Ryan Adams
Easy Tiger
2007 | Lost Highway Records
It seems like this year there is a return to mid-70’s rock in new
releases. I felt that way listening to Wilco’s “Sky Blue Sky”, and now
Ryan Adams is falling in with that crowd. With Adams it is usually hit
or miss for me, and as of late, more misses. Easy Tiger, his NINTH
release, finally scores another hit. From beginning to end I found
these slow tempo gems full of emotion, but not so overpowering or
artificial to cause me to cringe, which is the usual side effect.
Adams
jumps back and forth between that easy going rock to bluegrass tinged
ballads but overall I just want to call it country. Regardless, he is
more consistent on this album and makes the subtle changes of style
work together instead of jarringly separate themselves. The album opens
on a warm note with “Goodnight Rose”, an almost sing-a-long song
infused with the twang found throughout the album. This desire to
create upbeat tracks follows throughout on the quirky “Halloweenhead”,
“Two Hearts”, and “These Girls”. There are also those heart-aching
tracks on here to break up the cheeriness. “Off Broadway” and “I Taught
Myself How to Grow Old” are two such tracks that make you sigh a bit
with grief for the loneliness that pours out of both. Other notable
tracks on here include “Tears of Gold” which feels like a truer country
song backed by a lovely steel guitar, and “The Sun Also Sets” where
Adams seems to have been able to channel the ghost of Jeff Buckley with
his voice.
With a two year break between albums, Ryan Adams
has given himself the rest he needed to put out a really stellar album,
perhaps he should keep this in mind for his next. I’d recommend “Oh
God, Whatever, Etc.”, “Tears of Gold”, and “The Sun Also Sets”.
-Elana Rintala
Justice
†
2007 | Vice
For those of you thinking Justice were going to nail the "electronic/dance record of 2007" tag right on it's big phat head you may be right, but I have a few issues with it, which I'll save for later. In general this album delivers a strong arsenal of gut-punching disco samples, Earth, Wind, and Fire melodies and a futuristic mix of electro-house-glitch reminiscent of Daft Punk shoving you to the dance floor. There's a lot to like on this record.
The first three tracks are pretty normal, even average, including the overly-mixed, cutesy, cartoon single of "D.A.N.C.E.", which sounds equally impressive compared to most of the remixes you'll find on this website. When track four comes up on your screen you need to take note because this is when the album goes into overdrive. "Newjack" ushers in the aggressively, distorted disco-glaze that is Justice's signature sound and universal appeal. The songs get smarter and more visceral, cutting up beats and hammering synths like an expert sushi chef on methamphetamines. "Phantom" (Parts 1 & 2) are even more devasting on the hips and senses. They feel like they were meant to be the core of this CD, well-placed right at the center of the album and totally mesmerizing. "Stress" and "Waters of Nazareth" grow tighter and more distorted with samples of 70's funk and disco. The album is so exhausting at this point but somehow lifts you up and pumps you full of adrenaline until it's all over.
My only reservation with Justice's † is that it sometimes relies too heavily on the big over-the-top, smacking-you-in-the-face-with-a-similar-beat program. Most of the songs are outstanding, but only distance themselves by a few samples and keyboard-manipulated strings. Fellow French act Jackson & his Computer Band, remember Smash?, already made a record very similar to this by cutting up different colors and layers of beats/sounds/vocals--allowing them to fall into an interesting yet seductive patchwork of grooves. Justice owes Jackson some gratitude, but still prevails, and even salutes, by making a heavier and modern dance record. It's too muscular and irresistible not too want to pass along to everyone you know.
-Scott McDonald
Jennifer Gentle
The Midnight Room
2007 | Sub Pop
While both haunting and childlike, “The Midnight Room”, from Italy’s
Jennifer Gentle, their second full length release off of Sub Pop, is an
album that takes you on a strange sound trip while playing tricks with
your mind, even without the psychedelic drugs.
“Twin
Ghost”, the first track off the album, creates a minimal, choral-like
foundation for the cavalcade of noises and instruments to come, and
then ends on “Come Closer”, a much needed mellower track, echoing the
first, with simple drums, wavering vocals, and soft electric buzzes.
The real meat of the album though takes on a bizarre, carnival-like
atmosphere that at times is entertaining, and at others, such as
“Granny’s House” that honestly scared the crap out of me. “Granny’s
House” is frightening in part due to the pauses between the notes, and
also due to the sounds akin to something being hit with a lead pipe.
Jennifer Gentle’s main man, Marco Fasolo, utilizes such instruments of
toy pianos, organs, and a voice that sounds like it’s being squeezed
out several octaves too high, to create well structured and organized
tracks that seem like they belong in a Dario Argento movie, or in the
Haunted House ride at Disneyland.
It may be interesting to
note that while creating this album, Fasolo’s studio was a country
house in Northern Italy whose previous owner committed suicide by
rifle; whatever ghostly residue left over seems to have impregnated
this album. The psychedelic nature here is heavily reminiscent of
Barrett-era Pink Floyd or the Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper; I would even draw
parallels to Nora Keyes here in Los Angeles. After a solid listening
though, there is an air of kitsch-ness that cannot be avoided. While
the entertainment of the songs is high, I find I need to take the album
in small bites in order to fully enjoy it. I would recommend “Twin
Ghosts”, “Telephone Ringing” and “Take My Hand”.
-Elana Rintala
Adam Franklin
Bolts of Melody
2007 | Hi-Speed Soul
My formative teenager years were spent listening to dirty shoegazer
music filled with droning guitar melodies and hypnotic drumming beats.
Adam Franklin, when heading Swervedriver, was one of those men feeding
this music to me. Now he’s taking a break from his current project to
put out Bolts of Melody, his first solo ‘name’ release.
Those elements that made me enjoy him so much in his earlier career are still present, however Bolts proves that Franklin can incorporate many other elements into his music
so that those waves of swirling noise channel into such veins as soft
acoustic numbers and happy folk-like numbers. The album starts with
“Seize the Day”, which instantly draws me back to mid-90’s British
indie pop with less cynicism. Because it sounds so “time” specific,
there may be the chance of sounding dated; however, I think it was a
good opener because it throws you right into his style and then grows
from there.
The acoustic tracks on the album provide nice breaks
from the intensity of the faster paced songs. Franklin is able to make
them work in such a way so that they also blend right back into the
more dreamy tracks, to create separate and yet analogous numbers. In
“Song of Solomon”, one of the more down tempo acoustic tracks, I picked
up on hints of Elliott Smith circa Either/Or that combined with simple
psychedelic elements creating a bittersweet melody. Franklin utilizes
the back and forth, fast and slow techniques here so that it keeps your
attention without letting you wander too far. I’d recommend “Seize the
Day”, “Morning Rain”, “Song of Solomon” and “Birdsong”.
-Elana Rintala
Klaxons, with Myths of the New Future, have put out one of the best cds this decade. I’m stating that now. If they never put out another cd, while that would be a tragedy, their debut would be enough for me. There’s a ton of buzz about this band and it’s absolutely deserved. Their music is heavenly, their videos are bizarre, and the guys in the band, well, they are just smoking. I was massively blessed to see them play the Crocodile in April, and live they are sexy as hell. I talked with James Righton, keyboardist/bassist/singer before the show.
Arthur & Yu
In Camera
2007 | Hardly Art
I’m singing my praises this week for a slew of good new releases. In Camera,
the first release from Arthur & Yu, and also the first release off
Sub Pop’s Hardly Art label, was the bright beacon of a much anticipated
release. Upon hearing the track “Come to View (Song for Neil Young)”
several months ago, I had the sinking sensation in my stomach that I
would have to wait for the album to come out. Its smooth, folky
male/female vocals crackling with lo-fi goodness made for simply
beautiful music. And, unlike several advanced tracks from other bands,
when I finally got to hear the whole album, I was overjoyed that every
track was that good.
Not actually named Arthur and Yu, Grant
Olsen & Sonya Westcott (the original bassist for band Rogue Wave)
are either echoing each other or singing alongside each other
throughout all the tracks to produce this ethereal quality to their
songs. The style bounces around from folk to psychedelic to garage
tinged with some country, but it all ties together perfectly with the
vocals. It’s reminiscent at times of the Raveonettes, especially when
the music take on a distant, slight twang, like in “Flashing the Lobby
Lights” and “Black Bear”. The minimal structure to the songs produces
lovely happy songs without the bubblegum effect. Overall it’s an
excellent effort from this duo. If I had to pick a few to recommend,
try “Come to View (Song for Neil Young)”, “Afterglow” and “1000 Words”.
-Elana Rintala
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