Category: CD QuickTakes (Page 56 of 149)

Erin McKeown: Hundreds of Lions

October 9, 2009 / Lee Zimmerman

RIYL: Joni Mitchell, Norah Jones, Ricki Lee Jones

Over the course of her career, Erin McKeown has consistently demonstrated an ability to transcend typical singer/songwriter fare with music that’s rich in both imagery and imagination. Unlike those contemporaries who dwell strictly on circumspect, McKeown creates a sound that’s unfailingly vibrant and revealing.

Happily then, Hundreds of Lions proves no exception. After McKeown’s last album, Sing You Sinners, found her retracing jazz standards, it might be imagined she’s mow channeling Kurt Weill in her own suggestive sort of way. Presented with a theatrical flair, these songs give the impression that someday they might be Broadway-bound. Offering a mix of whimsy and panache, producer Sam Kassirer utilizes clarinets, flutes, sax, cello, violin and viola to enhance the jaunty, jovial feel. In fact, “Santa Cruz,” “All The Time You Missed,” “The Rascal” and “The Foxes” come across as so exceedingly infectious, they make repeated listens almost seem mandatory. Even in the more pensive moments – “You Sailor” being the most obvious example – McKeown remains completely captivating, a songstress whose skill and finesse finds her at the peak of her prowess. (Righteous Babe 2009)

Erin McKeown MySpace page

CD QuickTakes, CD Reviews, Folk, Melodramatic, Pop, Rock, Widescreen

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Grant-Lee Phillips: Little Moon

October 9, 2009 / Jeff Giles

RIYL: Grant Lee Buffalo, Robyn Hitchcock, Eels

Grant-Lee Phillips flirted with commercial relevancy during his years fronting the critically beloved Grant Lee Buffalo, but his solo records haven’t reached as many ears – which is a damn shame, because they’ve contained some of his strongest work. His sixth solo effort, Little Moon, follows precedent, collecting a dozen songs that run the gamut from spare ballads (“Violet,” “Buried Treasure”) to more up-tempo, finely layered numbers (“Strangest Thing,” “Seal It with a Kiss,” “It Ain’t the Same Old Cold War Harry”). Tying them all together is Phillips’ voice, which remains an instrument of uncommon warmth and strength, as well as the empathetic, tight-knit playing of a small combo that included drummer Jay Bellerose, bassist Paul Bryan (who also produced), and keyboardist Jamie Edwards. The bulk of the album was recorded live in the studio over a single four-day span, a refreshingly simple approach that lets the arrangements breathe and keeps the focus where it belongs – on the songs. It’s a bright little gem of an album, one whose flaws somehow add to its beauty. If you’re in the mood for an album of smart, subtle pop/rock for adults, look no further. And spread the word – his days as a major label star-in-the-making are long behind him, but Phillips’ Moon deserves an audience many times its size. (Yep Roc 2009)

Grant-Lee Phillips MySpace page

Alternative, CD QuickTakes, CD Reviews, Folk, Pop, Rock

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Duran Duran: Rio (Collector’s Edition)

October 9, 2009 / David Medsker

RIYL: The Killers, Roxy Music, Spandau Ballet

Finally. Ask an American Duran Duran collector, and they will tell you that every CD pressing of the band’s seminal 1982 album Rio up to now has been horribly flawed, because Capitol had the nerve to use the original mixes of the songs on “Side I,” instead of the David Kershenbaum remixes of those songs that we Yanks grew up with. Some of the Kershenbaum mixes popped up on later CD singles and compilations, but two of them, namely “Rio” and “Lonely in Your Nightmare,” remained in the vaults…until now. This two-disc set features a remastered Rio plus the Kershenbaum remixes on Disc One, and a veritable treasure trove of demos, B-sides, Night Versions and remixes from the various Carnival EPs on Disc Two. If a specific mix or B-side has eluded you up to this point, odds are it is included here.

As for the difference between the 2009 remaster of Rio and the 2001 remaster, well, if you can spot a difference, let us know. We’ve played several tracks back to back, and they sound identical. (The version of “Hold Back the Rain,” though, is a different mix entirely.) And why shouldn’t they? Colin Thurston’s original production was so crisp and well balanced – not to mention recorded in the pre-digital, compress-the-shit-out-of-everything era – that there is little point in tweaking Rio for the sake of tweaking it. Those long-dormant Kershenbaum mixes, however, could have used a tune-up, specifically in the upper frequencies, so if you had designs of assembling a playlist equivalent of your original Rio cassette, prepare for a few shifts in audio quality. Still, the ability to finally make that playlist, with enough remixes left over to make your own personal Carnival, makes this set a no-brainer. They even tagged a Christmas greeting from Simon LeBon onto the final track on Disc Two. Awwww. (Capitol 2009)

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Click to buy Rio Collector’s Edition from Amazon

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Ace Frehley: Anomaly

October 8, 2009 / Greg M. Schwartz

RIYL: Kiss, Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix

Former Kiss guitarist Ace Frehley delivers his first solo album in 20 years, and it’s a big winner. Frehley’s work with Kiss in the 1970s inspired a legion of youngsters to pick up the guitar, including many of those who would gain fame in the alt-grunge explosion of the early ’90s, making Frehley one of the most important influences in rock history. The source of this influence is all over Anomaly.

“Foxy and Free” starts up with a hard rocker where Ace’s voice sounds like it could still be 1978, the year his first solo LP came out. “Outer Space” rocks just as hard in a tale about how Ace came from outer space and “is sick and tried of the human race.” A cover of Sweet’s “Fox on the Run” fits like the proverbial glove. Ace’s vocals are spot-on and the track has a fun vibe. Things really open up on the epic “Genghis Kahn,” a mostly instrumental tune that features a dynamic acoustic intro before giving way to a big jam featuring pulsing bass, Bonham-like drums, and heavy chord changes. The face-melting guitar solo is straight-up sick. It gets even better on “Space Bear,” another monster instrumental featuring a hybrid of classic riffage recalling Zeppelin, Hendrix and early Kiss on one of the best jams Ace has ever laid down.

“Change the World” finds Ace moving in a socially conscious direction that Gene & Paul would never abide on a Kiss album. It’s a catchy number that feels totally natural and features another stellar solo. “A Little Below the Angels” has a similar spiritual vibe, as Ace sings another melodic tune about leaving his wild ways behind so he can move forward. “It’s a Great Life” continues in that vein with a dynamic rocker that starts with a funky groove somewhat recalling David Bowie’s “Let’s Dance,” before some rocking changes come in as Ace continues to dispel his hard-earned wisdom. “Fractured Quantum” closes the album with a soaring instrumental rocker, the fourth song in the “Fractured” series that started on his 1978 LP. The playing and production work are both superb as Ace demonstrates his musical depth.

It’s that musical depth and the lyrical maturity demonstrated in tunes like “Change the World” that puts Ace light years beyond the current version of Kiss, which currently dresses up former Black and Blue guitarist Tommy Thayer as the Space Ace. It may help sell tickets, but it’s a fraudulent maneuver that Gene Simmons should be ashamed of, if he knew the meaning of the word. (Bronx Born Records 2009)

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CD QuickTakes, CD Reviews, Rock

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Sondre Lerche: Heartbeat Radio

October 8, 2009 / Lee Zimmerman

RIYL: Prefab Sprout, David Gray, Beautiful South

Normally, one might think of Norway as kind of an isolated place, at least in terms of its being removed from the mainstream. However, considering ex-patriot Sondre Lerche’s ability to absorb soft rock styles and recycle them in his own breathless, breezy style, he’s clearly in sync when it comes to fashioning a radio-ready formula. Lerche’s previous albums have shown a steady evolution in honing his approach and smoothing over the rough edges, ensuring that Heartbreak Radio isn’t only palatable to the masses but possibly his most accessible effort yet. Lerche’s powder-puff vocals are as unobtrusive as cotton candy, but underscored by the teeming pulse and rambunctious strings of “Good Luck,” the staccato rhythm of “If Only,” and the unruly – relatively speaking – posturing of “Easy to Persuade” and “Almighty Moon,” Lerche is mostly able to avoid coming across as completely cloying. Not that he skirts it altogether; the giddy designs of “Words & Music,” the smooth croon of “I Cannot Let You Go” and schmaltzy posturing of “Goodnight” are mired in a syrupy sound best suited to the vacuous airs of an adult contemporary radio format. It stands to reason then that only when its pulse starts pumping, Heartbeat Radio gets its blood flowing. (Rounder 2009)

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Adult Contemporary, CD QuickTakes, CD Reviews, Emo, Pop

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