SHARK SANDWICH – ALBUM REVIEWS, APRIL 16, 2016, Vol. 6

Music reviews come in all sizes, but you’re busy and do not have time for flowery language… or sentences, really.

Spinal Tap gave the world the greatest album review of all time:

***

Welcome to our “Shark Sandwich” — razor-sharp reviews that sum up an album in three sentences or less.

***

PJ Harvey – The Hope Six Demolition Project

By turns, THSDP is immediate, dreamy, confrontational, and bathed in skronky saxophone. Who are we kidding? Polly Jean is critic –proof as far as I am concerned. Everything she does is magic. From the insistent rock of “Community of Hope” to the metallic argument of “The Ministry of Defence,” and everything in between, she means it.

Rating: 4 out of 5 whistles

Best Song: “Chain of Keys”/”The Wheel” (tie)

***

Sturgill Simpson – A Sailor’s Guide to Earth

Sturgill Simpson has been making waves since 2013, but he really hits the high seas on A Sailor’s Guide to Earth. He did a cool trick in between his last album and this one: he turned into a soul singer. Strings, organ, horns drive the album along with Simpson’s drawl, and the result is simply amazing.

Rating: 5 out of 5 whistles

Best Song: “Welcome to Earth (Pollywog)”

***

Blaqk Audio – Material

Channeling Pet Shop Boys, Erasure, etc., Blaqk Audio will be putting feet on the dance floor with Material. It’s dance music for people who don’t like dance music. Material is frosty cool, and best served through some quality headphones.

Rating: 3 out of 5 whistles

Best Song: “Anointed”

***

The Coathangers – Nosebleed Weekend

Atlanta’s Coathangers deliver a rock and roll roundhouse kick to the throat of the beginning of 2016’s second quarter. The album is a badass sneer, and when the fight breaks out, you are going to want these women on your side.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 whistles

Best Song: “Make it Right”

***

All artists are available on iTunes, Amazon, GooglePlay, and wherever else better music is sold, streamed, downloaded, or performed on tour.

***

Lead-In Image Courtesy of Seashell World / Shutterstock.com

***

NewsWhistle music contributor Chad Werner is “ahead of the curve, behind the times.” You can contact this rock n’ roll sphinx at chad@newswhistle.com (e-mail) or @scooternotmoped (Twitter).