Record Review: The Smashing Pumpkins - American Gothic (ep) (B+)

American Gothic

Wea International
3/4/2008

The partially reunited Pumpkins’ second project, American Gothic, delivers classic Pumpkin sound but in a slightly different package. Breaking up in 2000, and with two members still estranged, it appeared for a while that the particular sound of Billy Corgan and Jimmy Chamberlain would be lost. Fortunately they “reunited” the band in 2006 and produced Zeitgeist in July of 2007. The fact that they’ve released this EP now (digitally in January) shows that the song-writing process for Corgan is getting easier again. The new EP doesn’t contain the hardness of Zeitgeist. Zeitgeist employs the classic overdubbed guitars from earlier projects, but American Gothic isn’t nearly so dense. The music has a lighter sweeter character. Of course that might just be because Corgan and Chamberlain couldn’t spend so much time in the studio because they’re still on tour. The songs stick to a comparably basic set of instrumentation, with only a few vocal effects. Lyrically, the songs, in the order on the international EP, seem to present the story of a man falling in love with a woman, eventually being disappointed, feeling as if he can’t live without her, and eventually deciding that he’ll get along after all. It’s difficult to say why the order was changed for the digital release on iTunes, but in that order the overall meaning is obscured. Fans should download this from iTunes, and then rearrange it into the proper order (The Rose March, Again Again Again, Pox, Sunkissed) before listening.

Record Review: Protest the Hero - Fortress (B)

Fortress

Vagrant Records
2/11/2008

I never listen to metal. The closest I get is a little bit of Metallica’s black album, but it was a gift for my eighteenth birthday, so I’m obligated. That being said I may not be the best reviewer for Canadian band Protest the Hero’s album Fortress. I do have the advantage of fresh ears however, plus I’m guessing I can literally hear better than most metal fans.

The first thing that strikes me is the extensive part that the drummer plays in the music. Moe Carlson seems to be giving the floor tom a real workout. It isn’t all just bass and crash cymbal. Protest the Hero makes extensive use of electronic instrumentation, as well as extremely impressive lead and rhythm guitar work. The bass guitar is adequate. The vocals are extremely impressive. Though there’s a fair amount of screaming, there are also a good number of clean vocal phrases and Rody Walker’s voice is quite crisp. Like most good metal, the album is a technical masterpiece, however emotionally and lyrically it probably works best for angst-ridden teenagers. The lead guitar goes on soaring, if short-lived, solos that remind one more of glam rock than metal, but it all seems to fold nicely into the wall of sound that the album braces the listener with. The rhythm of it all is electronically smooth and crafted to be entertaining.

The individual tracks do tend to be variations on a theme, a fault I find with most metal that I’ve heard, but the transitions make sense, and there are differences between songs. The early part of the album is actually a little better than the end. “Palms Read” stands out as the best song. Lyrically, the entire album seems to present a belief in the impossibility of true knowledge, but as the album winds down the lyrics begin to get a bit more preachy and the overall design of each song seems to suffer from a greater reliance on the vocals, while the vocals are becoming less refined. If the last three tracks had been chopped this would have been at least an A- effort. Of course if you don’t have at least an open mind for metal, don’t even attempt this one.

Record Review: Wyclef Jean - Carnival II Memoirs of an Immigrant (A)

Carnival II: Memoirs of an Immigrant

Sony
12/4/2007

One can tell from the first notes of “Intro” that Carnival II will be an intense musical experience. Wyclef Jean is most known to me through The Fugees or “Gone til November,” but after giving this new album a listen I’ll be checking out his back catalogue. Intensely danceable, intensely verbose, Carnival II is filled with tracks of impressive un-obscured lyrics that anyone can understand. Reminiscent of Eminem in places (“Come on, chill out Angie, let daddy finish writin'”) only more intellectual and very much more island inspired, I’ve never heard a more listenable hip-hop record. Almost every track is filled with complex instrumentation and multiple layers of vocals, all blended together into perfect harmonies. Wyclef makes extensive use of guest vocalists (Paul Simon even makes an appearance), sometimes providing counterpoint to his own lyrics, sometimes singing multiple verses. Wyclef’s own trademark smooth voice is ever-present throughout, presenting the main message, but often blending with the music so well that it’s as if he’s actually the backup vocalist.

Highlights of the album are numerous and include “Sweetest Girl (Dollar Bill),” “Slow Down,” and “Fast Car,” (the Paul Simon track). The only low-point of the album is the overly urban “Selena,” purportedly about immigration to the US from south of the border. It doesn’t really fit with the rest of the album. The next-to-last track of the album is the thirteen-minute plus “Touch Your Button Carnival Jam.” Except for the closing guitar solo, which starts about 11 minutes in, it all sounds a little too arranged to be a real jam. Divided into different sections, it starts out weak, but if you have patience to listen deep, the last eight minutes or so are great.

Carnival II is a strong album that the listener can take as much as he wants from. It’s enjoyable at the most shallow, leave-it-on-in-the-background level, all the way up to carefully analyzing the lyrics for metaphors, and the meanings of the interplay of the instruments with the sound effects.

If you can grab the deluxe version, so much for the better.

Record Review: Alive in Wild Paint - Ceilings (C)

Ceilings

Equal Visions Records
3/18/2008

It's not to say that the recent output from members of Goodbye Tomorrow and Terminal is a bad record, as it certainly isn't… it's just not something to get terribly excited about. Ceilings is mini-van rock, perfect for the suburban soccer parent that hasn't yet let go of their youth, but isn't quite ready to settle into a nice James Taylor collection.

Musically there is nothing wrong with the album, much as there really isn't anything terribly right with it. Alive In Wild Paint have constructed a very palatable, if not completely unremarkable record that begs the attention of every fan of Train and The Fray. Notable producer Mark Trombino certainly isn't aspiring for greatness here, but rather seems interested in creating a collection of tracks destined to be featured in the background of teen-friendly movie trailers and the occasional episode of The OC. Don't believe me? Just tune into "Forecasting" at about the three minute mark and imagine it layered underneath a Mischa Barton's latest painful breakup.

While it isn't a bad album, it's certainly not a good one. Fluff after fluff, with the occasional pseudo-Jonny Buckland guitar riff tossed in for good measure, Ceilings is a masterpiece of uninspiring, white bread rock music. The track, "Everywhere, An Ocean," conjures up thoughts of what must have been every single throwaway track for Travis' The Man Who, while "Sleep With Your Soul In" could fit easily onto any Dashboard Confessional album.

Some suggest that Ceilings grows on you with each listen, to those individuals I doff my hat. Maintaining consciousness for one listen was difficult enough, but multiple spins must require expert training the likes of which I've never seen. Essentially, if Coldplay or Death Cab For Cutie seem to be just a little too edgy for your tastes, Alive In Wild Paint may be just the band you've been waiting for.

Record Review: Dolly Parton - Backwoods Barbie (C+)

Backwoods Barbie

Dolly Parton’s Backwoods Barbie (February 2008) is an album of dramatic ups and downs. Starting out a little slow, at least for this reviewer’s tastes, it finally starts to sparkle after a few songs, heads back into the tank for a track or two, and then finishes strongly. Dolly has released forty-seven minutes of music on her own label so far, and some of it is great, and some of it is not so great.

The first track, and first single, “Better Get to Livin’” casts Dolly in the role of Dr. Phil. In trying to give advice to the rest of us about how to live, Dolly seems to have momentarily forgotten how to be interesting. Unfortunately it gets even worse with “Made of Stone.” This track is just plain forgettable. “Drives Me Crazy,” a modified cover of the song written and made famous by Fine Young Cannibals, is refreshing but still lacks inspiration. It tries to recreate the excitement of the original, only with bluegrass/country instrumentation. Unfortunately that doesn’t work as well here as it did with “Shine” in 2001. The title track, “Backwoods Barbie,” is very impressive lyrically, but here Dolly chooses the standard fiddle/steel guitar of late 80’s country that much of the beginning of this album seems to be trying to recreate.

The religious tune, “Jesus and Gravity” finally breaks out of the 80’s mold with key changes and an impressive buildup of energy throughout. It uses a choir for ambience, and Dolly gives her voice a real workout. Dolly’s voice, while still strong and perfectly in key, has taken on a whispering quality over the last few years, and this is showcased nicely on “Only Dreamin’.” She seems to be backing herself vocally. There are many elements in this song, various backup singers, the deeper strings, flute, solo violin, and an ever present softly strummed guitar. “Only Dreamin’” is the standout of the album.

“The Tracks of My Tears,” written by Johnny Rivers, isn’t a bad cover, but it unfortunately doesn’t offer anything that Smokey Robinson didn’t do much better. With “The Lonesomes,” we’re back to standard forgettable country fare. Thankfully this rough stretch doesn’t last so long.

“Cologne” comes on heartbreakingly strong, detailing the dilemma of a woman in love with a man who isn’t leaving his wife. “Shinola” uses a catchy tune and lyrics to entertain the listener. “I Will Forever Hate Roses” and “Somebody’s Everything” express staples of country music sentiment, but Dolly’s voice and musical sensibilities keep these two from being quite so dull as the first few tracks.

Dolly still looks like a million bucks, sings like an angel, and writes, well, like George Strait. Backwoods Barbie is a presentable collection of radio friendly country music. It doesn’t inspire, but there’s enough good here to assure us that Dolly will be a force in country music for years to come.

Record Review: Billy Joe Shaver - Everybody's Brother (B)

Billy Joe Shaver’s Everybody’s Brother (September 2007) can be described as the affirmation of faith by an aging and beaten-up honkeytonker. That classic honkeytonk twang is still the centerpiece of his vocal repertoire. Shaver’s ode to Jesus, this album features duets with many major stars including John Anderson, Marty Stuart, Tanya Tucker, and even Johnny Cash. The first duet with John Anderson, “Get Thee Behind Me Satan,” enjoys frequent play on GAC’s The Edge of Country. Standouts on the album include “When I Get My Wings,” which captures the intensity of the best parts of Tramp on Your Street (August 1993), and the Tanya Tucker duet “Played the Game Too Long.” Tanya’s voice sounds as perfectly reedy as it ever has.

Unfortunately the intensity of “When I Get My Wings” is lacking in most of the other tracks. One gets the feeling that Shaver’s own music isn’t so much about catharsis as much as it is about escape. Many of the slower tracks blend into each other a little bit, not providing distinctly memorable experiences. None of the tracks are painful to listen to, however, and when played in the background comfort the soul with their warm fuzziness.

A few of the songs get a little preachy. In fact, the most interesting song musically speaking, the title track, “Everybody’s Brother,” is essentially a song of invitation for a new age. It includes the line “With blind faith you will hit the mark, and seldom will you miss.” That aspect aside, the album is still good news, in that one of America’s great songwriters is still going strong and practicing his craft.

The fine treat of the whole record is the last track, the duet with Johnny Cash, recorded in 1970, “You Just Can’t Beat Jesus Christ.” Providing the inspiration for the name of the album, and presumably the name for the title track, this song is nostalgic of the very best of the collaboration between Cash and Jennings, and serves as a reminder that those glory years probably owed a great deal to the songwriting of Shaver. This one track is worth the price of the record.

New Velvet Underground Track Uncovered

A new bootleg of a heretofore unreleased Velvet Underground song has been uncovered. It's entitled "I'm Not a Young Man Anymore." The quality isn't great, meaning both the tape quality after decades of deterioration, and also the quality of the music. It does seem to indicate a tendency toward more raucous roadhouse type rock, and it smacks of improvisation. The guitar work is technically pretty good. The lyrics are tragically uninspiring. The phrasing is similar to other Velvet Underground songs. It's a jam in every sense of the word. All that probably explains how it was nearly lost. You can listen for yourself here.