Apologies for the delay; the following reviews ran in thee Kitchener-Waterloo Record and Guelph Mercury in July 2010.
Laurie Anderson – Homeland (Nonesuch)
It’s true that perhaps only Laurie Anderson would begin a verse of a song with the lyric: “Ah this world, which as Kierkegaard said…” But it’s also true that perhaps only Laurie Anderson could set Socratic questioning and existential musings about the end of an empire (specifically, the American one) to music. Not only that, she does so with emotional weight—even while doing little more than reciting her lines with the detached neutrality of a planetarium narrator.
Homeland is only her third musical work in the past 20 years, but it’s a natural continuation of her vital work in the ’80s—right down to the use of a Vocoder (which she did on her one and only pop hit, 1981’s “O Superman”)—and yet miraculously, she doesn’t sound like an artifact of that decade. Instead, her lyrics are terrifyingly timely, and her music is otherworldly enough to be permanently out of time.
She may decry those who “haven’t a clue what time it is, or where it goes, or even what a clock is”—but rest assured, Anderson will never be any of those. (July 8)
Download (iTunes, puretracks.com, amazon.com): “Another Day in America,” “Only an Expert,” “Transitory Life”
Big Boi – Sir Luscious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty (Def Jam)
As one half of Outkast, Big Boi has long championed an eclectic, freaky brand of R&B and Southern hip-hop; when he appeared earlier this year on Janelle Monae’s track Tightrope, the song of summer 2010, it was as much a passing of the torch to a new Atlanta-based freak as it was a reminder how unproductive the Outkast camp had become lately.
Sir Luscious Left Foot is Big Boi’s long-awaited, much-delayed solo album; his first since Speakerboxxx in 2003. Various singles leaked out in the interim—none of which appear on the final version of the album. Combining the best of ’90s Dirty South hip-hop, ’80s funk and new wave, and old school ’70s funk, Big Boi also emphasizes vocal melodies and rich harmonies this time out. George Clinton, Janelle Monae, Lil Jon and T.I. all make appearances; sadly the Kate Bush hook-up didn’t work out, but there’s no reason why her idiosyncracies couldn’t have fit right into Big Boi’s vision as well.
For whatever reason, Sir Lusicous Left Foot was rejected by his previous record company, which claimed to not hear any hits—an accusation that is patently ridiculous. This is every bit as full of hooks as Speakerboxxx and doubles as a welcome return and a bold step forward. (July 15)
Download (iTunes, amazon.com, puretracks.com): “Shutterbugg,” “Tambourine,” “Follow Us”
Brasstronaut – Mount Chimeara (Unfamiliar)
This Vancouver band does feature a trumpet player and they do play spacey music—but that doesn’t excuse their terrible moniker. Can a group of musicians who pick the name Brasstronaut actually have any taste in music? Thankfully, they do, and Mount Chimeara finds them charting their own course with expansive songs and instrumentation that veers into jazzy territory: upright bass, electric piano, trumpets, clarinets and violins provide delicate shadings, like a jazzier Talk Talk or a considerably more chill and less apocalyptic Godspeed You Black Emperor. Mount Chimeara was partially written and recorded during a residency at the Banff Centre, but it’s the Vancouver vibe that is evident throughout—you can almost taste the ocean air. (July 22)
Download (zunior.com): “Slow Knots,” “Lo Hi Hopes,” “Insects”
The Clientele – Minotaur (Merge)
When The Clientele announced they were breaking up this year, shortly after the release of easily their best album, 2009’s Bonfires on the Heath, they were commended for going on a high note. And yet here they are again, with an eight-song EP that’s every bit as delectable and definitive as that album, one that encapsulates their rainy-day U.K. dream-pop perfectly. Alisdair MacLean gets increasingly melodic with each passing release, while “The Green Room” is little more than a poem set to sound art, showing the band pushing forward in every direction. Which once again leads to the obvious question: why stop now? (July 15)
Download (iTunes, eMusic, amazon.com): “Minotaur,” “Jerry,” “Strange Town”
Gonjasufi – A Sufi and a Killer (Warp)
Sumach Ecks, who records as Gonjasufi, admits in interviews he does yoga every day not just for his health, but to calm his temper. That’s obvious on his debut album, which straddles chilled-out, psychedelic soul and paranoid, dishevelled garage rock, with North African and Arabic influences woven throughout, and Ecks’s gravelly, morning-after crackle of a voice—not unlike Tricky’s, or late period Sly Stone—attempting to glue it all together. There are times when Ecks lets his aggression breaks free, but much of A Sufi and a Killer is about tension and restraint—especially when most of the songs clock in at less than three minutes, presumably checking out before things get really, really weird. Even at its most disorienting, it manages to be entirely intoxicating, and highly recommended for the next heat wave. (July 15)
Download (iTunes, eMusic, amazon.com): “Ancestors,” “Change,” “Duet”
Grady – Good as Dead (C12)
Not sure what the album title is referring to, but it’s safe to say that guitarist Gordie Johnson hasn’t had the same kind of success with Grady as he did with Big Sugar in the ’90s. Not that he seems to care: he’s relocated to Austin, Texas, is still playing as loud as ever, and Grady’s brand of what he calls “cowboy metal” has legions of enthusiastic fans in the U.S.—including ZZ Top’s Billy Gibbons and, oddly enough, punk icon Jello Biafra, who is quoted as saying Grady is the “missing link between early Johnny Winter and Ministry.” (Biafra also put out an earlier album on his label, Alternative Tentacles.)
So while Grady once sounded like a low-grade boogie band doing Big Sugar covers, Johnson has whipped this band into shape and found its own sound—and its own songs, like “Alberta Bone”s and “If I Was King,” that prove Johnson isn’t just relying on guitar gimmicks. (A almost unrecognizable cover of The Tragically Hip’s “Boots or Hearts” is a nice touch, as well.) That he’s still a phenomenal guitarist is undisputed, and this album demands to be played at full volume. The rhythm section could use some more swagger and swing, but Johnson’s energy alone carries the day. (July 1)
Download (iTunes, eMusic): “Blackass Woman,” “Alberta Bones,” “If I Was King”
Sarah Harmer – Oh Little Fire (Universal)
It’s been five years since we heard from Sarah Harmer, and there was no telling what we might expect. Another acoustic record, like 2005’s I’m a Mountain? A return to her Weeping Tile rock days? An everything-all-at-once classic like 2000’s You Were Here? All bets were off when first single “Captive” made it to radio; some unsuspecting listeners thought it sounded like Metric, not because of some synth-rock makeover, but because of Harmer’s vocal style.
It turns out that this album’s closest predecessor is 2004’s All Our Names, a sanded-off album that didn’t seem to satisfy fans of any of Sarah’s various sides. Thankfully, Oh Little Fire has considerably more zip than that, perhaps due to her long absence, and it says a lot about Harmer’s charisma and talent that she can communicate some rather raw emotions in jaunty acoustic pop. She may be feeling heartbroken—as anyone could easily discern from titles like “Captive,” “Careless,” “New Loneliness and “The Thief”—but minor chords are rare here, and tempos seldom drag.
Sarah Harmer is so good at what she does—or rather, everything she’s done so far, be it raucous rock, old-timey jazz, acoustic country, or pop music—that one can only wonder what it would sound like if Oh Little Fire had sparked some serious reinvention. Then again, if it ain’t broke…(July 1)
Download (iTunes, amazon.com): “Captive,” “The City,” “Silverado”
Kylie Minogue – Aphrodite (EMI)
Robyn – Body Talk Pt. 2 (Universal)
Criticizing a fembot like Kylie Minogue is pointless: no one listens to her records expecting an outpouring of warmth or human emotion. She’s managed to maintain a mysterious 25-year international career by being largely faceless, her singles largely indistinguishable—with the exception of 2000’s “Can’t Get You Out of My Head.” Along the way there has been an oddball duet with Nick Cave and a high-profile battle with breast cancer, but there’s little on Aphrodite that sounds significantly different than anything else Minogue has done since day one, and with no standout single as a calling card, either.
And so Swedish pop singer Robyn is here to tell us: “I’ve got some news for you/ fembots have feelings, too.” On the surface, little distinguishes herself from Minogue: both sound robotic, both revel in technological artifice, neither of them pretend to be anything but pop stars. Yet Robyn actually has personality: she’s tough (“Don’t F---ing Tell Me What To Do”), she’s independent (“None of Dem”), and she can be vulnerable (“Dancing On My Own”)—but ultimately warns you not to fall in love with her (“Hang With Me”). She sounds perpetually dissatisfied that lovers and the world at large will never meet her high standards—and you can be sure that she’s not settling for second best: from anyone else, from herself, from her music. (July 15)
Download Robyn (iTunes, puretracks.com, amazon.com): “Dancehall Queen,” “None of Dem,” “Cry When You Get Older”
Owen Pallett – Lewis Takes Off His Shirt EP (Domino)
"Lewis Takes Off His Shirt" is by far the poppiest song on Pallett’s recent neo-classical masterpiece, Heartland. Odd, then, that the three remixes on this EP don’t make it any more danceable than it already is; only Benoit Pioulard’s near-ambient approach improves on the original—and does so by removing any rhythm track at all, as well as 95 per cent of the vocals, making the song sound almost sombre. Most disappointing is Dan Deacon’s remix, which manages to muddy the waters, seemingly forgetting about various faders and leaving everything on all the time. Simon Bookish wins the contest, however, by roping the 9/4 time signature of “Keep the Dog Quiet” onto the dance floor with all its quirks intact—if not adding more. (July 22)
Download (iTunes, eMusic, amazon.com): “Keep the Dog Quiet (Simon Bookish remix),” “Lewis Takes Off His Shirt (Benoit Pioulard remix),” “Midnight Directives (Max Tundra remix)”
Reflection Eternal: Talib Kweli and Hi-Tek – Revolutions Per Minute (Rawkus)
Never mind Jay-Z: Talib Kweli is one of the top MCs of the last decade, and that’s something Jay-Z himself has admitted on record (a line that’s immodestly sampled here). And while his albums have been somewhat spotty, his best tracks have always been with DJ Hi-Tek, dating back to Kweli’s days in Black Star with Mos Def. Revolutions Per Minute is only the second Reflection Eternal album (and the first in 10 years), but it’s a mature encapsulation of everything Kweli has been up to since the start. With one exception: there’s very little straight-up hip-hop here, relying instead of ’70s soul styles. And it’s not because Kweli is any less fiery. If anything, Hi-Tek pulls some punches in order not to compete with Kweli’s verses; instead of sounding weak, he sounds entirely complementary and comfortable—like long-time collaborators should. (July 15)
Download (iTunes, amazon.com, puretracks.com): “Back Again,” “In This World,” “Midnight Hour” (featuring Estelle)
The Roots – How I Got Over (Universal)
After eight albums, 15 years, and hundreds upon hundreds of marathon live shows, the Roots had announced that the 2008 album Rising Down would be their last. They had just got a gig as the house band on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, they still planned on being a touring band, and bandleader ?uestlove was consistently busy with other projects. What else was there to say? To do?
For starters, their recorded output had never reached the level of respect that everyone had for the band as an entity‹and that¹s why How I Got Over is as much of a comeback as it is a classic in their catalogue. Rarely, if ever, have the multi-talented Roots crew been able to sustain a mood over the course of a concise album that plays to all their strengths: classic hip-hop, both vintage and neo-soul, and eclectic influences filtered through their unique vision.
Lyrically, How I Got Over is very much like a hangover of the George W. Bush years, with battered idealism and plenty of self-doubt. And yet the music is far from dark: it¹s fierce and funky, it¹s soothing and soulful, and it benefits from a bevy of guests that range from usual collaborators Dice Raw, Phonte and Blu to John Legend and the Dirty Projectors. Two songs born of borrowed sources don¹t sample or cover existing songs, but instead invite the original artists—in this case, Jim James of My Morning Jacket and Monsters of Folk, and harpist Joanna Newsom—to sing their hooks while the MCs write verses that expand on the original themes.
This isn’t a band ready for its Vegas years. This is a band with a renewed sense of purpose. (July 8)
Download (iTunes, puretracks.com, amazon.com): “Right On,” “How I Got Over,” “The Fire”
Shad – TSOL (Black Box)
Shad doesn’t believe in wasting words. The London, Ontario MC packs enough of them into his third album that he could be excused for slacking off once in a while, but the free-associative double entendres fly fast and furious here. The pop culture references and occasionally adolescent jokes abound—he calls himself a “true school rapper with middle school humour”—but there’s no denying his versatility and verbal dexterity, which is equal to his ’90s heroes like Common or Guru. He can also be deadly serious when he wants to, like on the tribute to clever ladies on “Keep Shining,” or the post-Obama paranoia of “At The Same Time.” Guests include Ian Kamau, Classified, Justin Nokuza and Broken Social Scene’s Brendan Canning and Lisa Lobsinger, all of whom help make TSOL Shad’s most solid set of backing tracks to date. But there’s no doubt the spotlight is all on the main MC, who is as warm, funny and engaging as he is whip-smart on the mic. This fall he’ll be hooking up with K’naan for a fall tour; on TSOL, Shad sounds like he’s a small step away from a “Wavin’ Flag” of his own. (July 22)
Download (iTunes, eMusic, amazon.com, puretracks.com): “Telephone,” “We Myself and I,” “At the Same Time”
The Slew – 100% (Ninja Tune)
Ten years ago, Montreal turntablist master Kid Koala appeared on a track by Handome Boy Modeling School called “Rock’n’Roll Could Never Hip-Hop Like This.” Now, after years in the interim make abstract, absurdist and jazzy records and pop cameos, Kid Koala returns to the rock, splicing myriad ’70s rock riffs together and setting them to the heaviest hip-hop beats this side of John Bonham. That mash-up sounds almost too easy to do, in a way that everyone from Girl Talk on down has done already. But Koala doesn’t take obvious classics and funk them up; in fact, you’d be hard pressed to name any of these samples. Instead, as always, he’s primarily interested in sounds, taking a distorted organ or a fuzzed-out guitar or a hysterical scream and manipulating it manually, rather than letting the original sources play out. But unlike much of his other work, The Slew is very much a visceral rock’n’roll experience—live, it’s augmented by the former rhythm section of Wolfmother, although they don’t appear here—and leaves little doubt that, yes, rock’n’roll can hip-hop like this. (July 1)
Download (now only available physically): “You Turn Me Cold,” “Battle of Heaven and Hell,” “Robbing Banks (Doin’ Time)”
Stars – The 5 Ghosts (Universal)
Three years ago, Stars put out an album called In Our Bedroom After the War, with songs titled “Take Me to the Riot” and “Barricades.” If they’d have released that album the week of G20 protests in their hometown of Toronto, their melodramatic sense of drama might not have felt so histrionic—albeit effectively so—as it did at the time. Now, they return with songs about how “dead hearts are everywhere” and how “thousands of ghosts in the daylight walking through my hometown square.”
Yet the ghosts here might as well refer to Stars’ past glories, which seem hidden in a distant past on this, their major label debut. “I Died So I Could Haunt You” provides an unhelpful reminder that a definite sense of loss—even defeatism—hangs over the album, as opposed to the romantic idealism that has often buoyed their more triumphant moments. The band gets easily caught up in their own contradictions: “Changes/ I’ve never been good with change/ I hate it when it all stays the same.”
Musically, they step back from the more rock-heavy moves of recent album and rely more on synths. But while the production is top notch, the songs rarely rise to the occasion—especially when they try on an electro-pop sex-kitten jam called “We Don’t Want Your Body,” which sounds like a twisted collaboration between Trent Reznor and Mariah Carey.
At one point, Amy Millan sings: “I don’t mind this wasted, hated daylight.” I don’t know why her character hates the daylight, but it certainly sounds like it’s wasted here. (July 1)
Download (iTunes, eMusic, puretracks.com, amazon.com): “The Passenger,” “Wasted Daylight,” “Changes”
Wolf Parade – Expo 86 (Sub Pop)
When Wolf Parade first appeared on anyone’s radar in 2004, part of what blew everyone away was that they appeared fully formed, with classic songs and a sound of their own cobbled together from the debris of their major influences, and bashed out on equipment that could barely stay together. Now that the two songwriters (Spencer Krug and Dan Boeckner) have successful bands of their own (Sunset Rubdown and Handsome Furs, respectively)—with more records between them than Wolf Parade does at this point, the original project can seem like an afterthought—which it did on 2008’s disappointing At Mount Zoomer.
For whatever reason, Expo 86 finds Wolf Parade sounding hungry once again, ready to prove something either to themselves, the world, or both. Both Boeckner and Krug are not necessarily at the top of their game—their recent albums with their other bands are, overall, more cohesive and satisfying—but they’ve obviously agreed to make a full-on rock’n’roll record, with nary a ballad in the bunch, and the lines blurred between their individual songwriting styles.
Engineer Howard Bilerman helps deliver perhaps the biggest sound Wolf Parade has ever put to tape, and every member of the band puts everything they have into visceral performances—there are even guitar solos this time out. The lyrics are often absurdist (“I had a vision! / Of a gorilla! / And he was a killer! A KILLER!”), but no matter: Expo 86 is a return to the giddy thrill of discovery, the rush of youth, and the sparks that ignited such an explosive band in the first place. (July 8)
Download (iTunes, amazon.com, puretracks.com): “Little Golden Age,” “What Did My Lover Say?”, “Pobody’s Nerfect”
The Wooden Sky – If I Don’t Come Home You’ll Know I’m Gone (Black Box)
It’s tempting to file Toronto’s The Wooden Sky as a roots rock act. All the signifiers are there: pedal steel, acoustic guitar, country rhythms, occasional gospel influences and a slight twang in Gavin Gardiner’s voice. And yet The Wooden Sky don’t fit into any easy category, due primarily to Gardiner’s songwriting, which is more on par with the noir-ish elegance of The National than, say, Blue Rodeo. While most Canadian roots artists tend to play it rather straight, The Wooden Sky are, along with Cuff the Duke, one of the more convincing acts to deliver raucous, occasionally epic country rock that never sounds like it’s falling back on a formula. Passionate performances and no shortage of standout tracks make this a powerful statement from an exciting band. No wonder they leapt from obscurity to the Polaris Prize long list this year; their dynamic set at Guelph’s Hillside Festival in July proved that they’re ready for much bigger stages. (July 22)
Download (iTunes, eMusic, amazon.com, puretracks.com): “Angels,” “Oslo,” “An Evening Hymn”
Wovenhand – The Threshingfloor (Sounds Familyre)
“I am the god of hellfire!” began an old psychedelic rock classic by Arthur Brown, a man who has nothing on David Eugene Edwards, a.k.a. Wovenhand. Edwards believes in a god of blood and redemption, and doesn’t think that Christian music is meant to be some kind of feel-good false witness to the world. Edwards sings with great gravitas about a God who has the whole world in his hands—and is going to do whatever He damn well pleases with it, human intentions be damned. Speaking of the whole world,
Edwards expands his usual mix of gothic country, blues, Celtic and Appalachian folk with textures drawn from Arabic, Native American, Italian and Indian sources, all of which seamlessly fit into his songwriting and help create his best album to date—which, considering the impeccable 2003 self-titled Wovenhand album, is no small achievement. (July 8)
Wovenhand plays the Garrison in Toronto on October 1.
Download (iTunes, eMusic, amazon.com): “A Holy Measure,” “Sinking Hands,” “Terre Haute”
Showing posts with label Stars. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Stars. Show all posts
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Polaris: Shad, Stars
Penultimate Polaris post today. But first, I'd like to alert you all to an Ottawa oddsmaker's take on everyone's chances. These do not represent the opinions of Radio Free Canuckistan, and are intended for entertainment purposes only. That said, place your bets!
Black Mtn- 2.5:1
Basia Bulat- 3:1
Caribou- 3:1
Kathleen Edwards- 4:1
Holy Fuck- n/a (they are going to win), but I will bet anyone if you give me at least 3:1
Plants and Animals- 2:1
Shad- 4:1
Stars- 4:1
Two Hours Traffic- 3:1
The Weakerthans- 4:1
The nominees:
Shad – The Old Prince (Black Box).
The album: I didn’t hear this when it first came out; I’m only spending significant time with it now. I’ve been a fan of Shad since I first saw him about two years ago, and his live show is considerably more compelling than anything heard here. Shad is a fascinating character, and yet while his music does fall outside the hip-hop mainstream, I don’t hear much personality in his backing tracks at all. He’s openly self-deprecating about the fact that he’s not a “hard” MC, which is great (and very Canadian of him), but one can’t help but wish for a bit more bounce to the ounce. It’s telling that one of the most likeable tracks here is the a cappella at the end of “The Old Prince Still Lives At Home.” He also fares well with “Brother,” “Compromise” and “Exile,” but nothing measures up to his full potential.
The chances: Slim. In this rockist country of ours, it will take a hip-hop album with significantly greater momentum than this one to take this prize, unless this jury is feeling particularly contrarian (and there are at least two major hip-hop fans on the jury). Plus, I didn’t get the sense that this was a lot of hip-hop fans’ number one choice for Canadian hip-hop album of the year. The fact that it’s on the shortlist is likely a compromise choice; it’s doubtful Shad will pull off the same feat for the main event.
Stars – In Our Bedroom After the War (Arts and Crafts).
The album: Critics love to hate this band; it’s a bit of a shocker that it made the list. Part of this is because Torquil Campbell is cockily convinced that he’s doing it all for the kids—and anyone who isn’t making pop music for lonely teenage romantics should go into another profession. Canadian musicians aren’t expected to be controversial, and Campbell’s big mouth gets him into trouble—like when he complained about a good review of this album on Pitchfork, and told all rock critics to get laid and do drugs before reviewing CDs. (He talks about this here.) I actually think the review in question, which gives the album a 7.4 rating, is very well written—an admission which obviously gives Campbell permission to place no credence at all in anything I now have to say about his band (not that he ever should have, and not that he ever did).
But here’s what any objective ear will hopefully recognize: In the Bedroom After the War is a fantastic pop album, one that aims high, occasionally fails, and encapsulates all the teen angst and ache that this band has been trying to capture since they started. Almost every song is incredibly catchy classic pop with fantastic production. It’s full of tasty little bits: Campbell’s falsetto on “Genova Heights,” a delicate string arrangement on “My Favourite Book,” and the fact that they manage to bring Momus to the masses on their homage, “Personal.” Listen to Amy Millan’s “My Favourite Book” and “Bitches in Tokyo” for the key to Stars’ success here: the soft pop is sublime; the rock moments ring true, which they never did for me on the predecessor Set Yourself On Fire. I’m also willing to love this record for the sole reason that no one writes proper male/female duets in pop music anymore.
Polaris jurors should take note of the album’s flow; this is a band who clearly conceptualizes their beginnings and ends. It starts with a slowly reveal, an opening suite that leads into the first lyric and defining statement (“the night starts here/ forget your name/ forget your fear”). It concludes with what has been described as a ticker-tape parade of old-timey musical theatre glory, perfect for closing credits of some epic Oscar bait.
There are a couple of clunkers here—there’s no way a song seriously titled “Life 2: The Unhappy Ending” could possibly be good, and it isn’t. But the breaking point is “Barricade.” As much as it sounds like Campbell’s audition song for a role in Les Miserables (and I’m not the first one to make that comparison), it does tug a certain heartstring for anyone who ever fell for a fiery Marxist in their university days; perhaps the main reason I’m allergic to this song now is that it’s near-impossible to put myself in that place again. But for what it’s worth, Campbell does paint a vivid portrait.
Maybe this is why--other than subjective musical reasons--he makes so many critics uncomfortable: because he reminds us not only of the teenage romantic that we once were (or perhaps never let ourselves be), but also of the cocky self-importance of that age. Campbell never stopped believing in the idealism of his youth—which makes him an all-too-obvious target for cynics (read: most critics) everywhere.
The chances: Slim, primarily because of tall poppy syndrome: of the three acts on this list with mainstream presence, Stars likely have the highest commercial profile. They’ve also openly played the “it’s nice just to be nominated” card in the press and are themselves rooting for underdogs. Most importantly, Stars are incredibly divisive, and it’s unlikely that there will be any fence-sitters who could suddenly be turned around in the jury room.
Two more should’ve beens from my ballots:
Corb Lund – Horse Soldier! Horse Soldier! (Stony Plain).
The album: That this missed the final cut is the single biggest shocker of this whole process to me. Not only is Lund perhaps the finest storyteller songwriter working in Canada today—with a strong sense of melody to match his lyrical prowess—but he also has wide appeal beyond the usual country music contingent. I elaborate, as does he, here.
Why it struck out: No idea. It’s a crime. At least the Canadian Country Music Association knows one thing that Polaris jurors don’t: they just named Lund roots artist of the year.
Pas Chic Chic – Au Contraire (Sempirini)
The album: Pas Chic Chic are a band that could only come from Montreal, combining a deep love of 60s French pop romanticism with noisy 90s overtones and textures that are employed judiciously and never as a gimmick or unnecessary intrusion. Singer Roger Tellier-Craig was a guitarist in Fly Pan Am for ten years, who were actually my least favourite Constellation band; he also was in Godspeed briefly. But knowing that didn’t prepare me for what a gift he has for pop melodies, nor for the fact that he embraces the lead vocalist role with flair here. Co-vocalist and keyboardist Marie-Douce St. Jacques ups the fey factor with girlish vocals, but a hard-driving rhythm section (including bassist Eric Gingras of Fly Pan Am and Ghislain Poirier) packs a punch into every track.
The songs are sophisticated pop that is sometimes best told with acoustic guitars and synth-y strings, sometimes with swarms of electric guitars and white noise. High drama permeates the entire record, but never to the point of pomposity.
Other readymade reference points are brought to you by the letter S: Stereloab, Sonic Youth, Smiths, Serge Gainsbourg. Maybe some Morricone thrown in there as well, for some of the spookier passages. But all those are merely elements of the greater whole. Even if this wasn’t such an awesome album, Pas Chic Chic would have won me over for originality alone. The songwriting and the performance both match the compelling aesthetic.
Why it struck out: It’s easy to say that it’s because they’re a Francophone act with limited distribution—though that didn’t stop Malajube in 2006. They garnered enough love from Quebecois critics to land on the long list; I suspect not enough of the rest of the country sought it out in time. Or maybe they just thought it sucked.
Black Mtn- 2.5:1
Basia Bulat- 3:1
Caribou- 3:1
Kathleen Edwards- 4:1
Holy Fuck- n/a (they are going to win), but I will bet anyone if you give me at least 3:1
Plants and Animals- 2:1
Shad- 4:1
Stars- 4:1
Two Hours Traffic- 3:1
The Weakerthans- 4:1
The nominees:
Shad – The Old Prince (Black Box).
The album: I didn’t hear this when it first came out; I’m only spending significant time with it now. I’ve been a fan of Shad since I first saw him about two years ago, and his live show is considerably more compelling than anything heard here. Shad is a fascinating character, and yet while his music does fall outside the hip-hop mainstream, I don’t hear much personality in his backing tracks at all. He’s openly self-deprecating about the fact that he’s not a “hard” MC, which is great (and very Canadian of him), but one can’t help but wish for a bit more bounce to the ounce. It’s telling that one of the most likeable tracks here is the a cappella at the end of “The Old Prince Still Lives At Home.” He also fares well with “Brother,” “Compromise” and “Exile,” but nothing measures up to his full potential.
The chances: Slim. In this rockist country of ours, it will take a hip-hop album with significantly greater momentum than this one to take this prize, unless this jury is feeling particularly contrarian (and there are at least two major hip-hop fans on the jury). Plus, I didn’t get the sense that this was a lot of hip-hop fans’ number one choice for Canadian hip-hop album of the year. The fact that it’s on the shortlist is likely a compromise choice; it’s doubtful Shad will pull off the same feat for the main event.
Stars – In Our Bedroom After the War (Arts and Crafts).
The album: Critics love to hate this band; it’s a bit of a shocker that it made the list. Part of this is because Torquil Campbell is cockily convinced that he’s doing it all for the kids—and anyone who isn’t making pop music for lonely teenage romantics should go into another profession. Canadian musicians aren’t expected to be controversial, and Campbell’s big mouth gets him into trouble—like when he complained about a good review of this album on Pitchfork, and told all rock critics to get laid and do drugs before reviewing CDs. (He talks about this here.) I actually think the review in question, which gives the album a 7.4 rating, is very well written—an admission which obviously gives Campbell permission to place no credence at all in anything I now have to say about his band (not that he ever should have, and not that he ever did).
But here’s what any objective ear will hopefully recognize: In the Bedroom After the War is a fantastic pop album, one that aims high, occasionally fails, and encapsulates all the teen angst and ache that this band has been trying to capture since they started. Almost every song is incredibly catchy classic pop with fantastic production. It’s full of tasty little bits: Campbell’s falsetto on “Genova Heights,” a delicate string arrangement on “My Favourite Book,” and the fact that they manage to bring Momus to the masses on their homage, “Personal.” Listen to Amy Millan’s “My Favourite Book” and “Bitches in Tokyo” for the key to Stars’ success here: the soft pop is sublime; the rock moments ring true, which they never did for me on the predecessor Set Yourself On Fire. I’m also willing to love this record for the sole reason that no one writes proper male/female duets in pop music anymore.
Polaris jurors should take note of the album’s flow; this is a band who clearly conceptualizes their beginnings and ends. It starts with a slowly reveal, an opening suite that leads into the first lyric and defining statement (“the night starts here/ forget your name/ forget your fear”). It concludes with what has been described as a ticker-tape parade of old-timey musical theatre glory, perfect for closing credits of some epic Oscar bait.
There are a couple of clunkers here—there’s no way a song seriously titled “Life 2: The Unhappy Ending” could possibly be good, and it isn’t. But the breaking point is “Barricade.” As much as it sounds like Campbell’s audition song for a role in Les Miserables (and I’m not the first one to make that comparison), it does tug a certain heartstring for anyone who ever fell for a fiery Marxist in their university days; perhaps the main reason I’m allergic to this song now is that it’s near-impossible to put myself in that place again. But for what it’s worth, Campbell does paint a vivid portrait.
Maybe this is why--other than subjective musical reasons--he makes so many critics uncomfortable: because he reminds us not only of the teenage romantic that we once were (or perhaps never let ourselves be), but also of the cocky self-importance of that age. Campbell never stopped believing in the idealism of his youth—which makes him an all-too-obvious target for cynics (read: most critics) everywhere.
The chances: Slim, primarily because of tall poppy syndrome: of the three acts on this list with mainstream presence, Stars likely have the highest commercial profile. They’ve also openly played the “it’s nice just to be nominated” card in the press and are themselves rooting for underdogs. Most importantly, Stars are incredibly divisive, and it’s unlikely that there will be any fence-sitters who could suddenly be turned around in the jury room.
Two more should’ve beens from my ballots:
Corb Lund – Horse Soldier! Horse Soldier! (Stony Plain).
The album: That this missed the final cut is the single biggest shocker of this whole process to me. Not only is Lund perhaps the finest storyteller songwriter working in Canada today—with a strong sense of melody to match his lyrical prowess—but he also has wide appeal beyond the usual country music contingent. I elaborate, as does he, here.
Why it struck out: No idea. It’s a crime. At least the Canadian Country Music Association knows one thing that Polaris jurors don’t: they just named Lund roots artist of the year.
Pas Chic Chic – Au Contraire (Sempirini)
The album: Pas Chic Chic are a band that could only come from Montreal, combining a deep love of 60s French pop romanticism with noisy 90s overtones and textures that are employed judiciously and never as a gimmick or unnecessary intrusion. Singer Roger Tellier-Craig was a guitarist in Fly Pan Am for ten years, who were actually my least favourite Constellation band; he also was in Godspeed briefly. But knowing that didn’t prepare me for what a gift he has for pop melodies, nor for the fact that he embraces the lead vocalist role with flair here. Co-vocalist and keyboardist Marie-Douce St. Jacques ups the fey factor with girlish vocals, but a hard-driving rhythm section (including bassist Eric Gingras of Fly Pan Am and Ghislain Poirier) packs a punch into every track.
The songs are sophisticated pop that is sometimes best told with acoustic guitars and synth-y strings, sometimes with swarms of electric guitars and white noise. High drama permeates the entire record, but never to the point of pomposity.
Other readymade reference points are brought to you by the letter S: Stereloab, Sonic Youth, Smiths, Serge Gainsbourg. Maybe some Morricone thrown in there as well, for some of the spookier passages. But all those are merely elements of the greater whole. Even if this wasn’t such an awesome album, Pas Chic Chic would have won me over for originality alone. The songwriting and the performance both match the compelling aesthetic.
Why it struck out: It’s easy to say that it’s because they’re a Francophone act with limited distribution—though that didn’t stop Malajube in 2006. They garnered enough love from Quebecois critics to land on the long list; I suspect not enough of the rest of the country sought it out in time. Or maybe they just thought it sucked.
Thursday, December 06, 2007
Eyeful of reviews, fall 07 p2
More reviews from the past several months in Eye Weekly. Live reviews will follow shortly. Links connect to the original review on the Eye site, currently under construction and full of bugs--for example, the site says I gave Nathan Lawr a mere one star, instead of the proper four he deserves. Don't believe everything you read.
In alphabetical order: Nathan Lawr, Red Stick Ramblers, David Shrigley's Worried Noodles, Bob Snider, Stars, Bobb Trimble, Turbo Fruits.
NATHAN LAWR AND THE MINOTAURS - A Sea of Tiny Lights (Minotaur Music)
****
Nathan Lawr has been an MVP in Toronto’s music scene for years now, ever since his time behind the skins for Royal City and the Fembots, among others. And yet his solo work as a singer/songwriter—this one marks his third full-length—remain mysteriously unheralded, especially considering how accessible and instantly likeable they are compared to some of the delightful oddballs he hangs around with. Lawr corrals his usual cast of all-star support—including members of the Fembots and Hylozoists and horn arrangements by Feuermusik’s Jeremy Strachan—but the real attraction here is Lawr’s finest collection of melodic, rootsy pop songwriting to date, powered by more piano than in the past. His increasingly poetic pen allows him to write about James Loney, Columbine and foreign policy blowback without ever getting into heavy-handed specifics. If there’s a flaw here, it’s that Lawr’s subdued vocals don’t sound as excited about the material as they should. Belt it out, boy! (September 27, 2007)
RED STICK RAMBLERS - Made in the Shade (Sugar Hill)
***
Red Stick Ramblers deliver hot twin-fiddle Louisiana action with touches of Western swing, Owen Bradley balladry and—on the closing epic “Smeckled Suite”—some sunbaked Spanish guitars that come off like early Calexico jamming with Dirty Three. No need for a hipster alert, however, as Red Stick Ramblers are traditionalists through and through, right down to the front porch recording of the inevitable instrumental entitled “Katrina.” They can be squeaky clean country folk when they wanna be, but Red Stick Ramblers sound best when they fire up the fiddles at the forefront and “Laisse Les Cajuns Danser.” (November 22, 2007)
VARIOUS - David Shrigley’s Worried Noodles (Tomlab)
****
Who is David Shrigley, and why does he deserve a tribute from 39 awesome oddballs culled from the international pop underground? He’s a Glaswegian poet who did the artwork for the latest Deerhoof album—their Shrigley collab “You Dog” is the only non-exclusive track here—but he also once put out an LP-sized collection of songless lyrics, which have now found a musical home thanks to the likes of Franz Ferdinand, David Byrne, Trans Am, Grizzly Bear, and Torontonians Final Fantasy and Hank. But the baffling, childlike lyrics barely matter when this two-CD set serves as the best mix tape of 2007. (November 22, 2007)
BOB SNIDER - A Maze in Greys (Borealis)
***
It’s been five years since we last heard from Kensington Market folkie Bob Snider. He’s been living in Nova Scotia and seemingly spending more time writing books about his craft (On Songwriting, On Performance) than the songs that have made him so beloved among his peers. Once again, producer David Baxter assembles Toronto’s top session players—including old Snider pal Bob Wiseman—to provide textural colour to Snider’s songs, which run the risk of sanding off his quirkier edges of yore. They certainly add plenty, but Snider himself sounds distracted; the solo moments here are what really shine. (written for the November 22, 2007 issue, though has yet to run)
STARS - In Our Bedroom After the War (Arts and Crafts)
****
Stars have always been more convincing in the bedroom than on the battlefield, much better at romance than rocking out. This time out, however, all their ambitions come into complete focus, especially on the knockout first half. First single “Take Me to the Riot” is such a triumph of a pop song—particularly the anthemic 5/4 chorus—that it’s almost easy to overlook Torq Campbell’s consistently cheap use of revolutionary imagery to inject his lyrics with weight (“Barricades,” the title track). Even if his bleeding heart is in the right place, his lyrical characters come off like radical chic voyeurs parading off-Broadway with carefully torn Che t-shirts; thankfully the music itself rises above that. While Campbell is alternately infuriating and totally charming, his foil Amy Millan exudes warmth and cool at every turn. Yet this isn’t merely a singers’ album: the deft rhythm section adds twists and turns; the string arrangements and keyboards exude elegance; the production magnifies both the sweeping grandiosity and the intimate details. The title track speaks of reinvention, but this is a distillation of everything Stars have been working towards for years; the only thing being reborn is our own expectations. (September 20, 2007)
BOBB TRIMBLE - Harvest of Dreams; Iron Curtain Innocence (Secretly Canadian)
**
Why anyone would ever have paid $1500 for an original vinyl copy of these albums only proves that obscurity trumps quality in the rabbit hole of the record collecting world. Of course, Trimble has a great back story: he was a bedroom four-tracker in small-town Massachusetts in the early 80s, running his voice through Leslie speakers, employing 12-year-old boys to be his band and reveling in all things fragile and flanged. But just because he’s an unheralded loner specializing in limp psychedelic folk-pop doesn’t mean that his music speaks to the “ugliness of the Reaganesque suburban nightmare,” as the unintentionally hilarious liner notes suggest. Wonderfully wacko and beautiful moments do exist here, but not enough to exonerate this exhumation. (November 22, 2007)
TURBO FRUITS - s/t (Ecstatic Peace)
**
This is a side project for Be Your Own Pet’s Jonas Stein, an upstart Nashville teen band blessed with that ever-so-rare gift of making it seem like an original and exciting idea to start a punk band. Lightning doesn’t often strike the same lucky sod twice, and the fact that Stein is a less charismatic vocalist than BYOP’s Jemina Pearl is the first strike against him. The limitations of a guitar/drums duo is the second. But the Turbo Fruits have their share of charms, squeezing out a sludgy power that draws more directly from proto-punk 60s garage, at times with subtle dashes of country and rockabilly that reflects their home state. They’re not engaging enough to forgive some of the more forgettable material, but they score with “Fight This!”—which is either about the health issues of 9/11 rescue workers, endlessly extended tours of duty for soldiers in Iraq, or none of the above: “Gotta go for the government/ haven’t even recovered yet/ my sinus is filled with shit/ there’s red, white and blue in my spit.” (September 13, 2007)
In alphabetical order: Nathan Lawr, Red Stick Ramblers, David Shrigley's Worried Noodles, Bob Snider, Stars, Bobb Trimble, Turbo Fruits.
NATHAN LAWR AND THE MINOTAURS - A Sea of Tiny Lights (Minotaur Music)
****
Nathan Lawr has been an MVP in Toronto’s music scene for years now, ever since his time behind the skins for Royal City and the Fembots, among others. And yet his solo work as a singer/songwriter—this one marks his third full-length—remain mysteriously unheralded, especially considering how accessible and instantly likeable they are compared to some of the delightful oddballs he hangs around with. Lawr corrals his usual cast of all-star support—including members of the Fembots and Hylozoists and horn arrangements by Feuermusik’s Jeremy Strachan—but the real attraction here is Lawr’s finest collection of melodic, rootsy pop songwriting to date, powered by more piano than in the past. His increasingly poetic pen allows him to write about James Loney, Columbine and foreign policy blowback without ever getting into heavy-handed specifics. If there’s a flaw here, it’s that Lawr’s subdued vocals don’t sound as excited about the material as they should. Belt it out, boy! (September 27, 2007)
RED STICK RAMBLERS - Made in the Shade (Sugar Hill)
***
Red Stick Ramblers deliver hot twin-fiddle Louisiana action with touches of Western swing, Owen Bradley balladry and—on the closing epic “Smeckled Suite”—some sunbaked Spanish guitars that come off like early Calexico jamming with Dirty Three. No need for a hipster alert, however, as Red Stick Ramblers are traditionalists through and through, right down to the front porch recording of the inevitable instrumental entitled “Katrina.” They can be squeaky clean country folk when they wanna be, but Red Stick Ramblers sound best when they fire up the fiddles at the forefront and “Laisse Les Cajuns Danser.” (November 22, 2007)
VARIOUS - David Shrigley’s Worried Noodles (Tomlab)
****
Who is David Shrigley, and why does he deserve a tribute from 39 awesome oddballs culled from the international pop underground? He’s a Glaswegian poet who did the artwork for the latest Deerhoof album—their Shrigley collab “You Dog” is the only non-exclusive track here—but he also once put out an LP-sized collection of songless lyrics, which have now found a musical home thanks to the likes of Franz Ferdinand, David Byrne, Trans Am, Grizzly Bear, and Torontonians Final Fantasy and Hank. But the baffling, childlike lyrics barely matter when this two-CD set serves as the best mix tape of 2007. (November 22, 2007)
BOB SNIDER - A Maze in Greys (Borealis)
***
It’s been five years since we last heard from Kensington Market folkie Bob Snider. He’s been living in Nova Scotia and seemingly spending more time writing books about his craft (On Songwriting, On Performance) than the songs that have made him so beloved among his peers. Once again, producer David Baxter assembles Toronto’s top session players—including old Snider pal Bob Wiseman—to provide textural colour to Snider’s songs, which run the risk of sanding off his quirkier edges of yore. They certainly add plenty, but Snider himself sounds distracted; the solo moments here are what really shine. (written for the November 22, 2007 issue, though has yet to run)
STARS - In Our Bedroom After the War (Arts and Crafts)
****
Stars have always been more convincing in the bedroom than on the battlefield, much better at romance than rocking out. This time out, however, all their ambitions come into complete focus, especially on the knockout first half. First single “Take Me to the Riot” is such a triumph of a pop song—particularly the anthemic 5/4 chorus—that it’s almost easy to overlook Torq Campbell’s consistently cheap use of revolutionary imagery to inject his lyrics with weight (“Barricades,” the title track). Even if his bleeding heart is in the right place, his lyrical characters come off like radical chic voyeurs parading off-Broadway with carefully torn Che t-shirts; thankfully the music itself rises above that. While Campbell is alternately infuriating and totally charming, his foil Amy Millan exudes warmth and cool at every turn. Yet this isn’t merely a singers’ album: the deft rhythm section adds twists and turns; the string arrangements and keyboards exude elegance; the production magnifies both the sweeping grandiosity and the intimate details. The title track speaks of reinvention, but this is a distillation of everything Stars have been working towards for years; the only thing being reborn is our own expectations. (September 20, 2007)
BOBB TRIMBLE - Harvest of Dreams; Iron Curtain Innocence (Secretly Canadian)
**
Why anyone would ever have paid $1500 for an original vinyl copy of these albums only proves that obscurity trumps quality in the rabbit hole of the record collecting world. Of course, Trimble has a great back story: he was a bedroom four-tracker in small-town Massachusetts in the early 80s, running his voice through Leslie speakers, employing 12-year-old boys to be his band and reveling in all things fragile and flanged. But just because he’s an unheralded loner specializing in limp psychedelic folk-pop doesn’t mean that his music speaks to the “ugliness of the Reaganesque suburban nightmare,” as the unintentionally hilarious liner notes suggest. Wonderfully wacko and beautiful moments do exist here, but not enough to exonerate this exhumation. (November 22, 2007)
TURBO FRUITS - s/t (Ecstatic Peace)
**
This is a side project for Be Your Own Pet’s Jonas Stein, an upstart Nashville teen band blessed with that ever-so-rare gift of making it seem like an original and exciting idea to start a punk band. Lightning doesn’t often strike the same lucky sod twice, and the fact that Stein is a less charismatic vocalist than BYOP’s Jemina Pearl is the first strike against him. The limitations of a guitar/drums duo is the second. But the Turbo Fruits have their share of charms, squeezing out a sludgy power that draws more directly from proto-punk 60s garage, at times with subtle dashes of country and rockabilly that reflects their home state. They’re not engaging enough to forgive some of the more forgettable material, but they score with “Fight This!”—which is either about the health issues of 9/11 rescue workers, endlessly extended tours of duty for soldiers in Iraq, or none of the above: “Gotta go for the government/ haven’t even recovered yet/ my sinus is filled with shit/ there’s red, white and blue in my spit.” (September 13, 2007)
Sunday, September 23, 2007
Summer re-cap, part two
More files today from mainstream daily newspapers, the Kitchener-Waterloo Record and the Guelph Mercury.
As a side note, I'd like to also blame my month-long absence on internet woes and the horrific customer service of Sympatico, which I urge all my Canadian readers to avoid. I'll spare you the gory Kafka details.
In alphabetical order: Caribou, Common, Parkas, Payola$, Stars, Linda Thompson, Teddy Thompson, Nicole Willis.
Caribou – Andorra (Merge)
The worldwide pride of Dundas, Ontario first made his name with minimal electronic music assembled with free jazz samples and minor melodies, before morphing into a psychedelic jam band with two drummers.
On his fourth album, Dan Snaith delves deep into pop territory: every track here features heavily reverbed vocals, including a guest spot from Junior Boys’ Jeremy Greenspan. Snaith eschews some of the more drawn-out drones that marked his last two albums, but his attempts at writing fully realized pop melodies don’t always pan out—which is why his kaleidoscopic musical vision is still the main reason why he holds a singular place between the worlds of electronic music and psychedelic folk rock.
Snaith is most successful when he stays away from the in betweens and pushes to either extreme, as he does on Andorra’s bookends: opening track “Melody Day” is his finest pop song to date, while closer “Niobe” brings in more electronics and considerably more abstract arrangements, making it the most intriguing moment on the album. (August 23, 2007)
Caribou plays the Starlight in Waterloo on September 28, the Rivoli in Toronto on September 29, with other central Canadian dates following. More dates found here.
Common – Finding Forever (Geffen/Universal)
Hip-hop isn’t usually an older man’s game, and at age 35, Common should most likely be washed up. And yet Finding Forever finds him continuing to improve and hone his craft, delivering his most satisfying work to date.
Finding Forever features 11 fat-free tracks that draw from the deep well of 70s soul music; it’s obvious that Common is consciously aiming to create a classic album, not just a couple of singles backing up filler. To do this, he once again employs his one-time protégé Kanye West as producer. They first worked together on 2005’s Be, where West managed to coalesce Common’s diverse influences into a cohesive hip-hop whole: R&B, gospel, jazz, Marvin Gaye-era soul and abstract pop.
Some star power guests help lift things up a bit—including Lily Allen, D’Angelo, DJ Premier and will.i.am (once again doing his best work outside of Black Eyed Peas)—but this is very much the Kanye and Common show, even if West only raps on the hometown ode "Southside." Common even starts dropping West-isms at one point, like rhyming “bling-ay” with “sing-ay,” though his everyday people narratives are as engaging as always elsewhere.
West’s sample material ranges from the delightfully obscure (Ethiopian jazz records) to the painfully obvious (Nina Simone, Paul Simon), yet in each case he bends them to his own needs, providing a perfectly smooth backdrop for Common’s character sketches and social critiques. There’s also one track here by Common’s late collaborator J Dilla.
Though West’s presence certainly helps, Common has reached a stature where he doesn’t have to worry about trends or maintaining his credibility—or even pop hits. Proving that sometimes the good guys still win, this debuted in the Top Ten, and will undoubtedly be remembered as one of the hip-hop records of the year. West himself will find this hard to beat when his own album comes out later this summer. (August 16, 2007)
Parkas – Put Your Head in the Lion’s Mouth (Saved by Radio)
Every band in Canada—even those from the Big Smoke—will empathize with the Parkas when they sing: “We’ve come to audition for these Queen Street politicians, but I’m not quite Toronto enough tonight.” Hailing from Thunder Bay, London and Guelph, the Parkas play a kind of rock’n’roll that isn’t cool enough for most indie kids and is too ragged for the radio crowd, which entitles them to a certain amount of underdog sardonicism that permeates their second full-length. They’re not milking sour grapes, but their experiences—sharply documented in a DVD that accompanied their last EP—give them a healthy perspective and insight that allows them to write lines like: “Honesty is the best poverty and liars already won the lottery.” The songs don’t always measure up to the lyrics or the spirited performances, but producer Dale Morningstar helps them capture their live bar band feel—much like his work on Thrush Hermit’s Clayton Park—while also helping craft some delicate textures on the tracks “Margaret Atwood” and “The Wolves Darling.” (August 2, 2007)
The Parkas play October 9 at Club Vinyl in Guelph, October 11 at the Drake in Toronto.
Payola$ - Langford (EMI)
Twenty years after their last album, the creative partnership of Bob Rock and Paul Hyde emerge with an EP that is as promising as it is frustrating. Hyde is still full of bristle and bile: each of the six songs here deals with societal and moral breakdowns, and for the most part his pointed pen manages to score political points without being overly heavy-handed. When it doesn’t work is when Rock decides to flex the cheeze rawk muscles he honed from producing Metallica and Aerosmith. When Hyde’s first-person villain snarls “Phone hell, tell them I’m coming,” Rock amps it up to Bon Jovi proportions until it’s barely listenable. Which is a shame, because much of the rest of the EP—including the native rights warning “Bomb,” the aging radical anthem of regret “Revolution,” and the grumpy grandpa punk rouser “Goodbye to Rock N Roll”—shows that this partnership still has plenty of punch, not to mention the pop hooks that made them a major force in Canadian rock in the early 80s. (August 16, 2007)
Stars – In Our Bedroom After the War (Arts and Crafts/EMI)
(a different review in this week's Eye appears here)
War? What war? The current state of conflict is an abstract notion for most North Americans, who would much rather sing silly love songs while the world burns.
Stars, on the other hand, write love songs where war is always in the background, where the characters’ inability to express the simplest emotions is confounded by the greater calamity outside their window.
Stars’ singers Torquil Campbell and Amy Millan aren’t necessarily equipped to deal with the outside war either—often it’s merely a loosely alluded backdrop to affairs of the heart. Or, in the case of the rousing first single “Take Me to the Riot,” it sounds like more a respite from boredom rather than a call for revolution, mere role-playing to battle ennui.
“Barricades” is more direct: a plea to an old lover or friend—a resigned radical—to rejoin the narrator at the riot scene, luring them with the less-than-enticing line, “The love died, but the hate can’t fade.” Set to solo piano accompaniment and Campbell’s off-Broadway vocal delivery, it will be a litmus test for those who already cringe at song titles such as “Life 2: The Unhappy Ending.”
But wartime window dressing aside, In Our Bedroom After the War is a major step up for Stars in general. Combining the new wave romanticism of their early material with the more rockist approach of their breakthrough album (Set Yourself On Fire), they’ve also absorbed some influences from the diverse list of Canadian peers who showed up on that album’s far superior remix record earlier this year.
Now the textures are more rich, they’re more likely to shift moods and time signatures in the middle of a song, drummer Pat McGee sounds more and more like Radiohead’s Phil Selway, and all of them are able to flex their rock muscles without it sounding overwrought, as it did last time out. And, as before, they know that their primary strength is having Campbell and Millan trading off lead vocals as much as possible: the surefire future single “Midnight Coward” sums up all of Stars’ best moves in less than four minutes. (August 30, 2007)
Stars play the Phoenix in Toronto November 26-28, and Le National in Montreal on November 30.
Linda Thompson – Versatile Heart (Zoe/Universal)
There’s nary a wasted moment on Versatile Heart, which is to be expected from a folk artist who has only put out three solo albums in the past 22 years. In that time, Thompson’s ex-husband Richard has put out one album after another coasting on his reputation, while their son Teddy has found prominence as a solo artist. Teddy shows up to co-write, co-produce and play guitar on this album, and he turns out to be a better writer with his mother in mind than he does on his own albums. Other guests pop by—Rufus Wainwright contributes a song, his sister Martha offers some vocals, and fellow British folk royalty Martin and Eliza Carthy also appear—but Thompson is the one steering the ship, proving herself an adept stylist with folk-pop (the title track), traditional British folk (“Katie Cruel”), American protest songs (Tom Waits’ “Day After Tomorrow”), country heartbreakers (“Give Me a Sad Song”) and string-drenched melancholia (Wainwright’s “Beauty”). A versatile heart, indeed. The song selection, the arrangements and the performances are nearly flawless. You won’t any trouble believing her when she sings: “Give me a sad song/ I’m in a class of my own.” (August 23, 2007)
Teddy Thompson – Upfront and Down Low (Verve/Universal)
Linda’s son Teddy has been seen chumming around with Rufus Wainwright for many years, and even if they didn’t have famous folk music parentage in common, their voices are remarkably similar. But instead of operatic pop, Thompson finds his own sound by diving deep into vintage country music on his third album, consisting primarily of cover material.
Upfront and Down Low extracts gems from the songbooks of Ernest Tubb, Dolly Parton and others, and dresses them up in dinner jackets: elegant strings, subtle pedal steel, backing vocals from Iris DeMent and Tift Merritt, and Thompson’s rich tenor voice. He steers away from obvious song choices and sings each line as if Patsy Cline’s producer Owen Bradley was on the other side of the studio glass.
This all suits Thompson’s talents to a T—and, combined with his stunning performance in the Leonard Cohen tribute film I’m Your Man, suggests that his real talent is as an interpreter and producer, rather than as a songwriter. (August 23, 2007)
Teddy Thompson plays the Mod Club in Toronto on Monday, September 24, opening for Nick Lowe.
Nicole Willis and the Soul Investigators – Keep Reachin’ Up (Light in the Attic/Outside)
Sixties soul music continues to inspire people around the world, which explains why this Brookyln-born singer ended up first in the UK—where she sang with The The and recorded for early trip-hop label Mo’Wax—before moving to Finland and enlisting an all-Scandinavian backing band.
While most soul revivalists prefer the raw sounds of Stax Records and the like, the sound of Willis and her band is more in line with slick Motown productions, with rich string and horn arrangements enriching Willis’s butter-smooth vocals. There’s nothing in the natural grooves that would suggest the players grew up on anything but classic soul music—there’s none of the clinical academic approach that one might suspect from musicians so culturally removed from the source.
There’s no question she’s the finest soul singer in Finland, but a few more records like this and she’ll be giving Sharon Jones some competition back on her home turf. (August 30, 2007)
Also reviewed in the paper, but not reprinted here for quality control reasons (my own, not because I didn't like some of these records): Hairspray OST, Immaculate Machine, Required Listening 2 (Do Right), Sum 41, The Gift: A Tribute to Ian Tyson, Suzanne Vega, Justice, Ulrich Schnauss, Corneille, Bedouin Soundclash, Talib Kweli.
If you work for any of these artists and need a clipping, let me know.
As a side note, I'd like to also blame my month-long absence on internet woes and the horrific customer service of Sympatico, which I urge all my Canadian readers to avoid. I'll spare you the gory Kafka details.
In alphabetical order: Caribou, Common, Parkas, Payola$, Stars, Linda Thompson, Teddy Thompson, Nicole Willis.
Caribou – Andorra (Merge)
The worldwide pride of Dundas, Ontario first made his name with minimal electronic music assembled with free jazz samples and minor melodies, before morphing into a psychedelic jam band with two drummers.
On his fourth album, Dan Snaith delves deep into pop territory: every track here features heavily reverbed vocals, including a guest spot from Junior Boys’ Jeremy Greenspan. Snaith eschews some of the more drawn-out drones that marked his last two albums, but his attempts at writing fully realized pop melodies don’t always pan out—which is why his kaleidoscopic musical vision is still the main reason why he holds a singular place between the worlds of electronic music and psychedelic folk rock.
Snaith is most successful when he stays away from the in betweens and pushes to either extreme, as he does on Andorra’s bookends: opening track “Melody Day” is his finest pop song to date, while closer “Niobe” brings in more electronics and considerably more abstract arrangements, making it the most intriguing moment on the album. (August 23, 2007)
Caribou plays the Starlight in Waterloo on September 28, the Rivoli in Toronto on September 29, with other central Canadian dates following. More dates found here.
Common – Finding Forever (Geffen/Universal)
Hip-hop isn’t usually an older man’s game, and at age 35, Common should most likely be washed up. And yet Finding Forever finds him continuing to improve and hone his craft, delivering his most satisfying work to date.
Finding Forever features 11 fat-free tracks that draw from the deep well of 70s soul music; it’s obvious that Common is consciously aiming to create a classic album, not just a couple of singles backing up filler. To do this, he once again employs his one-time protégé Kanye West as producer. They first worked together on 2005’s Be, where West managed to coalesce Common’s diverse influences into a cohesive hip-hop whole: R&B, gospel, jazz, Marvin Gaye-era soul and abstract pop.
Some star power guests help lift things up a bit—including Lily Allen, D’Angelo, DJ Premier and will.i.am (once again doing his best work outside of Black Eyed Peas)—but this is very much the Kanye and Common show, even if West only raps on the hometown ode "Southside." Common even starts dropping West-isms at one point, like rhyming “bling-ay” with “sing-ay,” though his everyday people narratives are as engaging as always elsewhere.
West’s sample material ranges from the delightfully obscure (Ethiopian jazz records) to the painfully obvious (Nina Simone, Paul Simon), yet in each case he bends them to his own needs, providing a perfectly smooth backdrop for Common’s character sketches and social critiques. There’s also one track here by Common’s late collaborator J Dilla.
Though West’s presence certainly helps, Common has reached a stature where he doesn’t have to worry about trends or maintaining his credibility—or even pop hits. Proving that sometimes the good guys still win, this debuted in the Top Ten, and will undoubtedly be remembered as one of the hip-hop records of the year. West himself will find this hard to beat when his own album comes out later this summer. (August 16, 2007)
Parkas – Put Your Head in the Lion’s Mouth (Saved by Radio)
Every band in Canada—even those from the Big Smoke—will empathize with the Parkas when they sing: “We’ve come to audition for these Queen Street politicians, but I’m not quite Toronto enough tonight.” Hailing from Thunder Bay, London and Guelph, the Parkas play a kind of rock’n’roll that isn’t cool enough for most indie kids and is too ragged for the radio crowd, which entitles them to a certain amount of underdog sardonicism that permeates their second full-length. They’re not milking sour grapes, but their experiences—sharply documented in a DVD that accompanied their last EP—give them a healthy perspective and insight that allows them to write lines like: “Honesty is the best poverty and liars already won the lottery.” The songs don’t always measure up to the lyrics or the spirited performances, but producer Dale Morningstar helps them capture their live bar band feel—much like his work on Thrush Hermit’s Clayton Park—while also helping craft some delicate textures on the tracks “Margaret Atwood” and “The Wolves Darling.” (August 2, 2007)
The Parkas play October 9 at Club Vinyl in Guelph, October 11 at the Drake in Toronto.
Payola$ - Langford (EMI)
Twenty years after their last album, the creative partnership of Bob Rock and Paul Hyde emerge with an EP that is as promising as it is frustrating. Hyde is still full of bristle and bile: each of the six songs here deals with societal and moral breakdowns, and for the most part his pointed pen manages to score political points without being overly heavy-handed. When it doesn’t work is when Rock decides to flex the cheeze rawk muscles he honed from producing Metallica and Aerosmith. When Hyde’s first-person villain snarls “Phone hell, tell them I’m coming,” Rock amps it up to Bon Jovi proportions until it’s barely listenable. Which is a shame, because much of the rest of the EP—including the native rights warning “Bomb,” the aging radical anthem of regret “Revolution,” and the grumpy grandpa punk rouser “Goodbye to Rock N Roll”—shows that this partnership still has plenty of punch, not to mention the pop hooks that made them a major force in Canadian rock in the early 80s. (August 16, 2007)
Stars – In Our Bedroom After the War (Arts and Crafts/EMI)
(a different review in this week's Eye appears here)
War? What war? The current state of conflict is an abstract notion for most North Americans, who would much rather sing silly love songs while the world burns.
Stars, on the other hand, write love songs where war is always in the background, where the characters’ inability to express the simplest emotions is confounded by the greater calamity outside their window.
Stars’ singers Torquil Campbell and Amy Millan aren’t necessarily equipped to deal with the outside war either—often it’s merely a loosely alluded backdrop to affairs of the heart. Or, in the case of the rousing first single “Take Me to the Riot,” it sounds like more a respite from boredom rather than a call for revolution, mere role-playing to battle ennui.
“Barricades” is more direct: a plea to an old lover or friend—a resigned radical—to rejoin the narrator at the riot scene, luring them with the less-than-enticing line, “The love died, but the hate can’t fade.” Set to solo piano accompaniment and Campbell’s off-Broadway vocal delivery, it will be a litmus test for those who already cringe at song titles such as “Life 2: The Unhappy Ending.”
But wartime window dressing aside, In Our Bedroom After the War is a major step up for Stars in general. Combining the new wave romanticism of their early material with the more rockist approach of their breakthrough album (Set Yourself On Fire), they’ve also absorbed some influences from the diverse list of Canadian peers who showed up on that album’s far superior remix record earlier this year.
Now the textures are more rich, they’re more likely to shift moods and time signatures in the middle of a song, drummer Pat McGee sounds more and more like Radiohead’s Phil Selway, and all of them are able to flex their rock muscles without it sounding overwrought, as it did last time out. And, as before, they know that their primary strength is having Campbell and Millan trading off lead vocals as much as possible: the surefire future single “Midnight Coward” sums up all of Stars’ best moves in less than four minutes. (August 30, 2007)
Stars play the Phoenix in Toronto November 26-28, and Le National in Montreal on November 30.
Linda Thompson – Versatile Heart (Zoe/Universal)
There’s nary a wasted moment on Versatile Heart, which is to be expected from a folk artist who has only put out three solo albums in the past 22 years. In that time, Thompson’s ex-husband Richard has put out one album after another coasting on his reputation, while their son Teddy has found prominence as a solo artist. Teddy shows up to co-write, co-produce and play guitar on this album, and he turns out to be a better writer with his mother in mind than he does on his own albums. Other guests pop by—Rufus Wainwright contributes a song, his sister Martha offers some vocals, and fellow British folk royalty Martin and Eliza Carthy also appear—but Thompson is the one steering the ship, proving herself an adept stylist with folk-pop (the title track), traditional British folk (“Katie Cruel”), American protest songs (Tom Waits’ “Day After Tomorrow”), country heartbreakers (“Give Me a Sad Song”) and string-drenched melancholia (Wainwright’s “Beauty”). A versatile heart, indeed. The song selection, the arrangements and the performances are nearly flawless. You won’t any trouble believing her when she sings: “Give me a sad song/ I’m in a class of my own.” (August 23, 2007)
Teddy Thompson – Upfront and Down Low (Verve/Universal)
Linda’s son Teddy has been seen chumming around with Rufus Wainwright for many years, and even if they didn’t have famous folk music parentage in common, their voices are remarkably similar. But instead of operatic pop, Thompson finds his own sound by diving deep into vintage country music on his third album, consisting primarily of cover material.
Upfront and Down Low extracts gems from the songbooks of Ernest Tubb, Dolly Parton and others, and dresses them up in dinner jackets: elegant strings, subtle pedal steel, backing vocals from Iris DeMent and Tift Merritt, and Thompson’s rich tenor voice. He steers away from obvious song choices and sings each line as if Patsy Cline’s producer Owen Bradley was on the other side of the studio glass.
This all suits Thompson’s talents to a T—and, combined with his stunning performance in the Leonard Cohen tribute film I’m Your Man, suggests that his real talent is as an interpreter and producer, rather than as a songwriter. (August 23, 2007)
Teddy Thompson plays the Mod Club in Toronto on Monday, September 24, opening for Nick Lowe.
Nicole Willis and the Soul Investigators – Keep Reachin’ Up (Light in the Attic/Outside)
Sixties soul music continues to inspire people around the world, which explains why this Brookyln-born singer ended up first in the UK—where she sang with The The and recorded for early trip-hop label Mo’Wax—before moving to Finland and enlisting an all-Scandinavian backing band.
While most soul revivalists prefer the raw sounds of Stax Records and the like, the sound of Willis and her band is more in line with slick Motown productions, with rich string and horn arrangements enriching Willis’s butter-smooth vocals. There’s nothing in the natural grooves that would suggest the players grew up on anything but classic soul music—there’s none of the clinical academic approach that one might suspect from musicians so culturally removed from the source.
There’s no question she’s the finest soul singer in Finland, but a few more records like this and she’ll be giving Sharon Jones some competition back on her home turf. (August 30, 2007)
Also reviewed in the paper, but not reprinted here for quality control reasons (my own, not because I didn't like some of these records): Hairspray OST, Immaculate Machine, Required Listening 2 (Do Right), Sum 41, The Gift: A Tribute to Ian Tyson, Suzanne Vega, Justice, Ulrich Schnauss, Corneille, Bedouin Soundclash, Talib Kweli.
If you work for any of these artists and need a clipping, let me know.
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