Early Takes Volume 1
George Harrison
Universal Music Enterprises B0016735-01
2012
I have to admit that I bought this mostly out of duty rather than any expectation it would be good. The Beatles are my favorite group and have been since I was a child, but I've always been lukewarm (at best) towards Harrison's solo career. I enjoyed the documentary film that inspired this record so I bought this and what a pleasant surprise. It is a collection of Harrison's demo recordings mostly from "All Things Must Pass." I figured the raw recordings would expose Harrison's feeble vocals which Phil Spector dressed up with tons of reverb on "All Things Must Pass." It is just the opposite however. Freed from Spector's meddling and production tricks, the songs come to life. Harrison's singing is not great, but the intimacy and warmth of the recordings make them more engaging and moving. This is evident right from the opening track, "My Sweet Lord." I've never liked the song much and hearing it so often on the radio through the years, I've basically stopped paying attention to it. The naked demo version just has a rudimentary rhythm track and some acoustic guitar placing all the focus on Harrison who sounds inspired and impassioned. The song is shorter than the finished track and doesn't feature all that Hare Krishna stuff at the end, which I consider an improvement. "Run of the Mill" is even more stripped down, just Harrison and an acoustic guitar. His vocal is a little ragged but I like it. The early take of "I'd Have You Any Time" sounds similar to the finished version minus all the fussiness. Its immediacy and feeling are enhanced as a result. Next up is a cover of Bob Dylan's "Mama You've Been On My Mind" which never made it to vinyl. The song suits Harrison's voice very well and the intimacy and breathiness of his vocal track make the song one of my favorites on the record. The side ends with a cover of the Everly Brothers' classic "Let It Be Me." I would have figured it would be terrible, but it is quite lovely. Harrison double tracks his vocal to create a harmony vocal similar to the Everlys' recording. Again his vocal is gentle and breathy bringing out all the tenderness in the song. I'm completely charmed by it. Side two opens with "Woman Don't You Cry For Me" which appeared on "Thirty-Three & 1/3." The song has a country-blues sound on the early take that I greatly prefer to the slickness of the released version. "Awaiting On You All" has a thunderous sound on "All Things Must Pass" which I think overwhelms it and distracts from its message. I don't really care much for that message but this early take delivers it a whole lot clearer while still retaining some rock power. The demo version of "Behind That Locked Door" features some wonderful pedal steel guitar work from Pete Drake and a heartfelt vocal by Harrison that really impresses me. The demo version of "All Things Must Pass" is for me the most revelatory track on the album. The release version is over-produced and Harrison's vocal sounds inadequate and feeble for the majesty of the song. The simplicity of the demo allows his vocal to shine and I find the song very moving. The album concludes with a demo of "The Light That Has Lighted the World" from "Living in the Material World" an album that I have never liked. I wish I could say the demo salvages the song, but I don't think even a great singer like Aretha Franklin could make me care about this song. The demo is an improvement but I still don't like it much. There you have it, nine fine tracks and one not so fine, easily my favorite Harrison solo album. It is probably unfair to judge an artist by work that was never intended for public hearing, but for me this album changes the way I view Harrison. I've always felt he was a limited artist and a weak singer, but now I think he was more of an artist who was poorly served by his vision. I could blame Phil Spector, but Harrison is the guy who brought him in. Harrison sought that grandiosity and epic scope, but I think he should have reined in his ambitions and trusted in the beauty of his music. The intimacy and gentleness of this album are the ideal setting for his talents. Instead of imitating John Lennon, he should have emulated Nick Drake. If I have any complaint about this album, it is that it is too short. It is barely 30 minutes long. Given that is labeled "Volume 1" I assume there are plenty of other tracks in the vault. Instead of hoarding them for future volumes they could have stuck 4 or 5 more on this album and brought it up to proper album length. Recommended to fans of the Beatles' "Anthology" albums.
The Only Place
Best Coast
Mexican Summer MEX 109
2012
I'm trying to be less of a snob about popular music. In the past I have reacted negatively when bands I liked became hugely popular. Best Coast haven't reached that stage yet, but they certainly have the potential. Last time I saw them live was at the Wiltern where my wife and I found ourselves surrounded by teenage girls. During a blistering set by Jeff the Brotherhood they played with their phones and impatiently whined that they wanted Beth. When Best Coast hit the stage they squealed and screamed with glee and sang along with most of the songs. I'm used to feeling at old at shows, but this time I felt like Methuselah. I don't think Bethany Cosentino aspires to be Gwen Stefani or Taylor Swift, she seems too insecure for that. However her music is unusually accessible by indie rock standards. Her tunes are poppy and full of hooks and her lyrics seem old-fashioned in their focus on boys and her eagerness to please, more 60s girl group than Echo Park hipster in their content and style. I know some of the cool kids criticized her debut album, "Crazy For You," for this as well as her alleged lack of a feminist perspective, but I don't have a problem with it. Of course I'm old and hung up on the 1960s when most songs were like this. I love "The Only Place" which is the opening track on Best Coast's second album and it was the one that made it to the radio. It is a paean to Southern California befitting the group's name. It is mercifully free of the heavy reverb and over-production that I felt marred "Crazy For You." It is the indie rock version of sunshine pop with its jangly guitars, propulsive beat and shimmering vocal. The lyrics come right out of the Beach Boys playbook praising the sun, the beach, the waves and "the babes." The song is inane but being a native Californian it appeals to me anyway. If I lived in another state I might be inclined to point out the shallowness of her view of the good life and note that she ignores the traffic, pollution, narcissism and selfishness that make Southern California less than the paradise she describes. "Why I Cry" is a more sophisticated song lyrically. It is both a portrait of ennui and a lack of understanding in a relationship. The music is slick garage band style rock with a lot of pop hooks. "Last Year" sounds autobiographical to me, a description of the alienation and confusion she is experiencing in her life as a budding young rock star. I find her words compelling and the music is slower and heavier reflecting the gloomy outlook of the song. "My Life" seems to be about repairing a broken relationship but I think it is also about trying to restore some order and direction in her life. "No One Like You" sounds like the songs on "Crazy For You." It is decidedly retro in its sound with a tune that could have come out of the early 1960s. The lyrics express her wish for her boyfriend to love her more. With a few cosmetic changes it would fit comfortably on a Shangri-Las or Angels album. The similarly retro "How They Want Me to Be" could be a Dusty Springfield song. It may be answering her critics as she emphasizes wanting to be how she wants to be rather than how others want her to be. Side two opens with the bouncy "Better Girl." The cheerful music is in contrast to the lyrics which emphasize self-improvement with references to depression, substance abuse and loneliness as well as some more references to her critics. "Do You Love Me Like You Used To" is the sort of song her critics carp about, a plaintive song that blames herself for her relationship problems and which expresses her fear of being alone. The tune is slightly retro pop but with some muscle that contradicts the weakness expressed by the lyrics. "Dreaming My Life Away" is a slow, sweet pop song with an appropriately dreamy feel to it. Its best element is Cosentino's expressive vocal. "Let's Go Home" is a fast-paced poppy song that gets me bopping, one of my favorite tracks. Although throughout the album she has been complaining about being withdrawn and not going out, this song is an invitation to stay home and cocoon. The album concludes with "Up All Night" which is another slow song with classic pop elements in its sound. The song laments the breakdown of a relationship and her yearning to be with her ex-boyfriend. The song's rich, dreamy sound and Cosentino's emotional vocal make it a powerful and satisfying conclusion to the record. I don't care what hipsters and snooty rock critics think about Best Coast, but unfortunately, judging from her lyrics, Cosentino does. Her insecurity and anxiety are all over the record, she truly wears her heart on her sleeve. Personally I'm tired of the ironic distance and posturing that are so common in the lyrics of indie rock bands. I'll take Cosentino over Lana Del Rey any day of the week. Her music is heart-felt and sincere and if it appeals more to teeny-boppers than the cool kids, well I can live with that. I hope she stays true to herself and ignores the critics. Recommended to Jackie DeShannon fans.
This Machine
The Dandy Warhols
Beat The World Records/The End Records TE 252-1
2012
I loved the Dandy Warhols back when they released "The Dandy Warhols Come Down" and "Thirteen Tales From Urban Bohemia" but their subsequent albums greatly disappointed me. I didn't expect them to keep making the same record over and over but I found their exploration of new sounds to be self-indulgent and annoying. I gave up on them. Then last year I went to their show at the Wiltern to hear them play "Thirteen Tales" in its entirety and I'll be damned if I didn't fall in love with them all over again. The concert inspired me to check out their most recent studio album to see if maybe the magic was back. Not really, but I do like it better than any album they've released since "Thirteen Tales." The album starts promisingly with "Sad Vacation" written by Courtney Taylor-Taylor and the band's drummer Brent DeBoer. The song is driven by a heavy bass riff and features a stripped down sound that is a sharp contrast to some of the excesses of their previous albums. The song is a nasty break up song sung in a breathy voice by Taylor-Taylor. "The Autumn Carnival" was written by Taylor-Taylor in collaboration with David J from Love and Rockets and it sounds more like Love and Rockets to me than the Dandies. There is a strong 1980s vibe to it. It has pretentious lyrics that use the symbolism of a carnival to wax lyrical about hedonism which has always been one of Taylor-Taylor's favorite themes. He sings it in a breathy voice again which I find irritating. He breaks out his David Bowie voice to sing "Enjoy Yourself" which he wrote by himself. The song is startlingly personal and autobiographical as Taylor-Taylor croons about his pretty boy heyday when he "used to be cool." The song is about both nostalgia for the the past and enjoying the present. It sounds like Taylor-Taylor is missing his past success which he purposely undermined following the release of the film "Dig!" and "Thirteen Tales." DeBoer and Taylor-Taylor's "Alternative Power To The People" is an instrumental that sees the Dandies return to the dance floor. I never cared much for their dance music phase but the song is fast-paced and propulsive enough that I don't get bored. They slow down for Taylor-Taylor's "Well They're Gone" which is a cabaret style love song that he breathily intones like he is aspiring to be Leonard Cohen. It is a pretty song most notable for the theremin that runs through it giving it an eerie sound. Side one concludes with "Rest Your Head" a collaboration between Taylor-Taylor and Miles Zuniga of Fastball. The song uses the imagery of a train trip to discuss dealing with failure and pain, an apt metaphor for the Dandy Warhols' train wreck of a career. The song is one of the most mainstream style songs I've ever heard them play, it would fit easily on a Tom Petty album. Taylor-Taylor's voice sounds ragged and awkward, maybe there is a physical reason for so many breathy vocals on the record. The B-side opens with a dubious cover of Merle Travis' "16 Tons" which was a big hit for Tennessee Ernie Ford in 1955. Taylor-Taylor drawls out the song backed by a raucous rhythm and blues interpretation of the song driven by Steve Berlin's honking saxophone. It sounds like something you'd hear in a burlesque show. The Dandies have recorded plenty of oddball covers through the years but they usually don't use them as filler on their albums. Taylor-Taylor's "I Am Free" is another autobiographical song in which he expresses his happiness at overcoming his "darkest past" and being saved by the music inside of him. It is a surprisingly joyous song bolstered by an exuberant brass section. I interpret the song as Taylor-Taylor looking back on his twisted career and relishing an opportunity to set things right again. The song is one of my favorites on the album and it features one of Taylor-Taylor's best vocals. "Seti vs. the Wow! Signal" is another collaboration with Miles Zuniga. Lyrically it is one of the odder songs in the band's canon. It humorously recounts the story of the unusual radio signal detected in space by a scientist in 1977 as part of the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) project. Like "Rest Your Head" it has a commercial classic rock sound but I still like it. It sure beats the dreary drone of "Don't Shoot She Cried" which was written by DeBoer and keyboard player Zia McCabe. It is easily the worst song on the album and unfortunately the longest as well. This glacially slow dirge has some lyrics but all I can decipher is the song title which is repeated numerous times. I've complained about Taylor-Taylor's self-indulgence throughout his career but he's got nothing on his bandmates. "Slide" was written by DeBoer and clumsily describes a troubled relationship. It does not sound much like the Dandies, it sounds more like a U2 song given a psychedelic re-mix. I enjoy it for the most part but it gives the album a lackluster finish. There are too many duds on this record for me to proclaim "This Machine" to be a true comeback for the Dandies but it does make me hopeful for the future. I'm intrigued by the emergence of Taylor-Taylor's more mature outlook and his self-awareness. Musically though it does not sound very inspired. Taylor-Taylor once boasted "I sneeze and hits come out" but now he seems to be laboring to write compelling melodies. As much as he irritated me back then, I do miss the old Taylor-Taylor. His flamboyant narcissism and relentless self-confidence fascinated me and his music was truly exhilarating. This sounds more like a record from a broken man. He's even lost his voice to some extent. Nonetheless I do believe that Taylor-Taylor is too talented an artist to simply fade away. This record helps me believe he still has another great record left in him. In any case I'll keep listening and hoping. Recommended to people who like "The Black Album/Come on Feel The Dandy Warhols" better than "Welcome To The Monkey House."
New Multitudes
Farrar, Johnson, Parker, Yames
Rounder 116619129
2012
I was fortunate enough to catch these guys playing this album at the Mayan Theater in downtown Los Angeles and it was one of the best shows I've ever seen. The Mayan is an intimate venue and I got up close to the stage, close enough to bask in Yim Yames' aura as he shredded on bass. This album is a project in which modern musicians provide music for lyrics written by Woody Guthrie that he never recorded. The music is composed by Jay Farrar of Son Volt, Will Johnson, Anders Parker and Yames (aka Jim James), the leader of My Morning Jacket. The end result does not sound much like Guthrie, but I'm not complaining. I admire Guthrie, but I listen a lot more to Son Volt and My Morning Jacket than my Guthrie records. The sound is mostly alt-country and folk-rock and it manages to sound both contemporary and traditional at the same time. Farrar's "Hoping Machine" is my favorite track on the record. In the lyrics Guthrie urges the listener to keep hoping despite the problems of the world. The words are rather awkward and unwieldy but Farrar's high mournful voice makes them ring true and when the majestic "out of order" chorus takes off, the song becomes extremely powerful. It is a fantastic collaboration that in itself makes the project worthwhile. Parker's "Fly High" is more subdued and conventional. It is a sweet love song. The album hits another high with Yames' "My Revolutionary Mind." This is my favorite set of lyrics as Guthrie expresses his need for a left-wing lover because "ain't no reactionary baby can ease my revolutionary mind" after a hard day of class struggle. I presume that Guthrie intended the song to be humorous, but with Yames' sensitive treatment and gorgeous vocal the song becomes a heartfelt and soulful plea. It is a brilliant adaptation and as a bonus it concludes with a brief, noisy rave-up - Yames just can't help himself, the man was born to rock out. Johnson's "V. D. City" is a Springsteen-style rocker with the propulsive music adding punch to an apocalpytic portrayal of a city ravaged by venereal disease where "Syph Alley" and "Clap Avenue" are overrun by lost souls. The fast tempo continues with Parker's "Old L. A." which is alternative rock reminiscent of R. E. M. and supports a lukewarm paean to Los Angeles. Yames closes out the side with the folky "Talking Empty Bed Blues." Yames' plaintive vocal underscores the loneliness expressed in the lyrics. Side two opens with Johnson's "Chorine My Sheba Queen" which is a moody and romantic folk song that reminds me of Iron and Wine. Farrar takes his turn with "Careless Reckless Love" which is another album highlight. He uses an alt-country approach to the song investing the simple lyrics with great feeling. The song builds in strength as it goes along propelled by a fine guitar solo. Parker's final contribution is his best, the excellent "Angel's Blues." The song is a rocker built around a ringing guitar riff suggestive of Neil Young or Richard Thompson. The song is sexier than you might expect from Guthrie as he boasts about his romantic prowess. Even Jim Morrison never came up with a line as good as "I got more little angels, than you'll find in the promised land." Johnson's "No Fear" is a bluesy shuffle in which Guthrie looks forward to dying. I find the song a little monotonous but the lyrics are impressive and remarkably dark. Yames wrote the music for "Changing World" which is a minimalist folk song. The lyrics are about not being afraid to change and live the life one wants to live. Farrar finishes the album with "New Multitudes" which is about how the new generation will make the world a better place. I think Farrar's three contributions to the record are the strongest among the four collaborators. He really has a feel for Guthrie's vision. The rest of the record is good too, one of the best of 2012 in my opinion. I like the multifaceted portrait of Guthrie that it provides. I don't claim to be an expert on the man, but I have a bunch of CDs and albums of his work and I find the breadth of material covered on this album to be revelatory. I'm used to hearing Guthrie do old folk songs, union songs and earnest protest songs. On this record he writes about sex, death and loneliness as well as politics and I like him better for it. Kudos to Farrar, Johnson, Parker and Yames for giving these wonderful old songs life. If you are not a vinyl nut, you probably should buy the deluxe CD version of this album (which costs less than the vinyl LP) which gets you a second disc with 11 extra songs plus a booklet with facsimiles of Guthrie's original handwritten lyrics as well as his artwork. The album has none of that much to my chagrin. It is still a great record though that sounds wonderful and I'm happy to have it. Recommended to people who like "Another Side Of Bob Dylan" better than "The Times They Are A-Changin'."
Love at the Bottom of the Sea
The Magnetic Fields
Merge MRG439
2012
I had tickets to see the Magnetic Fields show at the Orpheum in support of this album last year. At the last minute my wife stood me up, so I took my son instead. I had some trepidation about this, his taste runs more toward Incubus and Linkin Park but he was willing to go (I think he liked the band's name) even though he'd never heard them. I expected some configuration of the band like on the album with electric instruments, synthesizers and percussion. Instead it was an unplugged show driven by piano, cello, acoustic guitar and harmonium. I figured my kid would hate it, but to my relief he liked it quite a bit. There is just no denying the immense pop craft Stephin Merritt brings to his music. He appeals to me, he appeals to my teenage son and he'd probably appeal to my mom. His lyrics are clever and charming, loaded with originality, insight and word play, his tunes are full of hooks and strong melodies. I adore him and all his records, he is one of my favorite artists and I had a great time at the show. This is the tenth full length album from the Magnetic Fields and it is typically excellent. The band shows no sign of decline or staleness. It opens with "God Wants Us To Wait" which is about a girl who wants to put off intercourse because of her religious convictions. I love the line "you might like to kiss the dew on my hem" which surely must be a reference to Leonard Cohen's "Sisters of Mercy." It manages to be erotic and humorous simultaneously. The song has an 80s synth pop feel to it with heavy reverb and a mechanical vocal from Claudia Gonson that perhaps symbolizes the robotic nature of some fundamentalists. "Andrew in Drag" is classic Merritt and my favorite song on the album. It is about a rich, straight kid who falls hopelessly in love with his straight friend Andrew after seeing him in drag on stage. It is a poppy song effectively crooned by Merritt in his low key baritone voice. "Your Girlfriend's Face" is about a spurned lover who hires a hit man to mutilate her rival's face and kill her ex-boyfriend. It is another synth heavy song with the light, bouncy tune providing an ironic counterpoint to the dark, nasty lyrics that are sweetly sung by Shirley Simms. "Born For Love" is a seduction song. It is a slow, wheezy song with a lugubrious vocal from Merritt. Poppiness returns for the bouncy "I'd Go Anywhere with Hugh" which is about an unrequited love triangle, the singer loves Hugh who loves the person who loves the singer but none of the loves are reciprocated. Since the singer is a woman, it makes for some complicated gender issues in the triangle. "Infatuation (With Your Gyration)" describes how Merritt likes watching his lover dance. It sounds very 80s synth pop with an appropriately dance oriented rhythm track and an ensemble vocal on the chorus. In "The Only Boy in Town" the singer wishes that there were no other boys around to tempt her to be unfaithful to her lover. Who else but Merritt would rhyme "nonce" with "France", heck who besides him would even use a word like "nonce" in a pop song? The lyrics are humorous but the music is plaintive and lovely, suitable for a romantic teen ballad. In "The Machine in Your Hand" Merritt wishes he was his lover's cell phone so he'd be closer to that person. It is more synth pop with a punchy beat. Side two opens with "Goin' Back to the Country" which is about a gal who's fed up with the city and wants to live the simple country life. The song mixes country music and synth pop with predictably awkward results. You'd never expect Merritt to wander into Incredible String Band territory but in "I've Run Away to Join the Fairies" he sings of leaving the mortal world because of an unhappy love affair to enter the magical world of fairies even though they mock him just as his former lover did. If you think "fairies" is a double entendre here, you are more cynical than me although you may very well be right. With a noisy synth pop backing track and a sincere vocal from Merritt it is a surprisingly effective song. Gonson sings "The Horrible Party" which is about a rich girl who is desperate to leave a decadent party where people are taking drugs, having sex and "using the slang they picked up from the proles." It is a rollicking waltz with another cacophonous backing track. Gonson also sings the venemous "My Husband's Pied-a-Terre" which describes a love nest where "a minx gets minks to wear" from the singer's very unfaithful husband. Outside of France what other rock songwriter would rhyme "derriere" with "pied-a-terre"? It starts out slow and gloomy driven by mournful cello lines and then shifts gears as the synth pop kicks in for an upbeat finale. In "I Don't Like Your Tone" Merritt sings that he likes the words his lover says, but not the tone in which they are delivered. It is a slow synth laden tune which Merritt croons with relish. In "Quick!" Simms advises her lover to think of something to make her stay because she is ready to walk out on their relationship because she is tired of being attacked which inspires the classic Merritt couplet "between your outrageous remarks, like the mating calls of sarcastic sharks." It is has a terrific hook and has lots of pop appeal. This is my other favorite song on the album. The album concludes with "All She Cares About is Mariachi" which seems to be written just so Merritt can come up with rhymes for "mariachi" including "hibachi," "Liberace" and "Saatchi & Saatchi." It is a very slight but funny song about a girl who'd rather dance than make love. It has a dolorous vocal from Merritt backed up by choppy synth pop with a slight Latin flavor. Just your typical Magnetic Fields record. People sometimes complain about Merritt repeating himself, but I prefer to think of it as consistency and besides no one else makes records like this. The guy is a true original with his own instantly recognizable style. I admire that. Merritt is also criticized for the impersonal nature of his music. I can relate to this, most of the artists I most admire write deeply personal music like Leonard Cohen, Joni Mitchell, John Lennon or Neil Young to name a few. Slick impersonal music usually bores me. Merritt is so gifted, so entertaining that I don't have a problem with him. The guy is a great storyteller, his songs are so original and charming that they win me over despite their lack of depth. Aside from Sir Paul McCartney I can't think of another rock songwriter who has such a knack for knocking out silly love songs and what's wrong with that? Recommended to New Order fans who dig Cole Porter.
Incorruptible Heart
Lavender Diamond
Paracadute 9116-2
2012
Lavender Diamond is one of my favorite live acts, I saw them three times last year as they previewed the songs on this, their second full length album. Their shows are always magical for me. Picture some dingy bar/club near their Echo Park/Silver Lake homebase. The room is full of hipsters, their faces illuminated by their smart phones as they blather away over the tunes spun by the DJ. Then the band appears, looking more like a jazz trio than an indie rock band. The giant piano player with a great shock of unruly gray hair, Steve Gregoropoulos, resembles a bouncer more than a musician, it is hard to believe those big hands can play with such grace and beauty. The guitarist Jeff Rosenberg is always the best dressed dude in the room. The diminutive drummer Ron Regé Jr. looks more like a comic book artist, which is exactly what he is when he's not pounding the skins. Then Becky Stark steps up to the mike wearing one of her vintage-style party dresses. She radiates innocence and sweetness. You would think some Sunday school teacher on a date has wandered into this den of iniquity by mistake. Over the din of hipster chatter she announces "We are Lavender Diamond" and then she gestures to the crowd and adds "and you are Lavender Diamond." I wince expecting the cool cats around me to devour her alive, but then the band lurches into a song and Stark cuts loose with that amazing voice of hers and the audience becomes silent, entranced by the stunning beauty of the music. I'm not a religious person, but seeing this band is like a spiritual experience for me, they renew my faith in the power of love which is Stark's primary message. This is evident in the title and many of the songs on the band's new album. The album opens with the electric piano intro that begins "Everybody's Heart's Breaking Now" and then Stark begins to croon about heartbreak and the end of the world. The song like most of the album features a lot of reverb and a dense musical backdrop with multi-tracked keyboards and strings. It is one of the loveliest songs on the album. "Dragonfly" introduces the synth pop sound that recurs throughout the album much to my surprise. I'm not sure I really approve but it does vary the texture of the music more than on their past records. Stark sings of the ups and downs of love and notes with typical positivity that despite everything "this life is all so sublime." The piano chords that introduce "I Don't Recall" remind me of Todd Rundgren's "Hello It's Me" until the funky Prince-style guitar riff cuts in. It is a bit more uptempo and has a punchier rhythm track than most of the songs on the record which helps make it one of my favorites on the record. Stark sings of missing her love with a voice full of heartbreak like she is channeling the ghost of Patsy Cline. "Just Passing By" covers similar territory in a slow countryish tune with another aching vocal from Stark. She starts singing huskily in a lower register before hitting the high notes in the chorus. "Teach Me How To Waken" features more synth-pop but is otherwise an archetypal Lavender Diamond song as Stark announces that "love is the beginning and love is the end" which sums up her philosophy pretty well. The song features a very dramatic arrangement and a typically powerful vocal. In contrast to the wall of sound of the previous song, "Come Home" is more instrumentally spare, largely driven by acoustic guitar. The song is a plaintive plea for the subject of the song to return to Stark as she describes all the sacrifices she has made in order for that person to return. The nakedness of the song places the focus on Stark's vocal which is the way it should be. Side two opens with "Forgive" which sees a return of the dense musical sound of most of the record. The prominence of the drums in the mix gives the song extra oomph. It expresses a typically Starkian message to "lift the weight from your heart" and forgive others so that you can live in love. They up the beats per minute big time for the joyous "Light My Way" which is one of my favorite cuts on the record. It is synth pop you can dance to, a cross between Blondie and New Order. Naturally it is love that lights her way. I wish they would do more songs in this vein. "Oh My Beautiful World" is almost like a parody of a Lavender Diamond song as Stark gushes over and over how she loves her world. The song features a simple tune suggestive of an early 1960s girl group like the Shangri-Las except for the weird instrumental breaks where she wails over a distorted synthesizer solo that sounds like a different song entirely. In the jaunty "Perfect Love" Stark affirms her confidence that she will find her perfect love. She is joined in the vocals by the album's producer, Damian Kulash Jr. of OK Go and I enjoy their chemistry. If you listen closely you can hear Stark tap dancing. The album's eclecticism continues with the love song "Everybody's Song" which is a mix of country and dixieland in the form of a slow waltz guaranteed to have you swaying as you listen to it. The album concludes with "All The Stars" which I think is the most extraordinary song the band has ever done. This majestic tune bolstered by soaring strings and gorgeous piano playing from Gregoropoulos provides the platform for an operatic flight from Stark that is mesmerizing. When the band does the song live, the audience is stunned by its power, you can see their eyes bugging out and their jaws dropping. I always get chills from it. In contrast to the sunny sentiments expressed by most of the album, the poetic lyrics express an almost existential outlook on the world as Stark examines our place in the universe. It is a great song, a testament to the potential power of pop music when it is played with intelligence and skill. The wall of sound in this song almost convinces me that the band made the right decision to take this heavily produced approach on this record. However having heard a lot of these songs live without all the fussiness on the record, I still have my doubts. Stark's voice is so magnificent that she doesn't need all this support. She provides the power. I appreciate the experiment but I hope they don't repeat it. Anyway with songs this good and a singer like Stark, not even Phil Spector could wreck this music. I recommend it unconditionally to anyone looking to light their way through life.
Port of Morrow
The Shins
Columbia 88691-926701
2012
It is mid-September and I still haven't blogged about a record from this year. I'm so far behind on my backlog that I haven't even blogged about all the records I liked from last year. I've been sitting on this one for months already. It is one of my favorites of the year so far. I guess the Shins never
changed my life, but they did definitely make it better. "Oh, Inverted World" and "Chutes Too Narrow" have long been two of the handful of albums that I turn to
when I'm feeling down and need a lift. The Shins were a band I strongly
connected with on an emotional and intellectual level. Thus I was really unhappy a few years ago when I heard that James Mercer had fired his band mates in the Shins or chose to go in a different musical direction depending on whose perspective you believe. Nonetheless there was no question that Mercer was the creative force in the band and I had high hopes for his new projects which his excellent music with Broken Bells confirmed. I was surprised and a little dismayed when I heard that Mercer had signed with a major label (Columbia) and formed a new version of the band. My initial thought that it was kind of a dick move akin to Axl Rose and his version of Guns N' Roses. I have a lot of respect for Mercer's talent so I was willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. I think that this album is as good as the other Shins albums although admittedly only one of the new Shins actually appears on the album, drummer Joe Plummer, who appears on about half the tracks. Mercer's principal collaborator on the album is Greg Kurstin of the Bird and the Bee who co-produced the album and plays multiple instruments on it. The album begins with "The Rifle's Spiral" which appears to be about a suicide bomber. Mercer is one of the best lyricists in alternative rock and this song's brilliant imagery and language is proof of that. With Sleater-Kinney drummer Janet Weiss pounding the skins the song has a lot of drive and Kurstin fills out the song with loads of synth sounds. The whirling force of the music and the space age sound effects running through it reflect the frenzied thoughts of the terrorist in the song. "Simple Song" is a charming and romantic love song. The line "you know things can really get rough when you go it alone" makes me think of the break-up of the original Shins although in the context of the song, it is more likely a reference to being single. Weiss' muscular drumming again forcefully propels the song along its course and it has a soaring, upbeat melody that made it the natural choice for the single off the album. Mercer's vocal is very passionate and uplifting. It is anything but a "simple song," I think it is one of the best songs Mercer has ever done. "It's Only Life" offers the title advice to a friend going through some problems. I don't mean to make light of anyone's existential crisis, but if your biggest worry is that "time will wash every tower to the sea," you should count your blessings. The song shows off Mercer's great range as a vocalist. He starts out low and then takes off into the upper register where he is so effective. "Bait and Switch" picks up the pace again with a highly propulsive tune about a guy whose peaceful solitary existence gets disrupted when he takes up with a wild girlfriend whose allure he can't resist. The song's potential misogyny is leavened by Mercer's typically clever descriptions and metaphors. Side one ends with "September," another lyrical love song in which Mercer acknowledges his shortcomings and his appreciation that his lover perceives his good qualities and that she brings him happiness. This slow, romantic song with a slight exotica flavor is the tune on the album that most resembles the classic Shins sound. It would fit comfortably on any of their previous albums. "No Way Down" is surprisingly political and polemical in its tone. Mercer addresses the economic inequities in the world. With pointed references to Asian wage slaves and the upper crust elite over here, Mercer doesn't beat around the bush. The song sounds like it was inspired by the Occupy movement. It has a strong beat and is sonically rich, it really jumps out of the speakers. It is one of my favorite songs on the record. "For A Fool" in contrast is slow and languid as Mercer describes the aftermath of a bad relationship and trying to get over the resulting heartbreak and humiliation. The song features some of Mercer's most emotional and soulful singing. "Fall of '82" is a song in which Mercer expresses his gratitude to his sister for helping him get over a dark period in his life in 1982 and helping to make him the person he became. It is a remarkably personal and revealing song that I find very touching. In keeping with its theme, the song has a retro flavor that brings to mind 1970s era pop to me. "40 Mark Strasse" is about a German girl from an unhappy home who sleeps with American soldiers and a boy who wants to save her from that life. This song features a complicated multi-tracked vocal performance from Mercer that gives a lot of beauty and depth to an otherwise ordinary tune. The album concludes with the title cut which is a grim song about the evil in the world and the falseness of perceptions that we as humans are different from the rest of nature. I think he is directing his observations towards religions and other beliefs emphasizing the moral superiority of specific people. Mercer sings in two different octaves so it sounds almost like a duet. It is a remarkable song that ends the album in a majestic manner albeit one that I find a bit depressing with lines like "there are flowers in the garbage and a skull under your curls." I agree with Mercer's perspective but I don't really want to be reminded about "the bitter mechanics of life." I consider James Mercer to be one of the major talents in contemporary rock and I'm happy to report that my worries about him stumbling on some ego trip have been alleviated by this excellent album. It is clear that despite signing to a major label, Mercer's vision is uncompromised and his music is as strong as ever. Long live the new Shins whoever they are! Recommended to fans of the old Shins.
