Sharon Van Etten - Tramp

Released - February 6th 2012

Jagjaguwar

Album Listing

1. Warsaw

2. Give Out

3. Serpents

4. Kevin`s

5. Leonard

6. In Line

7. All I Can

8. We Are Fine

9. Magic Chords

10. Ask

11. I`m Wrong

12. Joke or a Lie

sharonvanetten.com

Album Review

I`d never heard of Sharon Van Etten. A New Jersey native who has performed with both The Antlers and The National, Van Etten is an emotional honest, almost raw musician much in the vein of PJ Harvey but with a more melodic voice. Thank you Spotify for introducing me to, possibly, one of the best records of 2012.

Van Etten shifts between gentle, brittle folk and a spiky, steelier sound on Tramp, (the title coming from her transient lifestyle during the recording of the record). Lyrically, Tramp deals with heartbreak and how people move on, or try to. It is a right-up-front, emotions-on-the-sleeve kind of record, and sung in Van Etten`s warm vocal style, it is a disarming listen.

Opener, "Warsaw" is all spiky, restrained electric guitar, and delicate touches, "Leonard" is a mandolin-driven melody recalling Jeff Buckley and single, "Serpents" is a full on tense indie-rock number sounding like The National fronted by Joni Mitchell, which is no surprise seeing as the album was produced by The National`s Aaron Dessner.

The production and scope of the sound on Tramp is one of it`s strongest points. Sounding epic, driven and intimate, the album veers from the dense to the delicate, the layered to the simple. 

DOWNLOAD - Give Out, Serpents, Kevin`s, Ask

RATING - 8.5 (out of 10)

Aural Break

This is a small selection of music that has caught my attention and graced my ears this month.

EMILI SANDE - HEAVEN

Sounding like Blue Lines-era Massive Attack meets Goldie. A great song.


CHAIRLIFT - AMANAEMONSIA

New wave-esque brilliance.


SHARON VON ETTEN - SERPENTS

I am hoping to review this album soon. 

Whitney Houston - Death of a faded icon.

So, by now everyone has or is coming to terms with the death of one the 90`s greatest female vocalists. I was never a fan of Houston`s music. I never bought a record that she made. I watched "The Bodyguard" once and thought "Meh", even though it is one of the most successful films ever, and I despised the radio dominance of her version of Dolly Parton`s "I Will Always Love You".

However, I admired Houston`s outstanding vocal ability and her image and persona that went beyond her colour. She had a voice that could make you stop suddenly and think "Wow, she can sing", hitting notes that are beyond most mere mortals. In her heyday, she appeared graceful and untainted like a film star from a bygone era. That is the Whitney Houston I remember.

We all know of the rumors of her drug problems, abusive marriage to one-hit-wonder and professional tosspot, Bobby Brown and her gradual disappearance from the public eye, which in itself was a tragedy. There were stories that Burt Bacharach fired her from The Oscars in 2000/2001, and her "Crack is wack" interview with Diane Sawyer in 2002. 

Whatever you thought of Whitney Houston, she was a megastar of epic proportions when I was a teenager. Her face and voice were everywhere. She was from a musical legacy with Dionne Warwick and Aretha Franklin amongst family members. She was a singer of unbelievable talent. But she was only human, and that makes her death all the more real, as if the Houston from my youth become corrupted, fell from grace, but was trying to claw her way back.

Lana Del Rey - Born to Die

Released - 27th January 2012

Polydor

Album Listing

1. Born to Die

2. Off to the Races

3. Blue Jeans

4. Video Games

5. Diet Mountain Dew

6. National Anthem

7. Dark Paradise

8. Radio

9. Carmen

10. Million Dollar Man

11. Summertime Sadness

12. This is What Makes Us Girls

13. Without You

14. Lolita

15. Lucky Ones

Lana Del Rey

Review

One of the most hyped debut albums of the year comes from New York`s Lana Del Rey. With two strong singles in "Video Games" and "Born to Die",  both sounding like brooding, apocalyptical hymns with Del Rey`s sultry, sixties-style voice bringing both sadness and sensitivity, hopes were understandably high. But does it meet those expectations ?

Sadly, for me, no. 

Lyrically, the album is no better than a Britney Spears or Lady Gaga offering, with heavy handed sentiment and forced storytelling. The lyrics, all tell the same or a similar story, that sound neither personal or heartfelt and weakens her as an artist and damages the album very badly. Take "Radio", where Del Rey sings about how hard her life was, but now everything is sweet because she is heard on radio (much to the chagrin of those who never believed in her). Firstly, every self-obsessed pop star seems to write a song like this and when one considers Del Rey`s background ( her father is very wealthy and took out a full page ad in Adirondack Daily Enterprise to promote her album).

Her voice at times is her greatest weapon. "Blue Jeans" is a slow burner where she sounds like Edith Piaf in a David Lynch movie. Both singles, highlighted her unique vocal style to perfection, despite that awful Saturday Night Live performance. However on misguided vocal performances, such as the Gorillaz-lite intro to "Diet Mountain Dew", the half-spoken/mumbled "National Anthem" where she sounds like a crappy M.I.A, "Carmen" where the notes stretch the upper register of her vocal into terrible, reedy territory, and the less said the better, "Lolita", (which may well be the worst song of the year), it is also her Achilles Heel.

What is outstanding on this record, even on the bad songs is the sense of melody. A lot of thought has gone into creating hooks into this doom-pop record, and some of them are sumptuous. Take "Diet Mountain Dew" that has a great chorus, that you will find yourself humming at some point, or "Dark Paradise", a slow-moving pop gem, that sounds like the Emo sister of Coldplay`s "Paradise".

I feel that Del Rey has an interesting voice and some beautiful melodies, but is unsure of her musical voice or direction. Her debut album is overlong, pompous and has some terrible mis-steps, but there are some beautiful songs on here.

DOWNLOAD - Born to Die, Video Games, Dark Paradise

RATING - 4 (out of 10)

First Aid Kit - The Lion`s Roar

Released - January 23rd 2012

Witchita

Album Listing

1. The Lion`s Roar

2. Emmylou

3. In the Hearts of Men

4. Blue

5. This Old Routine

6. To a Poet

7. I Found a Way

8. Dance to Another Tune

9. New Year`s Eve

10. King of the World

First Aid Kit

Review

The second album from Swedish sisters, Johanna and Klara Soderberg, contains beautiful vocal harmonies, lush, slow-rolling melodies and some wonderful production from Mike Mogis. "The Lion`s Roar" sounds timeless recalling Joni Mitchell, Bob Dylan, Mama Cass and Gram Parsons by way of modern alt-folk/alt-country.

First Aid Kit have been championed by Jack White and Patti Smith (who apparently cried when she heard their rendition of "Dancing Barefoot"), and it is not hard to see why. Opener and title track, "The Lion`s Roar" is wintery and sorrowful but lifted into epic territory by ethereal vocals and a stunning Dylan-esque melody. "Emmylou" is full on alt-country by way of Bright Eyes, as the girls compare a relationship to the musical partnerships of Emmylou Harris and Gram Parsons, and June Carter and Johnny Cash, that feels natural, fluid and not at all twee.

"Blue" sounds like Mama Cass covering Blonde on Blonde era Dylan with gorgeous vocal harmonies, "To a Poet" is a beautiful, sparse acoustic tune that is as heartbreaking as anything I`ve heard in a long time, "Dance to Another Tune" is a doom laden apocalyptic epic, that soars in the chorus, again thanks to the excellent vocal work by the Soderberg sisters.

Who would have thought that an album steeped in Americana would come from two Swedish sisters who hail from a Stockholm suburb ? In fact, it may well be the best Americana record of the year. Highly recommended.

DOWNLOAD - The Lion`s Roar, Blue, To A Poet

RATING - 8 (out of 10)

Noel Gallagher versus God

                              VERSUS

So, British music magazine, the NME, has decided to give Noel Gallagher (former Oasis guru and now 21st century solo Travelling Wilbury) the "God-Like Genius" Award at this year`s NME Awards. 

Firstly, awards tend to be given either by people who are locked into a certain frame of mind when it come to giving them out or by hoards of screaming fans who think their vote will make all the difference and then said star will whisk them away on a fantastic, romantic holiday. 

Secondly, how pretentious is a "God-Like Genius" Award anyway ?

I like Noel. I think he loves music and has given us plenty of entertainment over the years, either through soundbites or his arguments with his half-man, half-monkey sibling Liam. His debut solo record was surprisingly good, and kind of pissed all over Liam`s "Beady Eye" offering in terms of musicianship. But is he really a God-Like Genius ?

God                                                                                             Noel

Created the Earth in 6 days.                                      Created "Noelrock" in 365 days.

God                                                                                             Noel

Created Man and Woman.                                       Created Oasis, which included Liam.

God                                                                                             Noel

Created everything.                                                  Wrote Digsy`s Dinner.

God                                                                                             Noel

Had a son, Jesus. Absolved                                    Has three children!!!

humanity of their sins by sacrificing

himself.

So, does Noel deserve his God-Like Genius Award ? What do you think ? Well, he did write Magic Pie....

The Maccabees - Given to the Wild

Released - 6 January 2012

Polydor Ltd (UK)

Album Listing

1. Given to the Wild (Intro)

2. Child

3. Feel to Follow

4. Ayla

5. Glimmer

6. Forever I`ve Known

7. Heave

8. Pelican

9. Went Away

10. Go

11. Unknow

12. Slowly One

13. Grew Up At Midnight

The Maccabees

Review

Not being a fan of this band prior to this release, made me approach this release with some trepidation. I was looking for a good, new release of 2012 to start my Blog-reviewing, when I came across some positive reaction toward the new Maccabees record. Really ? The same band who used to sound as if they were a workman-like Futureheads or less experimental Bloc Party ? Yes. That band.

Well, I can honestly say, you can put any worries and fears to one side, and enjoy a beautifully restrained, thoughtful record. The Maccabees have grown up.

By incorporating more electronica and layered elements into their music, without losing their identity, shadows of My Morning Jacket and Arcade Fire loom gently over most of the tracks. Take "Child" which segues beautifully from the instrumental opener and title track. Singer, Orlando Weeks sounds eerily like Jim James (My Morning Jacket), before washes of gently guitar, layered vocals and horns move over a steady yet propelling rhythm. "Feel to Follow" opens in similar vein before the chorus kicks in, the guitar`s arpeggio lift it into the Radiohead universe and turns it into a more emotional tune. Oh and it is HUGE. 

That is a beautiful thing about this record. It feels big in scope and ambition, yet personal and rooted. It is brilliantly structured as songs run into each other with shimmering piano ("Ayla"), rolling drums and dreamy guitars ("Glimmer"), punchy, Futureheads-esque melodrama ("Pelican") or solo 808-style keyboards and Week`s heavily reverbed vocal ("Went Away").

This is the sound of a band, finding it`s sound. It is an exciting, energetic, delicate and heady listening experience. My advice ? Sit back, get comfortable and enjoy the first great record of 2012.

DOWNLOAD - Feel to Follow, Glimmer, Went Away

RATING - 8 (out of 10)