Up until Christmas, I had hardly added to my music collection over the previous six months, but suddenly here comes a rush of some of my favourite singers and bands.
After enjoying her classic album "fires", and the not so great "dear frustrated superstar, I found some very reasonably priced offers for Nerina Pallot's 2009 album "The Graduate" and her latest "Year Of The Wolf". I have to say that I prefer her ballads to the yup tempo stuff, especially when she sings with basically just a piano accompaniment. There are few of those on the first of these albums, but "It Starts" represents what I mean. There are more of these on "Year Of The Wolf" especially the back to back "All Bets Are Off" and "If I Lost You Now". This is a high quality collection.
Even better is Aimee Mann's first solo album "Whatever" from 1993. I don't know why some of these songs seem familiar, but maybe not surprising given the rave reviews this debut received. There are some who believe this is still her best recording, and that is what persuaded me to go back to her beginnings. I'm so glad I did. "4th July" is an exquisite quiet waltz punctuated by some superb percussion, but there are so many great tracks. Unfortunately her concert at The Royal Festival Hall is sold out, so I will have to do with her new album "Charmer".
I hummed and haahed about Jewel's "Perfectly Clear". In the end it is too country for me. The backing is far too twangy for my taste. The songs are almost OK, and with a different production it could have been right up there with the other four albums in my collection.
"Don't Stop Singing" is an unusual CD. When a number of unknown song lyrics, written by the late Sandy Denny, were unearthed, her estate selected Thea Gilmore to provide the music and to record the tracks. In my opinion, the result is more of novelty value than a satisfying collection. If you just listen to the lyrics, they are quite a haunting memory of Sandy, but that is it. The music is repetitively and distinctly Thea. Maybe it needed one person to write the melodies and another to sing. The stand out track "London" is maybe an exception. This could become a classic.
Tina Dico does it again. Three mini albums make up "A Beginning, A Detour, An Open Ending". A collection of 20 simple yet beautiful songs with basic acoustic accompaniment is right up my street. She has a superbly clear distinctive voice and her consistently great songwriting defies belief. I have yet to purchase her latest album "Where Do You Go To Disappear?" so another treat is obviously in store.
I was so looking forward to Sharon Van Etten's new album "Tramp", especially as it was given great reviews and after her "Epic" album is so good. But, for me, she has entered a world that is alien to my ears. I guess that explains the reviews. To me it just drones on and on, sounding off key (I guess it is meant to). Think Bon Iver, with whom she has previously collaborated, but not in a good way. I will try to see if it grows on me, but I'm not holding my breath.
However, I have saved the best for last. Honey Ryder's first album "Rising Up" is one of my favourites of all time, and the new one "Marley's Chains" is also fabulous. First of all I want to know what has happened to Martyn Shone. He joins vocalist and joint composer Lindsay O'Mahoney on the front cover of "Rising Up", the band being this joint enterprise. The two wrote all the songs on this album and played together on tour. I thought there must have been a complete separation for the new album, produced as it was by Lindsay's husband Jon (a story here?) and Honey Ryder are now Lindsay, Jason Huxley and Matt Bishop. In an interview for femalefirst, Lindsay says Martyn left "for personal reasons" whatever these were. So no more Martyn, or so I thought. It was therefore with some amazement that when I looked at the sleeve for "Marley's Chains", there is Martyn as joint writer of five tracks and "a special thank you" credit. Who knows, but who cares? The songs are all brilliant, this is just how up tempo songs should be. The instrumental backing is so crisp, it could crack. The one joint composition of Lindsay and Martyn is called "Never Say Never". So just maybe?
No comments:
Post a Comment