Tout Seul dans la Forêt en Plein Jour, Avez-Vous Peur?
Woelv
K Records KLP 172
2006
Woelv was the nom de disque of Geneviève Castrée who died far too young a little over a year ago of cancer. She was a French-Canadian artist, poet and author who also recorded some strikingly memorable music. This beautiful record features a 60 page album sized booklet with the lyrics of the songs (which are sung in French) along with translations in English and multiple other languages, illustrations by Castrée and some additional texts that reflect the theme of the record which is anti-war and questioning the American obsession with violence and power. There are no musician credits on the album (aside from background vocalists on "Sang jeune") so I assume it is performed solely by Castrée and her husband Phil Elverum, the percussion and drone of some of the tracks is reminiscent of Mount Eerie. The album opens with "Drapeau Blanc" ("White Flag") which poetically describes the violence of children having a snowball fight and Castrée's own desire to escape war. The song begins as a delicate folky song with a gentle double-tracked vocal from Castrée that sounds appropriately child-like. Then the percussion kicks in and Castrée belts out the lyrics driving the song to a very forceful conclusion. "La fille qui s'est enfermée dans la salle de bains" ("The Girl Who Locked Herself in the Bathroom") presents evocative images of domestic violence and more thoughts of escape. This short a cappella song uses multiple vocal tracks to create a complex vocal arrangement. "(Réconciliation)" is about reconciling all the stages of one's life from birth to old age. It is a folk-style song with a nice harmony vocal from Elverum. "Deux coqs" ("Two Cocks") chronicles a pair of sparrows who begin fighting like roosters until they blind each other. It is a short song driven by a bass guitar and an insistent and breathy vocal by Castrée. "La petite cane dans la nappe de pétrole" ("The Young Female Duck in the Puddle of Petrol") uses the metaphor of a duck stuck in oil to describe the oppression of self-destructive relationships. The song starts out like a folk song with a Spanish flavor before the percussion emerges to provide a thunderous droning backdrop to Castrée's wailing multi-tracked vocal. This powerful song is one of my favorite tracks on the record. "Au viol!" ("Rape!") begins by explaining how to tame a female wolf in the first verse and then in the second verse Castrée describes what sounds like an emotional and personal violation using the language of physical rape. The song is driven by a repetitive and compelling piano riff over which Castrée sensitively croons and hums. "(Arrogance)" is a very brief song that returns to the escape imagery of "Drapeau Blanc" but with a more optimistic conclusion. It sounds very naked compared to the previous tracks, just guitar and voice which places all the emphasis on the stark lyrics. "La mort et le chien obèse" ("Death and the Obese Dog") examines the hypocrisy of people who embrace religion yet condone military action and who lavish food on their dogs while children elsewhere starve to death. This is another bass-driven song with a multi-tracked breathy vocal, but this time Castrée adds screamed howls in the background which enhance the feeling of menace and misery within the song. "Sous mon manteau" ("Under My Coat") was derived from sentences from "The Koran" which Castrée translated from Arabic into French. The song is highly poetic and the accompaniment is gentle and folky with a childlike vocal from Castrée that complements the simplicity in the lyrics. Side two opens with "Sang jeune" ("Young Blood") which is another overtly poetic composition that laments the violence of young people. The song begins with a slow sinuous tune with an Asian feel to it, before becoming more energetic via a driving percussion track and background vocalists giving the song extra weight. This is another one of my favorite songs. "L'Homme qui vient de marcher sur une mine" ("The Man Who Has Just Stepped on a Landmine") despite its grim subject matter is a dazzling display of Castrée's poetic gifts as she describes the final moments of a victim of a landmine. It starts out sounding like a Middle Eastern dance tune before settling into a languorous drone. "Tout seul dans la forêt en plein jour" ("Alone in the Forest in Broad Daylight") combines a soundscape with a song. It begins with a tranquil folk song that compares nervous violence-prone people with the calm of being alone in the forest asking which one do you fear more. Gradually a soundscape emerges underneath the song. Castrée had been living in the woods near a military base and set up a microphone to record the transition from jets landing to frogs croaking as evening sets in. The soundscape continues after the song ends providing an atmospheric conclusion to the record. I really love this album, I consider it a masterpiece that ought to be better known. It was created with such care and authority, it is so satisfying as a work of art. The combination of the artwork in the book, the poetic lyrics, the cohesive vision and the musical sensitivity make it an intensely engaging experience in a manner more common with high art than pop music, if you will pardon me getting pretentious, something akin to a Gesamtkunstwerk. I don't mean to imply that this record is difficult or snooty. It is very enjoyable and accessible on a casual level, but unlike most pop records, if you go deeper into it you will be rewarded. Castrée's message is not particularly profound or intellectual, in truth it is not all that far removed from Melanie or Cat Stevens, just expressed in a more poetic and subtle manner. What I particularly like about the album is Castrée's willingness to open herself up and to express her concerns with emotional honesty and commitment. So many of the kids I hear in the indie rock scene nowadays seem so reserved and ironic, they are too cool to reveal themselves. I find it refreshing to experience a musical artist willing to share her feelings and fears openly without barriers, one with ambition who wants to create a meaningful work that goes far beyond having a nice beat that you can dance to. I feel bad that Castrée died so young, but I also feel bad that such a gifted and sensitive artist has been silenced. It makes me treasure this album even more knowing there will never be another like it. Recommended to fans of Joanna Newsom and Mount Eerie.
From The Cliffs
Guillemots
Fantastic Plastic Records B0006426-01
2006
This is a double EP which I consider to be a ridiculous format, why not just release a proper album, it would be just as long and more convenient. I had been reading about this British band for awhile and was interested in them, but I didn't buy this record until I saw someone compare them to my beloved Belle and Sebastian. I must have bought dozens of albums already because of someone invoking a comparison to the Belles. Of course they never really sound like them, I'm always disappointed. However I'm such a sucker that I can't resist, I always fall for that comparison. This band doesn't sound like Belle and Sebastian either although I can see why reviewer made the observation. I'm not sorry I bought this record though, it is worthy in its own right. It comprises the band's debut EP "I Saw Such Things in My Sleep" (tracks 3-6) and their single "Trains to Brazil" (tracks 2, 7 and 8) plus one new song, "Sake" which opens the record. "Sake" is hardly a song, more of a fragment really, less than a minute long. There is a single moaned verse with murky piano accompaniment. Like all but one of the songs on the record, it was written by Fyfe Dangerfield. The record comes to life with the poppy "Trains to Brazil." It has a propulsive drum beat perfect for dancing and swirling synth lines that drive the song with horns in the breaks for extra oomph. The song is about missing a loved one and making the most of one's life. Despite what the sleeve says, the next song is "Who Left the Lights Off, Baby?" It is a bouncy, upbeat tune about trying to dump a lover. The lyrics are kind of mean, but humor and the sunny vocal make the song sound cheerful and appealing despite its subject. The song ends with an exuberant sax solo. The B side features "Over the Stairs" which is nearly 10 minutes long. It is a slow moody song with a dream pop sound from its heavy use of synthesizers and organ. I would find it dreary were it not for Dangerfield's passionate vocal which makes the song compelling. It reminds me of Suede. I believe the song is about finding oneself. Side C opens with "Made Up Lovesong #43" which is a love song with a twee flavor. It starts slow and then the rhythm section kicks in giving the song abundant energy and drive. "Cats Eyes" is a slightly jazzy song featuring a dynamic vocal from Dangerfield that gives it strength. The lyrics are poetic and enigmatic, it is a very lovely song, easily the most interesting one on the album. Side D begins with "Go Away" which was composed by the entire band. It is driven by a reggae-like bass and drum pattern that provides a seductive groove over which Dangerfield does the indie rock equivalent of scat singing. The record concludes as quietly as it began with "My Chosen One" which features Dangerfield softly crooning a tender love song over minimalist piano support. The songwriting on this record is better than average and the music is fine, but Dangerfield's singing is the primary draw for me. He has terrific range and sings with a lot of feeling. Recommended to fans of Damien Rice.
El Perro Del Mar
El Perro Del Mar
The Control Group CGO040
2006
El Perro Del Mar is the nom de disque of the Swedish singer/musician Sarah Assbring. This was her American debut album. She produced the album, wrote all but one of the songs, and played almost all the instruments on the record. She has a high, gentle voice and like many Swedish indie rockers, she sings in English. I'm into female indie rock and Swedish indie rock so I bought this solely based on the descriptions of the record that I read in reviews. "Candy" opens the album. It is a slow song largely driven by keyboards and features repetitive lyrics about buying candy for herself, apparently as a gesture of doing something for herself rather than trying to please other people. "God Knows (You Gotta Give To Get)" is a poppier, faster paced song that reminds me of Lavender Diamond. It is even more repetitive than "Candy" consisting largely of the phrase "you gotta give to get back" which is the message of the song. It gets a little extra instrumental oomph courtesy of some saxophone riffing from Alexander Nilsson. "Party" is one of my favorite songs on the record. It is more guitar oriented and features an emotional vocal from Assbring imploring the subject of the song to go to a party with her. Again the lyrics are minimal with lots of repetition. "People" is a song about alienation with a gorgeous heartfelt vocal including some doo-wop style background singing that goes against the grain of the otherwise downbeat song. It is another one of my favorites. "Dog" is a remarkable song in which she equates her lover's feelings for her with his feelings for a dog. She brings in a drummer, Nicolas Janco, for "It's All Good" resulting in the most propulsive and upbeat song on the album. It is the indie pop equivalent of sunshine pop loaded with "la la la's" in the chorus and positive lyrics about moving forward and not looking back. Side two opens with "I Can't Talk About It" which is about her making changes in her life that she can't talk about, which she repeats over and over. It seems like a ridiculous idea for a song, but I find it amusing. Her vocal is a bit rougher, almost soulful in places. "Coming Down The Hill" is yet another song with minimal lyrics in essence that she is coming down the hill with the good news that she no longer has the blues for the person the song is addressed to. It also features a sunshine pop flavor. "This Loneliness" is another one of my favorites. With its ethereal keyboards and plaintive vocal, I find it very touching and the lyrics, which describe her relationship with loneliness, are comparatively more complex than the rest of the record. Unlike most of Assbring's songs, this one builds in strength and ends with some force. The album's sole cover is Dorsey Burnette and Joe Osborn's "Here Comes That Feeling" which was a UK hit single for Brenda Lee in 1962. With a pulsing organ line and Nilsson's honking sax driving it, the song does have a retro feel to it, but the lyrics about loneliness and rejection fit right in with the rest of the album. The album concludes with two bonus tracks. "Shake It Off" is another very repetitive song in which she asserts her independence to contradict herself. "Hello Goodbye" is a jaunty acoustic guitar driven song that consists of the words "a girl" "a boy" "hello" "goodbye" repeated over and over in various combinations until the end when "pa pa pa's" take over. It sounds dumb but it works. The song reduces to the bare minimum what most songs are about. I really like it. Normally the lyrical minimalism and repetition on this album would irritate me or bore me, but there is a rightness to the lyrics that I find satisfying. It helps too that Assbring has such an affecting voice, she gives the words additional depth and feeling. I like the intimate quality of the record and its directness. Despite the paucity of instrumentalists on the album, it has a rich and varied sound reminiscent of another one woman band, Bachelorette although not as extravagant. The sunshine pop and doo-wop inspired harmony vocals also add to the richness of the album's sound, Assbring is a very fine vocal arranger. The album is melancholy without being gloomy, delicate without being wimpy, personal without being narcissistic. It is one I play a lot. Recommended to Julee Cruise fans who wish she sang faster.
Six Songs
The Finches
Dulc-i-tone/Ulrike Records UR 002
2006
I saw this group open for Lavender Diamond a while ago and was really impressed. I say this group, yet this album was made by a largely different group. The Finches were originally a duo of Carolyn Pennypacker Riggs (vocals and guitar) and Aaron Morgan (guitar and bass) who played what might be described as folk-pop. In 2010 Riggs made an excellent CD as the Finches entitled "On Golden Hill" with a bassist and a drummer (neither of whom appear to be in the current line up of the band) which is more like folk-rock. When I saw the group in concert they were a five piece playing a delightful set of jangle-pop. This album is called "Six Songs" but there are actually seven since the LP contains a bonus track. One sure way to win me over is to put extra tracks on your LPs instead of your CDs. Another way to win me over is to have really nice packaging and this album is exceptional in that regard. Riggs is an artist as well as a musician and her records all feature her impressive artwork. This one features her artwork on the cover and inner labels as well as a bonus letterpress print suitable for framing. These things are all great, but I would have liked this record anyway just because the songs are so good. The album begins with "The Road" which describes Riggs' wanderlust. I like the way she seeks her friends' approval in song prior to leaving. "The House With Two Front Doors" is based on a melody by the Italian singer Adriano Celentano with amusing lyrics by Riggs celebrating solitary co-existence with one's neighbor. The cheerful music makes an ironic backdrop for the nearly misanthropic lyrics. Side one ends with my favorite song on the record, "Daniel's Song." It is a memorable tune to cheer up her brother who has returned to their parents' home. Side two starts with "O Goettingen!" which is about a romantic sojourn in the German town of the same name. "A Stranger Song" borrows musically from Leonard Cohen's "The Stranger Song" and Riggs' lyrics are even more depressing than Cohen's. She sweetly sings of estrangement and bitterness in what is the most powerful song on the album. "The Last Song Of 2003" warns her lover to treat her right or watch her drop him. The bonus song, "Come Sit Beside Me" is a haunting song with some lovely dobro accompaniment by David Morgan who is Aaron Morgan's father and who recorded this album. It is another one of my favorites. What I find fascinating about this record is the contrast between the alienation or coldness in so many of the lyrics and the sweet quality of the music. Even as Riggs sings of untrustworthy friends or the impermanence of love, I find myself entranced by the music. It is remarkably relaxing, even soothing. Part of that is the simplicity of the music, the stately chiming of the guitars and the slow steadiness of the rhythms. There is also something about Riggs' voice that I find disarming, it has a quality that is hard to describe, almost a cross between a precocious child and a kindergarten teacher, it is relaxed and girlish yet authoritative. She has a warm presence about her and listening to her is very reassuring. I really look forward to hearing more from her in the future. Recommended for fans of Leonard Cohen and Vashti Bunyan.
