Led by Christian Wargo and Casey Westcott, supporting members of Fleet Foxes, Seattle-based quartet Poor Moon emphasizes similarly ethereal, harmony-heavy arrangements on its debut LP, but takes measured steps away from the Foxes' folk-pop sweet spot.
When it comes to Woodstock-era English blues guitar, there isn't a more underrated axe than Alvin Lee. Yet his blistering fret work as the frontman for Ten Years After continues to resonate through the steel strings of such modern-day mavericks as Jack White, Dan Auerbach and Guy Davis Jr. as adroitly as fellow Brits Jimmy Page and Eric Clapton, whom the guitarist should be placed alongside more regularly in terms of his influence on the art of those who came after him.
The folk-indie group Chamberlin received praise for their debut album Bitter Blood and after a cover disk to benefit Vermont flood victims, the group has returned with their next offering, the Look What I’ve Become EP.
The husband and wife team of Michael Weston King and Lou Dalgleish have crafted a classic country duet album in How Do You Plead? that should have Americana experts step up and take instant notice. With a top of the line backing band which has played with everyone from Elvis Costello to Van Morrison, the duo pour sawdust and tears into every honky-tonkin’ sad song they present here.
Niki and the Dove are an electro-pop trio from Stockholm, Sweden. Their first full length, Instinct, was recently released on Seattle’s legendary Sub Pop Records. The band generated significant blog hype last year with their first single “DJ, Ease My Mind”, a piece of jack-nugget ear candy that makes a lush and ominous case for the healing power of the dance floor.
That kind of pie-eyed affinity for pure pop makes Nocturne well worth a spin.
Herring fans often wish the note-mongering master would strike out on his own more often, and this intimate-sounding album should give them plenty to chew on for a while.
A true miss from an artist that has definitely been way more consistently impressive than not.
Some of the greatest songwriters invariably have some of the greatest backing bands. Bob Dylan had the Band, Graham Parker had The Rumour, John Hiatt had the Goners (and now The Combo) and Ian Hunter has The Rant Band. The vibrancy with which they bring to life the material on When I'm President reaffirms why the former frontman for Mott The Hoople chooses to share headline status with them on his 20th solo album.
It’s hard to be critical of a young singer-songwriter full of promise and fanfare. However, the world already has plenty of artists who can deftly balance the sad sack act with other, more tuneful spins on the folk tradition. If LeBlanc wants to have staying power, he’d be wise to dial down the weepiness and give himself a more aggressive kick in the up-tempo direction.
