Album Reviews Archives - Page 509 of 706

John Hiatt: Mystic Pinball

Doug Collette October 3, 2012 No Comments

John Hiatt's last two albums (The Open Road 2010, Dirty Jeans Mudslide Hymns 2011) are among the most memorable of his career, in large part because of the assertive yet sympathetic accompaniment of The Combo, a streamlined three-piece band consisting of guitarist Doug Lancio, bassist Patrick O’Hearn and drummer Kenneth Blevins. No doubt inspired by their intuitive savvy, Hiatt writes with the confidence of a craftsman who knows his band can handle anything he composes and the mutual surety of the four men permeates Mystic Pinball.

Jake Shimabukuro: Grand Ukulele

Nick Gunther October 2, 2012 No Comments

On his most recent album Grand Ukulele, Jake Shimabukuro showcases the lengthening of his ukulele and range of coverage the instrument provides. In the opening trio of songs on the album, Shimabukuro identifies with several musical setups, including a tight-tempo jazz combo style on “Ukulele Five-O,” a more orchestrated foundation on “Gentlemandolin,” and his solo acoustic version of Adele’s “Rolling In the Deep.”

The English Beat: Live! at the US Festival

Doug Collette October 1, 2012 No Comments

An ideal companion piece to The Complete Beat, the comprehensive chronicle of the Two-Tone band's recording output, this combination CD/DVD set captures the bulk of the Beat's two performances at the groundbreaking US Festival. And though the second of the two appearances occurred near the end of the band's initial run, they acquit themselves equally stylishly on a span of material from their three studio albums.

Medeski Martin & Wood: Free Magic

Doug Collette September 26, 2012 No Comments

Free Magic might sound too arcane for its own good, but the title track, coupled with "Ballade in C Minor, Vergessene Seelen," interweaves the exotic sounds of the opener in almost equal proportion to the traditional piano trio approach. "Where's Sly," from their second album in 1993, It’s A Jungle in Here, thus becomes a refreshing and emphatic close to a recording that, through the course of its playing time, develops an identity all its own…much like the band who made it, by the process of constant reinvention.

Swans: The Seer

Jeff Strowe September 26, 2012 No Comments

Punishing and brutal; sweeping and cinematic, are just several adjectives that would not be out of place to describe Swans’ 12th proper studio album, The Seer. And at nearly two hours in length, the allusions to film are not that misleading.

Helio Sequence: Negotiatons

Gabriel Scheer September 26, 2012 No Comments

On the duo’s fifth studio album, Negotiations, The Helo Sequence continues to build on their sound of enthusiastically percussive, melodic tunes. Singer Brandon Summers’ vocals remain as dreamily light and airy as always, though still, as always, suffused with an emotive intensity that drives the listener forward.

The Whigs : Enjoy the Company

Jeremy Lukens September 25, 2012 No Comments

Enjoy the Company ends on a bittersweet note, with a tease of how good the record could have been.

David Byrne & St. Vincent : Love This Giant

Ron Hart September 24, 2012 No Comments

After a May 2009 chance meeting at Bjork's memorable one-off collaborative concert with the Dirty Projectors at the Housing Works Bookstore in New York City where someone suggested they venture into a similar partnership with one another, the pair made good on the advice and got together to dream up this surprising golden nugget of an album they are calling Love This Giant.

Patterson Hood: Heat Lightning Rumbles in the Distance

Bryan Rodgers September 17, 2012 No Comments

Patterson Hood excels at crafting lyrics about southern despair and human fallacy. His third solo album, Heat Lightning Rumbles in the Distance, is a gripping listen, full of the desperate and downtrodden characters he’s so adept at understanding. Much like his work with the Drive-By Truckers, the songs here are full of hard times, hard liquor and hard lessons; the titular weather occurrence is just about the least dramatic thing that happens during this loose 12-song narrative.

Aimee Mann: Charmer

Jake Giles September 17, 2012 No Comments

Charmer doesn’t grab you by the throat and drill its message into your head; rather, Aimee Mann asks you to have a seat in her office, while you witness her playing psychiatrist to individuals (people she knows? herself?) who need an objective opinion with a healthy dose of reality. Listen closely, and you might even hear Aimee Mann diagnosing you.

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