Whether Boris Garcia’s band name is an albatross is officially a moot point with Today We Sail. This recording is the work of a band well grounded in their roots and fully into the process of transcending them.
You may have wondered what became of the former Rolling Stones bassist since he left the group in the mid 90’s. This five cd set will give you a partial answer; it contains all four Rhythm Kings releases he recorded from 1998 to 2001, including a double album. Taken as a whole, these discs cut through a wide swath of musical genres.
The trio of Dan McCurry, Nick Jenkins and Ash Hopkins comprise the Charleston, South Carolina group Run Dan Run and their newest album Normal is a slice of danceable white indie rock. Songs run long with hazy/lazy intros each containing a light airy vibe even when the lyrics border on vengeful.
Now that the whirlwind in recent years that has been the film (Once), the band (The Swell Season) and an award (Oscar for “Falling Slowly”) has concluded, singer Marketa Irglova has branched out on her own. The personal relationship with Glen Hansard now off in the distance but the professional one still ongoing, Irglova has finally gotten around to recording her debut solo album. And it is as haunting, brilliant and spine-tingling as anything she did before in the other group.
Ken Will Morton is a singer songwriter from Georgia. To stand out in that crowded field one has to have the humility to sit back and let the song take center stage. Morton successfully walks the fine line between playing the music and letting the music play him on his latest disc, Contenders.
Don’t Know How to Party and Question the Answers were probably the high point of ska’s third wave. They mixed the fun and soul (something oddly missing with most third wave bands) with a hardcore edge and a dose of serious honesty. In a decade of ponderous self-consciousness the Bosstones were refreshing. However, if you want a rehash of “The Impression That I Get,” pick up a copy of one of the older albums. The Bosstones have grown.
Joe Henry is the perfect storm of singer/songwriter/producer. Right out of the box, the singular sound of his production is always striking. Not unlike Lanois’ Wall Of Murk, Henry’s work invariably consists of stark layers of gentle noise, undulating blocks of sound, instruments alternately lurching into and jutting out of the arrangements, and elusive lyrical abstractions representing the darkest reaches of the emotional spectrum. These multiple layers of organic sound are sparse and simple, quietly going about their business holding up Henry’s soulful songs of Reverie.
Grumpy-Old-Pissed-Off-Man might have been a more apt title for Nils Lofgren’s newest solo album, Old School. He bluntly comes out and says as much via the title tracks first verse:
Vanish Valley made songs here that won’t vanish quickly, capped off by “Lion’s Den” that brings Sparklehorse to mind. They don’t have to get good because they are good.
Indigo Dreams is like many of the other BoDeans albums, and relies on the powerful combination of Llanas and Neumanns’ voices to buttress solid instrumental backing and a good folksy-rock sound. With Llanas now gone and replaced with Jake Owen, it remains to be seen whether the BoDeans will be able to carry forward with such power.
