Running From a Gamble has some mellow points but the album is largely a swelling formation of poetic artistry that combine restricted forceful instrumentals with a “take me as I am, leave it all on the line” type of attitude.
Rome is an album that you must listen to from beginning to end as a whole, for the tracks that blend common themes will give a deeper understanding of the entire listen. Reflective of what became the musical basis for Italian Western films in the 1960s and beyond, the combination between Danger Mouse and Daniele Luppi succeed in producing a record of substantial triumph.
With their new release, I Am Very Far, Okkervil River has made a musical slow-burner. Unlike some of their previous work, there is no immediate song that blasts out and catches the ear
Noted for their reggae twists on classic albums like Dark Side of the Moon and Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, the Easy Star All-Stars have released their first LP of original material, First Light. The 14-track effort not only marks a departure from their themed cover albums, but it also treads loosely into some soul territory.
Direct is exactly what you get when listening to Obits’ second studio release Moody, Standard and Poor. There’s no questioning the foursome’s lean edged gritty basement party-with a flickering light type of sound, except possibly the title of the album.
If you’ve ever seen and heard Warren Haynes perform Otis Redding and Delbert McClinton covers, you know he has more than a passing interest in both soul and rhythm and blues. But the passion in this man’s singing on “Save Me,” the final cut on Man in Motion, borders on desperation: arguably the most confessional vocal he’s ever done, this single performance alone is enough to redeem the inconsistencies that otherwise afflict the exercise in style that constitute his second solo album.
The beauty of live performances is you take everything as it comes. If an artist flubs a line, misses a chord or hits the wrong key vocally, there’s no going back. A lot of “live” albums, however, fall short because they use a number of production tricks to cover over mistakes, or to make the audience sound louder than they really are, so they end up sounding disingenuous and in a way are a waste of time. Brandi Carlile’s new live album, thankfully, does not use these tricks and the performances are pretty damn great as a result.
The long drawn and epic introduction to “Last Known Surroundings,” the first song off Take Care… is undoubtedly the highpoint on an album that, despite its predictably frequent moments of euphoria and jubilation, eventually fizzles out with barely a whimper. Is it time for post post-rock already?
When recording their new album Collider, Roberts decided to challenge the band by moving the process to Chicago. Instead of recreating the searing rock n’ roll vibe of their live show, Roberts pushed forward in an attempt to expand and diversify the band’s sound. Califone percussionist Ben Massarella and Antilbalas woodwind player Stuart Bogie served as honorary band members during the recording process and allowed the band to branch out in search of a more refined, cohesive sound.
