American Songwriter » Raj Dayal

Book Review: Bruce

Raj Dayal — Fri, 09 Nov 2012 21:42:10 +0000

Bruce Peter Ames Carlin (Simon and Schuster) Rating: Four Stars While the life of the distinctive American legend has been chronicled many times before, in Bruce author Peter Ames Carlin comes closest to the real deal. Through extensive research Carlin tells how Springsteen became a celebrated musician, eventually transforming into a working class icon. However, Carlin is careful not to go down the familiar path found in many biographies, instead focusing on the details that make up the richest part of a life, including the tragedies. Among the topics covered is an inside battle between magazines and the media coverage that circled Springsteen. Many of the details about his most revered albums along with relationships with band members paint a captivating portrait of an artist. Carlin’s skill as a journalist keeps his interviews and prose from treading into “Behind the Music,” territory. While some accounts are reverential, like the mythmaking opening, Carlin largely allows for Springsteen, his friends and associates to tell the story. Bruce reads as a series of interviews of those remembering how their lives were impacted. (Including the last interview with Clarence Clemons.) Springsteen is presented fully as an icon; however, Carlin doesn’t shy away from revealing a sometimes controlling taskmaster. Classic apparently doesn’t come easy.

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Paul McCartney: Ram

Raj Dayal — Tue, 22 May 2012 15:40:27 +0000

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Paul McCartney Ram (Deluxe Edition) (EMI) [Rating: 3 Stars] Originally released in 1971, Ram was met with decidedly mixed reviews. It was McCartney’s second post-Beatles album and the only LP co-credited to his wife Linda. The album ratcheted up the production methods considerably from his previous outing and showcased the preciousness McCartney was always accused of during his tenure in arguably the most popular band of all time. For 2012, Ram has been remastered and comes in several formats, which include b-sides and unreleased tracks. While the initial reception—coming just a few years after the split of the Beatles—elicited vitriolic criticism in some cases, history has been kinder. It’s not the “unbearably inept” or “emotionally vacuous” album John Landua originally declared in Rolling Stone. In fact, when considered through the prism of today’s over-the-top “art” acts, Ram sounds like an indie-pop bedroom album. The cover of McCartney grabbing ram’s horns at a farm is the first introduction to the playfulness to come. The remastering job is nicely done, providing a fuller sonic representation of the quirky details of the production. However, it does reveal the plastic sheen of the album. The songs -- most of them fun --come off as a happy diversion. Although, “happy” is the key take away because seldom has McCartney sounded so at ease and lighthearted. One of the standout tracks, “Eat at Home,” is reminiscent of 50’s-era pop. McCartney blissfully sings, “Come on, little lady/ Lady, let’s eat at home,” as his wife repeats in upbeat support. The song has an infectious groove that makes the “easy-listening” quality sound like a good time. Another notable song is “The Back Seat of My Car,” the most lushly produced on the album. It includes layered vocals and abundant strings. When both Paul and Linda coo, “Ohhh we believe that we can’t be wrong,” the innocent quality of their yearning is admirably authentic. Ram can appear slight and inconsequential. However, the songs are nicely constructed and are performed without guile—a quality that most singers and songwriters will never reach. And while the set of songs on this album may not count among the best of McCartney’s career, they definitely provide a pleasurable listen for both casual fans and ardent supporters alike.

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The White Buffalo: Once Upon A Time In The West

Raj Dayal — Tue, 28 Feb 2012 19:15:55 +0000

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The White Buffalo Once Upon a Time in the West (Unison Music Group) [Rating: 4 Stars] Jake Smith, a.k.a, The White Buffalo, is a genuine storyteller. On the band’s second LP, Once Upon a Time in the West, the hard-driving country/rock singer spins tales of men on the edge of society: outlaws, poet-warriors—and the dead. His firebrand live shows have deservedly gained him a loyal following, but his storytelling ability has landed his songs on hit shows, like Sons of Anarchy and Californication. Two of the better songs on the album, “The Pilot,” and “How the West Was Won,” also appeared on last year’s EP, Lost and Found. On “The Pilot,” Smith imagines what it would be like to be the song’s title character, “I was I was a fighter pilot/ Soaring over everyone and everything/ through the smoke and fire, imagine the hell I’ll bring.” His version of the pilot is some sort of avenging outlaw. The idea is carried out through most of his songs—in fact, this is what makes him an obvious fit for “The S.O.A.” where he’s practically part of the show. The other two musicians in the three-piece band compliment Smith’s whiskey-soaked singing, helping to add an infectious swing to his warm but often stark baritone. On the existential ballad, “One Lone Night,” Smith earnestly contemplates, “It will be one lone night/ should I buy a ticket for a midnight flight/ Or should I end it all on this here knife.” He continues on the refrain: She says try now, she says try now/ Try now, Try now.” Smith always seems to be fighting something, and the thematic lifeblood of this album is resiliency. Smith channels his concerns about the state of war in the naturalistic, “The Ballad of a Deadman.” He tells the story of dead soldiers; however, he highlights the point-of-view of those left behind, mainly, a despondent mother. Smith sings, “She wonders where, when and why/ She could’ve tucked him in his bead/ with a kiss on his cheek and on his head/ Well he’d stay alive.” And as the track builds Smith rebukes the travails of war, “Well the moon and the stars can’t cast shadows/ What is wrong?/Well our boys are dead/ They’ve been misled.” On the standout track, “Wish It Was True,” Smith reveals his resignation and a plea for forgiveness, “Mother I tried to do right by you/ To do what you asked me to/ I did wrong and I knew.” Smith’s brutally honest lamentations are what separate him from the hundreds of singer-songwriter’s searching for truth. In this, as in many of his songs, the highs and lows serve as a warning to listeners—as if he’s pleading for understanding. Smith continues in the song’s stirring climax, “There’s no pain, there’s no misery/ Just polish the blood and bruise/ There’s just no way you could lose/ I wish it was true.” Smith’s candor in this collection of hard-won songs is admirable. The gravity of these tracks serve as somewhat of an announcement of Smith’s arrival, and it appears he doesn’t plan on going anywhere soon. On “Good Ol’ Day to Die,” Smith growls, “Oh, I ain’t gonna die today.”

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Damien Jurado: Maraqopa

Raj Dayal — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 21:19:14 +0000

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Damien Jurado Maraqopa Secretly Canadian [Rating: 4 stars] The Seattle-based singer songwriter Damien Jurado has been plying his holistic brand of folk-rock balladry since the mid-90s. His earliest recordings were on his own label and, were cassette-based no less. His otherworldly but intimate songs quickly gained attention and by the late 90s he signed with Sub Pop to produce his first full-length, Waters Ave. S. On the recently released Maraqopa on Indiana-based Secretly Canadian, his second with producer Ricard Swift following 2010’s outstanding St. Bartlett, Jurado delivers a set of songs that builds on what the previous album set up, though it’s more expansive and chilling enough to give even the most cynical listener goosebumps. The opening track, “Nothing is the News,” functions as a sly slight-of-hand. At first it seems out of place from the long line of consistent songs in Jurado’s catalog; however, the psychedelic rock track calls attention to the sprawling emotion at the heart of his folk songs. Amidst Neil Young-style guitar lines, Jurado’s trademark biting lyrics appropriately open up the album, “Nothing to have when all that you want is gone.” On the forward-looking, “This Time Next Year,” the partnership between Jurado and Swift is showcased to masterful affect. The dissonant floating piano chords, echoing woodblock, nebulous strings and background vocals that seem as if they’re escaping from the cracks of a door, all ably punctuate Jurado’s desolation and fragile voice. Swift and Jurado find in each other, kindred spirits, with each complimenting each other’s strengths. Where Jurado’s lyrics can become quietly devastating songs with just plaintive strumming on an acoustic guitar, the instrumentation and arrangement that Swift adds brings out the best in both men. On “Everyone a Star,” Jurado’s tenor is a tender lamentation. There’s a spectral quality that snakes it way throughout the entire album—and on this song in particular. Jurado’s singing sounds as if he’s telling ghost stories around a campfire. The mood he creates suits his theme of longing, “In time, I found you like a light on /I won’t forget all that you’ve done/ Ready when you are to lose.” The album’s standout is the pensively beautiful, “Museum of Flight.” The song has a transfixing melody without being too fussy; it’s simply storytelling. Ironically, the synths that Swift adds to this track create a richer and fuller sound—it could even be called organic. Even in a love song, nothing comes easy for the forlorn Jurado, “Don’t let go/ I need you to hang around/ I’m so broke and foolishly in love.” He pleads and then finds resignation, “What did I learn?/ That it’s not easy/ When you get burned, then go on burning loud.” Even after 12 full-length albums, Jurado is still finding ways to grow musically. While continuing to deliver the intimate songs of hopeless love and regret for his longtime fans, he stills finds ways to surprise as he works with his magician-like collaborator. Maraqopa lingers long after the last track informs us that, “We are all mountains still asleep.”

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Trampled By Turtles Ramble On

Raj Dayal — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 16:36:19 +0000

How would the story have turned out if the tortoise was actually faster than the hare? The progressive string quintet Trampled by Turtles (TxT) make a case for the alternate version. The band’s firebrand blend of bluegrass, punk and alt-country delivered with such speed and virtuosity suggests that the tortoise would’ve won the race either way. While TxT refuse to label their style, they are nonetheless most associated with bluegrass. The classic Americana music is synonymous with Kentucky; however, the band hails from – of all places – Duluth, Minnesota. Most of the members grew up in the area and played in punk and jam bands. Banjo player, Dave Carroll saw the band’s lead vocalist, guitarist and songwriter, Dave Simonett and mandolin player Erik Berry playing an acoustic set in a local bar. “I had visions of banjo parts that I could play along with and asked them if they wanted to play sometime. After a few rehearsals, and acquiring our bass player Tim Saxhaug, we knew we had something cool and wanted to pursue it more seriously,” Carroll says. After a few years they added their fiddle player Ryan Young and started touring regularly in 2003. TxT have been compared to the indie-darlings, Mumford & Sons and The Avett Brothers. However the basis of their music comes more from rock than folk. Carrol explains, “We’re a non-traditional bluegrass band, or rather, a rock band with bluegrass instrumentation.” The group’s various influences range from Bob Dylan and The Beach Boys to The Rolling Stones and even Snoop Dogg. Recently, the group brought their distinctive sound to the new downtown Phoenix, Arizona venue, The Crescent Ballroom. TxT took to the stage just as the capacity crowd became restless. Without a drummer, the banjo and bass serve as the rhythm section. Carroll and Saxhaug expertly lay the foundation for the band’s set. Playing most of the tracks from their fifth album, Palomino, released about a year and a half ago, the band, lauded for its frenetic live shows, delivered on that reputation. One of the standout songs of the night, “It’s a War,” allowed all of the musicians to showcase the best of what they do. Berry’s furious playing made his mandolin seem like a toy in his hands, Carroll worked his banjo with a surgeon’s precision, but it was Young who took his fiddle playing to another level. He shook feverishly from side-to-side and shredded like he was trying to take off into outer space. The frenzy continued for more than an hour while punctuated by a few ballads—including two new songs from the forthcoming album scheduled for release this April. It was recorded in a cabin on the north shore of Lake Superior. The expectant crowd seemed to exhale when TxT began playing “Victory.” Melancholy front man Simonett seldom cracked a smile. But what he lacked in outward glee, he more than made up for with a palpable longing and clear connection to his lyrics. He sang the forlorn second verse in “Victory,” with such conviction, he had the crowd in the palms of his hands, “It’s a broken heart babe, I know the sound / Feels like your hands, are nailed to the ground/ but it'll pass just like everything else.” The song drifted into jam-band territory, but it worked well for them as the fans rode the swell. Their extended jams demonstrate the sheer joy TxT has while playing live, drawing from, and giving back, energy from the audience. Another highlight from the night at Crescent was when the entire room erupted after the first couple of chords of “Wait So Long.” It’s the closest song TxT has to a hit. The track is a jangly throwback of sorts, but perfectly showcases what the band does best. When the time comes for the song to break into a hoe-down, instead of the traditional timing and inflection, the band reveals their punk rock influence. The audience became a sea of bobbing heads and pogo dancers. The song begins, “I could never pretend that I don’t love you / You could never pretend that I’m your man,” and just gets more somber from there, but the music keeps rising. This uneasy juxtaposition of strings played at a furious pace and gut-punch lyrics help TxT stand out among their peers. The encore song wasn’t a surprise since the buzz had been building most of the night in conversations heard around the venue. TxT cover the Pixies’ “Where is My Mind,” as a single for the worthy organization WhyHunger. The band’s rearrangement of the song is a wonderfully weird postmodern string version of the soft/loud classic. When the crowd asked in unison, “Where is my mind?” it was both disconcerting and beautiful—which as it happens, also aptly describes this one-of-a-kind band with an unforgettable name.

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Florence + The Machine: Ceremonials

Raj Dayal — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 16:55:37 +0000

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Florence + The Machine
Ceremonials
(Universal Republic)
[Rating: 3 ½ stars]

Like a banshee, the sinewy chanteuse Florence Welch wails on just about every track on the new album, Ceremonials. As in the past, Welch’s inspired singing is a rallying cry of rebirth creating her own brand of mystical poetry filled with devils and ghosts.

Florence + The Machine catapulted to worldwide fame in 2009 with the release of their debut album Lungs. That album was an amalgam of styles ranging from garage rock to stadium-filling pop. Its finest moments were the percussive and booming “Cosmic Love,” and “Dog Days Are Over.” In particular, “Dog Days,” earned Florence + The Machine airplay on TV shows made for Tweens, a sappy but popular Julia Roberts movie, and most recently an appearance alongside the pop divas of the day in a tribute to Aretha Franklin at The Grammys. Welch was clearly the standout of the group.

On the band’s sophomore effort, Ceremonials, Welch’s voice is again the showstopper, and this time it’s louder and more audacious. Her estimable alto isn’t a precision instrument used to convey subtle messages and secrets; it’s more akin to a sledgehammer, capable of inflicting blunt force trauma. Producer Paul Epworth turns everything up louder to match Welch, especially the room-shaking drums, which undoubtedly is a lot of fun. However, this relentless tactic is taken in almost every song and can mimic the sound effect of a T-Rex chasing people through Jurassic Park.

These songs are a series of gothic noir fantasies. Welch’s favorite themes of drowning, demonic possession and exorcism are the dark encasements around the heart of the album. The track “Seven Devils” uses the story of Mary Magdalene as the starting point for her metaphor, but these ominous underpinnings just serve as a distraction from the real skill at work here. Wading through the spooky attempts on these songs, listeners can find Welch longing to tell her story about transcendence.

There’s no sense in ignoring the fact that the lyrics are well worn in most places, such as, “It’s always darkest before the dawn, ” from the first single, “Shake it Out.” However, Welch’s myth-making voice imbues these lines with such raw emotive power, that without closer inspection, they almost seem like Joseph Campbell’s grand narratives.

“Shake it Out,” is a standout track—one of the most memorable of the year. It’s a rebellion against complacency, and the gospel choir backing, helps to ground Welch’s proclamations of love lost on the refrain, “It’s hard to dance with the devil on your back / So shake him off.” It’s easy to imagine an entire stadium filled with people on their feet, fists pumping and singing along trying to match Welch during the chorus.

In the verse at the center of the song, and perhaps the center of the album, she defiantly proclaims, “And I am done with my graceless heart / so tonight I’m going to cut it out and then restart.” Even with ghoulish sentiment, Welch keeps pointing towards her heart—which is what’s most at stake in her songs.

One of the few stylistic twists on Ceremonials is the piano tinged “Lover to Lover.” By transporting her unique voice back to Motown-era soul, the welcomed addition hints at what Welch would be able to accomplish by varying her inflection and injecting playfulness into her songs. It also reminds just how little risk is being taken on this album.

The choir used throughout these tracks, like those in a Greek tragedy, is most impactful on the album’s resonant closer, “Leave My Body.” Welch achingly spills out the words, “I’m going to lose my body/ I’m going to lose my mind,” while the choir echoes, “History keeps pulling me down,” followed by “Moving up to higher ground.” The album’s high point is delivered with such conviction it leaves a trail of smoke.

What’s offered on Ceremonials is solid, even a cut or two above solid. But it doesn’t move the band forward. With the volume continuously cranked to 11, the songs sometimes blur together. But even the flaws can’t hide the potential of the group. If and when Florence + The Machine begin to take more chances and even introduce subtlety to the mix, Welch’s primal scream gift that is equal parts agony and ecstasy, may transform them from a good band led by an ethereal vocalist, into something approaching transcendence.

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Kitty, Daisy & Lewis: Smoking in Heaven

Raj Dayal — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 22:37:53 +0000

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Kitty, Daisy & Lewis Smoking in Heaven (Verve) [Rating: 3.5 stars] Lewis Durham of the young trio Kitty, Daisy & Lewis, has created a time machine in the front room of the band’s North London home. It’s not of the H.G. Wells variety, but rather, a carefully cultivated collection of studio equipment from America’s lost history of recording, consisting of tape machines and vintage ribbon mics from more than six decades ago. The unique sound of the multi-instrumentalist siblings is heavily influenced by American rockabilly, jazz, blues, R&B, country and Jamaican ska of the 40s, 50s and 60s. Their music isn’t a retro fad dreamt up by a marketing team to create the next big thing; it comes from a place of genuine appreciation. In 2007, Kitty, Daisy & Lewis self-released The A – Z of Kitty, Daisy & Lewis. The music was recorded on their home studio analog equipment, just as on their first official release, the self-titled album and first on UK label Sunday Best. These albums are filled mostly of covers of songs that their father Graeme played for them during their childhood, helping to foster a love for music from another era. The band’s singular sound, which is impossible to categorize, is part of their musical DNA. Their newest album, Smoking in Heaven, finds the brother and sisters refining their sound that affirms a past they only heard of, and some kind of revivalist future yet to be realized. Even though they’re officially recognized as a trio, KD&L are accompanied by their father on rhythm guitar and mother, Ingrid, former drummer of influential post-punk band The Raincoats, on bass. This album also includes legendary Jamaican horn players Eddie “Tan-Tan” Thornton and Rico Rodriguez on several tracks, including the swaggering ska “I’m So Sorry.” While the band takes its cues from Lewis, Daisy and Kitty sing on most tracks. On an early highlight, “Baby Don’t You Know,” the music builds from a slow vampy repetition of the title phrase and speeds up until the band breaks into a bluesy instrumental jam session powered by a devilish organ that sounds like it was put together using spare parts. The group takes time to do this on most songs, and while it seems at first to go on longer than it should, it also keenly demonstrates their main concern—to play music. The equipment used to record this album may cause a generation raised on the dutifully scrubbed and polished sound of MP3s, to dismiss the band altogether. Sure, the hissing heard on the record is disquieting at first. However, these flaws make the album seem more sincere—like listening to an Alan Lomax field recording of a forgotten 1930s bluesman. To be certain, the music on Smoking in Heaven is simple, but these songs are also beautifully rendered with a kinetic energy missing in much of today’s auto-tuned chart-topping hits. On “Don’t Make a Fool Out of Me,” Lewis channels a soda-shop-era crooner; and his phrasing seems slightly imperfect, which only adds to the charm. Backed by a confident propulsive beat, Lewis pleads, “Please, please, don’t make a fool out of me.” The lyrics are unassuming, but as is the case with the rest of the tracks, they fit nicely with the sound KD&L aim to share. The song that seems out of place and perhaps the group’s best chance at a crossover hit is the addictive “Messing With My Life.” The rawness of the vocals and the swinging rhythm section on this track allows the trio to showcase an array of influences, while still offering what is essentially a pop song. With an hour-long run time the album becomes repetitive in spots. The seven and a half minute “What Quid,” while pleasant at first, quickly becomes a self-indulgent misstep. Though, this against-the-grain pacing, combined with the sense that at any given moment someone will drop an instrument while changing positions, is what makes KD&L so weirdly fascinating. The album is anxious and exciting because there is a sense that the whole thing is being held together by a string that could unravel at any moment. The defiant words, “You know, there’s smoking in Heaven,” announces the rapturous final song. Where the extended jamming fails on “What Quid,” on “Smoking in Heaven,” the trio seems punch-drunk on the sheer joy of playing music together. Propelled by a slithering mouth harp, and a head-nodding, waist-shaking, foot-stomping freight train beat, this music could simultaneously be coming from a timeworn Bayou bar after midnight, or an old church filled to the rafters on Sunday morning. Will the peculiar KD&L kick off another American music revival? Probably not. However, if you listen closely, these two soulful sisters and their mad genius brother may soon be messing with your life.

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thenewno2: EP002

Raj Dayal — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 17:23:55 +0000

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thenewno2 EP002 (Hot) [Rating: 3 stars] How do you step out from the large shadow cast by your father—who also happened to play guitar for The Beatles? If you’re Dhani Harrison, you name your band, thenewno2, after the British television series, “The Prisoner,” in an attempt to be a faceless, anonymous collective. If that’s not enough, you can also record a track with one of the founding members of the Wu-Tang Clan. “Mr President,” featuring verses by RZA, Crisis and Sir Eyes, jumps out on EP002, the recently released EP and third offering in five years from thenewno2. Their previous album, You Are Here, and EP, EP001, delivered groove-heavy tracks with more than a hint of trip-hop influence—a kind of postmodern psychedelic soundscape juxtaposed with A.M. pop lyrics appealing to both acolytes of Harrison’s father’s band, and indie rock fans alike. EPOO2 suggests an even stronger bent towards a sound pioneered by Massive Attack and Portishead. The previously mentioned track, “Mr. President,” aims for political insight and satire. RZA’s biting verse, “Mr. President / Thank you for lowering the prices of our medicine/ Being that the Bush war has created more veterans,” addresses both our current and former Commander in Chief. The second version of this song included on the EP is a remix by pHd ‘One Nation’ and though it speeds the track up and distorts Harrison’s vocal pattern is doesn’t really amount to much else. The ambition of the song indicates that the band is willing to take huge risks, which could yield amazing results in the years to come. However, the contrast between RZA and his fellow MCs with Harrison doesn’t quite measure up to the intriguing idea of the pairing. In fairness, even seasoned MCs can sometimes seem out of place next to RZA. Harrison has hinted in several interviews that on his band’s forthcoming full album in early 2012, the de-facto head of the Wu-Tang Clan will have a strong presence; this is not necessarily a bad thing. Most bands tend to work things out on EPs between albums, and there is nothing here that suggests thenewno2 is incapable of finding the right mix. Based on Internet activity and iTunes downloads, the most popular track on the EP is “Live a Lie,” and it features the mercurial Regina Spektor on background vocals and refrain. The combination of Harrison and Spektor sounds effortless—as if Spektor has always been a part of the band. The music on this track expertly creates a mood helping the songwriting to tell the story. The effect is a stifling description of an inauthentic relationship. However, when Spektor coos, “So long to live a lie,” it hardly seems like a bad thing. The real standout on the EP is the first track, “Wide Awake.” It comes on like a stormy theme song from a Bond movie 20 years in the future. The distorted reverb accented throughout the song acts like an ominous laugh punctuating Harrison’s distinctive voice. This track also showcases great musicianship, innovative production techniques and a remarkable cohesiveness—which is no small feat from a group including so many sonic elements. EP002 points to a band at the intersection of reconciling its past influences with the anxiety of living in a digital world. If thenewno2 is able to build off of the momentum of the high-points exhibited on this small collection, Harrison’s goal of having a faceless musical collective recognized by ideas and prowess alone, may soon come true. The shadow will most likely always be there though.

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