Depending on where you stand, lyrics are either mere words to carry a tune or a key element – a story or sentiment necessary to make a listener connect with a song. I’ve known passionate music fans as well as…
Category: Reviews
Album | Princess Chelsea – Lil’ Golden Book
Princess Chelsea (a.k.a. Chelsea Nikkel) has created an album like a gothic fairground: Lil’ Golden Book evokes spells or fairy tales, the scarier end of Disney, and Edward Scissorhands, mashed together with hints of Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots, Deerhoof,…
EP | Feldspar – The Flat And Paper Sky Vol. 1
Soaring tunes, powerful vocals, lush instrumentation. If that sounds good to you, then so will Feldspar’s debut EP. And it certainly should, because this is a truly exciting debut from a band who should go far. The London five-piece announce…
Album | AC Newman – Shut Down The Streets
AC Newman’s Shut Down The Streets will be welcome listening for those who want to extend the summer past the album’s October release date. The album’s instrumentation is flecked with major key twinkling of banjos, dulcimers and Rhodesy keys that…
Album | Ryan Bingham – Tomorrowland
After receiving a string of awards, and the Billboard success of his third album Junky Star, it is no surprise that Ryan Bingham wanted a bit of a shake-up, somewhat comparable to Emma Watson’s haircut after filming for the Harry…
Album | Denver – Denver
The idea, floated in their press release, that Denver come across as “a modern-day Highwaymen” might be stretching it a little bit. Groupings that bring together the likes of Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, Kris Kristofferson and Waylon Jennnings belong in…
Album | Mark Eitzel – Don’t Be A Stranger
It is important throughout your life to proclaim your joy. So Mark Eitzel told us on his 2001 EP. Eleven years on, as he releases his latest album Don’t Be A Stranger, the 53-year-old has more reason than ever to…
Album | The Wooden Sky – Every Child a Daughter, Every Moon a Sun
There was a time, not long past, when a form of nationalistic profiling was necessary when tackling a new album of Canadian descent. Most of them were either by Arcade Fire, by Arcade Fire wannabes or featured one or more…
Album | Mat Gibson – Long Goner
Mat Gibson has impressed many with his beautiful sombre melodies and there has been much anticipation for new material since the much acclaimed Forest Fire. Well now the wait is over in the form of the enchanting Long Goner. Mat…
Album | The Be Good Tanyas – A Collection
Having had only limited exposure to the Be Good Tanyas and always been interested in hearing more, I fall squarely within the target audience for a retrospective, and this set forms a fine education. The older songs tend to be…