Artigos com o marcador folk
Mary Lou Lord – Got No Shadow (1998)
19/07/10
For many years in the alternative revolution of the early ’90s, Mary Lou Lord was touted as the next big thing by those in the know, but she never delivered a full-length album, preferring to turn out a series of indie EPs on Kill Rock Stars. It wasn’t until 1998 that she released her full-length debut, Got No Shadow. While many of the titles on the album may be familiar to longtime fans — “Lights Are Changing,” “Some Jingle Jangle Morning,” “Western Union Desperate,” “Subway” — the clean, polished sound of Got No Shadow might come as surprise. But the production actually does a nice job of opening up her sound, making it accessible like a Shawn Colvin record without losing integrity. Some critics may carp that Lord wrote or co-wrote seven of the 13 tracks of the record, with the rest of the songs devoted to covers of her longtime associate Nick Saloman (the Bevis Frond), and one tune apiece from Elizabeth Cotton (“Shake Sugaree”) and Freedy Johnston (“The Lucky One”), but that has the effect of strengthening the album, since there isn’t a weak song here. Lord has a sweet, thin voice that is surprisingly versatile, and she delivers Saloman‘s songs as convincingly as her own. Got No Shadow is a little subdued, but Lord’s charming performances, clever lyrics, and catchy melodies prove remarkably resonant. It may not have the unvarnished appeal of the early EPs and tapes, but Got No Shadow was worth waiting for. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, AMG
My Rate: 9/10
Áudio de “Some Jingle Jangle Morning”
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Woods – At Echo Lake (2010)
07/07/10
ALLMUSIC Since forming in 2005, Woods have been churning out albums, EPs, and singles at such a brisk pace that it’s not surprising the band’s music changed quickly as well. At Echo Lake is some of the group’s most focused and accessible music — relatively speaking, of course. Woods still love lo-fi production values as much as they love jangly guitars and sweet harmonies, but this time the band puts its pop instincts and classic rock fetish at the forefront. At Echo Lake isn’t just folky rock, it’s straight-up folk-rock in the tradition of the Byrds and early Grateful Dead. “Blood Dries Darker” opens the album with a melody so sunny that it’s hard to believe it wasn’t recorded in California, while “Mornin’ Time” evokes the Dead’s hazy warmth, albeit surrounded by billowing clouds of distortion. If there was any doubt that Woods have the lo-fi aesthetic down to an art, this album proves the band is in control of its noise instead of vice versa. “Pick Up” uses sound effects and subtly static-laden synths to add space and emotion, and the gorgeous, chiming “Suffering Season” shades its pristine melody with almost imperceptible tape manipulations courtesy of G. Lucas Crane, who also worked on the band’s previous album, Songs of Shame. Indeed, there’s something very precise about At Echo Lake, particularly in Jeremy Earl‘s vocals and the arrangement of “Time Fading Lines,” which manages to add a buzzing banjo/sitar without feeling retro. Even when the band channels the Byrds and Sonic Youth on “From the Horn,” which sounds like “Eight Miles High” meets “Dirty Boots,” Woods never come across as overly indebted to their ‘60s or ‘90s influences. Though At Echo Lake recedes into static on later songs like the moody ballads “I Was Gone” and “Deep,” it just underscores that the album’s focus isn’t too contrived. These are some of Woods’ finest songs, and the freshness of their melodies and Earl‘s voice makes them among the most sophisticated and transporting bands of the lo-fi vanguard. ~ Heather Phares
My Rate: 9.8/10
Áudio de “Pick Up”
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