Review: The Streets - Everything Is Borrowed (2008)

The philosophical musings of an artist who struggles with fame and fortune are generally accorded critical disdain. The depressive self referential cliché’s that filtered throughout his previous album (2006’s “The Hardest Way To Make An Easy Living”) characterized Mike Skinner’s change in social situation. He was no longer the pill fueled lower middle class street urchin of the pubs, clubs, takeaways and bus stops. The ennui that comes from upgraded status led to an embittered album that lacked the homespun charm that had filled his previous two long players. Whilst “Everything Is Borrowed” still languishes in a world grounded by monetary privilege, at least it doesn’t harbour the same alienating grudge and conceit. The latest set of songs painstakingly catalogue Skinner’s profound ruminations on the human spirit, soul, morality and the destruction of our species. Undoubtedly a heavyweight itinerary, but there’s an honesty and wit to much of Skinner’s lyrical content, and vitally the music matches the more confident songwriter.

The opener, and title track is as humble as it is affecting; a statement charting the simplicity of life’s travels over fresh organic instrumentation and laid back melody. “I came to this world with nothing, And I leave with nothing but love, Everything else is just borrowed” feels like Skinner has finally come to terms with the excesses of stardom, and indeed, his own place in the world. And when he leaves this mortal coil, “Heaven For The Weather” playfully ponders on his north or south trip, all played out over a celebratory Pop/Soul rhythm. “On The Edge Of A Cliff” is a grave suicide talk down, sensitive, philosophical and deeply sincere, and successfully creates vivid poetic images. Musically “The Hardest Way…” moves further away from the urban cut and paste computer sampling in favour of conventional bass rhythms, guitar lines, and occasional strings with generally positive results. The dreamy, ethereal lyrics to the closer (“The Escapist”) qualify the seismic shift from his club roots into a landscape of other worldly imagery; “I feel no fear, I’m not really here, I’m nowhere near” as his imagination wanders. “The Way Of The Dodo” branches into unnecessary, cliché driven words of the destruction of mankind, not helped by the clunky rhythms which feel totally out of step with the rest of this collection. That said, it is one of the few negatives, and although “Everything Is Borrowed” isn’t as powerfully insistent as previous incarnations, there’s more of a reliance on Skinner’s meticulous story telling, less on the self obsession that tarnished “The Hardest Way To Make An Easy Living”.

6.7/10

Review: Jenny Lewis - Acid Tongue (2008)

It’s difficult to find fault with Lewis’s debut solo outing, the Country/Gospel soaked “Rabbit Fur Coat”, because although flawed by a sense that the laid back musical atmospherics shrouded some of her most intimately edgy lyrics, it was still a radically intriguing departure from her day job with Rilo Kiley. “Acid Tongue” the follow up, retains the relaxed pace, but deliberately filters in a broader spectrum of musical styles, with roots firmly planted in small town Americana. The uncluttered sonic images she creates expose the gentle harmonies, Lewis’ seductive voice, and her continuing song writing skill. The deliberate minimalism at times needs fleshing out to expose the true beauty of certain songs, particularly the opener “Black Sand” and the tangled relationship drama of “Godspeed”. Her duet with Elvis Costello on “Carpetbaggers” is only half a success as Lewis steps up to deliver with necessary conviction the story of seductive manipulators, whilst Costello struggles with the melody to the extent that his contribution sounds like a desperate nasal whine. Sister Leslie Lewis adds vocals to the excellent up tempo “See Fernando”, which has already become a popular live staple. Centre stage is the ambitious segueing of three songs in one (“The Next Messiah”), which effortlessly crosses musical boundaries, and highlights her abilities to execute beyond the confines of the three minute pop tune.

Overall, it’s an admirable performance that further enhances Lewis’ stock as a strong storytelling songwriter with an immense capacity for touching melodies. A more expressive and fuller instrumental backdrop to her obvious skills would have made “Acid Tongue” the memorable experience it hints towards. Sadly, she really missed a trick here, for the truly great songs are marred by hollow production and arrangement skills.

7.0/10

Review:Elbow - Leaders Of The Free World (2005)

Unanimously heralded in the U.K., and shunned in the U.S.A, the Manchester quintets 3rd long player works hard to move the band away from the “clever clever” intricacies of previous releases, and purposefully rests on a simpler more organic sound, bringing Guy Garvey’s original vocal style more to the fore. For a number of years, they have been regarded as the next big thing to rival the likes of Coldplay and Doves. It’s all classically understated Englishness, and works relatively well, except “Leaders Of The Free World” lacks a couple of top quality tunes to elevate the recording to the level of the aforementioned bands. That’s not to imply that there isn’t strong material to be found, but a killer song or two, and maybe the album would warrant the “masterpiece” tag British Rock magazine NME excitedly announced.

The album works best when the band keep it simple, particularly on the acoustic Piano and Guitar numbers and leads one to think that Garvey has a bright future as a solo artist in the Peter Gabriel mould (his hoarse vocal style sounds like Gabriel) in years to come. The highlights aren’t particularly the singles or the beefed up Indie drones which seem to conform to the expectations of what they consider to be their target audience. For this reviewer the true expression of the band comes in the tender ballads towards the end of the album. “My Very Best” sounds like a tune of a love lost Romeo and as Garvey leads us into the chorus he bleats “You’ve gone, you’ve gone,….you’ve gone and built a home in my heart”. “My Very Best”, “Leaders Of The Free World”, “Picky Bugger” and the lonely and quite beautiful closer “Puncture Repair” also add to the surrealist flavour of the album.

“Leaders Of The Free World” will never make it to mainstream stations, and in a way that’s a sad indictment of the “quick fix” attitude in today’s’ musical climate. It is worthy of investigation and occasionally sparkles with an individuality rarely found. That said, the addition of a couple of real classics would have made this album the towering long player it should have been.

8/10

Review:Eagles - Eagles (1972)

Put together originally as back up for Linda Ronstadt, four session musicians from Los Angeles, Glenn Frey (Guitar,Vocals), Don Henley (Drums,Vocals), Randy Meisner (Bass), and Bernie Leadon (Banjo, Mandolin), would sign to Asylum Records and record this, their debut in 1972. Eventually the band would overshadow Ronstadt's career and become one of the biggest selling Country/Rock crossover acts in music history. Their style is unmistakable, easy Rock tinged Country songs, with strong harmonic vocals provided by Frey and Henley, but most importantly they are genuinely good song writers, and the songs have enough quality hooks to penetrate any Pop music market and appeal to mass audiences.

Crossover Country Rockers who have achieved the amount of success The Eagles have enjoyed in the mass market are few and far between, and this album sets the blueprint for many of their follow up albums. The content is generally good particularly the single "Takin' It Easy", "Witchy Woman", and "Peaceful Easy Feeling", but overall one feels that the band are cutting their musical teeth, searching for direction and confidence in their abilities which would ofcourse, lead them to much more assured and better quality recordings later in the decade.

7/10

Review:Beck - Modern Guilt (2008)

Let’s face it; Beck needed a return to form. His last two long players (“Guerolito” and “The Information”) were cursed with so many weighty inconsistencies that even his most loyal followers must have questioned his wisdom. Fortunately, owing to his immense chameleonic abilities, one knew Hansen wouldn’t stand still for long. The Danger Mouse produced “Modern Guilt” is his most conventional, melody driven recording since 2002’s outstanding “Sea Change”, discarding the scattergun straddling genre experimentation at all costs in favour of a short, focused set of psychedelic Rock and Pop that may not be his best, but has genuinely halted the slide towards mediocrity that had dogged his recent works. At the heart of the record lies trademark minor key synth progressions, scratchy rhythms and Beck’s typically downcast lyrical melancholia. Danger Mouse adds his own brand of 60s tinny beat pop that served so well on his Gnarls Barkley projects. The opener (“Orphans”), takes the melody from Free’s 70s hit “Wishing Well”, and with authentic artistic creativity, genuinely sounds like the 60s fore runner it aspires to be.

The real star of the show is the spacious psyche rocker and lead off single “Chemtrails”, which drifts along with the kind of sparse beauty you’d have expected from a Nigel Godrich collaboration, its sombre atmospherics superbly enlivened by Joey Waronker’s outstanding drum accompaniment. Apparently inspired by Aphrodite’s Child’s 1972 prog rock song “The Four Horsemen”, from the vast concept album “666”, the song reminds the listener that at his best, Beck is still an illuminating talent. “Gamma Ray”, the second track and follow up single, harnesses tried and tested dualities of upbeat music and dark lyrics, as he ambiguously rambles of ecological disaster and Armageddon played out over a thudding bass rhythm and chiming keyboard fill. In addition, there are memorable moments from the more personal closer “Volcano”, and the title track.

There’s little for Beck fans to worry about, because “Modern Guilt” provides ample proof that he’s not lost his creative ‘mojo’. It’s more defined, carefully crafted, and ultimately the most complete listening experience since “Sea Change”.

7.0/10

Review: Teddy Thompson - A Piece Of What You Need (2008)

Teddy Thompson – A Piece Of What You Need (2008)

6.7/10

If you’re going to explore adult Pop then make sure you’re surrounded by an empathetic support network. Teddy Thompson’s fourth long player “A Piece Of What You Need” is, by his own admission, unadulterated mainstream tunes, which further extricate the singer/guitarist from the familial Folk/Rock influence of his parents, Richard and Linda. By employing producer Marius de Vries (Rufus Wainwright, David Gray, Melanie C), Thompson has an ally well versed in sophisticated arrangements and attention to melodic detail. De Vries deliberately avoids the intensely low key chamber pop sound of Wainwright (except for “Turning The Gun On Myself”) in favour of broader, confident and upbeat sonic images to wrap around Thompson’s rich baritone. It’s slick, sincere and potentially enduring, with a host of strong songs blatantly targeted for daytime radio and chart single success. Thompson’s lyrical input has a gritty realism and simple candour that feels unrestrained by the brighter musical mood that surrounds him, as he addresses relationship struggles, love, depression, and suicide.

Highlights:
Things I Do
In My Arms
Slippery Slope
Turning The Gun On Myself