Bob Mould "Sunshine Rock" (2019)

Sunshine Rock
release date: Feb. 8, 2019
format: cd
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,54]
producer: Bob Mould
label: Merge Records - nationality: USA

Track highlights: 1. "Sunshine Rock" (studio session) - 2. "What Do You Want Me to Do" - 3. "Sunny Love Song" - 5. "The Final Years" - 7. "I Fought" - 9. "Lost Faith" - 11. "Send Me a Postcard"

12th studio solo album by Bob Mould is like all his solos produced by Mould and it's his fourth consecutive album to by released on Merge. It's the continued story of the old rock artist, who has found his niche on his older days. It takes off where he left us on Patch the Sky in 2016, which again took off from the two previous releases. The album is Mould's 4th since what many saw as his "comeback" album, Silver Age in 2012 - an album that followed several years with musical experiments and the then most recent "folk rock-ish" Life and Times (2009) - and his most welcomed 2012 rocker presented Mould's nice return to form - something he has proved to keep to ever since.
Sunshine Rock may not appear as alternative and heavy as his most recent studio album, but it still stays very true to the power pop label he is first and foremost associated with. Sometimes he turns up a bit on the alt. rock side of the style, at other times it's more harmonically composed, but it's always power pop with hints and bonds to the old punk rock soul and with a natural link to an American tradition of folk rock as personified by Neil Young, and the album is in my mind one of Mould's more bold releases to share a common ground in songwriting style with his time in Hüsker Dü. In this respect you may compare to Candy Apple Grey (1986) and Warehouse - Songs and Stories (1987). Track #11, "Send Me a Postcard" is a mighty fine cover - originally a blast of a [non-album] song by Dutch [Jefferson Airplane-ish] band Shocking Blue issued as a 7'' single in 1968 [ check the original here ].
The album has been met by positive reviews, although, it hasn't reached the favourable position on the albums chart list as his best charting album in recent years, Beauty & Ruin from 2014. Bob Mould keeps rockin' away - that's what he knows, and he does that better than most. What also comes to mind here, is his long legacy with power pop tunes and how he may find it increasingly difficult not to repeat himself if he doesn't add more to his new material. Having said that, the album is a prolific example of alt. rock craftsmanship and something essential in a collection of contemporary alt rock.
[ allmusic.com, Mojo, Rolling Stone 4 / 5, 👍Slant 3,5 / 5, Pitchfork 7,6 / 10, Uncut 4,5 / 5 stars ]

The Chemical Brothers "No Geography" (2019)

No Geography
release date: Apr. 12, 2019
format: cd
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,58]
producer: The Chemical Brothers
label: Virgin EMI - nationality: England, UK

Track highlights: 1. "Eve of Destruction" - 3. "No Geography" - 4. "Got to Keep On" - 6. "The Universe Sent Me" - 7. "We've Got to Try" - 8. "Free Yourself" - 9. "MAH" - 10. "Catch Me I'm Falling"

9th studio album by The Chemical Brothers issued after a near four year hiatus is like the most recent Born in the Echoes released on Virgin EMI and as always produced by the duo. It's a ten track collection on which Tom Rowlands and Ed Simmons take a stronger grip on acid house than usually - a style closely related to electro house and something I don't really spend much time listening to. Basically, it's a bit like returning to the early days of techno. There is also some progressive house parts here and there, but the best thing about the new album is the lust to also include big beat as they did on the 2015 album.
The album has been met by positive reviews, and it seems like the duo has re-found its potential.
The album is so fresh to me, but for the time being, I really enjoy it, and from my experience with The Chemical Brothers one simply has to digest their new material to let it unfold before judging too hard. For now; I rate it good above 3,5, but is it a 4 star album and bettering the 2015 release?
[ 👍allmusic.com 3,5 / 5, The Guardian, Mojo, Q Magazine, Uncut, NME 4 / 5, Rolling Stone 2,5 / 5 stars ]

Little Simz "Grey Area" (2019)

Grey Area
release date: Mar. 1, 2019
format: digital (10 x File, MP3)
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,72]
producer: Inflo [aka Dean "Inflo 1st" Josiah, aka Dean Cover]
label: Age 101 Music - nationality: England, UK

Track highlights: 1. "Offence" - 2. "Boss" - 3. "Selfish" (feat. Cleo Sol) - 5. "Venom" - 6. "101 FM" - 7. "Pressure" (feat. Little Dragon) - 8. "Therapy"

3rd studio album by Little Simz [aka Simbi Ajikawo] following 2 years after Stillness in Wonderland (Dec. 2016) on her own independent label Age 101 Music.

Her sophomore 2016 release came out to fine reviews but failed to attract a bigger crowd - bassically like her debut A Curious Tale of Trials + Persons (2015), which had been hailed as the new big thing, but as much as these releases didn't attract a broader public attention, then all of a sudden with Grey Area everyone now knows about Little Simz.

I didn't know of her until I came across this one by chance, and my initial thought was "yet another artist of conscious hip hop", I must admit - 'cause it's a genre, I mostly consider obsolete. "Conscious"? I don't get the term. When is contemporary hip hop NOT about social engagement anyway?! More interestingly, this is UK hip hop with bonds to grime and warm neo-soul with a blunt use of drum and bass. And musically, this is normally not a preferred genre of mine, as I find a lot of so-called contemporary rap and hip hop too generic building on the same well-known formulas, but Simz just makes her own original blend. Securely, she sings soulfully, she raps with speed and a sneer that doesn't let any angry grime rapper have a say, and she skilfully drops her points.

Grey Area came out to critical acclaim, and the album topped the Official Hip Hop and R&B Albums Chart Top 40-list as well as on the Official Independent Albums-list in the UK. The album was also nominated the Mercury Prize in 2019.

She may not have as many believers as West, Drake, Ocean, or Lamar but imho, she links better with Lauryn Hill and ultimately has more to offer than most other and better known contemporary hip hop artists, and she rightfully deserves more recognition.

Recommended.

[ allmusic.com 4,5 / 5, Q, The Observer, 👍The Guardian 4 / 5, NME 5 / 5 stars ]

Sun Kil Moon "April" (2008)

April
release date: Apr. 1, 2008
format: 2 cd
[album rate: 4 / 5] [3,88]
producer: Mark Kozelek
label: Caldo Verde Records - nationality: USA

Tracklist: 1. "Lost Verses" - 2. "The Light" (4 / 5) - 3. "Lucky Man" - 4. "Unlit Hallway" - 5. "Heron Blue" - 6. "Moorestown" - 7. "Harper Road" - 8. "Tonight the Sky" - 9. "Like the River" - 10. "Tonight in Bilbao" - 11. "Blue Orchids" (4 / 5)

3rd studio album by Sun Kil Moon following the covers album Tiny Cities (2005) is a 2-disc and 2 lp standard release issued on Caldo Verde. The CD issue contains a bonus disc containing four alternate versions (not included on the vinyl issue) of tracks #10, #2, #9 and #8 on the standard album.

Again, the style is intact and there's only small changes from Kozelek's "normal" alt. folk style. The compositions here are just a bit more orchestrated than was heard on its predecessor Tiny Cities and a few tracks are more folk rock-oriented, which suits their harmonies so fine, and they also point more directly back to the fine indie rock debut Ghosts of the Great Highway (2003). All tracks here are credited Kozelek and that's really when he shines the most. And therefore, this album also makes it to be the so far second best by this interesting artist, in my opinion.

[ allmusic.com 4,5 / 5, Slant 4 / 5, Rolling Stone 3 / 5 stars ]

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 ]

Standard cover

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 ]

Tex Ritter "Songs of the Golden West" (1961)

Songs of the Golden West

release date: 1961

format: vinyl (SREG 1001) (1966 reissue)

[album rate: 2 / 5] [2,18]

producer: Lee Gillette

label: Regal - nationality: USA

Studio album by Tex Ritter originally titled Hillbilly Heaven and released in 1961 by Capitol Records. Already in '61, the album was issued with the title Songs of the Golden West in New Zealand, also with the same cover as this UK reissue. This version was again reissued in '69 in Australia and in the UK, now with a new cover, and another issue with the title Deck of Cards was also reissued in the UK. All of these different issues, however, has the same tracklisting as the original album from 1961.

The album was part of my parents' record collection, and I only got this after my dad's passing in 2016. I don't recall this from my childhood, and I think my dad purchased this at some point during the 1990s at a time when he had begun listening to country music and especially the music by Willie Nelson and Jim Reeves.

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 Tomorrow" (2019)

Remind Me Tomorrow
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 the 2014 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 Tomorrow 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 ]

Heligoland "Heligoland" (2000)

Heligoland [debut]

release date: Jan. 1, 2000

format: digital (9 x File, FLAC)

[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,68]

producer: Tim Friese-Greene

label: Calcium Chloride - nationality: England, UK

Track highlights: 1. "Lost and Lethal" - 2."Shrug" - 3. "Bluebird" - 5. "Shock Treatment" - 6. "Isn't It Sad" (4 / 5) - 7. "Loaded Gun" - 9. "The Kiss-Off" (contains a cover of Hendrix' "Purple Haze" after 2 mins. pause)

Full-length album debut by Heligoland - not to be confused with the Australian band led by Karen Vogt and Steve Wheeler, nor the album release by Massive Attack. This is instead the one-man project by Tim Friese-Greene after releasing the four-track ep Creosote & Tar (1997) on his own label Calcium Chloride via his bandcamp profile.

This is a like finding a hidden gem everyone should know of but only few have come across, which is really sad. Everyone knows what a fundamental part Friese-Greene played in co-creating the music in one of Britain's most influential bands of the late 80s and early 90s: Talk Talk and his and Mark Hollis' experimental musical approach, which led to albums like Spirit of Eden (Sep. 1988) and Laughing Stock (Nov. 1991), but he was also behind the music by the band as early as It's My Life (Feb. 1984)

It's not that hard to hear the weight of the legacy in these nine compositions. There's a strong experimental and wildness jumping out of the music, and there's a strong and natural denial of making mainstream pop-tunes on the basis of known formulas. Instead, energy and playfulness makes evreything come to life.

Recommended.

The B-52's "The B-52's" (1979)

The B-52's [debut]
release date: Jul. 6, 1979
format: cd (1988 reissue)
[album rate: 4 / 5] [3,98]
producer: Robert Ash [uncredited]; Chris Blackwell
label: Island Records - nationality: USA

Track highlights: 1. "Planet Claire" - 2. "52 Girls" - 3. "Dance This Mess Around" - 4. "Rock Lobster" (5 / 5) (official live recording) - 8. "60608-842" - 9. "Downtown"

Studio album debut by The B-52's, a quintet formed in Athens, Georgia, 1976 by vocalist Cindy Wilson, (Cindy's older brother) guitarist Ricky Wilson, vocalist and keyboardist Kate Pierson, drummer Keith Strickland, and lead vocalist and cowbell player Fred Schneider. The producer credits is handed to Island Records' founder Chris Blackwell, but according to Schneider, Robert Ash actually produced the album "and Chris oversaw the whole project".
Stylistically, the B-52's sticks to its own new wave style, which is influenced and incorporates funk and surf rock in a dance-pop-oriented way, and they also quite bluntly reflected a music and style that was observed as "pop kitsch". Lyrically, this was underlined in obscure or silly lyrics, which was seen as contrary to an American songwriter tradition, but which only resonated the late '70s - the punk rock era's stand against conformity. The majority of the tracks are composed by the band, or by Schneider and Wilson - except the end-track, "Downtown", a Petula Clark cover (1964 single) written by Tony Hatch but here in a new wave version arranged by Cindy Wilson and Kate Pierson.
The album fared reasonably well making it to #59 on the US Billboard 200, but it wasn't regarded a great album until some decades later. It seems the music of B-52's was so much on its own that it took time to really digest - however, over the years the band and their debut album has only been subject of critical acclaim. The album is enlisted in many best of lists including Rolling Stone Magazine's "500 greatest Albums of All Time" and in "1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die".
I've have always regarded the album as one of the fine original new wave releases and, imho, The B-52's are simply a better and much more fun act to listen to than e.g. the more acclaimed Talking Heads. Also, listening to the album today - some four decades later, it's really music that still contains so many great tunes full of joy and instant positive energy that it's a thrill.
Highly recommended.
[ allmusic.com, Rolling Stone 5 / 5, Slant, Select 4 /5 stars ]

Pearl Jam "Lightning Bolt" (2013)

Lightning Bolt
release date: Oct. 15, 2013
format: digital (12 x File, MP3)
[album rate: 3 / 5] [3,06]

producer: Brendan O'Brien

label: Monkeywrench Records - nationality: USA

Track highlights: 1. "Getaway" - 2. "Mind Your Manners" - 3. "My Father's Son" - 4. "Sirens" - 8. "Swallowed Whole"

10th studio album release by Pearl Jam and the second on Peral Jam's own label, Monkeywrench is once again produced with O'Brien.
Well, the band continues in its usual style. There's nothing new, hardly even the tracks seem new. I think, they just repeat themselves indefinitely, and with this you get some new Pearl Jam songs that sound like a Pearl Jam remix. I'm not impressed and don't find it a recommendable album.
[ 👎allmusic.com, PopMatters 4 / 5, Rolling Stone 3,5 / 5, Slant, Spin, 👍The Guardian 3 / 5 stars ]

Elvis Costello "North" (2003)

North
release date: Sep. 23, 2003
format: cd
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,42]
producer: Elvis Costello and Kevin Killen
label: Deutsche Grammophon - nationality: England, UK

18th studio album by Elvis Costello following 1½ year after When I Was Cruel is more of a solo album than most of any all his studio releases. Despite having what seems as a full orchestra of strings and brass musicians supporting him and also appearances by all of The Imposters: Steve Nieve, Pete Thomas, and Davey Faragher, the album comes out as a quiet and very ballad-like collection of vocal jazz compositions. Also, the majority of the song titles reveal an album with full attention on love ballads. Apparently, the album both reflects Costello's broken relationship with Cait O'Riordan as well as his newfound love with Canadian pianist and jazz vocalist Diana Krall, whom he married Dec. 2003.

The album bonds nicely with his two collaboration projects, the live album Deep Dead Blue (1995) with Bill Frisell as well as Painted From Memory (1998) with Burt Bacharach - and mostly with the latter by also having a full orchestra as backing band. Having said that, it's not an album that reflects his splendid ability to arrange and compose music - it's really like stretching his hands out to Krall and stating: "You know, I did all that but I can also make really soft vocal jazz and jazz pop music - really much like you do!", which some critics noted by referring to the style as closer to what Krall normally released than was the case with Mr. Costello.

Best thing here is the songwriting.

[ allmusic.com 3,5 / 5 stars ]

Lisa Ekdahl "More of the Good" (2018)

More of the Good
release date: Nov. 9, 2018
format: cd
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,38]
producer: Mathias Blomdahl
label: Sony Music - nationality: Sweden

10th studio album by Lisa Ekdahl released a 1½ years following När alla vägar leder hem. All songs are written and composed entirely by Ekdahl herself and all songs are with English lyrics. Perhaps the has released this new album also to satisfy her relatively broad international fans coming from English-speaking countries and also more traditional latin jazz-associated countries (Portugal, Spain, France, Italy).
You may prefer her native Swedish songs, but you can't reject that she's a fine vocalist and interpreter of contemporary easy listening and latin jazz, which is what this album contains most of all. I'm not a huge fan of her English lyrics but it really is one of her better attempts with English songs. It does, however, sound much like a huge conglomerate of previously released material and there are no new surprises under the hood. But if you like what works, this is a solid release of well-established themes.

Mogwai "Music Industry 3. Fitness Industry 1" (2014) (ep)

Music Industry 3. Fitness Industry 1., ep

release date: Jan. 12, 2014

format: digital (6 x File, FLAC)

[album rate: 4 / 5] [3,82]

producer: Paul Savage

label: Rock Action Records - nationality: Scotland, UK

Track highlights: 1. "Teenage Exorcists" - 3. "HMP Shaun William Ryder" - 4. "Re-Remurdered (Blanck Mass Remix)" - 6. "The Lord Is Out of Control (Nils Frahm Remix)"

Ep by Mogwai following one year after the soundtrack album Les Revenants (for a French TV-series) and preceeding the album Rave Tapes (Jan. 2014). According to the band's bandcamp profile and to Discogs the album was issued in download formats one week before the release of the band's eighth full-length studio album, although, you may also find it to be filed as issued in Nov./Dec. 2014 in cd, vinyl and other digital formats. Now, ep releases by Mogwai always offer something else - it's never just some tracks from recent album releases with the addition of one or two other tracks or an extended version like many other artist usually do. Mogwai always want any release to be unique in its own right, which is rare these days. Anyway, the album is also something special because it's the band's final studio release featuring original member John Cummings, who decided it was now time to go on his own in pursuit of a solo career. With a running time just above 31 minutes, this ep contains six tracks of which three were recorded during the Rave Tapes sessions but without any of them were included on the album, and the remaining three are remixes of tracks taken from the album but featuring other artists, and both the excluded "normal" Mogwai compositions and the new remixes are quite interesting, especially "Teenage Exorcists" - possibly excluded from the album for being too indie rock-oriented touching much on darkwave (with hints of Bloc Party) but mainly for falling a bit far from the tracks that were selected for the softer album release, and also the brilliantly titled "HMP Shaun Ryder" - is it "His Majesty's Prison...", "Help Me Please...", "Hit My Phone...", "Home-Made Pizza..", "Hold My Potatoes", "Hug Me Please", or something else, they refer to?!, which again is the whole point of the pun! And the song itself is great but again focuses more on complexity and uptempo beats, whereas the album is more laid-back, but the Blanck Mass (originally just titled "Remurdered" on Rave Tapes) and the Nils Frahm remixes are simply worth the lot!

And as usual, it's bound nicely together despite pointing in various directions.

This is simply a great Mogwai ep!

[ bandcamp ]

Ane Brun "It All Starts with One" (2011)

It All Starts with One

release date: Sep. 6, 2011

format: 2 cd (Deluxe)

[album rate: 4 / 5] [3,86]

producer: Tobias Fröberg

label: Balloon Ranger Recordings - nationality: Norway

Track highlights: CD 1) 1. "These Days" (4 / 5) - 2. "Words" (4 / 5) - 4. "Do You Remember" (4,5 / 5) (live at KCRW) - 6. "Lifeline" - 7. "One" - 9. "Oh Love" - 10. "Undertow"

CD 2) 2. "Take It Slow" - 5. "Du gråter så store tåra (English Version)" - 7. "Another World"

5th studio album by Ane Brun following the release of Sketches (Sep. 2008), which presents her acoustic demo versions of her most recent studio album Changing of the Seasons (Mar. 2008). This new album is often mentioned as her sixth studio album - but that's only when adding the demo version album to the list, which I find misleading. She has thus been on a 3½ years hiatus, which also produced the live album Live at Stockholm Concert Hall (2009), and this period was also shadowed by some time off due to reoccurring physical illness. The album was released as a standard CD issue of ten songs and as a 2 CD Deluxe edition with a bonus cd of eight tracks, which includes three covers.

With It All Starts with One Ane Brun continues to impress, both as a songwriter, as musical composer, and as a sublime vocalist. This new album is her third to top the albums chart in Norway, which it replicated in Sweden - a first accomplishment for a Norwegian artist. All in all, It All Starts with One is another fine album from one of the most original voices in all of Scandinavia. She never just seems satisfied as an artist but always comes up with new stylistic variations, and here she both proves her skills with emotional ballads and uptempo art pop but really no matter what style she excels in there's always a width, an amplitude and an enormous depth, making it all the more likeable.

This is one of her best albums and naturally a highly recommended listen.

[ allmusic.com 3,5 / 5, 👍Mojo, The Independent 4 / 5, 👎PopMatters 2,5 / 5 stars ]

Teitur "I Want to Be Kind" (2018)

I Want to Be Kind
release date: Jun. 8, 2018
format: cd
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,52]
producer: Thomas Bartlett, Teitur Lassen
label: Arlo & Betty Recordings - nationality: Faroe Islands, Denmark

Track highlights: 1. "Looking for a Place" - 2. "To Be of Use" - 3. "If Your Heart's Not in It" - 6. "I Would Love You All the Same" - 8. "I Want to Be Kind" - 12. "I Have Found My Happiness"

7th studio album by Teitur follows almost five whole years after his most recent album Story Music (Oct. 2013). In the meantime, Teitur released the collaboration album Confessions (Oct. 2016, released on Nonesuch) with American composer and conductor Nico Muhly.
I Want to Be Kind is a bit of a return to his roots in chamber pop and quiet folk rock. Except for his brief take with Story Music and his collaboration work with Nico Muhly, it's not that Teitur is notorious for making big experimental detours on his musical path, where he stays pretty much to a formula with roots in folk and leaving enough room to embrace both ballads and more rock-oriented compositions, and that's also what he has returned to here. After all, I think he sounds more confident in his songwriting than he did on the more experimental Story Music.
It's a nice collection of sometimes deep and witty songs, and as always, Teitur has a fine ear for melody.

Etta James "Losers Weepers" (1971)

2011 cover
Kent Soul

Losers Weepers
release date: 1971
format: digital (2011 reissue)
[album rate: 3,5 / 5]

producer: Ralph Bass

label: Kent Soul - nationality: USA

Track highlights: 2. "I Got It Bad and That Ain't Good" - 5. "Losers Weepers" - 6. "Weepers" - 9. "For All We Know"

10th studio album by Etta James originally released on Cadet Records (formerly Argo Records). The original album is an 11-track release but it comes as a 2011 cd version with 11 bonus tracks released on the Kent Records sublabel Kent Soul. Despite Etta was a serious heroin addict by the early 1970s, she really performs very well here.

org. '71 cover
Cadet Records