My Amazon Reviews: Dawes “All Your Favorite Bands”

Your New Favorite Band Brings It All Together
4 Out Of 5 Stars

On the new "All Your Favorite Bands," Dawes maintain their infatuation with that 70's California sound. I guess all that time spent on the road with Jackson Browne helped mold the band's shape, but on this album, as on the previous albums, Dawes mine that vein successfully enough that they claim it as their own.

As much as this album harkens back to the LA heydays of yore, leader Taylor Goldsmith roots much of the album in modern heartache. The title song may seem like a fond farewell, but it's really a bitter kiss-off. Same with the opener, "Things Happen." Replace "Things" with a four letter word starting with the letter 'S' and you'll catch my drift. All this lyrical tension is buttressed by the band themselves. The playing has become more organic, and they went to a live in the studio recording method. ("Things Happen" was reported to have been nailed on the first take.) It leads to a few surprises, like the electric guitar solo in "I Can't Think About It Now." Or most obviously on the near 10 minute closer "Now That It's Too Late Maria."

Starting with just a hushed drum and low key bass, Goldsmith sings lightly, "Nothing sadder than a street light/shining on a stretch of empty sidewalk." Builds to a slow burn solo before the final verse, then eases into a jam session that winds up as the song continues. It captures perfectly how much the band's chops and trust in interplay has grown, even with the short span of time between "All Your Favorite Bands" and "Stories Don't End." Credit should be given to producer David Rawlings, who captures the band in their natural element, and to Dawes themselves for the leap in compositional acumen. "All Your Favorite Bands" is modern folk rock of the finest caliber and a contender for the best thing I've heard this year.

     

My Amazon Reviews: James Taylor “Before This World”

Sweet Grown Man James
4 Out Of 5 Stars

Hard to believe we've waited 13 years for new James Taylor songs, but "Before This World" was well worth the wait. His voice, still pure and world-weary has changed little over the decades, even matured a bit, The songs are comfortable, like your old blue jeans. He waxes nostalgic on "Stretch Of The Highway," touches a political nerve on "Far Afghanistan," and lays claim to an oldie for "Wild Mountain Thyme."

This is aural comfort food, impeccably produced with some lush orchestrations and often offering breathing space between the singer and his songs (IMHO a lost art among many current artists). The harmonies are lovely and there's even a drop by from Sting (on the title track). I particularly like "Angels Of Fenway," a tribute both to his Grandmother and a salute to the 2004 World Series winning Boston Red Sox. As a fellow member of Red Sox Nation, I've been wanting to hear the studio version ever since he sang it live at Fenway Park in early May (broadcast on NESN). I was not disappointed.

"Somehow I haven't died," James croons over the opening mellow folksiness of "Today Today Today." "Before the World" often looks back at his life, and to our benefit, James sound confident enough that maybe the next album will come before a 13 year gap occurs. But for now, enjoy "Before This World." Where singer/songwriters are concerned, there just isn't anyone to compare to James Taylor.

     

My Amazon Reviews: Hozier "Hozier"

That's a Fine Looking High Horse.
3 Out Of 5 Stars

Hozier hit the jackpot with his first pull of the lever. "Take Me To Church" is haunting, daunting and almost painful to listen to, which makes it virtually impossible to get it out of your head. It warranted the purchase of "Hozier," the self titles debut CD. He's got a decent voice for the near blues of the bulk of the album, and he's an OK songwriter, but one problem. None of the other songs catches fire the way "Take Me To Church" does. I'll give points to "Jackie and Wilson," it's a fairly clever bit of singer-songwriter workout. There's also the duet "In A Week" (with Karen Cowley), which offers some variety from Hozier's vocal angst. The lack of more memorable songs is exacerbated by the album's length; there's 13 songs that drag into each other. That's a shame, because "Take Me To Church" is a five star song, but the rest of "Hozier" just doesn't measure up.

     

My Amazon Reviews: Natalie Merchant "Natalie Merchant"

Richer and Darker
4 Out Of 5 Stars

Natalie Merchant has become more of a rich singer as the years have gone by. Her voice has become more full, her alto voice breathing a deeper mood to her new music on "Natalie Merchant." While deeper moods will likely come as no surprise to her fans (I've been one since seeing 10,000 Maniacs three times), the introspection might be. Gone are the days where she sang poetic socially agitated lyrics atop the Maniacs' new wavish pop, instead, she sings her straightforward poetry in a mix with some truly gorgeous instrumental players.

She's not totally devoid of socially conscious songs, as "Texas" could easily been seen as skewing a certain former president. But it's more mood than anything else she's aiming for. The fork tinged "Seven Deadly Sins" is a perfect example. Stripped to a fairly bare boned structure that slowly builds from acoustic beginnings to slide guitar and ultimately to a martial drum and tastefully played french horn ending, it's adult contemporary music that's for contemporary adults. It's finally at "The End," where Natalie once again touches on the wishful thinking of liberals, that she sings for the final laying down of arms against a 'sea so wide and treacherous,' all while backed with another gorgeously played string section. She may have a touch of grey in her hair as the CD cover depicts, but the elder spokeswoman of "Natalie Merchant" delivers pretty songs that are filled with the most distinct of emotional weight.

     

My Amazon Reviews: Jason Mraz "Yes!"

Maybe.
3 Out Of 5 Stars

Jason Mraz has always seemed like a puppy, always buoyant and ever so eager to please, His albums were catchy and fun, light pop with folk elements. Not so with "Yes!" Moving from slow song to slow song, Mraz has evolved from a fun and loveable lightweight to straight up middle of the road schmaltz. I guess you can call this an attempt at maturity, but with the exception of "Shine," things kind of blend into each other.

He's now working with an all-female, rock-folk band called Raining Jane, but you'd never know it from the general facelessness of the proceedings. They do add some pretty harmonies (like the lush opener "Rise - Love Someone") and some interesting instrumental touches (the sitar on "Shine") and the occasional bouncy bit (the drum beat of "Everywhere"). Yet the album personifies the definition of 'easy listening,' as Mraz doesn't seem to want to challenge his persona as a singer songwriter. It's not that an artist can't swing into a folk style and make it work, John Mayer proved that with his "Born and Raised." However, Mraz is taking it a little too laid back to make things happen. "Yes!" is still eager to please, but the man who laments the lack of "Quiet" in the modern world is taking that a tad too literally here.

     

My Amazon Reviews: James Lee Stanley "The Apocaloptimist"

Look on The Bright Side
4 Out Of 5 Stars

As a long time fan of James Lee Stanley, I am always excited when he settles in and records a new CD of original songs. He has also kept himself busy, recording duet albums in the "All Wood And..." series, so far mining The Doors and Rolling Stones for source material, Yet it is his solo CD's that I wait for with the greatest hunger. On the new "The Apocaloptimist," he weaves the magic again.

Combining the word apocalypse with the word optimist, he expects the worst and hopes for the best. The character he introduces in the first song is one who lives and sleeps, rises and falls and falls again while "Living The Party Life." Our up and coming yuppie parties when he wins, parties when he loses, and no matter what the result, is ready to party away. PBR in hand, he's probably the best dressed and most annoying person in the room, but James still sings with some sympathy for the guy. Later he hangs out at a bar and sweetly dreams of being rescued at "Last Call."

The character's not a complete yay-hoo. After all, how could he be if he likes Beatles' songs? Coming from the same respectful background as the "All Wood And..." series, "Drive My Car" gives a folk rock makeover to a classic, complete with a tasty harmonica courtesy of Corky Siegel. Or, for that matter, would such a bad man surround himself with great players like Little Feat's Paul Barrere (on slide guitar for "Gypsies In The Hallway")? James' hero may be searching for the best, and this being a story with a happy ending, lets the lead actor fumble his way to understanding with nothing but the best musicianship lighting the way. He comes to a realization about family on "Here We Have My Father," and figures out that maybe it's time to treat his life as something more precious on the strolling "When You Get Right To It."

Coming to terms with when life deals you a decent hand, James' hero ain't such a bad guy in the end. He finds true love during "Any Other Way" and learns the deepest love when singing a "Lullaby for Chloe." James takes our "Apocaloptimist" guy from annoying chump to adoring father in less than an hour, James Lee Stanley is the kind of storyteller who can do this narrative masterfully, and I love when stories have happy endings. Especially when set to music this good.

One more thing: The album's artwork. "The Apocaloptimist's" cover art is poster worthy. It harkens back to the days when the amount of thought given to the entire album package covered the music and how the artwork related to the songs within.

     

My Amazon Reviews: Coldplay "Ghost Stories"

Telling Strange Tales
4 Out Of 5 Stars

Stripping themselves back considerably from their last few albums, Coldplay's "Ghost Stories" bares the band to key piano pop balladry and Chris Martin's laments of love. For fans of the lush "Viva La Vida" or the Eno-inilftrated "Mylo Xyloto, this will sound almost naked. Martin has never sounded this intimate, and the band hasn't been this uncluttered sine their "Parachutes" debut.

What would explain this sudden call back to a more bare bones sound? Well, for one, Martin and longtime lady Gwyneth Paltrow have called it quits, and some of the songs sure do feel like break-up please. "Magic" is the earnest tip of the iceberg, as Martin keeps begging "I don't want anyone else but you" over and over above a most subdued electronic pulse. Where most other bands would make this into pure corn, Coldplay make it so darn earnest that you kind of feel for the guy. And it doesn't always work. Soon after, he wails on "Ink" that he loves so much it hurts...just like that brand new tattoo. Even Martin can't get away with that one.

But what he does pull out of his hat here is sometimes close to brilliance. Coldplay may easily be one of the biggest bands in the world, but few would make such a left field turn as they do on "Ghost Stories." That inclination towards pop heavens is on full display on the album's most uptempo track, "Sky Full Of Stars." On prior albums, the band would have laid on the production till the song was bleeding U2-isms, this time around, it's piano filtered through some electronic treatments and Martin laying on as thick as he can. "In a sky full of stars, I think I saw you..." just as the beat kicks in courtesy of Swedish DJ Avicii. It's the kind of song that makes you happy to hear it on the radio.

"Ghost Stories" may be confessionals all the way, but it also brings Coldplay down to Earth. By the time it's over, Martin is comparing himself to a flock of birds drifting above the ground in that big falsetto of his. For all the glitter and widescreen production of their previous albums, this is where they finally find their soul. Bare souls, it seems, perhaps fly better.