“Swim” is darker than its 2007 psych-laced pop predecessor, “Andorra,” which is Snaith’s most critically acclaimed work to date and which won the Polaris Music Prize in 2008. This time, Snaith drops the ’60s bent and takes up a direct approach to electronics. But in doing so, he lacks easy entrance points to the music. His goal to create flexible, flowing music is at odds with his choice to combine it with dance music, known for its rigid structures and repetitiveness. Though this mixture is lackluster, Snaith should be recognized for his ambitious approach to music.

The first track, “Odessa,” is the album’s most accessible. It has an inviting beat, which softens the blow of the bursts of percussion. These percussions, upon multiple hearings, become essential to the song’s appeal. The fluidity of the song and Snaith’s soft voice make it easy to miss his unhappy lyrics about a breakup, exhibited in the line, “The times you hurt me, and treated me wrong/ Something had to give to stop this thing from going on.” This theme of relationship uncertainty, usually focused on the woman, continues throughout the album.

The song structure is much looser in the following songs. Next up is “Sun,” which features random creepy laughter, a wobbling baseline and the word “sun” repeated over 200 times. Equally preposterous is the fifth song on the album, “Bowls.” As the name suggests, it is made up of a ruckus of clanging bowls and random swells of harp. These ambitious but failed attempts just come across as pretentious.

The best song on the album has to be “Jamelia,” mostly because the vocals are much better. Snaith’s whiny, light vocals are replaced with Luke Lalonde of Born Ruffians, whose voice has substance. He is able to add intensity to his vocals as the song builds, something Snaith’s deadpan voice never achieves. This song also goes back to the wronged female, as it asks, “Did I not do enough to save the two of us?/ What more could I give her?/ What more can I do to see her point of view?”

“Swim” is an extensive effort to create something minimal that is overall inaccessible. Listeners have to be willing to let the album grow on them, since its nuances are not immediately evident. Snaith is obviously talented and has created something beautiful, but that does not mean it cannot be boring at the same time.

For fans of: Beach House, Four Tet and Yeasayer

Tracks to download: ‘Odessa,’ ‘Jamelia’ and ‘Kaili’

(Courtesy of Overture Films)

Rating: 3/5 stars
Directed by: Grant Heslov
And starring: George Clooney, Ewan McGregor and Jeff Bridges

The pitch: Bob Wilton (Ewan McGregor) is a journalist in over his head when he decides to go to Iraq during the earlier stages of the invasion. While waiting to cross the border, he meets Lyn Cassady (George Clooney), who is also on his way to Iraq on a super-top-secret black ops mission. Cassady claims to have been part of the New Earth Army, created by army hippie Billy Djanjo (Jeff “The Dude” Bridges) 20 years earlier. This section of the Army was trained in mental combat to see if love and peace can win wars. The answer is no, but we see through multiple flashbacks that the group still tries to become “the first superpower to develop super powers.” The narrative then continues to showcase Cassady and Wilton floundering in the desert, constantly lost and getting captured multiple times. Cassady’s rival Larry Hooper (Kevin Spacey) appears midway though the film, helping in its lack of conflict.

The good: Some moments showcase absurdity at its best. In the opening, for example, a commander runs full force into a wall in an attempt to go through it. Clooney is another high point, who, even when insane, is as smooth as ever and anchors the film. Being a dork could be the coolest thing ever. McGregor has some of the best lines, utilizing his innocent eyes for making lines like “What is a Jedi warrior?” almost go unnoticed. Because nothing he would know about that!

The bad and the ugly: The movie does not have enough steam to last its entirety, even though it comes in at only 93 minutes. The underhanded, deadpan jokes start off funny but are not enough to cover up the weak narrative, which tails off just when you expect it to finally culminate in something.

The bottom line: The film is powered by its actors and worth seeing for their battle of wits. The viewer is kept in good humor throughout, but nothing is accomplished or really happens. The satire could be pushed further, and the gags could be more outright funny instead of subtle. The film comes in as groovy but not far out.

The middle of the album is more reminiscent of Muse’s past work with some harder rock, but this is also where Muse’s borrowing becomes apparent. Muse has not been able to shake off comparisons to Radiohead since the group’s 1999 debut album “Showbiz.” So why Muse would decide to borrow from so many bands in “The Resistance” is beyond me.  The out-there “United States of Eurasia Collateral Damage” has stepped far into Queen territory, and I started singing ABBA’s “Lay All Your Love on Me” during “Unnatural Selection.” Bellamy told Spin magazine in the September issue, “We’d like to be remembered amongst the best bands in history. But we’ve got a lot of work to do.” I would love that to happen, but the borrowing is only increasing the work.

The album finishes with a three-part modern symphony, which Bellamy has been working on since 2006’s “Black Holes & Revelations.” It’s excessive and hedonistic, but also fantastic. This piano-driven “symphony” has a splendid combination of sweeping romantic strings, touches of Dominic Howard’s drums and Bellamy’s piercing, melancholy falsetto.

Muse should be commended for the chances they take with their music in trying to create something larger than their usual sound. Their control in their experiments is evident, but whether it succeeds is up for question. It could be deemed wildly brilliant and at the same time an unsatisfactory departure. If you have never listened to Muse and would like to, I would suggest starting with “Absolution” and “Black Holes & Revelations” to get a better sense of their overall sound, a sound that is soulful, liberating and ever maturing.

For fans of: Placebo, Killers, Franz Ferdinand
Tracks to download: ‘Resistance’ and ‘Unnatural Selection’

3.5/5 stars

“Taking Woodstock” has many pieces that are loosely held together by the main character, Elliot Teichberg (Demetri Martin). Elliot, a semi-closeted gay artist, has struck out in the big city in terms of both a career and love. He has now returned to the Catskills to help his parents run a financially failing motel, the El Monaco. Seeing a possible way to save the motel, he, as president of Bethel’s Chamber of Commerce, offers the town as the setting for Woodstock after a neighboring town gives it a disapproving boot.

Demetri Martin’s natural comedic skills enable his character to avoid becoming bogged down in all the serious issues he’s dealing with, e.g., coming out to his parents and deciding what to do with his life. This balance, however, acts as a negation and renders his performance unremarkable.
Elliot’s parents, Sonia (Imelda Staunton) and Jake (Henry Goodman), immigrants from Russia, are also going through a rough patch. The failing motel is hindering not only their livelihoods, but also their spirits. The younger generation that Woodstock brings is thus beneficial in more ways than one. The festival also betters Billy (Emile Hirsch), a childhood friend of Elliot and a disaffected soldier back from Vietnam.

A noteworthy Liev Schreiber plays Vilma, a wise cross-dressing Marine. Vilma acts both as mentor to the Teichberg family and security for the motel turned Woodstock base. The Earthlight Players who are staying in the El Monaco’s barn also deserve mention. This outlandishly strange but amusing theater group is just another piece to tie into this already crowded film.

The film’s tempo is almost as varied as its colorful characters. “Taking Woodstock” starts off almost purposefully boring. It picks up with a literal giant “X” marks the spot made of bed sheets. Here land helicopters and a mass of producers, including Michael Lang (Jonathan Groff), Woodstock’s main promoter. Lang, one of the most charming hippies and hippest negotiator I’ve ever seen, then gets in contact with Max Yasgur (Eugene Levy) the farmer, whose land becomes the site of the festival.

After the helicopters touch down, the viewer gets pulled into the whirlwind of organizing what becomes a concert of over half a million in the short time of three weeks; you see everything from the unsanitary rooming to the backup highways and extensive rain. This whirlwind is heightened by use of multiple split screens and old-fashioned-esque footage. But apart from this fun buildup, the film is punctuated by quiet moments that make sure the film never gathers any speed.

The climax of the film occurs at the festival, which is briefly shown from afar in a neat shot as a shimmering spectacle, heavily lit and surrounded by an unending, oscillating sea of people. Elliot never gets closer because he decides to randomly join VW Guy, or Paul Dano, for an acid trip in an unnecessarily long drug sequence.

“Taking Woodstock” saunters from start to finish and never culminates into anything substantial. All its pieces, from its mass of characters to its theme, are left open ended. But this pleasant film’s dedication to the depiction of Woodstock’s creation gives the viewer a genuine feeling of being a part of this unique process, and one cannot help but be drawn into its alluring topic, Woodstock.

3/5 stars

Directed by Ang Lee

“Taking Woodstock” is a pleasant dedication to the creation of Woodstock but never culminates into anything substantial. (Courtesy of NBC Universal)

The Von Bondies looked poised to flourish in the limelight after their 2004 album, “Pawn Shoppe Heart,” and its hit song “C’mon, C’mon” (the theme song of TV show “Rescue Me”). But their light faded, and no one expected a fourth album. Had this been 2004, some of these songs may have made it to the top of radio playlists. And it’s a shame because there are some gems within this glossy garage rock album.

The Detroit rockers keep the songs short, with only one song exceeding four minutes. The songs end before the listener can become too tired of them but also before a true connection can be made. The hard-hitting guitar riffs, fast paced drums and lively backup vocals pass by in a blur of energized urgency that would have taken hold had there been any hooks within the song.

Most songs exhibit little exploration in terms of sound and are stereotypical pop. Within this expected fluff, the hidden gems struggle for attention. One song is “She’s Dead to Me.” Although it’s only a minute and a half, it’s rich in its variation, including a wailing Stollsteimer, smooth and at times pulsing guitar riffs, steady drums and complementary ’60s-esque female backup vocals. Its ends in a flourish that leaves the listener wanting more, which probably could and should have been worked out.

Stollsteimer lulls you into “Accidents Will Happen” with his softened voice and intense but endearing lyrics, “She set herself on fire/ I was burned from head to toe/ please don’t tell anybody/ I can’t bear them to know.” He continues these contrasts by intensifying his voice for the chorus and then falling back into lulling tones.

The Von Bondies exude a cool attitude and retro sound but neither is enough to carry an album. “Love, Hate and Then There’s You” is full of expected, built up choruses and unimaginative song structures. The female backup vocals differentiate the album, and the lyrics and Stollsteimer voice are adequate to gain the Von Bondies new fans. But the Von Bondies surviving may be the best part of the album.

Looking for another hit, the Montreal band comes close with the inspired song “Being Here.” It has a catchy chorus, elegant use of guitar, melodic keyboard and compelling vocals from singer Tim Fletcher. It is the most likely to find its way on to a radio station near you. Another notable song is “I’m With You.” Its earnestly delivered lyrics and heartfelt drifting tune is simple and pure.

The Stills’ attempt to find their next hit has come at the price of sounding confused. The songs, individually unique and exciting, do not flow in any manner. “Snakecharming the Masses” has the most interesting rhythm but is repetitive and lacks a hook. It is an abrupt change from the songs surrounding it which have a faster pace and a pop rock sound. The Stills would like to be considered tough. However, their choice of delightful and moving guitar and drums stand in their way. Especially in the song “Snow in California” which serves as a warning of global warming, a theme of the album made obvious by its title. But it makes disaster out to be a joyous and welcome occasion.

If the Stills were to pick one sound to focus on in this album, instead of their dozen, they would be best served to focus on their ballads. Tim Fletcher, and the group’s other vocalist David Hamelin, stand out in tunes such as “Everything I Build,” and “Statues of Sirens.” Each song’s simplicity is beautiful and emotive and doesn’t feel forced like others.

Though confused in sound, The Stills’ third album is an easy and enjoyable listen. It should be acknowledged that the group has had setbacks, including losing and gaining a member after their first album. A gorgeous try, this Montreal band is still striving to separate itself from all the other mediocre indie bands.