Al Green - Everything's OK Bluenote
Reviewed by Adam D. Miller
Thank you Al Green, I can now listen to "You Are So Beautiful" without cringing.
Don't get me wrong, Joe Cocker is a very talented singer who has interpreted some great songs. But every time I hear his version of "You Are So Beautiful, " I picture those tacky sentimental moments from 1980s sitcoms. Particularly a "moment" between Bob Saget and girls in "Full House, " a show that may or may not have even used that song in that context.
Putting that aside, Al Green is most definitely a force to be reckoned with. He's probably the only ordained reverend that has also written and recorded the soundtrack to many people's sex lives. And years after recording his best and most well-known material, he has managed to make a comeback with not one, but two solid albums.
2003's I Can't Stop marked Green's return to secular R&B as well as his reunion with producer/arranger Willie Mitchell. In the 1970s, Green and Mitchell proved themselves to be one of the great singer/producer partnerships, up there with Elvis/Sam Phillips, Bowie/Tony Visconti and The Beatles/George Martin. Together, the pair recorded Green's best albums, including (but not limited to) I'm Still In Love With You and Let's Stay Together.
I Can't Stop contained everything we've always loved about Green; His romantic lyrics, distinctive vocals, not to mention the vintage string/horn arrangements. And in many ways, Everything's OK is more of the same. Plus you can tack on the aforementioned "You Are So Beautiful, " where Green and Mitchell rescue a perfectly good song from the depths of 80s schlock.
The originals (which make up most of the album) a pretty darned good too. They may not have the catchy choruses that I Can't Stop had, but the album still suits the Al Green signature mood, largely flowing together from one to the next.
As individual statements, most of the tracks are forgettable. But that doesn't really matter. Even if I won't remember many of these songs by name, they are still the latest chapter in a 35 year soundtrack that I hope won't end any time soon.
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Amos Lee - Amos Lee Bluenote/EMI
Reviewed by Adam D. Miller
Philadelphia’s Amos Lee is being called “the male Norah Jones.” And while that may sound appealing to many, it is an example of the lazy journalism and oversimplification that is all too common in today’s musical journalism.
Now, that’s not to say that Norah Jones is entirely absent from Lee’s music. In fact, she’s not absent at all. His self-titled debut on Bluenote was actually produced by her bassist/boyfriend Lee Alexander, and features a guest appearance by Ms. Jones herself. Lee is also comparable to Norah Jones in that he seems to draw from many of the same influences; R&B, folk, jazz, classic singer-songwriter, and country. On his official website, we learn that Lee’s influences include Stevie Wonder and Bill Withers along with John Prine and Dave Van Ronk. Not bad for a newcomer. Especially since he really doesn’t sound like any of those people.
If his gigs as an opening artist are any indication, Amos Lee’s music should draw a pretty wide ranging audience. Lee has already warmed up the crowds at shows for B.B. King and Mose Allison, and he is currently on the road with Bob Dylan and Merle Haggard, having recently taken a quick break for Austin’s South by Southwest music festival.
But how about Amos Lee, his debut record? The album is a delight, filled with the singer/songwriter’s warm blend of gentle acoustic guitar playing and soothing vocal lines. Lee’s brand of acoustic country/R&B definitely recalls Bill Withers, but also some of the great singer-songwriters of the 70s, like Joni Mitchell and James Taylor. Tracks like “Keep It Loose, Keep It Tight” and “Seen It All Before” display Lee’s strengths as a songwriter in this style. The album is largely a mellow affair, sonically comparable to Van Morrison’s Veedon Fleece. Mellow sometimes equals dull, however, and here that is definitely not the case. The album gets upbeat at just the right times. “Give It Up” is organ-drenched and allows for Lee’s funky side, while “Bottom Of The Barrel” is the album at its most folk-country oriented, with little besides Amos’ vocal and acoustic guitar. Plus, unlike a lot of ballad-oriented albums, this one has a lot of soul. “Soul Suckers” will change your heart rate with its display of Lee’s vocal range and string overdubs.
On his website, Lee is quoted as saying, “My favorite time in music is probably 1970-75. Still Bill by Bill Withers, Harvest by Neil Young, John Prine’s first album, James Taylor’s One Man Dog—I hope I can bring the same sort of spirit I hear on those records.” Well, I can honestly say that Lee is not only very successful at evoking that spirit, but he’s original to boot. One can only hope that he finds the same success as the woman he is constantly being compared to, and that one day people will refer to Norah Jones as “the female Amos Lee.”
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Reviewed by Adam M. Anklewicz
Athlete’s second album Tourist is nothing special. The English foursome creates music which is derivative of Radiohead, Flaming Lips and Snow Patrol. With a few good songs, the majority do not live up to their potential.
Joel Pott takes lead vocals, and has a very peculiar voice. As if a cross between spoken-word and singing, the songs don’t have much bounce to them. It feels that Pott is reading a grocery list rather than singing. While their contemporaries like Coldplay or Travis are able to create melodies, Athlete just drones on.
The only time when the lyrics seem to make sense is when they are singing a basic love song. Other times the lyrics are gibberish which seems to fit the music without saying much. “Modern Mafia” is a perfect example, with a chorus including “This is modern mafia / They’re scared of us / It’s time for us to redefine / So fix your eyes.” I cannot understand what they’re trying to express and I don’t think it’s me. The lyrics are weak and poetry or storytelling does not seem to be their aim.
Their songs follow a pretty strict format: verse, chorus, verse, chorus, middle eight, chorus. This, I feel, is the biggest flaw of the album. It’s a simple structure that follows the rules of songwriting, however I get the impression from the album that if they were to go beyond, they could create something special. Bands have often proven to be able to go from a strict form to some of the best experimental rock ‘n’ roll. Athlete should try diversifying their sound.
Don’t get me wrong, there are many redeeming qualities to this album. “If I Found Out” is a perfect example of ‘60s-influenced pop-rock-funk. The best track on the album, “If I Found Out” has gotten frequent play on my iPod and I’m not getting tired of it. The lead single “Wires” is catchy in the usual Britpop manner and should receive good radio play. However, it reminds me of Snow Patrols’ “Run,” to which it pales in comparison. While Snow Patrol is able to mix a haunting verse with a catchy chorus, Athlete never reaches the complexity that Snow Patrol have and get left behind.
Tourist has high points, but they are few and far between. Athlete seems to have the potential to make a great record, but perhaps they need time to fine tune their songwriting.
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Brendan Benson - The Alternative To Love V2
Reviewed by Sarah Jane
Brendan Benson’s idiosyncratic album, Alternative To Love, is scary good and sometimes-just kind of scary; like maybe he’s ‘waiting for the man,’ as in his devastating songs, “Them And Me,” “Biggest Fan,” “Flesh And Bone,” and the wonderfully how do you like me now “I Feel Like Myself Again.”
Buzzing with alarm clock urgency are “Spit It Out,” “Get It Together,” and “Gold Into Straw.” They’re great, old-fashioned, American, alt. rock songs - all tightly wound emotions and distortion. In the latter, Benson symbolically kills and buries a former friend who has betrayed him. “May he rest in peace,” Benson sings bitterly. You can taste the self-loathing (it tastes like chicken!) when Benson laments, “I’ve got to be dumb and in more ways than one.”
“Pledge Of Allegiance” is true to the great devotion songs of the 60s - in the vein of the Ronettes’ perfect pop love song, “Be My Baby.” “Be My Baby” so inspired Beach Boys’ Brain Wilson to create his own perfect pop love song that it drove him to madness. Thus, Wilson gave birth to “Don’t Worry Baby.” Musical history and Brian Wilson were never the same and now, fatefully, Brendan Benson has his own perfect pop love song: “Pledge Of Allegiance.”
Benson’s lovesick “Alternative To Love” was specially chosen from all the other songs to be the namesake of his album. It starts out as it always does – slowly, quietly, just an acoustic guitar and a glimmer of hope, then before you know it love blooms – “This wasn’t how I planned it - what have I done,” Benson asks himself. No matter swoons Benson: “Ever in search of true love!”
Alternating between a miserable descent into depression hell and a catastrophic train wreck is a song known as “Between Us.” Between Us’ harrowing lyrics illuminate Benson’s frightening, rock ‘n’ roll fever dream from which there will be no waking. His lyrics - chilling: “Okay, I’ve been known to cry in my sleep, but you don’t want to know when you’re awake you’re not so deep” There’s an ominous quality in Benson’s voice when he sings, “There isn’t anything between us!” “Between Us” ends on the only note it possibly can - a hopelessly dejected one: “There’s no getting dressed when I feel depressed, I don’t want to leave my bed,” sings Benson.
Alternative To Love is completely and utterly a love note to music itself.
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Chatham County Line - Route 23 Yep Roc
Reviewed by Russell Bartholomee
With Route 23, Chatham County Line has managed to create a record that both embraces traditional bluegrass music and reaches out to modern audiences with a fresh take on Americana. This Raleigh, North Carolina quartet is clearly influenced by classic artists like Bill Monroe, the Louvin Brothers and the Carter Family, but they do not merely imitate their predecessors. Two of the group's members were recently in Tift Merritt's band, but they have now devoted themselves fully to their own music. And it's a good thing they did because the results are terrific. The group deftly combines the best elements of bluegrass, folk, and country music into a vibrant blend that is simply some of the best acoustic music you're likely to hear this year.
The songs are very strong, the credit for which belongs primarily to principal songwriter and guitarist Dave Wilson. His compositions are musically and lyrically rich, dealing with timeless themes of love, loss, jealousy, and faith without resorting to tired clichés. On "Nowhere to Sleep," he sings from the point of view of a drifter who realizes too late that he's left a good woman and struggles in vain to make his way back. Not exactly an unexplored theme in country music. And yet Wilson finds a clever way to express this common musical emotion: "I saw your picture in the Socials in a long white dress/You've found another man/With whom you could raise a tent/I'm just trying to raise my rent." In "Louisiana Freight Train," Wilson laments "a love as counterfeit as the ore in this band." He displays wry wit in "Arms of the Law" (co-written by John Teer): "You're in the arms of another/And I'm in the arms of the law."
Wilson is not a one-man band, though. CCL is blessed with an abundance of gifted musicians, each of whom is an essential part of the group's winning sound. John Teer adds lovely fiddle and mandolin to the album's fourteen tracks (in addition to penning the rousing instrumental "Gunfight in Durango."); Chandler Holt thrills with his lively banjo (and contributes the instrumental "Sun Up."); and Greg Readling plays a mean pedal steel when he isn't grounding every song with his tasteful upright bass. All four members of the band contribute vocals, and the harmonies are exquisite, calling to mind acts as diverse as Sweetheart of the Rodeo-era Byrds, the Everly Brothers, and the Stanley Brothers. Also responsible for the immediacy and warmth of the record is producer Chris Stamey, who makes the whole affair sound very much like four brothers sitting around a porch playing songs.
Of the many pleasures on the record, it is the title track that shines brightest on Route 23. The song tells the tale of a gas station that was once prosperous and the hard-working man who once ran it. When the state re-routed highway bypasses the business, it is forced to close. In the mad dash towards the future, some of the vital past is left behind. The story of the song resonates deeply on the album for a number of reasons. First, it comes from Wilson's own life (his father's hardware store suffered an almost identical fate). But even more than that, it stands as a metaphor for the current state of the country music industry. In the mad dash towards record sales and easily marketable, slickly produced pabulum, the country music industry has bypassed the hard-working craftsmen who created the music in the first place. Chatham County Line invites you to venture off the wide main highway, and rediscover the winding paths of music made with heart and integrity, the richer roots of days gone by. You'll be glad you did.
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City Field - Authentic City
Reviewed by Adam M. Anklewicz
The self-released debut EP from City Field is a great sampling of what might become a great band. The band features Gregg Millman (vocals & guitar), Mitchell Wiebe (vocals), Brent Randall (bass, keys & vocals), Dave Ewenson (drums) and Matt Murphy (guitar & vocals).
This six song EP stands out because of Millman, Murphy and Wiebe’s harmonies. Wiebe, formerly of Soaking Up Jagged, when singing with Millman are very reminiscent of The B-52s, which to me is not a strong endorsement. Having never liked The B-52s I cannot quite understand why I like this EP. Perhaps it’s the additional level of the sweet voice of Matt Murphy, formerly of The Flashing Lights and The Super Friendz. The three voices work beautifully together to create a great atmosphere for the songs.
Opening with “Detached Mind,” obviously B-52 influenced, a power-pop song that gets the album off to a great start with it’s catchy tune and easy to sing to lyrics.
“Stage Whispers” is the perfect song for a long drive alone or sitting on a bus staring out the window. Its mellow attitude and slow, steady beat close the album perfectly and leave you excited to see what they have in store for a full length album.
After the disappointing Super Friendz reunion album Love Energy, it’s good to see Murphy back in form. However, Authentic City isn’t as strong as any of his early work with The Super Friendz or The Flashing Lights.
This hard to find EP is available at Soundscapes in Toronto.
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Crosby, Stills & Nash - Greatest Hits Rhino/Atlantic
Reviewed by Adam M. Anklewicz
Crosby, Stills & Nash bring back many memories for me. During my years in high school, I spent a lot of my weekends in downtown Toronto at the now gone Vinyl Museum. I spent a lot of money on cheap used records that helped my vinyl collection grow exponentially.
All of my CSN(Y) records have The Vinyl Museum’s stamps on the inner sleeve. I have listened to Crosby, Stills & Nash, Déjà Vu and CSN over and over. They became a staple of my music collection and an integral part of my life since grade 10.
If you don’t own their first two albums, Crosby, Stills & Nash and Déjà Vu, then all I can say right now is go out and buy them. Literally, right now, go out and buy them. They are two of the best examples of how great 20th century music can be.
“Horror grips us as we watch you die / All we can do is echo your anguished cry / Stare as all human feelings die” is a lyric which has stood in my head for the past ten years from their classic song “Wooden Ships” which can be found on this new CSN compilation entitled Greatest Hits. Stephen Stills, Graham Nash and David Crosby are all amazing songwriters who proved themselves long before Crosby, Stills & Nash was ever a concept in anyone’s head; Crosby, coming from the success with The Byrds, Stills having been in the extremely popular Buffalo Springfield and Nash in the British invasion band The Hollies, who followed closely on the heels of The Beatles.
Greatest Hits however neglects too many things to make it great. It ignores the enormous contributions of Neil Young. Without Neil Young’s amazing “Country Girl” and “Helpless”, Déjà Vu wouldn’t have excelled beyond their first release. The four part harmonies only helped to better the three part harmonies that were so integral to their sound. The other thing missing is acknowledgement that their second album was their peak. Songs like “Shadow Captain” and “See The Changes” should not be on a best of disc. Yes, there are CSN songs post-Déjà Vu which are worthwhile, but they don’t seem to pick them too well.
By 1973 Stephen Stills’ voice went hoarse and started to sound pretty bad. His songwriting seemed to slip down a steep hill. “Southern Cross” and “See The Changes” are terrible examples of what the band was able to do later in their career. The biggest problem on Greatest Hits is in the song selection.
For every three great songs on this CD, there is an average or bad one. Nash’s “Cathedral” is a standout song that gets frequent play. Lyrics such as, “Too many people have died in the name of Christ for anyone to heed the call” has always stuck with me. Crosby’s “Guinevere” is one of the most beautiful songs ever written. Stills’ “Helplessly Hoping” gets me so absorbed in the three part harmonies that I can’t focus on anything else when I listen to that song, and I don’t want to.
Someone new to CSN should start with their self-titled debut. Greatest Hits is really for the fiftysomethings who remember listening to these songs on the radio or never upgraded their vinyl copies to CD. Most of those people will be happy that there is a skip button as they probably don’t know half of the songs.
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Farm Fresh - Time Is Running Out Peanuts and Corn Records
Reviewed by Lisa Hood-Anklewicz
Farm Fresh is a hip hop trio that formed in 1994, founding Peanuts and Corn Records and releasing their debut cassette. Hailing from Brandon, Manitoba, Farm Fresh last released an album in 1999, but have been successfully running Peanuts and Corn as an independent hip-hop label since its inception. In recognition of the group and label’s tenth anniversary, Pip Skid, mcenroe, and DJ Hunnicutt came back together in Brandon and produced Time is Running Out.
True to much independent hip-hop, the overall sound of Time is Running Out is not overly produced like much of today’s popular hip-hop, which usually comes across with a glossy conformity. At times, the songs carry a bit of an “old school” feeling, together giving the album a more authentic feel, much more for the music than the masses.
From start to finish, each track (including a not so hidden fourteenth song) is very strong and they flow together well. Lyrically, the songs move from local references to their hometown of Brandon, to political and social commentary, and great humour. “Downtown” is a track which is a very local reference to Brandon, but also leaves a larger comment on the state of decay that has occurred in downtown Brandon, a situation which is not unique to their locale. “Can’t Take it Anymore” follows a theme that many can relate to, the complete exhaustion of the struggle of day to day life, from your job and family to the political and social stresses of humanity.
Songs such as “30 in the Club” and “Sucker” use witty and clever lyrics to describe social commentary with great humour. “30 in the Club” explores the club scene and how the much of the population now frequenting the clubs has aged. In a monologue during the song, Farm Fresh provides one side of a conversation from one such aged club goer. “I’m just chillin’, listening to the music, you know. Yeah, I like this music, you know. It’s cool to dance to. It ain’t Prince, but I’ll dance to it you know. What’s that? Prince, you know? Prince. Are you serious? You ain’t never heard of Prince? Purple Rain? Only the greatest record of 1984? That’s the year you were born, really? I’m an old man.”
“Sucker” moves into a more wide spread social relevant zone, taking shots at men who can’t respect women, artists who have hypocritically sold out at the cost of their fans, people who complain about the state of politics but didn’t vote, basically anyone they can label a sucker. Farm Fresh even uses the song to take a shot at the current NHL woes. “Suckers, you fucking up a hockey season / Stuff of the bread but I guess it’s not a shocking reason / it’s the game not the politics that got me fiending / anyway for an athlete not to be greedy.”
For those who have been fans of Fresh Farm’s work in the past and the Peanuts and Corn Records line up, there is a bonus program included on the CD as a Quicktime movie, titled P&C Cribs: DJ Hunnicutt. It’s a very humorous little adventure between the filmmaker and Hunnicutt in parody of MTV’s Cribs program. Time is Running Out is a very strong presentation from Farm Fresh, and definitely worth checking out.
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Jack Johnson - In Between Dreams Universal
Reviewed by Amy Wagner
Though only in his 30s, Hawaiian native Jack Johnson has already achieved an enviable level of success as a professional surfer, filmmaker of surfing videos, and last but not least, musician. It’s with the release of his third album, In Between Dreams, though, that Johnson seems to have firmly left his wave-riding days behind in favor of touring summer amphitheatres with his guitar. By all accounts not a bad decision as this latest album represents another solid, if somewhat routine, effort by Oahu's favorite son. Johnson recorded the LP in his garage and the laid-back approach to recording spills over onto the mellow fourteen track set. Full of lilting melodies backed by simple guitar strumming, In Between Dreams serves as a perfect companion piece to days and nights hypnotized by warm summer breezes.
While many of the songs could act as an all too familiar soundtrack to the twenty-thirty something take on the angst and wonder of love, Johnson still manages to achieve a surprisingly personal feel. The album’s first single, “Sitting, Waiting, Wishing” is a necessary staple for all solo male artists, who both deny and then drown in their obsessive love for unobtainable women. On the softer side is the tune “Banana Pancakes.” Though now married and the father of a young son, Johnson obviously hasn't left his playful boyish side behind as the song finds him pleading to spend a rainy day lazy in bed instead of waking to face the daily grind.
The theme of trying to stop a too busy world from spinning out of control appears again later in the album on his cover of the Handsome Boy Modeling School track "Breakdown." “I hope this old train breaks down/Then I could walk around” sings Johnson as he yearns to stop and smell the proverbial roses. Life, however, is full of responsibilities that compel him to keep on chugging along at break-neck speed.
Fatherhood also seems to find Johnson in a more reflective mood than on his two previous albums, Brushfire Fairytales (2002) and On And On (2003). Society at large haunts his thoughts on the track "Good People" as Johnson ponders the question "Where'd all the good people go?" while track ten, “If I Could” acts as a meditation on birth, death and the overall fragility of life. Perhaps most notable though, are the anti-war overtones in “Crying Shame” as Johnson laments that “A number of people are numbers that ain’t coming home”.
All in all, musically-speaking, Johnson has found his comfort zone. Don’t expect him to push the envelope in that sense or deliver a ground-breaking album. He obviously prefers to bask in the joy of doing what he does best – safe, adult-oriented folk rock with just the right amount of Hawaiian island flavor. Relax and enjoy because in Jack Johnson’s world - it truly is an endless summer.
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Josh Rouse - Nashville Rykodisc
Reviewed by Todd Mincks
It is hard to pinpoint any one musical influence for Josh Rouse’s Nashville. The record sounds like a cool amalgamation of Freedy Johnston, Coldplay, and everything that was good about the singer/songwriter movement of the 1970s. The arrangements here are not as overtly retro as his last album (1972), but it’s easy to imagine that vinyl copies of Harvest, Late for the Sky, and Sweet Baby James have been spinning at the house of Rouse.
Nashville’s cover art indicates that the songs are separated by Side A, and Side B. Not only does this compliment the classic sound by harkening back to the days of vinyl, but it also serves a thematic purpose. Side A does a good job of establishing this new version of the 70s sound with a variety of song topics. The melodies are consistently strong, and the hooks grab you and won’t let go. “It’s The Nighttime” kicks things off, and it may be the catchiest thing Rouse has ever written. With “Winter in the Hamptons,” Rouse does his best European rock impersonation, and again, the melody invites us to sing along.
“Streetlights” is a song that sinks in over time, and is the first hint that this record is about a major life transition. “You don’t have a master plan, but you will start today,” sings Rouse, as he ponders some serious life changes. Even Side A’s closer, “Middle School Frown,” finds the singer in a reflective, philosophical mood. It’s a brilliant little tune that appeals to anyone who might have acted like a jerk in junior high (I’m guessing that’s just about everyone).
If Side A hints at some personal struggles for Rouse, Side B spells it out. “My Love is Gone” says it all in the title, and “Saturday” finds Rouse missing a lover, even as he senses the relationship is doomed. Rouse sounds like a Midwestern Marvin Gaye as he sings “I would swim across the ocean/I would lay down on a bed of nails/But I’ll spare you all the bullshit, I will spare you all the desperate details.” It’s heartbreaking and gorgeous at the same time.
For all the desperate emotions that these tunes evoke, Rouse displays a few glimmers of optimism, especially on “Sad Eyes” and the closer, “Life.” If his devotion to the singer/songwriter of the 70s has taught him nothing else, he seems to know that for every Blood on the Tracks, there is a New Morning. Rouse is hurting on much of Nashville, but he never sounds hopeless. The result is a record that celebrates life and love, even at their darkest hours.
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Kathleen Edwards - Back To Me Maple Music Recordings
Reviewed by Adam M. Anklewicz
Back To Me shows Kathleen Edwards to be a great storyteller, musician and singer. Unfortunately the album is not as strong as I had hoped. The slow paced album is very mellow and dragged out. Edwards is a good songwriter but unfortunately the songs don’t tend to shift theme or style much.
Going from song to song, Back To Me has a solid feeling that carries through the entire album, but there isn’t much change from track to track. Thematically, the majority of the tracks are about the ending of a relationship. She sings very personally to her lover and gets revenge, clams dominance and shows her feelings of being trapped before finally leaving.
A personal theme to an album is very exciting and has led to some of the best albums, Bob Dylan’s Blood On The Tracks or David Crosby’s If I Could Only Remember My Name, but where they succeed is where Edwards fails unfortunately. That is, Edwards’ emotions. The album is produced to give a clean, solid sound. You can hear every instrument, and every string, but it seems as if they recorded each track so many times that the raw emotion in the songs are gone. The album comes across as being too dry.
Each track tends to blend into the next, and unfortunately none of the songs stand above the rest. Surrounding herself with some amazing musicians, including Benmont Tench from Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Edwards is able to create some really good songs, whether or not it is mono-thematic.
The album art and photographs are absolutely gorgeous. They depict items listed off in the song “Pink Emerson Radio,” a song which describes personal artifacts and questions the importance of these material possessions. “Pink Emerson Radio” is one of the highlights of the album. As she lists what sounds like the contents of her house, including my favourite “record player made of tubes / playing Tommy by The Who,” her voice is eerie as her house burns down.
This is an album which I think will help a lot of people though a hard time in their life, most likely getting a lot of replay. With her strong voice and the haunting pedal steel one can get lost easily and entranced. This album will definitely find its market and it has found a deserved place on my CD shelf for the next time I’m down.
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Keren Ann - Nolita EMI
Reviewed by Adam D. Miller
Jazzy, atmospheric, and evocative, Keren Ann's Nolita is the perfect soundtrack for those lonely nights of insomnia.
Keren Ann Zeidel is a French singer/songwriter who splits her time between Paris and New York City, the two cities where Nolita was recorded. The international influence of the album extends to the songs. Of the album’s eleven tracks, four are in French and seven are in English.
While Keren Ann may come across as nothing more than a vocalist to the uninitiated, she seems to be in full creative control; producing the album, writing all of its songs, and playing guitars, keyboards, and other instruments alongside a talented group of session musicians.
Nolita opens with "Que N'ai-je?" Although serving as one of the more jazz-oriented tracks on the album, it reminded me of David Bowie’s “Heroes” album. Just as the listener is getting used to hearing this wonderful French singer, we hear “Greatest You Can Find,” a track that displays Keren Ann’s strength as an English-language singer. The one criticism I tend to have towards French music (as much as I love it) is that sometimes singers come across as silly-sounding (as much as I love Air, their English-language vocals sound kind of ridiculous).
At its sparser moments, Nolita sounds a lot like the third Velvet Underground album. Keren Ann’s guitar playing on “Chelsea Burns” recalls Sterling Morrison’s licks on “I’m Set Free.” On the same track, however, we hear an instrumental harmonica/violin/mandolin interlude that wouldn’t sound out of place on another self titled album, The Band.
Some of the French-language tracks clearly draw from the influence of other French artists. “La Forme et le Fond” could have easily served as a bonus track on an Air release, while “Midi dans le salon de la Duchesse” takes a more traditional approach, sounding very much like something from the Gainsbourg/Birkin camp.
Through it all, Keren Ann’s vocal delivery is consistently sultry and articulate, with gorgeous string instruments providing timbre to many of the tracks.
The album's closing track, “Song of Alice,” features spoken-word poetry read by Sean Gullette, who co-wrote and starred in the film Pi. His delivery once again beckons a comparison between Nolita and some Velvet Underground influences.
As far as the types of songs found on it are concerned, Nolita is not the most original album I have ever heard, but it’s still a very good effort from a very talented performer, who hopefully will have more releases to look forward to.
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Layabout - Honest Woman Proper Tools Records
Reviewed by Brighid Mooney
Layabout is a three-piece band whose sound is imbued with both pop and jazz, centered around the keyboards. Layabout's debut EP, Honest Woman, is comprised of eight such pop/jazz songs, mostly uptempo and supported by the core band's bass and drums and an extra brass ensemble featuring trumpet, trombone and alto sax. The songs of Honest Woman were written by Layabout's keyboardist and musical center, Edward "Tex" Miller, and his with his open, subdued voice, and jazz songs infused with a pop sensibility, they are both singular and noticeably influenced by a myriad of musical sources.
Probably the most interesting song on the album is the second track, "The Scene," which is more upbeat than most of the other songs on Honest Woman. Catchy and relaxed, the horn accompaniment seems well-suited as the jaunty tune comes to life. It seems to be the album's heart, with a fun and interesting beat, and a dreamy, esoteric finish. Unfortunately the rest of the album doesn't always come off as well, with a penchant for repetition and a laconic vocal delivery that is both reassuring and, at times, quite engaging.
The elements that make up Layabout come together to create a fundamentally original sound and have the potential to make great albums in the future with their uniqueness. Honest Woman is a refreshing change from the usual pop radio drivel and has a laid-back, piano bar vibe that is both relaxing and enjoyable. Hopefully by the time Layabout is ready to release a full-length album they will have found that missing element that can take them from entertaining jazz/pop to something really phenomenal, which they definitely have the potential to be.
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M. Ward - Transistor Radio Merge
Reviewed by Adam D. Miller
Maybe I'm naïve, but I feel that there is a big difference between someone taking a Bob Dylan or Beatles influence and mimicking it vs. using those influences to create something unique. In the case of Dylan, people have made careers out of doing a mediocre job of what Dylan has done a lot better.
Two months ago, I reviewed two simultaneously released albums by Bright Eyes. I wrote that I didn't want to give Bright Eyes a good review, because I felt Conor Oberst to be a tad pretentious.
Well, I did enjoy the albums at the time. Many of the songs on I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning in particular are quite good. But two months later, I am not listening to them at all anymore. Why? Because when it comes down to it, I'm going to go to the source; Gram Parsons or Dylan.
M. Ward's Transistor Radio is among the best tributes to music that I have heard in a long time. It is able to convey a complete sense of originality that still sounds familiar. The songs it contains are beautifully memorable, without being rip-offs of old standards. And the album opens and closes with two beautiful classics, performed by M. Ward in a completely original way.
The album begins with a brief instrumental version of "You Still Believe In Me" by The Beach Boys, performed on acoustic guitar. And so begins Side 1 of Transistor Radio. M. Ward has declared that the album was intended for vinyl, despite ending up as a sixteen track CD. With "One Life Away" we are introduced to M. Ward the singer/songwriter. The track sounds like an old 1930s relic, with harmony vocals provided by My Morning Jacket's Jim James. James is one of the album's several guest appearances, which also include Jenny Lewis (Rilo Kiley), Howie Gelb (Giant Sand), and Vic Chesnutt.
But the album isn't an old-timey affair, although M. Ward returns there on "Side 2," with a cover of the Carter Family's "Oh Take Me Back." Much of the album sounds like it was recorded on another planet. "Sweethearts On Parade" sounds like The Ronettes on the moon, while "Four Hours In Washington" is a midnight romp in the vein of Tom Waits or Johnny Dowd.
The best part of the album comes in the very middle. "Regeneration No. 1" is a solid guitar-driven instrumental that leads into "Big Boat," a rowdy piano-based rock 'n' roll number. From there, we go mellow into "Paul's Song," a beautiful country-influenced song with wonderful pedal steel playing by Paul Brainard.
"Radio Campaign" is probably the album's best candidate for a single, though it's doubtful that the album will get much radio play at all, save the surviving independents. Also shining brightly is "Here Comes The Sun Again," an obvious tribute to George Harrison.
The album closes with another instrumental acoustic treatment, this time of a movement from J.S. Bach's "Well-Tempered Clavier."
All in all, M. Ward has crafted a perfect pop album. The songs are beautifully constructed, despite being recorded in a very 'do-it-yourself' kind of way. And while it clearly incorporates the influence of a wide variety of styles and performers, it manages to be a unique artistic expression. And isn't that the best tribute his heroes could have asked for?
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The Mars Volta - Frances The Mute Universal
Reviewed by Ivan Fernandez
TO: Tom Sinclair, Entertainment Weekly
FROM: Ivan Fernandez, Being There Magazine
RE: The Mars Volta, Frances The Mute
Let me start off by saying that I do not mean to belittle your work. Not only have you reviewed a varied and extensive library of music, you also have the honor of writing for Entertainment Weekly.
However, when you make the claim that you do in EW #809 article, “Lords of the Dense” (“Who has the time?”), there is clearly something seriously wrong within your realm of music.
Who has the time, you ask, to dissect a difficult record like Frances The Mute? Mr. Sinclair, I realize that we live in the age of the iPod but that is no reason to support the status quo of compressed 128kbps music files. You obviously write for this audience in mind but why not challenge them once in a while?
It’s no secret that the music of The Mars Volta is as thick and layered as the band’s hairstyle of choice, the afro. It would take the fingers on both hands and possibly a few toes to count the number of styles the band fluctuates and melds throughout the album.
In one instant, the band is tearing up the speakers with prog-insanity (“Cygnus…Vygmund Cygnus”). The next, vocalist Cedric Bixler-Zavala croons about a man with “vested black lungs” while Omar-Rodriguez Lopez and company performs a sci-fi western ballad (“The Widow,” “Miranda That Ghost Just Isn’t Holy Anymore”). Let’s not forget the salsa breakdowns in “L’Via L’Vazques” that sound like Santana on depressants. The last track, “Cassandra Gemini,” deserves a mention on the basis of its scope alone. Clocking in at over 30 minutes, the track is literally an album unto itself.
Yes, the album can be daunting for the unprepared listener, but how many of us are truly prepared for any record we listen to? The radio edit of “The Widow” is hardly a true representation of the full-length album. And even I will admit that, sometimes, the ambient noise sprinkled throughout gets a bit…grating (et.al. the rest of the full-length single of “The Widow”). Still, some of it can be incredible, such as Zavala’s haunting vocal opening to “Miranda,” which is very reminiscent of the score playing in the background during Dave Bowman’s arrival to Jupiter in 2001: A Space Odyssey.
Mr. Sinclair, surely the album’s “moments of undeniable beauty and power” are more than enough for you to recommend this album to your audience with a score higher than a B-. But then again, you write for Entertainment Weekly, a publication that proclaimed pop-punk group Green Day as the saviors of rock. Do I even need to explain that one?
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Solomon Burke - Make Do With What You Got Shout! Factory
Reviewed by Adam D. Miller
Although he may not be the household name that his contemporaries like Otis Redding, James Brown, Wilson Pickett were, 60s soul icon Solomon Burke wowed audiences with his blend of rock ‘n’ soul. Everyone from The Rolling Stones and The Zombies to The Blues Brothers and The Detroit Cobras have covered his songs and his influence extends far beyond his commercial success.
2001 Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame inductee Burke made a huge splash with 2002’s Don’t Give Up On Me, a comeback that showed that even in his sixties, Burke still had a voice with an immense amount of range. When producer Joe Henry announced the project, songwriters lined up with songs that were either written specifically for Burke or selected by the songwriter for him. And we’re not talking about some songwriters none of us have ever heard of. The who’s who of songwriters on Don’t Give Up On Me included Bob Dylan, Brian Wilson, Van Morrison, Elvis Costello, Nick Lowe, and Tom Waits. Since none of the songs had been previously released commercially (many have since found their way onto more recent recordings by their songwriters), we came to know and love them as Burke songs. The album won a Grammy for Best Contemporary Blues Album.
Once again, Make Do With What You Got finds Burke as a master song-interpreter, although several tracks here are ones that many will already be familiar with. Burke takes classics like The Band’s “It Makes No Difference” and The Rolling Stones’ “I Got The Blues” and makes them his own, never compromising the strength of the originals. On other tracks, like “Make Do With What You Got,” we once again find Burke recording songs that were written specifically for him, in this case by Dr. John.
And as always, Burke seems to be having a great time making the record, bringing to it a spontaneous energy, much like he did on Don’t Give Up On Me. Sometimes it ends up being pretty funny. On “I Got The Blues,” Burke adlibs, “I can’t watch TV, I can’t watch the “Late Show.” David Letterman is smiling somewhere.
Don Was’ production approach is starkly different than Joe Henry’s. Where Henry avoided soul stereotypes like horns and used instruments like acoustic guitar to great effect, Was allowed for horns and backing vocals, giving the soul lover precisely what they are hungry for. The result is a much more rock ‘n’ soul sounding affair, which is off to a kick right away on “Need Your Love In My Life.”
Don’t Give Up On Me may have been a more exciting album, given the previously unheard material, innovative production, and return of a musical figure who had been in obscurity for quite some time, but Make Do With What You Got proves that the album wasn’t a fluke, and that Solomon Burke is hopefully in the midst of a comeback as strong as Johnny Cash’s in the latter part of the 20th century. And it’s clear that Burke is enjoying the ride.
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The Soundtrack Of Our Lives - Origin Vol. 1 Republic
Reviewed by James Tyler
There was a time in my life where I did nothing more than lie on my bed and listen to music like this. I was younger, I was more carefree. I had fewer things to do and more beer to drink than perhaps I’ll ever see again.
The Soundtrack of Our Lives (quite possibly the best name for a band ever, on more levels than my head can even possibly begin to comprehend) have that retrospect quality – they have a rock streak to them, they can use their guitars to really let a mild headbanger loose, and their lyrics toe that awkward line between possible profundity and childish folly.
Their 2001 album Behind the Music, (possibly the best name for an album ever – yes this is the kind of review where I can toss around those labels), brought musical genres together in a pressure chamber and let rip with their hyper-aware take on the music they love and that inspired them onward and upward. Thoughtful ballads, drinking anthems, pulsing tracks of teenage anger and defiance; TSOOL delivered the broadest possible mish-mash of musical and ancestral lust into a seemingly innate piece of plastic.
Whether Origin Vol. 1 explores the same concept is another matter. It immediately comes across as uninspired, even from their imaginative perspective; there is no homage here, only apery – irritating wailing guitar riffs lifted from the wrinkled fingers of Santana and/or Jeff Beck, hippy-by-numbers strummer songs (“Midnight Children”), songs with one trick and a boring one at that (“Heading for a Breakdown”). Lyrics that I guarantee will get under the skin include the gloriously frustrating “Welcome to the future, talking ‘bout the old times, move into the new times” (“Bigtime”) – why can they not take their own advice?
There are brief moments where the hairs on your arms perk up a little, sensing the hope that a promising intro and thunderous drums might break into a real memorable track, but the payoff never quite justifies the initial investment. It’s frustrating – not even the rasping energy of Ebbot Lundberg can help their cause. Each song sounds incomplete, hollow, like a bar cover band reading the music but not understanding the words.
Like with the TV show “Behind the Music,” TSOOL once declared to us that there was something within the sounds themselves that was valuable, a core that was worth hearing and understanding. Tragedies and great successes befall the most marginal of bands, and yet there is always the music side of things to tie everything in.
The point was that amongst the notes themselves, there was a feeling. Origin Vol. 1 seems devoid of that feeling – despite their best intentions, nothing about it makes me want to lay back and crank this until my eyes well with tears as I link songs to memories, to feelings. It’s hard to do that when emotion seems strangely absent from the conduit itself.
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Thievery Corporation - The Cosmic Game ESL Music
Reviewed by James Tyler
Ambient music, the subdued young brother of electronica at large, is undergoing a little overhaul. For a while, at least to my virgin ears, ambient music had a soft quality that made it a little unbearable unless I was:
a. In a hot tub/sauna/jacuzzi surrounded by disaffected, drunk friends
b. In a car driving long distances through the night (as I was one time, leaving Philadelphia bound for Tennessee at midnight)
c. Watching a film that requires immediate injections of emotion and/or atmosphere at the hands of a synthesizer and drum machine
d. Asleep.
It is safe to say that the amount of times spent in any of these scenarios is far outweighed by the times I am not. (Except perhaps in the case of d.)
Regardless, the Thievery Corporation, talismans of the ESL label, has produced what I feel to be their best and most accessible release to date. While it may not be attuned for everyone’s ears, it has its moments that appeal even the most rigid and stubborn of music fans.
In terms of a complete package, this album has just about everything. The two men responsible, Rob Garza and Eric Hilton, have deep stacks and varied music tastes; this release incorporates all the far-reaching genres that the pair covet. Collaborations with the Flaming Lips (a spacey track with the FL sound: dream-like keys, lush basslines and solid grooves, along with Coyne’s delicate vocals), Perry Farrell (tight beats filtered through his feral range) and David Byrne (Afro-Cuban rhythms reminiscent of anything on his Luaka Bop label) help to further expand the scope of The Cosmic Game.
In an interview with his label, Garza spoke of the duo’s desire to incorporate all of their styles and iconic musical guests to the point where the lines between the two are blurred; one can envision any of these particular tracks mentioned cropping up within the discography of any of their co-conspirators. Reggae, dub, bossa, samba, African rhythms, Eastern-infused tabla and sitar music, funk; they’re all strung together artfully with the understated approach of the Thievery Corporation. It transcends fusion – after repeated rotations, it becomes easy to forget the transitions and not notice the seams.
On the whole this album might not speak to everyone’s tastes – the gap between fans of electronica and the rest of the music world is still unfortunately a little wide - but the Cosmic Game is a fine example of how ambient music can push itself past that passive, background stage and exert itself competently in the spotlight. I’d recommend it on its strength; with each listen, its appeal grows to the point where I might find myself in more of those situations – hot tubs, cars at night, cinemas – only this time, this soundtrack will be more appropriate.
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Tori Amos - The Beekeeper
(Limited Edition with DVD) Epic
Reviewed by Lisa Hood-Anklewicz
If you have grown up with Tori Amos over the course over her career, you can map her development as an artist and as a person through her music. Little Earthquakes was the quiet girl at the piano emerging and standing up for herself. Boys For Pele gave us Tori as a the rebel, and from the choirgirl hotel and To Venus and Back gave Amos the space to experiment with her sonic structures. Her last release Scarlet’s Walk was a grown up Amos, looking back on her own history, mapping the Native spirit in America. Now with her ninth record, The Beekeeper, Amos’ music continues to be reflective of herself, as her age and wisdom grow.
The interesting thing about The Beekeeper is the way in which Amos has chosen to present it. Consisting of 19 tracks (20 if you count the bonus track on the DVD), The Beekeeper comes with a concept. Working with the hexagram shape of the honey comb, Amos has created six gardens in which she has “planted” each of the songs. Suddenly, listening to the album takes two very different paths, one straight forward from start to finish, or manipulated into the gardens. With the Limited Edition copy of the CD, the accompanying DVD allows Amos to walk the listener through the gardens and the songs that are in each one, which provides an opportunity to interpret the album in a different light.
At the core of the album seems to be the Orchard Garden, where knowledge and the essence of life are the underlying themes. Centred here is “Original Sinsuality”, a song in which Amos redefines the concept of original sin and the tree of knowledge in the Garden of Eden. Moving out from this concept, Amos walks the listener through themes in each garden; self-exploration; communication; betrayal; union; decisions at a crossroads. All of these themes have been ever present in Amos’ past work, but in those instances the texture of the lyrics are left slightly hidden, open for the listeners interpretation. The songs on The Beekeeper are lyrically, much more obvious with their intention. Then, with the DVD material, Amos has taken the opportunity to lay out the meanings even more plainly.
The majority of the songs on the album are still strong and work well in the concept of the gardens. However, there are a handful of songs that, while not being poor, are a departure from what is typical of Amos. “Ireland” is an extremely catchy tune, however the opening lyric “Driving in my Saab / on my way to Ireland” is a little distracting, as most people probably don’t care what Amos is driving, and may distance some listeners. Structurally, Amos has also leaned more towards simple structure (Chorus, Verse, Repeat) in many songs. Song structure is something that in the past, Amos has often challenged and made her own.
Amos’ has never made it a secret that she uses her personal experiences from life in many of her songs. On The Beekeeper, three songs express what she has faced recently. “Toast” is a very sweet, emotional ballad that ends the album as a nod to her brother Michael, who died in a car accident last November. “Ribbons Undone” turns to her life with motherhood and in the title track, “The Beekeeper”, takes you into Amos’ experience of having to face her mother’s mortality and the fact that Amos was unwilling to let her go. The idea of the beekeeper, is the one that watches the hive, keeps them working, and keeps them healthy, and maintains the cycle of life. “Wrap yourself around the tree of life / and the dance of the infinity of the hive”.
The Beekeeper is a very ambitious project for Amos to have undertaken, and despite a few flaws, it has been presented extremely well. Allowing yourself to follow the trip that Amos has laid out through the gardens, leave you with a deeper understanding of the album, and creates a place for your mind to explore the themes and ideas further on your own.
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The Way Out - White Lies
Reviewed by Brighid Mooney
White Lies is the debut EP by The Way Out, a five-piece indie rock group hailing from New Orleans. Recorded in New Orleans' Living Room studio, White Lies is a do it yourself affair, recorded on an analog tape machine, giving it a homespun feel, and released by the band itself without a major label. With seven songs, the album feels nearly long enough to be a full-length record, and the songs themselves are certainly strong enough for that. Both grand and intimate, sweeping and gentle, the songs of White Lies draw you in, with subtlety, to another world. The atmosphere is mysterious and moody, but upbeat at the same time. These are songs that sound like they would be right at home in a smoky New Orleans nightclub.
The EP opens with "When the Riders Come," which is exhilarating and energetic, and sets the mood for the rest of the album. Though White Lies progresses from there into darker and more dramatic territory, it never loses the energy at its core. It brings the entire album together to create a cohesive, atmospheric feel that transcends the individual songs. The album's second song, "Tramlines," takes the EP down a darker road, full of mystery and intrigue. The singer's voice leading us through the flourishes and subtleties of White Lies, and though the lyrics are mostly unintelligible, it doesn't detract much from the mood the album manages to create. White Lies evokes an emotional response that is both dark and seductive, with straightforward vocals and solid musicianship.
Though only seven tracks are listed on the album, an eighth bonus track also appears at the end, which is instrumental and basically continues the enigmatic mood of White Lies just that much further. The Way Out has been playing with bands like The Divine Right and packing local clubs in New Orleans, but they are sure to gain more national exposure in the very near future. Based on their short debut, I look forward to their first full-length album with great anticipation.
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The Weekend - Beatbox My Heartbeat Teenage USA/Outside Music
Reviewed by Lisa Hood-Anklewicz
Beatbox My Heartbeat is a consistently upbeat, catchy and fun album. Unfortunately, thematically the songs blend together so much that they quickly become derivative. The Weekend’s Andrea Wasse openly admits that the songs are about “being in love, not being in love, not being sure of where I fit in the world, not knowing what I want from life, feeling beaten and bruised yet still hopeful that everything will work out.” Combined with the production on Wasse’s vocal delivery, the album comes across as another effort from Avril Lavigne.
Working with John Wozniak (Marcy Playground) as producer and Dave Ogilvie (Jakalope, NIN) as mixer, Beatbox My Heartbeat is a very well executed album. The vocal performances are clean and songs are strong, if they are each standing alone. The lyrical content has been done to death, and it lacks the clever, fun and not-so-obvious references that The Weekend’s previous work has had. Sonically, the band is still in the same mould, poppy but not afraid to lay on the heavy guitars, and flirting with the “pop-punk” sound that has risen in the ranks as of late. However, somewhere in the production, something has been lost in the sound on Beatbox My Heartbeat.
Despite its downfalls, the album has some great tracks. “Into the Morning” and “There Goes my Heart” kick off the record with a loud guitar heavy pop fest. “Into the Morning” is a great song and has actually already been picked up for the soundtrack for the upcoming film D.E.B.S. “There Goes my Heart” is slightly reminiscent of The Weekend’s tracks on the Teaser EP. But by the time you hit the third track, you get the feeling that you just heard this song.
“Kick Myself”, “Pretty from the Outside” and “Flipside” manage to stand out from the rest of the pack. “Flipside” is a complete departure sonically, moving to a piano and soft vocal dominated performance. “Kick Myself” and “Pretty from the Outside” both carry a slight 80s retro sound, ala Go-Go’s. But perhaps the best song on the album lands right in the middle of the line up, “NYLA”, falling away from the pop sound and into the rock with punk influence. The delivery of the vocals is more passionate than on the majority of the album and draws you into the song.
Beatbox My Heartbeat is not a bad album. However, it doesn’t stand out from the pack either. It should go down with the teen market searching for the angst they can relate to really well. Hopefully next time around The Weekend will pull out just a little but more and deliver what they are fully capable of. In the meantime, Beatbox My Heartbeat’s overall upbeat pop sound should be great for parties.
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