By the time the 2nd track (wide open space) opens, itís obvious that there is something special going on here. Then, with song after song (She makes my nose bleed, You, who do you hate?, and Egg shaped Mavis to name a few) they reel off one gem after another. Even the occasional use of strings doesnít sound cloying, and complex song structures lend an air of genius to this band.
Oasis, move over.
*2* Shawn
Colvin: A few small repairs
Columbia (51:19)
This one lived in my cd player this summer. Shawn has always shown great promise, usually a couple of marvelous tracks per cd, but this is a masterpiece from start to finish. Seems she needed some angst to really jump-start her talent, and splitting with her husband was the ticket. As good as the tracks are that you probably heard on the radio (Sunny came home; Get out of this house) there are several here as good or better. My favorites are the quieter songs: The facts about Jimmy; I want it back; Wichita skyline, and, especially, the ethereal 84,000 different delusions, which contains the lines: Go look at the lake please / go look at the sky / go look at a baby / weíre all going to die. Kind of puts your little day-to-day problems in perspective, doesnít it? Essential.
*3* Whiskeytown: Strangers almanac
- Outpost Recordings (51:40)
I love the packaging artwork on this discóWhiskeytown has captured their music visually with images of semis cruising a winter interstate and someoneís meager belongings piled into the back of a pickup. The disc itself takes a few songs to get fired up into a new alt-country Flying Burrito Bros. mode. The band hails from North Carolina (I heard one smart-ass D.J. describe it as somewhere between Mayberry and Mt. Pilot) and really lives up to the hype as the next hot country-rock outfit. By the second song, "Excuse me while I break my own heart tonight", the pedal steel is twanging, the banjo picking, cuss-words flying, and vocals being traded off in a disarming manner. The third cut picks up rocking steam, but the first bona-fide gem is the fourth cut, "16 days": "Ö canít sleep when the bedsheet fights Ö". The best songs on the cd are 6-9. Houses on the hill, one of my favorite songs of the year concerns the singer finding some old love letters from a soldier to a friendís Mother. With a haunting chorus "Ö there were stars in the sky / there were houses on the hill and there were bottles of pills that were easy to buy / to keep her warm from the oncoming storm" that morphs later into "there were stars in the sky / there were bunkers on the hill and there were caskets to fill where he would lie / shrouded in the red white and blue of the stripes". The next track, "Turn around" is a great rocker with dueling harmonies. The next cut, "Dancing with the women at the bar" "Man, I love the feeling when I go out / dancing with the women at the barÖ" evokes down-home smoke-filled bars populated with truckers where everyone knows your name. The quiet, lovely "Avenues" with guitar, vocal, and a bit of piano in the background weaves the tale of a guy driving around his ex-girlfriendís town speculating on what could have been. "Losering" is the single, and itís a good one. A couple more solid songs round out the disc. Anyone who is a fan of the no-depression country-rock genre should like this.
Bonus points for guest musician Alejandro Escovedo and for thanking ex-dbís legend Chris Stamey on the liner notes.
*4* Bettie
Serveert: Dust bunnies
Matador (41:25)
My favorite Netherlands band roars back
from the slightly more subdued (but still good IMO) Lamprey with this wonderfully
rockiní disc. Bettie Serveertís discs always take a few listens to grow
on me and this was no exception. But once the hooks are ingrained, I canít
get enough. Peter Visser still manages to cover both rhythm and lead guitar
with aplomb, switching from noodling to raucous fuzz, nicely complementing
Carol van Dijkís voice. Just check out track 5, "What friends?" for a non-stop
romp. This was recorded at Bearsville in Woodstock and is a great summertime
selection. Put the top down and turn it up.
*5* World
party: Egyptology
Chrysalis (60:28)
OK, so I just skip right past the first 2 (or 3)songs, as well as track 11, but this disc has so many great tunes there is still plenty of memorable music left. Yes, Carl Wallinger has a real Beatles fixation, but who cares? One of my all-time favorite discs is his "Goodbye jumbo" cd. After I listened to Egyptology a few times, I dug out World Partyís previous cd, "Bang", and really started to enjoy it as well. Maybe itís an attitude thing, but with songs like "Sheís the one" (Best pop song of the year? You decide) ; the rock cuts "Curse of the mummyís tomb" and "Hercules" ; the exquisite perfection of "Rolling off a log" Bonus points for the hilarious liner notes ("Mixed in a bucket with a big stick") and for pulling no punches. Essential listening.
*6* Ivy:
Apartment life
Atlantic
(43:05)
I loved Ivyís first disc, 1994s "Realistic",
which I just discovered last summer. That slice of sunshine spent heavy
rotation in my computer as it brightened seemingly-endless days in which
I was at work while everyone else seemed to be vacationing on the French
Riviera or something. This threesome owes much of its sound to French lead
singer Dominique Durand and musical sensibility to Andy Chase of the great
Fountains of Wayne. This time out the band fleshes out some of the songs
a bitóseveral sport horns, and there is a bit more variability, possibly
due to a bevy of guest musicians (James Iha of Smashing Pumpkins, Dean
Wareham of Luna/Galaxie 500, etc.). The end result, though, is more fabulously-crafted
pop/rock that veers from sounding at times like old Style Council, (Not
Old Style council, which would be named after a beer) Galaxie 500, etc.
In the end, however, it sounds like another great disc by Ivy, guaranteed
to put a smile on anyoneís face.
*7*
Michael Penn: Resigned
Epic (39:15)
Michael returns to the form exhibited in
his largely-overlooked debut (March) and his ambitious yet less-successful
sophomore cd (Free for all) with this collection of songs spouting wry
lyrics, biting guitars and snappy hooks. The gems here ("Try", "Me
around", and the tremendous "All that that implies") show he hasnít lost
his way around the studio. From "All that that implies": Fillibust and
hesitate / you say I procrastinate / and that my heart beats second rate
/ to one youíll recognize / and know that you are drawn to it / so all
I am is counterfeit / it pulls you so you must submit / like ant to honeydew
Ö He has a unique way with phrasing unlike anyone else. His brother Sean
isnít the only talent in the family.
*8*
Depeche Mode: Ultra
Reprise (60:04)
I like this disc a lot more than Depeche Modeís last (Songs of faith and devotion). Now a trio, this is one of the best DM discs in recent memory, certainly close in quality to their stark masterpiece, "Violator". Suitably dark, flawlessly produced, this is astounding with a pair of headphones. Just check out last summerís single "Itís no good" if you are afraid they might be washed up. Or "Sister of night". David Gahan does remarkable things with his voice, and, occasionally an upbeat song even slips in as a bit of a surprise. Or, my pick, atop a killer guitar/bass riff from "Useless": Here I stand the accused / with your fist in my face / feeling tired and briused / with the bitterest taste / all my useless advice / all my hanging around / all your cutting down to size / all my bringing you down Ö layered atop swirling synthesizersópowerful words from a singer (barely) back from the dead. And is that pedal steel in "Freestate"? Just remember to fast forward past "Jazz thieves". Spooky and wonderful.
*9* Cheap
Trick
Red Ant Records (40:10)
This is a great return to form for a band that has seen a few dark years of late. This self-titled release recalls what made discs like "In color" and "Heaven tonight" indispensable. From the opening noises and guitar of the first track, "Anytime" to the final strains of "It all comes back to you", this disc begs huge volumes. Robin Zanderís voice has weathered well, and the band sounds like they just stepped out of a Rockford bar. Bun E. Carlos is still pounding the skins looking like some manic accountant, Tom Peterssonís bass thunders, and, of course, Rick Nielsen plays guitar like no one else over their trademark--tight harmonies. A guilty pleasure, this is power pop/rock at its finest. Turn it up!
*10*
Duncan Sheik
Atlantic
(52:08)
Yeah, so heís kind of schmaltzy at times. But there are some great songs on this disc, including the decent single, Barely breathing. Better than that, though, is the spare, melancholic, "Reasons for living". Or, in "Serena": So what / lifeís rough / you should get over yourself / like everyone else Ö The longing of "Home"; the spare acoustic guitar/vocal of "Little hands": We stayed out late ëtil morning came / I said Iíll take you home if itís all the same / Her indifference fills the room / Some weak seduction on the morning after / How it slays me every time I touch her / But she just wants to sleep Ö and, Ö One last conversation in the crowded bar / And even thought the music is louder by far / I hear every word she says.
I want to know if anyone elseís copy of this disc has a flaw at 2:26 on track one that causes the music to drop-out momentarily? Strange. Songs of unrequited longing and loss which add up to great late night/early morning music.
Others:
James
McMurtry: It had to happen
Sugar
Hill (55:08)
I was surprised to see this disc at my local cd shop (Rainy Day Records in Oly WA, if anyone cares). Apparently Columbia dumped James after 3 discs; the first of which (Too long in the wasteland) is one of my all-time favorites. The next two had their moments as well. This cd continues the trend with a few gems among a fair amount of chaff, to mix metaphors. When he is on, James McMurtry is one hell of a storyteller, and itís obvious he inherited some of his literary-fatherís genes. His best songs paint pictures of dispossessed blue-collar-types in mid-life crises, often set in Texas or elsewhere in the rural South. "No more buffalo" evokes a roadtrip through the west: I guess we knew the cards were stacked / started out the best of friends / and we beat the highway ëtil it quit beatiní back / it didnít mean much in the end / some you win, some you lose / some you throw away / We headed south across those Colorado plains / just as empty as the day Ö . Or, "12 Oíclock whistle" in which James recalls life as a boy in West Texas with his grandparents. James chimes along with his old Telecaster, telling the stories of the disillusioned and displaced. From "Jaws of life": I walked in and looked around / you never saw such a burned out crowd / somebody said boy donít be thinking out loud / you know some of us were once so proud / just like you we had our days / youíd be amazed how fast they slipped away / started out so young and bold / now weíre just a few more mortal souls / in the jaws of life Ö My favorite cut, though, is the next to last, "Stancliffís lament": Ö spend some years in the business / learn how the big boys play / marry your high school sweetheart / man donít let her walk away / and if it donít work out / you can walk away without a stitch / wreckage in the rearview mirror / bouncing down the roadside ditch Ö Sheer poetry.
A must for fans.
Meredith Brooks: Blurring the edges
- Captial (51:04)
OK, I picked this one up for the song "Bitch",
after seeing the video and reading a few reviews that essentially accused
her of trying to be an Alanis Morissette wanna-be. Be that as it may, there
are a handful of great songs on this disc that transcend the middle-of-the
road aforementioned title. The first hint that Meredith exceeds the ordinary
comes on the fourth track, the spare, haunting "Watched you fall".
My vote for the most overtly erotic song
of the year (decade?) would have to be "What would happen" (although the
absence of a question-mark annoys me), in which the singer is struck instantaneously
speechless to the point of contemplating "What would happen if we kissed?/
Would your tongue slip pass my lips?" and later the revealing line "Forbidden
fruit, ring on my finger/ You're such a moral, moral man/ would you throw
it away, no question?/ Would I pretend I'm innocent?" A powerful song that
relates her feeling of helplessness over her desire. The final track, "Wash
my hands" is another gem. After a bizarre intro, a solo guitar strums into
the foreground. By the time the chorus kicks in, the band is raving and
Meredith is shrieking (in a good way) "Ö I've done time for the past!"
If you can resist cranking this one way up you have a lot more self restraint
than I (O.K., that's not saying much...) Although not a completely
satisfying discótoo much of it veers toward standard rock rave-ups for
my taste, most of the songs show *some* glimmer of genius. I'm staying
tuned for her next disc.
Extra points for production and keyboard work by David Ricketts of David & David fame.
Teenage
Fanclub: Songs from Northern Britain
Columbia
(43:15)
This is a good disc of power-pop from a band that's been around for a few years. I also liked their '95 release, Grand Prix. For fans of the genre this is a must-have disc. Solid harmonies and soaring guitars make this a real pleasure.
Luna:
Puptent
Elektra
(46:42)
A good release from the band fronted by ex-Formula 500 frontman Dean Wareham (I still have a fond spot in my heart for "On fire"). They seem to stretch out a little on this cd, and highlights include the title cut and the marvelous "Bobby Peru" (wasn't he the character Willem Dafoe played in "Wild at heart"?): My thoughts kept returning to Bobby Peru / How would he handle this one? For fans.
Dinosaur
Jr.: Hand it over
Reprise
Another great disc from J. Mascis and friends. Twelve cuts that will please any D.J. fan.
Material
Issue: Communicado Americano
Ryko (50:21)
Containing their 1987 ep plus some previously unreleased tracks, this posthumous release is dedicated to MI leader Jim Ellison who sadly committed suicide in his suburban Chicago garage in 1996. After creating 3 great cds, this is a nice wrap-up for a band whose best days were likely ahead. Highlights include: What if I killed your boyfriend?, 2 steps (no, not the Lynyrd Skynyrd song), Young American freak, Head shop, and Off the hook. Ellison's great way with lyrics can be observed in You were beautiful: You were so beautiful / until things got ugly. Required for fans.
Matt
Keating: Killjoy
Alias (44:16)
A decent disc by
Keating, whose previous release (Scaryarea) was fairly well received. The
title cut is pretty good, as are a few other tracks, including While we
fiddle: And every morning he packs his lunch / Every evening he packs a
punch / cause all afternoon he's planned a fight / for the middle of the
night ...
From The fruit you
can't eat: You wanted a man of substance / you got one with substance abuse
/ you just couldn't tell the difference .... Kind of reminds me of early
Leonard Cohen at times. A singer/songwriter to keep an eye on.
Disappointments of 1997:
Jewel:
Pieces of you
WEA/Atlantic
To roughly misquote Jon Lovitz from a skit on Saturday Night Live: "Jewel, you lived in a car once and you'll be there again!" If I hear that story about her living out of her car, etc., again, I'm starting the collection to send her back to Alaska. A couple of good songs does *not* a great CD make. Sold this one back.
Oasis:
Be here now
Epic (71:32)
I don't think this is a *bad* cd, exactly, but after "What's the story, morninglory?" it was a bit of a letdown to say the least. Make no mistake, there are some great songs: D'you know what I mean?, Be here now, Magic pie, The girl in the dirty shirt, etc., but it's just way too "dense" in my opinion. Can you say over-produced? Too much a wall of sound? After a while it becomes bombastic and harsh (IMO). Most of these songs would have greatly benefitted from warmer, simpler arrangements. Will the brothers Gallagher implode before the next cd? Stay tuned.
Sarah
McLachlan: Surfacing
Arista
(41:15)
This is another disc that I thought suffered in comparison to her previous release. I found "Fumbling to ecstasy" a near-perfect cd. I will ignore the inclusion of AOL software on this disc, although I don't like it one bit. And the annoying "enhanced cd" crap which amounts merely to something I am forced to close out on my computer before I can listen to the music. Again, there are great songs--Building a mystery and Sweet surrender emerge as my picks. Just not up to her earlier standards IMO.
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