This week’s picks include a mystical minimalist and a sneak preview from one of indie rock’s biggest bands.
Arcade Fire – The Suburbs (Merge Records)
In the fractured musical landscape of indie rock, Arcade Fire are superstars. Their first album was generally acclaimed as one of the best rock albums of the decade and their second album reached #2 on the Billboard charts. Their eagerly awaited third album will be called "The Suburbs", and the band has primed the pump by digitally releasing two songs, including the title track.
Win Butler’s voice is in fine shape, and “The Suburbs” has that typical Arcade Fire blend of majesty and melancholy. The other look ahead at the forthcoming album is a more straight-ahead rock number called “Month of May.” "The Suburbs," will be released on August 3, but these two songs are available online now. [Arcade Fire Web site] -- Picked by John Schaefer
Angèle Dubeau & La Pietà - Arvo Pärt: Portrait (Analekta)
The soulful, meditative music of Estonian composer Arvo Pärt has been labeled “mystical minimalism” and “holy minimalism,” among other terms. Whatever you want to call it, a new recording by Montreal violinist Angèle Dubeau and her all-female chamber orchestra La Pietà provides a perfect introduction to Pärt’s quietly intense style. It includes the piece Tabula rasa, a modern take on a Baroque concerto, and Summa, an utterly simple work constructed on long, layered melodies.
The six pieces on this album offer both an excellent introduction to the talents of violinist Angèle Dubeau and a fine overview of Arvo Pärt. [Amazon] -- Picked by Brian Wise
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