Album Reviews

Heartless Bastards – Arrow [Album Review]

by oz on February 6, 2012

2012 is shaping up to be all about the women of indie music. We covered incredible albums from First Aid Kit and Sharon van Etten already and Heartless Bastards are equally deserving of praise. Erika Wennerstrom is the heart and soul of Heartless Bastards and she’s at her best on Arrow.

Arrow is the fourth album released from Heartless Bastards since 2005 and the first on Partisan Records. The album opens with “Marathon,” a down-temp song for those that have gotten off track and found themselves lost in life. It’s mostly just Erika and electric guitar and her voice is on full display.

We all want to belong
to something more than ourselves
because you can’t always do it alone
sometimes you just need
need a little help
on this long way home
on this long way home

And oh I, I ran so far
that I’ve forgotten
what I was running from
And time it takes you so far
And I am longing to be back home
On this long way home.

“Parted Ways” follows up and it has fueled several dance parties in my home – events attended only by myself, my 3 year old daughter and 1.5 year old son. This song is an addiction and I’m eager to find out if a better song will be released this year.

While “Parted Ways” is hard to move beyond, pay attention to the soulful “Only for You.” It’s a marvelous song that shows the full range of Erika’s voice which is nearly overshadowed by an amazing lead guitar throughout. “Gotta Have Rock and Roll” is a hard driving song powered by a simple guitar riff – it’s a song that would make Joan Jett proud. And “Skin and Bone” opens with an rootsy acoustic guitar that had me double checking my iPod for Blitzen Trapper on accidental shuffle.

“Low Low Low” gets even twangier with a change in production. I’m not sure if it’s a different room or a change in technique, but it’s more organic and Wennerstrom’s vocals are more distant – as if we’re hearing her in a barn or by campfire light. It’s a brilliant change of pace.

We’ve been Heartless Bastards fans forever. After their live session with us, I had a chance encounter with them. It was years ago after a full day of drinking that I found myself standing next to Erika at a late night Playboy party at SxSW, waiting for Janes Addiction to take the stage. There she was, randomly right next to me. I think I opened the conversation about us both being from Ohio and how much I love that state – or something equally stupid. Maybe a bunny walked by and I said “fancy meeting you here…” I can’t quite recall. I do recall her being one of the sweetest musicians I’ve ever met and it’s always an experience to see the band live. They will be touring now through May, so check their site for dates. Arrow will be released on Valentine’s Day.

Heartless Bastards – Parted Ways

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Sharon Van Etten – Tramp [Album Review]

by Woody on February 3, 2012

I first came across Sharon Van Etten when she popped up on Megafaun’s take away show. Being a Megafaun fanatic, my interest was immediately piqued. Combine that with one of our favorite sites, Muzzle of Bees, showing her a steady stream of love; I knew I had to be missing something. So I got my hands on Epic and was enamored. As I spun Epic countless times, my anticipation for the follow-up grew exponentially.

From the first note of the lead single “Serpents,” I knew my wait was well worth it. Sharon has a unique and powerful voice and it can fit any setting – solo with an acoustic, rocking with a band or singing in front of some hipster orchestra like that Portland Cello Project. Her voice carries and resonates, piercing right into your soul.

Tramp was produced by Aaron Desner and features a who’s who of indie heroes – Bryce Dessner, Jenn Wasner, Zach Condon and Matt Barrick. Much like Epic, Van Etten is wearing her heart on her sleeve. For those who don’t know her backstory the New York Times did an excellent piece on Sharon, complete with a performance in a florist/speakeasy.

Much like Epic, Van Etten’s songs come from that rich and varied history. She pours herself into every note as if she is worried that we won’t empathize or understand if she didn’t squeeze every ounce of her being into the music. Confessional, rehabilitative, healing – call it what you will. Tramp packs a wallop and I almost feel guilty enjoying this album as much as I do with the tough times she had to endure.

I could sit here and break down songs individually, but we’d be here all day. Let me just say this – Tramp is genius at work. Van Etten has placed herself amongst the top female performers today. Whereas after Epic I was looking forward to the next album, a release like this makes me look forward to the next 10 years of her career.

Sharon Von Etten – Serpents

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First Aid Kit – The Lion’s Roar [Album Review]

by oz on January 30, 2012

The problem with First Aid Kit is that their singing is so damn good that you’ll overlook their equally good songwriting.  The album opens with this verse on its title track:

Now the pale morning sings of forgotten things
She plays a tune for those who wish to overlook
the fact that they’ve been blindly deceived
By those who preach and pray and teach
But she falls short and the night explodes in laughter.

I fell in love with the debut album released by these Swedish sisters in 2010, but I was very nervous before listening to their sophomore release. In The Big Black & The Blue I could hear the commercial appeal in their look and sound, so in listening to The Lion’s Roar, I pressed play and squinted my eyes, waiting for impact. Other recent artists (not naming names) started with similar successful debuts and then followed with a change in direction that had their original fan base scratching their head. So the moment of truth – Are First Aid Kit heading into pop territory to grab the bubble gum teenie bop fans and their mothers?

I shouldn’t have second guessed First Aid Kit. Sisters Klara and Johanna Söderberg delivered an album that trumps its triumphant debut and opens with two songs, the title track and Emmylou, that will be two of the best songs released on any album this year. My guilt really set in when first hearing “Emmylou,” a song that name drops American Country heroes:

I’ll be your Emmylou and I’ll be your June
If you’ll be my Gram and my Johnny too
No, I’m not asking much of you
Just sing, lit tle darling, sing with me

If more women in their teens and early twenties listened to Gram Parsons and Johnny Cash, the word “Snooki” may never have been uttered outside of Jersey and our vernacular and world would be better off.

Other favorites of mine are the heartbreaking “This Old Routine,” “To A Poet” and “Dance To Another Tune” all sung with perfection and infused with heavy emotions and a dash of darkness. But “I Found a Way” and “King of the World” lighten up the mood, the latter of which includes The Felice Brothers and Connor Oberst. In fact, The Lion’s Roar was recorded with producer Mike Mogis (of Bright Eyes and Monster Of Folk; producer of Cursive, Lightspeed Champion, Pete Yorn, and many others) in Omaha, NE and included a cast of Omaha-based musicians.

It’s the collaboration with these musicians – a full band – that takes The Lion’s Roar leaps ahead of it’s debut. It’s the songs and the ladies behind them that will make this one of the finest albums in 2012. With talent like this, I think First Aid Kit will manage to stay true to the music they love while also finding masses of adoring fans. You’ll find two videos below and if you like what you hear, jump over to download tracks from our live session with First Aid Kit.

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Craig Finn – Clear Heart Full Eyes (album review)

by Woody on January 25, 2012

Another solo effort from the lead singer of a great band. For me, these are always met with a roll of the eyes and low expectations. Alot of times, the songs come off as castoffs from the main band’s output or the lead singer just trying to broaden their horizon in a way that never fits. It never really satisfies my jones but coming off what I considered to be a subpar Hold Steady album, I was anxious to hear what Finn had up his sleeve.

On Clear Heart Full Eyes, Finn manages to walk that delicate line of delivering an album that stands on its own but still manages to hold some connection to The Hold Steady. And oft-mentioned Gideon from The Hold Steady catalog even makes an appearance on the solo debut to provide a connection.

You’ll notice that the tunes are more restrained in tempo and there are no big finishes you come to associate with The Hold Steady. There’s also a nice alt-country feel to the album which gives it a different dimension from straight-ahead bar rock of The Hold Steady. Working with members of Heartless Bastards, Phosphorescent, White Denim, Centro-matic and Mike McCarthy, Finn really put together a band an album that has its own dynamic.

Solo or fronting The Hold Steady; Finn can spin a yarn with the best of them. His ability to tell a tale about on a variety of subjects is what makes his music so special. Whether it be breakups (No Future), potential redemption (New Friend Jesus) or a friend stuck in a rut (Terrified Eyes).Jackson, which Finn explains in great detail on AV Club, contains a line I preached last year at SxSW, “he was sort of like a shark, he had to keep on swimming.

So I don’t know why Craig decided to bang out a solo album. Most of these lyrics could have worked on a Hold Steady album. Maybe he wanted to dabble in the twang a bit. Maybe he wanted to get back to playing in some smaller clubs. Whatever the reason, I am glad he stepped out and got it done.

Craig Finn – New Friend Jesus by Vagrant Records

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River Whyless – A Stone, A Leaf, An Unfound Door [Album Review]

January 19, 2012

River Whyless came to us via an email from one of their fans. She said, “If you have some time to take a listen you won’t be sorry.” No lofty band comparisons included and no hipster name-dropping – just a bold proclamation. Not knowing if I was about to hear electronica, metal or some blend [...]

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Virgin Forest – Easy Way Out [Album Review]

January 17, 2012

I first heard of Virgin Forest a couple months ago when I saw Deer Tick in Chicago. John McCauley was sporting a Virgin Forest tee and, being the sophomoric 41 year old that I am, it made an impression. And really, who wouldn’t want to visit a forest comprised of virgins? As luck would have [...]

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The Parson Red Heads, We will see you at SxSW

January 16, 2012

A few years back we reviewed King Giraffe by The Parson Red Heads but for some reason we missed the boat in reviewing their excellent 2011 effort, Yearling. Thankfully others picked up our slack as they are now starting to gain some traction out there. Since we last left them, they have left Southern Cal [...]

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Buxton – Nothing Here Seems Strange [Album Review]

January 9, 2012

I’m really looking forward to music in 2012. We’ve got releases coming out from Lucero, Damien Jurado, The Shins, Delta Spirit and a bunch more. But in all the excitement, let’s not overlook the up and comers in 2012. One such band is a five-piece folk-rock band from Houston that goes by the name Buxton. [...]

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The Milk Carton Kids’ Prologue. How did I overlook them this year? [Free Album]

December 1, 2011

There were big chunks of the year where I had my head up my ass. Blessed with a toddler and infant at home and busy managing a large workforce for the day job, early 2011 piled on some busy days and sleepless nights. Here at the end of 2011 (just a couple months ago), I [...]

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Caveman – CoCo Beware [Album Review]

November 23, 2011

Anybody ever take a Xanax? I have on a couple of occasions, mostly flights. It kind of just puts you in a nice mellow mood and nothing really seems to bother you. I swear that you could saw off my thumb while someone told me I had genital herpes and I would still sit their [...]

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