My Amazon Reviews: Band Of Horses "Cease To Begin"

Band at a Gallop
4 Out Of 5 Stars

Fronted by the otherworldly voice of Ben Bridwell, Band Of Horses make dreamy folk music ala Fleet Foxes and My Morning Jacket. Alternating between cushiony pop, unabashed folk and guitar rock, "Cease To Begin" cuts a wide swath musically. Sometimes the jumps can be jarring, like when the bashing guitars of "Cigarettes Wedding Bands" slips into the country ballad "Window Blues," complete with a banjo. There's a great opener in "Is There A Ghost" that mixes both the dream-pop with an eventual cascade of guitsr, combing the band's strength in the best offering here. What ties this all together is Bridwell's voice and an uncanny sense of melody; even his brashest songs have underlying hooks. Add some really gorgeous harmonies ("Window Blues" again), you get one of those indie bands earning their cred the hard way, by working outside the system. "Cease To Begin" is a relaxed and understated album.

     

My Amazon Reviews: Orleans "Dance With Me: The Best of Orleans"

Still Dancing.
3 Out Of 5 Stars

For a band that had exactly three top 40 singles, this Orleans best of is super comprehensive. The band spent time on three labels, ABC, Asylum and Infinity, all represented here. John Hall was the front-man for most of the period, but the band had a last hit without him called "Love Takes Time." Orleans still tours as a trio, with brothers Lance and Larry Hoppen and Hall performing as a trio. They're also still recording albums.

But their heyday was with Asylum, with the albums "Waking and Dreaming" and "Let There Be Music." The first song here, "Half Moon," was initially recorded by Janis Joplin, and the band sounds like a version of The Doobie Brothers. However, once the mellowed down the sound a bit, "Dance With Me" shot into the top ten. John Hall and his wife Johanna had a serious songwriter's groove, writing 13 of the 20 songs on the disc, and they all roll in that mellow California sounds that was popular for the time. Then the duo hit the geyser when "Still the One" hit number 5, got adopted as the ABC network's theme song, and for countless weddings everywhere.

John, however, was becoming more politically active and left the group soon after. None of his solo material is here, but the song "Cold Spell" is an indicator of where he's eventually go (and why he eventually ran for NY Federal Office). Members Wells Kelly, Lance and Larry (along with keyboardist Bob Leinbach, kept the harmonies intact and still managed to hit #11 with "Love Takes Time." Another ballad from that album, "Forever," is included here. The sound of the band fit pretty closely to the sound of the singles, which means the other seventeen songs are all cut from the same cloth. None have the fizz that "Still The One" still has, but if this was the sound of the seventies for you, you'll dig it.

   

My Amazon Reviews: Explorers Club "Grand Hotel"

Deliciously Retro
4 Out Of 5 Stars

The Explorers Club and "Grand Hotel" are so behind the times that they've made a minor miracle in their album. It's like eating the old three level jello deserts from my childhood. There was a frothy foam on the top, a whipped creamy middle and the juicy, fruity jello bottom. The music on "Grand Hotel" is layered almost the same way. The top seems comprised of foamy Beach Boys and California harmonies, the middle a pastiche of Herb Alpert and Sergio Mendes, the juicy main portion a mixture of such iconic song masters as Jimmy Webb/Glen Campbell, The Association, a touch of Beatles, Mama's and Papa's, The Turtles, and so many other ingredients that you'll get lost in the many chambers. When you put a song called "Sweet Delights" on an album that shamelessly pays homage to The Tijuana brass, you know you're probably headed for a love/hate relationship...like seconds on your deserts.

It makes "Grand Hotel" idiosyncratic and a bit frustrating. To be able to record an album in this day and age that slavishly recreates this classic pop sound without being a punchline takes serious dedication and talent. Yet you wonder what lead singers Wally Reddington, Jason Brewer or Dave Ellis really sound like when not aping Brian Wilson, as brilliant as "Run Run Run" or "Any Little Way" sound. Or to uncover if the band's love of the sounds they've recreated are genuine or some kind of grand art project? Or, you may ask yourself, why over-analyze The Explorers Club? "Grand Hotel" is a breath of ocean breezes that'll give you good vibes...even if this is music you'll also think your mother should know.

     

My Amazon Reviews: Fleet Foxes "Helplessness Blues"

Q: What is the opposite of Sunny Harmonies? 4 Out of 5 Stars

A: "The Helplessness Blues" by Fleet Foxes. These folkies have the rich, gorgeous harmonies of the Beach Boys or CSN down to almost museum quality, but where most would call Beach Boys harmony sunny and fun, Fleet Foxes' hit you like 42 sad movie endings spliced together into a 40 minute compilation. They make feeling glum feel oh, so groovy.

Clouds of vocal atmosphere are what Fleet Foxes specialize in. "So now I am older than my mother and father/when they had their daughter" are the first words on the album, and that sets the tone on the remainder of the album. It helps that heaping stacks of near gospel harmony climbs the hills behind lead vocalist Robin Pecknold cushions the fact that Robin is pouring his soul out on each song. The band also eschews traditional instrumentation (marxophone? Hammer dulcimer? Water harp? Tibetan singing bowls?) to enhance the other-worldliness of their sound. That's not to say Fleet Foxes are totally out there; hearing "sim salabim" in the middle of a tune made me smile and think of Jonny Quest. (Well, maybe that wasn't their original intent, but it works for me.)

"Helplessness Blues" is an album that never goes static, never stops to judge what it's doing and sometimes erupts in surprising ways (the cutting, dissonant sax barks and string arrangement at the end of "The Shrine/An Argument"). While often rooted in a familiar base - like the CSN harmonies in "The Plains/Bitter Dancer" - yet taking routes that aren't staid, "Helplessness Blues" moves Fleet Foxes into a place of their own. As the title song draws to a close, Robin wistfully sings "someday I'll be like the man on the screen." There's a hope and idealism to that one line that belies just how deep and treacherously much of the album looks at life, and on their sophomore album, Fleet Foxes sound like they may be up to the challenges.