Album Reviews Archives - Page 535 of 713

Bill Frisell: All We Are Saying…..

Brian Palmer December 9, 2011 No Comments

Beatles and or John Lennon covers can be horrifying to behold. From the band who plays a song note for note with all the imagination of an accountant, to the performer who absolutely wrecks a classic by making it sound kitschy, the world is littered with songs that have been given something less than the royal treatment. But when placed in the hands of legendary maverick guitarist Bill Frisell, an album full of such John Lennon songs is engaging because the tracks become lyric-less re-imaginings rather than bland retreads or ridiculous send-ups.

Jonathan Wilson: Gentle Spirit

Doug Collette December 8, 2011 No Comments

Known less as a musician and more for his role as producer (Dawes among other collaborations) as well as avatar for the (re-) burgeoning Laurel Canyon music scene in California, Jonathan Wilson aims to equalize the balance with Gentle Spirit, his second full length (and first widely-distributed) solo album. The beauty of the work is that it captures rather than contrives the tranquility implied in its title, not surprisingly with most of the musicianship supplied by Wilson himself

The Black Keys: El Camino

Shawn Donohue December 5, 2011 No Comments

With 2010’s epic Brothers, Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney were propelled to superstar status and with good reason as the band found inspiration in broken marriages and Muscle Shoals Studio. The expanded musical instrumentation and focus on crafting heartfelt songs paid huge dividends for the band, producing a new album a year later is unexpected and when first announced smelled of leftover tracks.

Greensky Bluegrass: Handguns

Bryan Rodgers December 5, 2011 No Comments

Handguns, the 4th studio album from Greensky Bluegrass, is one of the most stirring acoustic releases of the year. The five-man Michigan band has taken strands of bluegrass, country, folk, and engineered a lyrically blunt, musically sophisticated strain of acoustic art. The songs have an honesty that harkens back to the glory days of confessional country music as perfected by Willie Nelson, Loretta Lynn, and the like.

The Roots: Undun

Nick Gunther November 30, 2011 No Comments

The heart monitor flatline in the opening of undun is more than an just an entry, it’s an exit and ending to a life that belonged to Redford Stephens, the poor-decisions-dictated-the-unfortunate-outcome-of-life type of identifiable character that The Roots’ 13th album is centered about. In this detailed introduction, the reverse whirlwind that shifts from the piercing first note into the ghostly organ-driven lines leads up to a man’s final breath of air in a fast-paced adrenaline rush.

The Beach Boys: The SMiLE Sessions [Box Set]

Jeffrey Taylor November 30, 2011 No Comments

The Beach Boys very well could have been the American equivalent of The Beatles had they found a way to be more steady and work well with each other. However, the set also reveals the band’s influence on the general rock and roll scene more profoundly than ever, while also unleashing potential for much more.

Chris Cornell : Songbook

Jeremy Lukens November 23, 2011 No Comments

Throughout his enviable career, Chris Cornell has always enjoyed taking his music in different directions. Whether blazing the trail for the grunge movement with Soundgarden, fronting rock supergroup Audioslave or releasing solo albums, Cornell was always experimenting with his artistic expression. Though at times his experiments failed, such as his ill-conceived collaboration with Timbaland, even at his worst Cornell’s music had one nugget of redemption: that voice.

Paul Kelly: Songs From The South Volumes 1 & 2: Greatest Hits

Doug Collette November 23, 2011 No Comments

Based on the range of material included in Songs From the South Vol. 1&2, not to mention the uniformly brilliant production throughout the two discs, it’s deeply confounding to consider that Paul Kelly remains sadly unknown outside his homeland of Australia. “”Before Too Long” and “”Look So Fine, Feel So Low” suggest how fully-formed he was as a writer and performer when he began recording. Then as now, he and his work transcend easy categorization or comparisons.

Gary Moore: Live At Montreaux 2010

Jason Macneil November 22, 2011 No Comments

The guitar rock world lost a heavyweight earlier this year when British blues rocker Gary Moore died in early February. However, the Irish axeman made sure that the last gig he was to give – at the acclaimed Montreaux Jazz Festival last year – was a goodie

Peter Gabriel: New Blood

Gabriel Scheer November 21, 2011 No Comments

Peter Gabriel is in a class all his own as a musician. He has helped bring countless talented musicians to global attention, all the while also creating powerful music of his own. His latest outing, New Blood, is a re-imagined set of Gabriel’s classics set to a 46-piece orchestra, arranged by John Metcalfe (and, of course, lovely voices on various duets)

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