Ducktails
As a somewhat “jaded” musical observer, it isn’t often that a record catches you off guard by mixing sounds and vibes both of (and not of) its time. It’s the Willennium after all – everybody does that!
Ducktails’, The Flower Lane, isn’t just a rare “out of the blue” pleasure, it honestly seems to have come from some other reality, blending non-intrusive contemporary production with a mix of distinctive melodic vocal and guitar signposts, most of which aren’t even especially hip at the moment. Maybe won’t even be hip again.
Lets just go ahead and get the reviewer name/genre/date check out of the way: The Chills, Kiwi-Rock, Ivy, late 80s-early 90s, Lush, Chillwave, Bikeride, The Go-Betweens…
Songs such as the lead-in “Ivy Covered House” and “Planet Phrom” pull from a late 80s guitar sound with a generous application of digital room delay, relaxed tempos and a smattering of abstruse lyrics [like what the hell is “making love with my alien wife” driving at?]. To this we join a complementary/contemporary Chillwave aesthetic currently championed by Chaz Bundick, featuring steady beats, slightly extended playing times and non-intrusive production choices. See “Assistant Director”, “Under Cover” and “Timothy Sky”.
While these are all wholly enjoyable, let’s focus more on a few special standouts:
“The Flower Lane” – Beyond the cool phased/chorus-ed out electric piano, with that killer pre-chorus (first heard at 0:38), perhaps the most heartening aspect of this number is how well it proves the male baritone can be melodic and appealing. [See “Party in My Heart” as another personal favorite.] It’s bizarre to think that at one point this vocal approach had mass appeal with independent music types in the late 80s and early 9os. Luckily, as you might be able to conclude, a few hundred similar-sounding records and anemic production standards of the day drove its laid-back posturing into the ground, but, in this song we have a fine and invigorating example.
“Letter of Intent” – Could this be a great, lost track from Lush, Saint Etienne, Blondfire (Astaire)? No! This is a new, brilliant collection of everything that makes those female-fronted groups great. Starting with the electronic drum-sounding intro, the fey vocals positioned between The Essex Green and Ivy (and a tad Cocteau Twins in parts), this song delivers in a way that surely a movie soundtrack will reward them generously for some day.
“Sedan Magic” – Amongst an album of moody, atmospheric selections, this song rises above and delivers all the goods. We have a frothy atmosphere worthy of 10CC, a lifting female counterbalance in the hook, and, a guitar contribution starting at 2:58 that pulls, perhaps unknowingly from “You Got Lucky”. Who would complain about that? Honestly, the most enjoyable 5 minutes of my music-listening life in an “out of the blue moon”.
Typically, I’ll make a note of all the little instrumental contributions and melodic counterpoints, but here there are so many shining moments that such an inventory is unnecessary. Suffice it to say, if anything above strikes you as appealing – Ducktails will deliver. As fair mention, there is one toss-off instrumental track, and the final number harkens back to the band’s lo-fi roots falling short of all aforementioned. But these are not critiques, so much as observations of the two non-complementary moments. No one’s perfect.
Hope these guys get their due.
-MYH
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Tags: music
For Josh Rouse fans,
You may have reserved your enthusiasm for a new record, considering his last effort with “The Long Vacations“[?] left so much to be desired. Luckily, as soon as you put on his new effort, The Happiness Waltz, you really only have 0:38 longer to wait for that long awaited return to form!
The sweep of multitracked arpeggiated guitars that bring in the first of a long list of strong hooks with “Julie (Come Out of the Rain)” is only a small indication of things to come. Track 2, “Simple Pleasure”, Rouse then revives the happy bass playing that so many listeners are longing for, with “when you”/”won’t you” refrains that pull you back to his strong writing in the mid-00s and even dance-inspired kick drum breakdown at 3:15.
By the end of the second song, Rouse has already established a link with some of his best work via records 1972, Nashville and Subtitulo. Like those records, this one abounds with New York and California nostalgia and critique, 70s-sounding hi-hat work, a bit of banjo, a jolt of horns, etc. These, however, our only dressings. Most importantly, this record shares those records’ strong songwriting – this is definitely his best set of songs since that period.
Start listening with “This Movie’s Way Too Long”. The intro pulls so directly from Nashville, the song has to develop before you can recognize this isn’t a cheap re-write of one of those songs, with its build of staccato guitar work throughout the verses, and the fantastic recurring electric guitar riff. Importantly, the extended bridge section, at 2:15 covers some territory with a shift in pace that might have been too much of a departure for a Josh Rouse composition circa 2005. Also noteworthy here are the multiple solos that bring the song to its conclusion.
Other tracks such as “Our Love”, with its backing vocals first heard at 0:56, and the harmonies in the hook of “A Lot Like Magic” show some small innovations to the standard repertoire so well honed by Rouse over the past decade or so. Speaking of honed, I cite the backing instrumentation on “It’s Good To Have You”. The song builds from acoustic and lead vocal, adding tasteful electric piano work, and a flute work! There’s even a guitar/flute/electric piano solo section!!! That took courage.
Honestly, the biggest distinction between this record and some of Josh’s most recent work – the writing here hits with more somber/sincere moments of analysis and reflection, which recent records would dance around or dress up. “Purple and Beige” is one example of this, with some inspired upright bass work that makes the song for me. In fact, this record probably generates the best and most consistent atmosphere of any record since Nashville.
My criticisms of The Happiness Waltz are few and far between, but they mostly are result of comparison between this and Rouse’s prior work. For one, he isn’t challenging himself much with this effort, adhering to the aesthetic, writing and production regime achieved for the first time about a decade ago. Also, emblematic of Rouse’s Spanish-period (since 2006 or so) is a lyrical over-reliance on distinguishing his current lifestyle and the American hip-living locales he gave up (“City People, City Life”, etc). In so many ways, his past few records are the clearest pop presentation of domestic bliss since Ram or Double Fantasy! [Maybe an interesting compilation idea – gather up the best of Rouse’s domestic-related work and see how it measures up…] Lastly, Rouse could really benefit from at least a track or two on the record that really broke out and rocked things up a little. An inspired guitar run could really push a few of these tracks to a new territory. For example, how fantastic would it have been in “The Western Isles” if a country-fried telecaster came in at 2:25? There are audible guitar bits here and there throughout the song to indicate interest in heading this direction but nothing ever totally bubbled to the top of the mix.
As the song says “simple pleasures are all I want”, and this record delivers these in spades. Kudos!
-MYH
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Tags: music
Toro y More
From the first 45 seconds of the new record Anything in Return, it is clear that Chaz Bundick (a.k.a. Toro y Moi) is prepared to make a serious statement. How? Because, honestly, anyone that bothers to have a lengthy intro to their first song, seeking full-album play in light of today’s stream-able/youtube-able music consumption patterns, is putting more thought into these things than “the average bear”.
Though the above-referred “Harm In Change” lays out some basic production standards for the record, it is really up to the second track “Say That” to set the tone for everything that follows. For one, it isn’t often that a song straddles the line between Dungen with the thin/loose/static-y piano sounds of “Vara Snabb” and a super-sampled vocal akin to early 90’s club or R&B like Robin S’s “Show Me Love”, even with support of an era-friendly thumping bass.
Now while neither sound is totally outside of where the Freaking Out EP was headed, particularly with the stunning treatment of the Cherrelle number “Saturday Love”, the slightly-less static-y production of this record and the increase quantity of Chaz’s vocals (up in the mix with fewer effects than before) indicate more mainstream ambitions.
For further evidence see the orthodox structure of “Cake” with the hooky “She knows…” refrain bits and more subdued verses, showing Toro y Moi is completely capable of a straightforward pop song without sample-driven production gimmicks/writing shortcuts. Unfortunately, the refrain’s “got my back and I know it” lyric might play well with the 18-and-under crowd, but is a little too throwaway. Something slightly more loaded, or emphatic would definitely push this to stand-out status.
Not quite as ambitious is “High Living” with wonderfully warbly keyboards (very chillwave) and one of the more prominent hooks in “hiiiiiigh”. Listening, it’s hard to understand why Chaz has been so preoccupied with burying his vocals or using samples to make more memorable lyrical statements when he’s plenty capable of singing the damn things himself. Case in point: with “Rose Quartz” the sampled-hook card gets way overplayed via “I feel weak”. And that’s a strong hook! The basic vocal would have been more than enough to carry the day (with no annoyance factor).
With these little glimpses, you can see Toro feeling out deeper expressive/emotive territory. In a more substantial, straightforward pop arrangement, a song like “Rose Quartz” could even get some radio play. [Recently, with “Somebody I Used To Know”, we’ve seen that a well-written pop song by someone in the minor leagues can still break through.]
The final number, “How Its Wrong” ends things on a particularly strong note, but the keyboards are really what stick with you. It’s striking how much the sound of this record pulls from late 80s/early 90s club pop such as Lisa Stansfield, TLC, Energique or even Swing Out Sister! While this is partly due to the writing, it is also because pop music between 1987 and 1993 shared a bank of digital synthesizer and drum pad presets whose sounds are often lovingly repackaged within this record. Unfortunate this gets overlooked.
As a new Toro y Moi record, Anything in Return is a fine progression on previous efforts. As the pop record Chaz perhaps intended it to be, this album falls short. Too many vocal samples. Too few hooks. Mid-album “Touch”, “Cola” and “Studies” are moody late-night oriented numbers, but they’re too lulling for their own good and drag the otherwise stellar proceedings down.
To pull the pop-oriented material off next time, it will be necessary to really up the hooks quotient. One way might be to bring in some other vocalists to the writing process. Can you imagine, for example, if Chaz got the girls from Dirty Projectors to do some of their crazy-awesome Mariah Carey vocals? Say, for example, if they came in with some multi-tracked goodness on “Never Matter” around 0:25? Also, the arpeggiated keyboards in “So Many Details” (around 2:15) show potential for more prog-ish exploration. More rhythm-based heavily-sequenced keyboard layering, a silly guitar solo or two and faster tempos would really push things to the stratosphere next time around.
Happy to say that I enjoyed this record thoroughly, BUT, I hope (no doubt, against the tide of public opinion) that the next album is just a full-on, unapologetic pop masterpiece! Chaz, dude, you’re capable of it.
-MYH
[AND- what the hell is up with that midd-y knocking sound in the left channel of “Cake” at 2:10? I’m always thinking someone is at the door…]
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Tags: music
A bot to Break my mind!
Breakbot’s 2012 record By Your Side was one of my favorite end-of-year discoveries, perhaps because it so fully embraced (what I think is some of) the best of post-modern pop shamelessness. Indeed, if pop’s post-modernity is one where the entire western recorded/production canon of 20th Century is available (and acceptable) for mass repackaging in the 21st, I always hope for results as delicious as this one from Thibaut Berland (under the Breakbot moniker).
With By Your Side, Berland pulls from any number of 80s and contemporary packages of club R&B and synthesizer-based dance music with a mix somewhere between peers from Pacific! (featured on this record), Junior Senior or Chromeo. -In sum, you can expect rousing electric piano, funky bass/guitar, Michael Jackson vocals (via Ruckazoid), early 90s-sounding club-backup-vocal-riffs and smooth melodic flourishes that allow even the weakest numbers to go down with Michelob-like ease.
Now, in a lot of ways this is four separate records: MJ-ish with Ruckazoid, midtempo ’70s-sounding R&B with vocalist Irfane, cool Miami Vice instrumental fragments with a brief Pacific! two-song medley. While such distinctions could be jarring, (and may very well be for some listeners) the combination and free-ranging flow of stances makes this a more compelling listen. Instead of one aesthetic, the album operates more along the lines of the DJ-Kicks mix by Chromeo, which covered much of the same sonic territory via samples and other artists’ tracks.
In the first mode, with the Ruckazoid-backed numbers such as “Fantasy”, it is impossible not to be struck by how Off the Wall the vocals are. While an A-B of the Ruckazoid tracks with the genuine article can quickly remind us why the King of Pop is in altogether separate emotive order of magnitude, Ruckazoid does manage to pull from the pre-Thriller golden age of the MJ vocal (before Michael equated over-singing with cultural relevance). Of course all the aforementioned vocal ability would be moot if it wasn’t for strong songs, which, are delivered.
[Also, note how much “Why” pulls from the repeat of the same word in “Human Nature”. Look it up!]
Moving on, the Irfane-fronted part of the record doesn’t benefit from the highs delivered via Ruckazoid. However, songs “One Out of Two” and “Baby I’m Yours” show the writing remains strong throughout. The former benefits crucially from a lengthy intro, separating it out from the previous hit and giving it time to draw the listeners into its own merits, while the latter shows a possible [more traditional] direction for any number of lo-fi dance/chillwave types after their dreamscapes play out.
In regards to Pacific!, it is encouraging to see their brief medley with Berland be so strong after their disappointing record in 2010’s Narcissus. Enjoy the urgent Stratocaster-sounding riffage through most of “By Your Side Part 2” as was also present in most of Off the Wall‘s most upbeat tracks – little choices like this help give the proceedings continuity.
The last element of this record are the smattering of instrumental numbers, two of which “Programme” and “Easy Fraction” are some of the best moments on the record! The eighth track “Programme”, for one, was a real joy to discover as I tried to determine what from my music-listening past it reminded me of. Finally, in one brilliant flash I tracked down the eighth song (also with double-Ms) from The Alan Parson Project record Eye in the Sky, “Mammagamma”. (I ‘d like to assume all coincidences between the two tracks are intentional.)
Though By Your Side is certainly not the most cerebral pop record of 2012, it definitely is one of the most fun to listen to. Stupid fun! And let me assure such a quality is a virtue. It isn’t often that something you put on reveals its pleasures so easily.
-MYH
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“Thank You for Being” Solid Gold
About a year ago I stumbled on this guy Andrew Gold…
The story starts when my mother came paid me an afternoon visit. While sitting around as I filed a few of my records, she mentioned this song “Lonely Boy” (as heard briefly in one of the big 90s Adam Sandler movies). Apparently this was a single of some note in her (and Sandler’s) youth.
Now, I was initially skeptical, but she insisted I look it up -more for her enjoyment than for sake of my exposure-. The song starts out pretty corny, but what I dug was the resolved augmented chord mid-chorus (first heard at 0:51). I was really blown away by the sharp pop writing, and, the over-the-top guitar solo towards the end. I played the song a second time to tease said chord out, came up with a suitable fingering and so the story might have ended…
About 9 months later, after an all-nighter, a friend of mine suggested I go home, relax and watch Golden Girls. Everyone present thought this was an awesome idea. Instead of following through, however, I just wanted to listen to the theme intro music -and lo and behold- in the details below, the song was accredited to Andrew Gold!! Maybe you’ve heard it before: “Thank You for Being a Friend”.
With these credentials, I thought surely the guy-behind-the-songs deserved some investigation. With a fairly limited and not widely celebrated nor circulated catalog, I figured I’d give his career a brief glance via the compilation Thank You for Being a Friend: The Best of Andrew Gold. Bizarrely, things start off with a relatively late-in-the-going (Gold passed away in 2011) television theme – this one being the “The Final Frontier”, from 90’s sitcom Mad About You. However, the other 20 songs are quite rewarding…
Gold, who through writing or session work has ties to everyone from Linda Ronstadt, Loudon Wainwright III and 10CC has a number of sounds floating around in his repertoire. Earlier in his career, his “untamed” voice has a Tom Petty-like simplicity, his middle-of-the-road piano and production work something close to 70s Billy Joel via “How Can This Be Love”, with potential to write a potent pop ballad in line with contemporaries such as Daryl Hall and a Beatles obsession on the tasteful side of Jeff Lynne.
Along with the Tom Petty observation, listen to the original version of “Thank You for Being a Friend”. A Golden Girls fan familiar with that version might be taken aback from the average-joe vocal, but, that ends up being apart of its charm. Strangely, even with all of the exposure I had with the theme, I found the actual hook (first heard at 0:58, with subsequent call-and-response versions) more memorable, and, the bridge at 2:43 an especially happy surprise.
With songs “You’re Free” and “Endless Flight” we get the clearest Beatle-based inclinations: first, from the George Harrison meets We All Together solo at 2:19, and then, note the plane cabin interlude at 2:55 in “Endless Flight” (wherein Gold asks an attendant for tranquilizers!!!) pulling from the classic “Yellow Submarine” mid-song commotion.
Perhaps Gold’s most effective, or most cited mode on this compilation, is that of balladeer. At its most potent, there is “Never Let Her Slip Away”, which could very well have been a McCartney B-side circa McCartney II. Unfortunately, this set leans too heavily in this direction for its own good. “Hope You Feel Good” and “One of Them is Me” are notably weak, where lyrics and/or delivery are relatively embarrassing. The former has an especially dodgy vocal performance – so much so it’s hard to imagine there wasn’t a better take…
“Kiss This One Goodbye” is a fantastic departure from the above with a guitar sound and attitude akin to that of 80s-prime Paul Westerberg. This truly has a fantastic, melodically descending hook. By the way, “Go Back Home Again” rocks pretty hard as well!
For those looking to bolster their late 70s, early 80s melodic songwriting similar to what America or CSN (circa Daylight Again) was doing, look no further than “Heartaches in Heartaches” or “That’s Why I Love You”. Naturally, you’d probably also be old enough and inclined to already know about Gold and his records from that time-
Lastly, the record ends with two new (as of 1997) compositions, the Wallflowers-esque “Can Anybody See You” and midi-drums tampered “The King of Showbiz”. Despite the percussion in the latter, the final two tracks prove Gold was still very much in command of his pop-chops *yum* with co-writer Graham Gouldman (of 10CC).
While this compilation is not a revelation, wherein an obscure 70s singer-songwriter, overlooked by time and acclaim is given new life, with a “Lonely Boy” commercial campaign theme and rap-remix of “You’re Free”, it does highlight a respectable music career by a forgotten pop craftsman.
Surely the only classic here is “Thank You…”, with a number of honorable mentions, BUT, I found this retrospective both charming and enjoyable despite being a few songs too long. They can’t all be Randy Newman, Fab or something, but surely most songwriters would be happy to leave such a well-lived and nurtured catalog.
If you find yourself on a long trip sometime soon, and want to hear some delightful little pop songs, I feel …The Best of Andrew Gold might be a fun listen.
-MYH
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I Bet on Dinosaur Jr.
The J. Mascis Attack continued strong in 2012 with the album I Bet on Sky.
The bizarre thing looking at music influenced by their peers, it seems no one has really been able improve on the Dinosaur Jr. sound. Like the weird taste in the water at your aunt’s house, these guys’ distinctive tinge lingers on.
Fuzzy guitar solos – check. Self-deprecating reflection – check. Noise – check?
Really, the big difference between this record (which holds strong alongside any of their classic work) is that tempos are slightly slower and noise isn’t quite as overwhelming as you might remember. Along with some of their contemporaries’ new records, such as The Lemonheads, Charlatans UK or The Posies, Dinosaur Jr. has managed to mature their sound and songwriting commiserate with their age and experience. (And by the way, if you haven’t looked into those other bands’ new material, you definitely should!)
Not surprisingly then, it is easy to argue that the highs on any particular track on I Bet on Sky probably aren’t up there with the often unlimited ceilings on You’re Living All Over Me or Bug, but surely most listeners weren’t expecting that in the first place. And if you want some slightly harder material, check out the prior two reunion records, 2007’s Beyond or 2009’s Farm.
To get your feet wet, start with “Pierce the Morning Rain”. It’s under 3 minutes, has some tight band moments and a compelling tempo.
It is pleasing to know, too, that along with his credibility, J. Mascis is living all over his potential to be a musical stalwart for his generation.
MYH
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Music Noir
Flying under most people’s radars this year was another 60s-beholden effort by Manchester’s Jim Noir.
The record, Jimmy’s Show, plays to Noir’s strengths- clean production, folky acoustics, crisp electrics, relaxed Kinks-styled melodies.
Whereas the previous self-titled record (Jim Noir) featured slightly more contemporary Super Furry Animals-esque takes on the classic pop canon with numbers such as “All Right” or “Don’t You Worry”, this effort is more in line with the first full length, Tower of Love, short of home-runs like “Eanie Meany”, “My Patch” or “A Quiet Man”.
At times one might wish for a few more breakouts or rave-ups… the solo that jumps out within the first minute of “Driving My Escort Cosworth to the Cake Circus” is one example. The whimsical, didly-didly-do-dum of a Jim Noir reccord can eventually get cloying, no? Also, the repeating guitar lick in “JJC Sports” demonstrates how clearly a riff can be Noir’s friend, pulling the listener through a song.
For this reason, the stand-outs on the record seem to be the Simon and Garfunkel influenced “Ping Pong Tennis Time” and Hendrix send-up “X Marks the Spot”. Their sonic touchstones help better separate them from other enjoyable, yet similar sounding mid-tempo numbers.
I for one, would be intrigued to see what “Jimmy” could do if he really just loosened up, got funky and tried to tackle some rougher-edged, contemporary sounds. His melodic craft could so easily be applied in other arenas…
If an above the sheets make-out or Wes Anderson interlude are in your future, it is surely (“Tea”) time to get your new favorite record of 2012!
MYH
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Christmas Songs That Don’t Suck?
Believers AND Secular Shoppers-
There are a number of reasons to enjoy, and perhaps loathe, the “holiday season”. But, at this point, isn’t the whole anti-Christmas routine of saying “I hate going home”, “I feel so lonely” and “I don’t want anymore socks”, getting increasingly lame?
Not that dreading holiday fervor is unmerited- AND personally the whole shop-’till-you-drop ritual does seem to offer only hollow victories against the cold and short days of winter… but we all need to make the best of things.
In a post-post-goose-ironic world where cynicism informs introspective self-doubt and sincerity suffers from sarcastic wit-age, I challenge you this season to allow yourself some un-ironic enjoyment. Get a little bit excited, no?
The final insult of the holiday season is always the saccharine muzak pumped in to every nook and cranny of our stores and our minds. I used to enjoy a CD of Christmas songs played by the Boston Pops, for example. Enjoyed the hell out of it. Now, those songs make me resent the need to buy stuff to feel good, so popular today. I constantly feel like corporate powers in modernist towers are thinking about the best tempos and melodies to brainwash a purchase out of me!
But, as someone that loves music (and maybe you do too), I thought I’d try to scrounge together some tunes that could get me in the mood, or, as I simply call it here – Christmas Songs That Don’t Suck?
“The Man With All the Toys” – The Beach Boys
“The Christmas Party” – The Walkmen
“Got Something for You” – Best Coast/Wavves
“Everything’s Gonna be Cool this Christmas” – Eels
“Joy to the World” – The Butties
“White Winter Hymnal” – Fleet Foxes
“Father Christmas” – The Kinks
“Merry Christmas Everybody” – Oasis (Slade)
“Oh Come O Come Emanuel” – Rob Halford
“All I Want” – The Weepies
“2000 Miles” – The Pretenders
“Things I Want” – Tenacious D (… and Sum 41…)
“Wonderful Christmastime” – The Tyres (McCartney)
“Happy X-mas (War is Over)” – John Lennon & Yoko Ono
“Countdown to Christmas Party Time”, “Thanks for Christmas”, “Always Winter Never Christmas” – XTC
“Christmas Time (Don’t Let the Bells End)” – The Darkness
“Jesus Christ” – Big Star
“Christmas Time” – The dBs
“Christmas With the Devil” – Spinal Tap
“Valley Winter Song” and “The Man In The Santa Suit” – Fountains of Wayne
“Christmas Woman”, “Christmas in the Room”, Get Behind Me, Santa!, Jupiter Winter, The Winter Solstice – Sufjan Stevens
“Linus and Lucy” – Vince Guaraldi Trio (Charles Wesley, Felix Mendelssohn)
“12 Days of Christmas” – Sloan
And happy merry to all…
“Don’t Believe in Christmas” – The Sonics
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Fagennaboutit!
Donald Fagen, one-half of the Steely Dan duo, has a new collection of songs just out!
If you’re like me, you love the ‘Dan and you’re aware that Fagen’s solo work has been well regarded, but you’ve stayed away. Right?
Okay, so just listen to this. From the bass that brings in “I’m Not the Same Without You” you are ready to head in Fagen’s direction. The pace of the song and the lyrics, which may or may not be autobiographical, seem to identify this as the record’s tour-de-force, Fagen’s vision statement. The second verse lyric “I can hold my breath a really long time…” definitely one of my favorite – a mean-spirited, childish statement situated in what otherwise reads as a plenty mature kissoff.
As someone not as familiar with Fagen’s solo work, this new record Sunken Condos, is a happy surprise with more than a few curiosities.
For one, the guitar work in most of the numbers, but especially lead-off track “Slinky Thing” and “Good Stuff” pulls a bit heavy from 70s post-Santana and Clapton tradition in a way that I, at least, was not prepared. For someone of his perfectionist tendencies, to let someone (or multiple session players – I don’t know) noodle over part after part is slightly disappointing.
However, the groove and feel that allows ample noodling opportunities is also the record’s greatest strength. One worry with a writer of Fagen’s wits is an overly cerebral, densely lyrical outing. Here, we instead have an album you can put on, enjoy passively and keep yourself in a keen mood. When it works, such on “Miss Marlene” or “Weather in My Head”, the results are as satisfying as peak-level ‘Dan-age. Meanwhile, on slightly-lesser tracks, such as the massively-syllablistic “Memorabilia” or Hayes number, “Out of the Ghetto”, the vibes really keep you listening even if you’re just waiting for another number to come up…
Songs “Miss Marlene” and “Slinky Thing” seem to suggest Fagen has a muse (much too young for him?) and perhaps we should thank that whomever for keeping this guy’s spirits up. Sunken Condos is a wholly enjoyable record from beginning to end, so for sure give a few of the tracks a listen, even if you’re skeptical.
I also feel compelled to include a note of warning: the aforementioned “Slinky Thing” is somewhat of an awkward intro, and honestly, my least favorite moment on the record. SO, if you are like me and listen to albums straight through, please don’t let this lower your enthusiasm! (Definitely would have benefited the record to have something more significant or building in that first slot. But at this point, we’re really just mincing confetti into even smaller bits.)
If you’re ready for more ‘Dan, or more widely, smart songwriting and cool vibes, then I can’t think of a better place to go in 2012.
-MYH
Sunken Condos was released on October 16th, 2012
Filed under: 2012, Donald Fagen, Recently Released with Timely Review, Steely Dan | Leave a Comment
Cody ChesnuTT has returned at long last with more Headphone Masterpieces…
(After 10 years, one wouldn’t be called nuTTs for thinking Cody had disappeared “for-ev-vor”.)
The new record Landing on a Hundred isn’t, however, a return to the lo-fi mix of soul and funky folk that the preceding record was (and if you were hoping for more adolescent lyrical jockeying you might be a bit disappointed).
Instead, what we have is a supple selection of 70s-tinged [Marvin] Gay-[Stevie] Wonderdom fit for almost any occasion. From the opening salvo of “‘Til I Met The” and “I’ve Been There” you know there is a good time to be had, and, with the latter number you’ll even have a brief overview of African political geography!
Definitely there is a strong “listen here, I’m going to tell you the story” type of attitude that ChesnuTT rekindles from his previous effort that returns, in a more mature form. With Headphone sometimes the diction overwhelmed the message. I am happy to say that this time, some of the cloying adolescent language that was occasionally a bit much to take doesn’t distract from how seductive this music is.
For example, in “What Kind of Cool…” there is a tender, completely anticipated string/horn section that eases even the most anxious listener right in. (Let me also say that even though said string section is predictable, its interplay with the rest of the instrumentation and location in the mix is superb.)
Another strength that shines through with this record is the simple beauty and expressive power of ChesnuTTs voice. “Don’t Follow Me” straddles the line between vulnerability, romance and paranoia. This song in particular displays some real craft with production, maintaining the aforementioned atmosphere of paranoia without being alienating. TV on the Radio could do the song, but, ChesnuTT keeps things buoyant enough to not bring the good vibes too far down.
Stretching past the 00’s contemporary/alternative/neo-soul from Cee Lo, Lupe or aforementioned TotR, with a number like “Love is More Than a Wedding Day”, Cody ChesnuTT proves wrong those mass of hipsters out there that claim traditional expressions in the Soul/R&B realm have gone fallow.
My favorite defense for this strong claim… One trope from Headphone, “… I’m Broke” comes up here again. The one thing you can always remember about the great Soul records is the narrative between songwriter and loved-ones about not having enough to make ends meet. And whereas modern Rap/Soul/R&B records depict this fact of urban life as one damned by fate and hopelessness, even in difficult circumstances, ChesnuTT’s protagonist never just gives up and goes “… the other way”.
Maybe the biggest difference between this record and one of the alluded-to classics is that the instrumentation isn’t virtuosic via hired guns or prodigal personal ability. But, in instances with a song such as “Chips Down”, if the piano had been over-arpeggiated, it might have taken away from its exuberance.
Before we walk off into a glowing sunset, to be fair, this isn’t a perfect record, and wouldn’t rank up there with any of its fore-bearer’s masterpieces. The hooks could be bigger. There could be more funk and explosive bass work. In many ways, the lack of Headphone‘s ambition is missed here.
However, for those of us that have spent many hours culling the neo-Soul shelves for some of that classic style and feel, waiting for Kravitz to fulfill his full promise (although White and Black America was impressive) or Kay to mellow into some classic Wonder-flavored funky brilliance (so easily produced by ChesnuTT’s “Scroll Call”), I present to you Landing on a Hundred.
-MYH
Landing On a Hundred released October 30th, 2012
Filed under: 2012, Cody ChesnuTT, Recently Released with Timely Review | Leave a Comment
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