» Music reviews
A weekly review of local and national releases
Recorded with Bjorn (of Peter, Bjorn and John), Youth Novels by Swedish singer-songwriter Lykke Li is a stripped back yet glowing affair featuring harpsichords, flutes and theremins as well as guitars and drums. The childlike vocals of Li beguile within the emotionally direct chronicles of her life so far. A bit over-long, sometimes a little stylised, nevertheless a superbly constructed album.
New Orleans most famous son, Dr John is back with a new album; City That Care Forgot is a somewhat bitter yet elegant homage to his drowned hometown. One of his best works for many years there’s the never tiring collection of barrelhouse funk, gospel and blues-inflected tunes. Special guests include Willie Nelson, Eric Clapton and Ani DiFranco.
Not yet 30, Thea Gilmore has just released her eighth album, The Liejacker, another sturdy collection of folk, roots and acoustic numbers that veer down the territory marked ‘middle-of-the-road’. Still, she consistently produces the goods, and is slowly but surely building up her already solid following. Even the venerable Joan Baez has lent her vocals to a track, plus there are further contributions from The Zutons’ Dave McCabe, Steve Wickham and Erin McKeown.
Dork rockers Weezer up the stakes of inanity with their self-titled sixth album. As always they manage to pull the rabbit out of the hat with a couple of crackers in the form of ‘Pork and Beans’ and ‘Troublemaker’, but the rest is fairly middling power pop fayre with supremely daft lyrics. Gotta admit though, that their ‘Pork and Beans’ track is a killer blast of higrade flatulence. Amen.
Much talked about Austin trio White Denim unleash their Workout Holiday album, a blistering, urgent and rather thrilling ride through the post-garage, rock landscape previously inhabited by the likes of MC5, early The Who and the more Avante Garde stylings of early Captain Beefheart.
With his first new release for some time Brighton’s Cakeboy releases another deliciously bumping acid-fried, funky, big beat ride with this expertly produced five track Dope Disco EP. Dripping with tasty old school flavours and some seriously upbeat funky action. Infectious.
My Morning Jacket have been around for a decade now, so it’s only fitting that their back catalogue’s been reissued to mark the occasion. Live double album Okonokos was originally released in 2006 and perfectly captures everything about the band: namely their occasional brilliance, Americana-fuelled jam sessions and over-indulgence in the world of prog. Of course, the likes of ‘It Beats 4 U’ are amazing, but too often this is just a good look at something of a cult band who have never quite achieved the other-worldly elegance they clearly aim for.
Liverpudlian guitar kids The Steeples irritate within a second of playing debut album Tea For Two, when first track ‘Britney’s Tears’ brings to mind The Fratellis playing the theme tune to TV’s One Foot in the Grave, if you can imagine such horror. It doesn’t improve from there, unfortunately, with plodding, undemanding ditties making you wish you were actually in your grave. Horrible.
