 |
|
|
|
IN THIS ISSUE
|
|
|
CD Reviews
|
|
JOSIE AIELLO
|
One of my pet peeves is
people who sing about what an individual they are, and do it in
the most cliched manner imaginable. Cliched lyrics and clichÈd
music. That's Josie Aiello, at least as presented on the sampler
provided from her new album on Qwest Records. Musically, this is
bland modern R&B (the slow-jam style that passes for R&B these days,
far removed from what the term meant when I was young), marked by
vaguely hip-hop beats and Mariah Carey style warbling. It's well-produced,
and occasionally even catchy, but I don't hear anything new or innovative
in it. But the lyrics are what really get me on this disc. Half
the songs presented espouse individuality, and two of those ("Free"
and the title track) discuss what an "individual" Josie
considers herself to be. Yet her notion of being an individual seems
to be that she was "born and raised in Chi-town" and likes
"cold pizza and cookie dough." Maybe I just know too many
real individuals, but my standards for that honor are a little higher
(unless she's eating the pizza and dough together, and that's just
sick). Of course, today's culture is full of conformists pretending
to nonconformity (is there anybody reading this who thinks there
is anything "different" about Dodge cars?). All of those
cookie cutter consumers who are "different just like everyone
else" need something to confirm their self-assesment. And cliché
has certainly never slowed down sales, especially of popular music,
which thrives on recognizability. So I predict that Josie will be
a big hit, and we'll be inundated with another crop of kids who
mistake poor spelling for creativity.
G. Murray Thomas
DARWA
More Life More Trouble
Abstrakt Reality Records
www.abstrakreality.com
BUY
THIS CD
 |
On first listen, More Life More Trouble just sounded like pretty standard trip-hop, following in the path of Massive Attack and Stereolab. But every time I listened to it, I heard something new and interesting, and grew to like the album more and more. It consistently revealed new depths and flourishes, musically and lyrically. The music is appropriately trippy jazz. a solid beat propels, but does not overwhelm, the songs; the music has room to space out. But it's the details which really make it work -- percussive flourishes, swooshes of synthesizer, a plaintive saxophone. These are blended in in such a way as to surprise the listener without ever sounding out of place. The production, by Mario Marolt and Peter Lorimer, beautifully brings out the potential of Darja Klancar's song writing and vocals. The key to the success of More Life More Trouble is how it works on many levels. One can enjoy it as background (and it would work equally well in a party context or a quieter moment), or one can give it close attention and be equally rewarded.
G. Murray Thomas
|
|
|
DAVID GRAY
What do you get when you
cross Bob Dylan with Tracy Chapman? You get David Gray, of course,
and if you're lucky, you get a neo-folk CD called WHITE LADDER.
You're lucky. Gray's fourth album is an unpretentious if not earnest
disc, and is also the antidote to today's over-produced teen-pop
crap. Although computer programming and subtle electronic enhancement
play a part in the production, recording was done in a London flat
with the windows thrown open and the outside world whizzing by.
So, environmental noise combined with subtle pops and scratches
temper the production for a more nostalgic feel. For all its newness,
WHITE LADDER sounds like that old vinyl record sitting in the attic
that's been played a hundred times too many. The radio-friendly
(read: tragically overplayed) "Babylon," is WHITE LADDER's breakthrough
single, but the unusual melody of the title track captures a folk-like
simplicity that transcends the entire set. "My Oh My" could have
been torn from the mind of Carole King, while "This Year's Love,"
originally composed for the film of the same name, is reminiscent
of mid-70's Elton John. Gray's nasal and throaty voice is distinctive
enough to complement the entire sound. What seems like a lack of
polish to the unsophisticated ear is exactly what gives WHITE LADDER
its charm and freshness in an otherwise saturated market. Everyone
needs this CD in their collection, and with his musical star on
the rise, expect much more from David Gray in the future. |
|
 |
|
|
DAVID STEINHART
Clean
Stonegarden Records
www.hooplapr.com
David Steinhart
is an incredibly honest songwriter. He explores the uncomfort-
able parts of relation-ships, the parts that come between "I love
you" and "Why did you leave me?" He writes about when
you're "not exactly fighting/ but not exactly talking." In
this exploration, he is as likely to point the finger at himself as
his partner. "I guess I could be big about it/ but I choose to
be small" he sings on "The Smaller Person." Through all
his songs he displays an extreme sensitivity to the nuances of human
emotion. The music on Clean is similarly sensitive and emotive. While
primarily working within a folk/acoustic structure, Steinhart and producer
John Glogovac embellish the songs with sweet little touches -- jazzy
horn breaks on some songs, almost classical string parts in others --
which emphasize the feelings of the songs without being obtrusive. The
songwriting, although not that strong on melody, still carries the emotion
of the lyrics well. But Steinhart's main strength is his lyrics. These
songs are snapshots and short stories which enable us, in only a few
brief lines, to get to know the people within them, and understand why
they are behaving as they are. He writes not just about relationships
coming together and falling apart, but also the various epiphanies which
come as one moves from youth to the first settlings of middle age. Clean
is a powerful and rewarding album
G. Murray Thomas