All troubled thoughts and hand-wringing should cease however, as Wilco has released The Whole Love, a fully realized collection of tunes versatile, commanding, and magnificent. This album is bold, yet painted with deft touches; powerful and evolved, yet simple and stripped down when need be; grippingly philosophical yet still fun enough to demand sing-alongs.
This is her most consistent effort yet, and the process of building the songs up from programmed sounds reveals Herzig’s deft architectural hand, and the fact that she’s chosen bouncy, spirited and cathartic as her palette further bolsters the album. The next step will be learning how to incorporate lyrically the more intimate and raw moments of introspection, but this is an admirable first step in the right direction.
With his newest release – The Lost Cause Minstrels – on the Potato Head Family label, Grayson Capps takes his music in a new direction. Having lived in both New Orleans and Nashville, the Alabama native recently returned home and seems to further embrace his roots.
2007’s personality-driven Marry Me and the production-forward Actor have been rounded out by Strange Mercy’s maturity, honesty and skill to make a solid, progressive and enviable career trilogy that showcases Annie Clark’s talent, innovations and development as an all-around artist.
The whole production envelops, from the layers of perfectly produced instrumentation to the quiet, emotional vocal performances, Father, Son, Holy Ghost has it all.
Still Right Here fits nicely into her catalogue and reminds listeners why Melissa Ferrick is such a venerable force in the music industry, and, despite some missteps, it’s a fine work from a wickedly gifted artist.
You would think St. Louis and not Helsinki would be the backyard of The Latebirds, but alas they seem to nail a gorgeous, deliberate Americana style on the opening title track of Last Of The Good Ol' Days could be mistaken for a Jeff Tweedy solo track and not a seasoned Finnish-cana outfit. The bombast at the close might not be to everyone’s liking, but it seems to gel nicely. Meanwhile the sweet roots pop of “Among The Survivors” shines with its tight rhythm section and barroom keyboards.
Recording with The Combo makes all the difference in the world in the presentation of John Hiatt’s songs. A craftsmanlike composer schooled in Nashville, Hiatt may forever skirt a pro-forma approach to songwriting, but the unified punch of this band brings realism to his material and his performance on Dirty Jeans and Mudslide Hymns.
After more than a decade making ends meet as a solo act, Mike Doughty has emerged from beneath the shadow of his former self with Yes and Also Yes. Perhaps age, antidepressants, the healing passage of time, or a combination of each have contributed to his lighter outlook.
[rating=4.00] On their official MySpace page, Wild Flag humorously describes themselves as both "the sound of an avalanche taking out a dolphin, and the cross between a hamburger and a
