I’m not sure what to make of this. The singing is passable, and the lyrics aren’t making me vomit excessively. It’s just not making me very excited, though. It’s as if I have heard this all before.
“Crazy Thoughts” has a very contemporary feel, and it gives me sudden urges to answer the phone. “Daydream” has wonderful accompaniment, and the singing is also above-average here. I am not surprised that this is the song they recommend on the front. So what makes this track so different? The instrumentation works together, as opposed to competing with each other. The backing vocals are subtle but add to the texture of the song. The melody matches the music. It all comes together naturally, here.
“Hold On” is not a cover. It is perfect for fans of Paula Cole. I suppose much of this album is. “There Are Angels” has good harmonizing. It’d be nice for there to be more of that. There’s some nice stuff here, but I don’t want to have to dig so deep when comparable efforts from other artists are so much easier to find.
Archive for March 2010
Chasing Jane “Unravelled”
March 15, 2010Episode 1333 is up
March 15, 2010Episode 1332 is up
March 15, 2010Episode 1331 is up
March 14, 2010I wrote this You Say Party! We Say Die! review for Spinning Platters
March 13, 2010Bottom of the Hill extravaganza
Natalie D-Napoleon “Here in California”
March 12, 2010It’s an EP. “To Her Door” is first and has the alt-country sound nailed. The vocals veer on farmers’ market, but it’s not bad enough to cause me to scream for the exits, which is fine, because farmers’ markets don’t have clearly marked exits most of the time.
“Hummingbird” is straight-up country. There’s even fiddle, although the player is not named “Dee Dee.” (It’s Sally.) “You Shook Me All Night Long” is a cover. It is weird to hear this song sung instead of screamed. It’s certainly passable if you want an acoustic version of the song.
“LA Freeway” is heavy on the harmonica. It also answers the question generated by the EP title. “Where in California?” “Southern California.” “Even the Sweet Things Die” has keyboards and is a little more fun than the rest. The vocals sound a bit higher in the mix, so therefore they must be more heartfelt. If this song were a food, it would be all-natural peanut butter.
The title track is the last track. It’s slow yet more than five minutes long. This record is worth a listen, but I don’t know that there is enough to put out a full-length. Perhaps, we shall see someday.
Episode 1330 is up
March 12, 2010Episode 1329 is up
March 11, 2010Various Artists “Forty One Sixty: The Songs of the Shambles”
March 10, 2010The Shambles were a San Diego power-pop band in the ’90s, mostly. They did not get the star treatment that other acts did, but they were quite a gem. Somebody in their infinite wisdom decided to create an album of Shambles covers, and here we are. A few San Diego acts are on there, but acts from as far as Serbia provided the 24 tracks on this record.
Liebling are from Denmark and performed “Survive.” It’s a very enjoyable listen and one that could create new Shambles fans as well. “Blurs Somewhere” is done by Happy Losers, who are from Spain, yet the band is not called Perdidores Felices. Well, I guess it’s not for me to say.
The Sleepwalkers are listed as being from California, but it doesn’t say where. They do “Days & Maybes.” This song actually is in Spanish. It is enough to make me doubt the track listing. “Plan of Action” sounds like Dance Hall Crashers are covering it, but alas, it is The Kingpins, straight from Canada.
Anna Troy was perhaps inspired by the to-her local band and contributes “31968.” Mod Fun’s “Nothing Can Be Everything” is quite sharp, as is “Innocence Becomes You” by the Ringles. But the best of the best is when Rachael Gordon decided the extra “a” in her name meant she could cover “Fun at Your House.” What a performance! It really offers up everything you could want. And she’s from San Diego also. It must be something in the water.
Marie Haddad has the sweetest voice of anyone on the record, and she sings “Where You Are” with a stripped-down subtlety that makes me want to buy cage-free eggs at the farmers’ market.
All the songs are good, but then that’s probably because the Shambles were good. This album may have a limited audience, but every member of said audience ought to pick this one up.
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