Category: CD Reviews (Page 165 of 399)

Eilen Jewell: Sea of Tears

May 15, 2009 /

Eilen Jewell doesn’t take anything for granted in her multi-faceted approach. As comfortable emitting a bluesy wail as she is in delivering a down-home croon, she eschews the folk singer format to take a more old-fashioned approach, one that’s as close to a rootsy template as any other modern singer has ventured nowadays. On this, her fourth album and second for Signature Sounds, Jewell asserts her seductive prowess and spans references ranging from Billie Holiday (“Everywhere I Go,” “Final Hour”) to Patsy Cline (“The Darkest Day,” “Codeine Arms”). In between, she varies her delivery from sassy to seductive, maintaining an easy lilt that’s melancholy and mournful without sinking to the depths of depression. An unexpected cover of “Shakin’ All Over” notwithstanding, Sea of Tears does reflect its title accurately, but given her comfort with the material, this particular sea allows her remarkably smooth sailing. (Signature Sounds)

Eilen Jewell MySpace page

Americana, Blues, CD QuickTakes, CD Reviews, Folk

La Forza: Dance Music for Your Mind Vol. 1

May 15, 2009 /

Back in the first half of the ‘90s, “dance music for your mind” was basically anything bouncing around the ambient and trance genres. To some extent, those charlatans known as Enigma would have also fit in there somewhere. In the case of La Forza (a.k.a. Divina Klein and Doug Mackar), though, the title translates into something more succinct as “cheesy desktop PC-created electronica.” Face it: if there’s one genre that is a completely hit-or-miss affair, it’s electronica. It might be because it’s so damned easy to create these days, or it may just simply be because there are no real “rules” to follow when making it. Whatever the case, this album is simply a snooze from start to finish. With titles like “Vision Quest,” “Approaching Levitation,” “The Sound of Clouds” and “To Connect to Eternity,” you can pretty much figure out what this is going to sound like before you even press play. Lots of listless, tranquil droning sound montages that never go anywhere “intended to support contemplation, incite imagination, and increase neuro-plasticity.” Sure, whatever you say. It’s probably safe to say that your imagination will be better sparked simply by opening your nearest window. And if you’re really concerned about your “neuro-plasticity,” you might want to crawl right out that window and get outside some more. Let’s hope there’s not a second volume in the works. (self-released)

La Forza MySpace page

CD QuickTakes, CD Reviews, Electronica

Jana Mashonee: New Moon Born

May 14, 2009 /

NAMMY Award winning and Grammy-nominated artist Jana Mashonee will surely be hitting some new career peaks with her latest release New Moon Born. The Native American artist has taken a new direction with this disc, aiming for a more contemporary pop style. A gifted singer, Mashonee hits her mark numerous times on this excellent disc. The opening “Osiris’ Star” is equally hypnotic, tribal, and dance-worthy. But then there’s something like “Faded Love” which strikes a deeply soulful and smooth groove that’s every bit as tantalizing. “Solid Ground” is near-angelic, and “Take Me Back” showcases what makes Mashonee so attractive: a silky voice, nary a note misplaced with a full range and a delivery that is kept in check where if these songs were given to other artists you can easily imagine them getting bombastic. Jana Mashonee is definitely a gifted artist and this new album should find her a whole new set of fans. If you enjoy well-crafted pop music with spectacular vocals, than this one’s for you. (Miss Molly Records)

Jana Mashonee MySpace page

CD Reviews, Pop, Rock

Sway: Let It Roll

May 13, 2009 /

When it comes to a band like Sway, one knows immediately to expect: comfortably safe country pop that countless other lesser and well-known acts have explored to the nth degree time and again. Lead singer and guitarist Gina Quartaro kicks off the album with the clichéd “Cowgirl Scene” that trots out all the old standards such as do-si-dos, common folk, and hitting the local bars. In the meantime, lead guitarist Perry Martin throws down a lead riff that sounds like it’s been played out in a million songs before this one. Comfy like an old pair of shoes but hardly original. If that’s not enough, the worn-out subject matter continues on the father to son life lessons explored in the title track, and other rote lyrical ideas such as thunderstorms, cold winds blowing, and crying in one’s sleep are spilt like milk on “I’m Over You.” Sway don’t have much of anything “new” to offer, from their unimaginative name to their musical and lyrical ideas. It’s safe to say you’ve heard at least ten other artists of varying quality do this exact same thing. If you need to hear another one do it all again, this may be your meal ticket. (self-released)

Sway home page

CD Reviews, Country, Pop

The Hours: See the Light

May 8, 2009 /

They would surely bristle at the idea that their songs are of the throwback variety, but the simple fact is that there aren’t many, if any, bands writing the kind of music that propels See the Light, the magnificent new album by UK duo (or is it septet?) the Hours. Singer Antony Genn’s phrasing recalls Wonder Stuff frontman Miles Hunt (though Genn is a much better singer), and the songs are flat-out skyscrapers, gorgeous piano-driven epics that put the ‘wide’ in widescreen. “Come On” uses seven words to create one of the catchiest choruses you’ll hear this year, while the seven-minute title track is a brilliant, two-chord slow burner, like a mid-tempo version of Pulp’s “Common People” (which is fitting, since Genn is a Pulp alumnus). There is a lyrical gaffe here and there – “The Girl Who Had the World at Her Feet” opens with the line “The cash cow is heading for the slaughterhouse,” ugh – but such bits come with the territory, and their damage is minimal. Don’t be surprised if these guys become a very big deal in a very short amount of time. (IsGoodLtd 2009)

The Hours MySpace page
Click to buy See the Light

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

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