The B-52's "Wild Planet" (1980)

Wild Planet
release date: Aug. 27, 1980
format: cd
[album rate: 4 / 5] [3,86]
producer: Rhett Davies, B-52's; Chris Blackwell (exec. pro.)
label: Island Records - nationality: USA

Track highlights: 1. "Party Out of Bounds" - 2. "Dirty Back Road" - 3. "Runnin' Around" (live) - 4. "Give Me Back My Man" (4,5 / 5) - 5. "Private Idaho" - 6. "Devil in My Car" (live) - 9. "53 Miles West of Venus"

2nd studio album by The B-52's follows closely on the same path laid out on the debut from '79 with an uptempo new wave with strong bonds to the 1960s surf rock - especially thanks to the guitar-sound as played by Ricky Wilson. The strong musical and stylistic resemblance with the debut may be explained by the fact that the band already had "too many" songs in its repertoire when they began recording songs for the debut album, and instead of releasing an unlikely double album for its debut, the band just shelved these songs for a later release. This is a documented fact as The B-52's played most of these songs at concerts as early as 1978.
The album cover nearly duplicates the debut cover as it's held in the same style depicting the band members in what seems an early 1960s time bubble.
Wild Planet is a strong album without any fillers, and it's really an astonishing thought if they had actually pulled it off and released all songs on a double album in '79. They really could have, and it only makes it so much more reasonable to listen to these two albums at the same time.
Highly recommended.
[ allmusic.com 4,5 / 5, Rolling Stone 5 / 5 stars ]

Robin Guthrie & Mark Gardener "Universal Road" (2015)

Universal Road

release date: Mar. 23, 2015

format: digital (10 x File, FLAC)

[album rate: 3 / 5] [3,04]

producer: Robin Guthrie & Mark Gardener

label: Soleil Après Minuit - nationality: UK

Track highlights: 1. "Universal Road" - 2. "Dice" - 7. "Sometime" - 10. "Blind"

Collaboration album by Robin Guthrie and Mark Gardener produced by the duo and released on Guthrie's label. Guthrie's most recent release was yet another collaboration work, the 2014 soundtrack album White Bird in a Blizzard, made with longtime collaborator Harold Budd for a movie by Gregg Araki, who also directed the film for which Guthrie and Budd made their collaboration debut Mysterious Skin: Music from the Film (2005). Guthrie's most recent solo album is Fortune from 2012.

Together with Gardener the two artists share a common background in "classic" 1990's dream pop. Guthrie was one of the founders of the Scottish trio, The Cocteau Twins, who released eight full-length studio albums from 1982 to 1995, and Gardener is lead vocalist and guitarist in the English shoegazing quartet, Ride, who debuted with the acclaimed Nowhere back in 1990 - a band who originally released four studio albums from 1990 to their split in 1996. However, the band reformed in 2014 and they have released a fifth studio album in 2017 and have a sixth album have been announced for release later in 2019.

Musically, the album comes closest to the music by Ride as it's dream pop with Gardener's typical melancholic vocals and a strumming guitar sound, which doesn't really rhyme too strongly with Guthrie's discography. Guthrie's ethereal swirling and echo-fused guitar appears here and there as background fill but it doesn't really put a solid fingerprint on an album where Gardener seems to "steal the show".

It's all very nice and well-composed but it also sounds very much like music made at least two decades earlier. Sometimes you find Guthrie starting a song quite nicely after which Gardener's vocal and britpop harmonies turns it into something else. And it's not so much that Gardener destroys Guthrie's intro, but more that their mutual efforts backfires into something less original. I'm not impressed and feel they could have utilised their individual strengths better - instead it sounds like bits and pieces from their earlier works smashed together without obvious attempts in making new music.

A bit of a disappointment.

Elvis Costello & The Imposters "The Delivery Man" (2004)

Deluxe Edition

The Delivery Man
release date: Sep. 21, 2004
format: digital (21 x File, FLAC - Deluxe)
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,62]
producer: Dennis Herring and Elvis Costello
label: Lost Highway Records - nationality: England, UK

Track highlights: 1. "Button My Lip" - 2. "Country Darkness" - 3. "There's a Story in Your Voice" (with Lucinda Williams) - 5. "Bedlam" - 7. "Monkey to Man" - 8. "Nothing Clings Like Ivy" - 10. "Heart Shaped Bruise" (live with Emmylou Harris) - 12. "Needle Time"

19th studio album by Elvis Costello following the quiet solo album North (2004) is his first studio album with new material to be credited Elvis Costello & The Imposters, although, the backing band also backed him on When I Was Cruel (2002) and on the compilation album Cruel Smile (2002).

The album is made on the primarily country music label Lost Highway Records and recorded in four different locations in the "deep" South with the majority recorded in Oxford, Mississippi, some in Minnesota, Nashville and live in the studio in Los Angeles, which in many ways already indicate an album consisting of songs with focus on country with a mix of country rock, alt. country and singer / songwriter material. Aside from The Imposters: Steve Nieve, Pete Thomas and Davey Faragher, the album also feature Emmylou Harris on three songs (tracks #8, #10 & #14), guitarist of the Doobie Brothers, John McFee on two songs (tracks #2 & #10) and Lucinda Williams on track #3. Apparently, both Nieve and Thomas wanted to make the album with their old backing band - which would include bassist Bruce Thomas, but Costello were specific that he would no longer make music with that Thomas, and instead Dave Farragher makes the backing trio a new constellation.

The Deluxe Edition contains 7 bonus tracks (in 2-cd format) similar to the bonus disc "Delta-Verité - The Clarksdale Sessions", seven tracks recorded live in the studio using antique microphones, tube amplifiers and old recording equipment.

At a first listen, it may be an odd experience, but as always with Costello you need to adjust to his intentions, and his ideas about the music. He very seldom reproduces the sound and the style on a follow-up album, so you really have to keep an open mind to what he's on to next, and with this I felt taken on the wrong foot, and then upon listening again immediately accepted it 'cause you never know where he's going on his releases, and mostly, it's never bad or mediocre 'cause he's so full of ideas and musicality - and then he simply loves so many styles, which may make it appear as a mish-mash - but it never is just that. Here he incorporates the traditional American country music that he also explored on Almost Blue (1981). Back in the days, I sort of enjoyed his '81 album, which was more in the style with original country (as executed by Hank Williams and the like), and that of course could've been experienced in arrangements close to the original sources, but that's not the case on this one. This is not entirely a country record, although that style takes up the majority of tracks, but it's often in a combo with folk and or jazz elements, which altogether makes it a more diverse experience. Costello makes use of his talent for song structure and lyrical content, and he uses his strong vocal register - not to be confused with range, 'cause it's narrow and highly characteristic but always delivered with a strong passion that resonates through and through. And speaking of his ability to throw himself over new styles, he had been working on the music for Aterballetto Dance Company of Reggio Emilia [Italy] back in 2000 simultaneously while writing and composing music for classical artist Anne Sophie Otter (which was released as For the Stars in 2001], and written several songs for his new [20 year-old younger] partner Diana Krall for her 2004 album The Girl in the Other Room (re. Apr. 2004). With the album Il Sogno (togeher with London Symphony Orchestra and conductor Michael Tilson Thomas), he also re-arranged the ballet music songs for a music album, released on the same day as The Delivery Man.

The songs here reflect a happy and content Costello, who privately has moved in with American jazz and soft rock vocalist and pianist Diana Krall. The two married in 2003, and it's evident that Costello finds himself in a better position than perhaps ever before. He sings with warmth and passion and without the usual wry use of sarcasm and irony that has been key elements on many former albums. Instead, he narrates about real emotions and he delivers with energy and artistry as a matured storyteller. Yes, several songs are heavily inspired by others - Tom Waits seems like an obvious source to more than one song, but Costello is that musical chameleon who absorbs and reconstructs in new ways, and that's how he has made a long-lasting career.

I like it - it's definitely a grower.

[ allmusic.com, Blender, Rolling Stone, The Guardian 4 / 5, Uncut, Q Magazine 3 / 5, 👎Mojo 5 / 5 stars ]

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Mogwai "Rave Tapes" (2014)

Rave Tapes

release date: Jan. 21, 2014

format: digital (10 x File, MP3)

[album rate: 3 / 5] [3,12]

producer: Paul Savage

label: Rock Action Records - nationality: Scotland, UK

Track highlights: 1. "Heard About You Last Night" - 3. "Remurdered" - 5. "Repelish" - 6. "Master Card" - 10. "The Lord Is Out of Control"

8th studio album by Mogwai following only a little more than a week after the ep release of Music Industry 3. Fitness Industry 1. (Jan. 12, 2014) and 1 year after the soundtrack album Les Revenants, and more directly, following 3 full years after their most recent studio album: Hardcore Will Never Die, But You Will (Feb. 2011). Although, almost released together with an ep, this full-length doesn't share much of the style from that. Three tracks (#3, #9, #10) share titles with tracks from the ep, but here they have been re-arranged and are not easily identifiable with the versions on the ep. This brand new album comes with ten new tracks and a total running time around 49 minutes that altogether reflects more confined and shorter compositions than what they used to throw in. Here, the tracks run from 2:35 to 6:25 minutes as the longest, but the relative narrow time span of tracks is not the most striking trait about this - instead the music has grown into more electronically-founded with what you may label as synthwave with less focus on their noise rock background centrered on guitar sound. In that respect, Rave Tapes sound more contemporary with its stronger electronic sound, although, the title doesn't give what it may suggest - but that's Mogwai, right! meaning: things don't necessarily mean what they suggest. "Rave" is diffinitely not to be taken literally. They incorporate electronics to a larger extent, but the irony is that it doesn't exactly blow off the roof of anything. I find that no specific tracks demand one's attention, which makes the album a bit of a bland experience, and in general, I wish the band would be more explicit - as they are on the fine Music Industry.. ep. Rave Tapes doesn't sound as a band wanting to demonstrate how far they have come but more like another score to a film, and the album is just not one of their most challenging works. Despite my feelings, this became Mogwai's first album to ever peak as high as number #10 on the UK albums chart list. Previously, Hardcore Will Never Die... had reached number #25 and Rock Action number #23.

Not recommended.

[ bandcamp ]

[ allmusic.com, Rolling Stone 3,5 / 5, 👍Pitchfork 6 / 10 stars ]

Martha Wainwright "Goodnight City" (2016)

Goodnight City

release date: Nov. 11, 2016

format: cd

[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,46]

producer: Brad Albetta & Thomas Bartlett

label: Play It Again Sam - nationality: Canada

Track highlights: 1. "Around the Bend" - 2. "Franci" (4 / 5) (live in studio) - 3. "Traveller" (live in studio) - 4. "Look Into My Eyes" - 6. "Window" - 8. "Alexandria" - 10. "One of Us" - 12. "Francis"

4th studio album by Martha Wainwright following a full four years since her last studio album Come Home to Mama (Oct. 2012), but most recently it follows the duo-project The Wainwright Sisters and their debut Songs in the Dark from 2015, where Martha stars alongside half-sister Lucy Wainwright Roche.

Goodnight City is, as usual, produced by husband Brad Albetta, who, however, is involved for the last time as the couple should divorce in 2018. Here, Albetta shares producer credit with Thomas Bartlett, who previously participated as keyboardist on all of Wainwright's albums since the Edit Piaf album Sans Fusils, ni souliers, a Paris..." (2009). The album offers 12 tracks with a total running time at just over 45 minutes. In the past, Wainwright has been songwriter and composer on the majority of her songs, but here she's alone credited half of the tracks and as co-writer on two. Four tracks are written and composed by others, respectively by Michael Ondaatje & Thomas Bartlett ("Piano Music"), Beth Orton ("Alexandria"), Merrill Garbus ("Take the Reins"), and brother Rufus Wainwright ("Francis").

Stylistically, there is a small change to trace since her 2012 album on a collection of songs mostly native to mainstream pop / rock - and most clearly, this is more subdued in a modern singer / songwriter style with ties to folk pop. In the main, 'cause you'll find detours with more tempo and energy, such as on the slightly out of place rock-wrenching and Iggy Pop-inspired "So Down", but also on the glitch pop-arranged "Take the Reins" - both of which fall somewhat outside the big picture. On "Around the Bend" Martha imitates the role model Joni Mitchell quite a bit, although the song is actually very fine, but I guess that's just how things are with Martha Wainwright: she's fully capable of lots of good stuff and she has a great vocal, but too often she tend to over-dramatise a bit. Best track here is Wainwright's own "Franci" - not to be confused with Rufus' "Francis," which rounds out the album - but both songs were written for Martha and producer Albetta's 2014 son, Francis Valentine Albetta.

The album is a welcome return to Wainwright in her more usual style, despite resulting in a record low on album charts worldwide.

[ The Guardian, Gaffa.dk 4 / 5, 👍Under the Radar 3,5 / 5, The Independent 3 / 5 stars ]

Sharon Van Etten "Remind Me" (2019)

Remind Me
release date: Jan. 18, 2019
format: cd
[album rate: 4 / 5] [3,76]
producer: John Congleton
label: Jagjaguwar - nationality: USA

Track highlights: 1. "I Told You Everything" - 2. "No One's Easy to Love" - 4. "Comeback Kid" - 5. "Jupiter 4" - 6. "Seventeen" - 7. "Malibu" - 10. "Stay"

5th studio album by Sharon Van Etten follows nearly 5 years after its predecessor and is produced by star-producer John Congleton who has worked with Erykah Badu, David Byrne, Lana Del Rey, Jens Lekman, Modest Mouse, Sigur Rós and St. Vincent - to mention but a few. Stylistically, Van Etten doesn't generally release a new album like the former, it seems. Here, she has moved away from the alt.country codes and instead moved into the crowded territory of indie pop and synthpop. It's still also a singer / songwriter release, which also makes it unmistakably Van Etten. Her fine mellow (singing) tone overshadows stylistic changes, which dwells on slow repetitive rhythms but also more vibrant quirkiness that in some ways have her share DNA with St. Vincent - though just slightly enough to make the comparison and at the same time, too little to call it similar. Van Etten is still one of a kind, and although it may not be up there with her great Are We There from 2014, this is another fine album from her warm hands.
Remind Me showcases Van Ettens great potential as someone to pay attention to. It has been lauded as one of the best album releases of the year, and she doesn't hesitate out new angles and styles on an album that puts her closer to St. Vincent than ever before. I find it refreshing 'though I don't find it up there alongside her great 2014 album, which is her clearly so far best album.
[ allmusic.com 4,5 / 5, 👍NME, Rolling Stone, The Guardian 4 / 5 stars ]