New Season Ear Candy
Some More Dodgy Album Reviews
It's been a while and I can't remember everything I've acquired over the past couple of months, so following is the best of the selection and the ones that I can remember well enough to say something sensible about. It doesn't seem too metal this time... I'll amp up the rock next time, promise!
Dixie Chicks - Taking the Long Way
Following the bashing the band took for Maine's infamous "We're ashamed that the President comes from Texas" remark, the band took a different approach to their follow-up album (The very rootsy "Home" preceeding this one) and worked with Rick Rubin on a selection of songs that go in more or a rock-oriented direction. There is still a proper Country sound to the album, but it's a little more amped-up. It all sounds great and solid.
The fact that the band wrote more songs on this album than any before also makes for an album of compelling songs. Maines fair near spits out some of the lyrics at times, especially during "Not Ready to Make Nice" which addresses the problems of her speaking her mind. It's ballsy stuff. There are also the quieter moments which bring a full range of moods to the album. These include the lovely "Lullaby" and "Favourite Year".
To keep it short and to save me from going into some extended rant about how great they are, I'll just say that this is an album that's most definately worth a listen to. The first four songs alone are worth the price of the CD themselves. If you have the chance to get the edition with the DVD, then take it. The bonus material on there is all great, including a documentary and some live footage of the new material.
Shelby Lynne - Just a Little Lovin'
Can anyone take the songs of Dusty Springfield and present them in any sort of way that is as engaging and gorgeous as the original numbers? Er, yes...
This album of cover songs reinterpreted by Ms Lynne is a total winner. The arrangements are sparing and soft, leaving the voice space to breathe and totally charm the listener. The music is not really as "Country" as you may expect from an album by Lynne, and the sound is quite Jazzy. The band seem to understand the "less is more" approach and really play to the voice throughout. There are no bad cuts on this album which is ideal for late-night listening when something "totally metal" is not on the cards and it never outstays it's welcome. There's little more to say than that!
Robert Plant and Alison Krauss - Raising Sand
There has been so much hype surrounding this album and sometimes it's tough to get around this and view the record for what it is. There's a fair chance that yu've already heard about it, got it and love it already, but for those who haven't, you can believe the hype and go and buy it safe in the knowledge that it really is one of the records of the year.
The music is top class and the vocal harmonies from Plant and Krauss blend together beautifully along with the tasteful band arrangements. "Gone, Gone, Gone", is as "rocking" as it gets on the album with the rest of the songs fair near slinking out of the speakers at you. Oh man, just go and buy it... You won't be sorry.
Goldfrapp - Seventh Tree
Leaving the Glam Stomp of the previous two albums, The "'Frapp" elect to go for a softer approach on their new album and have produced an engaging and beautiful set of songs that will totally win-over anyone who likes to settle back with the headphones on and loose themselves in an album.
The album's opening numbers kind of reminded me of Kate Bush's "Aerial" and set up the rest of the record really well with it's wafting arrangements and subtle performances. By the time you reach the midpoint of "Some People" and the lead-off single "A&E", you are totally lost in the music. It's a tough ambum not to give yourself to and love unconditionally, if only for Alison Goldfrapp's vocal performance.
A great record... Get it. By the way, does anyone else think that the front cover photo makes A.G. look more like (late 60s era) Goldie Hawn on her way to a fancy dress party? Just me then? OK.
Muse - Haarp
Mental. Totally and utterly mental. Taken from the June shows last year at Wembley Stadium, this album and DVD documents the whole nutty show. First off, I would say that you should get the CD/DVD version of this release as the CD-only version is a cut-down recording of the show and you really need the accompanying visuals to get the full impact of the show. That said, the CD sounds great and the extra passages employed on stage are fantastic, it's just that with the DVD, you can see the whole thing in front of your naked, steaming eyes and just wish that you had gone to the gig yourself.
The material focusses on the "Black Holes and Revelations" album mainly, but also has some string songs from the other albums in the back catalogue. "New Born" and "Butterflies and Hurricanes" are both amazing on this release. Again, it's on the DVD that the material really comes alive as the performances are so solid and have as much energy as their recorded counterparts. It's a joy to watch the band just get into it and as the sun goes down on Wembley, the full prog-maddened stage set comes alive with light and power. Again, this is a set that is hard not to totally fall for.
So, if you like your music slightly mad, full of energy and a lot prog. Get this, but make sure you get the DVD version while you can.
Tift Merritt - Another Country
The third set from Merritt and another lovely selection of tunes. It's all tastefully done with a great vocal performance all round from Merritt. I'm not sure whether this is better than "Tambourine", but it is definately worthy of more attention, which the previous album missed out on.
Tinariwen - Aman Iman
This was an impulse buy thanks to hearing Percy Plant bang on about this lot for an age and the fact that it was produced by Plant collaborator Justin Adams. Was I disappointed? No, I was pleasantly surprised and really enjoyed listening to this album... and still do, in fact. It's all repeated groovy patterns and tribal singing with some tasty guitar work over the top of it all. It really is the kind of thing you'd expect Percy to endorse and you can see where some of his ideas for stuff on "Unledded" came from.
I also like this album as the cover reminded me of Dare's "Out of the Silence"!
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© 2006 Graham T. Ebbrell