In this second part of our conversation, we look into Shenale’s history as one of Tori Amos’ closest collaborators. We also look at his involvement with the Night of Hunters world tour, in which he’s rearranged a large number of works from Amos’ catalogue and reinterpreted them for the show.
Through a winsome blend of humor, visceral guitar playing, vulnerability, a healthy dose of heartbreak and passionate singing, Ferrick maximizes her time on stage and leaves her audience both satisfied and wanting more– but with 150 songs at the ready, that’s always going to be the case.
In Part I of our conversation, we examine the Night of Hunters creation process. Part II focuses on Shenale’s work on the Night of Hunters tour and his background with Amos and their history of working together, including the serendipitous point where he took the helm as her orchestral counterpart.
It’s been a decade since his debut, which has seen Dybdahl release quite a few more records and gain extensive notoriety in Scandanavia; however, despite writing songs in English, he’s still relatively unknown in North America. To counter this, in July Decca Records released a compilation album of his strongest work, simply titled Songs to try and break into the market, and this fall Dybdahl will support Tori Amos on her tour through the States and Canada.
Even taken with its apparent downfalls, this is an album with which they should be quite proud. It not only proves their capability alongside their frequent collaborators, but actually asserts the relevance and necessity for a language that is wholly yMusic.
This album may be a bit too accessible and/or soft for fans of the harder edged rock-leaning work from his mid-career, but Ashes & Fire reaffirms Ryan Adams as a leader among singer-songwriters, and after the turmoil of the past few years it’s delightful to see him back on top of his game.
On All Things Will Unwind, Shara Worden delivers a tour de force that stands far above the majority of contemporary music. It’s a masterpiece that will prove quite difficult to surpass, but the fact that this is only her third album as My Brightest Diamond makes the future look even more the brighter.
With a careful editing eye and a reinvestment in the tools that made him so innovative as a male singer-songwriter, Howie Day can really go far again, despite the many blunders of recent memory.
While they could continue to deliver solid sets of songs constructed in their conventional paradigm, their willingness to experiment and travel in new directions with their latest record– and do so successfully– both reinvigorates their catalogue and shows that they still have plenty to say, and it’s worth listening in.
Lucy Kaplansky has a well-honed grasp on melody, which is something almost impossible to teach and reveals her deeply rooted and intuitive musicianship. Still, Kaplansky’s seriousness and austerity, matched with a few uninspired new songs, made it a long evening, and one whose highlights were frustratingly weighed down by filler.
