KAREN O レコード& CD

Review: This debut solo release from the mercurial singer of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs is a bare-bones and rather personal project, with these recordings dating from 2006 and 2007 and now released on Strokes frontman Julian Casablancas' label, along with a booklet of sketches from the singer herself. Yet despite the very lo-fi production values and the frequently threadbare instrumentation, which locate this as almost a New York-derived version of Syd Barrett's The Madcap Laughs, the emotional resonance and captivating intimacy of these ditties make this a strangely beguiling and addictive collection-fuelled by yearning and melancholy yet with an uplifting quality derived from such creative alchemy. Karen O has always been at her best when dealing with heartache, and it therefore follows that she's on top form here.

Review: Karen O and Danger Mouse are both serial collaborators, so when this joint album was announced we weren't all that surprised. Even so, we never thought the resultant set would be quite as good as this. Atmospheric, rich and full of songs that variously touch on sweeping cinematic soundtracks, driving Motown soul, fuzzy funk-rock, vintage trip-hop and hazy electronica, "Lux Prima" manages to showcase the best of both artists' talents while refusing to settle on one neatly defined sound. The set's dizzying highs - particularly the near 10-minute title track - are almost breathtakingly good, and there's enough jaunty moments to offset the heart-aching melancholy and emotional pain that's barely concealed throughout.

Review: Karen O and Danger Mouse are both serial collaborators, so when this joint album was announced we weren't all that surprised. Even so, we never thought the resultant set would be quite as good as this. Atmospheric, rich and full of songs that variously touch on sweeping cinematic soundtracks, driving Motown soul, fuzzy funk-rock, vintage trip-hop and hazy electronica, "Lux Prima" manages to showcase the best of both artists' talents while refusing to settle on one neatly defined sound. The set's dizzying highs - particularly the near 10-minute title track - are almost breathtakingly good, and there's enough jaunty moments to offset the heart-aching melancholy and emotional pain that's barely concealed throughout.

Review: Karen O and Danger Mouse are both serial collaborators, so when this joint album was announced we weren't all that surprised. Even so, we never thought the resultant set would be quite as good as this. Atmospheric, rich and full of songs that variously touch on sweeping cinematic soundtracks, driving Motown soul, fuzzy funk-rock, vintage trip-hop and hazy electronica, "Lux Prima" manages to showcase the best of both artists' talents while refusing to settle on one neatly defined sound. The set's dizzying highs - particularly the near 10-minute title track - are almost breathtakingly good, and there's enough jaunty moments to offset the heart-aching melancholy and emotional pain that's barely concealed throughout.

Review: The opening track from Lynch's mesmerising 2011 album gets the remix treatment from two very well considered producers; both of which have really highlighted the track's strengths in two vastly different ways. Trentemoller's up first and, as you'd expect, takes us head first into a swampy, rocky psychedelic groove that fuzzes and flickers with 50 shades of distortion and funk. Troxler et al's Visionquest retain this textured hypnosis while taking things deeper again thanks to haunted echoed voice samples and a deep, throbbing two note bassline.