G
Gene "Drawn to the Deep End" (Polydor
UK, A&M US)
This London band's sophomore effort
is definitely more wanky and pretentious than "Olympian" (especially
with the cinematic theme that accompanies it). But it's not a bad
record either. "Fighting Fit" and "Voice of the Father" are two of
the stronger tracks to be found, if only for their more aggressive
nature. It's just that the rest of the record leaves me wanting loads
more. (DW)
H
Terry Hall- "Laugh" (Telstar/Warner
UK)
20-odd years since The Specials.
Slightly less since Fun Boy Three, and Terry Hall's still kicking
aroundÉand his voice still sounds the same. In the era of the "new
ska" revival, his influence is more important than the music he's
actually been producing since the early 80's (The Colourfield? Terry,
Blair & Anoushka? Vegas? PassÉ) A distinction between the
aforementioned acts and this, a "proper" solo album, is that he
actually sounds his age here. Collaborations with Stephen Duffy &
Damon Albarn haven't helped him, as the worst sides of both
songwriters (wistful Britpop from the former, oompah horns &
British music hall stylings from the latter) are allowed nearly free
reign. The saving graces are the first single, "Ballad of a
Landlord," (very pretty in a nearly-melodramatic manner, but doesn't
quite go over the top) and a surprisingly straightforward cover of
the Todd Rundgren-penned classic "I Saw The Light" that will put a
smile on your face for the "I remember this songÉ" value, then a
bigger smile when you realize it carries a little of the
Terry-Hall-of-old. Otherwise, this is better left alone in favor of
the music that made his name in the first place. (AE)
David Holmes - "Let's Get Killed" (Go! Disks)
The links between the songs were
recorded by Belfast's Holmes while tripping on a visit to New York.
Apparently he wandered around the Lower East Side, dictaphone in
hand, talking to every random psycho he happened to encounter. Even
if you don't like 'dance' music, these blips are worth the money
alone. If you do, you're in for an even bigger treat as Holmes once
again shows that there's a lot more to being a DJ than spinning a few
disks. (TW)
J
Bill Janowitz- "Lonesome Billy" (Beggars Banquet)
Personally, I think "Lonesome Billy",
the debut album from Buffalo Tom's Bill Janowitz was recorded (and
written it would seem) with the help of about 2 crates of whiskey,
700 cigarettes and a bunch of drunken friends. A lot of "Lonesome
Billy" finds Janowitz exploring the more country edge of his
songwriting, without ever leaving the passion and, above all, solid
songs, that make Buffalo Tom such a great band behind. All of which,
in my humble opinion, combine to make a great album. Some have
described this as a Buffalo Tom album without the other two, and
songs like "Gaslamp" and "Shoulder" do sound like they could be off
some of the band's earlier efforts. Which is not a bad thing at all.
However, to dismiss this as a bunch of tracks the other guys couldn't
be bothered to record, just isn't on folks. Songs like "Peninsula"
and "Talking to the Queen" stand out in their own right, as does his
cover of Leonard Cohen's "My Funny Valentine". And just to prove his
songs are not all written after a particularly bad bust-up with the
missus, check out "Ghost In My Piano" which sounds like some
hillbilly with a guitar was let loose in a drunken street party in
Marsailles. While some songs do verge on the corny (which makes great
drunken listening by the way) these seem to confirm there's more to
"MiseraBill" than some would like to believe after all.
(TW)
Jonathan Fire*Eater-"Wolf Songs For Lambs" (Dreamworks US, Deceptive
UK)
These pretty boys specialize in the
seductive sounds of organ-laced sex rock. That's the way it's always
been for this NYC five piece that prioritizes a sultry style almost
as much as the music itself. And although Dreamworks apparently threw
a large wad of cash their way, Jonathan Fire*Eater weren't affected
one bit-they were wonderfully smug long before their high-powered
record deal.
And so here we have their major label
debut. It's ten tracks crammed full of hormonal pride and inherent
soul. You can detect hints of 60s R&B and The Rolling Stones of
course, but this band crafted their influences into a sound that's
all unadulterated Jonathan Fire*Eater.
"Wolf Songs For Lambs" is a crafty
record guaranteed to make you swoon. It's just a matter of how many
songs you'll need to fall into the trap. (DW)
L
Linoleum - "Dissent" (Deceptive UK, Geffen US)
On first listen: ridiculously catchy
music, vocals that are a little growly, sometimes a little playful or
suggestive, oblique reference-free lyrics - a lot about drinking and
screwing, y'know, normal stuff. You can be forgiven for thinking
"Hey, it's Sleeper", becauseÉ wellÉ it pretty much is. A little more
feedback in the music and this singer knows her limits (so the vocals
are lower in the mix and free of those nearly hit notes), but, yeah,
it sounds A LOT like Sleeper. No clunky contents, but also nothing
here that's highly memorable. Unlike that other band, I have a
feeling this band's output may really rock live. But committed to
record it just sort of sits. (AE)
Lullaby for the Working Class - "I Never Even Asked for Light" (Bar
None)
Title says it all. Dude's bummed
about something, not surprising as they're from Nebraska. Definitely
a starin' at the whiskey in the tumbler type of record, perfect for
those nights when you want to kick the shit out of everybody you
encounter just for the hell of it. Stay far, far away if you're
suicidal, but everybody else with even a small soft spot for
country-tinged mope rock should buy this and file it next to Nick
Cave's darker records and Mark Lanagan's solo effort.
(TW)
Luna- "Pup Tent" (Elektra US)
Luna are one of the few bands around
that can pull off musical vignettes - lyrical tellings of
life-around-me stories without excluding the listener or
condescension toward the subjects - with music that matches the mood
of the stories being told. There are lots of drawn-out guitars,
sparse bass and drums. When it does pick up, it's only slightly. The
vocals are either detached and ironic or wistful, but always low key
- Dean Wareham's never going to indulge in vocal gymnastics. Which
also sums up the band nicely: they create low-key, moody (often
'moody') music without busting their asses over it. This is pretty
much what they've done from the start, and four albums in, it's still
effective. (AE)
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