(Review by Polly Weeks)

Upcoming tours

American R'n'B diva Alicia Keys is celebrating the release of her new album The Element Of Freedom with a UK tour. Starting at Birmingham's NIA on May 19, she takes in the Glasgow SECC, London's O2 Arena and the Manchester MEN Arena. See www.allgigs.co.uk for more details.

Pendulum's slot at Glastonbury confirmed the group as one of the UK's best dance acts, and they will head out on tour in May. Starting at Belfast's Ulster Hall on May 17, they finish at the Swindon Oasis on May 31. Visit www.pendulum.com for full listings.